I watched this out of curiosity and really enjoyed it. Yes, it was a major surprise, considering how I was a little sick and tired of fantasies and wanted to veer away, lol. Or at least, I wanted take a little break from it. I was glad I watched it. It actually took me five days, lol. A new record for recent series. And because I jumped on when it was almost finished airing so didn’t have to wait. I was sort of looking forward to this when they started filming. Then I just forgot about it due to other real life stuff, lol. I was glad I checked it out. Even though it was 40-episodes long, I didn’t feel the stretch at all. Because things actually moved forward and there were lots going on. There were also a lot of characters involved so it wasn’t boring. It could get repetitive (which I will get into more details later) but it wasn’t completely irredeemable.
Main Cast:
- Zhang Han (张翰) as Jun Bei Yue (君北月). The fourth prince of Tian Que. He lost his mother since young and being a prince, he fell into the same fate with the rest of the other princes, trying to survive by watching his back all the time. It was harder having no allies at an early age, so he was forced to prove himself by fighting in various battles thus gaining a reputation and being acknowledged. Yet, somehow that wasn’t enough for anyone. Because they wanted to take him down. And having many brothers didn’t increase his chance of family love later on, because most just wanted him dead or blame him for his existence because they all wanted the throne. So, the few allies he had, he cherished them and had their backs at every turn. Although he seemed cold and fierce on the surface but he was very protective toward those he cared about. I haven’t watched anything of his since Here To Heart (and I didn’t even finished that due to the heavy theme in the later parts of the plot that annoyed the world out of me–and yes, this coming from someone who was a major fan of his and Janine years back). So, this was a welcome return. His performance didn’t disappoint at all.
- Bambi Zhu (祝绪丹) as Han Zi Qing (韩紫晴). The second daughter of the prime minister of Tian Que. Well, her real identity wasn’t that person but she fell into a dream sequence and ended up taking on the role until she could figure out how to escape. She did learn a lot about the real Han Zi Qing and eventually took on that role, even taking revenge for her. Being the second child of the family and having a mother who others looked down on, Han Zi Qing endured a lot of hardship since little. It wasn’t until she woke up one day and decided she had enough and fought for herself that she finally was free of those so-called family members. Then she went on a journey to explore the many things about her mother and figured out the fates of the kingdom along with her other half. I really liked this character because she was blunt and fierce all the way, not letting anyone bully her. It didn’t matter who she offended, she would speak of her mind or take actions to fight back. Sure, she did have weak moments but those were normal. It didn’t matter how many times she fell, she still got up and continued on. She also looked out for those around her, even speaking up for her servants and even slapped the person who bullied Hong Yi that one time too. Perhaps, because of her real identity being trained for different special operations that she was used to being tough, so she wasn’t scared of others. Yet I rather she was like that than crying in the corner all the time. (I don’t have problems with crying, I was just sick and tired of doormat female leads. Probably one of the top reasons I quit watching for a while and only came back recently.) Anyway, Bambi’s acting blew me away in this role. It was like she wasn’t so restrained or limited based on past roles anymore. I was really impressed and was addicted to watching her. It wasn’t just the way her character was written either. That helped plenty, but her expressions and composure were nicely done. She brought her character to life and made it her own.
- Yuan Qian Xun (袁千寻) as Young Han Zi Qing (幼年韩紫晴).
- Yao Chi (姚弛) as Xuan Yuan Li Ge (轩辕离歌). The crowned prince of Dong Ling. I didn’t know what to expect at first because of how he was associated with Jun Bei Chen at one point. Even if it was only to accept an invitation from a royal member to perform, it seemed suspicious. Then it was revealed they were in conspiracy with one another to fulfill some sort of major scheme. His circumstances changed when he met Han Zi Qing and wanted to help her and much more. Perhaps, it was the link to his music teacher that he so desperately wanted to connect with her. Although I sympathized with him at times and felt bad that he was just a pawn to his mother in the grand scheme of things, I found it hard to excuse his behaviors toward Jun Bei Yue later. Because of the unknown, they weren’t considered friends. But I felt it was uncalled for to say he wanted to declare war against Jun Bei Yue to reclaim what was his. What was that he hinting? Was it Han Zi Qing or his empire? Because I didn’t think Jun Bei Yue was responsible for either. For one, Han Zi Qing and Jun Bei Yue met first and developed feelings for one another already. His feelings for Han Zi Qing were very one-sided. That wasn’t to pour cold water on him out of spite, it was the reality of the situation. Han Zi Qing wasn’t interested in him at all. The furthest she could was treating him like a trusted friend. It was obvious she wasn’t interested in him romantically–even if she never met Jun Bei Yue. Because her ultimate goal had always been wanting to go home. The other, it wasn’t like it was Jun Bei Yue’s fault his people lost their empire. Or perhaps, that was just a move to distract his true targets. Yet he said those words in private, so I doubted he was acting at that point to convince his enemies. Was it just an inconsistency in the plot? Or was he just more humbled when he knew he was dying? I know it was mean to say that. But it seemed like he could only become a better person when he realized there was no hope or no future. Was he an interesting character? Yes, but there were many factors to be considered.
