Chang Feng Du (2023)

Authentic, Moving, A True Treasure of 夫妻一唱一和

"Destined" is like a breath of fresh air in the world of historical dramas, breaking free from traditional norms with its liberal ideas. Forget about bloodlines determining the monarch or sticking to one family name, this story embraces diversity and challenges the importance of lineage. Gu Jiusi toys with the idea of giving his children different last names, mixing it up like a name buffet! Talk about breaking the rules!

Our leading lady is a timid girl who finds her groove and inspires others to do the same, even that "bad" boy who transforms into a remarkable person. And of course, we have the ultimate villain who's the result of a dysfunctional family. That's one twisted family reunion!

Let's talk about Gu Jiusi, the lovable slacker from the wealthiest family. Sure, he has a reputation which is not so flattering, but deep down, he's got a heart of gold. Bai Jingting nails the role, bringing a playful charm and an unexpected sincerity to the flamboyant Gu Jiusi. He's like a lovable troublemaker with a heartwarming twist!

Now, Liu Yuru, our girl-next-door. She starts off powerless, a puppet of fate. But as life throws her curveballs, she discovers her inner strength and uses it to help her family and support her husband's journey to greatness. Song Yi portrays her beautifully, capturing the delicate yet strong essence of Liu Yuru.

And let's not forget the rest of the cast! From the one-dimensional characters like General Zhou Gaolang to the weak and insecure Fan Yu, everyone brings their A-game. Bravo, folks!

My Verdict

The underlying theme of "Destined" is all about harmony, and they drive that point home! Forgiveness, unity, and letting go of hatred are recurring motifs throughout the story. It's all about finding inner peace and spreading good vibes. Gu Jiusi sums it up perfectly when he says, "Nothing is bad or evil in this world. Stay true to your heart, live happily, and leave no regrets behind." Wise words.

This drama is like a sweet duet, with every note harmonizing perfectly. Sure, there are ups and downs, but in the end, you're left with a blissful feeling. It may take its time to unfold, but hey, good things come to those who wait! So, grab some popcorn and dive into this world of good triumphing over evil, light conquering darkness. It may be slow at times, but trust me, it's worth the watch. Don't miss out on the "Destined" magic!

Bravo!

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Who's your daddy?

Destined is a story about how an unlikely couple discovers themselves and each other and survive turbulent times together. Liu Yuru has been auditioning all her life to be a worthy wife to the finest young gentlemen in Yangzhou. To her aghast, she finds herself engaged instead to Gu Jiusi, the scandalous scion of Yangzhou's wealthiest family. Gu Jiusi is no less dismayed to find himself shackled to such a paragon of virtue but he is chastened by his careless prank that got them in that situation. They hilariously find that they are actually well suited and the sum of their parts is greater than the whole. The first arc is by far the best; it is funny, romantic and underpinned by genuine chemistry and rapport between Song Yi and Bai Jingting.

The couple's newfound bliss does not last as the country is swept into chaos as civil war breaks out. At their loss of influence in the capital, the Gu family is forced to flee Yangzhou for Youzhou far to the north. There they are still inevitably caught up in the war and ensuing political upheaval. Meanwhile, in the shadows, a hidden mastermind plots their downfall at every turn. There is a marked dark tone shift in the drama as it delves into the political arcs in the latter half. This drama explores the - "Who's your daddy?" question and whether it matters. All of the main characters have bad dads to different degrees; overly-indulgent, indifferent, overly-judgemental, negligent, wilfully blind and missing in action. Most of them are no worst for the wear but others allow their resentment to get the better of them.

This is a very entertaining drama despite that the second half is sloppily written and ridden with logic holes. The source material evidently had more substance and depth but the drama adaptation falls short on multiple fronts. The plot and character designs don’t make sense without novel readers to help connect the dots (see @CloudA’s discussion threads). The best written parts include most of Jiusi and Yuru’s arcs and humorous moments. The political arcs have too many logic gaps and farcical sub-plots that undermines the intelligence of allegedly smart characters. The writers have a very superficial understanding of history, politics and inner palace protocols. It is mystifying why the Dowager Empress does not secure the position of crown princess for her daughter in exchange for her support. Instead she uses up all her goodwill to try to foist her on a happily married man! The new emperor is so weak instead of banishing these harpies to the cold palace, he allows them free rein to bully his loyal court officials and interfere in official proceedings. He puts a known villain in charge of the crown prince's education when both Ye Sh'an and Gu Jiusi are obviously better choices. They forgot to tell us Luo Zishang has an invisibility cloak that gives him better access to the emperor's bedchamber than a favorite concubine! Game of thrones in this drama pretty means Pass the Throne (parcel). This kind of writing is why fluffy romance writers should stick to their knitting and not try to write about stuff they know nothing about.

