chillikun

7/10

> A thriller thats binge worth but with no memorable moments Watching Glory alongside Unclouded Soul made the contrast between Hou Ming Hao’s roles impossible to ignore—ironically because he was almost absent for much of Glory’s runtime. For a male lead positioned as central to the story, Lu Jiang Lai spends a surprising amount of time either missing or emotionally disengaged, especially in the middle half. By the time he becomes more present, the character itself feels fundamentally altered. The early arcs were where Glory showed the most promise. The selection process and the first part of the Yang case were genuinely engaging, largely due to the chemistry between Lu Fu Sheng and Rong Shan Bao. Their dynamic felt sharp, strategic, and tense, driven by mutual intelligence rather than romance. Lu Jiang Lai initially came across as cold, calculating, and morally flexible—someone capable of navigating the political and social minefield the story set up. > Unfortunately, that version of him doesn’t last. As the story progresses, Lu Jiang Lai feels like a completely different character. The sharpness dulls, the cunning disappears, and his decisions become inconsistent and unfocused. Instead of evolving, he regresses. This shift is never meaningfully justified by the narrative, making it feel less like character development and more like convenience-driven writing. In contrast, Shan Bao becomes increasingly untouchable. No matter how dire the situation—being thrown into a dungeon multiple times, facing political pressure, or standing alone against powerful forces—she remains unflinching and almost invincible. While strong female leads are always welcome, the lack of vulnerability or consequence removes tension. The imbalance between her narrative protection and Lu Jiang Lai’s deterioration makes their relationship feel lopsided. The romance itself is one of the show’s weakest elements. It remains largely one-sided from Lu Jiang Lai, and even during the Duke arc—where emotional depth should have peaked—the dynamic doesn’t change. Shan Bao never truly meets him halfway. Though the drama gives us a technically happy ending and the male lead “chooses correctly,” there isn’t a single moment that feels emotionally earned or memorable enough to invite a rewatch. The supporting characters in Glory actively undermine the story, especially Butler Yang, who behaves like a second male lead despite being a fifth-tier character. He repeatedly blocks communication between the ML and FL, [spoiler] prematurely exposes Mrs. Yang’s identity, [/spoiler] and performs empty symbolic gestures like burying that box worthless memories when he didn't even have 0.01% chance of reciprocation —only to return as yet another unnecessary obstacle. The childish cousin is equally grating, refusing to leave and contributing nothing to the narrative. The Grandma is more complex: a capable but tyrannical family head who is often wrong as an elder, yet the Duke arc reveals her household treats servants far better than the Duke ever does. The other suitors were well written each have their purpose entering to Rong family and their deserved upcommenace . One aspect Glory handled well was the portrayal of sisterhood. As Lu Jiang Lai aptly notes, not everything can be solved with kindness alone—sometimes a stick works better than a carrot. The women’s bond feels earned through shared hardship rather than sentimentality. Watching them fall together in the end, yet still choose to support and stand by one another, is quietly beautiful. In a drama where many relationships feel uneven or underdeveloped, this sense of collective resilience and mutual backing is one of the few emotionally satisfying elements that truly lands. > Glory isn’t a bad drama, but it is a frustrating one. It starts with intrigue, chemistry, and potential, only to lose its narrative focus and emotional core. When the ending arrived, it felt more like relief than satisfaction—and that, more than anything, defines the experience. This is a show thats worth binging although i started power watching 21 episodes without sleep before penultimate week I didn't feel that much excitement during the next week before finale.