Wow... this drama got me so confused I don't even know if I liked it or hated it...
It left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth, but somehow I binge watched almost the entire show. There are 3 things that are essential to be able to do it, though:
- Trust NOBODY!!!
Seriously, this show made me almost lose falth in humanity. It is the first time I watch a drama where EVERYONE is either crazy, scary, manipulative, greedy, disloyal or all those things at once ( ok, the maid was adorable ????????)...
The writers probably meant to add depth to the characters and show how power corrupt people, but they did it in such a formulaic way, that it had the opposite effect - the character was either common villains that would do anything to destroy the leads for one reason or another, or someone that looked nice at first but actually had a hidden agenda and would become worse as they became more powerful.
-Make full use of the skip button.
This drama is inconstant, some parts are really boring and others are quite enjoyable. The only constant thing was I had to use the skip button in all the episodes. There are too many unnecessary or overlong scenes that add nothing to the story..
-Don't think too much, really...
The writing/directing is really bipolar, there were some great parts with amazing lines, and then suddenly it is so ridiculous that
one can only think “What is wrong with everyone???"
There are a lot of random plot twist that actually feels like someone decided to add to the script 5 minutes before filming, and the most important episodes are usually the most messy. It seems like the writer does well writing ordinary episodes, but mess up when he has to write important scenes that will take the plot somewhere.
As for the ratings:
STORY - 4.0
I didn't hate the plot changes that happened around ep 16, but I wish they had made more effort to connect the two parts of the drama... As it is, it actually felt like two completely different unrelated stories. Coupled with the reasons above, I can't really say I liked the story.
ACTING/CAST - 8.0
The best part of the drama, but there are two black holes: The main characters. Chuyu isn't great, just ok, but Rong Zhi is almost painful to watch sometimes. He didn't overact , though, and actually fit the character, so it didn't bother me too much. I believe he will improve with time.
Everyone else was really good, still more impressive if we think they had to portray crazy people...
MUSIC - 8.0
The BGM fit really well with the mood of the scenes, was not too loud or distracting, and the opening/closing songs are really nice.
Rewatch Value - 2.0
I usually rewatch dramas for the character, since the plot is all revealed after the first watch.
But since, as I said, everyone here is crazy scary and the romance was lukewarm, I doubt I will rewatch it (maybe only the cute scenes with the maid).
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