Seeing some comments people either LOVE this or are indifferent and I can relate to both sides. Let me start by saying that I watched up until episode 23 the first time before I had to put it on hold so I could wait for the rest to be subbed. So, for weeks, I obsessed over this drama and thought I had it pegged as a cute love triangle drama between a naive girl, a Shanghai playboy, and a Triad leader. Once the rest of the drama was subbed and I got the chance to re-watch the entire drama, I found out I was VERY wrong. The first 20+ episodes are cute and romantic with points of seriousness, but the remaining 15 or so episodes are HEAVY on the drama. I'm not complaining. I didnt expect the plot to go in the direction it did, but at the same time, I was not ready for just how bleak the characters and storyline became. I will say this: after watching so many dramas where, after watching half the episodes, I can call who will do what and what will happen, it was refreshing to be surprised. That being said: Story: a love triangle centered around a naive 'country' girl who tries to make it in the big city, been there and done that. But the way the story unfolds, and how Zuo Zhen gets Jinxiu to fall for him is totally sweet and will have you rooting for them for the entire series. The side love stories only added to the main plot and you end up getting invested in ALL of them (even the backstories and romances of the characters I hated I was interested in). Acting/Cast: I have no complaints. I should note that I love when dramas aren't afraid to give side characters a bigger role and allow the audience to fall in love with them. Sometimes they help make the show what it is, and thats definitely the case here. I would like to give an extra special round of applause to my dear Qi Ji who plays Maeda Ryuichi. I have NEVER seen such a good villain. After seeing him in Cuo Dian Yuan Yang (worth checking out) I got used to seeing him in a more positive light...which was quickly destroyed after Cruel Romance. He plays evil/crazy so well, he became a reason to watch all on his own. And that's all I will say about that for fear of revealing any spoilers :-) Music: Solid Nothing to write home about, but it certainly helped the tense and dramatic moments. Rewatch Value:YES! I re-watched the first half and certain scenes multiple times to tide me over until the subs came out. Overall: I adore this drama. One of my only gripes is the amount of flashbacks, especially towards the end, was a bit too much. And it wasnt that they would flashback to a moment, but for a few scenes worth. One of the last episodes had more than 20 mins of flashbacks (I timed it). I felt they could've devoted some of that time to better wrap up the story at the end rather than show us scenes we've already committed to memory. Also, be warned, there are character deaths. No spoilers, just thought you should know seeing as how I was sobbing for the last few episodes over some much loved characters. Even with all that this still ranks as a 9.5 overall. Definitely worth the time!