New Life Begins

Damn! It is awesome.

I never thought there will be another historical drama this year that I would enjoy like I enjoyed Dream of Splendor and Love Like The Galaxy. These two just set the records way too high for me. Well Love between fairy and devil is close but I always prefer Wuxia over Xianxia. This show was nowhere in my mind. First I was not really familiar with the cast (except few older ones) and with the synopsis it felt like Ruyi pavilion and Who rules the world, kind of drama to me. People could say otherwise but I dropped the former one midway while latter I liked but someone who has read the novel might have a lot to criticize about.
Moving on to the drama it did give me Ruyi Pavillion and Who rules the world vibes to some extent but much much much better executed and the cast is just everything. What you might find here:
Beautiful cast ✓
Lovely BGM✓
Amazing acting ✓
Mesmerizing cinematography ✓
Chemistry between leads✓
Well written and played Side character's arc✓
Comedy and engaging storyline ✓
Gorgeous dresses and perfect makeup ✓
Women power ✓
Bitchy female characters X
Harem fight X
Overdramatic or overacting. X

So that concludes it all. With each episode the drama is getting better and better. So don't be hesitant to watch this gem. It sure is one of the best shows of this year.

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Unpopular opinion but the writing was a miss

Acting, directing and OST is on point. The only thing I felt writers got right was the humor, and the sisterhood. There were too many idiotic things that took place for me to score this higher than an overall 7.

This show is not 100% romance, despite being classified as such. It features in the first 8 or so episodes- at a stretch, then returns at the end. What this is however is more a lengthy slice of life involving a massive cast, with varying issues that pop up along the way.

You could argue some plot elements were necessary for character growth, and I will give you that. However, I would have loved to have seen the romance not screech to a halt and find a way to further that love development around the challenges they were facing. What the main leads were handed was resl hard, but they just ignored it, which leaves viewer extremely emotionally disconnected in the end.

The main focus felt very feminist heavy, which I’m not sure felt realistic for the era, but this is a fantasy which means they can literally do what they want.

I loved both the brotherhood and sisterhood, and its sprinkled throughout with enough evil villian to add an edge.

The comedy however is top notch and many scenes will leave you smiling throughout!

Music is beautiful- I just wish these Cdrama OSTs would be available on streaming sites. They are incredible!!

Actors did a great job. There are a boatload of them, some more memorable than others (purely down to the sheer quantity of them). So much growth and development for the ones with the most script.

If that writing could have just continued a believable romance element throughout the hige chunk in the middle, this show would have been a 9/10 for me.

Set is lovely, I’ve seen it before on another drama, just can’t recall the name. China certainly has some beautiful architecture.

Skipped far too much for this to rank as best of the year (2022) for me. Love Like the Galaxy is hard to top in the Historical category. That show has it all!!

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Sisterhood prevails once again, this is a gem worth watching

I never expected to find a gem as good as A Dream of Splendour, but I found a better one. This drama will always have a special place in my heart. I guarantee you it is one of the most beautiful stories you'll come across. I laughed, I cried and I smiled till my face hurt.
I have noticed recently the production of feminist Chinese historical dramas, and I'm glad to see that the standard is being set beautifully. We have passed the age of palace dramas where women kill each other for men. It's time to face reality and call out history for what it really was. It is also time for us to portray women as we are, people who cherish each other and support one another. In the women in this drama, I saw myself, my sisters, my best friends, and my closest confidants. I also saw the strength of familial love and the value of forgiveness. There is much to learn from this drama, and truly I have learned.

This is the story of a group of women who encounter the Yin family of Xin state and how they face many obstacles, and tackle the pressures of society. How they grow, learn, and become better people in life. It is a story about the importance of family and friendship, of sisterhood and brotherhood. It is a story about the virtue of patience, kindness, honesty, and most especially, LOVE. It is a story about empowerment and the fight for a better tomorrow.

This drama brings to light many important feminist themes. The solidarity of women, empowerment, the importance of breaking down the patriarchy, fighting against domestic violence and abuse, as well as tackling the issue of postpartum depression and many other issues women face. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for women then. The drama acts as a parody that mocks the ridiculous rules of ancient times. It also brings in modern themes to show what life could have been like if men removed their heads from their behinds and treated women like human beings.

This drama is what I will call 100% romance, it is not just about the romance of two people, but it is about the love and the bond of family. The drama teaches many important lessons, and I truly appreciate being able to come across this story.
A bonus is that the production quality, setting, costumes, music, themes, and acting are also high quality and impeccable.

This drama is 10000/10, and I hope to rewatch it again in the near future.

