Renascence

For those who like male lead

I watched the drama Renascence only because of the male lead. I have watched his other dramas and I really enjoy his acting.
Regarding the drama, I liked it until the 19th episode; the story was somewhat captivating. After that, it became flat. I didn’t like the direction of the plot where she spent the whole day with him to complete her date list and even expressed her feelings by kissing him, but left him the same day. Since she planned to marry the king, why did she give him false hope, especially knowing he was already heartbroken?
Another part of the plot I didn’t like was when she surrendered herself to the king and spent a night with him, although Ye Jun Qing still resided in her heart.
After watching the entire drama, I felt it was a little boring.

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Too many illogical things in this series

Once you hit episode 11, its just outright crazy land.

Especially when the FL is just so bent on revenge, yet truly loved the ML after finding out how much ML had loved her then.

Still she is willing to marry and sleep with the Emperor just to gain power for revenge when she confirms that the Emperor might had a hand in her losing her child and killing her.

I just really cant bent my brain around this story concept, the soul switching was already weird, but this sort of plot just makes it even harder to digest.

Yet at the end ML will still marry FL, crazy.

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Revenge means everything

I think that the storyline is pretty good but could not get the two sisters concept straight. Also, I understand that the FL wanted revenge for her mother and sister but she caused a lot of unnecessary deaths in the process. How do you claim to love someone and them treat them the way that you did. FL knew what her sister did to the ML and then she spent all that effort to get him to fall for her and then just dumped him the same way and went to the emperor. It's a wonder that the ML didn't just take his life right then and there. As the FL breaks all her ties and moves into the palace she even gets here servant, that was very loyal, turned into a eunuch and all she says is that she will get revenge for him too. Really? How does that work? He's already lost his ability to have offspring and you don't really seem to care. I think that the ML should have dropped the FL and let her just get killed by the many assassination attempts. If you die you can't get revenge yet the ML that you just crapped all over keeps saving you and you don't seem to appreciate it one bit. And the main issue I have is that FL whores herself out to the emperor even though she really didn't have to. How could the ML still have feelings for this woman?

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spoilers

this drama start out great till episode 15. then it went down hill fast. i mean like really fast.
like: the only thing keep me from dropping this drama after ep15 is to see the 2 lead whether they will end up together.
dislike: this drama could have been so much better. if the writer didnt make mo wan sleep with the king 2x. i still dont see how mo wan can not tell jun qing so they both can plot to kill the king together.instead the writer make mo wan sleep with the king again. i mean what is the use of ploting to kill the king when all she do is sleep with the king so she can kill all the other beside the king. who kill her?

i dont recommend rewatching this. unless u into a lead who sleep with her enemy.

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Renascence Means Revival

There is a reason for this show to be titled Renascence. It’s about vengeance fulfilled, doomed love revived..... and bad editing redeemed (at the very end).

Renascence is adapted from the graphic novel, “The Cry of the Phoenix that Reached Ninth Heaven”, but deviates somewhat from the original plot, according to a number of readers. This is a serious historical drama with sombre themes, intense acting, and a largely experienced cast and crew. Director Liu Hai Bo helmed the exceptional The Rise of Phoenixes while the supporting cast comprises some notable veterans. Even the leads like Chen Zhe Yuan had performed so well in Handsome Siblings. I don’t know much about Li Mo Zhi but looking at her filmography, she seems experienced enough leading dramas, so I had a really high expectation on this one.

In most historical C-dramas, we dread the tragic or open endings while constantly hoping for a happier and positive outcome. Here, we were continuously worried that the conclusion, in any form, would not even be given to us.

What went wrong?
The EDITING, primarily. The show was cut from the originally planned and filmed 70 episodes to 36 episodes. We know why it needed to be cut (new industry regulations, I would think rather than censorship reasons), but why 34 EPISODES CUT, only heaven knows. This affected the entire storytelling and pacing, as well as creating plot holes large enough to inspire viewers to glean invaluable answers from various BTS footage. There were scenes that didn’t make sense, characters that appeared from nowhere and story arcs that suddenly concluded without warning (or concluded too quickly without much satisfaction gained).

There were some acting and casting issues with various characters but that would be nitpicking so I’ll leave it at that.

What went right?
The ending, obviously. Fortunately the producers didn’t destroy the one thing left for viewers to hang on to – a happily ever after ending that mostly ties up the loose ends, which thankfully wasn’t edited out. There were real fears that we would only be shown 30 seconds of that, if at all. Although the final episode did feel somewhat rushed, it’s the closure that counts, and what an end it was!

