AND THE WINNER IS.... *drumrolls*

No one, no one, no one ♪
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling ♪

THE HEADACHES. THE FRUSTRATIONS.
Frankly speaking, I didn't have any expectation for this. Coming as Luo Yunxi's fan, I was anticipating Love is Sweet and Immortality but seeing how this turned out, it's safe to keep it low or none at all, especially for the latter. Perhaps I should add Broker as well into the list and hope Song xiaojie will change my mind and wow me instead. Or maybe I should stay neutral because in the end, it all depends on screenplay, editing and ultimately, the director's vision.

—

ATWIL premise a.k.a the core unarguably, has the potential to be big. It's interesting, I'd give that. What's gone wrong is the execution. To put simply, the whole shebang is messy. The cinematography is flat-out 1D. Plot direction is amateurish. Background music placement is either a semi-hit or a complete miss. The characters? They get nothing done. The acting? Nothing monumental.

I've only seen Yukee Chen in AOL and Princess Weiyoung, so it's a tad unfair to stamp her as -not yet a leading lady material in costume drama- considering I've only watched two of her performances to base from but I will be blunt: she's okay as supporting cast. She's okay at portraying roles like Liuying and Tuoba Di. Beyond that, there'll be a string of sighs. Luo Yunxi on the other hand, has the knack playing complex character and is adept at emoting profound expressions. So what does ATWIL give him? Noting his versatility and widening his fan-base. That's it.

It would be tiring to explain every problematic aspects of this production and tbh I actually skipped a lot, so I'll stop here. If anything, re-watch to see flirty Shangguan Tou. Apart from that, there's tons of well-produced dramas out there to make your time more worthwhile.

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Flying is romantic.

Flying is romantic.
He wanted to fly but, the destination was blurry
She has been flying around but, none felt this certain
He didn't know he's about to take off and fly above the sky
and even higher than her, perhaps
But she knew then, she'll hold him tight
and they will fly among the clouds together, forever.

This is a standard youth drama. Yet, it stands out and feels special because of the leads. Su Zaizai is probably the cutest, bubbliest and cheekiest FL of youth dramaland. She saw Zhang Lurang one time, and upon finding out they attended the same school, she decided to approached him head-on. Zhang Lurang is laidback, sensitive and is a handsome honor student to boot. He might seem aloof on the surface, but he's in fact warm and is the person who appreciates and adores FL the most. Together, they made me scream in room lol >.< And the ending almost made tear up a bit. It's a beautiful conclusion to their story, for us viewers at least.

Go watch this ok!

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THE CHILD IS PRACTICALLY NON-EXISTENT

That's the major plot-hole of this story and I'm forewarning everyone who plans to pick this up because of that relation. Obviously, there is a child but the kid is merely the script/screenwriter's disposable tool to remind us Ling Xun Xun is actually a divorced mom because chances are, you'll be left wondering and questioning her being a mom.

—

Ideally, 'housewife divorcee with no kids in tow' would've aligned better with the story/drama title. Reading the synopsis, I was piqued and then misled. Truth is, the child is nowhere near to be seen as integral part in Xun Xun's rebooting milestone. It's unsettling and jarring knowing she is a housewife prior that and presumably spends larger part of her life in child-rearing but she's presented as solely 'divorcee' at most times - she hardly checks her kid. Her volition is disputable. I know this is a lighthearted rom-com which sort of makes it acceptable to passively ignore the fact but it ticks me off so so so much.

Apart from Xun Xun's situation, everything else is typical in drama-land. Cheng Li is a young and rich flower-boy CEO of his start-up business with a past to deal with. I would've liked him had he has redeeming edges but no, he's your usual childish and seemingly cold CEO. I don't dislike him though.

Onto plot, it's bland. Nothing amusing. Sure, there's a few giddy scenes however it's still bland. Acting is so-so. So why did I soldier on? The sismance. The sismance between Xun Xun and Zhou Quan is particularly endearing and rather a rarity in drama-land especially considering their social standing and circumstances.

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A clichéd and entertaining watch for couch time.

She strikes you as a feminist – independent, progressive and she certainly knows what her heart desires. Like everyone else, circumstances sometimes put you in a position where you have to play the rules to get ends meet and that's Yeo Miran as a lawyer. And no, she's not the hotshot kind (at least, not when you first meet her – this is a forgivable spoiler right?) but she's tenacious, observant and fully aware of her capabilities in regards to social relations – both as a colleague and a woman. In no time, you're in her grip. This makes her dangerous, a femme fatale.

Nam Kangho is supremely attractive (cough um cough it's Yeo Teo guys I cannot resist cough cough) and just, an amiable actor who is good at his job so naturally, he becomes fans and staffs' favourite. Behind the curtain? I'd say he's not entirely different except for this one thing. And that's the cue for Yeo Miran. But our ML is similar to FL; he's sort the person who stakes the premise beforehand and throws pebbles to see if they bite the bait. In other words, he's observant too, rather blunt and can be real cute at times. If she's the resident femme fatale, then he's her counterpart – the homme fatale.

Together, the dynamics is straight out hilarious. The editing is top-notch and they probably had fun adding effects here and there. OST is forgettable but well-suited with overall ambiance. Tandem between ML and 2ML was convincing and high-key on bromance. And the acting? As expected. It's Kim Okvin and Yeo Teo. Their names are enough to sell this series. More so when it's rom-com. Some parts you don't necessarily agree (I mean, they're flawed and let's not forget, we're too) and it's a work of fiction – while it's very close on fantasy territory, some things are just meant to be that way, realistically and with these points in mind, it remains binge-worthy.

Another thing, the kiss scenes are SWOON :OO

Okay, okay now it's time to wait patiently for Yeo Teo's recently premiered film on Sundance, called Past Lives!

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THANKS TO RUNYU.

To cut the chase:
This was likened to Romeo and Juliet and although I hold no expertise in literature, I'd say it was overstated. If anything, the affection between Jinmi and Xufeng was a depiction of 'crush' gone full-throttle. They were tied by feeble faith but strong attachment. In the absence of constant affirmation (mainly on Xufeng's part), it will fall apart and so their relationship is fragile and rather volatile in a sense. These two also appeared to be devoid of sense of reality - it was understandable considering Jinmi's situation, however as for Xufeng; who have gone to wars (and a General/Commander on top of it) and supposedly had real social interactions to boot, he was imprudent and sometimes struck as holier-than-thou character. Which was a máfan since he's allegedly male protagonist with sound mind.

Overall, the seemingly 'green' sentiment, their lack of depths and bearings made it a lot difficult to sympathize and eventually to root for. I found greater enjoyment indulging in Runyu's character arc, Moon Immortal and Immortal Yuan's banter and Liuying and Muci's love story. 8/10 because Jinmi and Xufeng are lucky to have great condiments to spice up their trifles.

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Reason(s) to watch:
1/ Runyu, the second male lead. Fated to be alone, predestined to suffer and serve as scapegoat for literally everything that happens in the realms, he is no doubt, the most tragic character I've ever encountered in drama-land and is the most befitting/entitled to -fighting against the odds- term among the main roles. Luo Yunxi's portrayal of deeply-layered Runyu was engrossing and compensated most flaws and disengagement I felt towards the story to the extent, he was the sole reason of me continuing this drama. Even in his most subtlety, he managed to capture the essence of Runyu, evoked empathy and carried his character arc spectacularly.
2/ Tu Yao, the Heavenly Empress. Tu Yao was downright despicable and the embodiment of evil. The sight of her red lips and eye squints made my stomach lurches. In nutshell, Kathy Chow is the bomb.
3/ Needless to say the OST.

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