1
Zogitt
Australia
I'm not bad, I'm just scripted that way
TL;DR version: This show is a fair introduction to Chinese period rom-com and is a must watch for any fan of the leads.
Long version: You would think that doubling down on the arranged marriage and mistaken identity trope would yield lots of opportunities for engaging stories and character developments but due to a lazy script and directions, this show just moved along the well trodden path and did little more than kept pace with other run-of-the-mill period dramas.
Like so many before it, the potential is there. The two different settings, two pairs of good looking CP's. Historical crime, present day felony, political manoeuvrings, unrequited love are all fodder for this genre and many a good yarn have been spun before. Yet this show just never seemed to want to take the bull by the horns so the characters were one dimensional, character developments were minimal, plots felt tired and by the book. Everything is serviceable but that's about it.
Case in point, the FL was a simple, naïve girl with a heart of gold, the actor played it dead straight and she was like that the whole show. That made her seemed gullible and a lot of her actions counterproductive. That is a shame as there were lots of room for her character to grow but it was barely explored. Ditto, the 2FL was lauded for her intelligence and cleverness, yet she was trapped in the same predicament for the bulk of the show. I'm not going to start writing about the antagonists as that would fill paragraphs and involve spoilers but you get my drift.
Overall, the actors did their best with the parts they were given so the problems must lie with the script and directions.
I thought the beginning of the show held a lot of promise but it soon settled into a trudge that included all the time worn tropes. There were cute moments but I don't feel a strong chemistry between the CP's. There were some production issues which is pointless to detail here but attested to the general lack of care surrounding this show. It was a fluffy, harmless viewing but that is damning it with faint praise.
Long version: You would think that doubling down on the arranged marriage and mistaken identity trope would yield lots of opportunities for engaging stories and character developments but due to a lazy script and directions, this show just moved along the well trodden path and did little more than kept pace with other run-of-the-mill period dramas.
Like so many before it, the potential is there. The two different settings, two pairs of good looking CP's. Historical crime, present day felony, political manoeuvrings, unrequited love are all fodder for this genre and many a good yarn have been spun before. Yet this show just never seemed to want to take the bull by the horns so the characters were one dimensional, character developments were minimal, plots felt tired and by the book. Everything is serviceable but that's about it.
Case in point, the FL was a simple, naïve girl with a heart of gold, the actor played it dead straight and she was like that the whole show. That made her seemed gullible and a lot of her actions counterproductive. That is a shame as there were lots of room for her character to grow but it was barely explored. Ditto, the 2FL was lauded for her intelligence and cleverness, yet she was trapped in the same predicament for the bulk of the show. I'm not going to start writing about the antagonists as that would fill paragraphs and involve spoilers but you get my drift.
Overall, the actors did their best with the parts they were given so the problems must lie with the script and directions.
I thought the beginning of the show held a lot of promise but it soon settled into a trudge that included all the time worn tropes. There were cute moments but I don't feel a strong chemistry between the CP's. There were some production issues which is pointless to detail here but attested to the general lack of care surrounding this show. It was a fluffy, harmless viewing but that is damning it with faint praise.
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