THE SHORT VERDICT:

On the upside, when Show is good, it is breathtakingly cracktastic, with a fantastic OTP anchoring our story, and that OTP relationship wonderfully teased out with excellently written conversations, that make it easy to understand why these two people belong together. 😍

On the downside, when Show isn’t at its best, it can be ungainly in its plotting and characterization, and even whiplashy, sometimes. Plus, there’s that infamous ending in the mix as well. 🙈

That said, I do think that Show’s strengths outweigh its missteps, and is a worthwhile watch.

Also, I have an alternative endpoint to suggest, if you’d like to watch this, but want to avoid the ending. 😉

THE LONG VERDICT:

Y’know, I’m actually glad that I started watching this before Show ended, because by the time the wails about Show’s ending started echoing across the internet, I was already too invested in these characters to call it quits on them.

..Which is how I ended up watching the whole of this show despite knowing that there was a.. difficult ending, waiting for me. 😅

I think it says quite a lot, that in spite of Show’s flaws, and in spite of That Ending, I can say that I’m glad that I watched this one, and I would’ve been sad to have not made these characters’ acquaintances.

Like I said, though, I do have some alternative strategies to suggest, in approaching your watch, and I’m hopeful that they will help you enjoy this show, in the best way it can be enjoyed.

So.. hear me out, is what I guess I’m trying to say. 😅

OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Here’s the OST album, in case you’d like to listen to it while you read the review.

Overall, I found the OST effective and well-applied, with a good number of stirring tracks, which suitably align with Show’s key themes of selflessness and sacrifice.

I don’t personally count any of these tracks as earworms, but I have to admit that Show uses Track 1, titled Offer, so effectively at key points, that hearing it brings me back into the feels of this show.

Bonus points that it’s sung by our male lead, Liu Yuning.

Here it is as well, in case you’d prefer to listen to it on repeat instead. Just right-click on the video and select “Loop.”

HOW I’M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First I’ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about what I liked and liked less, covering both the more macro aspects of Show, before diving into selected characters and relationships.

Of course, I also spend some time talking about my thoughts on the penultimate episodes, as well as our finale episodes.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or in all the various Patreon members’ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are a few things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. This is not primarily a romance

What I mean is, yes, there is an OTP, and there are a few lovelines in this story, but aside from that, this is also a wuxia, with lots of action in the way of a main mission, and the many battles surrounding it.

I think it’s helpful to adjust your viewing lens for that.

2. This does not have a typically happy ending

This might be on the spoilery side of things, but I feel strongly that it’s helpful to know this, going into the watch.

I think that knowing this ahead of time, would enable you to handle the ending better.

3. There’s an alternate stopping point

If you are leery of difficult or tragic endings, I’ve identified an alternative ending point, which is the middle of episode 34, that I think would work quite nicely, in lieu of Show’s actual ending.

If you’re interested in this show, but are worried about the ending, you could use this alternate ending point as your finish line instead.

4. The characters make this worthwhile

Why would I even recommend a show that doesn’t end well, you might ask? It’s because the characters make this worthwhile.

We have a great central crew of characters, who are well-written and well-delivered, with some truly amazing performances, that I think would be a pity to miss, if it’s only the ending that’s keeping you away.

Let me just say that when Show is good, it’s really, really great. Plus, the OTP is pretty fantastic, in my opinion.

5. Show can take a little while to settle

For me personally, it felt like I was suddenly being thrust into a world with many moving pieces, and I found it confusing, because there seemed to be so many characters, and I had no idea who was who, and whether they were significant, and what they had to do with one another.

I will say, though, that hanging in there, and just giving it some time, ought to help everything to fall into place in your head, more or less.

For reference, I found that I was able to get a sufficient grip on the main picture by the time I finished the first 4 episodes.

STUFF I LIKED

Show’s cracktastic early episodes

Like I mentioned earlier, when Show is good, it’s reaaally good. And Show’s early-to-mid episodes are great examples of that.

It’s true that it took me a few episodes to get situated with our story and our characters, but by the end of episode 8, I was in drama love, no exaggeration. 🤩

I found myself giggling with glee sometimes, and then cackling with laughter at other times.

I was thoroughly invested, and if I weren’t actually covering this show on Patreon and therefore writing episode notes, I’d very likely have kept pressing “play” on the next episode. And the next. And then the next. 😁

At the same time, I also felt perfectly happy to be writing episode notes, because I had so many feels to get off my chest.

Happy, happy times. 🥲

Our OTP

From the get-go, the hook for me was our potential OTP, played by Liu Yu Ning and Liu Shi Shi.

I feel that they’re both perfectly cast, and the writing around their characters and their burgeoning connection is particularly good.

I’ll talk more about this later, in the spotlight on our OTP, but for now, let me just say that their characters are both interesting and badass in their own ways – and  immediately, you can see that they’d be even more interesting and badass, together. 🤩

They have more in common than they realize, and it’s pretty great to see them increase in understanding, empathy and solidarity for each other, with each passing conversation.

[SPOILER ALERT]

For example, they are both clearly very savvy and streetsmart, with excellent survival instincts. And, I also love how calm they both tend to be, even when they find themselves in danger.

We see this in how Ruyi survives in episode 1, when all the dancers – where she was undercover – are given a death sentence; the way she fights her way out of it, and the way she handles her subsequent poisoning, shows how seasoned she is, at living with danger.

And we also see this in how Yuanzhou survives, by pretending to be dead, and then fighting his way out, with just him against the whole bunch of soldiers who’re trying to wipe out any last survivors.

It’s hard not to be impressed by the amount of skill that these two display, especially when it all looks so seasoned and effortless, like this is all coming from their fingertips.

[END SPOILER]

The Pretty

Honestly, the key reason this show was on my radar in such a significant way, is because I was struck by the dark, stylish vibe of the trailers that Show had been putting out.

This trailer above, in particular, really made me sit up with anticipation.

At the time, I was watching My Journey To You (review here!), and loving that show’s dark, stylish vibe, and this trailer indicated that Show would have the same style sensibility.

Overall, I do think the trailer makes Show look more glorious and pretty than it really is (of course you’d put all the best bits in the trailer, yes?), but it’s also true that Show is prettier than the average drama, which is why I’ve got this in this section.

I will say that I personally find the fight choreography in this fancier and showier than what we got in My Journey To You, though, style-wise, we also get very similar slo-mo touches and flourishes.

This show does tend to get a bit excessive when it comes to making the fight scenes fancy and glorious.

I personally prefer the comparative restraint in the fight scenes of My Journey To You, though I rationalize that it perhaps makes narrative sense for a true wuxia adventure, to have a greater emphasis on the action scenes.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E17-20. I was not really into the very, very extended fight scene towards the end of episode 20; it really felt like the fight that just could.not.would.not.end. 😅

But I get it; because Yuanzhou is painted as someone with such formidable fight prowess, it would look silly for him to be knocked down to the point of almost-death, with a shorter fight scene.

The emotional payoff at the end was truly excellent, though, so I’m almost willing to forget the excessiveness of the fight scene. 😁

[END SPOILER]

STUFF THAT WAS OK

The writing

I think I should state upfront that I’m not a wuxia connoisseur by any means; in fact, this might be the first “proper” wuxia I’ve watched, in that our core characters embark on a journey, and this story is all about that journey, and I do believe that tends to be one of the common hallmarks of wuxia.

And so, I am also not familiar with the various themes and perspectives that tend to pervade this sub-genre of wuxia, though I can hazard a few guesses, that oftentimes, brotherhood, growth, selflessness, courage, the greater good, identity and the search for meaning, are probably themes and perspectives that are popular.

Show touches on all of these, so if that’s what you’re looking for in a drama, this one’s got you covered.

What I mean about the writing evening out to “ok,” is more in terms of the general writing of story and characters.

When Show was good, it was very, very good. And then there were other times where the writing left me rather bemused, perplexed, and yes, unimpressed.

Here’s a quick overview, just to give you an idea of where Show shines, and where it doesn’t, so much.

[BROAD SPOILERS]

The good

Show truly excels at how it teases out and fleshes out the burgeoning OTP relationship. I also thought Show did well with fleshing out our leads.

Aside from our leads, I also thought Show did a great job of fleshing out certain key characters and relationships, such as Yang Ying (He Lan Dou), and Yang Ying’s relationship with Ruyi.

The not-so-good

Personally, I felt that Show suffered from uneven pacing, with some parts of our story moving along quite briskly, and then other parts seeming to feel a bit less focused. I think this also contributed to what felt like uneven pacing.

Sometimes, the way the plot was nudged forward felt quite ungainly to the eye, and I didn’t think that was great.

Perhaps what bothered me the most, though, is what I felt was uneven characterization – or lazing writing – of characters like Li Tongguang (Chang Hua Sen) and the Emperor of Wu (Zhang Tian Yang).

I’ll talk about their characterization more, later in this review.

[END BROAD SPOILERS]

Our story’s central mission

You may already have gotten a sense of this, but I didn’t have a strong interest in the actual mission that our central team was on, to be honest.. 😅

To me, that mission was just a means to an end. And for me, that end, was made up of our core characters, their growth journeys, and their relationships.

Therefore, all the details around the mission itself, often weren’t all that interesting to me, personally.

Show’s central theme

I’ve alluded to this earlier, in the section where I talk about the writing in this show, and the various themes and perspectives at play.

This next section is spoilery, in that it will give you a strong idea of where Show’s ending will lean, but I thought I’d mention it anyway, because it becomes such a strong central theme, in our story.

[BROAD SPOILER] Essentially, for our characters, it’s not about how long they live, but how well they live, and what kind of legacy they leave behind.

Show starts sprinkling little scenes and soundbites into its second half, in order to set the tone and prepare us for the direction that our story will take, and honestly, I sometimes found these a bit weirdly shoehorned in. [END BROAD SPOILER]

Essentially, while I’m ok with the fact that this is Show’s central theme, I do think that this central idea could have been better handled, overall.

Here’s an example of Show inserting a scene in a manner that feels rather unnatural.

[SPECIFIC SPOILER]

E25-28. In episode 27, Yuanzhou tells Ruyi about that fake gold ingot that he’d once carved out of wood, and why.

The logic of why he chose to make that fake gold ingot feels rather forced to me.

Certainly, looking beyond the logic, to the reason Show put this conversation in our story in the first place, does help it go down better – but it doesn’t take away the fact that this is weirdly shoehorned in.

On the upside, as I’m listening to Yuanzhou talk about how he’d wanted that fake ingot to at least ensure that one person would think about him and remember him, in this world, it occurs to me that that’s our role, as this story’s audience.

Even though Yuanzhou says now, that he has his Liudao Hall buddies to remember him if he dies, and he also now has Ruyi, we, the audience, are the ones who are left, if all of them die.

It feels like Show is planting those seeds now, in order to make our connection with these characters meaningful in that way.

[END SPOILER]

Show’s sense of humor

Show’s sense of humor added up to a mixed bag, for me.

There were times where I literally cackled out loud with glee, because Show was that amusing, and there were also times when I rolled my eyes at how lame Show was coming across, while trying to be funny. 😅

That said, it’s a rare, rare occasion, that a show manages to make me actually cackle with glee, so Show gets bonus points for that.

