Upon second watching - this is a masterpiece I’ll return to again I’m sure

I absolutely loved this series! The story is fantastic and the fantasy element was the linchpin of its success. The reincarnation element allowed me to see a wild story of palace intrigue and political machinations from a new and fresh creative perspective.

ACTING
The performances by all leads and most supporting actors were outstanding - in particular Zhang Ling He. He delivered a very nuanced performance of a complex character that was mysterious, alluring, intimidating, frightening - and in the end sympathetic. Every important character was able to live more brightly in the shadow of his performance.

In general, I would say the entire cast delivered - even if it was the standard rote character you expect. But a few performances were so brilliantly well done that you can’t imagine anyone else doing better – thank you Bai Lu, Zhang Ling He, Wang Xing Yue.

SOUNDTRACK
The soundtrack is masterfully composed to both complement and amplify the on-screen drama. As soon as you would hear a track begin, the tension was immediately elevated.

SOURCE NOVEL
I felt compelled to read the novel after the first couple episodes, and the additional background added a lot to my understanding of the characters. However – as is almost always the case – the novel is better than the movie. The novel is very long and dense with detail, which left the series feeling a bit choppy with parts unavoidably left out. As a result, the last several episodes felt equally satisfying and weak. Still, I recommend reading the novel if you have time.

Favorite Quote:
(novel)
“A drop of kindness should be repaid by a gushing spring.”

(series)
“A drop of water in need, shall be returned with a spring in deed.”

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Overall, the cinematography was absolutely beautiful in all is meticulous detail, but there were a few creative choices (lighting) that took me out of the story.

RE-WATCH
For me, this drama reinforced the idea that for some very special dramas there’s no such thing as too many episodes. I avoided Chinese dramas for years because I thought they were too long. However, after watching several long series multiple times (Ashes of Love, Love Between Fairy and Devil, Till the End of the Moon, Word of Honor…) I’ve learned not avoid them based on episode numbers. Still, I’ve dropped many series after a dozen episodes because it just wasn’t working - for me.

Finally, I must applaud the insightful examination of moral dilemmas from many different perspectives. It made this drama one that lingers in the mind - and that credit goes to the author of the novel - it was brilliant in its character analysis.

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