Fortunately there is a good cast and interesting characters, otherwise this wouldn’t work at all. But the cast of characters is so large that sometimes it takes half a scene before I figure out who they are. The romance is very slow-burn, but fun. The court intrigue is long and complex. The harem drama is among prominent families not the Emperor, but it’s no less bloody and scheming. A few bad guys are so over the top, you do wonder why ANYONE helps them.
If you’re in the mood for a luxuriously paced saga about a few families (with somecourt intrigue and fighting thrown in towards the second half), this is a good option.
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Updated Review at the bottom
The first two episodes will draw you into the storyline. Afterward, I just felt my life slipping away and could not bear to finish the series. First, there is no sever mistreatment that Minglan receives from her family, just pettiness. I would almost say it's very similar to Cinderella, her step-mother, and step-sisters. The antagonists are not sinister, just annoying and petty. Deal-breaker: There are many episodes of two characters talking almost half or three-fourths of the episodes with nothing exciting or essential that would genuinely help the development of the story. Honestly, you can fast-forward frequently and still get the gist of it all. I love historical plots, but this isn't it. It's hardly a romance. I would place it under the light romance category. I truly do not want to add any spoilers, but again some conversations last too long and scenes that could have ended within the first several minutes. This series could have completed within 20-30 episodes. It's painful to watch at times.Also, I don't know what was going on with the background music... It just added to my frustration. SMH. I was rooting for this series. Maybe I'll come back around to it after I've cultivated a few months. It sucked at least 5 hours out of me.
***I'll update when I have viewed the entire series.
During the quarantine, I did finish this series. The main characters' chemistry together melted my heart. It took a while, but I grew on me. Everything came to full circle.
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What Starts As a Thrilling Ride Dwindles Into Everybody Hates MingLan's Marriage
Episodes 1-45 = 10 🌟46- 73 = 1🌟
I completely enjoyed the first half, the second half after her marriage into Gu family was just annoyingly repititive, all kinds of clownish antagonists who didn't even make sense anymore. Seems like the writers just let loose a ton of psychos thinking like 1 year olds and stirring shit up just for kicks. Forcing a concubine the first time was understandable, the next 3-5 times were just so ridiculous even someone from 10 families away tried and nearly got away with it, really?
This left me with a sour taste in my mouth just like Yanxi Palace and I swore never to watch palace harem dramas ever again , as this was more of family slice of life I decided to give it a try but still ended up with a shitload of crap in the second half
I don't know what it is about Cdramas, very few maintain great stories and pacing to the end, unfortunately this was one of those. I used to be a stick it out to the end kinda gal but I've learned my bitter lesson so now, if it starts to go wonky I throw the entire drama away. I really tried even up to episode 60 to see a redeeming arc, something to light up the spark again but damn did this get out of hand, even villains who should have been set in their place 30 episodes ago were resurrected to display hair pulling, eye rolling levels of stupidity that even I couldn't stomach anymore and oh, it's never their fault, they're never wrong, it's always the MCs fault 😩🙄
Even Ming Lan the titular character seemed to lose the smarts that had me keeping late nights to catch up with in the beginning and just became a shadow of her former self, so consumed with "what people will say" or some other dumb shit
As for the romance aspect, I expected her to at least reciprocate the depth of love GTY showed her at least 10 episodes earlier. Damn girl I know you had a hard life but can't you SEE how much you mean to him? All of a sudden Ming Lan who can see and read people's intents 10 miles away suddenly didn't UNDERSTAND what love is, she was literally like a log of wood in all intimate scenes with her hubby and only loosened up after all hell had broken loose. This was super underwhelming for a freaking 73 EPISODE drama.
All in all I'll give this a 6, infact 5 as I'm already getting super annoyed typing up this rant, sorry, review 🙄
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This review may contain spoilers
My first 10!
