New Life Begins

10/10 no notes

i'll admit it started off a little confusing with the amount of names and places but once the pace set it was great.
the storyline, the friendships, the romances were all amazing.
i loveeeeeddddddd liwei and yinzheng SO SO SO much.
i loveeeeeeeedddddddddd the female empowerment that this show potrayed, how all of the women supported each other instead of fighting as it is potrayed in many different shows.
i loved how the female leads's entire perspective and goals weren't fixed on men. everyone had their goals that they worked for.
in my opinion this is one of the best historical cdramas out there

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Sisterhood and Brotherhood above all else

This show is very much a life drama about a family of young lords and the woman that go on to shape who they are as men. Every single female character is a whole human, with her own feelings, emotions, ambitions, thoughts, and plans. They aren't all the same nor do they want to be. They all help and uplift each other throughout the story. There are both male and female villains, some that get redemption and some that don't. There are gray characters that float between. Each personal feels like an actual person. The responses to conflict and misunderstandings feel real and earned. The love stories sprinkled in are strong and healthy depictions of what a balanced and mutually respectful relationship should look like. They also show you the bad side of toxic and one-sided relationships, and how just because you got yourself into a bad place doesn't mean you can't also get yourself out. Everyone deserves respect from their spouse.
Just the sisterhood alone with all of the young lords' wives and concubines is worth the watch. Very progressive in their storytelling in a fictionalized country. When 7th's wife feels nervous and unsure about herself because she is slower to do things, every single one of the women around her validates her and complements her on her care and attention. When the 2nd Crown Lord shows his true colors the women band together to help their friend Hao Jia. His wife even plays one of the largest roles in getting Hao Jia and herself out of a horrible situation. And with that storyline Yin Zheng(6th) gets closer to his own mother after realizing she was struggling with a similar situation as Hao Jia was.
But the best relationship is that of the 6th Lord's wife(Yuan Ying-Jin State's Princess) and side wife(Li Wei- FL). There are like true sisters. The Jin Princess immediately takes Li Wei under her wing and trains her to become the lady of a royal household and partner to Yin Zheng(6th lord). Yuan Ying becomes like a sister to both Yin Zheng and Li Wei, and they all share a bond that could never be broken. She becomes one of their fiercest allies.
The understanding and refusal of Yuan Ying to cause any misunderstandings between Li Wei and Yin Zheng is peak supporting female character energy.
We have a simple girl who has the protentional and drive to make great change.
A warrior princesses trying to find her happiness.
A woman who doesn't want to follow in her mother's footsteps. And though she miscalculates finds her feet again.
A princesses who is smarter than all the men and knows it.
A group of women who band together against their trying husband, and protect and care for each other as they fight for there individual wants and needs.
A kind and quiet girl, who just would rather be left alone, if that's okay, who finds her other half.

I could go on and on, because the characters are all great fully fleshed out. But just know that it's worth the watch. Even though it's 40episodes there are enough smaller story arcs that start and end every few episodes that keeps the momentum of the story going. You will laugh, cry. and kick your feet from this slow-burn romantic life drama.

PS: We don't see him much, but I have a soft spot for the 9th little lord as his is just like his sisters-in-law...and that punch in ep40....bravo.

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Light (but not goofy) slice of life rom com

Light (but not goofy) slice of life rom com set in misogynistic ancient China. Some dark themes are touched with abuses on women at centre stage. Despite these elements in the story, the drama is still a lovely journey down a common path to love. The characters experience a few scary moments and unpleasant surprises but with luck and some stretches in probability at times, it all works out.

The middle was a bit dull for me, but the last 8 eps get better again. The ending ties up loose ends and gives the group a pretty ending.

I am a fan of both leads and a good handful of the other actors.

ML is not as swoonworthy as he is in some of his other dramas, but he is still very attractive as a handsome green light prince. He is a calm, reliable, and sweetly dedicated husband. He's cute and insecure at times, making him very endearing.

The FL is a kind woman with a strong moral compass and healthy love of self. She has simple dreams but they are made difficult by the discriminating attitudes towards women at that time and especially in the county where is finds herself married and far from home. The FL excels in these roles as a woman who must use her brain and positivity to influence change in the world around her. She's always a pleasure to watch.

5th brother is my 3rd favorite actor in this. He always makes me laugh. He comes across very natural and sincere in every role. The growth in him and many of the side characters is nice to see as they are given more moments to shine alongside the leads. Towards the end this does feel more like an ensemble cast lead drama just 1 or 2 mains.

This drama is a nice way to pass the time without too much angst, abuse, or any incredibly despicable people.
Music, costume, and set design are all good to above average. This has been added to my feel-good rewatch list.

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Not heavy on romance

I came for the romance and wished there could have been more.. I stayed for whatever romance I could get because it was so sweet and nicely developed, just wanted more.

