Fated Hearts Cdrama review

The Story

During the Battle of Pingling, Jinxiu Kingdom’s red-clad female archer, Fu Yixiao, struck the eldest prince of Susha, Feng Suige. Seriously injured, the Susha army was forced to withdraw.

However, shortly after the battle, Fu Yixiao falls off a cliff. When she comes to, she has lost her memories and is pursued by assassins. She is rescued by a healer, who patches her up, but Yixiao later encounters her old enemy, Feng Suige, who is also seeking treatment at the same medical clinic.

Seeing Fu Yixiao in this state, Feng Suige believes that there’s something more to the Battle of Pingling. Why is someone trying to kill the hero of Jinxiu? Suige believes that there’s a mastermind underminding the Susha army.

So, he offers Yixiao a “partnership”: work together to uncover the mastermind behind the conspiracy

Thus, the two, sworn enemies a month ago, now rely on each other to get to the bottom of this. And eventually, relianced turned to love.

Characters

Fu Yixiao (played by Li Qin): Fu Yixiao was once a renowned archer and military commander of Jinxiu.

Feng Suige (played by Chen Zheyuan): Feng Suige is the eldest prince of the emperor of Susha Kingdom.

Xia Jingshi (played by Chen Heyi): As a prince and military comnander of the Zhennan Army of theJinxiu Kingdom, Xia Jingshi appears to be gentle and reserved, but in reality he is powerful and ruthless.

Feng Xiyang (played by Xia Meng): The beloved princess of Susha Kingdom fell in love with Xia Jingshi at first sight when she was young.

Murong Yao (played by Zuo Ye): Suige’s best friend is the son of a Marquis who defends the border up north. He spends his days enjoying himself and has a reputation as a useless nobleman and a playboy.

What I Liked

Great pacing, tight plot: I’m not the sort of person to binge a drama, but it captured my attention so thoroughly that I binged 10 episodes in one day. And unlike most dramas, it didn’t have the final arc failure – the story was steady and believable till the end.

Its sophisticated approach to character development and moral complexity: The writing adds genuine nuance to every character, showing how people can be foolishly focused on the wrong priorities, failing to recognize what truly matters right in front of them and falling into evil deeds because of it.

Compelling parallel character journeys, such as that of Suige and Xia Jingshi, both princes of their kingdoms Both characters face similar circumstances. They have unfavored positions in their respective courts with limited support, yet their responses reveal their true natures. Suige builds genuine loyalty and develops real skills through honourable means, while Xia Jingshi manipulates others through false kindness, ready to discard them when convenient. Suige always fights at the front of his army while Jingshi hides behind people whom he has brainwashed to protect him to the death. Even Suige and Yixiao had similar journeys, mishaps and betrayals, which makes them one of the best-matched couples in CDramaland! ;D

The sibling relationships are deeply moving. I have gotten so tired of the murderous royal sibling trope, so this was a breath of fresh air.

It’s probably the best enemies-to-lovers romance I’ve seen: a true partnership where both leads fight side by side. No noble idiocy, “I’ll keep this from her for her own good” situations. Li Qin and Zheyuan have fiery chemistry!

The best female general/warrior of the year: This is the year of female generals, and most have failed. Shadow Love probably had the worst female general I’ve seen. But Li Qin radiates and projects lethal competence without trying to be masculine.

The acting is stellar: The argument between Murong Yao and his father, and the emperor’s soliloquies. There are many standout moments and scenes in this drama.

Story complexity and coherence: I’ve gotten so used to uneven pacing, logic fails, snooze-worthy arcs that to have a drama with such a coherent, well-aced story was an utter miracle. The drama strikes an excellent balance between explicit storytelling and leaving room for audience interpretation.

What I Didn’t Like

Chen Heyi’s (Jingshi) poor acting: No hate for the actor, but let’s name a spade a spade – he cannot act. This made most of Jiangshi’s arc unbearable. He is outacted by everyone, so his weakness is very apparent in this drama.

The cinematography occasionally becomes unintentionally comedic with its excessive use of dramatic lighting where strobe-like spotlight effects during romantic scenes. Amusingly over-the-top, but this director is known for his flares, though he has toned it down a lot in this drama and it doesn’t distract me too much.

Thoughts about the ending

The ending is one of the most satisfying I’ve watched; it had a conclusion that honours the characters and their journeys. The drama excels at building that foundation. They invested significant time making the characters nuanced and complex, clearly establishing their motivations and desires.

For example, when Suige doesn’t immediately claim the throne at the end of the drama, it felt completely right because the groundwork has been thoroughly laid: Being emperor was probably the last thing he wanted for himself and Yixiao.

The “why” of their choices is crystal clear.

While some say the succession question was unrealistic, I actually appreciate how they handled it.

Suige not becoming emperor turns out to be the happiest possible outcome for him. Being trapped on the throne would have meant constantly watching his back, dealing with a court where he lacks widespread support, navigating palace politics filled with duplicitous courtiers, and managing people he fundamentally doesn’t want to deal with. Both he and Yixiao have consistently expressed their desire to live peacefully with the people they love, and the drama delivers exactly that.

The ambiguity around the Chenyang, the second prince’s status works well. He’s spending time away guarding the tomb—whether he’s abdicated or will eventually return remains purposefully unclear.

I feel that Suige understands his younger brother isn’t suited for the ruthless world of court politics. The second prince is too pure, too genuine for a life surrounded by two-faced schemers.

Even if he could develop the necessary skills, as we’ve seen in recent episodes, it would destroy his gentle nature and leave him miserable. He deserves a happy, simple life, and Suige cares too much about his brother to force that burden on him.

As for Xiyang, with Suige serving as regent, she’ll receive proper training for leadership. As he told her many episodes ago, he will be the first to defend her and fight for her rights.

So, in the end, Suige is Regent, living peacefully with his beloved Yixiao, whom he now calls “fu ren” (wife). They have married and I’m pretty sure am on the way to having many kids.

The revenge arc also provides deeply satisfying closure, with each villain receiving consequences that fit their crimes—from Murong Yao’s death at Suige’s hands to the poetic justice of various other antagonists meeting their ends.

Personally, although the Alliance arc slowed down the pace, I felt that the lull served a crucial narrative purposes. Suige had always idealized his mother and viewed the Alliance through rose-tinted glasses. Part of his rejection of his father’s edict stemmed from wanting to live his mother’s life. He needed to discover that even in a supposed utopia, life is difficult because people remain flawed. Despite his mother being a founder, it meant nothing—no privileges, and the sect had become toxic despite her ambitions.

Suige also needed to understand the value of imperial power. Being reduced to his weakest state through severe injuries taught him how powerlessness impacts not just himself but everyone around him. Being forbidden to leave represented another form of helplessness.

His romantic ideals about life away from the palace needed that reality check. Eventually, he realizes that without power, he cannot protect his people. This arc is where his character embraces power, though I’m confident he won’t become as Machiavellian as his father—he’ll avoid repeating his parents’ mistakes while living the life he wants and using his authority responsibly.

I really appreciated that they showed the true costs of his injuries. He didn’t bounce back with a magical cure; he had to claw his way back to health and lucidity. This makes the eventual vengeance feel even more justified, and we as the audience can fully enjoy it with him. He didn’t know how good he had it until he lost everything, including his mind—a very necessary character arc.

Anyway, I enjoyed this drama so, so much. Probably the most satisfying costumed romance drama this year for me.

Conclusion

Story: The narrative exceeded expectations for an idol drama, delivering surprising depth and complexity. The character arcs feel authentic, with protagonists who are genuinely flawed yet entirely believable in their motivations and growth.

Acting: Except for Heyi (Jingshi), the actors’ performances were all strong, with standout moments. Of particular note was the veteran actor who played the emperor – he had several soliloquys that made me just stare in amazement. I didn’t know Chen Zheyuan at all before Fated Hearts, but he really delivered Suige’s ruthlessness and his battle scenes were really well down: He was athletic, filled with brutal punches, kicks and sword swipes.

Costumes and Sets: Gorgeous costumes, but I wish they didn’t make Suige so beautiful and pale. He is a battle-hardened general, after all! Oh, but “I ate well”, as us Chinese would say.

Camerawork: Okay, in general but the excessive dramatic lighting effects during romantic moments ended up being funny.

Rewatchability: High

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

When a drama can make this binge-reluctant viewer to abandon all restraint and devour multiple episodes in one sitting, that’s the mark of genuinely captivating television.

#45Stars #CDrama #cdramaReview #CDramas #CostumedDrama

Serendipity (榜上佳婿) Chinese drama review

Lu Chang and Jian Mingshu grew up together, and seemed destined for each other. But when her father tricks Lu Chang into marrying her, Lu Chang rejects Mingshu in a fit of rage.

A heart-broken Mingshu releases him. But a few days later, tragedy befalls her when her family is killed by assailants.

