The Rise of Ning (2024)

A middling family.

I came to this drama right after watching Are You the One (AYTO), which also starred Zhang Wanyi, because I hadn't seen him in anything else. He seems to play basically the same character, with much of the same facial expressions and demeanor, except he was funnier in AYTO. In both dramas, his character is not actually as close in relationship to the FL as it appears to her, and which he is to some extent along with some other things hiding from her, including for instance being the head of an influential organisation of some sort, and also playing himself down in so doing. The cadence of his voice was pretty much identical in several scenes, to the point that it felt the roles could have been interchanged without too much of an issue.

This is the first time I have seen Ren Min in anything, and I must honestly say I was not particularly impressed. I found her acting quite one-dimensional in that, in my impression, she seemed to have a limited set of expressions throughout the drama. Her younger self where she meets the character of Lu Jia Xue (LJX) in the villa does not seem much different from her portrayal in the rest of the drama, and even by the ending, there did not seem to me to come across a sense of maturation or growth. There was a lack of depth and gravitas as well as range in her acting that would have elevated the role and character, and I would be curious to have seen another actress in the role.

The story and execution could have been much better - the initial arc from the family drama to the later more broadly political arc felt to me like it had become another story. Even the arcs within the initial family drama did not feel like they transitioned smoothly for me; there was quite a clear initial Concubine Qiao arc, then the next bit, then the graduation to the broader politicking. When the first Concubine Qiao arc concluded, I found myself thinking 'What, already?', because it felt so short and almost abrupt. I was also not a fan of the way they used brief flashbacks and exposition perfunctorily to explain what had happened in the plot instead of having shown it as part of the story. There were also some loopholes that felt glaring to me and annoyed me significantly throughout, like the way no one even bothered to check on or treat Luo Shenyuan's back after he sustained a wound early on in the drama, including Yining herself or even the doctor he got to come treat the Old Madam. While arguable that this was to show how little he was cared for or thought of, I also thought it made Yining herself come across thoughtless towards him and selfish.

Yining was an annoying and selfish character to me overall - she tells Shenyuan off for not letting her in on what he's doing on more than one occasion, and then at one point declares that they will keep no secrets from each other, but at which point she had not even told him about her relationship with LJX herself despite him having asked previously. This really came across as a double standard that made clear it applied mostly one way to him, which really irked me. Thankfully he prompted her after said statement, at which point she reluctantly tells him. Additionally, despite her supposedly not being favoured in the family, she is clearly highly cared for by her grandmother/the Old Madam, and her stepmother Lin Hairu/the Madam, who look out for her in every way; this is not even mentioning Shenyuan. Sure, she is plotted against by Concubine Qiao and those half-siblings, but she still behaves recklessly and as she wishes well enough with the support of the Old Madam and the Madam, taking things over to Shenyuan and getting him into their good books and so on. Her selfishness with regard to LJX is also apparent and she also comes across as really immature in her having indulged in a dalliance with him but then never bothering to speak with him outright to clear things up, even after she comes to the conclusion of needing to face up to him.

Yining's makeup also seemed really thick on one or more occasion, and one close-up of her face with the really obvious false eyelash extensions really took me out of it. Ren Min's voice was also to me very grating and whiny-sounding. While these are no fault of her own, they added significantly to my annoyance of Yining.

The plot was so-so, nothing to write home about, it did the job. I don't think it needed to be 40 episodes though, and I felt there was a lot of fat that could have been trimmed off. The thing with the Princess' son, for instance, probably wouldn't have been missed at all.

I was not a fan of the brother-sister relationship basis and thought it could have done much better if the writers had included showing some conflict within Yining about her brother suddenly becoming no longer her brother, and the rest of the family she had grown up in as well. I also felt the show would have benefitted significantly if there had been more of a character transition shown between Yining going from thinking of Shenyuan as her brother to a romantic interest. Instead, she calls him Third Brother until the end of the show, and in fact when she does call him Guan Ren instead, that also felt weird. I would have liked if there had been some kind of change to at least maybe calling him with his name or something.

Because the whole premise of the brother-sister relationship felt wrong to me to begin with, the theme music for them annoyed me every time it came on. While LJX was absolutely basically a stalker, I did not find the concept of an older brother harbouring romantic feelings for their younger sister when said younger sister knows them solely as an older brother particularly compelling, personally, and am kind of surprised no one complained about it being predatory or the like. Again, I think this could have been done well if the writers had perhaps shown some conflict or at least processing in Shenyuan and Yining at finding out, and I would have greatly appreciated a good transition of Yining coming around to seeing Shenyuan in a romantic light as someone who would be a good husband/the way other ladies saw him and realising that her feelings for him were changing, because it was clear that she had thought of him as an older brother early on, e.g. with saying to find her a sister-in-law.

