The Rise of Ning

Banger

This was so, so good! I did not expect to love this drama as much as I do now, but this was such a great family drama (although the initial plot is a bit … questionable, lol). I wish that misunderstanding could have been cleared earlier for the sake of the romance. Shen Yuan’s love was palpable, but the development of Yi Ning’s feelings going from sisterly to actual love was so quick…! However, I absolutely loved how they were onto each other in the beginning😈 It was so much fun to see how she knows and how he knows that she knows. Their loyalty and care, their tacit understanding of the other was done so well! Another thing I loved was Yi Ning’s relationship to Madam Lin and her grandmother! I saw the latter in “The Sword and the Brocade” earlier this year and I was lowkey so scared she was going to be the same kind of nightmare character🫣, but instead she turned out to be such a lovely grandma! Madam Lin was such a mama bear to Yi Ning, truly the mother that stepped up!

Now … the second pest – ah, male lead. What a PEST. That man kept harassing and stalking Yi Ning, using his status as Marquis to appear everywhere uninvited and unwanted. He was so annoying, it was pathetic. Like, at one point you’ll have to choose your ego and let it go!! Yi Ning rejected him repeatedly, and he just kept going, like have some DIGNITY my guy!

Anyway, I grew totally attached to the leads, their families and their stories that I had happy tears in my eyes at times, lmao. Such a good show… I’m sad to let it go now. Also, I lowkey hallucinated a scene in which Yi Ning is sleeping/unconscious in bed, and Shen Yuan is sitting by her side, crying… Did I imagine this scene, because I thought I saw it in a TikTok and for some reason it didn’t appear in the show, unless I didn’t watch attentively… lol. Well, this a GOOD time I spent with this drama!🌟💚💚 Also, Ren Min had pretty princess syndrome throughout the whole show, whatever you say pretty doe-eyed princess….!!

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Good start, Mediocre end

First 20 Episodes are actually quite good, pacing story just nice. However towards the next 20 episodes it become dull, I fast forward the last 20 episodes. I think this series will be good if it just ended at 24-30 episodes to not make the audience bored with unnecessary scenes
Music is good, costumes also good
Acting:
1. Applause acting to second male lead Ci Sha who play Lu Jia Xue, actress who play mother Lin Hai Ru and actor who play Duke Ling. And the duck who always tried to take out the ribbon around its neck :p
2. Cast : The story mentioned that Luo (Wei) Yi Ning is a fragile weak lady, not sure why Ren Min cast and play this character? She doesn't portray weak and delicate lady at all.. a lot of Chinese actress have that features with better acting skills. The actress playing 5th sister and 6th sister act better than her.
3. No chemistry between the ML and FL.
4. This is second series that I watched for both FL (Ren Min) and ML (Zhang Wan Yi)
Compare to the other series that Ren Min play (I watched the longest promise) her make up here is much better and I think she lose weight so her face does not looks that mega big (still big though in certain scene). Acting wise, looks slightly better than in the longest promise, however her smile is indeed still fake, there's no different on her facial expression between angry and shock.. all looks the same with her effort on widen her eyes.
Zhang Wan Yi acting looks the same with the other series that I watched (Lost you forever). Either the character is the same or?

Overall it is still watchable and enjoyable (especially the first 20 episodes).

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Pleasantly surprised!

I was pleasantly surprised by this drama, and it's not like I was planning to watch it before it even aired but I was in a mood for an historical piece and a Zhang Wanyi fan, so why not?

The story, we have all seen before, but there's something about an underdog rising among the ranks of his family and court that's very satisfying to watch, particularly when it's deserved and well developed.

I confess I wasn't all that interested in most of the supportive characters. An ensemble cast ca be tricky and, most of the time, supportive characters get overlooked. In this drama, this doesn't necessarily happen but, however, I do think most of the supportive cast serves as a player to push the leads' story forward and, most of them, don't get their own story per se. This doesn't mean the story is not good but, compared to other dramas like this one, it's a little lacking on this part.

Ren Min, Zhang Wanyi and Ci Sha do most of the weightlifting in the story, all of them giving really solid performances with the first two perfectly casted as the leads, and the latter delivering one of the most unnerving obsessive characters I have seen in a while.

Overall, I think this was a really good watch and enjoyed it.

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A truly happily ever after

This drama was a nice and engaging series that touches on complex family dynamics/drama and politics. It was a slow burn type of story, but wasn’t one that dragged on due to the steady flow of events. I really appreciated the way the main leads were written - they were both extremely bright and talented and made the perfect team. Through supporting each other when no one had their backs, you get to see their relationship blossom into love with a strong foundation of trust and respect.

Highlights:
- The acting by the main leads especially the ML and 2ML, they were so good and natural. I became a fan of Ci Sha who played Lu Jia Xue, the change between his his micro expressions was done really well. He really pulled off the obsessive and slightly unhinged character.
- The bond between the family members was touching, whether it was between Yining and her grandma or her father. I love Yining’s dad, he was so funny and endearing. His facial expressions aware on point.
- Action scenes - It’s a shame we didn’t get many of these but the ones that were shown really impressed me (especially ep 6 when the two MLs fought).

