Wonderland of Love: Spoiler-Free Mini Review
- Jul 15
- 2 min read
Title: | Wonderland of Love (2023) 乐游原 |
Platform: | Viki, WeTV, Youtube (free) |
Genre: | Period Idol Romance/ Action |
Episode Count: | 40 |
Parental Guidance Rating: | PG-13: Violence and blood, an attempted assault, a couple fade to blacks |
Staring: | Xu Kai (Moonlit Reunion) Jing Tian (Si Jin) Zheng He Hui Zi (Twelve Letters) Gao He Yuan (Love Beyond the Grave) |
RBTS Rating: | 3.6/5 Stars  |
Synopsis:
Li Ni, the emperor’s grandson, is stuck defending the border and dealing with a rebellion. Though royal, he’s always been neglected by his father and prefers life as a carefree general. On the battlefield, he meets Cui Lin, disguised as Lieutenant He. She’s the ambitious daughter of a powerful general, and they clash on the frontlines. Despite their rivalry, their clever strategies and banter lead them to fall for each other, mixing love with a bit of competition. @MDL
Stay Tuned: Full Review Still to Come!
Spoiler-Free Mini Review:
I was on the edge of my seat for the first ten episodes of Wonderland of Love. It jumps into the story rather quickly and I loved that the female lead was just as competent as the male lead. The drama is a mix between Wuxia and Period Idol Romance, where it focuses on action more in the first half, and then turns to romance and palace shenanigans.
The relationship was so refreshing in the beginning and then it sank like the Titanic. The Female Lead became unlikeable and the Male Lead lost his ambition, and it was just a mess. The angst was giving Goodbye, My Princess which makes sense, since it's the "grandfather" story (WoL can be watched as a standalone). This didn't ruin the drama as a whole and there are definatley worse FL characters out there. And all's well that ends well, right?
While the show struggled with the female leads character and a tonally uneven narrative, the 2nd leads were so cute. Zheng He Hui Zi (Friend of the FL) nails every role she takes. Wonderland of Love was a mixed bag, but ultimately I'd recommend if you like a bit of action in your romance. But more importantly, watch so that you too may be convinced that bangs are essential for Xu Kai. May he never be parted from his very necessary bangs ever again.
Fun fact: This was my first time seeing Liu Yu Ning on screen and now he is inescapable.
Story=3.5, Acting=3.25, Production Quality=3.5, Rewatch Value=3.75, Ending=4, Enjoyability= 4
Trailer:
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