What does make this drama work is phenomenal acting all around that papers over the lousy writing. All of the main actors are incredibly charismatic and blend into their roles so well that the portrayals surpass the character blueprints. This is especially true of Liu Xueyi's mesmerising ability to make the vicious, misguided and tragicomic Luo Zishang seem sympathetic even though his backstory and motives are not well explored and only fully revealed at the end. As a result, for most of the drama, this character comes across as a cardboard villain; a delusional sociopath that is just evil for the heck of it. Similarly Fan Yu's character evolution takes abrupt turns and his interest in succeeding his father is not well explained. Fortunately the good characters in this drama are far better written than the tired trope of villains who blame their bad behavior on their bad dads. Their motivators are not as forced and it is a lot of fun to watch the rapport, loyalty and friendships between them blossom so organically. After Jiusi and Yuru, Zhou Ye is my favorite character even though he can be a noble idiot. He just gets really hard things done and done right in the nick of time to save the day.

In the final arc, both Jiusi and Yuru are sidelined so that everyone else can do absurd things to let the villain easily get the upper hand. We are short changed of a satisfying final battle of wits between Jiusi and Zishang to make way for a very anti-climatic reveal of Zishang's backstory that devolves further into a maudlin moment of truth and reconciliation that somehow diminishes both characters.Along comes Zhou Gaolang to bravely re-take a city that was already in hand! There was a senseless, gratuitous death of a terrific character just to squeeze a few audience tears and to add insult to the injury, the perpetrator was unjustly sentenced to live the life of the idle rich. While many favourite characters got good outcomes, some of them deserve better and the final denouement fell flat and was anti-climatic This drama peaked too early at King Liang's epic siege and went downhill from there. The early arcs were an 8.5 for me but the back half was at best 7.0/7.5. Even though I can only rate this 8.0 overall, it is still a very enjoyable drama that is shored up by some fantastic acting. It is best watched tipsy or with your brain half switched off as the plot does not bear close scrutiny.

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Wonderful characters/relationships, no stupid misunderstandings, satisfying ending, best of 2023

I’m super stingy with giving 9s, but after more than 250 dramas, I’m handing out my first 10. For me, this is definitely the best drama of 2023, and possibly my all-time favourite.

Destined was wonderful, entertaining and had everything I love -- swoony romance, a perfect amount of angst and humour, slice of life, palace intrigue, bromance, great secondary couples, heartwarming family/in-law dynamics, excellent pacing, multi-genre, no annoying characters (except for maybe one...) and green flags everywhere.

The relationships in this drama -- between couples, friends, parent and child (Edit: OK, maybe just the moms, lol), employer and employee, sworn brothers, sworn sisters -- were all beautiful portrayed and ridiculously healthy: open, trusting, communicative, respectful, warm, and loyal.

I almost hesitate to review this for fear my enthusiasm will fuel unrealistic expectations, leading to inevitable disappointment, but this drama was about as close to perfection as I’ve ever seen. Elements that are hit and miss in other shows were done consistently well here, with none of the annoying and frustrating trope-y plot devices or foolish misunderstandings. Our primary villain is complex and multi-dimensional; war/battles scenes were exciting, filled with dramatic tension, conveying the enormous stakes involved and the David vs Goliath nature of the fight (I ordinarily find a lot of battle scenes a bit boring); the emperors were among the most sympathetic and heartbreaking I’ve ever seen portrayed.

THE PACING

The pacing is well-done in this drama, which is divided into several major arcs. There were times I found myself smiling, laughing, crying, and stressed — all within the span of a tight, 40 minutes. Even the episodes that clearly served as "breathers" before the next major plotline were still interesting. It never felt draggy and flashbacks were effective and kept to a minimum. Those who don't like "slice of life" moments, however, might find those episodes spoil the momentum, especially given the excitement that came before.

