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Emotionally charged historical journey
The first few episodes were a bit of hit and miss for me as the sets did not look realistic enough and the acting was a bit stiff. Stick with it and you’ll soon be rewarded with nicer looking sets, mesmerising costumes and an engaging storyline as the romance starts building up.It was interesting to see that most of the villains were not totally evil and had their own reasons for their actions and that they too had their own suffering. Because the drama is set over many decades, you could also see some characters going through many different changes, some for the better and some for the worst. While I hated Princess Ya, her heart-to-heart talk with Hao Lan and her love realisation in the end touched me.
I also enjoyed the many reveals throughout showed which gave an insight into how clever some of the characters were especially Lv Buwei, Hao Lan and Prince Yiren. They not only worked together towards a common goal but also did their fair share of baiting each other for different purposes (eg putting a hole in the Queen’s bedroom so she would have to stay at the King’s palace and she leaving the palace knowing he would come after her to bring her back). Even villains like the evil Zhao Queen was captivating as she understood so much more than the Zhao King and executed so many smart moves.
It’s a man’s world… such a sad underlying theme that many of female characters lamented. Although noble by birth or living as a princess, consort or queen, it was heart breaking to see how they were not happy primarily because of the many restrictions they faced and how their destiny was controlled by men in power.
The more I got pulled into this drama, the more emotional I got whenever I heard the opening theme song. Despite not understanding the lyrics, I teared up every time I heard the sad melody and haunting vocals.
One of the best writing in this drama was when Lv Buwei had his final conversation with the King of Qin. One of the most memorable (and frustrating) moment for me is how the King of Qin settled things on his own leading to Hao Lan misunderstanding him. I felt so sad for her as she was not able to get proper closure.
When the drama continued on with Hao Lan’s son ascending the throne, it became less engaging for me but still ok as I was curious to see how closely the story would follow the historical records.
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AMAZING DRAMA!I have seen so many political and historical dramas but this has got to be my most favourite one. It was somewhat dark but showcases the harsh reality of royal families. Jealousy, backstabbing, scheming, revenge etc are conducted by the people in such a way that you cannot but feel angry and sorry at the same time for those people.
In my opinion it should be rated higher. The plot, acting, visual everything was absolutely top notch. Some people may dislike the drama because of the scheming and double sided characters. But in my opinion this is what makes the drama good. It doesn't make the audience believe that the lead characters are saints rather shows them as people who struggle to survive and use desperate methods for self survival. Not necessarily bad people but not also saint like and these are real characteristics of royals, power seeking, struggling people.
Another important factor is how the women are showcased. They are shown as evil, attention seeking people. At the beginning every single scheming woman makes you boil with rage. But eventually they have the same ending and the only reason is because they are born as women, they lack power and have no choice but to listen to their willful husbands throughout their lives. You cannot but feel sorry for them.
The character of Haolan is so inspirational. Even though she was born as a woman she refused to yield to her fate and refused to be controlled by other people. Exempted from family, sold as slave, being misunderstood by people as traitor, as a cheater,losing loved ones and ultimately was misunderstood by her own son. Even after encountering so many hardships she doesn't lose faith, nor does she lose herself.
I absolutely loved loved the drama. I highly recommend it to everyone.
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Depressing
I was reluctant to let go of the characters from Story of Yanxi Palace and was hoping The Legend of Haolan would sate said longing. WRONG!I understand this was an adaptation of true events which meant the writers and creators were restricted in what could be changed, however, the plot was needlessly dragged out with each episode seemingly a reoccurrence of the previous one. Li Hao Lan, the titular character, was played by one of the best Chinese actresses yet even she couldn't breathe life into such a mundane character who was 1-D and completely inept at palace schemes. Time and time again, she's framed for some crime and is saved by either of the two male leads and obviously, this got old very quickly. The actors were hampered by the bad script and nothing could save the series from being average.
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So much potential but ruined
The most unsatisfying ending ever!!!!!!!To commit 62 episodes to get to this end is deeply unsatisfying. I really felt betrayed by the scriptwriters for ending it this way. There were so many ways to tie this up with a bow even if they did not want a happy ending. But they didn't even bother to.
