Seriously? This had potential but it did not deliver. I got through this mostly because of Ren Jialun's gorgeously handsome face. Buckle up, cuz I have a lot to say. FYI I'm basically focusing on the two main leads, the review would be too long otherwise.

Let's be honest, based on how long it took for this drama to finally air, you can guess its got train wreck energy. They filmed this in 2017, but couldn't release it because of censorship stuff until 2020. It was also originally filmed for 80 FREAKIN EPISODES. That's a lot for a C-drama! Then it got cut down to the 49 episodes of just meh.

CASTING
Ren Jialun (Ye Chong): He's a good actor, so I really don't have any criticisms. Just wish they didn't dub him. I think his voice would've been fine for his character. On the other hand, I've heard that people say his voice sounds like he can't catch his breath.

Li Man (He Ying): I didn't realize this until later but she was in freaking Curse of the Golden Flower. Based on this drama you would've never guessed she would've ever been in a Zhang Yimou film. As in her acting really isn't good here because of how the character is written. I can't say it's necessarily a casting problem, more so an issue with the scriptwriters and director.

CHARACTER PORTRAYLS
Ren Jialun (Ye Chong): His character was actually quite sweet. He's stiff at times, but that comes with the job of being a Communist spy in the Japanese Army during the occupation. He's also just genuinely unhappy and the only thing that seems to bring some light into his life is He Ying. I think when it comes to He Ying he def shows a lot of emotion behind the facade. Him bringing flowers home to her but saying he saw them and thought they were pretty, but not specifically saying they were for her...but we all know. Him comforting her when she's upset and putting his hand on hers, etc. If you're looking for much more cutesy stuff, besides the end scene ish, what I just described basically sums it up. Sorry, folks.

Li Man (Hey Ying): What on earth? Her character was really dumb and childish. In one scene the Japanese are trying to set her up and get her to reveal that her and Ye Chong are Communists. She immediately takes the bait and spills the beans. Like how dumb are you? You don't just tell people you don't know that you're playing for the other team.

PLOT
Why was He Ying's character even in this? She wasn't really in that many scenes for being described as the female lead. Before watching, I thought she was actually going to be some type of spy or something, not some dumb girl just trying to act the part. Also, when they cut a lot of episodes they cut out the scenes that really solidified He Ying and Ye Chong's feelings for each other. The hug when they basically see each other for the last time is all in their heads. Cutting those scenes (you can find them on YouTube) absolutely deprived the audience of the feeling of warmth from seeing the characters' behave in ways that say, "I love you" when it probably won't be said aloud. I think that was quite cruel for the director to do and a poor choice in terms of the plot. On the other hand, when have Chinese directors really ever cared for the audiences' feelings?

Also, Ye Chong and his brother's backgrounds weren't believable at all. But their dynamic is cute. I actually skipped to the end around episode 48 or something because I found out Ye Chong died on the way to the place he's always wanted to go (Yang 'An) to meet the love of his life (He Ying). It took me quite a bit to eventually go back and watch the parts that I missed. I feel Ye Chong's death was kind of dumb, it was heroic because he saved a lot of people and sacrificed himself, but seriously they should've just given us the happy ending for putting us through it all. Like, you deprive us of the solidification of their feelings for each other and then make Ye Chong die when he's so close to potentially being happy...it was too much and hurt the plot. A good tragedy will give the audience something to really hold onto and then rip it away with a valid reason for why the characters can't be together. But the drama is a train wreck because there wasn't even much of a love story. In Ye Chong's last words to He Ying he doesn't even say his feelings for her, he's basically like, "yeah, you'll be fine without me." So the audience mourns what your plot lacks not the "love story" you gave us.

With these Republican Era spy war dramas, it's safe to assume that the main couple will not end up together for various reasons due to the National Allegory. This is basically where war and the current political situations really consume the characters' lives and love is just a side effect. Often you'll have a character devote their life to this heroic thing, but the National Allegory says, "it's okay because even though they've given their life, things will be better for future generations!"