This was my most anticipated drama of 2021 and it didn’t disappoint at all.

I appreciated the budget spent on the cast and production. All leads delivered, I wasn’t surprised with Wang Yibo’s calibre but I hadn’t watched Huang Xuan and Song Qian in any role before. I liked both especially Huang Xuan. He was Gao Bingzhu in essence and spirit, such a strong character. Song Qian was also good, she didn’t overact and I appreciated how she made Siyue into a multi-dimensional character, with soft edges. Wang Yibo continues to improve and soar higher and higher, taking on different roles each time. So proud of him giving his all to every project he takes on.

This drama has so many things going on; intrigue, suspense, some side romance (just enough to not overshadow), palace politics, history, and most of all, facets of humanity seen from different classes of the citizens.

The music is good, especially the end credits song (I need to find the title) which is haunting and, depending on when it was bgm, could be either heartbreaking or inspiring.

Congrats to the cast and crew of Luoyang, you’ve left a positive mark in the cdrama world, imho.