THE ENDING

Asian dramas can be notorious for slaughtering their endings, but Director Yin Tao (who also helmed The Blood of Youth among many other notable dramas), and screenwriter Bai Jinjin (who helped pen Love Between Fairy and Devil) exceeded even my hopeful expectations. (For those who have watched Yin Tao’s previous works, you will also recognize many beloved and familiar faces.)

OUR MAIN HERO AND HEROINE

The drama does an excellent job showing the selflessness, support, open communication, trust, and utter devotion Liu Yuru and Gu Juisi have toward one another. The evolution of their relationship from mutual dislike to mutual respect is organic and natural, but moves along swiftly. Yuru’s opinion toward her husband shifts as she discovers the real Gu Jiusi, while Juisi — inspired and moved by his wife's kindness, loyalty, and a desire to make up for the “joke” that led to their unwanted marriage — becomes a doting and devoted husband, working hard to become worthy of his formidable new wife.

Their relationship was also a perfect example of how a drama can have fantastic character and plot development without resorting to the overused and cliche-ridden tropes of frustrating miscommunications, unnecessary secrets, and idiotic misunderstandings. You can have swoony romance, healthy supportive relationships, and excellent communication and *still* tell complex and compelling stories.

Prior to Destined, I was generally unfamiliar with Song Yi’s work, but I thought she did a wonderful job as Yuru. Some viewers complained early on about her portrayal, but I thought she did a great job acting simultaneously demure yet strong, capturing the character's quiet strength and poise. Conveying and embodying that complicated dichotomy convincingly is no easy feat.

Yuru spent her entire life trying to be the “perfect lady”, living her life with enormous restraint in order to ensure her and her mother's security by marrying well. The way she carried herself, the repressed and “delicate” way she shed tears, were all part of her exhausting efforts to carve a better future. She had to consistently maintain a prim, proper, and reticent demeanor, suppress her emotions and reign in her opinions, because that was how “well-bred” ladies were supposed to comport themselves. This perhaps made it difficult for some viewers to connect with her emotionally. But Yuru demonstrated her ability to withstand enormous obstacles and upheaval, that she would not be easily defeated. As her character evolved and was accepted into a family that allowed her to be her true self, her behaviour relaxed. The delicate sniffles disappeared, the emotions became more heartfelt, her actions and opinions more fearless and decisive.

Yuru also makes for a striking contrast with Jiusi who is more straightforward: he was a dandy with a heart of gold — a big softy. He was rather childish and playful initially, but matured into a commanding and wise strategist and advisor. Unlike Yuru’s character, he had an easy life (and is male!), so he is naturally more relaxed, open, opinionated and unreserved in his actions and speech.

Both leads were genuinely excellent in their respective roles, but I think it's easy to mistake Song Yi’s restrained and carefully balanced portrayal as somehow lacking, when in fact, it is the opposite.

Bai Jingting’s last several dramas have been consistently excellent, though I was relatively neutral about the actor himself prior to Destined. This drama really showcased his emotional range and comedic timing.

THE VILLAIN

I don't recall ever shedding a tear for a villain, let alone one this despicable, ruthless, and irredeemable. And yet.

The screenwriter and actor did a great job bringing Luo Zishang’s character and tragic story to life. Oftentimes, the Big Bad Villain in a drama is just evil for the sake of being evil, or loathsome because of the clichéd hunger for power and greed. In Destined, our villain, played by Liu Xueyi, is enigmatic, multifaceted — even sympathetic — despite being unequivocally unforgivable. Yes, his hatred toward Gu Jiusi and his family was absolutely disproportionate, the atrocities he committed in the name of vengeance were utterly irrational and indefensible, and the underlying reason its own well-worn cliché, but it was somehow still difficult to not feel sorrow in the end for the tragedy of his entire, wasted life. In the hands of another actor, it is quite possible that the weak premise behind what motivated his hatred would have derailed the entire plot. Luo Zishang’s feelings towards Yuru conveyed all the "what ifs" of his character, and the show beautifully captured those “what ifs” in the final two episodes.