Here’s a sampling to demonstrate what I mean.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Stuff I found funny

This includes all the times Ruyi tries to get Yuanzhou to agree to be her baby-daddy; there wasn’t a single time I didn’t find this very funny. Actual examples to come, in the OTP section. 😁

And then in episodes 5-8, I giggled a whole lot, when the rest of the guards get wind of Ruyi’s desire to find a father for the child that she’d like to have, and all of them start trying to impress her, with their shirtless weightlifting and flexing.

Hahaha. This was really quite funny.

Stuff I didn’t find so funny

E13-16. Honestly, I wasn’t super taken with the intended humor around some of the happenings, this set of episodes.

Like in how Yuanzhou and Ruyi keep getting jealous of the other person potentially being close or special to other people of the opposite sex; that felt quite forced, to be honest.

That said, I did love the idea of these two having all these big feelings, but not knowing what to do with them. 😁

[END SPOILER]

STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH

When Show is gratuitous – sometimes

I hate to say this, because when I loved Show, I loved it a great deal and thought it was truly excellent, but.. there are times when Show is gratuitous in its writing &/or execution, and this was not my favorite thing.

I’ve mentioned earlier in this review, that Show tends to be pretty gratuitous when it comes to the fight scenes.

Aside from this, I also found some plot points to be constructed such that it creates a gratuitous moment for our main characters to bask in the glory, for an extended moment.

Oftentimes, I found that my patience and tolerance for those gratuitous moments, was a lot less than Show’s. 😅

Here’s an example to demonstrate what I mean.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E21-24. As we close out episode 24, and Ruyi finds herself fighting the group of Scarlet Guards after Jia Ling tries to trick her with that whole story about being forced to wipe out the Scarlet Guard branch in the State of Wu, I find that this arc feels mostly gratuitous.

I mean, if Ruyi knew so clearly that Jia Ling was setting a trap for her, why did she even follow her into that trap, right?

Obviously, it’s just so that we can have Yuanzhou coming to her aid in that dramatic fashion, just when she looks like she’s surrounded, with no one on her side to help her.

The entire fight scene is also gratuitous, with lots of flair, mainly to showcase what a badass, beautiful, symbiotic pair our OTP makes – but y’know what, I don’t actually mind.

I like seeing Yuanzhou and Ruyi fighting side by side, backing each other up, and having complete trust in each other, and this scene, gratuitous as it is, gives me just that, so that does help to make it land better.

That doesn’t make it not gratuitous, though. 😁

[END SPOILER]

Show’s ending

It was while I was watching episodes 9-12, that I heard the howls of frustration over Show’s chosen ending.

Folks were saying that this was the worst ending one could ask for, which told me just about everything I needed to know, really. 😅

However, I wasn’t convinced that the ending was terrible, because I hadn’t yet seen it for myself.

I reasoned that sometimes, a sad ending can be very well done, such that you acknowledge how apt the ending is, despite the way it broke your heart.

I explain at more length in the section where I talk about the finale, but I thought I should mention upfront, that I was not a fan of how Show handled its ending.

I found the writing and pacing sufficiently uneven, that it distracted from my emotional engagement with the most important moments in our finale.

..Which is probably the opposite of what Show was going for. 😅

SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTERS & RELATIONSHIPS

Liu Yu Ning as Yuanzhou

This was my introduction to Liu Yu Ning, and I hafta say, I’m beginning to see what the fuss is about. 😉

There’s something about his relaxed features, and that little smile-smirk that he tends to wear, that manages to be cheeky and warm, at the same time.

Putting that laidback sort of vibe together with his extreme intelligence and badassery, and it comes together in quite a charming, effortlessly charismatic sort of package.

I found that the more I watched Liu Yuning as Yuanzhou, the more I liked him. Well, them. Since I’m referring to both the actor, and the character.

I feel that the hate that Liu Yuning gets from c-netz (that he’s not handsome enough, or skilled enough) is unwarranted, and I really hope that the international fans can love this drama – and him in it – to success, so that the powers that be, will know that there is a ready audience who’s perfectly happy to have him play the leading man.

I read that he was actually quite stoic in the face of people saying that he didn’t deserve to be lead in this, and that he wasn’t good enough for Liu Shi Shi, who’s the bigger star, and said that he wouldn’t take it to heart because this show and this role were special to him, but honestly, as a human, it’s hard not to be completely unaffected by such a big wave of criticism.

So I really hope that international fans can show him a lot of love, to balance out things for him, and show him that there are lots of people who think that he’s well-cast, and is doing an excellent job.

At least, that’s how I feel about him, in this role.

I talk a lot more about Yuanzhou in the OTP section, but for now, here’s an example of when I found myself thinking that Yuanzhou’s a great character, and Liu Yu Ning does a excellent job of bringing him to life.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-8. We’re starting to see more of Yuanzhou’s personality, this set of episodes, and I must say, I find myself growing very fond of him, right away.

He’s.. tough, yet soft, at the same time, and it’s all kinds of swoony, to me.

Like, he’s tough on the bad guys, of course, and he’s tough when he’s in fight mode, and we see all the fight skillz come into play.

But he’s soft with the people he cares about, and that includes all his brothers-in-arms, Princess Yang Ying – and increasingly, that includes Ruyi too (which is definitely making me melt into a big ol’ puddle, that’s for sure).

I love how Liu Yuning’s filling out Yuanzhou.. there’s a warm, understated sort of energy to him, where he comes across as approachable to the point where his men aren’t afraid to tease him, even.

And he’s peaceable, which I love.

I love how he prefers using his intelligence, rather than using brute force, and that his preference is always to find a way to solve things without putting his men in unnecessary danger.

And I love how his method actually works a lot of the time, and enables his small company of soldiers to gain victory over adversaries with larger numbers and more weapons.

And then there’s the thing where his fight skillz come out to play, and all that affable warmth is completely taken over by a fierce determination. And the best part is, that fierce determination is powered by loyalty, rather than anything else.

What a worthy hero – is what I’m thinking, so far. 🤩

[END SPOILER]

Liu Shi Shi as Ruyi

I have to confess that I’m pretty new to Liu Shi Shi (I’ve only ever seen a handful of episodes of Scarlet Heart, before wandering off, despite it being a solid show), and I have to say, I get why she’s so admired and loved.

I love her, as Ruyi. 😍🤩

She exudes this cool, almost ice queen-like aura, but at the same time, she’s equally believable, whether she’s playing it as a weak, dainty maiden in need of help, or she’s being her sharp, strong, confident self.

I love how elegantly regal she is, at all times, whether she’s fighting, or observing her surroundings, or talking, or just, well, breathing, really.

She’s just elegant and regal, without being stiff about it, y’know?

That elegance and regality just seems to ooze out of her pores, and color everything she does, and it works so well, to give color to her character.

I will talk more about Ruyi in the OTP section, but here are a few Ruyi-specific highlights that I especially enjoyed, during my watch.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-8. What I love about Ruyi, is that even though she appears to be proud at first glance, she really isn’t defined by that pride.

That pride is more like a persona that she puts on, I think, and I believe it helps her to command respect from others.

I really like how she’s not afraid to ask about something that she’s curious about, and I really like that it’s clear she’s curious to learn more, and isn’t being judgey or anything.

Like when she asks Yuan Lu (Chen You Wei) about why everyone is so loyal to Yuanzhou, and trusts him so much.

She genuinely doesn’t know, and sincerely wants to understand, and then, when she learns that it’s because of his care and loyalty for his men, she decides to try it for herself, to see what that comradeship feels like – even if it means putting her own life at risk, if only to see what it feels like, to have someone have her back.

I find this thing about her very endearing indeed. And this quality of her, meshes with her ice queen elegance in such an interesting, unexpected way. I love it.

E17-20. I do love how regal Ruyi is, when she presents herself as the princess.

I mean, she’s already regal as a matter of course, but when she’s acting as the princess, her regality somehow manages to pop extra; I found myself wondering how this was possible, since I’d already imagined that Ruyi was already at maximum regality in a single human, before. 😅

In that sense, I kinda can’t blame Tongguang (Chang Hua Sen) for being obsessed with her; she is mesmerizing and majestic and glorious, without having to say a word.

BUT, when she does speak, gosh, it’s even more glorious.

Ruyi just shines so bright, this set of episodes.

She’s so sharp and quick-thinking, especially when she’s the princess in front of Tongguang, that I can’t help but drop my jaw in awe. So impressive! 🤩

E17-20. I was in complete awe, at the way Ruyi takes over the situation, when Tongguang explicitly states that he would like to have her, in exchange for his collaboration.

My goodness, I gasped when she slaps him right across the face, but I gasped even more, when she pours that wine (tea?) over his head, and basically lays out all the details of his foolishness, in the most commanding manner ever, and even calls him stupid and careless, in the process.

I had legit stars in my eyes, for how badass Ruyi is, in this moment.

She is completely undaunted in the face of, well, anything, and I admire her so very much. 🤩

[END SPOILER]

Yuanzhou and Ruyi as our OTP

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-4. I’m drawn to the fact that even though both leads seem to want to leave everyone and everything behind, they both have a deep sense of loyalty.

We see it when Ruyi goes back and saves Yuanzhou and Yuan Lu, even though they’d just said their goodbyes, after determining that Yuanzhou is not keen to strike a deal with Ruyi.

This, when she really hasn’t spent much time with them, and therefore doesn’t know them very well.

And, we see this quality in Yuanzhou too.

When the Prime Minister tries to persuade him to go on that mission to save the Emperor of Wu, Yuanzhou flatly refuses, no matter what the Prime Minister says.

It’s only when the Prime Ministers says that Yuanzhou’s comrades have died there, and have been labeled traitors, that Yuanzhou changes his mind.

He changes his mind, only to clear his comrades’ names, so that they will be remembered as heroes and not traitors; it’s out of loyalty to his comrades that he’s taking on this dangerous mission.

With Yuanzhou being such a loyal person, it’s no wonder that all the men from Liudao Hall are so eager to have him back, and as their leader.

I love the sparks that show up, when Yuanzhou and Ruyi are together and interacting in the same space.

The sparks are flavored differently, depending on the situation.

When they’re wary of each other and circling each other, like when she’s pretending to be a random maiden, but he sees through her and pegs her correctly, as a member of the Scarlet Guard, the sparks are tense and antagonistic.

But when they’re helping each other and therefore fighting on the same side, the sparks are much more collaborative, as they demonstrate how they can instinctively work together.

I likey.

For this reason, I like the idea of Ruyi joining Yuanzhou’s team on their mission to An; the more they are together, the more interesting I’ll find my watch, I’m thinking. 😁

And, I’m with Yuanzhou, in the belief that Ruyi would likely make a much more useful tutor to Princess Yang Ying, than the assigned female official.

I do love that scene where Yuanzhou and Ruyi negotiate the terms of their agreement, while in the back of that cart, it’s such an incongruous sort of picture. 😁

More than that, I love how their conversation comes across as low-key, calm and restrained bickering between two very sharp and very intelligent individuals who both realize – but don’t really want to admit – that they each need the other, and will benefit from this partnership. Cute. 🤭

E5-8. I love that there is an implicit trust between our would-be OTP, even though they come from different backgrounds, and have only really just met.

I love that when Yuanzhou entrusts Yang Ying’s education to Ruyi, he trusts her completely, and doesn’t even question how Ruyi intends to carry out that education; he just believes that she will do it, and do it well.

