Complicated impression …
So amazing costumes! The designing team is really professional and capable!
So amazing acting!
Chen Kun is definitely one of the most talanted chinese actors. Top world level. Above and beyond all cliches. With such huge charisma, incredible gaze and facial expressions - he is the core of the story. The sixth prince Ning Yi is amazing and distinctive from "hero" type man. WOW!
Ni Ni - the best chinese actress, I've seen so far. Beautiful herself with good acting skills. She does not have typical over-acting, inadequate immature expressions and silly annoying behaviour as most of the "famous" chinese female stars have. Her performance was on point. I like her more as Wei Zhi, but as Zhiwei she was also good.
The Emperor and his first eunuch, Xin ZiYan, Gu NanYi, Ning Cheng, Chang ZhongXin and the Lord of Minhai - all of them were soo impressive!
However the plot is a mess with a lot of holes. Without such incredible actors the drama would be a disaster with this plot.
The drama is too long and slow with many unrealistic scenes, that could be cut. The drama would be very good 40-45 episodes instead of 70. Also there were a lot of minor characters, who do not bring value and quality, but only confusion - thus they could be cut at all too.
The end has some ambiguity. The female lead looks too lively vital and energetic to commit suicide. And also ... after so many people sacrificing themselves for her such end looks a bit unbalanced.