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Worth every minute!

I enjoyed this series very much. The story was well-told, and the pace was pretty good. I didn't fast forward once. I particularly liked that there was none of the usual fanatical sinister plot, the lies and subterfuge, and most of all, the female characters were not portrayed as empty-headed and obsessed with a man. However, I would have liked the relationship between Shang Guan & Lin Qi to have been a little less combative, as many perceive her treatment of him as abusive. I personally did not - taking into consideration where her character was from - a state of warriors, so naturally, she was aggressive. Every couple had their story arc, and all the sub-plots wrapped up nicely. Karma was served graciously, and even the villains got decent comeuppance.

The entire cast performed superbly. Some say there was no chemistry between the ML & FL, but I beg to differ. They were so sweet - and their relationship grew and blossomed into love for each other. At first, she was a little annoying, but there was no doubt she loved her Prince. The other couples were well-matched too - and all of the characters interacted well in their respective roles, making them a very believable and relatable family. Li Wei's maids were a hoot - I liked that they were smart and unafraid to speak their minds. But my favourite character of all was Su Shen. I laughed with him, I cried with him. He was the perfect interjection of humor and wit and sentimentality. The most touching scene for me was between Lin Qi and his father when Lin Qi comes to see his father when he is sick. This epitomizes what I think the heart of this drama is about. Family. All the different elements of this family and how its members co-exist and relate to each other. It is a touching story beautifully told.

I will certainly put this on my list of shows to rewatch.

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A good blend of rom-com and social issues

If you are a fan of a stable couple with a non-complex romantic comedy plotline then this drama is for you. It has a really well-executed plotline that contains a blend of all prominent genres and the actors did a pretty great of in their portrayal of the characters. I really liked how this show did not rely on filler episodes just to get to the 40-episode mark rather every 2-3 episodes dealt with a meaningful issue in a really light fashion but a burst of comedy in every one of them to keep us involved in the whole drama all the time.
There were multiple couples each representing a different kind of issue, plus each individual character had a depth in their story plus a decent amount of plot time for all of these to unfold. Personally, I really like the lead couple both were really cute, caring, and understanding of each other and worked together to make their goals a realization. Plus I suppose after the love-like galaxy this is the drama with not-so-much politics in a royal family and is filled with some people who actually want to live like a family and care for each other.
The CGI and Songs used in the episodes are also done really well you can see how much effort they have put in for all the scenes and the overall story. Trust me and watch it, it's really great.

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Light and Sweet

Starting out watching this drama, I thought it was going to be a your typical lighthearted romcom with the usual palace intrigue, brothers sabotaging brothers, etc. What I was not expecting in the slightest was the level of character development that occurred in nearly every character, touching on mental health particularly postpartum depression, and a focus on women's rights. While unexpected, they added an element of interest that helped to keep me invested in the story.

Despite touching on some more serious topics, the story is overall fairly lighthearted. It is a romcom after all. There are certainly some darker moments, our main characters have their share of problems, some more serious than others, but the issue with romcoms is, you already know the outcome, so those problems seem fairly superficial when you know happily ever after is waiting at the end. That being said, it was still very enjoyable to watch, it just didn't feel like anything was truly at stake. In terms of pacing, while it did have a few episodes where it started to drag a bit, overall it maintained its momentum quite well. The general lack of sabotage and infighting between women in this drama was both surprising and welcoming. Instead, you had women cultivating friendships and banding together to start businesses and better themselves and other women. Similarly, while you often have brothers at each others throats in dramas like this, there was less of that here. All in all, it was quite refreshing.

The acting was superb all around, but Tian Xi Wei absolutely carried the drama. She was simply perfect as Li Wei. Bai Jing Ting was also phenomenal as Yin Zheng. They had such great chemistry together.

What I loved most about this drama was the characters and the fact that nearly every character, whether protagonist or antagonist, had some level of character development. I also appreciated that in the end, there really wasn't a villain per se. Yin Song and Yin Jun both filled that role temporarily, but in the end, neither was really evil. Yin Song was such an interesting, complex character, the "caged bird". He was a complete jerk, and he deserved everything he got, but at the same time, I also pitied him. I appreciated the change in him as he was exiled and respected his decision to live his own way. Yin Jun was greedy, but again, ultimately not evil. While I didn't like him or his wife, there was a part of me that thought their relationship was sweet, even if they were crappy people. I was glad that they also decided to turn over a new leaf though. Other characters I particularly enjoyed were Fangru, particularly seeing her relationship with Hao Jia develop from enemies to allies to friends, Hao Jia herself, seeing her come into her own and learn she didn't need a man, and Li Wei, of course, as she transformed from a country girl into a lady but never lost her sparkle. There really wasn't a character that I disliked in this drama, aside from the 10th prince who was incredibly annoying, and I truly enjoyed watching them all grow and change.