I love that everything about the way Yuanzhou treats her, gives Ruyi pause.

There’s how he trusts her implicitly with Yang Ying’s education; there’s how he’s considerate of how she’d likely not wish for others to know that she’d been a White Sparrow, ie, someone who used her looks for gain; there’s also how he shows her respect, and demands that his men do the same.

I feel like every time he does something like this, he gives Ruyi pause, and I feel like I can see her heart wobbling a little bit in response, if I squint a little. 😁

I like how Ruyi is calmly matter-of-fact and open; she tells Yuanzhou things about herself, like how Empress Zhaojie is her benefactor, and how she’d ended up being pegged for Empress Zhaojie’s assassination.

As for the baby daddy thing, it continues to tickle me every time it comes up, because Ruyi’s so elegantly matter-of-fact about how she wants Yuanzhou to father a baby with her, while Yuanzhou’s all kinds of awkward and embarrassed about it, tee hee!

He might not admit it, but Ruyi’s definitely taking up residence in a big corner of his mind, and it looks like he can’t help thinking about her, even though he’s made it clear to Ruyi, that he will never agree to her proposal.

I giggle every time Ruyi casually does a thing that’s designed to charm Yuanzhou, and then calmly glides away, only to leave Yuanzhou silently discombobulated in her wake; you can practically see him sputtering internally, and trying to keep it all in. 😁

And how about that moment when Yuanzhou’s incapacitated by the water that Yang Ying had drugged, and Ruyi hovers over him, then calmly informs him, several beats later, that he will be contributing to the baby that she’ll give birth to, pwahaha! 😂

Yuanzhou’s discombobulation is adorable, and I love how he squirms so hard, while Riyu calmly talks him through the logic of her decision, all while doing things like running her finger down his throat.

The way he stutters, while trying to reason with her, and while trying to buy time, is very funny, and I couldn’t stop giggling through this whole scene. 😁

E5-8. Through it all, I am loving how Show is strategically placing all these nuggets of conversation between Yuanzhou and Ruyi, so that they are actively getting to know each other better, with each interaction.

And it’s because they get to know each other better, that their feelings for each other keep becoming deeper.

I like how I can follow the trajectory of their feelings in such a clear fashion.

And I feel like, as I watch them inevitably fall for each other, I’m falling for them too, as an OTP. ❤️

I also love how they clearly admire and appreciate each other.

When Yuanzhou flies Yang Ying to the roof to talk to her about her royal duty, the way Ruyi watches appreciatively, is so gratifying to watch, honestly.

Even though she keeps saying that she has no interest in an emotional attachment to Yuanzhou, you can see her defenses melting away, each time she watches Yuanzhou appreciatively like this, and I love it.

On the flip side, every time Ruyi goes beyond her contractual duty to help the people in their group, I feel like I can see Yuanzhou melting towards her too, and I love that as well.

Of course, there’s watching them work together as well, and we got a lot of that, this set of episodes.

First, I love Yuanzhou’s deception of Zhou Jian, which has Zhou Jian escorting them safely instead of attacking them.

That bit where he tells Zhou Jian that Chief Clerk Du really believed that he was with the real delegation, made me laugh so hard. 😂😂😂

But I love the detail, that the reason Yuanzhou’s able to get into Zhao Jian’s good books so well, is because Ruyi had provided some intel about Zhou Jian’s likes and dislikes.

And of course, there’s how they literally fight side by side, during the battle scene.

My goodness, the stylishness of the shots of them each with hair billowing in the wind, and the idea of them being so in sync, and on such equal footing as evenly matched badass warriors, backing each other up, and being each other’s rear guards, gave me chills AND goofy grins at the same time, if that’s possible. 😁

On top of this, I also love that they’re starting to relax around each other, such that they’re even joking with each other, a little bit.

Somehow, this strikes me as cozier and more personal, than when Ruyi was flirting with Yuanzhou, trying to get him to be her baby daddy. 😁

Like, Ruyi is a woman of few smiles, and so, when she smiles or chuckles at Yuanzhou when he jokes with her, it really feels like some kind of breakthrough on the emotional front, y’know? I do love it.

And, I do love that as they talk, they are seeking to understand each other better.

Ruyi wants to know why Yuanzhou is so well-loved by his men, while Yuanzhou wants to know what she really feels, about motherhood and babies, and why she’s so determined to have a baby, when it doesn’t even seem to be her own desire.

These feel like important things, and I just love that they are seeking to understand each other in these important areas; it feels like they’re getting past the surface stuff to the real core of what makes the other person tick, and it feels like a great potential foundation for a relationship.

E5-8. As we close out these episodes, I have to say, I am not at all opposed to the mutual wound-caring episode, because,

1, we have discombobulated Yuanzhou trying to recover his composure after looking at Ruyi’s bare shoulder (hee), and

2, we have Ruyi using her internal force to help Yuanzhou get over the poison attack – and then falling to a resting position on Yuanzhou’s shoulder, which then

3, leads to them sleeping sitting back to back, until morning, when they admire the sunrise together.

Wow. That feels like a lot of progress, all of a sudden, and I am not complaining one bit.😁

And, I’m very tickled that when they return to the inn, Yuanzhou seems kind of bemused and low-key jealous, that Ruyi gives that bunch of flowers to Yuan Lu – whereas Yuanzhou himself only gets a single bud.

Tee hee hee. I am really digging this burgeoning connection between them, and I am eagerly looking forward to more episodes. 🤩

E9-12. I love how Ruyi makes Yuanzhou jealous by dancing with Shisan; Yuanzhou’s discombobulated, unsettled state is reflected so well, in all of his little darting gazes, shifty eyes, and awkward swallows. 😁

He also looks completely hapless and torn, and rather despondent, almost, as he keeps putting food in his mouth, like he doesn’t know what else to do with himself, but chew. 😁

Also – it doesn’t hurt that Ruyi looks impossibly graceful, as she dances with Shisan, with all those faux flirty moves.

And when Yuanzhou claps, along with everyone else, he looks like he’s willing himself to do it – but I know, and you know, and we all know, that the last thing he actually wants to do, is applaud these goings-on, heh.

It’s quite cute how attentively Ruyi listens, when Yuan Lu tells her, in secret, that Yuanzhou’s not the type to get jealous over something like her dancing with another man (although he really actually is! 😁), and that she should instead follow his own example, and just be really persistent with Yuanzhou, coz that’s how he’d won Yuanzhou over, himself.

Lol. I was quite amused by this, coz Yuan Lu’s so off-base about Yuanzhou not feeling jealous.

This does give us a whole set of other behavior that Yuanzhou isn’t quite sure what to do with, though, like the way she goes out of her way to be nice to him.

Like how she makes him that flatbread and serves it to him fresh, and how she makes him a special carving knife, because Yuan Lu says that Yuanzhou likes to do wood carving.

I do quite love that Ruyi’s evolving behavior has Yuanzhou so flummoxed, but trust Shisan to have a ready explanation, that Ruyi’s just doing all this to protect Yuanzhou’s dignity – so that he won’t be scared off by her. 😁

At the same time, while all this is happening, I do love that Show doesn’t forget that it’s through conversation, that the bond between them deepens.

I love the sincere, open air between them, as they talk.

There’s how they sit in the village and talk over tea, with Yuanzhou explaining how he’ll take her to the secret archive of documents, once they get to the State of An.

And I do love the little flirty-discombobulated bits, as Ruyi sidles closer to Yuanzhou, for the practical reason of keeping their conversation secret – and for the convenient discombobulating effect that her proximity has on Yuanzhou, hee. 😁

ALSO, what about that moment when he gives her that flower, and that moment when she spins him out of the way of an oncoming stumbling drunk. It’s a gender flip of the classic trope of the male lead spinning the female lead out of danger’s way, and I love it.

And it’s a great moment for Yuanzhou too, who’s learning that when he’s with Ruyi, there’s someone there, who’ll have his back.

And there’s also how they just stand under the shelter, in the rain, and talk about their experiences; her life as part of the Scarlet Guard, and his life, as part of the Liudao Realm.

It feels like they’re not just growing to understand each other better, but also, shaping each other’s thinking, as they share.

This is the kind of conversation that really works to draw them closer together, and I love it when they talk like this.

And then, I love how, when it comes time to say goodnight, he doesn’t let her go, but instead starts carving that figurine for her, which is supposed to look like the Purple Emissary from her story, who’d scolded her.

How meaningful is it, that he makes sure to carve 310 strokes, so that the 31 strokes that she’d been beaten because of the Purple Emissary, are avenged ten times over.

Ok, I swooned at this, not gonna lie. That is so thoughtful and empathetic and sweet, isn’t it? 🥹

It’s no wonder Ruyi excuses herself so hurriedly; who could hold themselves back from swooning, in her shoes?

Plus, it’s not long afterwards, that Ruyi overhears Yuanzhou telling Shisan about how he truly feels towards Ruyi; that he sees her, understands her and appreciates her; that he feels safe with her.

It’s no wonder Ruyi can’t stop the tears from falling from her eyes. 🥲

E9-12. I have to say, I wasn’t hot on the way Qian Zhao, Sun Lang, and even Shisan turn on Ruyi, because they’re convinced that she’s a Scarlet Guard spy.

It feels.. excessive, and basically comes across to my eyes as an excuse to injure Ruyi and put her in danger, so that Yuanzhou will be incensed into action, to save her.

After all, these are highly experienced, well-trained members of Liudao Realm, who have worked with Yuanzhou for many years.

Surely they would understand him and how he works by now, and also, learned enough from him, to know how to discern whether Ruyi has ill intentions.

But no, Qian Zhao sharpens that giant sword, while nursing a giant grudge against the Scarlet Guard, and swears up and down, that he will kill her.

I didn’t like that so much.

BUT. BUTTTTT.

The way Yuanzhou comes in there, and tells his comrades, with such conviction, that nothing will stop him from saving Ruyi, and that they can kill him, if they want to stop him, is completely swoony.

And then the way Yuanzhou willingly lets Ruyi stab him, in order to show his sincerity towards her, looks so crazy, but makes so much sense.

Ruyi’s like an wounded wild animal right now, and she’s ready to hurt anyone who tries to approach her, and Yuanzhou understands this; this is why he is willing to be stabbed by her, even if it means risking death.

And the way he tells her, with such sincerity, that he’s willing to die at her hands; what bigger statement of trust and loyalty do you really need, yes? 🥹

Also, there’s the way he sputters, his mouth all bloody, that he’s going crazy because of how injured she is; AUGH – that is the most overt expression of care that we’ve gotten from him thus far, and it feels cathartic to hear it, honestly.

It’s all very dramatic, yes, but I couldn’t help but get chills anyway, with the way they tearfully face each other, each of them willing to embrace death; she, because she’s been so hurt, and he, because if that’s the price he has to pay to save her, he’d willingly pay it.

Augh. It’s all so raw and intense.

My heart. 😭

It’ so touching, that Yuanzhou gives so much of himself to save Ruyi, even though he knows that he might never see her again.

I love how he tells her that in this moment, he isn’t the Head of Liudao Realm, but just Ning Yuanzhou, who wants to save her.