So, I stumbled upon this drama and since I hadn't heard much about it, I was not expecting it to be better than the typical period Chinese drama. Boy, was I wrong! I had been so used to watching dramas in which there is little to no character development, but this drama has perfect character development. So much so, that within the first 6 episodes, I had to take it easy (I wanted to hurry up and get to the first conflict), but then I relaxed, and by episode 6 I started to really enjoy every episode. This was the first drama that I couldn't figure out who the male lead was right off the bat, and I loved the pleasant surprise when I finally figured it out. I had been rooting for him!I am on episode 41, so I hadn't yet finished the drama at the time that I am writing this review. I admire the relationship between the female and male lead because it's so different than other romantic period/historical c & k dramas. Both the female and male lead had hardships and setbacks for most of their life (before marriage), and through those hardships they overcame societal pressures. In most dramas, one of the leads is usually rich & perfect, while the other is usually poor/middle class & has a major character flaw. Although, this is just a drama, the characters are so relatable; I love the way the male lead handled stress and pressure (specifically between episodes 20-41),and the beautiful smile he has (wow)! I love the fact that in his marriage, he didn't care about following the rules of his artostricatic family, nor did he expect his wife to do so. This is so crazy but it kind of gave me a realistic hope for the future in my personal life. I am about to get a little personal, but I think it will make this review so much better. I realized this year that I had been following what I thought I was supposed to do, and like, because it's what everyone does. For example, would I celebrate valentine's day with my future husband because it's meaningful to me? or would I do it because it's what couples do? The point that I am making is like the male and female lead in episodes 39-41 had decided to live in their marriage freely while respecting one another, I will do the same! The only con is the concubine's cry and baby-like behavior between episodes 6-34. I admit, I forwarded over a scene or two because I got tired of hearing her whining lol. Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by this drama. There's only one other drama that I've watched that I'd give a rating of a 10 to, and it's Mr. Queen!
UPDATE:
WOW! The two leads were married to one another in real life. Also, she is the lead in Princess Agents, another Chinese drama that I enjoyed.
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Awesome life drama
Awesome beautifuly done series with ZERO stupid female characters that are quite likely to see in c-dramas lately. Story is complex, dynamic and interesting to watch. Director and actors did a great work where feelings shown naturaly without awkwooĺrdness or overplaying wich is rare. Highly recommend for watching.Was this review helpful to you?
Also that the theme and end song didn't spoil things was so good too!!
It takes a few EPs to get into but that scheming and the many plot twists.. and that ultimately the main characters end very happily and are so smart made me so glad!
I loved loved loved Ming lan and Gu Tingye's growing love and the very real chemistry they had. It was just lovely.
I also adored Ming Lan's relationship with her beloved grandmother. So sweet.
Definitely recommend even despite the 73 episodes. Well worth it!
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My friend and I would literally gush while watching our two main leads together. We were shipping them so hard and later searched if they were dating. AND OMG THEY WERE ALREADY MARRIED IN REAL LIFE. Their chemistry on screen is from them being real life hubby and wifey T_______T
Everything is perfect except two things:
(1) the worst thing about this show is the weird music. Actually, it's the weird sound effects where I don't know if the scene is supposed to be serious or light? The sound effect becomes distracting.
(2) long conversations that could be shortened--the time spent on theses conversations could've been used on something better like giving us more scenes between our two leads.
Once I got used to the direction of the story, I started hitting the fast-forward button during the "screaming women" or "conniving women" scenes.
Funnily enough, our female lead's dad is the worst person in that world. Ambivalence really is quite despicable. Makes me question my own values now.
Our titular character doesn't become the main focus until like... episode 15? I don't remember when exactly, so expect that.
I look forward to RE-watching this in the future! :D Lol
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This review may contain spoilers
"The Story of Ming Lan" is a drama about the life of Shen Ming Lan.Ming Lan is the daughter of a concubine. Both she and her mother are mistreated by their relatives, surviving on next to nothing, until one day her mother dies giving birth, due to an evil scheme by another concubine. Ming Lan then goes to live with her grandmother, the only person besides her mother who loves and treats her well.
Time passes, Ming Lan grows up and falls in love with Yuan Ruo, a young man she grew up with. However, their relationship ultimately fails, as Yuan Ruo is the son of a former princess, who refuses to accept her son with a mere concubine. She marries Ting Ye, someone who helped her when she was a child and saved her on numerous occasions. He becomes the support, the partner Ming Lan needed, someone who is always by her side and defends her in everything and to everyone.
