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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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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This review may contain spoilers
This drama drove me crazy. The first 30-40 episodes were PERFECT. I've never seen such a good first episode, I cried countless times watching it, but after she marries ML, the episodes only goes downhill.First, their relationship is very boring. FL clearly doesn't love him with the same intensity that he loves her (which I loved, I find it quite realistic and it adds to the dynamic), but he can't accept that; many episodes are him making a scene so she'll love him. And when he's not being annoying and dramatic for attention, their scenes are bland. In the last few episodes, I skipped all their interactions; it was unbearable.
And worse, not only is their relationship bad, but it makes the protagonist worse. She becomes dependent on him in a way that makes her seem stupid. Family problems? ML comes and saves the day. Argument? ML goes there to solve it. Problems managing the household? ML again. I like protagonists who are strong but realistic, and FL is exactly like that. She's a strong person, but sensible, and limited by her own circumstances. When she started taking the reins of the Shang household after the wedding, I liked it; I thought it would be a character development, going from an illicit daughter who accepts everything to a slightly tyrannical person who gets what she wants no matter what. But no, she remains in a submissive situation where she tries and doesn't try at the same time to assert herself.
That being said, I loved the characters' performances. Especially the great-grandmother, Lady Shang, and the protagonist's deceased mother.
They all manage to sell the character, especially the legitimate wife; her character development is perfect (until the end where everything starts to fall apart), where she doesn't hate FL, but she loves her own children more than anything, she resents her husband for having a mistress but still loves him... she's a complex character and, for me, the best in the drama.
That being said, from episode 1-30/45 more or less, the rating is ten stars. From there on, 3-4 stars.
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This review may contain spoilers
Watch this because of Zanilia Zhao. Stand to watch till the end because really curious how Ming Lan (ML) and Gu Ting Ye (GTY) end up together. Summary write by Jordan can't be more spot on. As Jordan say: "ML suffers from neglect from her family that make ML acknowledges the reality of her situation and the world she lives in and chooses to be smart about it instead of letting it define her. While GTY experiences a lot of abuse from his family" especially from his cunning step mother that make him into "straightforward with his actions and never hides his true self" Both ML and GTY quite cunning in their own way to survive their life.
What make me really can't wait to the end is really how ML and GTY end up together, because half of the drama we really can't get the grip how they will end up together. I skip it few times just to find out when & how exactly they end up together, but still rewind again and patient enough to watch full episode... ^_^
If you search for love episode between GTY & ML just jump to half of the drama. Because first half just explain to us how ML got her personality and 'knowledge'. GTY himself not so much screen time. Mostly about ML and her family. But the second half... OMG really bring tense to another level. Second half give us how ML used her 'knowledge' that she get from the first half to handle GTY family and to handle GTY problem with the emperor family.
What really funny is how sometimes GTY is really childish when he can't handle how ML is really closed herself up from him. And when ML angry with him, he even can smile or laugh.
Really shock about the truth ending of GTY slander by emperor. But impress how brave and crazy GTY really is. Really love the ending how the entire family (ML & GTY) unite together.
Cast: For me the cast really fit their role. Really choose perfectly for their role :)
Loved episode:
> When GTY Explain to ML how he cunningly make ML have no choice but to married her. And ML reaction when she tell her grandma really spot on. If i was ML i will feel the same. She said: "Firstly she really happy, because never expected there will be someone try that hard to win her over. Second she so mad like she want to slap him. Finally she afraid how to handle the cunning GTY." ^_^
Re-watch: Love to re-watch it again. Not from the beginning but only from GTY and ML end up together >.^
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