The story is intricate, smart and never stalls, a proper chess game. The characters are well rounded, their development and reasons for what they do is properly explained in a way that you sympathize even with the most ambitious and ruthless. Victor Huang’s performance, for example, as Prince Yu is one of the most incredible to watch, side by side with Hu Ge’s subtle movements as Su Zhe. But not everything is machiavellian ploys, there’s a good balance of humor, levity and drama. I fully recommend it.