The romance between Ming Lan and Ting Ye is so sweet, they have great chemistry on screen, and one of the things I liked most was that the drama focuses heavily on their relationship, forming the foundation for the entire story. We see Ming Lan slowly falling in love with Ting Ye. At first, he's clearly the one who loves her most, but by the end of the drama, Ming Lan nearly sacrifices herself to save Ting Ye, showing how things have changed.
Ming Lan is incredible in every way. She's one of the best characters I've ever seen in a drama, an independent, strong, and audacious woman who goes after what she wants and doesn't stay silent when she sees injustice. She avenged her mother's death by setting a trap for Mo Lan's mother. When they tried to do the same to her friend as they did to her mother, Ming Lan was a total badass, preventing a tragedy, and she did it while pregnant, without any fear. Then they poisoned her grandmother. Everyone wanted to cover it up because her grandmother wasn't related by blood to any of them, but Ming Lan wouldn't let that happen. She fought tooth and nail and saved her grandmother. A total badass!
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This review may contain spoilers
Excells within the limitations set by its storytelling's purpose
I'll begin by citing the most obvious flaw that might deter most people: The pacing.The first half moves at a glacial pace, what could've been done in 10 episodes is instead stretched to 20. This first half is more of a slice-of-life ensemble show, we get to meet the different families that we'll follow, we get to see their dynamics within their homes (especially parent-child) and with each other (their place in the hierarchy), the cultural practices and beliefs that dominate this time period and we get to see Minglan as an underdog that hides her skills and intelligence in the name of self-preservation.
Thankfully once the second half starts (marked by her getting rid of those awful bangs), the pace picks up considerably. This is because the playing field has gotten more dangerous and requires bolder moves, and Minglan now has more power and agency to make the moves herself.
Story:
Your standard underdog female character in a harem drama. No surprising twists or deviations that make this drama standout but it is adequately engaging and entertaining.
The FL doesn’t make moves that are too smart or beyond her capability, nor is she gifted a strong plot armor. Similarly, her allies help her with skills and power that is suitable to their status.
The traps set by her enemies are simple enough (which is a positive) but dangerous enough to raise the stakes and create tension.
The ML is also given a good independent story/emotional arc that familiarizes us with him even though his love story with the FL will take a while to unfold.
The ending is a bit rushed.
Themes:
- Parents’ duty towards their children: “If you love your child, you must prepare their future”.
A nice theme to explore in a society that emphasizes filial piety. We see a range of mothers who love their children but have different visions as to what constitutes a good future, sometimes ones that run counter to the desires of said children. The skills and teachings they bestow upon their daughters (and sons) play an important role in shaping these children’s decision-making and their ability to secure a good future.
- The blood thread that ties people together:
We saw many examples of how blood relatives aren’t necessarily a boon or a treasure but often a dead weight and sometimes a malicious existence that forces many of the characters into making decisions that go against what they wish for.
- Women must be kept away from power:
Giving the sheer amount of women that misuse their power and who our "heroes" must stand against, it is hard to call it a coincidental choice on the part of the writers.
Acting:
Every actor delivers a solid performance but the older cast is a standout. The actors who portrayed the grandmother, the father and the main mother are excellent, infusing their characters with much life.
Zhao Li Ying portrays a delightful Shen Minglan, adorable and frail but whose strength and boldness emerge in critical times. The character in the second half retains these characteristics but with a more confident air.
Feng Shao Feng does right by Gu Tingye, giving him the necessary charisma and volatile air this character needs.
Costumes:
I don’t know if they were historically accurate or not (and I rarely care for this aspect) but I thought they did the required job of being consistent enough and lending a “period piece” feel to the drama. I was never impressed however.
Music:
Unremarkable for the most part. I really like “Don’t You Know” by Hu Xia and Yu Kewei though.
By any measure, it is a perfectly decent and entertaining drama with a colorful cast.
