My god was this drama good. First of all, the visuals are beautiful, costumes, sets, the animations, everything is so pleasing to the eye. Second, it is so different from your average drama. We don't have a Mary Sue lead who has no personality traits or goals in life. We don't have a male lead who is arrogant, cold and immature with a toxic love for the female lead. We don't have a stupid plot with no logic flow or complex themes. We don't have a society in which men are leaders, and the females followers. And with all that added up, it leads to this: a wonderfully unique drama.

All the characters, even the minor ones, acted amazingly. Not one person seemed out of place of out of character. And that creates a sense of completeness in the story. You believe that these people are actually humans, and not just fictional one-dimensional tools. Characterization in this drama was also amazing. No one was evil just because the writers needed them to be. No one was just pure goodness, and everybody had a little bit of hate and evil in them. The main couple also had a lot of chemistry. They had a relationship that you easily believed, due to the chemistry, the pacing of the story, and the plot itself. They trusted each other, loved each other, and would do anything to help the other, even sacrificing their own happiness or health. They had their conflicts, but their love for each other always won out.

The OST was hauntingly beautiful. When it played in Wan Mei-Chang An scenes, it added another layer of angst and passion to the chemistry between them. The other songs were really good as well, and they were always used accordingly.

Now to talk about the ladies. Oh my god, they amazing. Wan Mei might not be the most confident killer, but let's be real, if you were in her shoes, forced to kill people who are (sometimes) innocent, and have done nothing to harm you, would you be willing to? But if you want ladies that can fight and kill without hesitation, this show has got them as well.

This show also approaches a number of complex themes (is it ever correct to kill someone? how can one rise to high positions of power without using violence or low schemes) and involves character development (Wan Mei goes from naïve and innocent to a woman who understands she must fight to achieve freedom and rights for her fellow assassins).

So if you want to watch a Cdrama with good acting, good music, a good plot, and a new approach to dramas, WATCH THIS ONE. Honestly, even if you don't want to watch something fresh and new, still watch it!

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A Look Into the Lifestyles of 20 Year Olds in China

I know there's a lot of differing opinions on this drama - some think it is really realistic, others think it is a Mary Sue drama wearing the mask of "realistic". Personally, I think it is the former option. All the characters are very realistic, with their faults and positive aspects. None of them are perfect, nor are they just a prop full of faults for people to hate. I personally think that was the best part of the show. It was also really hopeful, and all of the characters were so optimistic and full of hope for the future, which was also really nice to see in a drama.

SOME SPOILERS HERE:

Plot: The plot was okay. It wasn't amazing, but it did make sense overall. The way they wrote most of the relationships was really nice (including friendships, parental relationships and romances), and they were extremely believable. I actually think that the fact that none of the couples got together at the end makes sense, especially given their personalities. For example, Luo Yan and Lu Ran should have been an amazing couple because they have similar interests, but because both are entering their first relationship (I assume) and some coincidental problems, there ends up being a huge problem between them: lack of trust. People think Da Bao and Da Xiong ought to have been together because they just fit together so well, but the sad reality is sometimes you just don't like the person that is the best fit for you. Since I'm still young and haven't entered work yet, I don't know how realistic Xiaoguo's storyline was, but it was entertaining nonetheless! My biggest complaint is I think Zhao Youxiu should have entered the picture earlier so he and Liang Shuang could have gotten together earlier. Also, the ending was just a little anticlimactic. I wished just a little more was given.

I also really appreciate that they tried to represent all different types of careers, people, and relationships. For example, Xiaoguo and her mom are really close, but still get in fights over small things, Luo Yan and her mom have communication problems and also often fight because they have different beliefs on things, Liang Shuang and her mom aren't close at all, and because of this Liang Shuang feels as if her mom is a stranger, Duan Jiabao is just loved by her parents and they give her all the money she needs.

Acting: Nothing much to say here. Everyone did great! I also feel like the chemistry between most couples were really good (except for Lu Ran and Luo Yan, that one was a little forced. Honestly I feel Luo Yan and Zhao Cheng had better chemistry).

Music: That one song that played during sad moments was really nice, but the other ones were forgettable.

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This drama is truly made for everyone. There's romance, comedy, mysteries, murder, wars, martial arts, lots of schemes and character development. The writer for this show has a tendency to layer plot twist atop of plot twist, so you never really know who is the villain, and who's good or bad; which makes the entire show almost like a "who did it?" mystery.

Our six main characters can be divided into two groups, the stupid and the smart. But, every single character is unique, interesting and by the end, you will love all of them. Even Ya Nei and Xiao Jing, who seem to be useless and stupid, end up growing to be formidable and helpful (and Ya Nei is hilarious). The couples here are also really cute, especially the secondary couple. Also I totally ship Xue Ying and Ya Nei. Putting aside romantic pairings, the entirety of the seventh team is just a big family. They start out as barely acquaintances, but as they grow and take on missions together, they end up becoming a group that you cannot split apart. No matter what happens, the seventh team will stay together.

Acting here was pretty on point. Especially Bruce Heng as Ya Nei. He's the funniest, but can also be the most depressing. Steven Zhang perfectly captures Yuan Zhongxin's charisma and scheming personality. Zhou Yutong is amazing at portraying the confident and aggressive Zhao Jian. Wang Youshuo portrays the never-lying (but not really), noble Wang Kuan with just the right amount of pride and kindness. Su Xiaotong is soooooo cute as the innocent and kind Xiao Jing, and Zheng Wei does wonderful with the antisocial and loyal Xue Ying.

In comparison to the majority of idol dramas, the OST for this show kind of felt disappointing at first. However, by the end of the show, I had fallen in love with both the opening and closing songs. The background music is also used very well, and helps to add another layer of reality to the scenes.

Overall, I would suggest this drama for anyone.

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