(Irreverently, it kinda reminds me of that iconic line from Notting Hill, about how she’s just a girl, standing in front of a boy..? Sorry. 😁)

I was really quite sad when Yuanzhou wakes in the morning, and, gently laying Ruyi’s head on that rock, walks away. 😭

E9-12. Part of the reason Ruyi comes back, is clearly also because of Yuanzhou, and that makes me glad, because these two obviously balance each other out and complete each other.

Like how, when everyone is begging Yuanzhou not to have himself whipped for their mistakes, only Ruyi understands his heart behind his decision.

And it’s only Ruyi who steps forward to wield the whip, not only to show support for Yuanzhou’s stand, but also, so that she can protect him, by whipping him in a manner that won’t hurt his internal organs.

Gosh, these two are just better and stronger together, aren’t they? 🥲

And I love that Yuanzhou completely understands where she’s coming from, from the first lash that she gives him.

They just get each other, and the fact that they get each other, just gets me in the heart. 🥲

And then, after the lashing, I love that scene in Yuanzhou’s room, where he just smiles and says “yes” to everything Ruyi says – even when she tests him by mentioning having a baby with him.

AND HE SAYS “YES.”

Glug. 🫠

I love how he gently takes her hand, and gently, seriously talks to her about how this isn’t a good time, but that they should talk about it again, once everything is over.

His gentle, steady gaze; her tearful efforts to be stoic; all of the little ways he’s touching her, from holding her hand, to grasping her shoulders; it’s all coming together in a way that my brain can barely comprehend.

Like, wait, has our OTP been.. minted??

It’s so natural and seamless, that I can’t even pinpoint when they go from comrades to lovers, which is pretty great, honestly.

And how sweet, really, that this turns into instant overnight cuddles? 🥰

The morning-after awkwardness is tamped down and very cute, on Yuanzhou’s side of things particularly, and I love how he’s bashful about it but trying not to show it. 😁

Plus, he actually looks slightly disappointed, amid his flusteredness, when Ruyi coyly informs him that she won’t touch him at all, until everything is over – because killers have a lot of patience. Hee. SHO CUTE.

I just love this new chapter of their relationship, where he’s now even making excuses to ride with her in the carriage.

Who woulda thought that our stoic Yuanzhou would ever do this, yes? 🤭

Lol. Sly boy (but everyyyyone knows what he’s up to, so I guess he’s not so sly? 😁).

E13-16. Honestly, after last week’s episodes, where we get (what I’d believed to be) the official minting of the OTP relationship, I’d wondered a bit, at how Show would keep the OTP relationship interesting, going forward – particularly since we’re not even at the halfway mark of our story.

I have to say, I was pretty pleased with how the OTP relationship continues to unfold, this set of episodes.

It hadn’t occurred to me last week, but this week, it becomes clear that our OTP is still feeling their way around each other, particularly because they hadn’t committed to being in a relationship involving actual feelings; they’d only committed to having a baby together.

And so, this week, I’m quite entertained, as they figure out a way to establish a more exclusive sort of relationship – without looking too losery about it, because petty pride. 😁

Through it all, I appreciate that we’re getting little scenes of banter, care and concern between them, reminding us regularly that these two people really do get each other, and enjoy talking to each other, even if they may not be overly cognizant of it themselves.

I love that we’re hearing a softness in Ruyi’s voice when she asks Yuanzhou questions, like whether he’s leaving the delegation to retrieve the antidote for himself.

And I love-love-love that we’re getting to see a softness in Yuanzhou’s gaze, every time he looks at Ruyi. It is very melty stuff, to be sure. 🫠

Yuanzhou’s got a very warm, approachable, gentle sort of vibe, when it comes to the people he cares about, and that warmth and gentleness is extra distinct, when it comes to Ruyi, and I love that. 🥰

You can just tell, that he’s got a huge soft spot for her.

Even if he’s explaining something very factual to her, like about how Liudao Hall works, I find myself feeling all goofy-cozy, as I stare at the softness in his gaze, as he talks to her.

They’ve got this interesting mix of established-couple and courting-would-be-couple vibe going on, which I enjoy very much.

The way they support each other, and back each other up, and are on the same wavelength about many things, gives me established couple vibes.

And then they way they’re getting to know each other, like the way they share stories from their childhood, and thereby learn about each other, gives me courting would-be couple vibes.

Within that, the newness of the information to each of them, gives me would-be couple vibes. And then the way they receive that new information with such steady acceptance, understanding and grace, gives me established couple vibes, if that makes sense.

It’s a mix of stable yet heart-fluttering, which sounds weird on paper, but which fits them so well, I feel.

I do really like that as they learn more about each other, they come to feel more understanding and compassion for each other.

Like when Ruyi learns that Yuanzhou’s only joy in life as a little boy, was the occasional malt candy that he’d get from his godfather.

And then, when Yuanzhou learns that Ruyi had been sold to the Scarlet Guards at a young age.

You can just see their hearts going out to each other, along with a desire to somehow make it up to the other person, like the way Ruyi gives Yuanzhou all her malt candy, saying that he can eat as much as he wants. 🥲

Also, how cute is it, that when Ruyi asks Yuanzhou why he agreed to have a baby with her, he grins and tells her that it’s because she’s pretty, and she gives him candy.

Tee hee hee. Cute! 😁

I also love how they are quick to think of each other’s safety.

Like the way Yuanzhou insists on going with Ruyi to the temple, not because he doesn’t trust in her abilities, but because he just can’t bear to let her go alone, just in case she runs into serious danger.

That turns out to be a lifesaving decision, since Ruyi gets wounded, and momentarily incapacitated. If Yuanzhou hadn’t been nearby, and ready to come to Ruyi’s rescue, she could have died, literally.

E13-16. I love-love-LOVE that the way Yuanzhou tries to fend off Meiniang’s advances, by telling her that the mother of his child would be unhappy. Eee! 🤩

And then, how great is it, that Ruyi herself flies in there, and in her best badass fashion, identifies herself as said mother of that child. Eee!! 🤩🤩

I loved this, so much. 😂😁

Also. I’m glad that our OTP finally get to a point where they blurt out their discomfort and jealousies.

I LOVE how sheepishly hapless Yuanzhou looks, when he admits, all shifty-gazed, that he can be quite petty about some things. Tee hee! 🤭

YESS. It’s about time we get some honest admissions and straightening of misunderstandings up in here. 😁

And then we get our first official kiss, between our OTP.

And, I will admit, I had heard that the kisses in this show are very underwhelming, particularly given the sparky tension between our OTP, all this time.

I will agree that the kisses are of the static, posey variety, and that this doesn’t jive with all the flirty sexy tension that we’ve seen between these two characters.

However, I don’t find it too bad, in that it reminds me a lot of all the posey kisses that kdramas have given us, traditionally, where it’s the context that made us swoon, more than the kisses themselves.

Also, I can convince myself that in a period show, somehow more decorum is needed, and therefore, this is what Show is doing, in making the kisses static and posey.

It’s early days yet, certainly, and we still have quite a few episodes to go. Hopefully, Show will continue to make the context strong enough, that I will continue not to mind the static kisses.

Also. I truly love the scene where Yuanzhou tells Ruyi the reason that he changed his mind about not having emotional ties with her; because there is no one else with whom he feels able to truly be himself. 🥲

E17-20. Even though I’m not hot on the arc around Tongguang’s obsession with Ruyi, this does create some opportunities for relevant conversation, between Yuanzhou and Ruyi.

Like the whole thing where Yuanzhou suggests that Ruyi leave the delegation, for her safety, because he’s uncomfortable with how Tongguang’s gaze is, when Tongguang looks at her.

I can see why Yuanzhou would feel protective of Ruyi, and why he’d feel better about having Ruyi leave the delegation, so that she would be far removed from Tongguang.

At the same time, I can see why Ruyi would feel offended, and feel that Yuanzhou doesn’t trust her.

They basically both have a point, and that’s how we end up having them experience their first big disagreement, after minting their relationship.

E17-20. This set of episodes, I was bummed when Ruyi and Yuanzhou come to the realization that they want different kinds of lives, after the mission.

That’s definitely a big factor to consider, and would definitely affect the future of their relationship.

I do appreciate that they’re both so mature about things, and are clear that even though this might affect their future as a couple, they still love each other very much. I found that touching. 🥲

And, the fact that they’re willing to grapple with this very real issue, instead of sweeping it under the carpet, somehow makes me feel that they’re even more serious about their feelings for each other. 🥲

I’m glad that they eventually talk it out, so that they understand each other that much better.

And, even though they don’t arrive at a conclusion via this conversation, I like the note on which they end; that the problem between them will definitely get solved, because there is only one Ruyi, and there is also only one Yuanzhou.

In other words, they’d be willing to somehow work out their differences, because they’re both aware of how great the other person is, and they’re willing to do what it takes, to work things out. That’s very touching to me. 🥹

E17-20. I appreciate so, so much, that after Ruyi deals with the situation with Tongguang, Yuanzhou goes right out to Ruyi, and grabs her in his arms for a comforting embrace, not for any other reason, than the fact that he understands this must have hurt her a great deal to do, because Tongguang had been her disciple, and this would have opened up old wounds for her.

Sniffle. That is so touching, truly; through all of the drama of the moment, and all of the political implications, all Yuanzhou sees, is the state of her heart, and his only concern, is her wellbeing. 🥹

I’m so glad that Ruyi allows her tears to fall, in Yuanzhou’s arms; it shows that she feels understood, and also, that she feels safe with him, and that means so much. 🥲

E17-20. When Yuanzhou is seriously injured and everyone thinks he’s going to die, I’m really touched by the love and care that Yuanzhou and Ruyi have, for each other.

Ruyi’s desperate to save Yuanzhou by any means necessary, even if it means slitting her own wrist, so that he can drink the elixir that’s in her blood.

And Yuanzhou, who truly believes that this is the end for him, only cares about giving Ruyi that bottle of candy, and telling her to eat large pieces of it, to make herself happy.

Guh. The desperation in her eyes, and the wistful sadness in his, as they look at each other, thinking that this is truly the end.

The part that really got to me the most, out of these four episodes, is that moment when Qian Zhao tries to stop Ruyi from giving Yuanzhou that Gengshi Pill, because it hasn’t been tested, and she states, with desperate, tearful conviction, that if it’s poisonous, she will die with Yuanzhou.

Gulp. The feels, you guys. 🫠🫠🫠

I’m so, so glad that we get to see Yuanzhou wake up in a stable condition soon after.

It’s so telling, isn’t it, the way Ruyi walks right out of there, so that she can cry a little, on her own?

This is how much Yuanzhou means to her, and that means so much, knowing that Ruyi had been such a stoic loner before.

She loves him this much, and it’s so, so beautiful. 🥹

E21-24. After Yuanzhou’s brush with death, both he and Ruyi very naturally arrive at a fresh perspective, about their relationship, and I’m glad.

It’s true that when you think about things from a life-and-death perspective, your priorities tend to change, and it was heartening to see both Yuanzhou and Ruyi each decide that the other person was too special, and too amazing, to ever risk losing.

It was really heartening, to see them talk things through, and talk about a future where they are always together, spending time in each other’s company, while compromising on their respective lifestyle preferences.

It’s lovely and poignant at the same time, to hear them talking about the details of how they’ll split their time, in the future, because I know too well, that this future is unlikely to happen.

