Catherine Le

I guess I shouldn't be writing a review for this show since I never finished it.. but that is also why I'm giving it 3 stars. I could not finish the show, especially knowing that there's like 50 episodes in total. The dramas that I like to watch have romance, good plot, schemes/suspense, or just a good conflict that the characters have to overcome. And for me, at least, this drama meets none of these standards. I think this drama may be enjoyable for those who would like to step away from reality and enjoy a show that's more bubbly and without any huge problems. After a few episodes in, I can already tell that there really isn't a main conflict. You have the side cliche popular girl who likes the male lead and a side guy who likes the girl lead, but neither of them poses a huge problem to the relationship. You have other small problems but they get resolved pretty quickly and there's no suspense. Furthermore, the male and female lead have zero chemistry and absolutely no depth to their characters. First of all, Xiao Nai is probably the most one dimensional male lead I have ever watched in a drama. Everything he does is perfect and not in a good way. He has no character development because there is nothing to fix. This makes it boring to watch and it is very annoying, in a sense. The female lead Weiwei is basically the girl version of Xiao Nai but a little more "quirky." Also, I never really liked how they fell in love. It was very sudden and had very little build up. He liked her just because she was good at playing a game and she liked him because he was popular. When they became a couple, everything was really awkward and cheesy that it made me want to fast forward every scene. Sometimes they had 30 second shots of the dumbest action, and it seemed as if a bunch of stuff was in slow mo. Overall, I understand if a lot of people like the show because the relationship was "cute," but it definitely was not the show for me. I tried to force myself to finish it just for the sake of finishing it, but alas, I could not do it. However, props to the show for making the game scenes pretty nice, the art was well made!

I MUST SAY that this is my favorite drama ever!! The plot, the acting, the characters, and the pacing are perfect!! It explores themes of class, revenge, romantic love, love between friends and family, power and authority, freedom, gender, and so much more. This is enough to tell you that the show is complex and intricate while being really fun to watch. First off, the cinematography and the costumes are beautiful and historically accurate, and the soundtrack and background songs fit perfectly to match the mood of each scene. (I especially love the song "Sound of Falling Snow" because its just too beautiful.) The acting is perfect and the characters are super well written. All of the important characters are not one dimensional at all. All the villains in the show had a side that made you despise them with all of your heart while evoking a sense of pity for them. The main character Ying Luo is not your typical historical female character. She is strong and is always 10 steps ahead of the game. You will be feeling ever so satisfied every time she reveals a scheme against her and takes down her enemies. Although she is fierce and seems cold, she also has a big heart and does whatever it takes to protect them. I was satisfied and cheering her on every time she takes action!! The other main characters as well as the side servants were portrayed so well. I was attached to all of them and cried so much when 3 of my favorite characters died. THE ROMANCE (some subtle spoilers)!! Although I am sad to say that the romance did not turn out the way I wanted, I understand that the result of the romances fit in with the show and the characters. If it was not the way it was, the ending would not be true to the characters. However, I liked how the relationship between YL and FH ended.. ep 70 will never not make me cry :'( The pacing is probably the best of all the dramas I've watched. It definitely was not slow because there is always some scheming and/or plot going on and has barely any filler or unnecessary flashback scenes. 70 episodes go by past when you are enjoying every minute of the show and are never bored. The show is also not rushed at all and takes its time to develop the characters and the storyline. I love how everything just ties together. There is too much to say and praise the show about, so if you have not watched this show, please go watch it now! I laughed, cried, and ached over this show. I was sucked into the drama as soon as I finished the first episode. There's a reason why story of yanxi palace was the most googled show of 2018!! If you love suspense, schemes, mysteries, revenge, cute and loving relationships between friends, and romance, you will not regret watching :)

I just finished this show and ahhhh I teared up so many times during this show because of the romance, sisterhood, family, friendships etc. The relationship between the sisters as well as the personalities of each of the sisters feel real and are super lovable. The main leads are mature and complex yet have a cute side to them that just makes you smile whenever they smile!! This is the first kdrama that I've watched that is super raw and not in your face flowery and bubbly and not filled with quite a bunch of fillers and flashbacks. It touches on deep subjects like abuse as well as the stigma that comes with being a single parent and divorce. Although the pacing is quite slow compared to other dramas that I have watched, I became used to it a few episodes in, and I was never really bored? It was like the pacing was part of the things that made up the mood and tone of the show. AND the ending is so satisfying and parallels their relationship at the beginning that makes you feel nostalgic in a way?? If you have to take one thing from this review that's all over the place, it's that this show explores serious and important subjects while having a slow, complex, adorable romance and raw relationships between all the characters. It will make you feel many emotions throughout the show