ONE AND ONLY

I was actually drawn to this series because of the male lead Allen Ren, also known as Ren Jia Lun. This guy is phenomenally attractive in the not so perfect, decent way. Because of his innocent and upright looks, he is formidable when acting strictly. There's something so endearing in someone who looks great but unattainable.

However, I do not like that after being portrayed as an intelligent hero in One and Only, the male lead's character Zhou Sheng Chen, has chosen to sacrifice himself for the boy king and the ministers who were eventually killed also. It's like having lived as a member of the royal family has not taught him the fact that he needs to become the most powerful to be able to protect the ones he loves. For a while there, I really thought he would step up and decide to take the crown so righteousness would prevail but he decided otherwise and thus led to the slaughter of his family elders and his demise. How stupid that was. He was executed by dismemberment. The kind reserved for traitors. That is, after a life of total devotion, loyalty and sacrifice for the people.

The female lead, Bai Lu as Cui Shi Yi, on the other hand is beautiful, yes, but the depth of character I wished to see was somehow lacking. It may just be my prejudice in wanting a female to be more lively, strong and independent. Not someone who cannot take the challenges and lows in life and needs protection all the time. Oh well, maybe that was portrayed as such to make it seem like her master is the wind beneath her wings.

Let me make mention though that this series has also shown great friendships, pure love, family values and quests for survival. It depicts the fact that sometimes our own family can be cruel but that we can find and build a family among strangers. It is a matter of choice and commitment. It is how you care about each other and be loyal to the core. It also showed how most people in the world would choose good over evil and thus, there will always be hope for a better future. If only goodness will always prevail in our collective consciousness, the world would somehow become a better place to live in.

If you are like me who loves a happy ending, this one's not for you. Justice has not been served and after spending so many hours watching a series, the least writers can do is to give viewers something to feel good about. Among all the possible love pairings in this series, not one managed to end up together. How sad is that? Even the Monk Prince and that pesky female general did not get a chance at love. Anyway, there are people who would prefer these kinds of endings, so be it.