- Chen Yu Zhe (陈羽哲) as Young Xuan Yuan Li Ge (幼年轩辕离歌).
- Ryan Ren (任世豪) as Bai Li Wei Sheng (百里尾生). A veterinarian of Nan Zhao. His real identity was the prince of the golden merfolks. At first, I didn’t know what to make of him, both him and his junior actually. They were so suspicious with their spying mission and the fact that they were bounty hunters (or so they said at various points). But he turned out to be a reliable ally to them. It wasn’t just because he had fallen for Han Zi Qing. That had a lot to do with changing his point of view but also because he was a good person. He couldn’t help being involved in some situation, even if it would put him at a disadvantage. But he didn’t expect any sort of returns for helping them either. It was how he was. He was the true nice guy in this situation, not Li Ge. Again, what happened to Li Ge was tragic but he was still upfront and got a lot of attention from the people around him. Wei Sheng was a hidden hero. He didn’t have to do anything and could stay out of the way. Yet he chose differently. That was all it mattered.
Supporting:
- Hai Ling (海铃) as Chu Fei Yan (楚飞燕). The princess of Xi Ling, later became Consort Yun of Nan Zhao. She liked Jun Bei Yue and wanted to become his wife through marriage alliance yet wasn’t successful through the challenge against Han Zi Qing. That also led to her extreme hatred toward Han Zi Qing. She wasn’t just arrogant and spoiled because of her royal background, she was also incapable of taking responsibility for her own actions. The first two must had a great influence on the last part. Because whatever mess she got herself into with her own decisions and choices, she always blamed Han Zi Qing. Even the part where she put on that awesome musical performance in front of the King of Nan Zhao. If she had done research (like people often do before traveling to other kingdoms), she would know the situation at hand and somehow avoid it. Yet, she didn’t care to it and blamed Han Zi Qing for being cunning and didn’t perform her best on purpose. The other performers didn’t do that well either, what was her excuse? (Xuan Yuan Zhao Xi was probably the one who did perform to her best abilities but her luck was due to the fact that she lacked musical abilities, unlike her brother.) So, whose fault was it when she landed in a difficult situation? No one but herself. I thought she would continue to cause problems until the end because writers often loved to drag the catfight scenes out. Yet it was a surprise move that she was killed (by her own doing in that scheme also) almost halfway through.
- Luo Shi Qi (骆诗琪) as Nan Gong Qian Qian (南宫芊芊). The princess of Tie Yan. She was very energetic and enthusiastic toward others. She was also very stubborn and hotheaded at times. It was present during the first meeting with Han Zi Qing because she automatically assumed Han Zi Qing was involved with Si Tu Hao Nan. If it wasn’t so, she wouldn’t have become an ally. Was I glad she became friends with Han Zi Qing later? Yes, but her obsession mostly resided with Hao Nan and determined a lot of factors. So, I only treated her as an interesting additional to the plot, not a reliable ally.
- Wang Hao Xiang (王浩翔) as Si Tu Hao Nan (司徒浩南). The young master of Situ City. A childhood friend of Jun Bei Yue and probably the livelier of the two. I wasn’t sure if the actor was sending mixed signals but I felt his expressions were uncleared at times toward Qian Qian. It was like he felt sorry for her that she was arranged to be married off. It was hard to convince when he kept running away from her yet was later revealed to actually like her too. I know that created some sort of humor in the plot but it didn’t allow enough things to develop between the two. Perhaps, if some of the unnecessary stuff were cut out, they could focus a little more on these two.