Jian Mingshu survives the slaughter after falling off a cliff. However, she loses her memory. Lu Chang finds her and spirits her away. Knowing that she is being hunted, he tells her that he’s her brother to protect her. He later finds out that her father is accused of a crime.

With this new identity, they travel to the capital where Lu Chang has to take the imperial exam. Lu Chang vows to find out what happens to Mingshu’s family and gets entangled by the schemes of the court as a result.

Thoughts

The story started with so much potential—I was looking forward to how Lu Chang would eventually fall in love with Ming Shu, but by that time they’re so deep into sibling forbidden territory—how would they get out of that?

Then there was the second couple’s romance: Prince Rui and Lady Yin was rather delicious. (Love after arranged marriage is a lovely trope if executed well.)

But the problem with the show was that the main couple’s plot was boring, and they had very, very little chemistry.

Lu Chang is a bland and emotionally undemonstrative character, so we don’t feel the romance between Lu Chang and Ming Shu.

Perhaps actor Wang Ziqi lacks the charisma necessary to create the “sexual tension” or chemistry with Lu Yuxiao.

Perhaps it is the writing: Song Qing Zhao (the second male lead, played by Wang Hong Yi) had more romantic moments with Ming Shu than Lu Chang! I hardly ever have “second lead” syndrome, but I sure had it with Serendipity. It felt like the writers were more interested in developing their relationship than with main relationship.

It’s also unfortunate that Lu Chang and Ming Shu’s plot line is making them behave so much like siblings for so long that you don’t feel a jot of their chemistry. I think they need to be placed in more situations where they can be more affectionate or are in, er, sexually charged situations, so we don’t get this BIG sibling vibe with them.

Their mystery-solving activities is boring too, and I employed the fast-forward button a lot in this, and honestly, I didn’t miss much!

Honestly, I tried. I really tried, but I was bored to tears after episode 13. I thought I was bored with Brocade Odyssey. This one literally fossilized my brain! Alas, even the dishy royal couple could not entice me to stay. And I confess, I super sped through everything else just to see their bits!

I was mildly intrigued with the relationship between the villainous Prince Yu and Lady Su who was actually scheming against him while pretending to work for him.

Yu, unexpectedly fell for her, and that was slightly mildly interesting to me … until it wasn’t. Such an intriguing plot and character line, but they still managed to make it all very dull.

As for our main couple, alas, I thought it could improve but it was absolutely snoozeville even until the last half. They just spent far too long to establish their romantic relationship. Ming Shu spending a lion’s share of the drama thinking that Lu Chang is her brother just doesn’t encourage any romantic vibes.

In the end, Serendipity received a sad 5.1 on China’s Douban, which, for once, I 100% agreed with.

#CDrama #cdramaReview #ChineseDrama #Dropped #review #Serendipity

Brocade Odyssey episodes recap and review

Set in the Tang Dynasty, Ji Ying Ying’s (Seven Tan) family fell from grace when her father was wrongly accused of the crime of insulting the emperor. She grew up to be a scrappy young lady who runs a dyeing workshop.

One day, she meets Yang Jing Yuan (Zheng Yecheng) who seems very interested in her. He has an ulterior motive, which is to get the “Shu red” brocade technique that her father was famous for.

Eventually, her childhood friend Zhao Xiu Yuan and the prince of Nanzhao Kingdom will come to covet Ji’s dyeing skills and her family’s secret dyeing recipe, the very same one that got her father killed.

Episodes 1-3

Ji Ying Ying was once from a wealthy official’s family. Her father was the “brocade officer”, an official in charge of the lucrative trade. At a time when silk and the art of Shu brocade was highly prized, the position was a very important one.

However, one day, Ying Ying’s father was framed by enemies and literally killed in front of her eyes.

Since then, she’s had a big fear of the colour red, which is really inconvenient if you’re in the dyeing business.

Episodes 1-3 is about how Ying Ying went from being that frightened child being chased out of her luxurious home to building a business despite her family’s fall from grace. She grows up to be a scrappy young woman who is a very cunning and capable businesswoman.

We see her struggling with the brocade or silk tycoons who push small dyers like her around. While she wins one battle after another, she is always bringing her family closer and closer to possible ruin, because the more she wins, the angrier the tycoons get.

One formidable one is Mrs Hua, who is a merchant who monopolizes the trade and controls the river where they wash the silk.

Zheng Yecheng is Yang Jin Lan, a scion of the powerful Yang family who returned to his hometown after years gallavanting around as a swordsman with an official title.

He is the only one willing and brave enough to take on the position of Brocade Officer because the previous officers have been dying mysteriously.

So far, so stereotypical and cookie-cutter. And honestly, when I first watched the first episode, I was rather worried that nothing would make it rise above this predictable plot.

Fortunately, the leads are Tan Song Yun and Zheng Yecheng. While Yecheng’s role is pretty similar to the ones he played before – the aloof official – Song Yun glimmers and sparkles as Ying Ying and she’s the reason why I keep watching.

Frankly, I would not have been interested in watching it, because under a more inexperienced actor or a bland one, this would have been a really boring drama.

I mean, to be honest, in the first two episodes, I was pretty bored to the point where I was actually doing housework while watching it. I missed chunks of it and had to rewatch the whole thing again and again, which is kind hilarious, because I actually watched episodes one to four a few times just to make sure that I got all the points. Hey Youku, I think I just contributed to your heat index.

The other interesting I can say about Brocade Odyssey is how they did an AI switcheroo on Zhang Huowei’s face. (He plays Zhao Xiu Yan, Ying Ying’s childhood sweetheart, but I’ll call him Robo Zhao from now cos he’s about as unreal as one.)

Actually, the AI swap was done pretty well (though at some angles it still looked like Zhang Haowei), except when they really focus on his face, and then you realise that his mouth doesn’t quite look natural. Of all things to change, I think that was the most difficult to manage. When he talks, it feels as if I am watching an anime character. That said, I wonder if this will set a precedent for the future – what to do with scandalous, troublesome actors.

Anyway, I hope Robo Zhao’s role is a tiny one, because if he is going to be really prominent for 40 episodes it’s going to be a darn weird, uncanny valley experience.

Despite its bland, cookie-cutter plot, I really appreciate Brocade Odyssey’s more relaxed, happy vibe.

After a quarter filled with really intense dramas with sad endings, one after another, it’s great to relax a little. (Unless the writers get “creative” with the ending, and if they do that I’d be taking a plane to China to “be creative” with the writers.)

So, Brocade Odyssey aired at a timely moment, and I think this is what saves it from being ignored. If it had aired during the competitive period when Love Game in Eastern Fantasy aired, it would probably be drowned out.

At first I thought Youku made a mistake airing this right after Pearl Girl, because do we really need another scrappy young woman building a business during the Tang Dynasty?

Well, maybe we do, especially how dark and depressing it became. Maybe it’s kind of smart to air something similiar, but happier!

Episodes 4-6

By episode three, things really pick up and get more interesting. Remember what I said about mad tycoons in the previous episode recaps? Well, Mrs. Hua deals a big blow to Ying Ying. These three episodes focus on their feud coming to a head, with Ying Ying at her lowest point. She realizes that her plotting and scheming have landed her beloved brother in a terrible position—humiliated and forced to work for people who abuse him.

Mrs. Hua forces Ying Ying to do the unthinkable to save her brother: betray her loyal merchant comrades when they need her most. Losing their support for her business, and more importantly, their friendship, is utterly devastating for her.

However, while Mrs. Hua proves to be formidable, she has a powerful backer behind her—the twice-widowed Madam Niu Wuniang, who is equally intimidating.

Robo Zhao, Ying Ying’s beau, comforts her. I still wish he’d go away, but apparently, he has a prominent role and will eventually turn into a possessive antagonist. Well, his unreal AI face will suit that role perfectly.

Meanwhile, we discover that our Brocade Officer, Mr. Yang, has daddy issues. Honestly, if I had a penny for every hero without daddy issues, I’d be very poor indeed. Yang continues to help our heroine, but one can’t help but wonder what his true motives are for becoming a brocade officer. Surely, it’s not just to spite his father and outshine his sibling, as we’re led to believe? I suspect he has a bigger mission.

As you can see, Brocade Odyssey maintains its light-hearted vibes. Even though there are tense moments, the show never ventures into complete darkness.

I believe dramas of all kinds have their place. A drama doesn’t have to be deep, dark, or depressing to be worth watching or considered quality. Brocade Odyssey fulfills a need we all have when it comes to dramas: to be happily entertained, and it does this well.

That said, while Seven Tan and Zheng Ye Cheng deliver charismatic performances, I do worry because I can almost predict every twist and turn of this drama—and so far, I’ve been right. (Honestly, my brain zoned out a few times, and I fast-forwarded through parts of episode 6 out of impatience. Hah!)

While it has been quite predictable for me, there’s comfort in familiarity, common tropes, and well-told stories.

What do you think of it so far? Are you… kinda yawning and wishing for bloodshed and mayhem like me? LOL.

