I really liked this drama. I didn't like the previous drama I saw Ryan Ding/Ding Yu Xi in (The Romance of Tiger and Rose - which, to be fair, was less to do with his acting and more to do with his character and the whole non-consent threat they wrote in at one point, and also because I am one of those people who happen to find Zhao Lusi annoying in most things I see her in), so it was really nice to wholeheartedly like him in something this time. I thought he did very well here and this has happily replaced my impression of him from the last abovementioned drama, and I'll be interested to see what he might be in next.

I don't think I'd seen Peng Xiao Ran in anything before, but I thought she did fine in this drama. You could tell Nie Sangyu from Ji Man very well, and she was very earnest in this role. The costuming choice for her was interesting because this was the first female lead I noticed as pretty pared-down in that aspect - at a look, her dresses aren't very fancy, and her hair is also relatively simple compared to most other female leads, with just the one decorative headband or headpiece on a low half-updo, and no earrings. I later realised that this single crown-piece on half-loose hair/no earrings combo is also how Qing Kui is styled in The Starry Love, but which I honestly didn't notice at all there in that drama; but was very aware of here as it came across to me as a little plain. It likely has something to do with the lower height of the overall up-do combined with the usually open-work headpiece, which honestly looks like/is a decorative open metal headband with chains added onto the side corners, or sometimes even no headpiece at all in lieu of a few small decorative elements on what looks like a braid headband.

The leads play very well off each other, and I really enjoyed watching them together. I also genuinely cared about them as a couple and Ding Yuxi's acting as Ning Yu Xuan particularly shines in the sad and emotional scenes. The supporting roles and cast were all very good across the board and I have nothing to say other than thumbs up for the solid acting from all. Of the supporting characters, Gui Bai was my personal favourite, along with Miss Shui/Shui Niang Zi (whom I thought was stunning here) and their relationship, and getting to watch him smile for the first time was a treat. Ji Man's two maids, Mu Xu and Sang Ren, also get special mention for being very good in their roles.

The story was fine, with no major plot holes. It was simple and frankly not particularly memorable, but mainly serves as a vehicle for the romance, which it does well at. I liked the Emperor in this as a wise and steady emperor, which is what I remember most about the story, and I also liked Ji Man's father. The story drops off somewhat at the end, though not to the point of ruining things, but doesn't recover to the quality before. The ending likewise loses some points from me as it fell a little flat for me/in my opinion, and felt slightly anti-climactic - think the long tail of a graph, which sums up the ending/last couple of episodes.

The music was good and emotionally-hooking, and was used well to add emotionality to scenes. (Will give the OST a listen again later and possibly come back with an update.)

It's not a particularly short watch at 38 episodes clocking in at 45 minutes each, but it's not a terribly long drama, either. Pretty rewatchable, especially if you like Ding Yuxi, or just for the romance itself.

If you're looking for a light-watch romance and aren't too bothered about plot, this drama will serve you well. All in all, it is and does what it says on the tin.