Liu Xueyi is great when he plays the hero, but he is also excellent at portraying villains and morally ambiguous characters. I hope he will continue to balance his roles between being a lead and taking on interesting supporting roles like he has here and in other previous dramas.

I really appreciated how the show also made time to tell a bit of Ming Yi’s story. Throughout the drama, he seemed like your typical disposable background character, the almost-invisible right-hand man who unquestioningly did his master’s bidding, no matter how heinous. But the writer and director even granted *him!* satisfying closure, making time at the end to give him a voice so he could tell his own story and voice his own hopes.

There was some viewer frustration that a pivotal character did nothing to stop the chaos created by the Luo Zishang earlier. While his intervention could have made an enormous difference for the fate of countless lives, in my view, he was always morally ambiguous — his shrewd ability to navigate the treacherous schemes of the previous royal court speaks to this aspect of his character.

BUT…?

I don’t have many buts, to be honest. I think we could all quibble about a few details here and there, small plot holes (some of which were eventually answered), but given the complexity of the source material, I thought they did an incredible job packing what they could into the new 40-episode limitation and telling a tight, well-paced story.

There was one notable death near the end that I wished didn’t happen, but at the same time, given the character’s personality, it was perhaps a fitting and honourable end for them. Their future, had they survived, would have been bittersweet in other ways because it would not have been the life they wanted. Their death also served another purpose: it bolsters the underlying theme that it is lonely at the top, even in the best of circumstances.

Arguably, there were no genuinely annoying characters, except for maybe one, but I have yet to decide if the character was annoying in a way that was organic to the story, or in a way that faulted the writing and/or acting.

For some of those who read the original web novel by Mo Shubai , this adaptation was apparently disappointing, particularly in the later arcs as key details were changed or left out. Others were frustrated by the fates of two notable characters — one beloved and another much hated; both did not get the ending they deserved (I sympathize with the criticism, but also understood why the less palatable ending was chosen).

For me, the overall strengths of this drama far outweighed any of the issues. As another viewer commented, “This is not perfect, but it’s perfect for me.”

NERDY OBSERVATIONS

-- Hurray for live audio! Undubbed costume dramas still feel like a rarity and adds another layer of pleasure

-- I love the brief scenes early on with the accountants -- I found the clacking of the abacuses/abaci very soothing and meditative

-- Liu Yuru’s first cosmetics store was absolutely gorgeous

-- I saw a behind-the-scenes clip of the construction of the beautiful mansion the Gu family moved into when they first arrived in Youzhou, so I couldn’t get over how little actual screentime such an elaborately-made set received

-- What happened to Yuru's half brother? I'm sure he was still around, but it would've been a nice touch to see him interacting with his little nephew at the end.

-- Last but not least, a shout-out to the cinematography, especially during the dramatic battle scene with Yuru standing high on the ramparts, passionately striking the war drum to rally her husband and the soldiers, her bright red gown a beacon against the sandy desert battleground

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Casting, Business, Philanthropist, Family, Story Plot, Fight Scene.

if you're not into a Wuxia drama that have a less fight scene that involved politics and business this drama is not for you

Casting: all cast are well picked specially Song Yi if you happened to dislike her in her other drama so Far this character of her suits her in the story I find her very attractive here I'm not a fan of her though the Male lead good acting they complement each others acting

Business: The Business ideas and Business war are very well informed a lot of setbacks but the FL is a well versed in scheme and tactics to make their family business flourished with the support of her husband and family she highly face any hurdles in the business industry.

Philanthropist: As the Wealthiest family the Husband and Wife is not greedy with their wealth they always help the poor and their business partners specially those who always seek for their help Liu Yuru is a very heart warm and kind person she always put others before herself specially if it's about her husbands wellbeing. Gu Jiusi eventually viewed as a very idle, spoiled son, and a gambling addict but unbeknownst to them He's a very kind man who secretly help the poor and those experience to injustice after bonding with her wife he becomes more expressive.