Chen Zhe Yuan is another redeeming factor for this show. His acting was on point, and he delivered a totally different character in Prince Su here as compared to his previous effort – he was restrained and stoic in comparison with his more carefree and laidback character in Handsome Siblings, and that’s due to his versatility and range. His emotional scenes were convincing, and there were many. Although he doesn’t come close to Cheng Yi - who does anyway? - he did deliver a commendable depiction of the tormented lover who had to see the love of his life abandon him to marry his own brother. Twice.

Initially I wasn’t too convinced with Li Mo Zhi as the FL. I felt Eva Cheng was better suited to lead but, she proved me wrong by gradually growing into her role and showcased such remarkable character development as the show progressed. At exactly the halfway mark (ep. 18, 24:05), she dramatically and majestically turned into an epic badass, giving off serious Zhao Yao, Shen Lige, Chu Qiao, Fu Yao vibes in the process. This was truly the pivotal moment where our completely transformed FL was finally unleashed. It’s interesting to note that Li Mo Zhi bears such an uncanny resemblance to Chen Chiao En (Joe Chen). At times I felt like I was watching the Taiwanese drama queen on screen.

The many plot twists were major talking points throughout the show. New conspiracies and machinations kept coming while numerous villainous characters were introduced and deliciously evolved at frightening frequency. The remarkably fast pacing was no doubt a result of the reduced episodes and lack of fillers, which isn’t entirely a bad thing if only they hadn’t cut the important details out as well. Even till the final stretch of episodes, still the screenwriters kept cramming as many new side plots as possible. This drama truly never ceases to amaze at nearly every turn.

The OST here is outstanding. I’m glad the music wasn’t affected by the editing in the show. The opening theme, in particular, is very good. Track list as follows:

1.叶倾君 - 金润吉 (Ye Qingjun-Jin Runji)
2.涅槃 - 陈哲远 & 李墨之 (Nirvana-Chen Zheyuan & Li Mozhi)
3.春知 - 刘美麟 (Chun Zhi-Liu Meilin)
4. 一诺 - 晏紫东 (Yinuo-Yan Zidong)

It’s worth mentioning how captivating the Emperor’s voice has been in this drama. As commented in the discussion board, he was voiced by a notable voice actor, Bian Jiang (边江) who also dubbed Wang Yi Bo in The Untamed.

Confusing elements?
Concerns and confusion were regularly voiced out by viewers regarding the “soul switching” and usage/ abuse of the bodies in question. The horrendous editing and resultant plot holes, as well as the inclusion of an amnesia arc, all added to the uncertainty of what exactly is going on and WHO the FL actually is. With the plot of the drama deviating significantly from the novel, it was left to the screenwriters to then devise an alternative outcome to the story.

My take on this is that from Day One, it had always been Mo Xin who took over Mo Wan’s body. She did lose her memories at one point, but it was still the amnesiac Mo Xin in Mowan’s body. The person whom Prince Su was attracted to and fell in love with (again) had always been Mo Xin in the guise of Mo Wan. And so it proved, right to the devastating end…although I wished it could have played out a little differently without that tragic sacrifice…

Overall
Regardless of the problems this drama faced, and the confusion it caused because of the poor editing, I still enjoyed Renascence very much. The unpredictable twists and turns in the plot kept things interesting, and because everyone was informed of the impending happy outcome at the end, it balanced out the (minor) angst and frustrations from certain events in the show. I would recommend that you give this show a chance, enjoy it for what it is and really suspend disbelief for as long as you can (hopefully till the end).

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Convoluted, Great Plot, Great Scenes

This could have been an intriguing watch had it not been the senseless editing, cutting from 70 to 36 episodes; the drama should have been made into a 2-season series. As it is, many scenes are cut relentlessly, rendering it confusing and disjointed with new characters popping up out of the blue. Without proper background and explanation, the characters seem to be god-like, knowing everything in advance. Having said this, I have enjoyed the overall story.

The Story
Two brothers of royal blood fall in love with the same girl. Due to a misunderstanding, the girl marries the older brother who later becomes the emperor and she becomes the empress. As always with palace politics and harems, the empress is poisoned and died, but not before her soul and memory switch with her younger sister’s. Though her body has died, she lives in her sister’s body and vows for revenge. As her younger sister, she meets the younger brother of the Emperor and both fall in love with each other.

Had the story played out as described, it's pretty straight forward and easy to understand. However, this is not it. When Yao Moxin's and Yao Mowan's spirits switch, it appears that Yao Mowan's memory still partially remains within her body. Then the confusion arises: who has fallen in love with Ye Junqing, Mowan or Moxin? It's unclear until towards the end when Mowan confesses that she is indeed Moxin who has fallen out of love with the Emperor due to his evil deeds, and in love with Ye Junqing after all the years of yearning for her. Their love for each other is unmistakable and their bond is enviable.

