Superb show based on historical events

The cast was well selected with mature and superb acting from the lead and support actors giving depth to the show. The story takes place during the Japanese occupation of China in World War 2, specifically in the city of Harbin in the then puppet state of Manchukuo. The drama borrows from actual events that took place in Manchukuo including the operation of the infamous Unit 731 where the Japanese conducted research on chemical and biological weapons using humans for their experiments. Fascinating drama especially for those interested in the history of China through the Republucan era and into World War 2.

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It was better than the reviews indicate

The love story between a former Qing dynasty princess and a warlord's son brings a new dimension to this Republican era drama. The chemistry between the 2 leads was much better than I expected given the number of reviews saying that the chemistry was poor. Zhang He played the role Zhao Zhengnan very well - a tough guy with a soft side. He deserves credit for this. I also loved the costumes that spanned fashion in early 20th century China starting with the late Qing, and included the eventual adoption of Western dress by women in China during the Republican era. I think this show has been underrated.

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Plot is about How to Bring Up a Dysfunctional Parent

While Yang Zi and Xu Kai are technically the leads, the drama appears to revolve around an unlikeable, and dysfunctional mother character. Even though the show only has 38 episodes, I stopped watching at Episode 35 - the mother character overwhelmed the whole story, even as I could not find any sympathy for this character. The moral of this story appears to be that children should forgive emotionally abusive parents, a premise I totally disagree with, since the effects of emotional abuse last a lifetime. The show was stressful to watch as it contained many scenes of emotional manipulation from the mother character, while showcasing filial children who frustratingly, forgave it all.

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