I can totally understand why this show was so heavily criticized. Yes, this is not Yanxi Palace - that is hard to live up to.
But this ending ... omg - What a waste of my time!
Also, structurally way too long in the first two thirds. It takes 40 episodes for Hao Lan to get to Qin. That could've been cut in half - too much repetition on the same plot. Each episode, someone somewhere in the palace tries to kill Hao Lan. The trio (Hao Lan, Lu Buwei, Yiren) finds a way out. Next episode - rinse and repeat.
Ok, perhaps I have been overly critical ... so here is what I loved about the show:
It was really about the triangle between the trio of Hao Lan, Lu Bu Wei and Yiren - complex relationship that was just 10/10 each time any of the three interacted with each other. All were equals. I loved all three of them.
However, I felt there was way too much time spent on developing the supporting characters, many of whom were just increasingly annoying - Princess Ya for example. Awful!
The title is called the Legend of Hao Lan, and we did not get enough of Hao Lan. The last 20 episodes was her tucked away somewhere.
So overall, the potential was there with this cast and plotline, but the balance of the structure and build up, as well as an absolutely unsatisfying ending left me feeling betrayed and angry.
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My opinion
I decided to watch this because there is the actress Wu JinYan that I especially love and I really haven't been disappointed.I loved the characters a lot and their developements whether they are kind or nasty.
The characters I loved the most are :
- Haolan, an heroine with a strong personnality who don't let people walk all over her
- Yiren/Zichu, he is a very complex and interesting character
- the princess Ya, a very complex chatacter too that I couldn't destest because she touched me so much
- Yin Xiaochun who despite all the ordeals stay med loyal to Haolan and stand up with her until the end
I informed myself a bit and discovered that some characters had really existed (Yiren/Zichu, Haolan, Lu Buwei, the lord Anguo, Lao Ai, Zheng'er ...) and that some moments of the drama are from true events that really happened.
The story is really interesting, full of unforeseen developements and well tied. However you have to have a good memory to watch this drama because there are a lot of characters (when I say a lot it's really a lot !!!).
About the characters, some of them had big ego or mental problems ... people of sound mind would never do things like that. I've just been a little bit disappointed by the end (the star less) which wasn't really understandable and which, in my opinion, has been a bit botched but it's still a correct ending.
In conclusion this is a good drama where the characters are never pure as the driven snow and with an interesting scenario. I would say it's a drama to see for those who are fond of historical c-dramas and who have already seen some of them, I wouldn't recommend it for someone who has never watched any historical c-dramas. However this a classic to watch a day ;)
(Spoiler : If you want to watch the "sequel" of this drama go watch King's Woman which relate the story of Zheng'er, Haolan and Yiren/Zichu's son, and 1st emperor of unified China)
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A masterpiece that was ruined by the 1st half's unending failed escape attempts | Excellent ending
"If you want to live, put on an armor and fight, and not try to gain sympathies here." - Lu BuweiFirst, I must thank God and the heavens for granting me the unyielding tolerance required to get past the blood-boiling and overly frustrating first half of this drama. Without such patience, I might have dropped this after the first ten episodes and would have missed the opportunity to witness the intricate beauty and excellence of this story—a greatness that can only be appreciated after successfully enduring that excruciating experience.
What killed this drama's first half for me were their multiple attempts at making their plans succeed—which never happened. And as the time went by, I just ended up getting so tired and done of their continuous failed escape attempts. I wanna say that the first 30 episodes have been nothing but an infuriating experience. I have never felt the urge to drop a drama multiple times in a row in almost two years, and this drama successfully did that. Heck! I never skipped scenes in a drama, but I did here. I never let any information leave my sight without reading it, but I did here. And lastly, I never played a game while watching a drama, but I did here. Ghad, it was really an arduous task to finish the crap out of this drama's first 30 episodes, and I just want to pat myself on the back for a job well done!