My favourite character turned out to be Duke Ying, who was a lovely character and a true heart of familial feeling. The rest of the actors did fine, and the acting was overall the high point of this drama. I also liked the styling, and the sets were pretty. Rewatch value is low for me because I did not enjoy the premise nor the execution very much, and found the storyline kind of draggy. It would have been better if they had chosen to focus on Shenyuan's machinations, but even that story bit took too much of a turn without adequate explanation at the end. There was much that could have been improved in the writing.

Finally, I found myself quite compelled by the LJX relationship aspect - I would have loved to watch another story, where the 'man is downtrodden by his older brother and has an eye illness rendering him temporarily blind, a girl comes into his life whom he falls in love with and then disappears, he searches for her for years, then finds her, not knowing there was a misunderstanding that has caused her to believe he harmed her' comes to a happy ending. I hope someone makes this retelling.

(The other compelling aspect for me was the older uncle's backstory and his feelings towards his childhood friend whom he did not get to marry, which was only a minorly-played point informing an arc. If there had been a swap between who had had to marry whom, things would have turned out much differently.)

Overall, this was a rather milquetoast showing with the exception of a few stronger standout points.

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Judge it by yourself

People's are judging it pretty quickly. Initially I also didn't liked how the story. I thought it's gonna be classic trope of inner court family fighting drama. But now I wait for new episode everyday. The things I lked about this drama are :
1. Leads are very understanding of each other. They support each other and don't get in each other's way.
2. Fml's character is consistent. She take good decisions, like in some dramas fml's are shown smart initially but as the episode progress fml starts relying on ml, but here it is not like that.
3. Some people might find fml voice annoying. I also found it annoying at start, but now it does not bother me at all. So as the story progress you will get used to it.
4. Both leads have their unique storyline & they don't overshadow other couple.
5. Leads resolve their misunderstanding quickly.
6. There is no sml syndrome. Fl straightly draw a line with sml although there is a reason why fml does it.

Please give it a try. You may skip initial 2 episodes if you don't like concubine trope.

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Dreamy, endearing, warm, and comforting. A most deserving rewatch.

To preface: the stars have to align for me to complete a drama, and every year I will finish 1 or 2 while dropping or never starting 10, despite wanting to. But I've definitely watched enough to know what I like - and if you also like quaint, delicate dramas with a little slice-of-life; a sprinkle of action; a bit of romance; and healthy relationships and communication between the main characters and supporting cast: this is for you.

Despite its name being similar to The Rise of Phoenixes, it is NOTHING remotely like that (I almost skipped it because I assumed it was & wasn't ready for heartbreak, until I watched the trailer). Nor is it legendary like Nirvana in Fire, or beautifully polished like The Story of Minglan or Destined.

However, it is absolutely charming and comfortable in its own skin. It reminds me of a fairytale, not in the xianxia way, but nostalgic like a candid photo or memory, or a bedtime story your parents would read to you.

The literal translation of this drama (I think?) is "Splendid Tranquility," and it lives up to its name. It is loosely based on a SUPER makjang novel, yet in spite of all odds, managed to retain the general plot while making the entire ride the coziest, sweetest, cushiest one.

I just LOVE the directorial choices made here. Very nuanced and thoughtfully handled, without too much grandiose flair.

Here are things I believe were done very well:

✳ - The opening:
Coupled with the music, it very much gives you a clear idea of the tone of this story.

✳ - The pacing is perfect.
I have a tremendously hard time watching dramas past the halfway point due to dwindling interest or otherwise, but this one was so easy to breeze through. I've alternated between watching single episodes and binging them like candy (schedule permitting), and it hasn't broken my stride. When it starts to get a teeny bit slow - letting us enjoy the peaceful moments between any new chaos - it quickly picks up and pushes forward.

✳ - The relationship established between the two leads were exceptionally handled.
From the very first episodes as strangers being wary of each other, to building mutual trust, and seeing them banter? Beyond any notion of romance, THIS is what blows me away.

