Xing han can lan

Oh, its one of the best Chinese shows out there. Although it is more than 50 episodes show, you wont feel like Why I have started this show.

The chemistry between the lead pair is so subtle. Zhao Lusi is again delivering her good performance.

But specially the male lead - Leo Wu is doing a fantastic job. His subtle and serious expression and his indepth character is intriguing.

The story will capture you within first episode. It is light hearted show. With good humour, show will also provide you a good storyline and its execution.

Now talking about cinematography and VFX, this show is meeting our expectations.

All in all , a MUST WATCH Chinese Rom Com.

From the superb acting, captivating storyline and over-all great production, I was in awe with this series! What I love the most about this show is the how the characters and story were presented. The main leads' love story is very refreshing for me because we got to see how each of them grew individually with their experiences and how their relationship evolved through time. It is also my first time to watch a show which involves a ruling monarch who doesn't have a bad blood between the Emperor, the Empress and the Consort. It has a total of 56 episodes but I wish it was longer (but they stayed true for the most part from the novel). If you're looking to watch a show with political, romance, family, friendship, and comedy genres, then give this show a go.

I compare all Chinese historical dramas to the Rise of Phoenixes, which I consider one of the best dramas ever done. This one actually competes well with Phoenixes!

The story, characters and casting are all great, and I shouldn't leave out the cinematography.

Zhao Lusi is spectacular as Shao Shang, the very outspoken heroine who holds her own in a male-centered universe. And Wu Lei as her main love interest is sometimes terrifyingly focused on revenge and killing. They do a believable job of convincing the viewers that their love is possible and real, but tragic in so many ways.

Other actors are well cast, too, and provide great performances.

All in all, a really good drama and well worth watching. I will say that the very last episodes dragged on a bit, but I was so involved in the story by then that I watched all.

Solid production about feisty Cheng Shaoshang (Zhao Lusi) who was left to the care of an unloving grandmother by her warrior parents for 10 years while they had been serving the country. She encounters young general Ling Buyi (Leo Wu) who had witnessed his clan being eradicated 15 years ago. The dream husband of every girl in the capital city, Ling Buyi sets his sights on uncouth and uneducated Shaoshang. Their love would be challenged by his thirst for revenge and her childhood scar of feeling abandoned by her parents.

The story is compelling and the acting, especially of Zhao Lusi, is remarkable. However, the pace in the last few episodes got so draggy I dozed off several times.

Another thing that dampened my initial enthusiasm for this drama was the female lead's irrational tendency to hold on to grudges. She had a hard time forgiving her parents for leaving her with her grandmother even after it was explained why they did so. She also had a hard time forgiving Ling Buyi for abandoning her even when he did it to protect her. I found it hard to fully warm up to such a spiteful female lead. This drama could have wrapped up sooner had she just learned to forgive but the writers seemed to have used that nasty trait of hers to keep dragging the drama out.

One more thing that took points off this drama was Lin Buyi's obsession for revenge. I'm so done with this trope. It was shocking how many people he had to kill just to finally get to his main target. By doing so, he just doomed his future. If any of those people he killed had relatives as obsessive as he was, he and Shaoshang wouldn't be as peaceful and happy in the future as the ending suggested.

In my opinion, this historical costume drama has it all: comedy, fighting scenes, childhood trauma, slow burning romance, beautiful cinematography, great OST and amazing cast. Every single actor suits the character portrayed in the novel. The evolution of main couple is extremely well done, from cold selfish untrustfull youth, these damaged souls learn to trust and love each other. Their microexpressions, the slightest look will change according to the plot. It may seem like a slow start the first 5 eps, but is necessary to build the background of the characters, so you can understand why / how their teens years shaped their mind.

It is an unusual drama, since both ML and FL are flawed, but this is what makes it unforgettable. Special thanks to Director Fei who researched and prepared each detail of the drama ( see youtube), and special kudos for actress Zhao Lusi and actor Wu Lei, both in their early 20's, for a magnificent performance that made our 2022 summer ungorgettable !