The Acting
The overall acting is commendable. As having a more mature face, acting as a naïve and funny girl may be a tough sell for Li Mo Zhi portraying Yao Mowan, but as the consort whom she later becomes, she’s perfect – stunningly beautiful, regally elegant and poised. Cladding in dark red garments and somber, she exudes a fearless badass aura and commands respects from all including her enemies. I applaud Li Mo Zhi for her amazing acting.

Chen Zhe Yuan’s acting here renders me speechless as well. As Ye Junqing, he is tormented for the loss of his true love whom he can only view from afar. The yearning and heartache distinctly exhibit on his face and are felt by the viewers. Though having a baby face giving viewers the impression of a very young actor (Chen Zhe Yuan is in fact very young), Chen Zhe Yuan’s acting is mature. He’s able to capture all the essence in his character and has given a wonderful performance.

I must also applaud Zhang Junning (aka Johnny Zhang)’s performance. As a dark, insecure and angry emperor in Ye Hongyi, he is perfect. Good looking and yet devious at times, viewers can totally feel his inner torments and come to empathize with him and at the same time, despise him.

My Verdict
I have really enjoyed this story despite its seemingly randomness and disjointed editing. It doesn’t only just have the usual palace politics and harem fights, it also has dark supernatural witchcrafts as in spirit swapping and face changing, among others. Viewers can never be certain who they are watching and if the characters are who they say they are. Though with all the usual tropes such as memory loss, falling off cliff etc, the production is impressive with good sound effects, epic battle scenes with thundering war horses and soldiers, thick plot with twists and turns, lovable characters, wuxia, great CGI and more.

Though I can’t say this is a must-watch because of the poor editing, this production deserves some praises for its plot and acting, and a very satisfactory ending that viewers love.

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This drama had me fooled not once but twice. I won't give it away but if you want to know you need to watch it. This was kind of cute for the first 24 episodes, some humor, not a lot. I got serious after the 24th episode. A lot of martial arts, which I love the most. The storyline was confusing but only of the last episode. I didn't kind of agree with how the story ended. It was sad but happy. You be the judge! I love Li Mo Shi who played Yao Mo Wan, I loved the idea of a split personality (I will let you figure it out). The cute part of this is Yao Mo Wan. I wish it ended with Yao Mo Wan because that's who Ye Jun Jing fell in love with. You will see what I mean when you view this historic drama. I also loved that you had women warriors on the frontline of the battles. All the cast had a part in this drama which I thank and applaud. The visuals were great, the costumes were awesome.

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If you can get past the editing then its fine

First thing you need to know is that this drama was meant to be way longer but they cut it down to 36 episodes. That's why some of the scenes feel abrupt and the plot moves really quickly. If you can get over that then this is a good story that is both unique and interesting. While there is a love story this is really Mo Wan's story. I love seeing her play the game of politics and the game of the harem.

I think the writers shouldn't have done the soul switching stuff between Moxin and Mowan and instead have this be a story about a younger sister avenging her older sister. Because the soul-switching along with the memory loss leaves us with the question of who is the person in Mowans body.

Acting/Cast: No disrespect to Chen Zhe Yuan (the ML) but I just don't buy that he is this powerful "god of war" when he looks like a kid. I think they should have casted an older looking actor that could really sell it. I think of someone like Benson Wang who played General Pei in "Goodbye My Princess."
The ML in my view is kind off a weak point in this story. As I said this is Mowan's story and he's just in it. He doesn't really do much until the end. The emperor has more screen time then him. I also didn't feel much chemistry between him and the FL.

The FL (Li Mo Zhi) grew on me- although I do admit that she does look a bit old for a character who is suppose to be like 20. I also hated those bangs she had in the beginning- glad she got rid of them.
I will say that I really liked this character and I admired how dedicated she was to getting her revenge- even going so far as to sleep with the emperor. I know a lot of people didn't like that but I personally thought it was realistic and made the drama stand out to me.

The emperor (Johnny Zhang) was great as the insecure and jealous emperor. I have to admit that I may be biased towards him because he is voiced by Bian Jiang, who has such a soothing voice.

Also the actress who played Yao Su Luan (Natalie Zhang) was a stand out performer.

OST: I like the ending theme

Overall: I wish the show wasn't cut and we could get the full story but alas.

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Very frustrating Revenge series despite the two MLs, because the heroine isn't even likeable...

PLOT: The pregnant queen (FL) is poisoned. Her sister arrives just before she dies, and the queen's soul is transferred into her sister's body. Then she attempts to discover who poisoned her (concubines? Evil uncle? Emperor?) with the help of the ML (Emperor's Brother, Prince who has been in love forever).