In terms of couples, Li Wei and Yin Zheng reign supreme, obviously. While their romance is definitely a slow burn, it is also very organic. And once they do figure out their feelings for each other, their love is just so sweet. SiSi and Yin Yan are my second favorite couple. Although they have significantly less screen time than most of the other couples and characters, they're just so cute together. I honestly would have liked to have seen more of them. Shanggu and Yin Qi are my least favorite. While on the one hand I do like them together, on the other hand, I don't necessarily love the abusive nature of their relationship. I also got a bit tired of their back and forth of will they, won't they get together.

While the focus on women's rights and mental health was both interesting and welcoming, it was also a bit jarring. Given the historical setting, fictional though it may be, the message itself is very much a contemporary one and there were times when it very much stood out as such. The intent was good, the execution needed some work. I also think the concept was rushed towards the end. Xin state went from not allowing women to do business to suddenly they're going to allow women to be officials? That was done far too abruptly and without enough context to make it believable. Again, the execution needed work.

The OST was overall quite good. The songs typically fit well the mood and scene. Costuming was gorgeous. I liked how each character had their own distinct style. The cinematography was also very well done.

Ultimately I found this drama to be quite enjoyable. It was sweet and it was lighthearted with just a sprinkling of seriousness to add some more interest. It's one that I would definitely recommend watching at least once and one that I will likely come back to in the future.

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The feel good series of 2022

You know how a series completely takes over your life that you end up impatiently waiting for new episodes to drop? That's what's happening to me with New Life Begins.

I commend the creators of this drama for giving us genuine female camaraderie where even prior enemies are given a chance for reconciliation. With such a great and varied ensemble cast, we have many heroines to root for and even more life lessons to take away. I love the friendship that developed between Li Wei and Yuan Ying and how they supported each other without ever bickering or being hateful. Same with the Solar ladies and even Hoa Jia got a chance to reconcile with the Prince's first wife who had been previously adversarial. These women balanced each other while supporting those around them and also building an inclusive community where everyone was valued.

Funny enough, Prince An was my favorite character; so oblivious, so narcissistic, and yet so lovable while Prince Yin Qi and his wife, Shangguan, were my least favorite couple probably because their storyline was so boring or the actors playing the characters simply did not have the chemistry or acting ability to pull off a somewhat caring yet antipathetic couple.

Bai Jing Ting was the sole reason for choosing this drama, however, I ended up staying since the series was just so captivating and fun. Liu Ling Zi, as Yuan Ying (the sixth Prince's legal wife), made me laugh so hard when she unintentionally terrorized the sixth Prince and Li Wei with copious rules and regulations. I laughed so hard to the point of tears. What a great actress.

The ending was a tearjerker in a happy way and I can't say enough good things about this series. Ah-mazing

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A tale of finding One True Love & A tightly knitted Sisterhood. Rise Women, RISE!

Adaptation doesn't mean identification - Yuan Ying

Wanna open up this review by quoting it with one of my favorite line in this drama. I feel like this short yet powerful sentence can explain and expound the real essense and lesson of this story as a whole... That being used to something doesn't necessarily mean you embodied and can be identified by it already. Oftentimes it's more of an acknowledgement and respect towards something other may deemed essential and/or important.

Above all, I wanna say that my rating for this drama doesn't only revolves around the usual 'logical and typical' characteristics of how a drama should be made of, but more on how it delivers itself as a narrative— more on a lesson to its viewers.

I started this drama in hopes to see a lot of actual 'drama' going between the Main Leads but I never really knew I would be introduced to something more deeper— complex yet warm and heartfelt. It's about the respect, understanding, forgiveness and acceptance we need to do to let go of the things that's weighing us down and to accept that life was never all about colors and rainbows but more of a rocky-thorny road we need to go through to achieve eternal peace and happiness.

Sisterhood is the most symbolic meaning of this drama for me. I love that they all got each others back through thick and thin, and would do anything just to make sure that they're safe and in good places. Never once, do I feel this touched and proud to see this type of sisterhood and bond in any drama. A healthy and strong friendships that will never betray and forsake.

Familial relationship and its starting grounds - It conveys how toxic power struggle in a Polygamy family is and how it can badly affects their children in the future. Although this drama showed some negative results of it, I'm also glad that they presented us the positive side of it by letting us know that a person's future still depends on how and where they were raised, what values do they followed growing up and how will they handle themselves with those upbringings.

