Drama Digest:
When Shen Yi Yi was young, she was adopted by a rich family and soon befriended Shen Die Yi, the only daughter of the rich family. After growing up, Die Yi abruptly dies of a cough and her life remains a mystery. As a way to repay Die Yi’s friendship, Yi Yi decides to pose as Die Yi and fulfill a marriage contract with Tang Jiu Hua. Also, figure out more about Die Yi’s mysterious life. To delay the marriage, Yi Yi dresses up as a man and enters the Shangyi Guan Tang Jiu Hua. Then, they meet Yang Zi An carrying out the emperor’s orders to hide his identity and enter Shangyi Guan. Together, Shen Yi Yi, Yang Zi An, Tang Jiu Hua, second prince Li Xin Yuan, and swordsman Du Gu Mu Xue solve different strange cases. They form the “five sons of Shangyi Guan,” becoming famous in all of Chang’an, and together, they solve cases and face corrupt officials to maintain peace in the kingdom.
The Feel-Good Part:
The acting was amazing in this drama. The actors really brought out the main themes of the show. The characters were really interesting and none of them felt unnecessary. The focus on friendship was more than romance even though the show does have multiple couples; that made the drama more enjoyable. It’s light-hearted and also mysterious so there’s little chance of getting bored.
The Disappointing Factor:
The drama has a lot of story arcs. They play off all the different stories well and quickly but it can get overwhelming or take focus away from the main plot of what happened with Die Yi. With so many arcs, the ending felt rushed and not quite satisfying after such high-paced episodes.
In-Depth Analysis:
The drama has many arcs and topics, and it solves conflicts quickly, so it is fun to watch, and can definitely be rewatched. The mystery and thrilling bit of the drama are pulled off well. There is good humor in the show which makes the episodes more entertaining. The focus on friendship among the five was really interesting. The ‘woman disguised as a man’ trope is very popular and this show does it well. All the characters are likable and have good arcs, not making them boring. The friendship and romance were very heartwarming to watch. The music and costume make the historical part more valid, giving a better experience. The drama can be deemed predictable but the cast really brought their own thing to the show, making it more unique. The ending was good but felt rushed and didn’t live up to how good the beginning of the show was.
Star Power:
The acting in this drama was spectacular. With a big and popular cast like this, they pulled off all the arcs very well. The cast portrayed every character perfectly, thus, making them more charming and relatable. The chemistry was really good and made the romance arcs lovelier.
Overall Opinion:
A good binge-able drama that you can rewatch any time. There aren’t many twists, and the show focuses on friendship and romance with elements of mystery that make the show lighthearted but also not bland. It’s a perfect watch for a good quality, heartwarming show that has many arcs, making every episode worthwhile. It is predictable, so it is more of casual viewing.
