Great Acting. Just wish it wasn't as draggy

I watched this for Zhao Li Ying and I felt that she and the cast have delivered in terms of acting. The story was great at the beginning then slowly dragged on, as the story progressed, so I took me a while to finish it.

I love how each character is flawed and kudos for the acting crew - they are able to convey this quite well.

I was just disappointed it wasn't really a "mystery". The plot could have used a bit more of a punch to it, but they developed the characters well. I think it was more character driven than plot driven. I was hoping to watch a murder mystery - and it was one but it wasn't very... mysterious.

This is why I gave it a 7.5. The plot was draggy at the second half, but the acting was great.

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Cute Fluff, Angst, Mystery and Fantasy

What I liked about the show:

I really love the story. I watched this drama with the only expectation of fluff and a bit of mystery.
The best thing about this drama I think was the writing. I love the plot and I'm shocked that there is a fantasy element in a modern drama (wasn't it supposed to be banned?). Every episode got me hooked and wanting more. They pulled me into the mystery of the drama. I wasn't expecting something complicated and this suited my mood

Some things were quite obvious *cough the ML's Chinese name* but I love it. The ending was perfect for the drama, and that was how I envisioned it.

Another thing I really liked were the kissing scenes between Shen Yao and Yalkun Merxat. They were so hot. looooool.


The negatives:

Acting:
Some of the acting was a bit unnatural. The FL was on point most of the time - but sometimes her speech delivery felt unnatural (maybe it was dubbed?). Her expressions were fine. I felt that a few others were a bit unnatural for a few scenes - Qin Yue (played Shen Yao), Jin Xiao Rui (played by Zheng Fan Xing) and some of the minor roles.

Wei Xuan He
He's so toxic and I felt that Qin Yue really needed to get away from him. But he's so hottttt xD

Overall I would recommend this drama. It was addictive and not too complicated. The acting could have been better, but it was serviceable.

lol I probably enjoy it because I'm not a programmer - this drama might drive programmers nuts with drama magic. xD

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Great Chemistry, Strange Couples, Boring office storylines

I watched this for the chemistry between the leads, of which they had ample of.
I found myself bored to tears with the office storylines. Some of the decisions that the characters make (not just the leads) got me scratching my head.

I could without ep. 31-35. It had SO much potential to make the SML storyline great and I found myself angry for him. Did they have to do that to make the ML the only viable choice? The character development for the SML was so great...until it wasn't.

Anyways here are my thoughts:

Positives
Chemistry
Cute moments

Negatives
You really have to turn off your brain on some of the logic.
Boring office storylines

I found myself watching the last 7 episodes in 2x speed, just to finish it.

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Body Swapping High Jinx

This is the first time I've seen either main actors. I am quite impressed

Pros:
The plot - it keeps moving! None of the scenes were wasted
The acting - Both Steven Zhang and Liang Jie nailed their roles. I can readily tell when they were playing each other. Being a fan of idols - I kept seeing Steven Zhang - acting like one of my favourite idols. I am not familiar with his personality but he was really convincing as an idol. Liang Jie - was great acting like a guy. She was cute but not overly cute.
The chemistry! both leads had great chemistry with each other.
The family/friends - I liked how close they were with each other. He had a wonderful manager and group mates.

Cons
The beginning and end scene. What was that about? It lessened the show for me, made it seem less magical.

Overall, I recommend this drama. I don't typically watch modern cdramas - because I find them draggy. But I really enjoyed this one.

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Great Production

This is my first harem drama. I did not read the synopsis and I dived right in.

What I liked about the drama:

• Sets - Wonderfully done. They are very beautiful and felt realistic.
• Costumes - I was curious about the fashion so I researched it. Even the make up was historically accurate - the partial lipstick and thin eyebrows were the fashion.
• Acting - My favourite acting was Charmaine Sheh (Consort Xian). She played a vulnerable, yet strong character so well. Her expressions were amazing. She was also my favourite character. I emphasize with her so well. She wanted to be the kind, and good but circumstances had to make her tough.
• Empress Xiaoxianchun – she was a very kind empress.
• Fu Heng. He’s perfect.

What I didn’t like

• Length. I wish it was 10 episodes less. I think the Chenbi story arc wasn’t necessary. At that time, I felt it start to drag. The last 2 episodes were good though.
• Emperor – he is smart, but I didn’t like his lack of love towards his harem. He was so petty over Wei Ling Luo. He’s so damn cold.
• Sometimes, things just felt too convenient for Wei Ying Luo.

It was entertaining. I wouldn’t watch it for the romance, because I really disliked the romance. I started it thinking the romance was going one direction and it went another direction. This is more of a political drama and it’s about a strong female lead outwitting her opponents. The sets and costumes were well done. I just thought it dragged a little towards the end, and wished they kept it around 60 episodes.

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