- Peng Ya Qi (彭雅琦) as Xuan Yuan Zhao Xi (轩辕昭汐). The princess of Dong Ling, Xuan Yuan Li Ge’s younger sister. She thought she was the heir to throne so she carried an air toward her brother and others in general. However, she got a great dose of reality near the end when her mother learned of her brother’s death and ended up declaring her younger sister as the heir instead. She finally admitted that she was just another pawn. Yet that didn’t stop her from wanting to get rid of Han Zi Qing once and for all. She was another spoiled character that was incapable of taking responsibility for her actions and rather blamed others for it. I guess being royalties made them arrogant and didn’t see other people as anything but it felt kind of repetitive with how one-layered some characters were. They only had two modes: kill or use (the people around them). So yeah, I wasn’t pitying her either.
- Li Yu Xuan (李雨轩) as Jun Bei Chen (君北辰). The second prince of Tian Que, Jun Bei Chen’s older brother. He competed with Jun Bei Yue for the throne and despised his younger brother to the hardcore. He was also manipulated by his mother (although it didn’t take much for him to snap in regard to his younger brother) to carry out many schemes. His downfall was his arrogance. He indeed paid heavily. I expected him to survive until the end too, because it would drag out the feuding between the brothers, etc. Yet he got offed quite early on. It wasn’t too early but still early for the progression of the plot.
- Sun Yi (孙毅) as Ying Zi (影子). Jun Bei Yue’s loyal bodyguard. He was always seen by Jun Bei Yue’s side. (Well, mostly.) I always thought that he would make it till the end because of his constant presence around them. The final battle got him too. That was shocking but not too choking. I meant, the final battle also took out the main female lead, sooo…(which we all know later it was all a dream so she didn’t really die).
- Eva Chen (陈牧耶) as Xiao Sheng (晓笙). Bai Li Wei Sheng’s junior. She was later revealed to be a woman. She often dressed as a man while traveling with Bai Li Wei Sheng so the others didn’t know until later. She was really brave and kind. I was glad she was fine afterward and didn’t get killed off by some people. It was fun to watch her throughout–whether it was because of her curiosity with things or when she was mocking her senior, lol.
Others:
- Chang Dan Dan (常丹丹) as Hong Yi (红衣). Jun Bei Yue’s maid. She initially carried this air and also looked down on Han Zi Qing hence giving her attitude during the first meeting. However, she soon changed her attitude and thought otherwise after learning that Han Zi Qing had a mysterious side and even wanted to cover for her master. Later, she warmed up to Han Zi Qing even more when she conspired with Han Zi Qing to go against some outer forces. She was very loyal to both Jun Bei Yue and Han Zi Qing throughout and tried to support them the best she could. In other words, she was first proud of her master and then later on became attached to the new mistress of the mansion as well. If possible, I rather they developed and expanded her character more than focus on Ten’s dramas.
- Gao Qing (高晴) as Ten (十两). A beggar who was helped by Han Zi Qing and later became her maid. She was seen first in the streets being yelled at and beaten by a shop-owner because she stole from that person. Han Zi Qing saved her and followed her to her residence. It was a abandoned house and there were many other kids there as well. So, Han Zi Qing helped them and brought Ten home. She wasn’t called Ten previously because she said she didn’t have a name, so Han Zi Qing named her. She was very grateful and kind at first yet she changed later because she wanted to be with Jun Bei Yue. Okay, NOT trying to hold it over head or anything like how Hong Yi said she should be grateful, etc (because that was how Hong Yi and others operated back then with gratitude and all) since Han Zi Qing didn’t save her for that. Han Zi Qing saved Ten and the others because she wanted to. Anyway, the least she could acknowledge was how nice Han Zi Qing had been to her, treating her like a sister (like how Gu Xi had said). Yet she didn’t want to acknowledge that either, thinking she wasn’t wrong for just wanting to be by Jun Bei Yue’s side. Sure, she did get corrupted by Jun Bei Yue’s mother later and ended up being the latter’s tool. Yet, she didn’t think carefully what she was doing? That one time Jun Bei Yue grabbed her hand was because he was dreaming and was mistaking her for his wife. Secondly, during that time when he was sick, he was unconscious most of the time, so it was irrelevant whether he wanted her by his side or not (like she said at one point about how he wanted her then yet didn’t care for her anymore when his wife returned). Third, he only treated her like a servant, so it was her duty to take care of him, NOT like he was obsessed with her and wanted her by his side or anything. But I guessed she was just looking for anything to hate on Han Zi Qing (like other jealous women in here) and shrugged off all the responsibilities of her actions. Even during the last moments, she even acted like she did nothing wrong. When Gu Xi wanted her to apologize at the pier, she said even if she apologized, Han Zi Qing wouldn’t let her off. So, even if she apologized, it was because she wanted to live, not accepting that she was wrong. And that also proved she never understood Han Zi Qing at all.