Family: Liu Yuru as a legitimate daughter of Liu family she experience mistreatment in her family after her father remarried a concubine she become an outcast but with the help of her Maidservant she manage to pull the hardship even though she married to the Gu family she never forgets her mother she is well love in the Gu family she is titled as young madam by her mother-in-law and father-in-law and well respected by the Gu servants and the funny thing is that the only son of the GU family become like a stranger who can only follow the lead of Liu Yuru or else he will be locked up if he persist. Gu Jiusi is very ungrateful towards his father occasionally because of his father who makes decision without his knowledge but he shows great love to his family he just not show it he knows he's spoiled by his father the most he's very close to his father they often joke around and teasing each other it's their father and son bond, Both Liu Yuru and Gu Jiusi got married because of misunderstanding of Jiusi's parents they both didn't want to get married but they have no other choice in order for Liu Yuru to save her mothers health she accepted her faith to be married and she bet all her life to Jiusi that he will be a man who's capable to help her and protect her and Jiusi accepted the marriage because his family will become a lapdog and loses their wealth and freedom to the royal family once he's forced to marry the princess and they all place their bet to Liu Yuru and owe her their life to her.

Story Plot: As the newly married couple they never had their consummate night they pretend to be happy couple and had an agreement to get a divorced once they achieved their goals but never say never as they are bonding together they learn about their flaws and strength and vow to each other to become each others supporter and a tragedy happened to their family and make their company turned longing and desperation to sacrifice their life for the other to live later they already admit that they can no longer be separated be it by tragedy of life and death. As a perfect couple they make their newly fresh life and their business thrive as there are ongoing wars they will combined their strength to ride the chaos and become their carriage to success and their love as a weapon to pierce the evil doers.

Fight Scene: there maybe less fights in the story but the fight scene are very well performed specially when the female lead who hires strong thugs to avenge his husbands bully she's too cute in that scene when she got caught by her husband as the instigator of bullying herself she become fearless when her husband is the neck of life and death. Gu Jiusi as the husband of Liu Yuru he will challenge the heaven to a fight just to protect her Wife and turn the kingdom into chaos just to find her missing wife.

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DESTINED FOR GREATNESS

I think the title for this drama really suits the story. Starting from a nobody, to great figure in Da Xia, all these youths are amazing in their own way, building a prosper and peaceful country.

1. Gu Jiusi and Liu Yuru are destined to be a pair of jade that support each other's back as days passed by even though their relationship started at odd. It really is a God sent marriage that made them completed each other and influenced people around them. Gu Jiusi a dandy man that plays a lot became a man capable of protecting a whole state. Liu Yuru an ordinary girl who restricts herself with rules and only hopes to devote herself into a good marriage became a businesswoman that capable to support a whole state.

2. Ye Shi An destined to be not only a great scholar but a great official that knows how to yield sword in perilous time and defend the country. Not only scholar that holds book and talks about country prosperity but done nothing. He even dared to question the injustice that was done by the unruly emperor even though he knew he will be implicated.

3. Zhou Ye destined to be a benevolent emperor. He started as an adopted son of General Zhou. He knew his place and he never ask more than what he should get. He always prioritized the citizens and valued the brotherhood. Although he knew he wouldn't be able to climb higher anymore, he still decided to defend their state first. With this values, he's able to inherit the throne.

4. Shen Ming destined to be a righteous commissioner. He started as a commoner then a bandit because of his way to fight the corrupt local official. His heart still stays with the common people no matter what he became.

5. Ye Yun destined to be a successful physician from a noble lady. She's been through a nightmare of a lady and fell to a pit but she stood up stronger to be a physician that can save more soldiers and common people that suffered from the war.

In short all of them have their own destined path that they themselves wouldn't know until they went through it. It's not just a story of destined couple, but it's a story of destined great figure.

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Interesting but plot got lost

I was skeptical about starting this drama, but I was intrigued by the beautiful costume and some cinematography. I pushed through episode 1, then I was hooked by the twist of fate between the ML and FL. The story got funnier, enjoying and even some romance. Even the villains made sense in the first arc. But it as the story progressed some characters development didn’t and the story became stagnant to me. I started skipping a lot of it because the story couldn’t hold my attention at it did in the previous arc.

Even though, I finished it I still Feel lost, because the main villain revenge plot was empty and just made no sense to me. I will Not rewatch it, but it was somehow enjoyable

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Quickly becoming a contender for one of the best historical dramas of the year!