Episodes 7-10

Personally, I found episodes 7-10 rather boring—not because nothing was happening, but because everything felt predictable to me. (Oh look, Ying Ying is overcoming impossible odds yet again.)

But don’t worry—there’s light at the end of the tunnel, I promise!

This time, Ying Ying suffers a significant setback. She’s imprisoned and accidentally causes someone’s death, which reawakens her trauma. She confides in her good friend, admitting she never imagined she’d attract enemies as ruthless as Niu Wuniang.

To make matters worse, she loses Robo Zhao to Wuniang. This raises the question: Did he really have no choice, or was he simply revealing his true nature? I believe it’s the latter. He could have fought for Ying Ying, but he didn’t. I suspect the fear of losing his power and status outweighed his fear of losing her.

He tells her that without power, he can’t protect her. While there may be some truth to that, he also deludes himself into thinking that even after marrying her enemy, he can win her back. In his mind, it doesn’t matter what unscrupulous actions he takes to gain power, as long as he can reclaim her. He proves this by crossing her ultimate red line: claiming the Shu Red Silk for himself and stealing it from the Ji family.

Ying Ying is clever enough to recognize that he’s being threatened and coerced into marrying Wuniang—he admits as much. However, the reason she turns away from him isn’t because she’s deceived by Wuniang’s schemes, but because she sees a terrible quality in him: his willingness to do anything for power, even if it means betraying those he claims to love.

So, the “Evil One” marries Ying Ying’s beau. Look how happy they are! A match made in hell, I guess. ;D

I felt a tiny smidgen of sympathy for Wuniang. With a father like hers, it’s no wonder she resorted to such ruthless tactics to survive and rise above being used as a pawn. In her twisted mind, she believes that by being as ruthless as he is, she’ll finally earn his favor and be seen as his equal. Oh look, more daddy issues!

Meanwhile, Yang Jinglang moves in quickly the moment his right-hand man mutters, “Now is your chance.”

Behold, the human male in courtship mode

https://youtu.be/RktnGuzX0Wc?si=kyem5NOR5HzsQSMd

Now, Zheng Yecheng is trained in Peking opera, which includes some martial arts training. It’s a treat to watch him perform a full-on sword dance. (I really wish Zheng Yecheng would star in a true-blue wuxia drama someday—he’d be a natural fit. But even the little we see here is impressive.)

He performs the sword dance while reciting one of Li Bai’s famous poems. It’s obvious what he’s doing, though I doubt Ying Ying fully understood. Let me simplify it for you with this image:

Episodes 11-12

Well, so much for the sword dance. Ying Ying probably thinks all men are trash and unreliable now, but Jilang makes a valid point: underdogs can’t defeat the powerful out in the open.

This leads Ying Ying to a lightbulb moment—she realizes that Yang Jinglan is the “Future Friend” from her childhood. Of course, we all saw this coming earlier, and I groaned a little when they rolled out the childhood connection tropeTM. That said, this is one instance where it feels like a nice fit.

It seems (to me, at least) that Yang has always liked her, but Robo Zhao (back when he wasn’t so robotic) was always her first choice and constant presence. Perhaps Yang took on this mission for her, with his master serving as a powerful incentive to finally act.

I appreciate how smart Ying Ying is to team up with him and demand an equal partnership rather than playing the damsel in distress. She vows to dye the true Shu Red Silk and decides to undergo some extreme exposure therapy. (PS: Kids, don’t try this at home, especially while standing on slippery rocks near big red boulders.)

I loved the moment with her father, though. Maybe it wasn’t real, but I choose to believe it was his spirit connecting with her, offering comfort so she could overcome her fear.

While episodes 7-10 were pleasant but slow, I assure you things pick up after episode 11. Stay tuned for my next update!

Episodes 13 and 14

“I know I’m a man who is afraid to die, but I am even more afraid of my wife not being able to rest in peace!”

I am so moved by Mr. Huo. He truly loved her. Wipes away tear. Like Wuniang, I assumed he’d save his own skin, but there he was, putting himself in harm’s way just to avenge his wife.

PS: I appreciate how the love for one’s significant other is portrayed in this episode. Mr. Huo is willing to risk his life for his wife, Jilang is willing to scheme and sacrifice to ensure her safety and make her dreams come true, and then there’s Robo Zhao, who thinks becoming a devil and seizing power is the best way to win a lady’s heart. Eh.

Back to the chaos. General Niu proves to be even more ruthless than we thought. (Though I have to wonder why Jilang and Ying Ying brought their most important witness into the belly of the beast. I would’ve wrapped that guy in armor to keep him alive.)

But thank goodness for the magical metal fish deus ex machina badge that saves the day! Whee.

Of course, that’s not the end of it. He sends assassins after Ying Ying… or does he? Turns out it’s all part of Jilang’s sly plan to put the general on edge.

I finally understand what Brocade Odyssey is all about. It’s a Big Boss game disguised as a drama. Each arc introduces an even worse Big Bad. Bwahaha!

Except you don’t gain any magical power points with each level. (Sad face.)

I’m looking forward to their eventual elimination because we know an even scarier Big Bad lies ahead. But perhaps it’s all worth it, as Ying Ying finally achieves her lifelong dream of reinstating the Shu Red Silk under her family name—specifically, under her own name.

Meanwhile, a new power enters the scene… what does this guy want?

Random thoughts:

• I adore Sang. Once a small-town bully, he’s now come into his own, demanding justice for the downtrodden. May he win his loved one in the end. (And, uh, stay alive.)
• I’m still not sorry for Wuniang, even if there are intriguing moments between her and her maid that suggest she might have a kinder side. Sure, they could give her a redemption arc where she realizes the error of her ways, but I still want her to suffer. I’m heartless that way.
• General Niu needs to suffer ten times more than her, though. Life won’t be fair otherwise.
• Robo Zhao shows he’s even capable of turning against his own family for power.
• It’s always a joy to watch 大师兄 (Senior Brother, aka Tang Lian) from Blood of Youth! I like the actor every time he appears on screen. I do wonder who his true master is in this drama—probably someone royal, for sure.

Brocade Odyssey is such an interesting drama. Interesting in that sometimes I can’t wait for the next episode and am tempted to buy express episodes (until I remember I’ve never had much luck with Youku—I won’t be able to watch express episodes despite paying for them, damn it). And sometimes, I’m so bored that writing a discussion post feels like squeezing water out of a rock. This is one of those times. Sigh.

Episode 15

Ying Ying is literally chasing after the mysterious Bai Sheng, whom we know is up to no good. Clearly, he wants the Shu brocade technique for himself, and Ying Ying is his target.

To be honest, I zoned out for most of this episode. The pace was too slow, and nothing much happened.

Episode 16

Pin’er, in a bout of rebellion, decides to go on an adventure with Ying Ying to Gubei Village, where people… worship a brocade? Of course, the Yu Brocade Master, who was frightened off by Niu Wuniang, happens to be there too. The brocade holds special meaning for him because his son wanted to recreate this village’s brocade pattern but tragically passed away before he could.

Meanwhile, Jinglan is off doing more exciting things, like shooting apples off a general’s head. (Kidding… but not really.) He’s actually trying to recruit said general to his side to deal with General Niu.

Episode 17

Poor Sang gets friendzoned so hard by Pin’er that he can barely walk upright afterward. Fortunately, my fear that Sang would revert to his ne’er-do-well ways was unfounded, as he takes his responsibilities seriously and helps Ying Ying with the auction.

Meanwhile, our dear Jinglan is understandably angry that Ying Ying went off on an adventure and is now heavily involved in business with a shady man. He makes his intentions pretty obvious to Ying Ying, who isn’t as clueless anymore (I think) but isn’t willing to go there.

Are the ladies in this drama just unable to recognize a good catch right in front of them unless the guy is dying in their arms or something? Okay, I take that back—writers, don’t you dare go there. But honestly, as much as we kinda like this modern “boss girl, I don’t want to marry, career first” approach to female characterization, I just don’t feel it in this drama. I get that women back then couldn’t do business if they were married most of the time, but this drama isn’t really about realism. So, why couldn’t our women have it all?

There are so many men chasing after Ying Ying at this point that I have to chuckle. There’s Bai Sheng, the mysterious merchant who is probably some kind of kingpin and definitely not a good guy.

Then, of course, there’s Robo Zhao, who is still after her despite being married.

And finally, there’s Jinglan—who, as we all know, wins her heart in the end. He’s the only one who made her wishes come true and did the best thing she could ever ask for: clearing her father’s name.

They share a romantic moment, but as is typical in CDramas, she isn’t ready to take things further with him yet. He’s sweet enough to say he’ll wait for her. (YOU’RE GONNA REGRET IT, GIRL. THEY ALWAYS DO.)

It’s clear that Ying Ying likes him but feels it’s not the right time because she’s just starting to build her business and wants to focus on it. Understandable. Very career woman of her.

Episode 19

Jinglan succeeds in his mission to nab a key witness: the logistics officer who not only orchestrated the brocade swap decades ago but also killed Ying Ying’s father.

