The Rise of Ning

Family politics, basic plot and odd romance

This drama is about the female lead who comes back to live with her family after many years of being unjustly accused of a horrible deed. She navigates family politics while secretly investigating her mother’s death. The male lead (who turns out to be her non-biological brother) seeks justice and revenge for the death of his Master. Both, being mistreated by their family, bond as friends/siblings, helping each other through their life struggles and ultimately fall in love.

Fun fact, the female lead’s story is literally the same as the girl from The Double who’s identity the female lead of that drama takes. It almost feels like Ning is a ‘what if’ spin off of The Double.

POSITIVE:
- Family politics. Nasty, scheming concubines that you want to slap through the screen and an annoying father that makes your blood boil. Family drama is not my vibe but I did enjoy certain aspects of it, it did help that the female lead is a smart cookie and always one step ahead.
- Second male lead syndrome. Probably an unpopular opinion but I fell hard for the second male lead. He was THE red flag, toxic, loyal with hidden vulnerability lead that would make certain viewers like me eat up the romance. I felt he had a better dynamic with the female lead and the flashbacks with their backstory was super sweet.
- Cunning male lead and smart female lead duo.
- Mix plot of family drama, revenge and investigations.
- Father parallels. I enjoyed watching the stark difference between the beginning and end of the drama in terms of father dynamics. Without spoiling, the father figure at the end was endearing to watch.

NEGATIVE:
- Odd romance. The forbidden love (falling for a fake sibling) was poorly executed. Spoiler alert, the female lead finds out almost at the end that they are not related which is rather awkward. Granted, they acted more like friends than siblings but I still didn’t understand when and how the female lead actually fell for him.
- Basic plot. Honestly, you could fall asleep and wake up the next day AND still understand everything about the plot (talking from experience).
- Male lead feels like a side character in the first 10 episodes. Later the story focuses on him but I feel like the second male lead shined more.

OVERALL:
I had spent months waiting patiently for this drama to air but when it did, I was extremely underwhelmed. The focal point of the drama is the family politics, a father who will make your blood boil, concubines and siblings who you want to slap every time they are on screen, and even more characters that annoy you with their horrible behaviour. Regardless of all that, I ended up giving the drama a chance since I loved the main leads. However, despite their great chemistry, their romance was written poorly and I had a huge second male lead syndrome. In the end, all I can say is that this is a very basic drama that’s only good to watch to pass the time. But if you love family drama with an abundance of nasty, scheming women and a female lead who’s a smart cookie and wins over her enemies, you might enjoy this more than me.

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And the Dangerous Delulu Award Goes To? SML! The Rest Was Solid Though

This is the 4th drama of ZWY that I'm watching this year after both LYFs and AYTO. I really like his characters; in this one he really was a chameleon of sorts. RM I'd only previously seen in TLP and I liked her here much more. Familiar with a lot of the supporting. The show wasn't a new concept but what made it good was the intelligence of our leads to outsmart all the schemers and villains. But the unfortunate part was that the SML and his dangerous towards FL.

Pros: As mentioned, not a new concept but strength in smarts. Was very much like the Double where you had a household of scheming wicked women but a very smart FL and her equally on point "3rd brother". The majority show was about how she would swart evil plans of the women in the Luo family. She also had the support of her adoptive mother and grandmother as well as 6th uncle and 6th sister. Though she wasn't related by blood to any of them as that was uncovered later, they still treated her like family. ML meanwhile, while finding out her about them not being related, still had her back and developed feelings first. He though was running an underground organization of fighters trying to overturn an 8 year old case of their master being framed for embezzlement and executed. While he acted like the slow witted guy in a side yard at home; in reality he was intelligent, had wonderful martial arts skills, and was very strategic. All that was brought home when he became the top 3 scorer on their exams; his disgusting father who hated his guts had to come to the realization that this son out did him in everything and even though many of us still didn't like the father after his evolution, at least he wasn't a rotten bastard anymore.

While FL was trying to uncover the secret behind her mother's early passing she also found her biological father who was literally father of the year in comparison to the Luo dude. This man was everything FL deserved in a father. Though the transition to the new family was bumpy, it was a lot better than where she originally came from although all of the wicked women were dealt with or evolved after being married off. By the end both families blended nicely, our leads were married with a baby boy and it was the epitome of tranquility. All of the antagonists plots were overturned by the persistence, patience, and hard work of ML and his people along with everyone who helped which included FL's father the Duke towards the end.

Costumes, OSTs, sets, were nice.

Cons: SML! Holy hell! Literally the most obsessive/possessive delusional 3rd wheel I've probably seen since introduced in whichever episode. He even ruined their wedding by abducting FL and killing people to make it look like her and was planning to leave town with her even though she was someone else's wife, didn't love him, etc. it was sickening. I thought the dude from "Girl Goes to Imperial College" was bad as he actually poisoned FL in the "if I can't have her, no one can" deal but thankfully the leads outsmarted him pretending she died. But this dude was savage; he harmed her, forced her against walls, and if got away with taking her away, probably would have raped her. He was a brute and his death was a total copout because not only did it take half of the last episode but they made it all soft and easy. He took an arrow for her and one minute she was the abductee to crouching and clutching his shoulders. I was in total shock! And I wasn't the only one. Like girl, what are you doing? Your husband is standing right there! Make it make sense please. Knocked half a point off the rating right away. The man made your skin crawl with how disgusting his obsession was and I would have personally sent him through a wood chipper and here she is after all the times he's hurt her and those around her, holding him. It was beyond stupidity. Can't hit my head against the wall hard enough. He took too much away from our couple and their happily ever after.

Also, how weird and creepy was the FL still calling ML "3rd Brother" after they were together, then married and even after the kid was born. Like is the boy supposed to call his father, uncle? Writers majorly screwed that up. It was completely out of place.

A few plot holes with Mistress Qiao's kids at the end; I thought both were sent away somewhere to reflect on themselves especially the scheming daughter but at the end she shows up all worldly with a mention of having married an official. Wasn't she sent to a temple though?

Would I recommend it? Despite the horrible SML whom you can ffw as he just adds more ick than anything else, this show is good and empowering because it has two beyond smart people dealing with both family and justice issues.

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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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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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