A thrilling beginning with a grand finale. I watch many C-dramas, and this one gets my vote for best in 2024. It’s a very cinematic piece about love and choices encompassed by a beautiful soundtrack. There is just the right amount of heartbreak to arouse the emotions and shed a few tears without killing the entire story. It left me feeling empowered to advance in my goals and meet challenges head on.

My only real negative point is that it gets a little slow in the middle but if those episodes didn’t exist, then the plot would be riddled with holes. I do feel it could have been condensed or rearranged because like most typical Chinese dramas the spectator is confronted with separate problem arcs that our leads must conquer to advance. Many are interesting but a couple had me saying “what now” or “gah, not this again”. With that being said it’s 100% worth pushing through without skipping because the payoff is worth it.

I hate this cliché I’m about to say, but I must admit, the chemistry was epic between our leads. The supporting roles were also so well developed they could also be considered leads. The majority of the characters left me with a feeling as if they were actual people/families I know and can still visit in real life.

The series is tagged “revenge” plot but “justice” would be more suitable for those who have watched and payed attention to the message. Netflix doesn’t have the extra 5 min episode 40.5 so I had to find it elsewhere online. But the story is still complete without the extra bit and it doesn’t have an open ending.