People, you don’t have a great track record of keeping your key witnesses alive. You’ve gotta do better this time. Spoiler alert: they don’t.

Meanwhile, Robo Zhao gives Ying Ying a big speech at their usual bridge, claiming he turned his life into hell because of her. For a few seconds, I actually felt a smidgen of pity for him—but it turns out he’s still an asshole. Not just an asshole, but a delusional and deceptive one.

He genuinely believes it’s her fault that he ended up humiliated. When she stomps off at his pathetic excuses, he commits the worst act yet: he abducts her, forcibly marries her, and is presumably about to rape her when Jinglan barges in and gives Robo Zhao the beating of his life.

But I don’t think this is the last we’ll see of him.

The way he married her was so cowardly. He didn’t even have the guts to do it openly or proudly, with her mother’s consent, because he knew what he was doing was absolutely despicable and unhinged. Even this final act of his so-called “love” was done in a cowardly, dishonorable, and covert manner.

I think Ying Ying was crying not just because of what she was being put through, but also out of disbelief at what he had become. It was the absolute death of whatever affection she ever had for him, and grief over the loss of who he once was and what he had turned into.

I thought Seven Tan acted this scene brilliantly, conveying her grief through her eyes alone.

Episode 20

How I feel about everybody this episode:

Ugh, Jinglan’s noble idiot era has begun. Madame Ji gave him “the talk,” and he’s gone off on some dangerous mission. Again.

While Ying Ying is no longer clueless about Jinglan, her mom throws a wrench into their budding romance. I seriously want to strangle that woman now because she’s always making the wrong decisions for her daughter. She doesn’t know her daughter well enough (or doesn’t want to) and ends up making society-acceptable decisions that Ying Ying would hate.

As a result, Jinglan is convinced not to pursue Ying Ying—just when she finally declares her intention to accept his advances.

I’m glad, though, that Ying Ying isn’t buying his “we’re just allies” talk or accepting this noble idiocy from him. She promises to wait for him.

Lord, I already want this “break” to be over. It’s so tedious. I’m not looking forward to the next few episodes because it feels like they’re going to drag this out. How many episodes will they be apart? It better not be more than two, because my patience is running thin.

Meanwhile, Wuniang is living her worst nightmare—under the control of yet another husband and chained up! She married Robo Zhao thinking he’d be her ticket to freedom, believing he’d be easy to control. Instead, he’s turned the tables on her and wrested control with the full blessing of her father.

Do I feel sorry for her? Nah, this is exactly what she deserves. It’s one of the worst punishments she could get, especially after gloating at his beaten-up face after his “wedding.” They deserve each other.

Unfortunately, she’s clever enough to use his mom to convince Robo Zhao to marry Ying Ying. Again. Lord.

I don’t know what she’s up to, but honestly, whatever.

Spoilers for Episode 21

Yes, dammit, they’re dragging this out. Ying Ying’s aunt visits. Can I be honest? I really don’t care about this aunt. We’re getting drama with relatives? Really? I know Chinese New Year is coming, but you don’t have to remind me of my yearly trauma this early! Wake me up when it’s over

As I’ve said before, the problem with Brocade Odyssey is its uneven pacing. This drama needs to balance the conspiracy parts with the business parts. The business moments are pretty boring, while the conspiracy parts are exciting enough to make you wish you could watch the next episode immediately. But the pacing is all over the place. As you can see from my thoughts on the previous episodes, when it slows down, it really slows down.

Episode 21

Poor schmuck—I knew Ji Yaoting would be rejected hard by Yu. I sense a pattern here.

All the men in this drama want their beloved women to be themselves, but the women are commitment-phobic and value their independence. I think the drama is driving this point a little too hard. Having three women do the same thing feels repetitive, lol.

Aunt is trouble, all right. Now Ying Ying has to get involved with that shady foreign merchant who works for Bai Sheng because of it.

Jinglan’s secret mission in Nanzhao is interesting, especially compared to the business-Zhao and Bai-is-up-to-no-good plot back home.

Episode 22

Niu Wuniang is going batty because her plans have landed her in deep trouble, but I still have no sympathy. That said, why is Wuniang so attached to her maid? I wish there was some backstory because it’s driving me crazy.

I knew Aunt would be trouble, but that much trouble? Really? Poor Mum is now in prison, accused of murder, and Ying Ying has to beg for help from everyone important. It must’ve been hard for her, pride-wise, to do this. And if that’s not bad enough, Yaoting is publicly tortured.

Honestly, this whole plot is still boring me, despite the murder and mayhem, because I can see everything coming from a mile away.

Episode 23

It’s safe to say that Bai Sheng is the mysterious Prince Bai of Nanzhao. It also looks like General Niu has been secretly dealing with Nanzhao, likely with Prince Bai.

I’m not convinced that marrying into the Yang family was Ying Ying’s only way out of this situation. Maybe I’m not paying enough attention, but can someone explain exactly why this was her only option?

Since it was Madam Yang’s idea, perhaps she was motivated to secure the only maker of the Shu Red color for her family. Ying Ying, desperate after everyone else refused to help, agreed—even if the possibility of real help was slim.

Episode 24

First, Zheng Yecheng’s fight scenes are top-notch, as usual. His escape from Nanzhao is beautifully filmed.

They’ve really put effort into the fight scenes. Can we just stick Zheng Yecheng in a wuxia drama already? Like, now?

Anyway, Jinglan returns just in time to snatch the bride. Again. He proposes that Ying Ying switch grooms, she accepts, and then he faints dead away. (I was touched that his dad and family were so worried for him. Despite his aloofness, they do care for him a little.)

Later, Jinglan wakes up and… wait, did he just offer a divorce “when the time is right”? Jinglan, she didn’t even ask for it!

So, they have another wedding, and this time, instead of being a concubine, Ying Ying becomes Jinglan’s rightful wife. (Chinese New Year’s Eve dinners in the Yang family are going to be so awkward. 😅🤣.)

Just as things seem to settle, General Niu gatecrashes the wedding to arrest Jinglan. Ying Ying can never have an ordinary wedding, it seems.

This is where Jinglan finally reveals his backer: the Crown Prince himself! (Knew it had to be royalty.)

To be honest, I had high expectations for this episode, so I’m deflated that we’re back to the “we’re only allies” square one, relationship-wise. Heck, even Ying Ying looked disappointed, haha. I mean, come on—at least a forehead kiss?

Episode 25

Oh, finally, our main couple is over their “does he/she love me” routine and has actually said it. Okay, in their reserved, shy way, but they said it nonetheless.

I thought the murder case was solved rather… conveniently. Honestly, it could’ve been easily disproven! If the true murderer hadn’t confessed due to the trickery, then what? Eh. But by that point, I was so fed up with the whole case that I just wanted it over so our couple could move on to the real important stuff: their relationship.

I wanted to say that Jinglan and Ying Ying did everything backward as a couple, but actually, when you think about it, marriages back then often happened this way. Most couples didn’t know each other before getting married and only started “dating” after marriage.

So, our couple had a very typical Chinese marriage. (Well, if you exclude the bride-stealing and lack of ceremony, that is.)

I’m glad to say I wasn’t bored during these two episodes. Even though nothing substantial happened plot-wise, many significant things unfolded between our couple. For one, they’re finally getting to know each other as husband and wife and have become more than just allies.

That little scene in front of her house was endearing. Ying Ying never got to have a proper ceremony and was essentially married in haste and secrecy, without even her mother’s knowledge. So, it was sweet that Jinglan gave her that moment, including getting the Crown Prince to provide betrothal gifts! With the Crown Prince blessing their marriage, who dares gossip about them or call the marriage a farce now?

We also learn that Jinglan is the Crown Prince’s junior brother—they shared the same master, the former Brocade Master who was murdered. His backer isn’t just some aloof dignitary but someone he shares a close bond with. That’s a good thing.

Episode 26

Of course, it took our couple about 1.5 episodes to get to the confession scene, where he finally admits that he likes her as more than an ally. Jinglan, you sure took your sweet time, lol.

I like that Ying Ying was prodding him toward that moment. Thanks to the talk she had with her mom in the previous episode, she realized that all her suspicions about his feelings were confirmed.

Jinglan made things very confusing for her (no thanks to Mum’s interference, though she at least apologized for it). It kinda makes his reluctance to admit they were more than allies on their wedding day somewhat understandable. I think he’s just not used to being in love and didn’t want to scare her off by saying, “I really want you to stay,” when he wasn’t sure how she felt about him. (Hey, maybe she’s like Yuniang and her other friend, both wanting to be single, independent women, right?)

I thought the confession scene was kind of cute because he acted like a shy teenager. And while some of us might want them to be a bit more demonstrative (ahem), I found it beautiful that right after she kissed him on the cheek, he took her to see his late mother’s memorial. That was a meaningful gesture.

