I started this drama with no particular expectations, knowing none of the actors nor what the story was about and... I have mixed feelings. Particularly about the romance and the very last, rather rushed and dumb, episodes.
Go East starts strong with a fresh and funny workplace plot and well enough fleshed out characters and it would have soared higher if it didn't fall in the all too used and familiar romantic narration between two leads who share no particular chemistry.
Because, in my opinion, what really set this drama apart from all others aired this year are the platonic and friendly relationships between the characters, how they get together to become one big, chaotic and yet cosy family, and the love route just dragged it down.
If I were to give this drama two separate ratings, it would go like that:

first half: 8.5
The first half of the drama focuses on the Sifang Pavilion and the shenanigans and developing friendships of the people who work there, taking care of hosts and guests from all countries and their (diplomatic) needs. It's all very light, at times silly and above the lines, and every character has just the right comedic timing and expressions to make one, if not laugh out loud, at least giggle a little.
The best relationships (chemistry wise) in this part are the ones between Yuan Mo and Yu De Shui (father-son/partners in crime) and between Yuan Mo and Wang Ku Wu (two opposites who get to know and trust each other with their lives).
We even have some cases that need to be investigated and solved and, although not extremely clever, they were engaging and well written and made me love this drama all the more. Up to this point, I was ready to say Go East was to become one of my favourite shows ever.
But then came the

second half: 6.5 (7 if I REALLY stretch it)
My main problem with this part is how everything - the comedy and satire, the friendship and growing trust between the characters, the role the Sifang Pavilion has in managing the many foreign envoys and investigating "mysteries" - gets diluted and put aside to the benefit of the romance when the romance has no reason to be to begin with.
It just doesn't make sense for Yuan Mo to fall in love so fast (or at all) with A Shu, a young woman who did nothing but complicate his life, bringing him endless trouble and problems, threatened, bullied and poisoned him since their very first meeting and put his life in literal danger by framing him and getting him to prison. She all but invades his home and personal space, throwing away his stuff and planting poisonous flowers and plants all over his garden (and even brings in a snake - which was a very cute snake, I admit, but one Yuan Mo was terrified of), unapologetically helps herself to all his money and gets mad at him when things don't go her way or her - rather hard to achieve - demands are not met.
And he... falls in love with her. Head-over-heels-I-would-die-for-you sort of love. Given their past (and a very recent past at that) I just couldn't understand their romance and that really took me out of the story. I would have perhaps excused it if it were treated as a slow burn, but there's nothing even remotely slow about the way he falls for her.
Does it get better along the way? Yes...? But also not really. I could see she too ends up caring for him a lot, but that didn't refrain her from keep on telling lies and go on quests that put her life in danger (and consequently his and her friends, since they were the ones that always had to save her) nor did she defend him ONCE when her servants bullied and physically beat him for literally no reason. No, at times she even gave the impression of finding these mistreatments funny.
They would have worked a lot better as bickering friends and nothing more, since romantic love really wasn't necessary for the plot to move forward. (But in my opinion the writers should have done a better job with A Shu altogether).
Conversely, I really liked how they slowly built the romance between Wang Kun Wu and Yuchi Hua. It felt more organic, balanced and realistic (plus, absolutely zero toxic behaviours in sight) and it just made a lot more sense than the main couple.

This one issue aside and, as I've already mentioned at the very beginning, a rushed ending where all the villains (major and minor alike) suddenly turned rather dumb and cartoonish when they were depicted as interesting and dangerous up until that moment, I would still recommend this drama, because there is some rather good writing, the jokes and satire never miss, the (non-romantic) chemistry between the actors works and the characters are for the most part memorable and well written individuals, with their own motivations and personalities, dreams and flaws. All in all they all get their arc and character growth and the actors were capable enough to translate that on screen.
I really just wish they'd done a better job with the lead couple.

- Mei