After several days of pondering, I finally decided to give my final rating and write a review of this drama. I have to admit that I was torn between giving it an 8.5 or a 9. At first, I gave it an 8.5, but after a day or two, when I realized that the series had left a deep impact on me and I couldn't stop listening to the OST and thinking about the characters, I bumped it up to a 9. There are many aspects of this series that I liked: the cast and interesting characters, the OST, special effects, well-choreographed fight scenes, and overall high production value and beautiful aesthetics. On the other hand, the main criticism is about the plot itself. I'm not even sure what was missing, but the fact remains that the story didn’t manage to intrigue me to a great extent. Here and there, there were certain interesting elements of the plot, twists and turns, but the main storyline didn’t offer anything revolutionary. What the plot lacked, the interesting characters, their relationships, and interactions made up for. The bond between Zhu Yan and Zhou Yichen, Bai Jiu and Yichen, Bai Jiu and Ying Lei, Zhu Yan and Li Lun, the Pei siblings, and their group friendship altogether, is what truly elevates this drama (along with its visual perfection).

Speaking about the characters and their relationships (which I liked), one would expect that their tragic fates would emotionally hit me. However, that didn’t happen. This is the main reason why I can't rate this drama higher than 9. On the surface, it seemed like it had all the elements for success, but in the end, during the actual viewing of the series, I didn't feel any emotional impact. I believe that part of the reason for this is the way many parts were slow (filmed in slow motion?) which caused me to become frustrated with the drawn-out scenes instead of immersing myself in the events and the tragedy. However, I think this was a personal issue of mine, as I see that most people didn’t have this problem. Only later, while listening to the OST, did I begin to reflect more on the characters and their tragic lives, and only then did I fall even more in love with the story.

When it comes to the OST, I have to say that, alongside the visual elements, it is one of the best aspects of this series. I would personally compare it to the OST of The Untamed, which I was obsessed with for months and listened to wherever I could. The fact that many of the songs are sung by the actors themselves further impressed me. In the end, I must also praise the actors. Chen Du Ling, Lester Lin, and Tian Jia Rui were familiar to me from before, and I considered them good actors even before this drama, but I’m glad I discovered Neo Hou, who beautifully portrayed the character of Zhu Yan. I personally LOVE characters like him—formidable and powerful, yet at the same time pitiful and tormented. All the supporting actors did a great job in their roles as well, and I’m happy to see that there were no "weak links" in the cast that could have ruined the overall impression with their bad acting , which occasionally happens in some of these dramas :')

In the end, would I recommend this drama? BIG YES. Despite some 'personal issues' I had with it, I still think it's one of those dramas that you shouldn't miss, because the hype is definitely justified.