Both were finally cementing their affection for each other and their commitment to stay together as husband and wife. All that divorce nonsense can be chucked out the window. (I hope, though, since this is only Episode 26, meaning there are 14 more episodes to go. Who knows what’s going to happen before the end?)

Okay, confession time: I was dreading the kissing scene because Seven Tan is… not known for her kissing scenes. I winced my way through her kissing scene in The Sword and the Brocade, but she did okay here. At least she smiled? Lol.

Also, don’t you get shivers when Jinglan addresses her as 夫人 (furen, dear wife)?

Let’s hope noble idiocy doesn’t raise its stupid head again.

Anyway, in these episodes, we also get a glimpse of how horrific her life would’ve been if she had married into the Yang family as a concubine. For one, everything she worked for would’ve been taken by the Yang family. Her fate would’ve been very grim indeed, and for an independent woman like Ying Ying, she probably would’ve withered away.

So, yes, we’re all glad she ended up marrying Jinglan!

The Yang uncle is 100% going to cause trouble for Bloom Society, for sure.

Here’s the edited version of your text:

Episodes 27-28

I’ll be honest—I’m totally bored of Second Uncle’s shenanigans, Wuniang’s scheming, Bai Sheng’s antics, and Robo Zhao’s moping. All of them are just making life difficult for Ying Ying, and of course, we know she’ll prevail eventually. I’m at least pleased to find out that the Yang matriarch is on Ying Ying’s side. But honestly, I could barely pay attention to what was happening on screen because it all felt so predictable and pedestrian.

The one highlight of these episodes is Jinglan’s dad attempting to mend bridges with his son, asking, “Shouldn’t I be given a second chance?” This is probably the most earnest speech from a CDrama dad ever. I almost wanted Jinglan to give in right then and there, but while he’s clearly moved, he isn’t going to make it easy for his father—though he has softened a bit. It’s sweet that Ying Ying is trying to be the bridge between them.

Episode 29

I’m super moved that Jinglan gave Ta Xue a beautiful memorial and grave, but… how in the world did he drag his body all the way to this mountainous area? Didn’t the horse die somewhere far away in enemy territory? Okay, maybe the grave is empty, or perhaps he sent people to retrieve the body later. But this little detail bugs me immensely, lol.

“My life feels like it’s fallen into the abyss again.” I felt a smidgen of pity for Wuniang as she recounted being beaten by her previous husband. It’s sad, in a way—she’s been abused all her life by the men around her. Having only known abuse, she believes the only way to rise above it is to become as cruel as her abusers.

Episode 30

Okay, but isn’t the whole “traveling into the West and encountering great dangers on the road” plotline so similar to The Story of Pearl Girl? I couldn’t help but think that throughout the episode.

Also, I couldn’t help but shake my head at the whole adventure. It felt very… unnecessary, almost? Like, what did you think would happen, Ying Ying? Yuning did warn you. This isn’t a walk in Hengdian Studios, lol. And I have to say, Cheng Dalan died in such a horrible way—omg.

But at least our favorite older brother got to spend some alone time with Yuning, even if it was with bandits, haha.

Episode 31

General Niu receives some doublespeak and hidden messages from his superior, basically warning him that he’s overstepping his boundaries. The commissioner doesn’t know the full extent of his nonsense, so he might not be as merciful if he finds out!

Robo Zhao’s prayer for Ying Ying’s safety left me speechless. I mean, you’ve done everything to destroy her life and put her in harm’s way, even colluding with the enemy… and now you’re praying for her safety? Maybe, I don’t know, stop doing all that? Make it make sense. LOL.

Yuning and Older Brother Ji (I actually can’t remember his name now, lol) spend some alone time with the bandits, but fortunately, Jinglan and the gang save them. At least Yuning realizes she wants to be with him now. I knew it’d take a near-death experience to get them together, lol.

Prince Bai finally reveals himself.

PS: That field of flowers green screen is so fake, omg, lol.

Episode 32

The start of Noble Idiocy #2, as Prince Bai frames Jinglan for attempting to “assassinate” him.

Okay, Robo Zhao, what’s up with your Sadako hairstyle? It’s creeping me out. I suppose it’s meant to show that you’re sad and falling apart, but I’m like, yeah, you totally deserve it. Slow claps.

Strangely enough, I think he looks better this way, LOL.

Niu Wuniang is also praying, but alas, her prayers aren’t answered. Her beloved companion and maid (or something more, heheh) is killed off-screen, and Wuniang loses it.

Ying Ying returns only to find that Madam Yang is in a coma. We know where this is going—hah! Second Uncle is predictably responsible for this.

Episode 33

Wuniang has completely lost it, hallucinating her maid Yu Yuan. It would’ve been a fun story if it was actually the ghost of her maid influencing Wuniang to exact vengeance on her behalf, lol. Sadly, Wuniang meets her predictable end; of course, being the person she is, she frames Robo Zhao on her way out. Well done, Wuniang.

Yeah, I have zero sympathy for either of them, though I did feel a little aggrieved that her dad didn’t even flicker an eyelid over her death except to rail at her for being a useless daughter. His last gesture—imprisoning Zhao (and probably planning to kill him soon)—is mostly to look good to the public: “Don’t let people say I never cared for her as a father.” It’ll be a great day when he’s unalived.

I am NOT looking forward to Jinglan’s second noble idiocy arc, as you can see. I 100% understand why Jinglan did what he did—to protect Ying Ying from being punished alongside him if things go south. Still, I wish they hadn’t done this a SECOND TIME because it feels repetitive.

I’ll come right out and say it: Brocade Odyssey needed to be at least 40% shorter. At this point in the story, it feels like they’re going around in circles.

Episodes 37-38

The pace finally picks up again!

These two episodes are all about Jinglan suffering in prison and Ying Ying scheming to get everyone out. Poor Jinglan is drugged, beaten, and tortured nearly to death by Bai, who’s obviously taking out his jealousy on him. Bleh.

Anyway, thanks to help from Robo Zhao (of all people), Jinglan finally escapes and reunites with the “rebel” refugee forces from Yizhou.

I found it sweet that Jinglan’s dad is supporting him at the camp, especially after they receive the bad news about Zhuge.

大师兄*, dang it, you died again! (PS: Blood of Youth reference here 😉).

*Senior brother

Zhuge dies tragically, and Jinglan rescues his body. As Jinglan grieves, he imagines Zhuge talking to him like he did before. I’ll miss his sarcastic sense of humor. 😢 Sigh, despite not liking Zhuge’s death, it was at least meaningful and made sense.

Episodes 39-40

Robo Zhao begins his redemption arc and becomes the sacrificial lamb that allows everyone to return to Yizhou. I’m not sure how I feel about him being redeemed (because, honestly, I wanted him flayed alive for all his stupid schemes and the way he treated Wuniang and her maid), but since he manages to outwit Bai, I’ll give him a big 👍.

Later, Prince Bai dies trying to save Ying Ying. Okay, bye.

Honestly, if he were truly ruthless, he would’ve let Ying Ying die. So maybe he’s just a marshmallow inside? RIP—love brain killed him. ⚰️

Ying Ying cries over him. Wait, what? Girl, why? Someone explain this to me, lol.

This is no Xiang Liu x Xiao Yao (Lost You Forever), and I’m not feeling it. You can’t expect the audience to empathize with a man who brutally tortured and poisoned Jinglan, the beloved Absolute Green Flag. These scenes feel wasted on us. And Ying Ying, knowing that her beloved was literally hacked to death in a dastardly game of Go and probably went through hell in prison… I can’t compute how she could have that kind of reaction.

And can assassins just go around killing a Nanzhao prince like that? I’m confused. 😅😆

Back in Yizhou, Older Brother Ji, Yuning, and Jinglan trap Niu and try to take him down. But General Niu is a tough bugger—much respect for being such an effective big bad.

Poor Yuning. She fought so well. Her death wasn’t meaningless, but poor Older Brother Ji, you deserved forever with her. 😢

(BTW, I found it odd that we saw so much of Ying Ying grieving over Bai but hardly anything about her bestie. Feels weird. 😅)

At least Ji helped take down the big bad.

All is finally peaceful. What’s sweet is that Jinglan has finally thawed his relationship with his father and stepmother. He’s even joking with them! Imagine that.

Jinglan and Ying Ying marry for the second time. Yay! Dang it, can’t we see the ceremony?? We didn’t get it the last time.

Ying Ying becomes Lady Very Important and heads off to see the emperor.

Everyone lives happily ever after.

The review

Darlings, I’ve never worked so hard to finish a drama before, LOL. If I weren’t doing these recaps, I probably would’ve dropped it when the Nanzhao arc started—out of irritation—and just fast-forwarded to the happy moments in the last episode. It just felt like they were prolonging an already repetitive story.

The thing about Brocade Odyssey is that it’s not bad; there are some parts that are really, really good—namely, the chemistry between Seven Tan and Zheng Yecheng, even if it’s not explosive. I also appreciate how coherent the story is. These days, sadly, all you can hope for in costume idol dramas is that they make sense until the very end, and Brocade Odyssey does make sense until the end.