+++ Chen Zhe Yuan, magnificent and wonderful, as always. Johnny Zhang also plays an excellent, paranoid and cruel emperor.
+++ Good OSTs, excellent fight scenes (kudos to the Martial Arts Director and the actors).
+++ Lively direction and many endearing characters.

### Twisted storyline, full of plot holes and insane twists (soul transference, various magic, face changes, etc.)
### Selfish, hateful, and manipulative FL (pities the people, but uses everyone—including her sister—and tramples on the ML on numerous occasions). Lots of unnecessary deaths!
### Poor (happy?) ending, with the return of the emperor and the death of the sister.

=> Very frustrating Revenge series despite the two MLs, because the heroine isn't even likeable...
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PLOT: La reine (FL), enceinte, est empoisonnée. Sa sœur arrive juste avant qu'elle ne meurt et l'âme de la reine est transférée dans le corps de sa sœur. Elle va tenter de découvrir qui l'a empoisonnée (concubines ? Evil uncle ? empereur ?) avec l'aide du ML (Frère de l'empereur, Prince amoureux depuis tjs).

+++ Chen Zhe Yuan, magnifique et merveilleux, comme toujours. Johnny Zhang interprète également un excellent empereur parano et cruel.
+++ Bons OSTs, excellentes scènes de combat (bravo au Directeur Arts Martiaux et aux acteurs).
+++ Réalis° vive et nombreux personnages attachants.

### Storyline tordue, pleine de plot holes et de twists insensés (transfert d'âme, magie variée, changements de visage, etc)
### FL égoïste, détestable et manipulatrice (a pitié du peuple, mais utilise tt le monde -y compris sa sœur- et piétine le ML à de nombreuses reprises). Bcp bcp de morts inutiles !
### Ending (happy ?) nulle, avec retour de l'empereur et mort de la sœur.

=> Série Revenge très frustrante malgré les 2 ML, car l'héroïne n'est même pas sympathique ...

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Revenge is a dish best served cold

Gave it 10 because honestly it deserves, the last time I watch a strong female character was with Weiyelou from Yanxi Palace , adding this drama to my list of re-watch lists. It's all about revenge and she got it all, although she lost a lot but it made up for her finally having her own peace and saving a country. Though she doesn't have martial talents but she made up for it with her cleverness, wistfullness and no nonsense attitude. If you're being skeptical about watching then don't be, watch it and you won't regret it. It's a must watch, the male lead is also good infact the whole casts in this drama deserves, they all nailed it, it's fun at the beginning and then becomes a serious issue right in the middle. The OST is also over the top, lovely songs, the customes also, I really don't know how to describe it because I just love it. Renascence is the best drama from this year so far unless I find another one soon.
Currently watching The Song of Glory because the female lead here is also badass like Fuyao.

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If you're heartbroken recently because of love, don't watch it.

The overall story is nice if you can see through the editing and keep up with the pace of the story. The ability to read the characters well is a plus point. The first half of this drama will drop your heart to your stomach. It will cause you terrible pain. You will feel like dropping it but don't do that.
Ye Jun Qing and Mo Wan's love story will wrench hearts.
The entire revenge plot is crafted beautifully but it also hurts equally.
Princess Ting Ting's death and her love for Ye Jun Qing brought me to knees, crying.
In matter of love, Consort Su Luan was wronged too. But had she not been so sick minded, she would've received love.
Ben Lei and Ting Yue got their tidbit love scenes which will again, eventually break your heart.
Everyone who wronged got killed.
Revenge was successful.
Love persisted. Love died. Love lost. And love won.
You need to prepare yourself emotionally before you watch this drama.
You have to be head strong.
You will regret if you drop this drama mid ways. The plot has a lot to offer.

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Watch this show with an open mind

As the story progresses, we see the intelligence and the compassion of Mo Xin. Her natural wit just shines through. The actress who plays her portrays her to a tee. This is one of the reasons why I love the story so much. The female lead is a strong female who does not take things lying down. She is in love with an alpha male, a God of war no less but she herself is not to be taken lightly.

Chen Zhe Yuan is completely believable as a devastated man in love who puts the needs of his people first. As a prince, he knows his duty. As a general, he knows his military strength. As a God of War, he knows that his strike could be lethal.

Also in the last episode, we finally get to see Jun Qing and Mo Xin be lovey-dovey. Except that their kisses had absolutely zero chemistry. They were better off just looking at each other longingly from afar. I could feel the awkwardness from both of them and it was clear to me, at least, that neither one of them took the initiative to make the kiss look passionate enough. Aside from that, there was a tendency from a couple of the actors to overact. Maybe the director wanted them to be a little over the top. Where Jun Qing and Mo Xin/Mo Wan showed tranquility and calm, these ones that I am talking about were the exact opposite.

Link to the full review here: https://thislifehappened.me/renascence/

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