Now to the main critique:
Stories like this one are a dime a dozen. I might not have watched many but I have read many. Many mediocre, some average and some even good. Minglan is of the good variety. So it gets a 7 but no more.
My main critique of Minglan is actually a critique of the philosophy underpinning these stories.
A young girl/woman is born into a noble house where the father is neglectful and the wife/concubines are running amok. She is disadvantaged in some manner (dead legal mother, an unfavored legal mother, an unfavored concubine mother, a dead unfavored concubine mother, etc.) and thus is the victim of a grand atrocity committed by one of those rogue harem women. But our heroine is smart and resourceful, talented and special (unlike her half-sisters) so she bides her time, sharpens her claws and awaits the right time to strike and get revenge. She side-steps the traps set for her and thwarts the plans of her enemies. In the meantime, she forms a connection with the ML (usually of bad repute -could be fake or real -, of upper status, has great power and is secretly a devout monogamist who's just waiting for his one true love to commit to) who will marry her and they become a power couple. Together, they take on the other aristocratic families (sometimes even the imperial one), emerge victorious and lead a life of bliss and peace.
If one would pay attention, they will notice that our heroine's enemies are almost exclusively women and she deals them the cruelest of fates. The men, inexplicably, despite being at the top of the power pyramid and whose neglect/unfair treatment leads directly to the death of many women, receive a stern talk at most. All the ire is directed at the women. To make this ire acceptable to the audiences, to make them crave it even, the writers would often opt to portray these women in a manner that is so absurdly detached from their lived reality giving us the audience and our heroine the moral superiority by being “not trouble seekers” and thus justifying the miserable endings of these “bad” women. Whatever fate befalls these “bad” women, they have earned it.
At its very core, it is a patriarchal power fantasy.
Patriarchal storytelling portrays women's evil as an incomprehensible and unique force of nature that they are born with and leads to great chaos unless contained, thus the necessity of keeping women under strict control and subjugated. In these stories, the harem system is a perfectly acceptable and functioning system, it is these women who cause trouble by being irrationally evil. Had they been “good” women, all would have been perfect. This where our heroine steps in, she must straighten them out and get rid of these evil doers! And if your story falls within the benevolent patriarchy territory, you might see your heroine give the men a stern lecture.
The Story Of Minglan is patriarchal. Hell, we even get a mini "false rape accusations ruin men's lives".
Many of the female characters act in an illogical manner and their plans are consistently motivated by inexplicable jealousy.
Concubine Lin killing her mother makes no sense as she is heavily favored with a son and a daughter in tow.
Zhu Manniang’s motivation remains a mystery to me, I initially thought she was spy sent by Gu Tingye’s stepmother but she's not, she's just a hateful and crazy woman who abandons a man who cares for her with no prospects in view, I might have understood if she left him for a richer man but she didn't.
Lady Kang picks up a fight with a married Minglan for no good reason, they have no history nor any ompeting interests with each other. She's just Satan incarnate i guess.
Tingye's stepmother has a seemingly compelling back-story but the writer has no interest in exploring her mindset.
Cong Xing’s concubine doesn’t even try to hide her attempt to murder his wife and unborn child.
It’s one thing to have one or two characters act in an irrational malicious manner, but most of the female cast?!
I suspect the director is aware of these shortcomings, hence the reason all these actresses were asked to deliver the most unhinged-over-the-top-crazy-woman performance that they could manage (and they did very well) so the entertainment value would obscure the terrible writing for these characters.
Further exacerbating this trend, almost every woman who manages to gain some effectual power misuses it in some manner. So the need to strip her of said power becomes a moral imperative. By the end, the men are the only ones in charge.
By contrast, the men are treated as innocent lambs who only commit minor infractions like: being neglectful husbands and fathers, slapping their wives and daughters, being womanizers, visiting legal rape centers (brothels and prostitution houses), letting their daughters suffer at the hands of abusive men, etc. Whatever they might have done, it is nothing that a stern lecture and regretful look can't fix. You are forgiven. The women though? The most hellish punishment.
