Rave reviews and it was highly recommended by somebody on my friends list. I tried hard but this show is not making it for me. I don't dislike it but it's too heavy on politics and too light on the romance. For a 24 episodes show...We only get crumbs of torturous romance here and there... I understand that's the point of it but I can't with that pace...
I wish I liked it as much as everybody else but unfortunately no...

I have a tradition on making sure that any drama I watch should be finished under a month... except if the number of episodes exceeds 40. This show being 24 episodes, which is pretty short for a C drama, I thought it would be an easy feat but... not so much in the end. I put that drama on hold and ended deciding to binge the remaining 11 episodes just to finish the show because I knew I wouldn't be able to finish it if I didn't force myself ( and I couldn't even do that in the end since the last episodes were only politics, politics and more politics, and mental torture and no romance whatsoever except to provide you with additional emotional trauma). Bottom line, I almost didn't make it had it not been for force-watching alterning with a very gooey thai romance drama.

This is IN-SA-NE-LY S-L-O-W.

Like literally. When people say it's slow-burn romance is IS SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW-burn romance.

I also find the title pretty misleading. "One and Only" suggests a drama focused on romance but it is hardly the case. Yes, it's at the heart of the story but NO it's not the focus of the drama. The drama focuses not on the forbidden romance of the main leads but rather on all the political back-stabbings and plotting shenanigans that forced them ( and other couples for that matter) to not be able to love freely and choose their own lives.

It is a genuinely good show... but that's not what I signed up for. I was aware of its sad ending so I knew what to expect when I started this... But given how much people were raving about this show and the romance, I was expecting more romance as subtle as it is. There's a good chuck of the drama that focused on it but I'd argue that more than half of the drama focuses only on the political side... I'd say for the romance... It starts around episode 7 and ends around episode 16 so you get 9 episodes focused on the romance with a bit of politics but all the rest is just POLITICS (and the leads missing each other of course in a couple of scenes here and there) and I honestly didn't care even if I understand the background is important.

I've been spoiled by many C dramas that I felt managed to balance romantic angst with political context without focusing too much on the political story all the while making sure viewers are given enough information to understand the context in which the story happens ( Love Like the Galaxy is a perfect example) and it is actually the first time I feel things were just not balanced properly.

The show is gorgeous, the actors are excellent, the romance, as subtle as it is, is great... BUT I was watching for the romance not for all the backstabbing.
Also by the time I reached the end, this drama turned out to be extremely depressing. It reminded me of the K-Drama "My Dearest" which I didn't bother to watch the second part because of its pretty grim nature. I don't watch shows to get depressed, I watch shows to provide a bit of happiness in my life and this one didn't do it.

Now. I have no issue with sad endings. Let's be clear about that. As long as I'm provided with enough happiness on the journey, I'm ok with a sad ending... But I was fed crumbs of happiness and a depressing ending... Well actually not so depressing since, I've got to say - and I can't believe I'm writing this - I cheered when Shi Yi committed suicide. That was the best vengeance ever. The only thing Zi Xing truly ever wanted was her and he didn't get her at the end. Should have kept his greed in check. Zi Xing had the best "character trajectory" out of all the cast... Yes, it wasn't in the right direction but he turned from a character I truly empathized with at the beginning to one I truly loathed and wished death by way of an extremelly painful and s-l-o-w fire all the while being-alive. Too bad we didn't see him suffer more by the end. We know he remained alive for 3 years all the while seeing his kingdom falling apart ( well, you were greedy, jealous, stupid and detestable enough to kill the best and most faithful soldier of your shitty kingdom so, you deserved it you piece of sh***) but it would have been nice to see him SUFFER MORE in order to quench part of my ANGER and RAGE. Ahem. Sorry. Got too emotional. I have to remind myself that this is JUST a drama.

The young Emperor was completely useless. He was too young. As I was watching the show, I was thinking Sheng Chen, wanted to remain the faithful soldier, but he should have done what everybody expected of him: Rebel and take the throne. He was the only one who had the charisma, people's support and intelligence to endorse the role and yet he turned his back to it... Only to be rewarded by being framed as a traitor.

He literally sacrificed his life to defend a kingdom, didn't marry the woman he loved and all of that for NOTHING. In the end, he was betrayed, died injustly , the kingdom he defended fell apart once he was gone (because duh! you should have rebelled and take the emperor's position, being rightful at a time where nobody else is, is literally like planting a target on your back but I digress) and the only woman he ever loved and wanted to protect got (almost) married to the man who betrayed him, got heart-broken and committed suicide.

#real_life_is_not_depressing_enough_I_wanna_get_depressed_watching_dramas_now
#life_sucks_and_there's_no_hope_left_in_this_world
#marriage_sucks
#at_least_the_empress_lived_the_good_life_screwing_six_packed_soldiers_before_jumping_to_her_doom
#she_was_a_nasty_piece_of_work_for_sure_but_she_knew_she'd_get_ejected_at_some_point_so_she_went_YOLO
#most_useless_emperor_in_history
#Good_Never_Wins_Evil_Always_Triumph
#At_least_they_died_looking_good
#f**** escapism in your romance drama.

To be completely honest, by the time I'm typing this, I've finished 21 episodes, still 3 to go. Dunno if I'll have the courage to watch them now or if I cut with "lighter" dramas before the finish line... But since I've really spoiled myself the last episodes, I feel pretty confident I won't need to rewrite this review by the time I finish the show. And I'm going to finish it... since there's only 3 episodes left.

EDIT: In the end, I had to "cut" episode 22 in 3 parts... I knew what was coming. I had prepared myself mentally and STILL the BITTERNESS WAS OVER THE ROOF. No amount of preparation could help me get over the utter feeling of BETRAYAL I went through. This is NOT the type of feeling I want to experience in my free time UNLESS it ends on a good note... and if you've been reading this and have not watched this drama yet... You know it doesn't end well.

In short:

Is it a bad drama? NO

Did I enjoy myself? NO

Probable ratings by the end: 7.

Genuinely good show that I just didn't like for a variety of reasons , main ones being:

1. I avoid politics in real life, it's not to be force fed it in a drama that is supposed to be about ROMANCE.

2. Like most people, I don't have lots of money. Dramas are supposed to bring me happiness not making me need a therapist when I have no money left to pay for one. BECAUSE MY GOD DO I NEED THERAPY NOW. It's not even because of the doomed love story. NO. This, I knew before even starting it. What REALLY made me lose my marbles is the way Sheng Chen, Senior Sister, Conselor Xie and anybody with a good heart ended up dying miserable and UNFAIR deaths.
EVERYTHING WAS PAINFUL IN THIS F*** DRAMA. I'm NEVER WATCHING SAD ENDINGS EVER AGAIN!!!!
It's THE BETRAYAL. The "I gave my life for a great cause, and I was thanked by the most painful, unfair and cowardly BETRAYAL of all".

F*** that show! I gave you almost 24 hours of my life and you only gave be bitterness at the end. Good Job! I have LOTS of emotions, none of them positive.