I love how they established trust by helping each other out to achieve their own goals (ex. you help me out, I'll return the favor). It was super fun to watch when they began teaming up regularly, no longer needing to count favors. I was actually hesitant to continue watching this because I adored their current dynamic and interactions, knowing that romance was coming, but when I reached that point and saw how it progressed, it felt very satisfying and reassuring that it didn't disappoint. I love how it played out!

There are many dramas that don't handle the transition well - they focus so much on the tension, and scenes are deliberately meant to be either romance OR platonic, rather than focusing on how human relationships actually develop. Well, this does the latter - what a breath of fresh air.

✳ - The characters and supporting cast's relationships
It's about found family. I want to go further into this as well - I still think it's SO interesting how they chose to portray the male lead's past entirely, as well as his relationships with his sworn brothers. While most dramas will choose to capitalize on this, logically, so the audience can feel a more intimate connection, this one shows us mere glimpses, much akin to reading a tale.

✳ - The fight scenes were unexpectedly clean
I actually didn't expect a slice of life drama, with a family plot and a bit of action, to do this well. Everyone highly rated Who Rules the World, which had martial arts as a focus (it was also one of my favorite dramas!), and I have to say the ones here were executed much more naturally. Yes, I've watched TVB dramas, and no, it might not hold a candle to that, but I am STILL impressed. This was such a treat!

✳ - Naturally, the cast
As with anything, this is completely subjective. This is the first time I've watched anyone here and I really enjoyed it, to the point it's become one of my favorite dramas. I think Ren Min embodied her character very well - a bit cunning, reserved, yet headstrong and curious. Zhang Wan Yi, Ci Sha, and the entire ensemble of family members were also perfect in their roles!


Many dramas strive to keep you in an emotional chokehold and milk your tears (talking about you, Princess of Weiyoung), and to confuse you that your attachment is love, but this one did not. It's kept me completely captivated and engaged without aiming to. And though it hasn't made me cry once, I'm certain I will when I watch the last episode.

With all that said, the most important thing is you don't come in with any set of expectations, simply enjoy it for what it is: a wholesome, sweet story akin to a lovely dream :)

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inconsistent patchwork of trendy/cheap plotlines, motifs and tropes, fails all genres it mixed

Introduced as a family-intrigue drama, the story is supposed to (r)evolve around FL, (Yi)Ning, legitimate daughter of Luo family 2nd House, punished as a child to grow up in countryside, returning to the main mansion from which she was dettached for many years but somehow (it isn't explained) well acquainted with things going on in the family. Her relations with Luo family members are set: father, influenced by his concubine, distrusts her, grandmother adores her, half sister plots against her etc., all motifs already and more credibly used in several other dramas. In this drama, not even one side character is properly introduced or later properly deepened in order to hint to the audience their psychological characteristics, as it was done in The Story of Minglan, drama to which TRON frequently makes references (FL is motherless, her mother's name is an obvious homage to Minglan, father preferring a concubine to a legitimate wife etc.). Eg., not one scene explains the (important) bond between Yi Ning and her grandmother and why they should be so fond of each other.

The only relationship in which the authors put some effort is with her illegitimate and outcasted half brother, ie., with the ML. The first arc, in which FL investigates her mother's death and her real identity, covers more than two thirds of the drama. FL's former love interest (from the times she lived in countryside), powerful Lu Jia Xue, is shown early on in this arc, as a villain of the story, a person she believes ordered her murder (typically, she was thrown down from a cliff when living in the countryside). Being blinded at the time, he is not sure she is the person he desperatly searched for and surprisingly, such a powerful person could not even later discover the identity of the person living in the neighboring courtyard (this plothole will be repeated with her biological father, who despite his powers could not find out the real identity of her mother). FL is shown as perspicacious and wilful, in investigation of her mother's death she even uses herself as a bait, but strangely has zero interest in her own attempted murder and in front LJX she is just a terrorized victim of a psycho-thriller. Numerous lacks of elementary logics in the plotline regarding the FL, as well as huge inconsistencies (the other important one is her different treatment of the ML when he hurts her in comparison to LJX) in how her character was written, makes her unrelatable, unless we are inclined to relate to double-personality-disordered characters (which was certainly not the intention of the authors). It is not the fault of the actress or her voice many people complains about, Ren Min just delievered what she was told to.

