After seeing the good reviews for this drama, I decided to watch it however it didn't really meet my expectations. It starts out a bit slow in my opinion and there wasn't anything about the story that captivated me or intrigued me particularly. Pretty average and mediocre - I think with the initial setup of the political warfare and even Ban Hua's strong personality, it could have been a much more interesting drama if they did it right.

I did really like Ban Hua's character who was VERY different from the usual FLs. She was strong headed, spoke her mind and could actually fight! Her personality reminded me a bit of Qu Xiao Tan from The Eternal Love other than the fact that Ban Hua didn't need the ML to save her. So I definitely liked the little bits of role reversal between the FL and ML.

HOWEVER I feel like the ML was a bit lacking. Yes the dude is very cute and handsome but I feel like his acting was a bit bland. His personality didn't really show a guy who had a tragic past - I felt like they could have given him a bit more spark and oomph considering what he had gone through. The actor seemed pretty unnatural whenever he had romantic scenes with the FL. Like the kissing was disappointing AF. It's one of those dramas where they kiss and it seems like they're having an awful time doing it. The chemistry between Ban Hua and Rong Xia was very lacking. I didn't feel any sparks and it seemed like they were better off being friends than being lovers. I liked their friendship at the beginning but once it got romantic I think that's when it got boring.

Overall, it's not a bad drama. I've definitely witnessed worse but it's not a drama I'd try picking up again nor is it something I'd recommend. I'm kind of disappointed because I think if they played it right, this drama could have been really good because it had pretty interesting elements.