This is why Molan's ending didn't upset me, if that terrible father of hers gets to live happily ever after, she can at least be forgiven (she's already stuck with that husband of hers which a harsher punishment than most of the men have received).
An attempt at feminist storytelling, in other words one that is rooted in the belief that women are human beings, would have humanized these women. It would have afforded them the dignity of creating realistic events and realistic mindsets that would explain how these humans came to be this way and why they make the choices that they make, however evil they may be. It would not have glossed over the men. At the very least, Minglan would have found a way to punish her father. It is especially egregious when this drama pays lip service to women's pain and how women are positioned to be punished while the men gain it all, only to delight in the destruction of these women. Something that i also want to remark upon is the sheer amount of slurs thrown at women (bitch, slut, whore), it is very unsettling. I don't know if it's a translation choice or original to the story but it's awful.
Minglan is what benevolent patriarchy considers a “virtuous/good woman": A competent woman who saves the worst for the women, lectures the men for not being proper patriarchs who lead their women and keep them from causing chaos, and respects the institution of marriage and harem. For that, she is rewarded with the monogamist ML who loves her so much.
So you see, this is a power fantasy. One for patriarchal women who wish they could play the system and win while not making any effort to buck it. They might make some comments on how women suffer or live unfair lives, but those comments are only said to mask their monstrous loyalty to the system.
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An outstanding drama - A little bit of history told in the most entertaining fashion ...
An outstanding drama, has everything one can look for in a costume drama, the story is compellingly captivating, offering an insight into past bygone times, a little bit of history told in an entertaining fashion, driving the message home that likened to the Horrible Science/History Educational series, excellently done.Exceptional Acting throughout, from leading roles to supporting casts, from the laugh out loud bits, the silently shredding a tear moments to the screaming kicking and throwing ones fists in the air ... never mind the acting, feel the joys, sorrows and anger and immersed in the moment.
The visuals are impressive, stunning to the smallest detail, it is a drama that like a good bottle of wine, matures over time, and like a good bottle of wine, it is to be savoured ...
I have simply lost count how many times I have re-watched this drama, yet still found myself enjoying each re-watch immensely .. absolutely superb ..
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A story of girlhood, motherhood and love
I had tried starting this numerous times but I was finally able to brave through the first 3 episodes and was able to start enjoying the show. We follow the story of Ming Lan and her family in the unstable Northern Song Dynasty. The show does not try to shy away from the harsh realities of being a woman during this dynasty. We learn what women must do to survive, their hopes, dreams and nightmares. We see their commitment to their families and the constraint they feel. We see their desperation to escape the fate of their concubine mothers. We watch them fall in and out of love. We watch their destinies intertwined with politics and being used as pawns. We watch them long for stability in a patriarchal setting. Mothers and daughters are both desperate to keep themselves safe and ensure they can make it in a man's world. Even the female villains were well written and displayed as victims of the patriarchy rather than just evil women.SPOILER STARTS HERE
The only flaw I find with the show is the character decline of Ming Lan after she gives birth and the sharks start swimming in on her home. The marquis is in danger and her reasoning is flawed and is repeatedly pointed out by other characters. They all claim it is because she cares too much. I find that reasoning stupid considering she was able to confront her Grandmother's attempted killers and her mother's killer and exact revenge. She cared for both very much and it is shown to us how much she loved those two women who shaped her.
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Riveting story & sweet romance
I skipped over this drama due to the synopsis and the length of the drama and I’m kicking myself for that! It’s such a good drama!The story is very deep and interesting. There’s political intrigue, cute side couples, romance, comedy, and great fight scenes. It has a little of everything.
The first part of the drama fills us in on the main characters lives growing up and sets the stage for the rest of the drama. It sounds boring but it’s really very interesting. The second part of the drama brings the main leads together and highlights their romance. The third part of the drama is filled with political intrigue along with more romance and side couples.
I like that this drama has a male lead that is very dedicated to the female lead and always has her back no matter what. And his obsession with wanting the female lead to get jealous or possessive over him is adorable to watch.
Don’t let the length of this drama hold you back. It’s really good and is one of the rare dramas that I have rewatched
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