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Love Liu Xue Yi more now!!
I don't think its spoilers just what some would like to know of this drama. Read at risk of maybe spoilers.I will not say this drama is perfect cause it is not, and it did not do the red flag male lead that a lot of people were expecting to get. Maybe I'm a typical romance lover and the two leads did deliver on that. Seen people saying they changed the novel never read the novel but may give it a go after watching this. My main draw for this drama I won't lie is Liu Xue Yi I think he is worth watching if nothing else. Also love the FL to she did an incredible job even when they try to put her with prince Yue Qin for a bit, and she never falls in love with him. It does have a sad ending which is usually a nope for some so to answer that for them, but it does show a clip for a what if moment which I thought was kinda cute.
I really enjoyed this drama and I think the actors deserve more credit for what they did with the script they were given. The actors are the reason why I think this is any good at all and worth the watch. I also really think the fight scenes are amazing to watch really loved them. Also have to mention Liu Xue Yi's crying scenes they were really amazing and will make you want to cry with him.
Want to include at least one thing I really didn't like about the drama and that was the love story between the crown prince and the general. The general Luo Mei they made change to quickly and out of no where. She was in love with the ML since childhood and and crown prince was in love with her. She falls in love with a man that lied to her and deceived her not saying that he didn't really love her he did I just didn't see any truth of her falling in love with him and telling him that if he would of told her sooner it would of made a difference cause it wouldn't of. They also have her choose him over her loyalty to the emperor for awhile which didn't make any sense that is not the kind of person she is portrayed to be. Granted they did have her make the right decision in the end. I do like the girl who played the general I just didn't like that love story.
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Starting off soooo strong
This has the potential to become a 10 stars story from me, judging from 3/4th of the episodes. It started off so strong, and just getting stronger and more griping for me as it goes on. I enjoyed the storyline so much, and the acting was so strong, not to mention the chemistry between LXY and WJY was chef kiss. To me, the plot was convincing and the execution was near perfect, up until the final fight in which Murong Jinghe finally exacts his revenge and brings down Murong Xuanlie. However, the arc after that started to stress me out. It feels like there are 2 different scriptwriter writing the first 25 plus episodes, and another writer took over and botch the last few episodes after that. The arc in which Yue Qin suddenly became stupid and turned evil and the laughable scene of a King thieving on his son’s herb and eating it like a goat for the sake of immortality was ridiculous, in fact I need to stop my bingewatching at that point of time and regroup. Lol. They did YueQin dirty after such long episodes, he was such a likeable SML from the start *sigh. Not to mention how ridiculous they turn the mighty Murong Jinghe with the 7days idiotic outofmind vigil over the supposed death of Mei Lin. Even borderline creepy (who the hell kept on romancing a corpse?? Not to mention, she should be smelly rotten corpse and on her way to liquidify within that time span if you want to be realistic lol. But who watch Cdramas for the realisticality of it right? Hahaha). Luckily they save the plot back after that with the war etc, even though not to the point of this story deserving a 10.This is my second dramas of LXY (first know of him in The Blood of Youth, and his character there was charming even though he’s a baldy boy. Lol). Not many actors can pull off being baldy and still looking quite good and it shows in this drama. With his get up as Murong Jinghe, he was so charming and lovely and handsome and beautiful all at the same time. He carried off a vengeful soft hearted wronged prince so well, his cry made you want to cry as well sometimes. Though he did cry too pathetically during his return after losing Qingyan, I felt that it is unbecoming for a general to be that way in front of his other soldiers, trying to upkeep moral. He just lost a few mighty points there lol. Wu Jinyan as usual, really delivers. Her earlier fight scenes were so well executed I was gleefully clapping in my mind. In fact, almost 85% of all fight scenes choreography was very much well executed and enchanting. YQ’s actor carries the second male lead role well, even though you are team Jinghe/Mei Lin, you still want him to be happy (except for those few episodes near the end). The villain (Murong Xuanlie) was also well written, coming as someone so cunning, but also was a poor wronged soul turn bad. His end is bittersweet in a way. General Lin was so and so though, i’m not that much into her character or care too much for her. Surprisingly, the role of Princess Zigu was acted quite well, coming across as lovely innocent girl and even though her love story with someone maybe 30years her senior ideally sounds quite erghhh sometimes, but the acting of Zigu’s and the emperor’s was able to make it less awkward and mature love, rather than the pedophile vibe it can possibly be. Qingyan should have an honorary mention as well and his death broke me as much as it broke Prince Jing, but I pity that guy having to deal with Murong Jinghe during his 7day vigil with a dead girl. Lol. You are a strong man Qingyan! Lol. And as much as Qingyan deserved his appreciation scenes, I was as disappointed that Eunuch Liu was killed that easily without any mention whatsoever after that. He died heroic! I love that old fatherly eunuch how dare you!