The problem is that the plot is very bland and predictable. It’s a comfort watch for sure, but not one that will leave a lasting impression.

One criticism I have is that for a drama about silk and brocades, the color grading didn’t do the fabrics any justice. Everything looked muted. I expected a drama about silk and beautiful embroidery, especially around the color red, to be eye-popping, with every frame filled with gorgeous patterns. But we barely see that. We don’t see how silk is harvested from silkworms or how brocade patterns are woven, though at least we get a glimpse of the complexities of dyeing silk.

The art of making brocades is just a mask this drama wears to make it appear deeper than it is. In the end, it’s still a typical costume idol romance drama about a heroine and her many suitors and the drama that comes with it.

If anything, I think the drama suffers from being “old-fashioned.” As I watched it, I kept thinking this drama would’ve been a hit in the early 2010s. Back then, tropes like delusional and possessive second leads (or third leads!) were common, and all this would’ve felt fresh.

But now, audiences want more than repetitive stories about second and third leads causing drama for the One True Pair. They want, I don’t know, some substance?

That said, Seven Tan and Zheng Yecheng get top marks for putting in the effort with their acting. I have no fault with them, except that I think Zheng Yecheng’s character lacked depth beyond being the Absolute Green Flag suitor with no flaws at all.

Final rating: 7.5

#BrocadeOdyssey #CDrama #cdramaReview #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #episodeRecaps #Recaps

Dropped: The Rise of Ning

Luo Yi Ning may be the only legitimate daughter of the Luo family, but she is unfavoured and grew up in a separate household, far away from the main family.

One day, she decides to return to finally solve the mystery surrounding her mother’s untimely death. She reunites with “Third Brother” Luo Shen Yuan, the despised son of the family whose name isn’t even included in the family register. They form a bond due to their outcast status and he helps her in her quest, and she in turns help him rise above the stigma of being a family outcast.

Gradually, she comes to trust Shen Yuan, but he appears to be hiding a mysterious secret….

Thoughts

I was actually planning to watch The Rise of Ning after the drama ended but became curious enough to watch it live because everyone (meaning those in the Chinese drama forum I dwell) seemed so disappointed in it.

(Proof positive that sometimes negative reviews help promote a drama!)

You can also thank a coronovirus (no, not that one) for making me watch this drama, because the cold laid me flat, and I could only stare at TV all day. I thought, well, why not watch one or two episodes and see if I can go on?

The next thing I know, it’s the 11th episode!

Out of curiosity, I visited Douban to find out what people in China were saying about it. Wheeew these people are brutal. I’ll address the criticisms below:

Ren Mi’s voice in the drama
I actually do not have a problem with the pitch of her voice. I thought it was lovely and utterly feminine for a well-bred lady of the times. What I had issue with is her line delivery. It’s very flat and lacks the nuance needed to convey emotion. It’s very apparent when she is talking to other characters who use professional voice actors or are great at line delivery like Zhang Wanyi.

I don’t think it’ll be as noticeable for non-Mandarin speakers, but it was painful even for a mid-level Mandarin speaker like me. But, er, I got used to it? Eventually I stopped noticing it altogether.

Discount version of Story of Ming Lan
I really do not like women-fighting-each-other dramas. I usually endure that plot line if I find another plot line interesting in a drama, or else I’ll actively avoid it.

I’m definitely over evil concubines and their equally evil offspring. And I, most of all, do not enjoy watching women pull down other women, even for entertainment. Actually, especially for entertainment.

And yes, unfortunately, The Rise of Ning went down this predictable route. However, I’m glad evil concubine (TM) got her just deserts pretty quickly.

Awkward not-really-sibling eventual love
Yuning knows Sheyuan as her brother, so I’m not sure how she can one day wake up and think, “Oh man, he’s kinda hot!”.

And the second male lead is actually pretty compelling (and I hear he was a big favourite among novel readers to win Yuning and I can’t blame them. Chi Sa is pretty magnetic).

But since I’m not here for the romance, I can shrug this awkward plot line away. Those of you more invested in romantic plot lines, however, may not be able to and that’s understandable.

But I think reducing or boxing The Rise of Ning to just a harem drama is a mistake. I feel that this is a drama about the growth of two characters: Yuning and her supposed half-brother, Luo Shenyang.

In fact, I find myself eager to see how Shenyang escapes this stifling, terrible home to grow into someone that the family will be forced to respect and reckon with. To me, that’s the plot line that I’m interested in.

The most interesting story to me is Luo Shenyuan’s eventual rise to prominence, which I’m sure his no-good father will milk to his advantage despite the horrid, yucky way he’s treated him.

That said, I dropped the drama

I know, I know you’re probably thinking, what? After all the nice things you said about it?

For me, the major stumbling block for me was that I just couldn’t buy the plot. There’s very little logic and, man, that Luo family! Do the men in there have terrible luck choosing wives or what? 🤣

Also, just wanna say that the Yuning’s father is the worse Cdrama dad I’ve watched in my entire life. I really want to see something horrible happen to him. 🫥 Enduring him is a sore point for me and reduced my enjoyment of the drama by a lot.

And the way everyone just gets over shocking revelation after revelation and carries on to have tea parties like yesterday’s news about kidnappings, murders and other nefarious plots by relatives is just a blip in the weather.

How the Luo family did not end up being shunned by all in sundry in the nobility by now is a wonder.

And yet, although it has a total “dog blood” plot, I find myself dozing off from boredom 😴.

Zhang Wanyi is reliably good, and I don’t have a problem with Ren Min (although Wanyi is definitely a superior actor).

I just don’t find their characters very believable or interesting.

(Just to add: I hope that Wanyi gets more diversified in his role choices because his character looks and roles are starting to blend into each other!)

Everything seems to go so easily for them. Ren Min is so smart, she anticipates almost every plot against her.

Shen Yuan is probably the blandest character Zhang Wanyi has played, a veritable Gary Stu who is an academic genius and a martial artist and the ringleader of an underground spy/rebellion/investigative group. Yet he barely has enough funds to live, as his family has restricted his expenses due to his unfavoured position as an unofficial son.

And their romance? I suppose it developed pretty well but truth to be said, I felt zero chemistry between the two, unlike the chemistry I saw between the couple in Are You the One (also starring Zhang Wanyi).

And I know lots of folks seem to like bad boy Lu Jiaxue (Ci Sha, pic below) but I dislike guys who just won’t accept a no from the women they like.

It got so annoying and creepy I just ignored him when he appears. The main problem, really, is that his character lacks the depth necessary to make him more sympathetic. At least for me.

And since my main motivation to watch The Rise of Ning was to see “the rise of Shen Yuan”, I literally lost all interest when he achieved prominence in the family and society.

That said, there are some things I did enjoy. Such as the second wife, Lin Hai Ru and the Duke. I lived for Hai Ru’s eyerolls and sarcastic remarks, and the Duke is such a lovely dad, it’s like a balm to the Luo patriarch’s horrible arseholery.

Besides the fact that I really dislike harem dramas and dog blood plots, the truth was, after Kill Me Love Me, every Cdrama seems to pale in comparison 😅.

I wanted something as emotionally intense and character-driven, and The Rise of Ning just wasn’t it.

Still, I tried to gamely finish it. I would play the drama in the background while I work, sometimes doing housework and not paying attention!

After a while I thought to myself: Just why am I watching this when I’m just not interested? I realised that I was just watching The Rise of Ning just out of habit and sheer desire to mark it as “complete” in MyDramaList.

So, I decided to call it a day.

Conclusion

It was on the whole, okay entertainment, but not enjoyable enough for me to finish it.

As I’ve not finished the drama, I won’t rate it.

#CDrama #cdramaReview #CDramas #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #Dropped #Fantasy #review #romance #ZhangWanyi

Verdict on White Cat Legend.

Ending: clunky, yet satisfying enough to _not_ make you regret watching the entire drama*.

Overall: it's based on a comic, and it was wise to bake that into the presentation. The cartoony characters and slapstick only work against that background.

Story: A human detective/cat cooperates with five loveable bumblers to solve cases tied to a Demon Cat.

Not too deep but good fun.

#WhiteCatLegend #CDramaReview #CDrama #wuxia

(*I'm looking at _you_ Douluo Nation!)

Well... I mean... answers were given, and the road to the end was enjoyable...

but...

...I'm still kinda' mystified.

(Translation: worth watching, but don't expect much from the end.)

#DoubleTap #CDramaReview #CDramaCrime #CDrama

Finished the Legend of ShenLi. A strand of war simping brings down its final grade, but over all it's highly enjoyable. Recommended!