The first five episodes are the most crucial part of the story, as they introduce the plot, set the mood, and establish the quality of the drama. However, this production simply failed to deliver that. period. The arrangement of events and circumstances felt lacking, ineffective, and dull. I understand they wanted to set up the FL (Li Haolan's) growth through hardships and suffering, but the execution was so repetitive and boring that I ended up hating it. I hated that she kept being dragged into the same situation again and again. Although she knew how to fend for herself, she still felt incapable and powerless as the main character. Mind you, she remained in that stagnant position of being oppressed almost throughout the entire first half. Can you imagine how frustrating that is?
"A romantic net can trap him for a while, but not forever." - Li Haolan (Pertaining to Lu Buwei)
In addition, she got this loathsome loverboy (Lu Buwei) to deal with—one that is fickle, insensitive and disingenuous. This man constantly sabotages his own opportunities and betrays his true feelings. He is a hypocrite who says one thing but does another, speaking of love in a way that is the complete opposite of what he truly feels in his heart. He constantly deceives himself, but when his actions backfire, he shifts the blame to others. He is a manipulative, money-driven, and goal-oriented individual. While he may be skilled at business, his escape plans are woefully inadequate. They are never foolproof and always contain a loophole that enemies exploit to infiltrate and spoil them. Furthermore, he never develops any countermeasures. Dang! He's actually one of the main reason why the first half was so unbearable. /Sighs/
One thing that heavily consoled and pushed me to continue watching this show is knowing that Ying Yiren's gonna be the end game and not Lu Buwei! A spoiler that kept me motivated all throughout.
That being said, all I can say is that at least my suffering and endurance became all worth it in the end. Even though the first half has been nothing but a constant tragedy, I am just glad that the latter half became a perfection I had never anticipated for this show. I guess, I will just treat the 1st half as a lesson that they must go through in order to learn and succeed...because if I don't do that, I might butcher my rating for the "Story" category. LOL
I know that I've written so much about the first half and not much about the second half, and that is only because the latter half has been a complete masterpiece to me! I got no complains at all. Like, none! It was the saving grace who lift this show from the utter slump and raised it to the pedestal where it should be—only if they didn't fumbled and fucked up the preceding part.
The ending. Everything about the finale was perfect to me. It seemed like they squeezed and poured all their creative juices in order to create the cream of the crop, as compensation for the nightmare they brought along in the earlier part.
Lu Buwei: You are entrusting the Crown Prince and court affairs, but how about the Queen?
Ying Yiren: You don't know how much she loves me. She doesn't have regards for you.
I also just wanna mention how satisfied I am with the method used by Ying Yiren to have Haolan remember him as long as she lives. It was the most cruel and heartless way but also the most effective. If not, I can see Haolan slowly softening and accepting Lu Buwei's advances in a mater of 5-10 years.
Anyways, below is my favorite line of spite and grudge for Yiren. It expresses her love, regret and hatred all at the same time.
"Zichu. I will not forgive you. For the rest of my life, I will not forgive you." - Li Haolan
Lastly, I just want to share some ideas against male chauvinism and sexism, which is one of my favorite aspects of this story. They delivered it flawlessly and I'm impressed!
× Men creates war and uses women to pacify/cease it (via peace marriage).
× Men's fights for the throne were viewed as a sign of bravery and determination, while women's imperial struggles were commonly viewed as disruptive and ridiculous.
P.S. I was quite baffled to see a good number of actors from Yanxi Palace in this production. It felt rather awkward at first since I jumped right into this after watching SOYP.
Story - 8.5, I am overly conflicted about this rating because the first half completely threw me off. However, the second half was like a switch that changed the trajectory of the entire story into a masterpiece I never expected it to be. Nonetheless, I will be the bigger person and treat the forepart as the rough yet crucial section that was beneficial in making the story the perfection it ultimately became.
Acting/Cast - 9.5, I am astonished about the casts since most of them are familiar faces I just watched from Yanxi Palace and at the same, overjoyed that we got Mao Zi Jun as the ML and not Nie Yuan. Haha! The delivery and execution are great but them casting most of the actors from Yanxi Palace just made this show quite awkward and weird for me to watch at first.