Everyone grows, there is some interesting stuff happening

But it does drag somewhat. And some parts I was bored. Wish it didn't do this. Probably could have cut it down a few episodes to tighten the storyline.

It was cute and funny and lite hearted. Not hilarious or all that laugh out loud all the time. But I enjoyed that there wasn't too much scheming and over the top drama

It was interesting to see the sisterhood and the feminist takes.

The minor characters' story was not bad

Not much of an ost behind it

I wouldn't rewatch, even for the sparse romance... Or even for the chemistry of the leads..

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Women empowerment & powerful couple in politics

I came across this drama accidentally on IQIYI because Xiao Bai was on it. Honestly, ep 1 was enough to get me hooked and invested in the drama :(
I really love the idea of smart women, and behind every women are actually women ourselves. At first I thought this is about fights between royal harem over the princes but it is so much more than just love and marriages. It tackles issue like forced marriage, gender inequality, post-partum depression, domestic violence, status and position. You would never expect a historical palace cdrama with these themes and you can expect good laugh too! All the leads have solid chemistry and I thought they must have done quite a lot of adlibs because there were so many spontaneous and impromptu scenes LOL.

What I love:
1) Yin Zheng, the sixth prince appeared to be very un-heroic and weak male lead (this is very rare in cdrama scenario) however as the story unfolds, he has so much potential due to his smart and wise thinking in decision making and politics. I love that writer focuses on this side of him. He is also very witty, silly and goofy, but only with Li Wei, 3rd prince, 5th prince and Butler Su.
2) Li Wei. I love her character so much! She knows what she wants, she does not put that aside for love. To her, friendship and the women come first. During that scene where she is willing to let Yin Zheng divorce her as long as she can save Hao jia jie. She is a woman with dreams, high spirited, matured, and smart. This is why she is a match for Yin Zheng even though she is not coming from a powerful family background that can support Yin Zheng. She is an intellectual that will think smarter for any solution to issues faced by Yin Zheng and the women. She is also a foodie HAHAHAHA that makes her 10 times cuter. She is a brave young lady, to her 'do not touch them (people she loves) or you die'. This is so obvious when Hao jia's suicidal attempt and Yin Zheng failed to send her letters.
3) The bromance between Yin Zheng, 3rd prince and 5th prince. 3rd prince is evil to his wives but at least he is very nice and supportive to his brothers HAHAHAHA and the 5th prince is so funny, I love his character. Hence, these differences in characters make their relationship dynamic was so much fun to watch.
4) Sisterhood - their relationship is gold. I love how they unite to beat the nannies HAHAHAH and to fight and beat those rude and useless men in Xinchuan. DEFINITELY EVERYTHING TO ME
5) Sweet relationship between Yin Zheng and Li Wei. they are so fun to watch, ideally it is nice to have a relationship like them. They joke with each other, they make fun of each other, they communicate, they are helpful, they are lovely and adorable couple. Yup Relationship Goal!
6) Smart move in politics.
7) Food from each regions - very creative for the women to establish a restaurant that made food from each regions

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Positive and calm drama

All in all it was very positive and quite calm drama. It was watching with pleasure :) Main roles were lovely. It's about friendship, loyality, assiduty and girl power as well! Girls were the best in the world and had strong bonds. On the other hand we could also see relations in the crown family, where children almost didn't have a happy childhood. No ties, no parents, who often were absent in during child's childhood, raised with a nanny. Poor kids from villages got more love and happiness than these wealthy.

Another time I am complaining about ending :P wanna see, how they're raising their child and Yin Zheng's coronation! I'm almost sure, it's a girl ;) she will continue reforms of her mom! :D

Anyway - New Life Begins is a drama really worth seeing :)

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Funny? Yes. Novel Idea? Yeah!

Its is a good series but it feels empty for some reason. I had a good laugh but it felt dragging sometimes. The cast is good and production wise its also great.

Its definitely not for binge watching. After the first few episodes the drama falls back into the cliche thinking of introducing 'our common day ideas' as modern thinking and drags it thoroughly. Some episodes could be combined to form a single episode.

Needless to say its a modern day feminist drama where all men are dumb and stubborn but its lets out some stress the women felt in the those eras.

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A heartfelt drama about sisterhood and feminism with a dash of humor and romance

I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. It was definitely humorous at the start but the drama shifted to a more serious tone about halfway through. I love how the main characters faced a variety of issues such as socioeconomic disparities, female rights, natural disasters, and even in-home power struggles! Our main characters were able to tackle them in a way that shows their true generous character. We saw the main characters mature without losing their true selves.

The development in the romance department was also slow but steady. Li Wei is not a princess in distress and Ying Zheng was completely supporting her from behind without overstepping his position. I honestly love that. He knows his wife is capable but is still willing to lend her a hand. They also didnt have any major miscommunication issues which was refreshing.