Now I'm trying out Royal Guard: The Evil Menace. Yes, the plan was Mysterious Lotus Casebook. Unfortunately my wallet said no to an iQIYI pass 😢

#CDramaReview #TheLegendOfShenLi #RoyalGuardTheEvilMenace #CDrama #xianxia

Story of Kunning Palace review

Started watching: Nov 20, 2023
Final update Dec 5, 2023

There was a lot of buzz about the show so I decided to see what the fuss was all about. However, I eventually grew annoyed with the increasing overcomplexity of the plot. One needs to be in the mood for such things and I suspect I wasn’t. So, I bailed around episode 12 and escaped to Wonderland of Love.

I returned after I completed Wonderland, feeling completely satisfied by the good watch. I have to admit that I felt a lot of dread returning to Story of Kunning Palace. In fact, a lot of people advice me to drop it already because I don’t seem to like it. However, I am driven by the mystery that is Xie Wei.

And like Back from the Brink, the other drama I abandoned and later resumed, I found myself drawn back in. But what’s my final verdict? Stay tuned.

You can also listen to my podcast review of Story of Kunning Palace.

Note: If you have not watched the show yet, be sure to avoid the spoilerific Watch Log. Head on to the spoiler-free final review instead.

The story

Xuening was an empress in her former life, but she did many, many bad things to get there. It all ended badly with rebels invading the palace.

When she finds herself “reborn” into her 18-year-old self, she decides to lead “a good life” and do right by the people she had harmed in her past life.

Characters

The Xue family – A scheming, bloodthirsty lot whose sole purpose in life, apparently, is to bring disaster on everyone as they scrabble for power. Unfortunately, the empress dowager is from this family. Duke Xue is the main villain of the story. If there’s proof for “bad genes”, this is it.

The Yan family – An honourable military family and blood enemies of the Xues. A long time ago, they were connected by marriage, but not anymore. They are still grieving the loss of Xue Dingfeng, a young boy who died during a rebellion 20 years ago, andwas the son of the current Marquis Yan’s late sister and the Duke of Xue.

Xie Wei – a court official with mysterious motivations and plans

Jiang Xuening – an empress in her first life, she’s now an 18-year-old determined to avoid palace life

Zhang Zhe – honourable court official for the justice department.

Yan Lin – Xuening’s best friend and long-time admirer and scion of the Yan family.

Watchlog (beware of spoilers)

Read this part only after you’ve watched or while watching the Show. You’ve been warned!

Episode 1-6

So, I watched Only for Love first, and I have to say that Bai Lu is so much better here, it’s crazy. Bai Lu is very believable as an empress. The way she speaks, looks, and carries herself as an empress was very impressive.

Zhang Ling He is not bad. Here he is playing another cold, shady character. I would say that this is his best role to date, though I cannot say that he’s amazing like some fans say. I’m sorry, my friends, but he’s nowhere even near Hu Ge level. He has potential, but just slightly above average for now. For now, I feel that he has trouble emoting intense scenes and can overact during those scenes.

And they didn’t edit out that actor who had that scandal and caused Kunning Palace to be on hold? Good for him.

Wait what, there’s a modern scene in the middle of it all? Eh. What’s going on?? That was so weirdly jarring!

Joy of Life had the same thing and it threw me off completely because it makes it hard for me to buy the story.

Incidentally, we see a moth flying around the sleeping writer. Fun fact, in Chinese mythology moths are said to be the manifestation of the spirits of the dead. If we see a moth in the house after someone passes away, we are not to kill it because it is said to be the spirit of the person who just passed away, and they were visiting.

So, my theory is that the actual spirit of the empress, sparked by the writer (or maybe she influenced the writer) returns to the past. Without the writer as a catalyst, she couldn’t do that.

Liking it a lot so far. I find the cinematography interesting especially at the start, even if I found the premise (or how she reborns) hard to buy.

PS: Xuening is such a b***h. Even she admits that she was one. “I used to be so arrogant and difficult,” she says at one point.

My experience with the first six episodes of this drama can be summed up with this gif:

Episode 7

Initially, I thought Zhang Ling He did quite well with his dubbing. While he is not bad at playing a morally grey character, now I really think he needs to be dubbed because he sounds like he’s reciting a dictionary and has as much emotion doing it. I die a little each time I listen to him talk.

Bai Lu is slightly better but I hate to say it, but she’s also not good at emotional delivery.

Episode 8

I am at episode 8 of Story of Kunning Palace and I am starting to lose interest.

At first, it was novel to not know what the heck is going on and just experience this world of political intrigue but now I am annoyed. Probably because I am watching it at the end of the day when my brain cells at no longer powered up, but I can’t follow the story at all.

Unpopular opinion: The drama has a poor narrative structure.

I will continue to watch it as I do want to know what the hell is happening but this is tinged with a dash of resentment and annoyance 😂

I think people who like this drama likes the novelty of being in the dark and just being thrown around by the various plot twists. But I have no patience for this at the end of a tiring work day 😑

Episode 9

Am I the only one who feels that the sudden interest Xie Wei has for Ning’er very odd, especially since she found out about that jade scepter thing and his involvement in it?

Also, finally glad there’s an explanation of why Xie Wei was so cold to her despite their meeting four years ago. Can’t help but think it could be made clearer from the start.

Why is Yan suddenly cold and standoffish from Ning’er? Is it because he wants to protect her from his family’s shaky standing?

Episode 10

I realised what kind of drama Story of Kunning Palace is – a puzzle story! The kind of story where viewers try to solve the mystery as the story plays out.

I really do not like the empress dowager. So, Ning’er had to deal with her as a mother-in-law in her first life, I assume? Not fun!

Yes, I have more questions than opinions right now. I’m still at the “what the heck is goin’ on” stage.

I’m also not feeling the supposed vibe/attraction between Ning’er and Xie Wei yet. And I wish they could move away from the school setting lol.

Hmm … I think part of the reason why I do not seem to like this drama as much as I don’t really like palace intrigue, and I especially do not like cattiness between women which is why I avoid palace harem dramas. Well, not at this time of my life when I just want to be happy after work.

Episode 11

Why do I feel that the young child Marquis (who was tragically killed) is actually Xie Wei? Is that why he’s helping the Yan family? Because they’re literally his family?

I really shuddered at the story of the 300 souls who died in the rebellion. Honestly, I get really upset at the thought of kids being harmed in any way, and when I saw the poor boy’s mother crawling toward that fire pit, my heart about gave out.

Children harmed in shows can make me avoid it like a plague. I didn’t watch Game of Thrones because I accidentally watched a video on Youtube of a certain character being burnt at stake. That scene traumatised me.

Still, I have a feeling some of them are still alive and are somehow connected to Xie Wei – judging from his reaction.

Episode 12

At this point, I’m watching only because I want to know what the heck is going on with Xie Wei. I’m over the mean girls nonsense at the School for Spoiled Noblewomen, I’m tired of the palace politics, I’m tired of the scheming Xue family and I just want some meaty reveals to land, damn it. I’ve been told it gets better, and more reveals will be coming my way.

But to be very honest, I feel no emotion at all to most of the characters. Maybe a smidgen of curiosity about Xie Wei. But it’s like watching pieces moving in a game of Go, every character a featureless piece on the board.

To quote a person on mydramalist, where I sometimes hang out: “I’m emotionlessly watching right now.”

Episode 13-20

These episodes were a blur for me as all I can think of is: “Xie Wei be plotting.”

Episode 17

Perked up in this episode because blood was shed.

Goes to show I need mayhem and murder to stay interested.

Episode 21

Xie Wei probably thinking, “OMG why am I always rescuing Ning’er, damnit.”

Episode 22

Waitaminute so Ning’er’s cover story is that she and Zhang Zhe are siblings in love and are eloping? Uhm, yeah, I guess that’s a good cover story, I guess! (Zhang Zhe seems equally horrified by the cover story. Poor lad, his tender sensibilities have been terribly violated.)

I should re-listen to this bit because I think something is lost in translation here.

Meanwhile, me on the side of the rebels, wishing Duke Xue, his son and his army could be buried under the landslide.

Episode 23

Yes, Xie Wei, that’s the way to a woman’s heart: By threatening to kill her. * slow claps *

Episode 24

Ah,poor Zhang Zhe, you have second male lead syndrome so hard.

And the romance between the girl and that businessman is so sweet.

Episode 25

The fake Xue Dingfei plot is so delicious. To think that Duke Xue was actually wanted to kill his own son like he’s an inconvenient thing OMG 💀

Episode 27

I understand Xuening’s mum, truly. She loves her but just doesn’t know how to express it beyond yelling at her to improve.

Zhang Zhe to Xie Wei: “You’re very suspicious.”
Me: No shit, Sherlock!

Episode 28

Aww come on, Emperor. So you’re okay with one night of sex with that hellion in exchange for many nights of misery with the Xue family? Talk about priorities. And it’s kinda eeew because they’re close relations.

Also, the number of times women were slapped in this drama was … 💀

Episode 29

I cannot wait to see the Xue family’s bad end because I am 100% sure it’ll be terrible and I’ll be so happy.

Episode 30

LOL that eff up when Xie Wei’s men saw him giving Xuening a tender kiss. Yeah, boys, you guys better stay low for a few days.