Music - 8.0, In all honesty, i failed to notice most of the BGMs because of how irritated I was of this show. However, I do recall liking the opening and ending theme.
Rewatch Value - 7.0, I am only willing to rewatch the second half and this rating is purely out of consideration of how impressive that was. I'm afraid it would drop to 5 or lower if we talk about the disappointing first half.
Overall - 8.5, I wanna make it higher, but looking back on how I suffered just to finish the first 30 episodes makes me feel the frustration all over again. So I guess this rating is the perfect score for this show. This is with all due respect and consideration of how excellent the second half was.
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.
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Superb Drama
This is a superb drama by far in terms of Chinese series' standards. Fantastic storytelling though how I wish the end was extended a little bit for another two or three episodes. Great choice of cast and the hair and make-up were not bad. Normally I complain how the Chinese stylists do the hairdos of the actors specifically. I did't notice a lot of white pasty looking faces which is always a common faux pas of Chinese make-up artists. I understand the East Asians obsession of having fair complexion but if the face is too pale than the arms, neck and ears then for me it's fake. I'd rather watch a drama with the artists' real skin color that also reflect in their make-up. I know it's cultural but it bothers and distract me from focusing on the drama.Indeed it's a story of "try and try until you succeed." To which I refer to Lu Buwei, Yiren and Haolan's many unsuccessful attempts to escape. I like Lu Buwei's character of nonchalant's attitude towards impossibility. Nothing's impossible if you really work on it. And I love his life's motto. Of course this series doesn't really depict the actual events because god knows what really happened during those periods. Without proper historical records and there's always two sides of the story so one can only depend on the creators' mind in romanticizing this series. I would have like them to explore a little about Haolan's affair with Lao 'Ai. But China's censorship is very strict to the point of limiting the creativity of the artists. In my understanding Haolan was unapologetic about it and I like it. There's always double standard for women who behave this way but men are regarded otherwise.
I love history that's why I love watching historical shows. It's only last year that I started watching Chinese tv series. They have a lot of great plots in their dramas but I can say there's only really few that are executed well. And The Legend of Haolan is one of those. I wonder if this one was created in Hollywood or by the Brits it would definitely have some juicy scenes between Yiren & Haolan, Haolan & Lu Buwei, Haolan & Lao'Ai. They would have explored the darker side of the story which would have been extremely interesting. Alas! Chinese censorship overrules everything.
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Unusual story
Many reviews already gave this series a well deserved praise for acting, plot, and many more and I agree with them. So I have to point to something else, which I haven't seen discussed yet - the series' themes. This show is absolutely devoid of typical c-drama's flaws: empty promise of violence, lack of consequences, perfect lovebirds, etc. The setting is the most violent period of China's history and in this series it lives up to its name. There are no "good" characters, everyone, including main leads, are truly psychopathic in unimaginable ways. People destroy each other just because, slaves - because it's easy, equals - because it's a good challenge. Everyone kills without remorse. Women destroy men they claim to love, men betray women they claim to love. Desire (which is sold under the name of "love") changes people for worse. Any sentimentality is meaningless and will be outweighed by what really moves characters - greed, revenge, ambition. I've never seen characters this devoid of gratitude and this cold to any traditional human values. They won't spare anyone, a game is a game. This show also breaks the illusion that a virtuous and good woman will raise a good son. One woman, regardless of her personal virtues, cannot change society and her son will grow up to be unruly, brutal and misogynistic man. That said, no woman in Legend of Haolan is virtuous, it's an impressive assemble of awful female characters, each is poisonous in her own way. From cruel bullies to manic cutthroats, from homicidal lunatics to vile liars, this show has it all.It's unusual story with beguiling characters. I recommend those of you who dislikes bland historical fiction to watch it!
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Hao Lan’s Legacy: Power, Sacrifice, and the Cost of Love
This drama is one of those rare ones that pulls you into a full-blown love-hate relationship with it. I loved it for its rich storyline, layered characters, and emotional pull—but I hated how it fell back on that old trope of men needing multiple wives. That part always grates on me, no matter how often I see it in historical dramas.The story is inspired by real historical figures, particularly the female lead, Hao Lan, whose life was intertwined with the power struggles of the Warring States period. Of course, the scriptwriters took creative liberties—changing certain events, adding characters, and dramatizing relationships to heighten the emotion—but the essence of her story still carries the weight of history and heartbreak.