- Liu Xiao Hu (刘晓虎) as Emperor of Nan Zhao (南照王). He was actually behind the whole puppets and wanted to develop the puppet armies to use against other kingdoms. Yet he underestimated his prime minister hence the downfall. He was also turned into a puppet later, which was well deserved because treated others like pawns or worse than dirt, so he got to experienced that as well.
- Jin Hui (金晖) as Emperor of Tian Que (天阙王). The father of Jun Bei Yue and Jun Bei Chen. He was both cowardly and manipulative–if that even made sense. Because he knew the queen’s hatred toward Jun Bei Yue yet fused her anger even more by manipulating the situation so she could get rid of Han Zi Qing for him. He knew what she was capable of yet didn’t put a stop to it by talking to her or put in an effective measure. Instead, he just let it be and then turned around and acted all shock when his second son died because of the ongoing feud. Everyone saw it coming, except him.
- Zhang Yu Fei (张雨霏) as Queen of Tian Que (天阙王后). Jun Bei Chen’s mother. Like mother, like son. They were both ambitious and would resort to any means to win. She trained her son well, so he ended up exactly like her, even more. She could be frustrated with the situation all she wanted, but always fueling the rivalry between siblings? Well, she got what she asked for in the end with the continuous goading and scheming. In the end, she still blamed Jun Bei Yue.
- Ai Ran (艾然) as Consort Fei of Nan Zhao (南照沁妃). The younger sister of the queen of Tian Que. Although she was a consort of the Nan Zhao Emperor, she liked Xuan Yuan Li Ge. She was a also very good musician–and possibly the reason for the emperor’s interest in her. She was also really jealous of Han Zi Qing and thought that Li Ge had been bewitched by Han Zi Qing. She was equally delusional as other women in here, thinking without Han Zi Qing, Li Ge would accept her or something. As sad as it was, Li Ge was also using her (aka becoming allies for some ulterior motive). Did she think he would marry her after their plans succeeded?
- Qian Duo Duo (钱哆多) as Meng Wan Yao (梦婉约). Jun Bei Yue’s mother. She faked her death years ago to pursue a certain lead which would lead to her ultimate goal of developing a powerful puppet. However, she made up a story about being in danger, so she had to fake her death. When she appeared, I suspected her from the start. There was just something off about her that didn’t click. I thought the actress did quite well for allowing the subtle signs to let us guess that something was up but not quite at other times. There was a mystery about her. It seemed like everyone around her was just a pawn in the grand scheme. She used some tragic story to manipulate those around her, even her son. The outcome was very tragic for Jun Bei Yue, who was so happy to be reunited with his mother.
- He Yun Qing (贺云庆) as Imperial Preceptor of Nan Zhao (大国师). I didn’t expect him to be the final bad boss of the show but there he was. He was sure a mad scientist of the ancient times all right. I meant, I didn’t doubt his cruelty or sorcery. I was just surprised that he went all out like that. I thought the emperor was the final guy. And I so didn’t get his point at all. So what if he was able to develop the most powerful puppet and destroyed everyone? Everyone was dead and he was a puppet himself as well. What was left really? But I guess I shouldn’t try to use some reasoning with him. Because he was too far gone where reality was concerned.
- Wang Tao (王涛) as the imperial medic of Tian Que (明医). He often followed Jun Bei Yue and was considered a loyal ally to latter. He was probably the more cool-headed one compared to Ying Zi. Because he told the latter to stay calm at times or reminded him of the situation, etc.