Xuening is clearly afraid of Xie Wei due to her past life experiences with him. Can you fall for the person terrified you in your past life? I suppose that’s the deliciousness of this romance. (It’s not my thing, but I can see how it’s a thing for many people.)

Also. Is there some kind of cdrama law where it says that you cannot wipe off blood trails from your lips? It drives me bonkers when they don’t wipe it off. Is it like some kinda badge of honour??

Episode 32

OK I feel a smidgen of chemistry between Ning’er and Xie Wei. I suppose there’s hope for my icy heart after all 😂

Gosh my heart bleeds for Dingfei’s mum. No wonder she never recovered and no wonder he is so angry with the Xues. 😭

OK those CGI wild cats was rough 😆

So, yeah the kiss. Errr yeah I don’t know what to think about it. 😅 Not my thing I guess, forced kisses.

I guess he’s trying to scare her into leaving him. I think?

Yea I really do not understand why people are saying, oooh this is hot. Uhm noooo. Not for me, darlings.

Episode 33

Oooh the reunion between uncle and nephew. This was what I was waiting for. I don’t care about the romance between Xie Wei and Ning’er (sorry guys), but this? Yes this is what I was waiting for. 🥰

The princess is so brave. Now that’s a heroine I love.

Uh. Do people actually find this hot? 😅 (Shudders)

Episode 34

Okay, apparently I spoke too soon. My heart is indeed icy and utterly irredeemable, at least in the ways of Xie Wei + Ning’er fans (I kid, I kid, please unseathe your claws).

Xie Wei demanding to know why Ning er is afraid him while roughly pulling her around and hand-grabbing her by the neck? I don’t know dude, take a wiiiild guess??

Then he forces her to stab him and says, “Now, can you not be afraid of me?”

Girl, run. And oh yeah, if a dude makes you stab him and declares that’s enough to help you get over your fear over him. Tis not romantic, my girlfriends.

Okay, really, I am legit confused why anyone would think these two are couple goals 🤪🥴 Are we even watching the same show? 😶

I guess red flag guys are not my thing. At all 😬

Episode 36

Half of me is hate watching Show. The other half is loving it.

People are complicated beings.

LOLOLOL.

—

Fans of Xie Wei and Ning’er – squee they did it! It’s so hawt!

Me:

Episode 40

So I just finished Story of Kunning Palace. And my feelings can be summed up here:

While I super liked how the Xue family got dispatched (I play those scenes on repeat, cackling to myself), a big part of me is glad that it was all over and I can now slam the door behind me.

What I like about the show

• The revenge plot was the one that kept me watching the show. It was engrossing and mysterious. I did not care for the romance between Xie Wei and Ning’er at all and wish they’d left it out.
• The plot really picked up after episode 13 or so, especially after they leave the palace study group. If you find yourself frustrated, try stick around for that long and re-evaluate. I had to take a break and then return.
• Interesting side characters that do not feel useless.
• Scary effective villains that you will absolutely loathe and wish dead.
• The fight choreography, while making some of them look like supermen, is chef’s kiss at times.
• A satisfying ending where everyone gets their just desserts. No quickie five second flashes here!

What I didn’t like

• I think the narrative structure isn’t great. More could be done to establish what Ning’er was like before her “rebirth” so that the viewers are invested in her efforts to change her past. The use of flashbacks can be very difficult to keep track of.
• Zhang Ling He’s voice acting leaves a lot to be desired. I like his voice, but he sounds far too flat and emotionless. Bai Lu’s voice acting isn’t good either. I felt that they should’ve been better dubbed.
• Although I understand why the modern-day snippets were included (to pacify China’s censorship), they were so jarring I choose not acknowledge their existence.
• You know what I regret? Not wearing sunglasses while watching it cos the director’s love for intense lense flares and for shining the damn light strainght into the viewer’s eyes was giving me migraines. And that was not an exaggeration. I was getting actual headaches!
• The drama’s final arc felt really rushed. The final confrontation with the bad guys didn’t look realistic at all. Zhang Zhe was just standing around looking confused. Why was he even there, really?
• The long internal monologues that Xuening has – am not a fan. Again, it shows that the narrative structure needs work if you have to rely on info dump devices like these.
• Some character arcs were left hanging – the romance between the crown prince and Ning’er’s sister for one. That’s it??
• The limited OST. Hearing the same songs again and again and…
• Xie Wei and Ning’er’s romance does not elicit warm, fuzzy feelings in me. It borders on toxic. (Look at the final review below for why I feel this way.)
• I’m sorry but Zhang Ling He may have potential, but he’s not amazing here. Slightly above average perhaps, but he overacted a few scenes. I kept fantasizing having other actors play Xie Wei. Liu Xie Yi or Cheng Yi perhaps. Oh what it could’ve been.

Thoughts about the ending

I am utterly, completely shocked that this ended happily and mushily. But I feel that a show like this should end tragically or in an open-ended way to be tonally consistent. And I’m saying this as a softie for happy endings! I’m evil, I know.

I would’ve probably liked it if I liked or rooted for the couple, but lordie this couple’s romance is so problematic the happy scenes just didn’t land.

Final review

I think there are perfectly understandable reasons why I was turned off by this show. Besides its technical and storytelling flaws, I disliked many of the tropes in this drama:

• Scheming palace ladies
• Reverse harem

And most of all, this: A physically and verbally aggressive male lead.

I’ll come out and say this: Xie Wei and Ning’er’s relationship is very unhealthy. It taps into the girlhood fantasy of “reforming your man”. Spoiler alert: You can’t reform men like that, girlfriends. Trust me. Leave that to a shrink.

I understand how some people may look at it as an “opposites attract” thing, or that “he had such a hard life and is traumatised”, but to me, they are not good enough excuses to justify this behaviour.

So, I found it hard to overlook Xie Wei’s aggressive expressions of “love”. I’ve never been a fan of this thing that seemed so popular in Kdramas and CDramas: the hand grabbing, the physical yanking, the forced kisses, yelling or rough handling.

Call me old fashioned, but I prefer my leading men to be respectful of their ladies and treat them as equals worthy of respect. No treating them like immature kids that need schooling. No disrespecting their decisions. No physical aggresion. If this is a big thing for you like it is for me, you will have a hard time embracing Story of Kunning Palace’s central romance. And since it makes a large part of the story, a big part of it would be unpalatable for you.

I don’t care if someone calls me “overly sensitive” for this, but we should never, ever glorify abuse between couples of any kind and call it romantic. This trope needs to die.

Okay, but are other aspects of the drama watchable at least?

So, let’s say you ignore the romantic aspects of this drama and focus on the puzzle that is Xie Wei and what happened 20 years ago. If you’re in the mood to solve a mystery without being spoonfed, this is the drama for you. If you want to park your brain one side and just experience something or be swept away by the story, this may not be for you.

In one forum I was at, someone said they actually created a chart to keep track of the plot threads in the story. If that’s your jam, great, but if you are annoyed that you have to do all the work, this is definitely not for you.

Another puzzle drama that I can think of that did a better job with flashbacks was Westworld, season 1. Viewers are not fed the story, we do not know what happened, we are plonked in the middle of the story. The forums went mad with theories. It turns out that the story was actually told out of order, and the flashbacks were actually a story told out of order.

This drama does get better after we leave the petty court politics of the noble ladies’ study club around episode 15 or so, and when the revenge plot finally starts getting going and our characters literally move out of the confines of the palace into the world.

So, yes, I have a complex love-hate relationship with this drama. And if you’re confused about where I stand, I don’t blame you.

Should I have dropped this drama? Well, I thought the revenge plot was worth sticking around for, but it did get wobbly towards the end.

As a revenge drama, it is good enough. As a romance, it is problematic. Veeery problematic. 😬 I will rate the revenge plot an 8. But the romance line would be an abysmal 5 for me.

So, while I consider this drama slightly above average in a busy Cdrama season, its popularity was iverblown. Why it has become so popular with international fans will be filed under the folder “mysteries of the universe that I will never understand.”

And despite how it managed to hold my attention, how intriguing the plot twists were and the emotional gravitas of the whole revenge … I cannot overlook its many technical flaws – the bad directing decisions, the choppy narrative, the bloated first half and the rush towards the end …

This was a difficult drama to rate.

Here’s my verdict:

Final Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

#25Stars #CDrama #cdramaReview #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #TV

We've seen it before; bumbling male scholar meets beautiful female demon. Scholar and demon fall in love and have to get out of the mess they've created for themselves. Quarreling demon hunters aid(?).

Enjoyable.

#CDramaReview #CDramas #TheEnchantingPhantom

(Personal note: WRONG GUY WON!)

Am I missing something because I'm a noob at c-drama? The costume design is weird, and the story doesn't really click together. It's an okayish watch, so I don't regret spending time on it though. I'd say it's a good 'scream and throw popcorn at the screen' movie, best watched with friends.

#CDrama #CDramaReview #WarriorsOfHeavenAndEarth