Peridot83
Cruel and sadistic at times but a great watch for lovers of forbidden romance . . .
A thrilling story of two people following their hearts in a dangerous, toxic imperial palace. The first episodes are violent, overacted and aesthetically ugly, but these issues mostly resolve and settle in.
The plot is unique, you are dropped right into the middle of the conflict and the characters have to fight hard for control over their fates. The ultimate strength of the drama is both people in the romance are skilled and strategic, personable, and have great chemistry.
Dylan Wang from Love between Fairy and Devil continues excellence at conveying menacing, brooding protectiveness. He also succeeds this time in softening and adding some humor and teasing. Chen Yu Qi excels at moving between humor and pranks, to righteous anger, to deep sadness. I was really cheering for them to overcome the odds.
The music is fairly one note, and some of the romance scenes may be worth a rewatch.
I grade on other criteria as well:
Complex Themes: 8.5
Obsession and jealousy are soul destroying - healthy love is completely different. Holding firm to simple principles avoids corruption. Fighting for what you want leads to less regret. Being unafraid of death provides courage and a life with dignity.
Complex Characters/Growth: 7.0
The emperor is a simplistic fool who lets his irrational fantasies and desires run wild. While not a complex characterisation the character is welcome: more dramas should explore obsession v. care and love. Similarly, I liked how the main characters leaned in to stereotypes and tropes to deceive and trick their way to freedom. It was a refreshing take on what is considered a moral and dignified way of life when you have no power and it worked for me: what is crying, faking illness, lying etc. compared to protecting the people you love?
Complex Women/Interactions Between Women: 7.5
Chen Yu Qi is complex: while she desires a simple and carefree life, she is fully capable of initiating her own strategies and power plays. She is making a conscious, active choice to not lead a life full of power struggle - not because she couldn't hack it, but because it's not what she wants. Besides her though, the other women characters are simple and mostly discuss the male characters.
Cinematography/Production Values: 7.5
On one hand, the fight scenes are well done, and there are a few cinematic moments. On the other hand, it really is shot like a drama from 5 - 10 years ago.
A thrilling story of two people following their hearts in a dangerous, toxic imperial palace. The first episodes are violent, overacted and aesthetically ugly, but these issues mostly resolve and settle in.
The plot is unique, you are dropped right into the middle of the conflict and the characters have to fight hard for control over their fates. The ultimate strength of the drama is both people in the romance are skilled and strategic, personable, and have great chemistry.
Dylan Wang from Love between Fairy and Devil continues excellence at conveying menacing, brooding protectiveness. He also succeeds this time in softening and adding some humor and teasing. Chen Yu Qi excels at moving between humor and pranks, to righteous anger, to deep sadness. I was really cheering for them to overcome the odds.
The music is fairly one note, and some of the romance scenes may be worth a rewatch.
I grade on other criteria as well:
Complex Themes: 8.5
Obsession and jealousy are soul destroying - healthy love is completely different. Holding firm to simple principles avoids corruption. Fighting for what you want leads to less regret. Being unafraid of death provides courage and a life with dignity.
Complex Characters/Growth: 7.0
The emperor is a simplistic fool who lets his irrational fantasies and desires run wild. While not a complex characterisation the character is welcome: more dramas should explore obsession v. care and love. Similarly, I liked how the main characters leaned in to stereotypes and tropes to deceive and trick their way to freedom. It was a refreshing take on what is considered a moral and dignified way of life when you have no power and it worked for me: what is crying, faking illness, lying etc. compared to protecting the people you love?
Complex Women/Interactions Between Women: 7.5
Chen Yu Qi is complex: while she desires a simple and carefree life, she is fully capable of initiating her own strategies and power plays. She is making a conscious, active choice to not lead a life full of power struggle - not because she couldn't hack it, but because it's not what she wants. Besides her though, the other women characters are simple and mostly discuss the male characters.
Cinematography/Production Values: 7.5
On one hand, the fight scenes are well done, and there are a few cinematic moments. On the other hand, it really is shot like a drama from 5 - 10 years ago.
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