Women Empowerment in this drama is a surreal fantasy. I admit that they might've gone astray from the real history but I just appreciate how they still chose to do it that way. To show us that women even back then has been extremely capable and is always eager to fight to attain what they want and deserve.

Overall production, Setting and Color grading - I love how the background used looks majestic and real even when I know that a lot of them are green screens. Also, their attentiveness to details when it comes to visualizing the diffent regions, decorations and overall graphics stood out for me. It complemented really well with every scenes.

Supporting and Side Characters.

+ Yuan Ying - I really love her character. I admire how she was handled in this story and how she was never a bile in our Main Leads throat. Instead, a great and capable friend who guides them for the betterment.

+ Hao Jia - The only 'male disguise' i can accept so far in the dramaland. Although she still looks extremely beautiul but her proportion made her disguise really convincing and believable. I also love how earnest she is as a friend. Friendship that always protects and never betrays.

+ Song Wu - She may be annoying, bratty and childish but I just love how they didn't go all out 'antagonist' on her. Love her character development a lot same with Zhao Fangru (2nd Prince's Consort).

+ 3rd Prince and his Harem - Lol! Ghad knows how they made the first half of this story extremely bright and colorful. I'm cackling whenever they're on screen and ghad, the Name tags on top of their head. Hahaha

+ 5th Prince & Shangguan Jing - Another story that added lots of spice and comical relief in this story. I'm very satisfied with this pairing and would love to see more from them.

+ 7th Prince and Ruan Sisi - The rich and generous couple who hates to socialize. Their scenes are very random but are always interesting and funny for me.

Lastly, I feel like they did their best pouring every bit of heartfelt emotion in the final episode. The way they summarized and showed us the results of what they've been fighting and working hard for is just precious to me and the fact that they gave us just happy and heartwarming scenes made it significantly memorable as well. + The Roof Scene... Perfection!!

P.S. I still can't accept the ridiculous fact that the FL refused to drink alcohol at the final episode because she's pregnant but was riding a horse to get to that family banquet. Just, whatdahell??

Story - 9.5, It may not be perfect and doesn't follow the logical and traditional historical pattern but for me it goes beyond that. Their great use of effective story telling and inspiring narration placed this drama on top of its own. + The fact that it's extremely entertaining and full of variety as a whole is another factor for me.

Acting/Cast - 10, Really love the cast. You can still clearly tell that this is an Idol drama but their acting is really impressive and convincing I would say. I love every Female character and almost all of the Male Characters in this production aside from 2nd, 4th and 10th Princes. I also adore how cute and lovely Bai Jing Ting and Tian Xi Wei is.

Music - 10, I'm in love with this dramas music. They made every scenes extra special and colorful. + The kissing scenes somehow felt more romantic because of how good they're in playing suitable music accompaniments and the Ballad songs are such a smooth slayer.

Rewatch Value - 9.5, I certainly would. I was never regretful of watching this drama and every episode is entertaining and full of colors for me.

Overall - 10, The overall story may not follow the traditional norms but everything about this story is purely inspring, worthy and entertaining. Not to mention how positive this story is as a whole and how we got a set of wonderful actors and actresses. I really love and enjoyed this drama a lot.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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Spousal Abuse Disguised as Comedy

I seriously doubt many here would find a man beating his wife to the point of breaking her arm, kicking her shins hard enough to leave her limping, giving her numerous bruises and a black eye, and then calling her "stupid" constantly romantic or funny. And yet that was the relationship between one of the brothers and his wife, with her constantly beating him even when they are supposedly happily together.

Sadly, that was one of the better-written romances on the show. The ML and FL have zero chemistry together and are strongly in the friend zone in real life. When they are forced to kiss or hug, the awkwardness between the actors comes through on the screen. Fortunately, that only occurs for about half an hour in total in a forty-hour show. In fact, their screen time together is far less than half of the show overall.

It was toxic watching her constantly demand that he ascribed to her nation's ideals. There was no sense of compromise with a different way of life but endless judgmentalism.

The historicity here was atrocious. Princesses running businesses in ancient China felt like a cheap Disney movie. Not only did they run businesses, but they were ALL successful entrepreneurs. The only way that would have made sense would have been if their husband's influence was responsible for it.

The elitism was disgusting as well. They sat in jewels that could have paid for a family's food for a year whining about their oppression, but they never even considered the labor of the maids and major-domo who gave them all the free time to make that possible or the many vendors who needed to make a living that their privileged selves were doing unfair competition against.

Could have been cute but choose to go another route.