- Shi Qi Fan (史启帆) as Chu Tian Ge (楚天戈). The prince of Xi Ling, Chu Fei Yan’s younger brother. He was cruel and ruthless and selfish and all those terrible things that those royalties possessed. I thought his ending would have been somewhat heroic by dying on the bridge in the the battle with Jun Bei Yue at the beginning. Yet he died such a senseless death because of mutiny. It was well deserved but somewhat surprising and pathetic. Come on, don’t say I’m cruel. He had it coming the way he treated his troops and people who weren’t himself.
- Xu Ke Er (徐棵二) as Lu Su Ying (芦素颖). The second daughter of Mr. Lu. She wanted to become the head of the family and was forced to resort to all means to win. She mistakenly believed that Jun Bei Yue was her father’s illegitimate son hence wanting to poison him. She was expelled from the family after the truth was out about her conspiracy with the others to gain power.
- Qiu Bo Hao (邱柏皓) as Jiang Chen (江臣). The son-in-law of Mr. Lu who conspired with Lu Su Ying and to gain power. He was later exposed and forced to leave.
- Shang Chu Ran (商楚然) as Lu Mei Ting (芦梅婷). The oldest daughter of Mr. Lu, Jiang Chen’s wife (later ex-wife).
- Zhang Yuan Yu (张媛钰) as Queen of the Golden Merfolk Tribe (金鲛夫人). Bai Li Wei Sheng’s mother. She was believed to be dead but she was only trapped in the kingdom by the silver merfolks to prevent it from collapsing completely. It was very touching to some her reuniting with her son at long last.
- Zhang Da Jing (张大静) as Mrs. Lu (芦夫人). I appreciated that she sacrificed her inner energy saving Jun Bei Yue. However, she totally lost me when she gave in to her spoiled children’s ways about locking up the medic and the guard just because some of accusations. She knew Jun Bei Yue’s identity, which didn’t excuse them from all wrongdoings if the other two indeed were involved in the stealing of the special herbs. Yet she knew that Jun Bei Yue was in a critical condition. Having those two by his side was essential but she gave in to her pettiness that almost cost his life. Whatever it was, they could have waited until he recovered to solve the matter but she had to take it out on him because of her husband’s bias.
- Wang Zi Fei (王子菲) as Si Tu Xin Er (司徒馨儿). Si Tu Hao Nan’s younger sister. She liked Jun Bei Yue and used every opportunity she could to get close to him. It was said that she and her brother grew up with Jun Bei Yue, so there was major attachment issue. She was also quite spoiled and mostly got her way. So, when she couldn’t, she would lash out at others. After watching Go East, I liked her. Yet this one, seriously, totally 180 degrees of difference. It was good she had a variety of roles. But wow. Can we switch her fates for both roles? Mean, but she was one of the reasons why Han Zi Qing got exposed and kidnapped and suffered for so long later. She never learned her lesson either. She just continued to be spoiled and was really dumb throughout. I got it she was used by others but her attitude didn’t help. But I guess it was unavoidable because the majority of the royalties in here were either spoiled or cruel or both. I didn’t even like Qian Qian that much either, so yeah.
- Zhou Yun Shen (周云深) as Prime Minister Han (韩相爷). Han Zi Qing’s father. He seemed powerless for someone having such a high status within the royal court. The telenova within his household probably prevented him from other achievements otherwise. But he wasn’t blameless either. Seriously, the true victim of the household was Han Zi Qing and she was just so lucky to escape after suffering so much.
- Guo Xing (郭幸) as Han Xi Er (韩汐儿). Han Zi Qing’s older sister. She hated her younger sister, so she felt justified to abuse her sister since they were little. Having her mother backing her up aided her situation greatly. Yet she was in for a good dose of reality when Han Zi Qing woke up one day and decided not to take her BS anymore. The last time I watched the actress was in Here To Heart and I had to drop it but I really liked her in there. She was quite cute in there. She changed her name so I didn’t realize it was her at first although she looked familiar to me.
- Liu Yu Lu Fei (刘禹潞飞) as Young Han Xi Er (幼年韩汐儿).
- Tan Li Min (谭琍敏) as Mrs. Han (韩夫人). Han Xi Er’s mother, Han Zi Qing’s stepmother. She was arrogant and exuded her power at all time. She especially hated her step-daughter so she used anyway to get rid of her. It was understandable that she didn’t like the circumstances with her husband marrying another woman and how they had to live under the same roof yet taking it out on Han Zi Qing was just terrible. So, she enabled her daughter to target her step-daughter relentlessly.