And the thing is, they know too, actually, that there’s a chance this future may not happen.

It’s a similar thing as what I mentioned about Shisan and his outlook on life; that he doesn’t actually expect to live very long.

It occurs to me that it’s very likely that Yuanzhou and Ruyi both don’t expect to live very long either, particularly if they don’t walk away from the worldly affairs in which they’re now currently involved.

And, even if they do plan to eventually walk away from it all, they both know that their current mission comes with very real risks and dangers, and that it’s possible one or both of them might not make it out alive.

That makes everything extra poignant. 🥲

My favorite thing about these scenes, is how gentle and loving they are, as they look at each other and talk to each other.

Sometimes they joke with each other and tease each other, but this mutual gentle appreciativeness is always there undercurrent, and I liked this a lot. 🥰

It makes me feel like our OTP has reached a new level of stability and security in each other, and that’s just really lovely to see.

I also like how unabashed they now are, about their relationship.

They don’t seem to care if other people see them being close; they don’t shy away from being close, just because other people are looking, and I liked this a lot too.

There’s something very swoony about unabashed heart-eyes. 😁

Of course, it’s also nice to see how much everyone around them supports their relationship – well, except for Tongguang, that is. 😅

E25-28. As for our OTP, they are holding steady onto each other, through all the ups and downs, and that is quite assuring, I would say.

I thought the ice bath thing was kind of silly, honestly, because couldn’t he have sponged her with a towel soaked in ice water, and wouldn’t that have been more effective than him soaking himself in that ice bath, and then holding her in his arms?

But ok, maybe his embrace is the magic ingredient that was really needed, but again, he could’ve held her in his arms and sponged her with that iced towel that I was talking about, so this really doesn’t make a great deal of sense to me.

BUT OK. I get that Show just wanted to demonstrate that Yuanzhou’s love for Ruyi is so great and so deep, that he would willingly soak himself in an ice bath, if it would make her better. 😅

E25-28. It feels like a step in the right direction, that Ruyi figures out now, how much her past has been burdening her, and what she’d like to do to actually help the Scarlet Guards, going forward.

And, it is heartening and sweet, to see Yuanzhou be as supportive as always, and promising that whatever she plans to do, he will be there to help her.

[END SPOILER]

Alen Fang as Shisan

This was my introduction to Alen Fang, and what a great introduction this turned out to be.

All I knew, coming into this show, was that some of you have been showing huge soft spots for him, whenever his name has come up (hi phl1rxd! 🤗) – and now I understand why.

At first, I just thought that Shisan was the token pretty boy and flirt among our core team, always ready to engage with a pretty lady, but never one to give his heart, there just to provide some low-key amusement on the side.

As we get to know him better, however, it becomes clear that Shisan has a lot more love and loyalty in him, than he’d like to let on. 🥲

I personally think Alen Fang does a pretty spectacular job toggling the two sides to his character, and he delivered some really difficult emotional scenes, which I found deeply affecting, and very impressive.

Consider me a fan. 🤩

[SPOILER ALERT]

E21-24. One thing that sticks out at me, is the way Shisan talks about life and death, in our opening scene, where he talks with a teary-eyed Ruyi.

The thing that really leaves an impression on me, is the fact that Shisan doesn’t actually expect to live a very long life.

It’s more about how full his life is, and how much he enjoys it, with the most loyal of friends, than about how long his life is.

It’s somehow very poignant to me, that Shisan chooses to put on a happy face, and think cheerful thoughts, even as he continues to live a lifestyle that is likely to truncate his life.

And, note to self: I think that this is probably a very key thought to hold dear, particularly as we approach our final episodes. 😅

[END SPOILER]

He Lan Dou as Yang Ying

This was also my introduction to He Lan Dou, and again, boy, what an introduction this turned out to be.

In the early days of my watch, I’d heard that He Lan Dou was the breakout star of this show, and now that I’ve seen her performance in full for myself, I can totally see why.

She really makes me believe Yang Ying as a character, and by extension, the various parts of the growth journey that she goes through, in the course of our story.

That growth journey charts a pretty massive trajectory, as she starts our story being a very timid sort of character.

Kudos to the writers for making Yang Ying’s growth journey feel natural and organic, and mad props to He Lan Dou, for delivering such a wide range of nuance and emotion, over the course of it all.

Just, fantastic. 🤩

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-8. I am really growing to love Yang Ying.

I can only imagine how much more I’ll grow to like her, as she continues to grow stronger, and become more mature.

This set of episodes, we already see her go from becoming a crybaby princess, to growing more determined to do the right thing, even though she now understands that she’s in a dangerous situation, and might lose her life.

I love that that growth is believable, even though we’ve only seen it start to peep through, in the course of the last few episodes.

E13-16. A big arc, this set of episodes, is the thing where Zheng Qingyun (Zhao Huan Ran) shows up looking for Yang Ying.

I have to confess, I spent a good chunk of time wondering if this wasn’t someone wearing a fake skin, to impersonate Qingyun, in order to deceive Yang Ying.

But no, it turns out to be really Qingyun after all.

I have to say, He Lan Dou, who plays Yang Ying, really shines in this narrative arc.

First, there’s the scene where Yang Ying takes charge and speaks up for Qingyun, and defends him, saying that he will be her future consort, and should therefore be treated with respect.

I love how regal and confident she comes across, in this scene! 🤩

It made me feel like Yang Ying’s grown a lot, in the time that she’s been on the road to An.

Second, is when Qingyun’s true intentions are made clear, and she reacts to the horrible realization.

Her shock, grief and heartbreak are so raw and so palpable, I wanted to reach into my screen to comfort her.

The stuff he says turn out to be truly vile, and completely negate whatever feelings he supposedly had for her.

And then, when Qingyun threatens her life, the way she reaches for her secret dagger and stabs him in the chest, is so decisive, even though this must be such an emotionally wrecking moment for her.

It makes complete sense to me that Yang Ying would faint soon after this, and take to her sick bed; it is a lot to process.

But I’m still impressed with how she conducts herself, overall, because it shows a great deal of growth, from the time she’d first volunteered for this mission, to this point, when she’s got a much firmer grasp of the bigger picture, as befits a Princess.

E21-24. This set of episodes, I found myself having stars in my eyes for Yang Ying, because she conducts herself so well, and with such courage, when it comes to matters in An, even though she’s scared and uncertain on the inside.

The regality that she exudes, as she has to enter the An palace on her own, and deal with the various people whom she meets, is nothing short of spectacular, and I felt a great sense of gratification watching her successfully convince everyone, that she’s a prince who’s well-versed in things of the court. 🤩

So! Bad! Ass! 🔥

I felt even prouder of her, when, after her ordeal, she tells Ruyi that she was actually really scared, but basically channeled Ruyi, in how she carried herself.

I mean, it’s one thing to be a regal badass, but it feels like a whole other thing, to manage to carry yourself like a regal badass, when you feel like the complete opposite, on the inside.

So proud of our little puppy. 🥲

E25-28. I love how Yang Ying makes her final case to the Emperor of An (Yin Zhu Sheng), for the release of her brother.

I thought it was very clever of her to present to him that benefit of releasing the Emperor of Wu; that this would result in a natural state of discord within the Wu courts, because Prince Danyang and the returning Emperor can be expected to fight over the throne.

Unfortunately, the Emperor of An doesn’t seem to be fully taking the bait, but even he acknowledges how smart and shrewd Yang Ying is, and I feel gratified on her behalf – and yes, proud like a mother hen. 🥲

She’s come so far, hasn’t she?

Second, I am all starry-eyed over the decision that she makes; to order Yuanzhou to prioritize the safety of the delegation, in this mission, and that she will bear the consequences, if any problems arise because of this.

I cannot emphasize enough, how much I love her, for making that decision, and for communicating it with such a sense of gravitas and authority.

Clearly, she has more leadership qualities in her little finger, than the Emperor of Wu or the Prince of Danyang, have in their entire bodies.

She actually cares for the wellbeing of the people under her charge, and is willing to undertake personal risk, in order to keep them safe.

I can’t say the same for anyone else in her royal family, honestly.

Could we have a petition to make Yang Ying the ruler of Wu, pretty please?

Back to that moment when she tells Yuanzhou her decision; she sounds so firm and unflinching, but, as we see later, it’s a really tough decision for her to make, and she does cry a little bit, from the anxiety that she has, over whether she’d get detained by An, and abandoned by the delegation, if their mission were to really fail.

That makes me love her all the more, honestly, because it’s one thing to be bold when you’re actually fearless, but it’s another thing altogether, to be bold when you’re really scared on the inside.

And Yang Ying is doing just that.

How could one not be proud of her, yes? 🥲

E29-32. I have to give it to Yang Ying, for how brave she is, in choosing to stay behind, in order to allow the rest of the delegation to leave safely – and get Chief Clerk Du some urgent medical attention.

That is so commendable of her; it’s leadership in spades, in my eyes, and I couldn’t be prouder of her.

I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again, that it’s one thing to show courage when you’re not actually afraid, but it’s a whole other level, to show courage when you really are afraid, and Yang Ying is so, so brave, even as you can see that she’s literally shaking a little, from the fear of it all. 🥹

[END SPOILER]

Yang Ying and Ruyi

Aside from the OTP relationship, the connection that grows between Ruyi and Yang Ying is one of my favorite things in this show.

They are very different personalities, and yet, the connection that grows between them, is strong and sisterly, with a lot of mutual regard and affection, and I liked that so very much. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-8. I love the way Ruyi teaches Princess Yang Ying.

She’s gentle with Yang Ying, but yet, stern at the same time. She has high expectations of Yang Ying, but is also understanding and empathetic. She knows when to push Yang Ying, and when to hold back.

I can see why Yang Ying basically gets stars in her eyes around Ruyi.

She can tell that Ruyi’s really capable of teaching her a lot of things, and that Ruyi actually wants to see her do well.

The fact that Ruyi can communicate such a positive thing, while retaining her icy-elegance persona, is quite trippy to me; I love it.

E5-8. I also love how flatly honest Ruyi tends to be.

Like, when Yuanzhou introduces her as the person to teach Yang Ying, and the female official protests and wants to know why Yuanzhou would do such a thing, the way Ruyi flatly states, “Because you’re incompetent,” is just priceless. 😂

It almost feels like she’s an alien and has no filter as to what humans consider rude or polite. 😁

And she’s just and loyal.

I love how, when she discovers that Official Ming had been punishing Yang Ying by poking her arm with needles, she orders that Official Ming be punished too, with the poking of needles – but with the special bone-attaching needles used by Liudao Hall.

I can see why Yang Ying would cleave to Ruyi like a duckling to a mama duck.

E9-12. This set of episodes, we see Yang Ying grow a fair bit, to become more mature, grounded and brave, as a royal, and I do get quite a bit of satisfaction, witnessing her progress.

I do love how Yang Ying’s ready and eager to learn; her enthusiasm and bright-eyed cheer is quite infectious, and I couldn’t help but feel proud of her, with each bit of progress that she makes.

And, I do love that Ruyi’s right there, teaching her and guiding her every step of the way.

I get a lot of satisfaction from watching Ruyi teach Yang Ying; it feels like Ruyi knows exactly what Yang Ying needs to know, and is just really adept at breaking it down, in terms of the hows and whys, so that Yang Ying is super clear in her understanding.

