SPOILER ABOUT THE END OF THE SHOW:
I was apprehensive to watch this title because I was always watching costume dramas. But I was taken aback by the extreme love and tenderness the leads showed each other. Huang XiaoMing (played Cheng FengTai) and Yin Zheng (played Shang XiRui) are great an acting pair and were able to show the harshness of the incoming war and the love they had for one another. Yin Zheng flourished in every scene he had, and he was constantly stealing the limelight for others. His ability to switch from the reckless, impulsive Shang XiRui to the elegant dan singer on stage was amazing. I was constantly waiting for the next episode, and it was always on my mind. If not for this drama, I would not have found one of my favorite actors (Mi Re) who plays the support role of Fan Lian.
The ending still hurts to this day, not knowing if he got on the train or if he stayed in BeiPing with his troupe. But everyone that he cares for already left his life in some way so I feel he left opera behind the follow Cheng FengTai and FengYi. I can not speak enough about the costumes, actors, stylization, and the set of this show. It was a show that felt so real and raw that it made me forget the place I was in. I was transported to their time, and I sensed their urgency and their love. I wish we had more episodes to tie up the loose ends with everyone's story. Or to give us more time with SXR and CFT, but in the end the smile in the snow will always bring me to tears.
I can not thank Yu Zheng and HuanYu enough for bringing this book to life. While the novel is different in many ways compared to the show the show breathed the overall plot and overwhelming love to life. Characters were changed, some characters were more present, but in the end, it was the same feeling when it ended.
I know a drama is important when the actors in the role love it. The actors in the show have shown their support for thier show, the role they played, and for one another. Love was used creating this masterpiece and I believe that it shows.