good, but...

Although there is nothing unique about the story, it is a good show. I enjoyed the interaction between Fang Jian Ming and the Emperor. I also enjoyed Hai Shi and the Emperor's interaction. There are some great action scenes. There's a lot of the usual things like evil plots, backstabbing, unrequited love, fighting, heartbreak, etc. All great for a c-drama.

My biggest issue with this show is the main couple. I don't like the idea of it. Fang Jian Ming kind of raised Hai Shi. He was a father figure of sorts, her mentor, her master. He treated her as a family member. For them to end up as a couple is just creepy for my personal taste. Another thing is that because he's fighting his feelings for her, he treats her like crap at least half of the time. He also plays with her emotions by acting hot and cold all the time. He's doing it to protect her, but it doesn't really excuse some of his actions. He also tends to keep her caged up in the guise of protection. He doesn't want her to get hurt so instead he constantly tries to restrict her from doing things. And the worst part is how pathetic she acts with him. It's also slightly obsessive. I feel like a strong female lead shouldn't turn into a pining schoolgirl constantly seeking attention. She's strong, clever, brave, honorable, and does what she feels is right, but the moment her Shifu is mad at her or hurts her feelings, she becomes pitiful. I honestly would have liked her love interest to be anyone else. There's only a few more episodes left, but I keep hoping he dies and she moves on with someone else.

One other thing to point out is the Emperor and Tilan's relationship is also incredibly messed up. He treats her like shit for a long time before he starts to change his ways. He's actually incredibly cruel towards her just because she looks like her dead sister, who happened to be the love of his life. Some of her health issues later on is due to how bad he treated her. I honestly don't know how she could still love him. Doesn't matter that he realized how awful he's been and begins to love her. It's all very toxic.

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Just an opinion

This drama is kind of off to a slow start. I don't particularly like the ML. He's smug, arrogant and a bit of an asshole who thinks his shit don't stink. I also find him unattractive so he doesn't even have that going for him. His face is so punchable. The FL also needs more personality, but I do understand why she is the way she is. However, I love Yang Mi so I hope she brings her character out of her shell in later episodes. I'm also streaming this on Viki with English translations, but there are random parts with actual English spoken and I find it weird. I'd rather just hear Chinese being spoken and read English subtitles. Another thing that bothers me is the release of episodes. Only one at a time?

*Edit: More things to add on...
Both ML and FL have gotten better, but surprisingly the ML has evolved more. FL is still kind of a bland character for me which is disappointing cuz I love Yang Mi, but this just ain't it. She's reluctant to accept ML's feeling because of her fiancé that died, but they don't really go into much depth on that either so it's just boring.

Romance is not really big in this series either which is fine. However, the medical aspect in all of this seems very fake for me. Like why do they need 2-3 doctors for every patient? Why do they change the doctors for the patient during treatments? Despite a patient's consent or lack of, why do they allow opinions of people who don't have the medical power of attorney to get involved? Also, the show started off with both leads being more surgeons, and now they hardly operate. Everything gets passed off to some other department. It makes no sense to me.

There is also the issue of random characters like the girl that likes Bai Zhu. She just pops out of nowhere from time to time. Then Xiao Yan's brother... barely anything going on there. Then the Director's ex-wife and child... Seriously, random.

Now let's talk supporting cast... None of them really has anything outstanding about them. Not much growth either. I will say that I can't stand Cheng Zhi. Not only is he an absolute moron, but he's annoying as well. Bro can't take a hint. He honestly shouldn't even be a doctor with how stupid he is.

Overall, the show has gotten better, but a lot of the storylines feel half-assed. The show is ok, but I wouldn't watch this again.

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Pretty good

I like the story line even though it's nothing unique, but this was a good one where the female lead stuck to her identity a lot longer than others. To be honest, it started out kind of off-putting and awkward to watch, but it started growing on me later. I actually think she had better chemistry with the second male lead more than the first male lead. I find the first male lead kind of boring and somewhat overbearing. Even if Shiyi does love him, she wants to protect her family by not exposing herself, but the Fifth Prince is constantly undermining her in that sense and that irritates me. It's okay if he wants to protect her, but he still needs to keep his distance. His constant presence puts her in an awkward position and makes it a lot easier for her to be caught out. The other guy might tease her about being a girl, but he is better about keeping his feelings known. He's also a lot more likable. I know that in the end she doesn't end up with either, but I'm not mad about it. As for the female lead, I know her cover was to be some idiot playboy, but I actually wished she went a different way about it. Maybe been more smoother in her approach. She acted like a buffoon most of the time. I think she could've at least shown her fighting skills earlier or romanced more ladies.

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Not done watching, but a minor complaint

For the most part, I think this series is great. The main characters have great chemistry. The supporting characters also mesh well. The storyline is great. My one small complaint is actually pretty common in a lot of these dramas. I think it's gross when they make a female student fall in love with their master. For one, the student/teacher relationship is already questionable. However, it's worse when the teacher raised their student because they're much older and have assumed a parental role. In this case, Ming Xiu fell in love with Gu Han Jiang and even though he never outright reciprocated, you can clearly tell he feels the same. She was literally a child when they met and he was already a man. For me, it's just gross when an adoptive parent falls in love with their adoptive child and vice versa. Pedo, anyone? These dramas need to stop romanticizing these type of relationships. Just because they aren't blood related, doesn't mean it's not gross.

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