Xing han can lan

I liked the show pretty well. It was very well done in bringing ancient people to life. It's very interesting to think of people who passed so long ago. Nothing else have I seen made people come alive so much. Community, friends, family, customs, traditions. It's like I moved there myself and was learning with the locals. The acting was good, the plot was good. Just when I thought it was going to get boring it wasn't but became a mystery adventure. The male lead was very dignified and intriguing.

I overall liked the show a lot,

But, I want to mention my petty criticisms.

1. Side characters and sometimes main characters bickered and argued too much, and non stop. Too boring and stressful.

2. They didn't develop how they fell in love well enough. They should have developed the arc of their love better to make them falling in love more believable.

3. He saves the day, just in time, too many times. It makes the story unbelievable.

4. So much fighting but never dies or gets seriously injured. Not realistic.

5. Main female character was too talented and too intelligent. Makes no sense if she's uneducated. It would be more believable if we saw her do hands on learning that's not scholarly. There's scenes where she's inspecting how something is made. But taking a glance at it for 5 seconds doesn't make you know how to do it.

6. The mother of the main female lead is a total B but then acts wronged because she feels her daughter doesn't appreciate or know her feelings. So annoying she keeps talking like a victim when she's a total B.

7. They kept saying she didn't know etiquette and she was rude and unruly. However, as I saw everyone else was extremely rude to her and she was just defending herself. If a big part of the plot is that she's uneducated and has no etiquette they should have done a better job showing that rather than her just defending herself to a very rude people.

8. The show mixed in the way that they portrayed women. They made it seem like the main female lead was a very strong and powerful and intelligent woman who was strong-willed and unruly. At the same time they showed many female side characters that were full of jealousy, gossip, and hatred who were always plotting and scheming out of jealousy and hate. It just seems like I'm not like other girls I'm better than them all and I'm not like these jealous bees. Seems kind of like it is written by a sexist person who hates women. Even if they were portraying women is strong and equal in relationships ended up modern sense, the constant parade of evil, jealous women makes me wonder if the author has issues. Coupled with the main character who isn't like the other girls!

9. The main character, female lead, always had similar facial expressions. It was annoying.

10. Drama tried too hard to be entertaining because towards the end of the show, every episode had some over the top dramatic assassination attempt or evil act by another relative or somebody.

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.

Okay so first I have to say that this show is one of the best historical c dramas I have watched ( and I have watched a lot) Very Well made, costumes, photography, hair, details and fight choreography, everything looks quality.

But there's a clear difference between seasons.

The first season of the series is just SUPERB, so different that usually cliché storylines. Characters are rich and layered and they remain loyal to their personality throughout the whole show.

There's no unnecessary drama or miss understandings or miss communications, this is well written script and as realistic as it can be.

Everything feels genuine, natural and real. I love the fact that all women in this drama have so much strength, personality and development in all storylines, there's a lot of sexist remarks but not nearly as much as other shows ( China's dramas are catching up to the korean new standards of feminism on screen and I am all for it)

Males in this one are not overbearing, controlling, stupidly jealous or just alpha troglodytes. They genuinely are considerate of their female partners and family members, which they just have their own voice.

I also need to mention that he comedy style of the main actress is so organic and contagious, you won't be able to stop smiling. I am a big fan of Zhao Lu Si and I have enjoyed deeply her latest works, she is extremely chameleonic and I am in awe watching her to go from shy and naive, to fearless and confident.

It is a shame a lot of that comedy and utterly enjoyable silly and romantic moments almost disappeared completely in season 2. And the only reason for this is the length of the show, I mean SERIOUSLY this show has around 20/25 episodes that are completely unnecessary. It gets boring at times and so dragging . I have said this many times but Chinese producers and directors should stop doing this. Kdrama found the winning formula of 16 episodes per drama and that is just perfect.

I still watched it all because when things are happening the drama is damn good but all those uneventful episodes, I was yawning.

Regardless, you have to watch it, quality in a bottle, you will enjoy it.

Definitely, this costume drama is the best drama I have seen so far. The story is great! Director Fei did an amazing job. In addition, I would like to thank the people responsible for selecting the cast for this drama. Both the male and female lead (Wu Lei and Zhao Lusi) did a fantastic job and was able to deliver the best of the characters they portray. The supporting actors and actresses also contributed significantly - it did not even make me feel that they are just support roles. The soundtrack is also perfect - everything about this drama is just done so well. I highly recommend this drama - if you love costume drama, you will LOVE this one. Great story; prepare to laugh and cry. I have been rewatching this drama; I missed the characters and I hope that Wu Lei and Zhao Lusi will have another chance to have another drama. I became a fan after watching. I hope they win the awards for best actor and actress; even best director. They deserve it 😊

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.