This is truly an epic tale. It deserves all the praise it has received. It's beautifully shot, perfectly cast, wonderfully written.

Firstly, I cannot think of.a better or more standout cast. Allen Ren is perfect as the serious, stoic, upright yet broody Lu Yi and Seven Tan really has her moment shining so brightly as Yuan Jin Xia. They complement each other perfectly. Like other viewers commented, the villain Han Dong with his glass eye was so sinister, even I as the viewer was terrified of him. This is a lengthy drama and I don't think a moment within the 55 episodes was wasted. You can tell all the cast work hard at developing their characters.

This show is really about the Power of Women. I feel Under the Power's English and Chinese name (锦衣之下) does not do justice to this truly powerful epic. Maybe it should be called In The Power of Women. It's all about the women in this drama. Yuan Jin Xia as a woman constable set aside all pre-conceived notions of women and kicked aside all traditions to serve as a female constable. Even the fact that her mother adopted her and raised her as a single parent was admirable. And then you have Shangguan Xi who is the leader of a famous gang and even Dr Lin Ling who saves the day with her knowledge of poisons. Not forgetting the standout emotional epic battle scene which was led BY women. The truly memorable character which should have had a bigger part was the General's wife who fought to protect Hangzhou. Like seriously - one of the few epic battle scenes were led by WOMEN? That is some serious female power!

The women really shine in this show. Don't get me wrong, the men shine too, it's just that this show really lets the women have their moment. I really love how the men are so confident in their own masculinity or just confident in themselves that they are so happy and willing to let the women shine. Yang Yue is the perfect example. He is happy to be the assistant to Yuan Jin Xia, oftentimes letting her take the lead in solving crimes and then later on being the content companion of Shangguan Xi - stepping aside to let the girls fight - but always their to help and to assist and to cook delicious meals. This show allows men to show emotion - shows them cry, shows them have deep feelings of unrequited love / or reciprocated love. It shows them head over heels in love.

This show is truly a gem. I cannot recommend this show more. It's just EPIC. If you are considering whether to watch this show or not - just start. You will not regret it. One of the best shows I've watched. Hands down.