- Song Lai Yun (宋来运) as Chief Meng (梦族长). Meng Wan Yao’s father, Jun Bei Yue’s grandfather. The question I wanted to ask the most was: How in the world did he win the lottery with having all three children being so terrible that they all wanted him dead? Yes, it was that bad. As if the writers were rolling the dice on his character and it didn’t go well so he had to endure the tragedy of having such a terrible fate.
- Rong Hao Ren (戎浩仁) as Ancient Gu Xi (古代顾惜). He was one of the beggar kids who Han Zi Qing took in and trained as one of her special guards. Han Zi Qing named him after her team member. He was eventually made the leader of the group because of his strength and dedication. He liked Ten later on but found out that she liked Jun Bei Yue and tried to persuade her out of it. Not because he was jealous of his master but because he appreciated Han Zi Qing and all she did for them, not wanting to see Ten turning against their mistress like that. His reasoning was their mistress treated Ten like a sister, etc. Although Ten didn’t listen to him and continued on her way, he didn’t want to harm her either. He even conspired with Han Zi Qing to allow Ten a chance to escape when they carried out the supposed execution by the river.
- Liu Qian Hao (刘千颢) as Modern Gu Xi (现代顾惜). Han Zi Qing’s team member from her special squad. He only appeared briefly at the beginning and then at the end.
- Du Xiao Tao (杜晓涛) as The second young master of the Meng Tribe (梦老二). Chief Meng’s son.
- Song Yong Lin (宋泳霖) as The third young master of the Meng Tribe (梦老三). Chief Meng’s son.
- Min Zheng (闵政) as Prince An (安王). The older brother of the current emperor of Tian Que, Jun Bei Yue and Jun Bei Chen’s uncle. Words had it that if he hadn’t stepped aside, there was no way in hell the other guy was the current king. It seemed to be true. Because the king feared him a lot and listened to him regardless of situation. He was the reasonable and intelligent one. Perhaps, that was why he noped the hell out of the palace schemes in general.
- Zheng Xin Tong (郑心潼) as Mu Ci (穆慈). Han Zi Qing’s mother. She was a talented musician and was revealed to be a member of a lost civilization. She was hunted and forced to her death later on. She was also Xuan Yuan Li Ge’s music teacher.
- Feng Jun Jie (冯俊杰) as Sheng Zi Mo (笙子墨). Xiao Sheng’s older brother. He won the brother of the year award in here. Yup, even surpassing Chu Tian Ge (with using his sister for political means). Because he sold his five-year-old sister off to a human trafficking gang and then claimed she was eaten by a tiger already. Seriously? I forgot how old he was at that time. But to be so jealous of a five-year-old kid that you had to get rid of her through that despicable mean? His justification was because he wasn’t acknowledged by his father. Then he could take it up to the old man. He didn’t have to take it out on his innocent sister. Or was that how it was always with picking on the weak one because he couldn’t go against his father?
Likes:
- The chemistry between the main leads. I was really surprised. Yes, this coming from someone who criticized Bambi’s acting in the recent past. They were really addicting to watch for me. I was always anxious to see what else would develop between the two. Perhaps, because it was unpredictable in some ways that made it work. And I saw some comments about wanting a modern version of this and I for once agreed. Because since she woke up now, it would make sense for a do-over. Because, somehow, he appeared in her dream. So, it was about time to find out about the real him.
- Both main leads were strong and equal in weight (as far as the plot allowed). I was surprised once again. It was usually one lead stronger than the other or oftentimes, the male lead was stronger to project how he would protect the female lead. It indeed was so in here but there were different circumstances where viewers got to see how both kicked ass and wouldn’t care to offend the whole world protecting the one they loved. If one was taken or the other being harmed in any way, they would be kicking down doors. Or if they could be supportive of the other person in any way, they did. Did they have their weak moments at times? Yes, plenty, considering the nature of the plot. But it didn’t aim to make them weak on purpose so the other could shine. I loved that vibe.
- Major Reverse Uno move throughout. What do I mean? Each time someone conspired against the main leads, their plans often backfired. That either led to severe lost of resources or their inevitable death. It was hilarious to watch and somehow satisfying as well. Hey, it wasn’t like I wanted them to die. But they kept setting up the traps and falling into those themselves.
