{year}=2025{episode}=EP.09{type}=TV{ongoing}
Review
This is a drama that blew my mind. I don’t have much of a relationship with any of the actors in this production, but I did shoot it and had a lot of fun. It made sense for the most part, but towards the end, it started to get a little questionable and left some aspects that I wanted to be answered or shown, but overall, I liked the characters the most and their lovely relationships. Of course, you have to suspend your disbelief for some of the things that happen, like the main female lead joining the Kaifeng office, even though she’s a woman. Maybe it’s true, it won’t happen, but I’m glad she joined and everyone was really cool about it.
I think what makes this show good is the characters. Like, the serious and political stuff is okay, there’s a strong first villain, it’s good enough for a 24-episode romcom detective period drama, but the characters are what make this show worth watching. I really liked that Mo Yan's weaknesses weren't forgotten after a while, but were shown throughout the show and became a reason for the ending. I loved that the main couple always talked about their problems and rarely did anything stupid that would harm their loved ones. I also really enjoyed the couple. There wasn't a single character that I found too annoying, and I sympathized with the characters going through hardships, so I thought the cast did a good job in this aspect. I was really proud of the secondary male lead who developed a lot and became competent and believable.
Towards the end, it felt like the show was making some angst while not giving us enough scenes of some of the characters/couples, so the show felt like it was too long and too short at the same time. There was also a twist that I asked for and didn't like. However, I thought the ending was satisfying, so I had a good time. This show helped me like Caesar Wu a lot when I wasn't really interested in him before. I wish the OST was a little stronger with more memorable choruses but in the moments of the scenes it works. The best songs for me are the instrumentals that play during the detective or surprise scenes! There are also a lot of strong cinematic moments, like the animated sequence with the characters all over the office, which is really cool.
Overall, a romantic comedy detective story. Not the greatest of all time, not the worst with good character development and likable characters.