What stood out most to me was Hao Lan’s relationship with the King. From the very beginning, he was her protector, shielding her when few dared to stand by her. His love felt genuine, and for a time, it seemed unbreakable. But as he gained more power, greed began to erode the bond they once shared. It was tragic to watch him lose himself in ambition, and in doing so, lose her too.
I also wish the writers had developed the subplot between the doctor and the general more fully. There was so much emotional potential there—moments that hinted at deeper loyalty, compassion, and unspoken love—but the story moved past it too quickly.
One of the most touching parts of the drama was when Hao Lan’s son fell in love with a servant. That relationship echoed his father’s early love for Hao Lan—a beautiful parallel that tied the generational theme together.
However, what truly left me frustrated was how the male lead’s story unfolded after his return to Qin. Despite all that Hao Lan had endured for him, he took another woman to satisfy his mother and the royal court, fathering another son while Hao Lan remained in Zhao with their child. When he finally rose to power as Emperor, he never had more children with Hao Lan, and even in his final moments, he denied her the chance to say goodbye.
Historically, it’s said that he suffered greatly during his years as a hostage, leaving him in poor health for much of his life. But the drama portrayed his final act as one of cold detachment—ordering that all memories and gifts tied to Hao Lan be destroyed upon his death. It was a cruel end to what once felt like an extraordinary love.
I didn’t give this drama a perfect 9 because, once again, the ending felt rushed—especially the final three episodes. After such strong storytelling throughout, it was disappointing to see the conclusion handled so hastily. Still, The Story of Hao Lan remains a captivating blend of history, love, and tragedy—a reminder that even the greatest of romances can be undone by power and pride.
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I liked the premise. One ambitious woman (Li Hao Lan) and two men who love her - one older merchant (Lu Bu Wei) who has shifty morals and will sacrifice anything to win, and a prince (Ying Yi Ren) who tries his best to act with decency and honor. Which path will she choose?
By Episode 15, however, I had lost patience. Lu Bu Wei had attempted the same scheme numerous times, claimed that he was going to betray and ditch her multiple times, DID leave her behind, and then she still had to help rescue him and appears to be attracted to him.
Ying Yi Ren always protests about Lu Bu Wei 's morals, but always goes along for the good of his kingdom - and the pattern repeats.
As a result, I rapidly got fed up with all of them - and the tension no longer held my interest.
I have other criteria I score by:
Complex Themes - 8
(The themes are introduced regarding ambition, loyalty to romantic love vs. kingdom and family, revenge, betrayal etc. but it never moves forward)
Character Growth -3
(It felt like it was never going anywhere)
Nuanced Women -5
(There were plenty of women in significant roles, but they tended to be all typical dramatic stereotypes)
Cinematography/Production Values - 7
(A lot of money was spent, but it doesn't have the creative beauty of Yanxi Palace or the sweeping outdoor shots of Nirvana in Fire 2. The costumes are all a boring cream/white/gold up through Episode 15 )
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Let me save you hours of watching
Just a waste of everyone’s time.Petty plots and scheming are drawn out for no reason for the first 20+ episodes. Honestly, I enjoyed the parts where women of the harem covertly had hands in politics/war. They spent too much time dwelling on petty schemes in the harem with no actual consequence but just so the FL is shown suffering. Logic seems to be thrown out the window just so that our FL and her pimp are seen as cunning and “smart”. None of the decisions make sense for anyone with sense.
I’m not one to judge characters. I love grey characters but Haolan is too much of a hypocrite. She kills her sister (justified) but is upset when Lu Buwei kills that girl at the banquet. She gets upset at Yiren for not betraying his country when she has committed several traitorous acts for him and Lu Buwei. The only reasonably written characters that make sense to me seem to be Lady Li and Princess Qionghua.
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