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A wholesome drama that took a most intriguing turn.

From aesthetic, drooling foods to wholesome female friendships to palace intrigue and politics, to loving relationships and to the portrayal and addressing of social issues that are still relevant today, this drama had a bit of everything without ever being draggy, boring or unnatural for one moment.

This drama was absolutely hilarious from the get go. Like I was laughing so hard I wasn't even breathing, I was just crying. Trust me, you'll know that scenes I'm talking about if you watch it.

Every single character of this drama was very relevant and there was not one annoying character that I just wanted to disappear. Everyone played a crucial role in the progression of the plot and each actor was made for their character. I've never watched a drama where all the actors did such an amazing job at their role. I loved everyone from the protagonists to the villains. Also most C-dramas use voice actors to dub over but this drama used all the actors' real voices which made me feel so attached to them. Like seriously, I freaking love each actor and their portrayal of their character.

The addressing of social issues that are still relevant today was honestly the highlight for me. Oppression and discrimination against women was a major issue that is constantly brought up in this drama and how the female characters address and break the cycle of oppression was absolutely mind blowing for me. These women never once let a man solve their problems and instead turned to their fellow female friends to work out their problems together and to make society better for women.

The main couple's romance was the most natural and unforced hetero relationship I have ever seen portrayed in Chinese drama land and I wish for more dramas to be like this.

I honestly could write a very long review for this drama to sing its praises but honestly every single aspect of this drama was amazing. This drama had me smiling, laughing, giggling, crying, bawling my fists in anger, shouting and clapping in just 40 eps that I would happily do again. I fell in love with all the characters and felt like I was just watching my friends living their lives and honestly I'm so sad this drama has to end because I can keep watching all these characters forever.

I can't recommend it enough. And trust me, you won't be disappointed.

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Sweet drama with romance and friendship themes; progressive modern ethics amidst feudal laws.

This drama is set in a fictional ancient world that consists of nine different regions, where Xinchuan rules over all of them. As the synopsis dictates, the story starts with the triennial event of where maidens from all nine regions are selected to be married to the princes in Xinchuan, and so after the girls were quickly paired off, we learn the different ways in how each of the princes treat their wives. And of course, how the main pairing met and fell in love.

The story makes clear to us what a loving and supporting relationship means, what constitutes an abusive relationship, and how love overall enables one to tolerate and sacrifice for, as well and accept the other person. The theme of sisterhood and friendship is central to this drama, and it is the main selling point for me. I lost count of the times I have shed monstrous droplets of tears over the girls' friendships and their devotion to these friendships. What I deeply appreciate is how the author writes the female characters in this story. The main female character is not the only perfect, unflawed, "mary-sue" who triumphs over all the other girls. She forges friendships with almost everyone who comes in contact with her, is an ordinary girl who behaves and reacts naturally faced with situations where most of us would react. Supporting female characters in the story are amazing women with traits that make their characters distinct - and yet at the core of it all, they know where their priorities lie. They love their men, but they also treasure their sisterhood and friendship - and this is what is most precious to me in this drama.

The unavoidable political plot is light and easy to understand. It also seems that the cultural practices and laws of governance in Xinchuan resemble feudal times in non-fictional China the most, compared to the other regions like Mochuan, Danchuan, Jinchuan, Jichuan, and so on. And thus, this is where the characters' efforts in trying to bring modern and progressive changes to unreasonable traditions comes into place. This is a well-written and well-paced story with a reasonable amount of character development, and in my opinion, one of the best period dramas in 2022.

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Very well written and original romance COMEDY, far from the classic Wuxia genre. A real treat

This is not a “serious” Wuxia. It is truly a romance COMEDY taking place in the past, as an excuse to reflect on the relationships between men and women and their respective positions in society, or about what makes a good ruler, and how to sustain states, the easy way through taxing, or through more meaningful and respectful ways… all with a modern take. It is light, fluffy, funny… yet with enough substance in the storylines to keep you interested, if not hooked, as it is extremely well written and thought. A real treat, with well defined characters, nothing overly complicated, and a feast for the eye as the production is not lacking, served by a great cast. Their smile is contagious. You are rooting for the main leads. Special mention to the 3rd and 5th brothers, as well as the superintendent,and the Little (adopted) Sister of the ML… There is no high level of angst: Even the “bad” characters are not that bad, which is really relaxing (for instance, when a young lady threatens to do something nasty to the dog of the FL to have her punished, … she puts flowers in the dog’s fur….), except maybe for the really dumb, moody and mean crown prince.
I loved it. Such a refreshing take on Wuxia.

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