So ... I just finished Heart of Loyalty and ... sigh ... I still have a grin on my face....

It started kinda slow, but things picked up when the male lead decided to go to Liao as the princess' bodyguard. The plot is an attractive blend of political intrigue, detective fiction, action and romance that keeps it from sagging much. Even the inevitable "walking through the market" scenes usually had some plot teaser embedded.

One thing I liked about this drama is the way it portrays female characters as equal to / the equivalent of their male counterparts without making them at all "manly". For example, the best female martial artist in the drama is a married woman with a baby. Additionally, the younger female characters all showed some character development as the plot progressed, which was quite a plus compared to some other dramas I've seen.

There were also some other genuinely notable features. One was the development of romantic sub-plots that kept the drama sweet without making it overly so. Along with the main leads, the drama developed three other romantic relationships. I also liked some specific characters a lot, in particular the princes [Prince Ning of Song and Prince HongJi of Liao] and Second Brother, who was the coolest and most bada** guy in the entire drama.

My biggest problem is that there are some awkward scene cuts and transitions, but I suspect that has more to do with censored scenes than anything else. I've also seen some people who complained about the FL, but I don't see her acting as any worse than a lot of the "prettier" female actors out there.

I would definitely recommend this one if you like your historical drama with a little bit of everything ... oh, and Wu Xize / Li Hongi ... lol