I thought 40 episodes would be too long but upon finishing the drama, I felt the pacing was very fitting for this kind of story. We grow along with the characters at a very natural pace. I didn't feel any part of the drama being too rushed. It is very common for dramas to have a rushed ending just to wrap up the story. I am pleased to say, that is not the case for New Life Begins. Bonus points for the flashbacks in the last episode! It made me realize how much everyone has grown.

Pros: Family bonding, sisterhood, steady pace, empowering
Cons: Music wasn't catchy and oddly really melancholic. I felt like that didn't really match the mood.

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"When there is love, even flowers have the courage to bloom among thorns".

"Experience the power of love and growth in this inspiring tale of family and self-discovery. Unravel the complex tapestry of relationships, love, and personal growth in this gripping story of family and redemption, where every character leaves a lasting impact.

This story is about family and the challenges the characters face towards achieving their goals, It's about friendship, sisterhood, brotherhood, and how not just blood defines a family. The bond they all shared was so beautiful and inspiring, that I hope everyone has someone in their lives the same way they had each other.

"When there is love, even flowers have the courage to bloom among thorns". This is a lyric from the ost of this show and I think it encompasses the entire show very well.

In this review I only wrote the reasons why I love this show, maybe in the future after rewatching, I'll be able to find things I don't like about it.

We saw so many different kinds of love in this show, such as parental love, friendship/platonic love, self-love, sibling love, and non-platonic love. They showed how they can appear differently for different people and how important it is to Love yourself.

It has the most funny characters I've seen in a show in a while. The show gives you such an important message while still being funny.

This is one of the most inspiring and well-written shows I have ever watched. The characters are complex so that even the really bad ones you can't truly hate them cause it kind of makes sense why they do the things they did. The former crown prince though really took all the understanding of my entire life not to hate him too much, I still hate him though.

The main leads chemistry was chemistrying, and the character growth and development were so inspiring and so beautifully done that they make you believe anything is possible. The development of their relationship was so natural and when Yuan Ying came and helped them grow into their better selves, it was stunning to watch, I think everyone deserves a sister like her.

The side characters were so well portrayed that their stories are shown even if they have little screen time. This is truly one of my favorite shows of all time.

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My new comfort show, with great romance and strong found family concept

My new comfort show. It has great messages about women empowerment and great supportive bonding between women. Its concept of found family among the ladies is very strong and amazing. It's always great to see women supporting women, especially in an Asian drama.

Also, the romance between the leads is beautiful. They have a slow burn and genuinely healthy relationship, with great chemistry. Their love grows gradually and they treat each other with care and respect. Other side couples are enjoyable too.

I love most of the characters in this series, except for a very few male characters. Besides the leads, my 2 most favorite characters are the fifth prince and his wife. The guy is so funny and has a pure heart of gold, and his romance story is fun to watch as well. :)

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Serotonin boost

The story :
The storyline may seem quite simple at the beginning but as you progress through the episodes you realize that it's not as simple as you thought it was. I really liked the plot, there wasn't any dull moment when I watched it. It narrates a fun story set in the fictional kingdom of Xinchuan, which is the most powerful and which presides over 8 other provinces (which have all their specificities). Every 3 years as a tribute, each province send young ladies for a selection as wives or concubines of the Xinchuan princes. And after some events during the selection, the adorable foodie Li Wei from Jichuan becomes the concubine of the weak and unfavored 6th prince, Yin Zheng.

The cast :
I loved a lot of characters. I think that the main couple has a very good chemistry !! I hope we can see Bai Jing Ting and Tian Xi Wei together as main leads again in the future. Both of them have good comedic expression and they are fantastic at turning funny moments into heart stopping passionate ones !! Although there is a romance involved , this drama is a lot more about sisterhood and women's themes which is not a flaw at all. There is no rivalry and scheming between women, unlike other historical dramas which makes this one very different and enjoyeable.
Also, almost all couples in this drama are lovely because each romance is developed which makes the characters very endearing. Besides, I really loved on of the secondary couples, Shangguan and Yin Qi literally stole my heart. These characters are so different and that's why this couple is awesome : the fierce Shangguan, a princess from the powerful and matrilocal Danchuan with him, the goofy and smiley 5th prince. They humorously navigate true challenges and hardships together which leads them to understand and love each other.
The sisterhood moments were really good, all these women are supporting each other no matter what and have an awesome bond. They went through a lot of hardships and each one of them succeeded in what she wanted to do in the end of the drama.
Overall, each character in the drama was immensely elevated by all the cast’s excellent acting. The depth and richness of each character and their development were incredible. Moreover, all the character’s interactions and chemistry were also realistically and convincingly portrayed.

To sum up this is a gorgeous, lighthearted and highly enjoyable story about women's struggles and sisterhood with some romance thrown in. The humour is very well and I think it can really be a comfort drama to watch when you're in a bad mood because it will make you smile and laugh for sure. I highly recommend it and that's why I rate this feel good drama 10/10

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