Costumes were allllll so nice and beautifully crafted, no matter if it was jinghe, mei lin, yueqin or even Zigu. It was a feast to the eyes. The cinematography was also pleasant to the eyes. Ost was also heard beautifully accompanying so many scenes, not overly done or underused. And of course, the whump scenes I got from this drama kept me well fed (I adore those male lead whump scenes beat me!)
All in all, I very much enjoy this drama and staying up late for 3nights bingewatching this in between work shift was well deserved.
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Started Out Strong, Becomes Unintentional Comedy
I knew going in there was no way this was going to be a full red flag drama and also had an "idea" about "a" possible ending so I was essentially going in to this with eyes wide open.I liked much of the first part for what it was, including the jaunt into the village.
Where it broke down for ME was the seeming plothole 2nd cpl love story (maybe scenes were cut idk) and then the brain melting episodes 24-27. I had to literally force myself NOT to rate the entire show lower than a 5 JUST based on those few episodes alone.
But then they gave us episode 28 and it was hilarious to me. I don't think I was supposed to find it funny but I did...
The final episodes made a run for giving me the title of most inappropriate laughter during a show but whatever, at least I didn't want to actively turn the show off during them.
So what is this show? Who is this show for?
This is a baseline popcorn drams you can watch without paying attention to half of what's going on and still understand. It has a deep message it wants to convey and for those it resonates with it will hit hard... but for the most part everyone else will roll their eyes.
I'm not going to say it's not worth your time to watch it... just be aware of what you're getting before jumping in so you're not disappointed.
Full Episode Rating Breakdown:
Initial Set-up - first 5 eps 10/10
Repairing the screen, the hunt, the village - 6-18 8.5/10
Return and Downfall - 19-23 7.5/10 (mostly for plothole reasons with 2nd Cpl)
Qingzhou 1 - 24-27 2/10 Burn these episodes with fire specifically - I could have sworn this lasted more episodes based on how slow they felt, but nope.
? - 28 8.5/10
Qingzhou 2 - 29-31 7/10 People are introduced JUST to die ? FUN!
Final Episode - 32 8.5/10
Final Rating 7/10
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Snow Dragon Moustache flower
I liked the series in general. I enjoyed watching it. The story started with a sense of revenge, then the struggle between two brothers, then it turned into getting rid of an incident that was thrown at him. When events such as sending a princess to make peace between two countries, and the detention of a prince and the reflections of this were added, the story got a little confusing in my opinion. Also, both our prince and the woman he loved were poisoned, I think the prince got rid of the poison but the woman he loved could not get rid of it and eventually died. The deaths were very emotional. The scenes and the processing were done accordingly, I got very emotional while watching it. Zi Gu's death scenes especially upset me. The scene where Guard Qing Yan caught fire and jumped on the explosives was terrific. It was a scene like a triumphant excitement with emotion. I liked it very much. Bravo to those who think about it.I think the negative aspects of the series are especially the Mei Lin character dying and reviving. This did not happen. At that time, it is difficult for a person to die and revive if they are poisoned. It is not possible for them to recover from illnesses so easily and then fight, assassinate and fight hundreds of people an hour later as if nothing happened.