Ruyi comes across as a natural teacher, in that way, and I do love that.

And, of course, I love the growing bond between Ruyi and Yang Ying, as Ruyi continues to impart all the skills and knowledge that she perceives Yang Ying needs.

Which is why I love that the reason Ruyi shows herself again, is to save Yang Ying.

That’s really very touching, yes?

The fiercely proud Ruyi, putting aside the huge affront that she’s suffered, in order to save Yang Ying? That’s care and loyalty for sure. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Chen You Wei as Yuan Lu

Aside from Yuanzhou himself and Shisan, my other favorite member of the core Liudao team, was Yuan Lu.

He’s the youngest of the lot, and to my eyes, he looked like a young giraffe trying to prove that he’s no longer a baby, but is still gangly-awkward about it. Cute and adorkable.

On top of that, I grew to really enjoy Yuan Lu’s cheerful and kind nature, which I found very endearing indeed.

As with Shisan, Show does reveal some hidden depth with Yuan Lu, and that hidden depth, paired with the kind and cheerful nature that I mentioned, just worked together to steal my heart. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

I definitely felt sorry for Yuan Lu, when Show reveals his heart condition, at the episode 5-8 mark.

It just adds a layer of pathos to the cheerful attitude that he wears so unfailingly.

And, despite his own health issues, and his likely shortened life expectancy, he continues to not only be cheerful as a general rule, but also, kind, understanding and empathetic to others.

I can’t help but notice that when Ruyi is at her most withdrawn, when she feels most misunderstood by the rest of the Liudao team in episodes 17-20, it’s Yuan Lu whom she chooses to open up to.

I feel like if anyone else had asked her about what the matter was, and what the deal was, with Tongguang, she wouldn’t have answered.

But because it’s Yuan Lu who asks, she tells him the whole story about Tongguang, and how he’d been her disciple.

It’s not just good for us to know about it; I feel that it’s also good for Ruyi to talk about it, and I just like that she feels so safe with Yuan Lu, that she’s comfortable telling him things, when he asks (and I do love that Yuan Lu dares to ask, even though Ruyi often has her ice queen vibe about her).

Because of this quality of his, my affection for Yuan Lu grew by leaps and bounds, as I got deeper into our story.

I just love how good-natured he is, and how he’s able to connect with others, because of it.

[END SPOILER]

Yang Ying and Yuan Lu

With Yuan Lu and Yang Ying being the youngest in our team, it’s not surprising that they would often find themselves together, whether they’re watching the others on the sidelines, or sharing bits of information.

The more I saw them together, the more I found them really cute together. It really didn’t take very long before I grew a huge soft spot for these two. 😍

[SPOILER ALERT]

E17-20. When Yang Ying goes to seek Yuan Lu out (thanks to Ruyi nudging her – yay Ruyi!), feeling so paralyzed with guilt for how Zheng Qingyun had wounded Yuan Lu so deeply on her account, I love how Yuan Lu tells her, in such an amiable and kind manner, that it’s not her fault.

Not only that, he sits with her, and helps her reframe how she thinks about her mission, and what it means to do an honorable job of it – even if she dies as a result.

He helps Yang Ying to be brave, and that is such a precious gift.

It’s so great, that they sit together like that, and chat until sunrise. 🥰

I love the idea of these two becoming friends, and I realize, this set of episodes, that any and every indication that Yang Ying and Yuan Lu are now close friends, makes me perk right up.

They are like two cute little baby monkeys sitting together in a tree, away from all the adults, with the way they chatter together, and share little secrets. I LOVE IT. 🤩

E25-28. I’m really glad that Yang Ying feels able to talk to Yuan Lu about it, and like I said before, I just really dig the open, friendly, understanding, safe sort of vibe that these two have going on.

Which is why I kinda had a bit of a poignant squee, when Show gives us that bit of insight, this week, that Yuan Lu actually does have feelings for Yang Ying, but is determined not to tell her about it, because he doesn’t see a future for any relationship that he might have, because he’s doomed to live a short life.

ACK. It’s like Show softened up my heart with the squee, and then punched it, because how sad is that, that Yuan Lu is denying himself the opportunity to be in love, due to his heart condition and his prognosis? 😭

I do love the softness in his gaze as his eyes momentarily dart in Yang Ying’s direction, as he awkwardly answers her question, and now I’m really curious to know if Yang Ying might possibly feel the same way about him.

I honestly think they are very cute together in any sort of capacity, and it would be bonus, if they actually liked each other romantically. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Wang Yi Zhe as Qian Zhao

I wasn’t sure what to make of Qian Zhao at first, because he plays it so stoic all the time, but he did grow on me, before too long.

I liked his deadpan quizzical expressions, and I found that he added a bit of sardonic flavor to the proceedings, without having to say very much at all.

And, Show does make sure to allow him to show his softer side too, from time to time, which I liked.

[SPOILER ALERT]

I have mixed feelings about the big reveal, in Show’s late episodes, about his hidden personal agenda, with regards to the rescue mission of the Emperor of Wu.

As a viewer, I found the reveal pretty sudden and out of left field, and I didn’t like that so much.

However, I can rationalize that it’s theoretically possible that we never saw any hint of Qian Zhao’s personal agenda, because he’s always so stoic about everything.

[END SPOILER]

Li Huan as Sun Lang

Show doesn’t focus much on Sun Lang at all, really, but I wanted to give him a quick shout-out, for the fact that Show makes him a big animal lover, and the thing that makes him happiest – in his own words – is to be able to cuddle something furry.

Aw. Isn’t that sweet? 🥰

The brotherhood

Over the course of our story, the tightness of this brotherhood did show itself to be a strong foundation of our story.

I liked that these people could work together so well in such complementary ways, and trust one another with their lives, basically.

And, I was also very glad to see them eventually accept Ruyi as one of them, even though they are formally a team under the Liudao name.

I loved the idea of Ruyi becoming part of a community, where before, she’d only ever worked alone, and I really appreciated that the acceptance, between her and the Liudao guys, was mutual. 🥲

Through it all, I was heartened that our delegation folks had one another, and that they could keep one another company, and encourage one another, and help one another to make their lives more meaningful, even if the masters they serve weren’t worthy. 🥲

Chang Hua Sen as Li Tongguang

Not gonna lie; I personally found the writing around Tongguang’s character the weakest out of our entire cast of characters.

Essentially, it felt like Show would make Tongguang into whatever it needed him to be, in order to nudge our story forward, in that particular moment.

We see several sudden turnarounds from him, over the course of our story, and it didn’t make organic sense to me, no matter how hard I tried to rationalize things.

Let’s just say I was rather disappointed and unimpressed. 😅

And for the record, I also found him rather unlikable, for a good portion of our narrative.

For some specifics, here’s a rundown of my thoughts around this, during my watch.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E17-20. Can I just say, even though I like some of the relationship outcomes from Tongguang’s involvement with our core team (more on that later), I generally feel like Tongguang kind of feels like the product of lazy writing?

Sorry, maybe that’s scandalous to say, since so many people praise the writing in this show. 🙊

It’s just that Show makes him obsessed with Ruyi, to the point of being cartoonish.

I also find that it’s whiplashy, how he’s putty in front of her, all helpless and puppet-like, but is able to turn on a dime, to be all glowery and evil, the very next minute.

I’m no expert, but.. is this psychologically realistic..? 😅

Apart from this feeling rather whiplashy to me, what bothers me about this, is that this arc feels like it’s going to be front-and-center in our story, for the foreseeable future.

Just having this arc front-and-center, this set of episodes, I’m already feeling a measure of fatigue.

As in, I’m already feeling tired of Tongguang’s obsession with Ruyi being used as the thing to push our story forward.

And we still have how many episodes left? 😬

I mean, yes, I understand the backstory that Show helpfully provides, about why Tongguang is so messed up, and so obsessed with Ruyi, but that still doesn’t make this clever writing, y’know?

It feels like the writers just shoved an unstable protagonist in there, to be a convenient source of narrative tension.

I am not enjoying that very much, not gonna lie. 😅

E21-24. I had mixed feelings about Tongguang, this set of episodes.

For a while there, when he actually behaves in a reasonable, sane manner with Yuanzhou, I almost thought that last week’s episodes were just a once-off bump in the road, and that Tongguang’s not actually crazy, after all.

Well. That wasn’t the case, it appears, since Tongguang does show us lashings of unstable fury, complete with crazy eyes, this set of episodes.

But first, I do have to give him credit where it’s due; it really was because of him, that Yuanzhou and the entire Liudao Hall team, were able to pay their last respects to their fallen brothers.

And, alongside that, I liked the conversation between Yuanzhou and Tongguang, where Yuanzhou persuades Tongguang to strike a deal with him.

The smooth, effective manner in which this goes down, made me think that perhaps, with Yuanzhou’s expert handling, Tongguang could become a solid ally, instead of an unhinged enemy.

Unfortunately, once things have to do with Ruyi, Tongguang is still as obsessed as ever.

I expect that I’ll be oscillating between positive and negative feelings towards Tongguang, for a while. 😅

E25-28. Ruyi finally finds herself in a position where it’s hard to continue keeping the truth from Tongguang, and therefore comes clean, that she is, indeed, his Master.

..Which is when we get Tongguang’s obsessive tendencies back to the fore, all over again.

I have to say, I am not at all impressed with the way Tongguang’s characterization is being handled, particularly in this set of episodes.

One moment he’s desperately obsessive over Ruyi, and that actually goes on for a fair while.

But then, after a serious talk with Yuanzhou, which comes with some forced dunking, Tongguang has a sudden and complete shift in his bearing and attitude – all because Yuanzhou emphasizes that nobody, including Ruyi, likes someone who’s mentally unstable?

That felt quite unbelievable to me, in that, I find it hard to buy that Tongguang would be able to be that functional, if he’d just been that delusional and unstable just seconds before.

And, for the record, I don’t really buy Yuanzhou’s explanation, that this is just an effect of Tongguang’s youth.

That I put down to weakness in the writing.

At the same time, perhaps I should put some of the disconnect down to actor delivery? Like, if we’d had a more skilled actor play Tongguang, perhaps these different facets of his character would feel more believable meshed together?

At any rate, I do prefer Tongguang when he’s not being all obsessive and unstable, so it was rather nice (though, still unbelievable for me personally) to see him conduct himself with such confidence and stability, for the rest of the episodes this week.

And, I’ll buy the idea (for now, anyway) that because he feels that he’s once again doing his Master’s bidding, he’s just much happier in general.

[END SPOILER]

Chu Yue and Shisan [SPOILERS]

In Show’s last third, it introduces a connection between Shisan and Chu Yue (Chen Hao Yu), which I found unexpectedly entertaining and cute – with lashings of poignance, of course.

Credit to Show, for making this connection feel so surprising, and yet, so believable, at the same time.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E29-32. A big thing that had my attention, this set of episodes, is the unexpected (to me, anyway) bond that forms between Shisan and Chu Yue.

I would’ve never imagined this pairing, but the way Show delivers it, I now feel like these two are quite perfect for each other. 😅

Shisan just has this knack for re-framing things for Chu Yue, so that she won’t feel as upset.

Like the way he says that the reason her fiancé had been nice to her despite being in love with another woman, is because she is too charming and that’s why he couldn’t help but be nice to her, even though his heart is with someone else.

