Based on a novel that many of us can agree is much better than what we got to watch with the help of novel readers, “The Legend of Anle” will make you laugh, cry, cringe, confused, throw hands, and annoyed BUT most importantly, it will make you fall in love with the actors/actresses who definitely carried the show.

The story telling was not the best and definitely could have used lots more of polishing but I can say that at least they got the gist of it. And that’s being nice. The main issue to me was the disjointed fragments of the show and narratives. I said it before and I’ll say it again, we were TOLD more than SHOWN causing some confusion and fillers. Some plots were dragged on longer than needed including a certain character. At times, it seems the script was split between writers. Some minor details were missed making the dialogues funky. If we’re being super logical, the show will not live up to it but with an open mind it does have some points that tug at your heart.

At first, I didn't want to believe that the Crown Prince could be that "boring" because his actions were not lining up with his words. Plus, he kept talking in riddles. Which I'm always fond of because that usually indicates more. And if done right, it'll be well worth seeing which I think Gong Jun did a great job for Han Ye. He was able to convince me early on that there’s more than meets the eye with his character. The subtle micro expressions and gestures sealed the deal. To patiently see him unfold was well worth the wait! He’s a calculated guy and will always make sure to plan things accordingly to be in his favor. This part stays consistent throughout the show despite a few times he was more controlled by his emotions. But he’s decisive and level headed most of the time. He was hands down my favorite character throughout the whole show. My #1 bias. Some readers say Han Ye was actually the authors favorite character and I can see why. It took patience to understand and decipher Han Ye but it is well worth the wait. He’s upright, loyal and self-less. 💖

Ren Anle/ Di Ziyuan in the beginning was shameless, flirty and cringe to some with the overacting but I didn’t mind it. I thought Dilireba managed it well. Anle/ Ziyuan’s character was more emotionally driven than Han Ye and she wavered a lot. But I can’t fully blame her because towards the end, everyone was adamant on protecting her. They kept her out of the loop causing miscommunications. However, they forget that she’s clearly capable of handling things too. Dilireba is the right person to play Anle. She had the most mixed emotions and she can make you cry watching her cry. For all the heartbreak, I truly felt it because Reba didn’t let any tear go to waste.

Their early interactions are the 2nd biggest factor that kept me going. A visually good pair, Dilireba and Gong Jun’s chemistry wasn’t sizzling hot but more so a sweet, adorable type of spark. It’s a romance that slowly builds up and isn’t random. Romantic or not, they still would have been a good pair. They had mutual respect and wits that combined together made for a good duo which we saw in the beginning when they were solving cases. Not only do they have chemistry with each other but all of the supporting casts. From our 2nd ML, Luo Mingxi and his sweet dancing assistant Linlang, Princess Anning, Anle’s assistants, and my other favorite, Wen Shuo, Han Ye’s “son”. They are the driving forces that make this show memorable. Our 3 main leads plus Chen Tao (Wen Shuo) really went above and beyond to understand their characters and bring them to life. By the end of the show, I was shipping the bromances with the main CP.

Overall, the show was not the best in terms of writing or even CGI but if you enjoy multi layered characters with some twists, this one did a decent job highlighting it. I enjoy dramas that have characters with mysterious auras. Which is why I stuck out for so long. Being neutral and patient is needed in order to come full circle with the story. The wrap up isn’t bad but be warned that extra sweeter moments can be seen on Youku with a small fee. I’m not sure this would be a rewatch for me but I appreciated the sentiments that came out of this. The biggest thing I took away from this is a new profound love for Gong Jun and cherishing, Han Ye. I’ll be manifesting for a better production/story Gong Jun and Dilireba deserves! Here’s to my favorite summer CP, Anjuleye!! 🐇