The "best father in the world" (her biological father), appearing later on, just added another flat, superficially written and over-simplified character in a row. At that point, I've thought I'd drop it, but was still curious (my curiousity arouse more from the talks on this aspect, here on MDL than from the thrill of the drama) how will end the psycho-triller between FL and LJX. That's the only reason I've endured till the very end and haven't missed the arc covering the ML's investigation and revenge of his teacher. The political plot pending throughout the drama and solved in its last quarter, was more decently written, and despite not being original, it offered a sort of closure, especially for the ML, who is the only "rising" character in this story, from an outcast to a powerful minister, always placing first in the exams, good at problem-solving, skillful fighter, smart and deceitful (for the last trait, not much relatable either). The inconsistency between such a character and his masochistic attitude towards the FL (continuously helping her out, backing her unconditionally) was overshadowed by the actor's perfomance, who played this role totally in his comfort zone, having mastered this type of characters in other dramas. Ci Sha's performance was also very good.

The second couple seemed to belong to another (fluffier) drama, but they are related to the only "character" I've empathised with or more precisely feared for: a goose named Fugui, poor real goose pecking an annoying blue scarf around its neck while performing a goose who may finish in the pot very soon. Their joint purpose was probably to offer some comic relief (and they've jointly failed to achieve the purpose). While the second couple received an (expected) closure, the audience was left with no clue what happened to the goose. Its missing is the ultimate proof of the sloppiness of the creators or better, collectors of pieces of plots frankesteinly glued together into a drama.

P.s. Persons who've read the novel told me the script was an improvement compared to how badly the story was written in the novel. Why on earth would anybody choose to put on screen a badly written novel, trying to improve smth bad from the start?

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Good pacing and acting, nicely-written family stories but disappointing romance

“The Rise of Ning” does have some resemblance to " The Story of Ming Lan” with a focus on family life, a smart female lead, a good-hearted and doting grandmother and in-fighting between the wives. However, it’s a much shorter and lighter version, and might be easier for new C-drama watchers to enjoy.

Plot & Characters:
I really enjoy the happenings at the Luo Household. The pacing of the drama is good with stories revolving around each child, their struggles to be the favorite and the star of the family, and the scheming between the wives. Nothing was actually too crazy and over-the-top. The ‘evil’ women aren’t really that bad, compared to those in other dramas I’ve seen. Thus, it makes for an easy and enjoyable watch. I love the grandmothers and the doting General. The General makes me smile each tie he tries to please his daughter and to make up for lost times. The revenge/investigation plot was fine, but not as tightly-written. I feel the last episode was a little rushed and screentime could have been better distributed with a stronger focus on the crime/villains, than the wedding festivities. For some, our leads might be overly smart and can seem too perfect. But I have to say, I enjoy watching them outsmart everyone and I don’t have to worry too much about them, thus, making this an easy, stress-free watch. Overall, “The Rise of Ning” kept my attention for almost the whole drama when I was binge-watching it.

Romance:
Unfortunately, I am disappointed with the main romance. The leads have better chemistry as siblings than when they’re lovers. I found FL’s transition from sibling love to romantic love too abrupt and out of nowhere. Additionally, I felt a little weird watching the leads together as siblings, yet feel they're a little too intimate. The secret of the birth identity was not revealed until the last ¼ of the drama, thus not allowing enough time for the romance to develop well. If you are looking for cute and fluffy scenes, then you will be even more disappointed. Surprisingly, I am more touched by 2ML’s storyline. I might be the minority here. I don’t find him too annoying despite wanting to be with FL for most of the drama. His scenes with FL were short ones and sporadic. In the end, instead of frowning upon his obsession and shaking my head, I feel bad for him and wish he would have a better ending. Luckily, the secondary romance is a little cuter and much more innocent. They don’t take up too much of the leads screen time and enough to just keep me happy.

Acting:
From the youngest to the oldest, the acting of the whole cast is pretty good. Zhang Wan Yi’s role is more mature and reserved, compared to his role in “Are You The One”. It’s a joy to watch him again especially when he continues to dub his own lines. He has quite a unique voice and his line delivery isn’t bad. Ren Min performed better than when she’s in “The Longest Promise”. I believe she dubbed her own lines as well and she also has quite a unique voice that takes me a little while to get used to. Ci Sha is awesome and that’s why I feel so bad for his character. The rest of the younger supporting cast did fine but the veterans really shine.

