Nelly
Canada
Basically McDonalds, but I'm kind of loving it?
OVERALL
This drama is fast food. It's cheap but it also tastes good, so it's an easy watch. Give it a try if 1) you're looking for a cute love story without any of the annoying clichés, 2) you like political intrigues, 3) you like free and capable female leads. If you 1) can't stand huge plot flaws or excessive CGI, 2) hate Chinese fantasy, 3) are in search of sizzling chemistry, then I recommend skipping.
THE STORY
I have to start by saying that I write fiction and I study fiction. That's my job. Some people can watch dramas without caring about the quality of the plot, I can't. Coming in to Who Rules The World with that background, this drama really isn't that great. People die when convenient, don't die when not convenient. People are sick one moment, and standing healthy the next. People want something the whole time, only to give up on it when it suits the plot. The drama is just full of inconsistencies and cheap writing, I couldn't take it seriously. The CGI (special effects) is also excessive and fake-looking, which might not be an issue for some but for me really pulls me out of the story, and the ending is a let down. It's too easy, too convenient, too incoherent.
That being said, I binged the first half of this drama and watched the second half religiously, so it's not THAT bad either. What saves it is a strong and likeable female lead (I just can't with the childish FLs C-dramas throw at us all the time), a nice male lead (I also can't with the misogynistic MLs so he's much appreciated), and the love story between the two that develops slowly and feels natural. I liked the representation of women in general in this drama, which is very progressive. The political intrigue is also quite nice, and I think part of the reason why I pulled through was to see what would happen. I almost wish this had been a historical rather than a wuxia drama, I think it would have helped avoid lots of problems with writing and production.
The bottom line is: watch it...if you can. It's nowhere near my best drama list, but it is definitely a top-tier filler.
THE ACTING
I like Zhao Lusi and Yang Yang. I don't think they're amazing actors, I just like them, so I had no problem with their acting. Not much chemistry between them, but they were still cute together.
THE MUSIC
What music? I guess it wasn't bad haha
REWATCH VALUE
Average. I might rewatch it at some point in the future...or I might prefer rewatching Story of Minglan, Rebel Princess or Nirvana in Fire for the nth time. There're just better dramas out there.
This drama is fast food. It's cheap but it also tastes good, so it's an easy watch. Give it a try if 1) you're looking for a cute love story without any of the annoying clichés, 2) you like political intrigues, 3) you like free and capable female leads. If you 1) can't stand huge plot flaws or excessive CGI, 2) hate Chinese fantasy, 3) are in search of sizzling chemistry, then I recommend skipping.
THE STORY
I have to start by saying that I write fiction and I study fiction. That's my job. Some people can watch dramas without caring about the quality of the plot, I can't. Coming in to Who Rules The World with that background, this drama really isn't that great. People die when convenient, don't die when not convenient. People are sick one moment, and standing healthy the next. People want something the whole time, only to give up on it when it suits the plot. The drama is just full of inconsistencies and cheap writing, I couldn't take it seriously. The CGI (special effects) is also excessive and fake-looking, which might not be an issue for some but for me really pulls me out of the story, and the ending is a let down. It's too easy, too convenient, too incoherent.
That being said, I binged the first half of this drama and watched the second half religiously, so it's not THAT bad either. What saves it is a strong and likeable female lead (I just can't with the childish FLs C-dramas throw at us all the time), a nice male lead (I also can't with the misogynistic MLs so he's much appreciated), and the love story between the two that develops slowly and feels natural. I liked the representation of women in general in this drama, which is very progressive. The political intrigue is also quite nice, and I think part of the reason why I pulled through was to see what would happen. I almost wish this had been a historical rather than a wuxia drama, I think it would have helped avoid lots of problems with writing and production.
The bottom line is: watch it...if you can. It's nowhere near my best drama list, but it is definitely a top-tier filler.
THE ACTING
I like Zhao Lusi and Yang Yang. I don't think they're amazing actors, I just like them, so I had no problem with their acting. Not much chemistry between them, but they were still cute together.
THE MUSIC
What music? I guess it wasn't bad haha
REWATCH VALUE
Average. I might rewatch it at some point in the future...or I might prefer rewatching Story of Minglan, Rebel Princess or Nirvana in Fire for the nth time. There're just better dramas out there.
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