When I first started watching this I thought it was a middle of the road drama with predictable characters and storyline, but as it draws you in, you very quickly begin to see and appreciate new depths and new expectations.

Our FL starts out pretty meek and forced into a marriage because of a "joke" that the ML made. However once she is in the family, she has the BEST in-laws ever and within a short period of time she begins to change and grow. She finds herself and what her ambition is.

The biggest surprise for me is that though the ML is a bit of a spoiled twit in the beginning, you quickly see that he isn't a horrible person, he's mostly lazy and been born with a silver spoon. Once he falls for his wife, he becomes motivated and energized. He's a diamond in the rough that really starts out as a lump of coal....his transformation is awesome. His duo of good for playing best buddies are annoying at first, but when it comes to the real stuff, they will make you proud.

We've only gotten to the half way mark on this drama but I'll tell you, I laughed, I cried for two entire episodes, I fell in love with their love story, I connected with the characters, and I'm cheering for them to overcome their latest crisis. (I'll come back and update this review when it's all released)

I had seen someone compare this to some of the other grand epics of the genre in a comment section, I said this will be good for sure but no way can it compare to Story of Minglan or other sweeping and majestic sagas, but this drama is building steam rapidly and I can quickly see this one getting on to my top 10 favorites with multiple rewatches.

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One of the best costume drama of 2023

Damn! I never expected that I will write some reviews here.
The drama is so good. Keep me guessing and edging of my seat.

Chemistry between the leads are crazy man. They complimented each other.

Plot and even the supporting cast are so damn good. It keep me guessing what will happened next. Even the Villains created some angst.

Those who dropped this drama are just teenagers who always want a lovey dovey story. This is not for you since your brainless cells cannot understand how good this drama is. If so say the drama is boring, how dumb are you and your brain is slow that in cannot process it.
I like how our ML easily matured, and our FL is one of the best FL of cdrama so far. The writers did her so good. She is not dump but actually she thinks first before she acts. She makes plan.
I am in 24/40 now I just hope that the pacing, story line or plot will still be good. Manifesting.
I had never felt and excited and amazed so far from cdrama lol.

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Delightfully surprised of how addicting this drama became

I began this drama and thought it was good but in the last 20 episodes, it catapulted to an engrossing and excellent drama. The story from the middle on was so captivating and addicting. I couldn't wait to see what will happen in the next episode. There is, of course, some predictability in the story but it was still great to watch. I'll leave the review of the story to other reviews here but it was the great acting team beginning with Ba Jing Ting and Song Yi to the excellent acting of other leads and support cast that really stood out and was so excellent.

What a beautiful and talented cast. For example, Lie Xiu Yi, one of my top favorite actors, is soooo talented. He can play a morally corrupted villain with multiple layers of past pain, a complex character. with ease... And he can play a sweetheart in romcoms. It really doesn't matter what role they give him, he always performs at peak level. I love to love him and I love to hate him. The rest of the cast did really well, like Zhang Hao Wei who is one of my favorite actors as well. He looks like a young John Cusack (Am I crazy? lol). Anyway, he did great in his role. I especially wanted to mention Zhao Huan Ran playing his role to perfection as well. One minute I felt sorry for him, the next minute, I grrrr at him and wanted to strangle him lol. He did an amazing job with his facial expressions from mental instability to a lost lamb type wanting his father's approval... Etc. I can go on and on about the acting. I was very impressed. ^^

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Those Destined Will Go Far

This drama was on my anticipated dramas of the year list and for the most part it didn't disappoint. I wanted to see BJT in another costume drama and recognized many actors from the TBOY cast here. This must have been a great reunion for them. Those destined will indeed go far.

Pros: The first two story arcs were the most promising and held my attention as both leads and those that became their friends went through literal hell in order to survive. I really liked both leads evolution as they came together due to a misunderstanding that gradually turned into very deep love. BJT can play a lazy rich kid just as well as a military strategist. I loved the fight scenes though there were few of them. Going from one home, then to starting from scratch in a second and yet a third, it was a process we looked forward to. All characters I felt were necessary though I think for being such a ruthless antagonist, LZS didn't get that much screen time. I loved the sworn brotherhoods and sisterhoods around the leads. So it was very sad that in the final 3 episodes, QWZ was killed. Even though that was as many said, in the novel, after so much loss and destruction, this was absolutely heartbreaking and unnecessary. They could have changed that.