That is so clever, honestly! 🤭

And, it really is an effect re-frame for Chu Yue, because it rebuilds the self-esteem that she’d lost, when she’d realized that Tongguang was in love with someone else, and had only been putting up an act, with her.

With Shisan being as charming and handsome as he is, I can easily believe that Chu Yue would quickly find her attention shifting from Tongguang to Shisan.

I mean, I personally thinking Shisan is wayyy more appealing than Tongguang, so I feel like Chu Yue’s shift in attention is perfectly reasonable. 😁

Also, Chu Yue’s pretty cute and likable in her own way, when she’s not trying to prove herself (she tends to be a bratty princess at those times), so I can see why Shisan might feel drawn to her – particularly since she now only has eyes for him.

[END SPOILER]

Zhang Tian Yang as Emperor of Wu [BROAD SPOILERS]

I mentioned earlier that I didn’t much care for the writing around the Emperor of Wu, so let me explain what I mean without going too much into spoiler territory.

When we first meet him properly, it’s at the halfway point of our story, and he basically proves himself to be a self-centered, uninspiring excuse for a human being.

After all the righteous talk that we’ve heard from our delegation, where they risk their lives for what they believe is the greater good, this felt like a distinct letdown. Like, this is who they’re risking their lives to save?

Uh. But he seems so unworthy? 👀 Can we just abort the mission now, and keep our delegation safe, pretty please? – is what I was thinking. 🙈

And, Show has the Emperor of Wu lean into this self-centered persona so much so that I disliked him a great deal, and I really just wanted our team to abandon the mission, because it was too dangerous, and he was too unworthy.

And then, in the finale stretch, after the successful rescue, it feels like Show extends the story – and therefore exposes our core characters to what I feel is unnecessary danger – all because Show wants to give the Emperor a redemption arc.

After establishing him as such an unsavory character, it felt really painful, to have our characters die, just because Show wanted to provide an avenue for him to grow and demonstrate that he could be a noble Emperor after all.

I can see the idea Show was running with, but I was not a fan. 😑

SPOTLIGHT ON THE PENULTIMATE STRETCH [SPOILERS]

E33-36. In short, I thought these episodes were reasonably well done, and there were things that I liked a lot, and there were things that I didn’t like so much.

First of all, I can see why this is the stretch where folks tend to drop out; it really is hard to watch our core team start to whittle down, as people start to, well, die. 💔

At the same time, some of the scenes were really well done, and I’ve even settled on a point in the story that would make for a nice alternate ending point, for if you want to watch some great scenes, but want to spare yourself the worst of the heartache.

Basically, I think that you could watch up till the middle of episode 34, and that would actually be a nice way to wrap up your watch, if you’re looking to console yourself with a potential happy ending for everyone – in your imagination. 🥲

(Yes, it sucks that a potential happy ending has to be in our imaginations, but at least this is better than nothing..? 😅)

Why do I think that episode 33 and half of episode 34 is worth watching, even if you’ve already cautiously backed away from Show by this point?

Well, first of all, RUYI IS ALIVE!! Ahhh!!!

I was kinda right; her death had been faked, but it wasn’t something that she’d been in cahoots with Deng Hui about; rather, she’d taken a gamble that he would save her, after she’d forced his hand to stab her in the heart.

Yes, it’s also pretty convenient that Ruyi’s heart is revealed to be closer to the center of her chest than the left, which is where she had Deng Hui stab her, but whatever, I’m happy to roll with it, because RUYI IS ALIIIVE!

Honestly, I know I’d kind of guessed at it, but the only thing driving my conviction, was the fact that we still had 8 episodes left, and I found it hard to believe that Show would be so audacious as to kill off its female lead with that much story left to go.

But, y’know, Show could’ve done it, if it’d really wanted to, and that possibility kept me on tenterhooks for a while, until the reveal.

I’ll talk more about Ruyi in a bit, but aside from this key point, there’s a great – like, seriously great – scene that He Lan Dou delivers as Yang Ying, that I feel is the very best scene that she’s given us thus far.

And I say this fully remembering that she’s already given us some really excellent scenes. No wonder He Lan Dou was the break-out star of this show. 🤩

I love that, when Tongguang reminds her that she’s in a precarious position, and that she could suffer any of several terrible fates, once the Emperor of An summons her, she falters a bit, but eventually decides not to kill herself, because that wouldn’t be living up to Ruyi’s teaching and expectations.

I was so, so impressed, not just by what she presents to the Emperor of An as an option, but also, the manner in which she conducts herself, in that negotiation.

I mean, the way she uses that dagger to tip off the hat off her head, to reveal tumbling, feminine tresses, and then slice her finger, so that she can use the blood to put on the red forehead marking of a princess, as well as lip color, is so, SO stylish! 🤩

Sure, there’s some suspension of disbelief required, because realistically, there is no way that blood would behave like that or look like that, but I’m perfectly happy to roll with it, because it’s such a jaw-droppingly badass moment.

The way she then channels Prince Li’s calm, steely even way of speaking, while also adopting a markedly feminine air, is fantastic; I was completely mesmerized. 🤩

I was also thoroughly mind-blown at her audacious proposal; that the Emperor of An make her Empress, to strengthen his own position.

She’s regal, and daring, and undaunted, and yet, you can also glimpse shades of vulnerability. It’s absolutely fantastic, and I couldn’t look away. 🥲

(Seriously, if you backed away from Show before this scene, I highly recommend you come back, if only just for this scene; it’s just fantastic.)

And then there’s the scene where she rides away, in that royal palanquin, and says in voiceover, to Ruyi, that she doesn’t know whether she’s done the right thing, but she likes the sense of control that she has, over her own destiny.

What a powerful moment, delivered with such emotional heft; so much determination and vulnerability in Yang Ying’s eyes, in that moment. Wow.

The other scene I really like, involves Yang Ying again, and this is when Show reveals that Ruyi is alive, when Ruyi shows herself, as she comes to Yang Ying’s rescue, because Consort Chu has sent assassins to kill Yang Ying – and Yuanzhou shows up too. Huzzah!

First of all, I love that Ruyi is alive, of course, because, like I said, I want her and Yuanzhou to have more meaningful time together, even if everyone ends up dying in the end.

The way we’d “lost” her just wasn’t it.

In this scene, I so appreciate the choice that Yang Ying makes, as she tells Yuanzhou and Ruyi that she’s decided to stay in An instead of returning to Wu with them, and that she won’t let them down.

What she says is true; she’s come so far in the last several months traveling with them, that it’s impossible for her to go back to being who she’d been.

It’s saddening, certainly, that she isn’t rejoining the group, but it really does feel like the better choice for her.

Like she says, this way, she has a chance of becoming the mother of a nation. If she returns to Wu, she will once again be relegated to the Cold Palace, and betrothed to a consort whom she doesn’t know.

This really is the better use of her new-found wisdom and talent. 🥲

Afterwards, it’s also really gratifying to see Yuanzhou and Ruyi reunited at last, with so much tenderness and relief.

That moment, when Yuanzhou tells Ruyi that once they’ve completed this mission, they can leave the world behind and live their own lives, feels like a great natural stopping point, if you’re leery of Show’s infamously tragic ending.

At least this way, you can imagine that Yuanzhou and Ruyi do get to live happily ever after, after all is said and done, yes? 🥲

After this point of our story, I didn’t like the plot points so much, in that, it feels like Show is just drumming up trouble for our core characters, and creating opportunities for them to die, really. 😣

The whole thing of the Second Prince of An colluding with the Beipan people, to allow them to attack Tianmenguan, is truly, deeply, utterly frustrating and annoying, because if not for this, our good folks from Wu wouldn’t need to die. 😫

I get that Show is also looking for a redemption arc for the Emperor of Wu, who’s been a useless, selfish burden for so long, in our story, and this is the opportunity; that he show remorse, sincerity and leadership.

BUT AT WHAT COST, right?!?

Coz before these episodes are up, we’ve already lost Qian Zhao, Sun Lang and even Yuan Lu. 💔

Qian Zhao and Sun Lang die in battle, with Qian Zhao choosing to protect the Emperor despite recently almost killing him to avenge the deaths of his brother, and his brothers-in-arms, and Sun Lang receiving too many arrows to his back, as the price for propelling Shisan into the air, in order to kill the leader of the Beipan troops.

These deaths were hard to watch, and the sorrow that we see – particularly from Shisan, whose sadness really got to me in a visceral way (such a great delivery, by Alen Fang) – was even harder to watch.

The death that hit me hardest, though, was Yuan Lu’s.

He literally pushed his body to the end of its capacity, in order to reach An as quickly as possible, to deliver the military report to Tongguang, in hopes that Tongguang would be able to persuade the Emperor of An to declare war against Beipan, and thus save the rest of our Liudao team.

That was so, so, SO hard to watch, as Yuan Lu’s body started giving out, even as he was on his way.

And, the moment Shisan suggested to the Emperor of Wu to allow Yuan Lu to send the message (also because Shisan believed that this would get Yuan Lu out of harm’s way), I knew that Yuan Lu was going to die.

I also knew, from this single detail, that the reason Show was sending Yuan Lu to An to die, was so that Yuan Lu would get to see Yang Ying one last time.

Sob. The way he spends his last moments in Yang Ying’s arms, finally letting her know that she’d been the one he’d said that he’d liked, back when they’d talked on the roof, and could they be together in their next life – which he doesn’t even get to finish saying, because he breathes his last, ack – is so deeply affecting. 😭

The way Yang Ying sobs over Yuan Lu, telling him that she agrees, is so heartrending.

I miss so much, when these two were adorable cheeky monkeys sitting in trees and roofs together. 😩

With this as context, it’s even more disgusting how the Emperor of An decides to bury the incident, by putting Tongguang and Yang Ying under house arrest, so that he can continue to make Second Prince the Crown Prince, and deepen the collusion with Beipan, in order to redeem his flagging reputation. UGH.

As we head into the finale, we’ve got Yuanzhou and Ruyi on the move, with plans to make public the An Emperor’s dirty deeds in front of all the ministers, while Chu Yue rescues Yang Ying and Tongguang from house arrest.

Unfortunately, by now, I know that it’s pointless to hope for a good outcome, but yet, I know that our characters will continue to be valiant and courageous to the very end, and I feel like I owe it to them, to walk this journey with them, until we get to its close. 🫡

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

To be honest, you guys, I have very mixed feelings about this finale.

It really feels like the writers had actually wanted to do one of those 80- or 90-episode long epic c-dramas, but couldn’t, because of the new guidelines in China, which limit the number of episodes per drama, to prevent the bloat that we were seeing for some years, where dramas were stuffed with filler, in order to maximize screen time and therefore advertising dollars.

And because they couldn’t make the long epic that they wanted to, they decided that, instead of splitting it into two seasons (because now a significant period of time needs to pass before a second season is aired, to prevent production houses from trying to skirt the length guideline, by making two seasons and airing them back-to-back), they’d squash the entire (what would’ve been) Season 2, into Show’s final stretch of episodes.

Thus, what we get is a lot of helicopter-style storytelling, with a narrator breezing through large chunks of time, with Show only really zooming in to allow us to spend time with our characters, at certain important junctures.