Production:
999 Cold medicine must have contributed a lot to the drama’s budget to give us beautiful costumes and sets. The leads clothes and accessories change throughout the drama to reflect their change in socio-economic status. Ren Min is gorgeous in this drama. She has the best make-up out of everyone (everyone else’s is not good) and her clothes are beautiful. Zhang Wan Yi looks dashing (and quite skinny) in his nicely patterned outfits. I love the sets inside the Luo mansion: the gardens, FL and ML’s individual quarters, and all the fixtures and decorations. The wedding scenes are elaborate and I’ve never seen the bride throw chopsticks (like she’s throwing a bouquet of flowers). The fight scenes are OK and I wasn’t really expecting much anyway. “The Rise of Ning” only has 5 songs in the OST and they complemented the scene well. I really like the main theme <安宁> by A-Lin.


I had a pretty good time watching “The Rise of Ning” and I’ll recommend it. Tamper the expectations of romance and don’t expect sizzling chemistry, cute and fluffy scenes or great skinship. But the drama has pretty good acting, stories about families, beautiful clothes, lovely characters and ‘villains’ who are not too infuriating.



Completed: 11/9/2024 - Review #510

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They are not Blood Sibling in Episode 8

As other asked, "What! Blood brother and sister (same father but different mother) fell in love?" In Episode 8, Shen Yuan found out that Yi Ning mother was kidnapped, raped, and pregnant with Ning. Then her mother was trying to abort her, but unsuccessful. Ning ended up was born pre-immature and has health issue. Then the romance begins to unfold.

At first I want to drop this story because the person who summarized the story inaccurately. It should be revised to make this story more interesting. So far, it has plot, irony, twist and turn, sense of humor, kung fu, etc. This story has everything. It is better than the story of women jealousy over one man and power struggle.

I think her father killed her mother for money (Dowry) since they don't have feeling for each other. In all the Chinese drama, the women give dowry to the groom. That is in India. China, the groom gives dowry to the bride. That is the same as Thailand. I am a Chinese who was born in Thailand and I understand both culture. When I watch many historical Chinese drama, they confuse me sometimes of the real cultures. Maybe the Communism got it wrong because they kill the culture.

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A Perfect Blend of Romance, Strategy, and Intrigue

The Rise of Ning is an exciting and addictive drama, perfect for those who love historical romance with a mix of strategy and mystery. Luo Yi Ning (Renmin) isn’t your typical noble lady—she’s smart, independent, and bold enough to challenge the rules for her freedom. Meanwhile, Luo Shen Yuan (Zhang Wanyi) is a calm yet highly skilled man in both martial arts and literature. Their chemistry is intense, starting with clashes but gradually deepening into something meaningful. Beyond romance, the drama is also engaging because of its business elements and political intrigues that add extra layers to the story. The visuals are stunning, from the costumes to the cinematography, making every scene a feast for the eyes. If you’re looking for a drama that balances love, strategy, and the struggle for success, The Rise of Ning is a must-watch!

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Another drama from Zhang Wan Yi, I’m curious. Let’s watch…

Story about mistreated children of Luo family, Luo Yi Ning (YN) & Luo Shen Yuan (SY). YN is a legitimate daughter of the Luo family, but she’s not a favorable child of her father, she still gains all the respect in the family because her grandmother (Madame Luo) hugely favors her. While SY is the legitimate son of the Luo family, where everyone underestimated & looked with one eye.

The story begins with the return of YN to the main house to celebrate her grandma’s birthday. In the house, SY safe YN from her father concubine trap, that’s made YN indebt with SY & since that day, YN determine to help SY climb in favor at the Luo’s family.

Each day YN & SY grew closer with each other, and YN found many good qualities in SY that no one ever knew about. And since MDL already wrote in their summary, one day SY learns that YN is actually not their father's biological daughter, and that of course makes SY have different feelings for YN. But YN still doesn't know about the fact, that’s make SY had to hide his feelings while still acting as a good brother to YN.

SY & YN grew closer and closer with each other, as they tried to solve the mystery of YN’s mother & SY’s teacher death. And all tapered about politics and intrigue in the palace. So… How they manage their feelings & uncover all the mystery in this drama…

What I like:
+ I don’t too impressed with Ren Min in The Longest Promise, but here… Her acting is more natural & much better overall.
+ The good old grandma. Sometimes grandmas are the best in dramaland… Haha…
+ One of the best main wife. I really like Lin Hai Ru as the main wife.
+ The cute Lin Mao (LM) & Luo Yi Xiu (YX) as a couple. When I watch the clip from YT I kinda hope YX will become pairing with Han Zhao, cause you know for once, kind hearted chubby supporting roles get paired with the prince. But in the end, I’m happy LM got together with YX. They understand & respect each other.
+ How each child shows respect to their parents. Like no matter how bad SY’s dad mistreated him, in the end he was still his dad. Or like when YX’s mother did something horrible, but in the end all of her children still acknowledge her as their mother.

