I have never watched a Republican drama and got into this with no clue about what to expect. From Episode 1, the writer has done a brilliant job etching out the characters of the drama. We meet the nonchalant, working-to-live and get by Lin Shaobai and his best friend Xu Wei.. We get a glimpse of a changing Shanghai, with stark differences in its working.. We then see the good guys led by Lu Zhengyang, and the bad guys led by Zheng Lanting. The plot and sub plots are so well laid down, and sprinkled with the right amount of humour, that the viewer does not have the time to get bored.

The actors have done justice to their characters, and you find yourself rooting for the good ones. I found myself laughing and crying alongside them, they were that convincing. Chen Zheyuan in particular was brilliant as Lin Shaobai. He isn't the hero's hero, he is not macho and he isn't an idealist from the start. He is cunning, mischievous and so endearing that at some point when he slightly diverted from the path of pure goodness, I still found myself rooting for him.

The highlight of the drama according to me was the confrontation scene between Lin Shaobai and Xu Wei which summed up the essence of the drama, and was so well done by the actors. Also, the scene where Lin Shaobai goes crazy with anger and looks possessed while interrogating the Falcon.

My only gripe was *that* unnecessary death of **** in the penultimate episode and the questionable recovery/non-recovery of some characters.

All in all, this drama has all the ingredients you need for a gripping watch. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it. Of course if you are looking for romance, you won't find it here... apart from a brief romance between Shaobai and Bai (if you know you know) and angsty moments between Shaobai and Xuwei (with their own ost and flashbacks and everything). ☺️