I mean, yes, this is how I approach writing about dramas as well, whether that’s in terms of my episode notes, or my review. But, I’m finding that what works for my episodes notes and reviews, doesn’t really work (for me, at least), in the watch experience.

I found it perplexing and weird, because I would emotionally disconnect from show, the longer the helicopter-style narration would go on, but then, Show would reach out and be all dramatic, emotional and angsty, and thus suck me back in (somewhat, at least), for the important moments – like when characters fight, and then inevitably, die.

Honestly, this was a rather perplexing experience for me. I did not enjoy this style of drama execution; just putting it out there.

Also, even if Show’s writers were retrained by guidelines that didn’t allow them to tell the whole story, I’m of the opinion that they could’ve just, well, told less story.

Rather than this helicopter-style narration thing, with selected portions where we zoom back into the story, I would’ve preferred to just stay with our characters throughout, and just.. end the story earlier.

There are several points at which our story could have been brought to a reasonably natural close, like the potential endpoint that I talked about in the section focusing on the penultimate episodes.

By pushing on through to the desired endpoint, it just seems to me like our writers just really wanted to kill off every member of our core team. Because, really, the zoom-ins were mostly about the deaths of our core members.

I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing, but my bemusement at the treatment of the final episodes is strong enough, that it prevented me from engaging as fully, on the emotional front.

Which means that I felt comparatively less affected, when our core members died, this set of episodes, compared to, say, Yuan Lu’s death, in the last set of episodes.

Like I said, I can’t decide if this is a good or bad thing. 😅

My immediate gut reaction is something like, “Phew. My heart’s not as broken as I thought it’d be!” 😅

Honestly, though, I think the better thing, is to have had the death scenes really resonate in a visceral way, even if it meant real, raw and very painful heartbreak. I feel like that we owe that to these characters, who have been brought to life with such care and nuance, y’know?

In terms of specifics, I’m going to say that I’m most perplexed by the way Tongguang is written, in this finale stretch.

To put it bluntly, he basically stops making sense to me, as a character. I’m perplexed enough that I’m wondering if I missed something important somewhere, because a lot of what he does, in these last few episodes, make no sense to me.

Like, why would he interrupt Yuanzhou and Ruyi from revealing the An Emperor’s dirty deeds, and incapacitate them, to take them captive? All this time, he’d seemed like he’d fully come over to their side, right?

I rationalized that perhaps he felt that it would be safer for Ruyi, that he knock her out with that thumb-needle thing that Yang Ying had given him, for her own safety, because he knows that she’s still recovering from her injuries, and he doesn’t want her to get more hurt.

However. HOWEVER.

Why would he then drug her and try to have a freaking wedding with her, while that bone-softening drug is making her too weak to resist?!?

I thought we’d had a Serious Moment of Resolution before, when he’d remarked that he’d lost the right to get in between Ruyi and Yuanzhou, the moment he’d “killed” her with his own hands??

What gives, seriously??? 🤦🏻‍♀️

Happily, Yuanzhou busts out of prison (though we don’t get to see how), and saves Ruyi from being forcibly wedded to Tongguang, and then we get to see Yuanzhou and Ruyi have their own little private wedding, where they do the formal wedding bows, to the heavens, the earth and each other, and become husband and wife.

This was a lovely moment, for sure, even though I didn’t care for how we got here, and I’m glad that we do get to see Yuanzhou and Ruyi get married.

Go to 22:10 of episode 37, if you’d like to see the wedding scene. It goes till 26:20.

And, the fact that we see three butterflies come to rest on Yuanzhou’s shoulder, afterwards, makes me think that the butterflies are Yuan Lu, Qian Zhao and Sun Lang, there to witness the marriage. 🥲

After all, the tracker butterflies had always been under Yuan Lu’s purview, yes?

With Tongguang becoming regent of An, Yang Ying telling him that it would be good for them both to get married, makes a lot of sense, though I honestly would’ve never seen this marriage happening, prior. 😅

I appreciate that Show makes it clear that this is a strategic alliance, and that Yang Ying still finds herself very much missing and thinking of Yuan Lu.

It also feels important, that Ruyi tells Yang Ying that whether a woman loves only one man her entire life, or loves several men in her lifetime, she is worthy of respect.

And, it also makes sense to me, that by the time we get to the end of our story, Yang Ying and Tongguang do seem to have an amiable marriage relationship, although it isn’t made specifically clear, whether they have actual feelings for each other.

It would seem that Tongguang, at least, seems to feel something for Yang Ying – and why shouldn’t he, right, because she’s awesome? 😁

The sudden death of the Wu Emperor, and the Duke of Chu, and how it all links back to a treasonous plot by none other than the weakling prince that couldn’t go to An (which is why Yang Ying went instead), felt like it came out of left field, honestly.

Like, maybe it makes some kind of sense, but it still feels weirdly out of place, somehow.

The scene that I liked, in the midst of all this, is Yuanzhou and Shisan having a drink together, while thinking of their fallen Liudao brothers, and reminiscing about their time together.

It feels fitting and emotionally needful, that these two remaining members of the core mission team, acknowledge their friends, and have a moment to shed a few tears.

I also appreciated the highlight reel that we get, accompanying this, where we get to relive some of the happier times that this team has had.

There’s also some kind of satisfaction, I feel, in knowing that the An Emperor had trusted Yuanzhou so much, that he’d prepared two royal edicts dictating his successor – and, with his dying breath, given Yuanzhou the freedom to choose which edict to deliver, because he trusts Yuanzhou’s judgment.

That’s a far cry from when the Wu Emperor had only cared about his own survival, and had thought of Yuanzhou and his team as mere tools to ensure his escape from the pagoda prison.

We get lots of war and fighting, because the Beipan troops just won’t let up, and because of Tongguang’s misjudgments as an inexperienced general, the An-Wu side is at a disadvantage, which is how we first lose Deng Hui, who literally dies trying to save Tongguang, and then we lose Shisan as well. 💔

Even though we see Shisan essentially tell Chu Yue that he cannot commit himself to her and give her his heart, we see that he does love her, and would give up his life, in order to protect her.

That scene on the battlefield, where Shisan tells Yuanzhou that he’s going off to steal some other cavalry’s horse, is one that requires some suspension of disbelief, because how could they possibly have had the time nor space to have that little conversation, and even share a drink, as they recall, together, Shisan’s motto in life, that he will only drink the best wines, and admire the most beautiful women, and fight the best battles?

In a real situation, they would’ve been quickly interrupted by soldiers eager to cut them down, for sure.

On the strength of this scene alone, where Show focuses on Shisan’s life motto, I knew that Shisan was about to die, and soon.

I appreciate that once he has that horse, he moves to pick up Chu Yue, and they do ride towards the city, where they would be safe.

But of course, explosions come from bombs thrown, and Shisan, blinded from the explosion and bleeding from his eyes, puts a temporarily partially blinded Chu Yue back on the horse and sets her off towards safety, before giving it everything he’s got, to slice down any soldiers in his path, which at least contributes to Chu Yue making it back to safety.

It’s tragic, yes, but how like Shisan, though, to give his life for love?

As much as he’s been playing up his flirty persona all series long, we’ve seen Shisan love deeply and profoundly, particularly when it comes to his family of brothers, so it seems fitting, for him to choose to sacrifice himself, in order to protect the person whom he loves. 🥲

By this point, Tongguang is overcome with guilt that he’s caused the death of not just Deng Hui, but so many of his troops, that he embarks on what is likely to be a suicide mission to assassinate the Beipan king, to make up for his wrongs – and if he should die trying, then at least he gets to die a hero’s death.

Headdesk.

I don’t know if you can tell, but by this point, I seriously want to throttle Tongguang, because he’s the cause of so many – seriously, SO MANY – deaths, in our story.

Because of this, Ruyi tries to personally go get him back, but Yuanzhou insists that he go instead, because he is less injured than Ruyi.

And – you guessed it – Yuanzhou dies while getting Tongguang back to safety.

HEADDESK.

Like, this could well have been avoided, if Tongguang had just not been an idiot, yes?

Show gives Yuanzhou a hero’s death, of course, with Yuanzhou taking down many of the Beipan soldiers, until the very end.

In fact, we see that when Yuanzhou actually breathes his last, he’s still poised for battle, with his eyes open and his stance still fight-ready. 💔

Soon afterwards, we see Ruyi readying for what is likely to be a suicide mission, because the only way to gain traction in their position, is to assassinate the Beipan king – which is what Tongguang had attempted to do.

The minutes she asks Yang Ying for the thunder bombs which Yuan Lu had given her, you kinda know that she doesn’t plan to survive this.

Plus, you can tell that she treats this as a suicide mission, from the way she says goodbye to Yang Ying and Chu Yue, telling them to do well in their respective roles. This smells so much, of final farewell. 😭

And then, we see Ruyi successfully carrying out that mission – and thinking of Yuanzhou, just as the entire tent blows up, from the thunder bombs going off.

Afterwards, our narrator tells us that with the arrival of Prince Danyang, who’s the new Wu Emperor, along with his troops, our side finally triumphs, with him and Tongguang fighting side by side.

Peace is finally won, in the land, and the Beipan retreat to a faraway corner of the earth, never to attack the lands of Wu and An again.

We then get an epilogue-like segment that’s shown to be a time skip of ten or so years later.

Things are still peaceful and happy, and we see Chu Yue, alone in a pretty field, encounter a youth on horseback, who reminds her of Shisan.

And then what should we learn, but that this youth’s name is Ning Shisan, who lives in a book academy some miles away, and that his mother’s last name is Ren, and his younger sister’s name is Ren Lu.

AND, his father can make the best wine, and his mother can perform the best sword choreographies

Although I’d like to think that Show is saying that Yuanzhou and Ruyi somehow survived, and are living a happy family life together somewhere, away from the court, I conclude that this is more likely all in Chu Yue’s imagination after all, because of the very sad tears that leak from her eyes, through this entire interaction.

Plus, she also imagines seeing the core team, alive and well, riding side by side on horseback.

In the end, even though our heroes do not survive, there is still someone who remembers them, and thinks of them, and the dreams that they’d held dear.

And this means that they did leave behind a mark on the world, after all, which is an apt callback to what Yuanzhou had once said to Ruyi, that he’d like at least one person to think about him and remember, after he dies.

Overall, this really was an uneven finale stretch for me, but I do acknowledge that I rather like this poignant note on which Show ends.

And yes, I will remember these characters, and their dreams, for a long time too – just like they’d hoped. 🥲

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Fantastic in stretches, yet perplexing in spots, Show is, on balance, solid and engaging, despite (what I feel is) a wobbly ending.

FINAL GRADE: B+

TRAILER:

MV:

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama I’ll be covering on Patreon, in place of A Journey To Love, is Captivating the King [Korea]. I’ve taken an initial look at Captivating the King and I’m happy to say that I am enjoying it very well, so far.

You can check out my episode 1-2 notes on Captivating the King on Patreon here.

Here’s an overview of what I’m covering on Patreon right now (Tier benefits are cumulative)!

Foundation Tier (US$1): Entertainment tidbits + the first set notes of all shows covered on Patreon (that’s 2 episodes for kdramas and 4 episodes for cdramas)

Early Access (US$5): +Knight Flower [Korea]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +Amidst a Snowstorm of Love [China]

VIP (US$15): +Marry My Husband [Korea]