The Story of Pearl Girl had me hooked from the first episode. I give a lot of credit to Zhao Lusi for learning to swim for this role because the under water shots were amazing. I'm not going to rip apart the CGI because I could really care less how the waves look or how realistic the sharks looked. The budget was used in the right places. Everything looked stunning and I give credit to all the set and costume designers for making this a truly beautiful drama to watch.

The story: ... This drama took risks! So a lot of people are hating on it. But I personally loved it. Duanwu's story grabbed me instantly but her tenacity and sincerity is what really made her character so likeable. Then the romance between her and Yan Zijing was a sweet addition. The show was definitely dark and did not sugarcoat anything but I found it refreshing. But it also wasn't so dark that it made me depressed and the characters still showed so much relatable emotions that kept it interesting. I think it was a good balance. Sometimes when dramas are too serious the characters are too cold and emotionless, but all the characters here did amazing at showing all sides of the human heart. I'll admit that I almost quit watching midway after what I like to call the "red wedding" episode. And it's because of this episode where we lost Shrimp that this drama doesn't get a 10/10. I'm still grieving! But I'm glad I came back and finished this drama because it was truly a great watch.

Lead characters: Duanwu started out as my favorite but YZ took that spot once their romance started. He was one of those male leads that is obviously pleasant looking but his looks didn't really strike me at first. But by the end of the drama I found him to be one of the most handsome and charming male leads. I give credit to the actor for that. I'm familiar with Liu Yuning's songs but his acting here was top notch. He gave life to this character. I particularly love YZ because although he is cold-hearted in his decision making and hell bent on revenge, he is not the typical robotic tsundere. He has a cheeky/playful side from the beginning which makes him more human and likeable.

Supporting characters: I didn't love Cu Shiju. She is beautiful but her acting was just okay, she wasn't evil enough to be a memorable antagonist so I didn't hate her either. Her ending was lackluster for all her efforts throughout the show. I actually loved the second male lead, which I usually don't care for. He was just adorable, sweet and earnest without being too pushy or annoying. Shrimp and the others grabbed my heart in the first half but Lady Shi Qui and the others in the second half took over that spot by the end.

The ending: I also did not mind the ending. They set the precedence from the very beginning that this story world was cruel and no one was getting free lunch. Also, we knew early on that YZ was sick. I think that if they had showed him as a domesticated man in the end it would discredit his character. He was never going to be a loving husband and father. He was lucky enough to have found love in an unexpected place. And I'm glad they didn't show his death either because I didn't need to see it. The only alternate ending I would have liked to see was if DW had a baby with him and that baby could grow up and carry on the Yan family name and business as well.