What I don’t like:
- How they force the bad guy. Hm… I feel like in the end the bad guy is half baked & the ending kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
- The relationship between SY & YN. Oh I know how they try to sell it as romance. But you imagine, the one that you thought of as your brother for several years, suddenly not your brother & you also find out he knew about the fact all this time & he got feelings for you… It’s kinda disturbing….
- No one really bothers about how easily YN moves family / household. Haha… Like no one really gossip about that fact…

Overall this is a good drama to watch

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Somehow, they made it work

I rarely watch C-dramas because they tend to be repetitive. Due to their many regulations and restrictions, there's not a lot of room for creativity. Yet, with The Rise of Ning, they managed to take a supernatural and angst-ridden novel and make it entertaining. There is a good mix of humor and angst, with a lighthearted take on the relationship between the two protagonists.

In terms of acting, it's good to see Ren Min's acting has improved. There are still some struggling moments, but she has a better grasp of her character this time. Zhang Wan Yi is in his element with Luo Shen Yuan. I found myself comparing this character with Cang Xuan (from Lost You Forever). While he's a good actor, it would be nice to see more versatility with the characters he play in the future. Ci Sha is definitely a breakout star in this drama. I've never hated a villain so much in my life. It's almost as if the character Lu Jia Xue was made for him. The support cast is very strong, so there's never a dull moment in the series.

Overall, the show did a good job telling the story of two pseudo-siblings who found comfort in each other, and their tough yet rewarding journey in revenge, coming to terms with the past, and finding love. While the show felt dragged towards the end, I applaud the production team for their efforts to keep viewers entertained throughout a whopping 40 episodes.

In the end, is it perfect? No. Is it original? No. Is it worth watching? Definitely.

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Nice enough dramas, just a tad too common a theme

Just finished this a few hours ago, and as per the title of my review, the drama is quite good, but the storyline is too common for me, and coming from The Double, the theme is too much the same thing, sometimes it felt like I was watching the same story, just with different actors. The trope is used too much until it was becoming too expected and boring, I even watch the last few episodes in 1.25 speed. And even though the title is The Rise of Ning (I assume it was in relation to the FL), I cant help but felt that in the end, the story is more focused on the rise of Shenyuan, rather than Yining. Lol.

Luckily, despite the storyline being too common, the story is saved by the actors who did a good job with what they have. The chemistry between the ML and FL is there. The ML did a nice enough job even though his role is not that different from that of Cang Xuan in LYF. This is my first time watching Ren Min's drama till the end (I just cannot finish The Longest Promise, there seems to be no chemistry at all between her and XZ, maybe too much of an age gap there) and she did ok. Her acting is consistent, even though sometimes her voice stressed me out a little. Oopsie. The storyline between Yixiu/Lin Mao and Han Xiao seems more interesting sometimes.

The villain is quite weak, and Lu Jiaxue irks me so much with his thick face (which part of she doesn't like you anymore don't you understand you pathetic man??!) I felt like pushing him down the cliff myself. Lol. And the writer seems to be quite fond of introducing the main beef out of nowhere rather than easing into it. The way they introduce Luo Shenyuan's vendetta against clearing up his shifu's case, the earlier love/relationship between LJX and LYN, they were all thrown into your face pretty much without a warning imho.

The mansion is beautiful, especially the Lou Mansion (sometimes it was questionable how a relatively less prominent family like the Luos can afford to stay in such a mansion, even the Duke Ying's mansion can't compare to the Luo Mansion in terms of the grandiosity). The custom is also relatively too strict for such a 'non-prominent' family, like how they seem to carry out the daily greeting and even how Lin Da Niang and Lin Mao's having to bow before a maid of their mother who apparently carries the 'oral message' from the Lin Matriarch. Usually I only see that when the eunuch carries a decree from an Emperor only. Lol.

OST is used extensively throughout the scenes, though it doesn't seem to stuck in my head after the completion of the drama. All in all, it was a fine drama to watch for the first time, it might even be quite good if you are not watching too many of Chinese dramas with the same trope.

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