It is also impossible for a Prince to get married without permission from his father the Emperor. It would be fake. It would not be announced. It is like an illegal marriage. If so, it is possible. I cannot say anything. Those issues were never discussed.
My last negative remark is about Baron Chen, who plays the character Prince Xiuan Lie. In other words, I like him. I have watched a few of his series. In this series, I watched him with astonishment. Can he be played this badly? He acted as if they forced him to act. He played it showily. He acted according to the book. He exaggerated. He made it very obvious. In other words, when his scenes came, I felt like shouting that I do not want to watch it. That much. In other words, I became estranged from the actor. I did not expect such a performance. I was shocked. Did the director force him? Otherwise, I do not want this role. He is in the mood to direct me and let's play like that, let's finish and leave. He was very ugly. Please excuse me. He should watch himself. He was the worst actor. In terms of acting.
I really liked the harmony of the lead actors, Xue Yi and Jin Yan. They were both very successful. Jin Yan is very successful in these assassin types. His stance and action are very good. I also really liked the emotional scenes. I think Xue Yi has surpassed himself. I watched a lot of his series. He was successful in all of them. He works very hard. Well done.
The other actor I liked was Huang Ri Ying. He was very successful in the Zi Gu character. Although he doesn't look much, I think he did his role very well. He added color with his cheerful, excited, lively attitude. He put his weight on it. They also did a good job with the veteran actor Jiang Kai about his marriage to an old emperor. I think he made him feel comfortable. In other words, he acted by thinking about the person opposite him, that's how I saw it. I got the feeling too. His emotional scenes were also very good. Wen Jun also had very few scenes. He gave himself an air and went with that air, he portrayed a prince beautifully with his stance and serious attitude, he gave his role a different air. There was nothing extra about the role, but I still say it was good. I liked it. I found Wei Tong good in the guard character. Well done. And our female general Xiao Tang. I was hesitant at first. But I don't know if my eyes got used to it over time. I said he was a very good general. Although his role didn't have much weight, he gave himself the air of a general. I found him successful. I recommend it to those who haven't watched it.
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Sad Not Bad!!!! / A Whirlwind Of Emotions
I would like to start out by saying This drama has a sad ending not a bad ending .I wish I would have waited til it was completed before I began watching. By the title alone I should have known that the ending woud be a sad one. This is the 3rd sad ending cdrama in a row that I've watched (The first 2 were Love in the Desert were the 2nd ML died and Snowy Night Timeless Love where the FL died... Sorry for the spoiler if you were going to watch those shows)Anyways here is my biggest issue ,I'm having a hard time believing that General Yin (Luomei) genuinely fell in love with the crown prince. Like at first I thought it was just a ploy to gain his trust then ultimately side with our ML, I mean even tho she chose the good side she still loved the Crown Prince!!!!! How could a woman that was pining after the ML since they were kids easily make a 180 and fall for the crown prince. He was a treacherous trader who betrayed his own country.Like with her pride and joy for her country there is no freaking way she could have loved someone who did all of that!!!
Also concubine Yan was such a sweet heart. Her and QingYan deaths hurt the most. Her death hurt a little less because I had mentally prepared myself when the physician said that she would suffer during her pregnancy,I knew she would die during child birth or miscarriage.
Qingyan was so loyal and he was my favorite character. I cried the most for him. His death hurt just as much as the deaths of Lu Ji and Wen Ji from The Double(Why are the loyal subordinates getting killed off) Speaking of loyal ,Eunuch Lui's demise was very sad as well.He was so funny and kind. And the large fellow whom they (Ml &FL) met when they were recuperating in the village, he was kind too . I cried like a baby when Jia (Or Yi, I forgot which one) was crying over his body. And now the death that I knew was coming, well actually I thought the ML was going to die but nope it was Mei Lin (FL) I was sad but it really
was shocking cause earlier she told the physician that he couldn't cure her illness. The time jump was definitely needed and it gave the closure that we needed.