- The strange friendship between Xuan Yuan Li Ge and Bai Li Wei Sheng. I don’t know if it was actually friendship at all. But Bai Li Wei Sheng treated it like so. It was interesting how he didn’t waver in his support toward Xuan Yuan Li Ge and insisted in finding out the answers. It was his determination that allowed him to push forward and found Li Ge at last in order for the final piece of the plot to come into play. Li Ge never really admitted it but maybe he did silently appreciate Wei Sheng’s efforts? Because he did entrust Wei Sheng to find his zither and give it to Han Zi Qing at one point, and then some more. Although Li Ge’s death scene was quite heartbreaking, Wei Sheng managed to make it so humorous (but not uncalled for) during the scene by the grave. It was tragic since they rarely had true friends. And somehow, they ended being friends through weird circumstances.
- Hair and makeup. It was nicely done and suited with the drama quite well. It wasn’t cringing like some recent ones. (Seriously, it has been a mix bag recently, depending who’s behind the production.)
- Costumes. The cast had a lot of grand costumes to wear throughout. It was nice to see how the main cast got various outfits to change in between so it wasn’t lackluster in that area. The costumes designed for them also brought out their characters quite well, regardless of the roles they played in here. It also showed differences in cultures and the kingdoms they represented.
Dislikes:
- The lack of female allies in here. Yes, I noticed it. It was really, really strange that almost everyone was jealous of Han Zi Qing. I got it, they looked down on her because of her mother’s background yet also envied her because of her relationship with Jun Bei Yue. But it was so strange to see her without allies by her side. Possibly, the only person who was loyal to her was Hong Yi, but she had to win her through the first obstacle that was tossed at her by the queen during their initial meeting. I didn’t include Nan Gong Qian Qian because it was like I said in her section, a lot of her actions relied heavily on Hao Nan, so she was an unreliable ally at best.
- Qian Qian chiding Li Ge for his betrayal and eventually killing Si Tu Hao Nan. Well, we knew later that Hao Nan didn’t die and it was an illusion he created to trick Chu Tian Ge. Yet I felt it was hilarious how Qian Qian cursed him about betraying his friends and more. Let’s face it, they weren’t really that close anyway. The time that he and Han Zi Qing almost drown, no one bothered to save him except for Bai Li Wei Sheng. (Even if Wei Sheng silently admitted that he was trying to save Zi Qing but he continued with his mission, not tossing Li Ge back or ignored him or anything.) No one cared to look for him or tried to understand him like Han Zi Qing and Bai Li Wei Sheng. So, those two appearing at his grave near the end illustrated who his friends were. So, I didn’t think Qian Qian had a say in it. She had the right to be upset because her husband was killed, etc. But she had no right to to talk about “friendship” that was so lacking. Yes, I did criticize Li Ge for saying stuff about “taking back what was his” but that was his own issues.
- The somewhat forced wrap-ups with the pairings. This was mostly aimed at Bai Li Wei Sheng and Xiao Sheng’s get together. They could be considered cute. But I felt it was too forced with Wei Sheng still feelings the effects of being reunited with his mother. Then shortly after, some other things happened, which led to Li Ge’s death. He was still processing things. Yet somehow, he just blurted out that he cared for Xiao Sheng just like that? He knew it was hopeless between him and Han Zi Qing and treated her like a friend. Yet it still seemed rushed with how they try to wrap up. It was just like they needed another pairing and wanted it to happen, so it had to be that way. Their relationship had been like that of siblings, so it would need more convincing, especially his side than just some words and a hug.
Discussions:
- Dream sequence. That was one long dream, lol. I heard it was adapted from a novel that was of a rebirth theme. So, that was why it was cut and then replaced with the dream sequence instead. Anyway, that was really something. Such a long and terrifying dream. Yet she finally woke up and was able to meet the real Jun Bei Yue.
- Everyone had some family out there they needed to reunite with. No, no, I actually liked that they were given a second chance after having been through so much. Yet it felt a bit repetitive after a while.
Recommended? I think you have to be a fan of both to enjoy it. Or if you want to check it out for equal weight leads. It was a really good series to me. Because both leads get to be bad asses throughout.