(I can't recall the last time I left a review for anything on screen, so this might have been a first for me. I originally posted it on Viki on 15/08/2019. I hope to revisit this series in a more in-depth, future post.)

This was an exceptional series with a truly wonderful cast of characters played by a fantastic group of up-and-coming young actors. 

The storyline was strong (bows to the author), with no filler episodes or repetitive plot points, etc. - all the pieces wove together eventually into a tight, satisfying, and well-paced ending that felt neither rushed nor incomplete. A true feat for any drama, let alone a c-drama - so more bows to the directors, writers, and producers. If you haven't read the book yet (which I plan to devour next), the Wikipedia character guide is *extremely* helpful for the first quarter or so of the show, since a lot of characters and information are introduced and can be quite confusing (and perhaps a turnoff for some? Please keep watching!). (I also recommend rewatching the early episodes after the flashback catches up to the present around episode 33ish, to pick up on fresh details). 

The actors also did a phenomenal job balancing the nuance and ambiguity required in a drama based on a gay romance xianxia novel that needed to pass the censor test too. :) Even the two main antagonists were well crafted and fleshed out - they weren't two-dimensional caricatures of evil. The main leads were excellent, but just as wonderful were all the key secondary characters. They all stood out for different reasons and were immensely enjoyable to watch. They more than made up for the lack of female characters that I was initially missing. Above all, there is so much *heart* to the entire drama: you will laugh and cry, and ALL the relationship bonds between the characters - whether it's romantic, ambiguous, family, friends, even between ENEMIES - are extremely moving and beautiful. 

I can't remember the last time I felt so bereft by the end of a series, let alone moved enough to write a review. A definite 10 on the re-watch scale.