Now lets jump subjects. Yue Qin!!!! I actually liked him, I just didn't like him for our female lead. He was definitely a thorn in the ML's side but he wasn't super sinister which is a good thing. All in all it was a pretty decent show with a sad NOT bad ending!!! There's a Difference!!!!
Anyways thanks for coming to my Ted Talk, BYE
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A brilliant, thrilling first half and a touching ending don't makeup for a lost, floundering middle section . . . Warning: This is a tragedy
Some mistakes you can't recover from. In the first half, the momentum is high with our male and female lead teaming together on a path of revenge. They both are attractive, talented, and have excellent romantic chemistry. As the first storyline nears its end, there's still a big looming problem: Murong Jinghe in his darkest, most cruel moments poisoned Mei Lin without securing an antidote. What will happen when he tells her? Will he be able to make it up to her and cure her?
When Mei Lin finds out she will have none of it, and leaves him. Good for her. But then what? Then what indeed . . . from there Murong Jinghe mopes, and pines, and hoovers not sure how to make it up to her, but still desperately in love with her.
The acting is great, the themes are solid, it's beautifully shot, but this easily could have been 24 episodes instead of 32 and not lost anything.
Despite it all, this drama will stick with me. Greed, power struggles and revenge often take the beginnings of a good life and turn them into tragedy. Endearing life-long love stories are hard to come by in times of struggle, uncertainty and war. In the midst of the darkness, do we truly understand what we're giving up until it's too late?
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Too good in the start, too dramatic in the end
It’s starting with revenge finally turning into love, a betrayal gets solved, a city saved, but at the end love in one’s lifetime is not lasting too long - not only for the main protagonists. While watching I was hoping for a different ending, one which is not too cliche but less devastating. Nevertheless the bond between the main couple is breathtaking. I like, too, that the main cast was not too young, but matured actors.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Kill me love me
For starters, I actually knew about this drama before it aired. At first I liked it because the genre seemed exciting. Now that I've watched it and it's aired, episode one feels too short, but not long enough, I mean hehehe. Because this drama is addictive, especially the intrigues.I don't know why, but in Chinese dramas with genres like Red Flag guys, the guys are actually really nice, like angels.
After love of Nirvana, the double, princess royal, I really like kill me love me. It is a must watch, because wu jinyan and Liu xueyi's acting is very good and extraordinary.
The story is interesting and not too long-winded, the OST is very appropriate to the nuances of revenge and the action scenes.
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Too Cringy and Over Dramatic.. go for it without expecting anything...
Up until episode 28, Kill Me Love was actually pretty good , it had me hooked with its storyline and solid pacing. But as it approached the ending, things took a nosedive. The last few episodes, especially, were just way too cringy. The ML’s over-the-top reaction when he finds out the FL has "died" was so extra that I couldn’t get through it without cringing hard. It was almost painful to watch, with his acting and the script just becoming way too dramatic.Honestly, it felt like a complete shift from the earlier vibe of the show, and both the ML and FL’s performances started leaning too much into the melodramatic territory. So, after those last few episodes, I'd say this drama ends up being an average watch at best , nothing outstanding, just alright if you’re in the mood to pass the time.
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Worth it
It's the first chinese series ever to have me bawling my eyes out for more than 20 minutes. The last episode messed me up. The sad ending is so fitting, it couldn't have been different. Watch all of it, even the annoying parts, ignore the plot holes and some miraculous comebacks, and let it wash over you. And allow the tears to cleanse you. Truly artful the way it was delivered.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
I renewed my youku sub for this?!