Sets, costumes, OSTs were perfect everywhere though I wish they didn't sub them over the lines because it made it nearly impossible to understand.

Cons: The entire palace arc being put into the last dozen episodes seemed like production was galloping to the finish line and I found much of to be too much. So much so, I skipped a few episodes. FY becoming LZS' puppet was obvious and obnoxious but him getting a semi-redemption arc when he was acting like a 12 year old with people's lives made me sick. LZS' demise also didn't seem satisfactory as this nut job killed so many people because of a total misunderstanding was pretty ridiculous. Another one with daddy issues that didn't know the truth. I just feel that these antagonists need more satisfying endings given their brutality.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I would. For 40 episodes, it had a little bit of everything so give it a go.

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Cute, well packaged love story

OK, I have a bit to add to the halfway review I wrote below after finishing this series.

I will not change the rating of 7.0. I think that's about right because despite all of the big names coming out this summer, to me this is actually the most complete cdrama aired in 2023. The screenwriters showed ambition in adapting the book in almost its entirety, expanding from the family squabbles arc all the way up to the conflict for the throne in only 40 episodes. However this could have been an 8.0 drama imo if they had made one major change: Strengthen the villain character of Luo Zishang and his underlings.

In this drama Luo Zishang becomes a bit of a 2d evil guy. A great drama requires a layered and strong villain. The first arc of this drama was the most satisfying and well paced, being driven by Guo Jiusi's personal growth challenges. However after that our ML and FL by become basically a little bit mary sue, basically perfect people. So the latter arcs in Youzhou and in the palace are about court politics and meant to be driven by the plots of Luo Zishang. However it's made less interesting because Luo Zishang doesn't actually present that much of a challenge. He should have been able to do more but in terms of resources and brains he just can't compete.

However there are no other major problems overall. There are definitely plot holes induced by the scale of the story. And I wish the ML and FL in particular were less airbrushed. But in general what was needed to be done was done, and the ending also tied up many things better than I expected.

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Past the first episode, the pacing and production value of this drama is excellent. I thought it was strange there isn't any big names in this drama, but Bai Jingting is actually outstanding and has a very natural and charismatic performance. I haven't seen any of his previous stuff but for me, he earns a star and a half for this drama by himself. I guess I have a weakness for dramas where the leads have some family squabbles and start a business.

The bad: the pacing of the first episode or so may be a bit slow. But past that part, it's definitely bingeable. Song Yi is alright at acting, but her character is a tedious goody two shoes type at times. Lastly, the drama of political conflict that comes in around episode 15 or so is a bit overdone, and almost unrealistically tragic.

The good: pacing and plotting are generally good. Starts off from the ML and FL's squabbling to true love story which is quite cute. Then expands to the circumstances around their families, and the FL's business ambitions, with a natural pace. It's not the most tightly plotted but it's pleasing enough. Also the cinematography and costumes are very beautiful and shows the high budget of this drama.

The great: Bai Jingting's superb acting shows the growth of the ML. We can always tell he's a good guy but his wonderful character development holds together the storyline throughout, even in moments when the plot is weak. He is equally compelling when portraying the ML's immature sides as his heroic ones, without becoming preachy or naive. His expressions, tone of voice and little mannerisms when he's trying to express something are on point.
The genuine relationship between ML and FL is very sweet, if a bit idealistic. There's enough going on with Liu Yurui's business ventures that she is the rare cdrama FL with just as much plot around her as the ML has, and it's quite interesting too. Side character are generally well acted such as Gu Jiusi's lovable mom and dad, and the villain (Liu Xueyi's best acted role that I've seen so far).

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A true roller-coaster of emotions. I very much enjoyed this drama.Even if It was a classical one, it was one of the good ones, the evolution of the main character along with the other characters,from a carefree young boy who spent money like there's no tomorrow to a wise and mature man. The acting was excellent, they made me fell like i was with them and felt what they felt. They really expressed the beauty of ancient china, all that interior designs screamed richness and beauty. They filmed really extraordinary views , i dont know how much green screen they used but it was a pretty good job.

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