wildtiger393
London, United Kingdom
Starts off really great but trails off and has disappointing ending
This is the first historical c-drama I've watched to the end. At the start I was really hooked, due to the sets, costumes, thrilling story, plot twists, music and some great characters. However as the show went on, particularly in the second half, I became less enthused.
The series is 53 episodes but this kind of breaks down into 6 or 7 sub stories which are only loosely related. For example, one story is about an illegal weapons factory, another is about fighting a war with a rival northern state. I felt like I was watching multiple seasons of a show rather than one complete story.
The characters are generally good, but there are some characters I dislike to varying degrees. One of the FL's maids is particularly annoying and is clearly meant to add comic effect but it just falls flat. Also, two of the major villains of the show are presented in a way that they are, for the most part, completely emotionless, and keep a constant facial expression and tone. This does make them seem more "evil", but on the other hand leads to them being more two-dimensional characters.
Characters I particularly liked were the ML's brother (Prince Jingling), and FL's parents, siblings and siblings in law. They are fleshed out a lot more, and also have some really happy moments and touching moments.
The OST is really good but it does end up getting quite repetitive by the end of the show. Some musical score seems to be repeated in almost every episode, which leads to it having much less effect than when it was first heard.
As mentioned above I love the sets and costumes, but again, by the end I felt they were too repetitive. The majority of the show takes place in two or three locations. Also, the costumes worn are pretty much the same every episode (with the exception of FL). I felt like this show was produced on a low budget in the second half.
In terms of the story arcs mentioned above, they are mostly good, but some of the story towards the end is less interesting or not satisfying.
The ending was also really disappointing to me - it felt like it was just "tacked on" and involved a plot that didn't have much relation to the storylines throughout the series. It also left a lot open to interpretation and so was quite confusing without providing proper closure. I think the show would have been much better if the final episode was never made.
Overall I still don't regret watching the show as most of it I really enjoyed. But the show could have been a lot better and ultimately left me feeling disappointed, but with still some great moments to remember. If I ever do rewatch it, I might split into two or more parts to keep it more fresh, and also skip the final episode (and the last scene of the penultimate episode) entirely.
The series is 53 episodes but this kind of breaks down into 6 or 7 sub stories which are only loosely related. For example, one story is about an illegal weapons factory, another is about fighting a war with a rival northern state. I felt like I was watching multiple seasons of a show rather than one complete story.
The characters are generally good, but there are some characters I dislike to varying degrees. One of the FL's maids is particularly annoying and is clearly meant to add comic effect but it just falls flat. Also, two of the major villains of the show are presented in a way that they are, for the most part, completely emotionless, and keep a constant facial expression and tone. This does make them seem more "evil", but on the other hand leads to them being more two-dimensional characters.
Characters I particularly liked were the ML's brother (Prince Jingling), and FL's parents, siblings and siblings in law. They are fleshed out a lot more, and also have some really happy moments and touching moments.
The OST is really good but it does end up getting quite repetitive by the end of the show. Some musical score seems to be repeated in almost every episode, which leads to it having much less effect than when it was first heard.
As mentioned above I love the sets and costumes, but again, by the end I felt they were too repetitive. The majority of the show takes place in two or three locations. Also, the costumes worn are pretty much the same every episode (with the exception of FL). I felt like this show was produced on a low budget in the second half.
In terms of the story arcs mentioned above, they are mostly good, but some of the story towards the end is less interesting or not satisfying.
The ending was also really disappointing to me - it felt like it was just "tacked on" and involved a plot that didn't have much relation to the storylines throughout the series. It also left a lot open to interpretation and so was quite confusing without providing proper closure. I think the show would have been much better if the final episode was never made.
Overall I still don't regret watching the show as most of it I really enjoyed. But the show could have been a lot better and ultimately left me feeling disappointed, but with still some great moments to remember. If I ever do rewatch it, I might split into two or more parts to keep it more fresh, and also skip the final episode (and the last scene of the penultimate episode) entirely.
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