Hello, I’m almost halfway through watching the series as I write this review. It's not as captivating as "The Double." I found myself getting distracted and realized that the show was still playing while I was tinkering on my phone. In my opinion, there were tons of plot holes and unnecessary scenes. I didn't feel any chemistry between the two leads; I'm sorry, but I just couldn't see or feel it.I was really looking forward to watching this show, so much so that I renewed my Youku subscription, as it had more available episodes than Netflix. To be frank, I am quite disappointed. I loved The Double, even though I wasn't a big fan of the female lead; I just couldn't watch her face for long.
They could have improved the plot; there are more dragging scenes than watchable ones.
The male lead was so pleasant in the eyes, and I like how he rarely smiles but when he does, oh my! :)
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A tale of revenge flowing into romance
When I first noticed this drama by watching shorts of it on TikTok, I was immediately sold. The promos showed me a villainous male lead, a badass female lead and a plot filled with revenge and action scenes.The story follows that of Murong JingHe (a third prince from Yan whose life is under constant threat from his brother the crown prince) and Mei Lin (a survivor of the great fires of Qingzhou picked off the streets by the Shadow Works, an assassin organisation).
The first couple of episodes already had me on the edge of my seat and that tension didn't go away for quite a while. I loved the way they introduced certain characters. Jinghe, once a famous general, was responsible for the fires in Qingzhou and is now known to be a mass murderer and an outcast. His own people either hate him or fear him and he puts that to good use to put forth a certain image of himself. He gave all the red-flag vibes I wanted and more.
With lots of flashbacks we get to know the characters more and more. Usually I'm not a fan of flashbacks or timetravel things in dramas but these scenes actually had something to add to the story. It made me realise how difficult Mei Lin had it in the years after the fire in Qingzhou destroyed her home and family and added to her character.
Positives:
- The acting of this cast was A+++++. They had me immersed into the story and kept me wanting more and more. I vowed to myself never to start another ongoing show due to this one. I could barely wait for new episodes to air and was unable to watch anything else in between.
- I have never seen anything from Baron Chen before and I don't think I will ever be able to watch anything he's in after this role. Not because he did a bad job but because he did such a good job at portraying such an incredible douche-canoe that I gagged everytime he came into focus.
- The romantic development between the main leads. I thought it was really pure how it went from enemies-to-lovers. I loved watching JingHe realise his mistakes and go from a "I only want to fight battles and win them" to "I want to fight battles to protect those I love". Mei Lin pierces through his cold exterioir and finds the man within. It's a beautiful love story that gives us the raw and sweet moments of a romance within a revenge plot.
- A badass female lead who doesn't take bullshit from her surroundings. She knows how to take care of herself and her fight scenes are amazing!!
- The OST!! I've been playing its theme song on repeat for days!
Negatives:
- There was a love story between the emporer and his peace-making-concubine who wasn't even 20 years old. This one didn't sit well with me. I know it's part of historical reality. I mean.. emporers at that time did have wives of a third their own age but it just made me want to skip their scenes. Especially when she became pregnant with his child. It was a big no-no for me. He could have been her grandfather....
- The second lead romance. I really didn't understand why General Yin eventually fell for the crown prince. All he did was manipulate her into things even going as far as rape (okay.. he didn't go through with it, but still) her into a marriage. His entire character was build up to make the audience hate him. Redemption was far from being realised, in my opinion, so having general Yin fall in love with him, carrying his memorial tablet... it made me dislike her as a character.
- The eternal back and forth in the later parts of the series. Mei Lin is still poisoned by the Momai poison at that point and the amount of things they have to turn to in order to heal her... it made no sense. Everytime they came close it fell through at the last minute only to have them not succeed at all in the end. Or the fact that they kept saying she would only survive for so long and than have that period extended by a little more time. It just became ridiculous at some point.
- The ending. Although it's an okay ending to the story.. I wish they could have done a little better. With the way they've done it, it feel a little draggy and rushed at the same time and now the story feels unfinished to me.
Overal I really loved this drama. It's the best Cdrama I've seen in 2024. Maybe even drama of the year for me. It was everything I needed and everything I wanted.
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