The lows:
- I feel the 2ML was under utilized as he was just a romantic plot device, which is a shame because he had so much potential. He is supposed to be a formidable character but we didn’t get to see much of the complex scheming or political intrigue. I didn’t understand Yining’s attitude towards him a lot of the time, it seemed a bit out of character for her. I get how she would be traumatized but knowing her curious and logical personality, you would expect that she would at least hear him out to clear up the past before moving on. She always ran away so there was never real closure which they both needed. Even at the part when he died. As crazy as he was, I pitied him because of that.
- The filler scenes (including the very long wedding episode). Even though it was nicely paced for the most part, I still think they could have condensed some things or used that time for the plot (ie more political intrigue)
- The perfect ending. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to have a HE for once especially after seeing what the main leads had to go through. But it was a bit too perfect for the some members of the Lou family (looking at you papa Luo). Considering everything that happened, it was a bit odd seeing everything living so harmoniously.

I knew I would enjoy this one after watching the trailers, probably because we get to see Zhang Wan Yi playing a role similar to that in Lost You Forever (I was a fan of huge him there). However, unlike in LYF, he gets a perfect ending here. I also got to meet some new actors through this series. Overall, a nice easy watch. I recommend.

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A tale of intrigue and love

The Rise of Ning offers a captivating blend of intrigue and romance, skilfully balancing the narratives of its two central characters. Luo Yining, the resilient female protagonist, returns to the Luo Residence after years of being away. As she decides to stay in the Luo Residence for good, she was determined to defy the mistreatment she endures. Meanwhile, Luo Shen Yuan, the enigmatic male lead, embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind a wrong committed against his revered teacher.

This drama is particularly engaging as it delves into Yining's clever yet dangerous schemes against her adversaries, aided by resourceful brother, Shen Yuan. As their journey unfolds, a surprising revelation emerges: they are not blood-related. This unexpected twist sets the stage for a blossoming romance that adds depth (and the romance) to the already intricate plot. the focal point of the drama had always been on the central characters, which made people hooked on to the show.

While the early parts of the drama are full of suspense and intrigue which caught the viewers attention, the later episodes became somewhat predictable. The character of Lu Jia Xue, the second male lead, suffers from an obsession with the female protagonist, leading to repetitive and tiresome plot lines. The extended runtime towards the end results in some redundant scenes that could have been trimmed have also lead to some fatigue towards the end of the drama.

Despite these minor flaws, the performances by the lead actors are commendable. Zhang Wan Yi, a rising star (in my opinion), delivers a strong performance as Shen Yuan, effortlessly embodying the character's strategic mind and martial arts prowess. Ren Min also did a spectacular job as Yining, capturing her complex character with both strength and vulnerability. Ci Sha also did a great job as the obsessed Lu Jia Xue, who was willing to do whatever it takes to get Yining by his side again.

Overall, the Rise of Ning is a worthwhile watch for fans of historical dramas, offering a compelling blend of romance, revenge and mystery.

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Excellent drama to pass the time as you wait for something better to watch.

I cant rate this any higher than a 7.5 because imo it lacked any profound depth, and lacked romantic chemistry. I find it dissappointing - yet somewhat understandable - that a show where the main AND secondary couples are toeing a line of incestuous taboo, is so very very devoid of spicy magnetism between leads!

I can't rate it lower than a 7.5 because I DID have fun watching it, despite its flaws. The story flow was excellent. The acting performances, while not stellar, were very passable.

I would recc this to someone who is profoundly bored and waiting for something truly GOOD to come out. It passes the time nicely.

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details of the events about lu and ning ,gu and chen, zhang,wen,qiao,,gu and wei,, not too comprehensively shown, only briefly, and cut into pieces, I don't really like the way skip scenes are conveyed, but of all the problems shown, all are explained even only briefly, there are only a few details that they show at different times but not the same detail, chenglang second young master of cheng family, they all luo family say that but he has 2 elder brothers, then after that ep 15, lu and his subordinates say chenglang third young master, ep 20 chenlan said to shanyuan his grand master also got "状元" but ep 30 his granny said his granpa just got the 2 before, but didnt get 状元，and about yining health congenital weakness, they never careful treat the condition ,, i dont very like the yining acting in some condition , especially when her fall sleep in luo shenyuan shoulder look so fake ,but lu jia xue the character is so annoying but the acting not bad ,, about the ending not very rush but still feel a little rush

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a family melodrama with a side of obsession

despite anything else the marketing may suggest, The Rise of Ning is at heart a family melodrama with a few side dishes. it is recognisably tropey but brings enough freshness to feel enjoyable while being surprisingly angst-lite.

the titular Ning (Luo Yining) is introduced as the legitimate daughter of Luo Chengzhang, second son of the Luo family. she was brought up outside of the family home at a country estate after the death of her mother, the wife her father didn't want. this is the root of most of the Luo family's multitude of issues, sons who were pushed into supposedly suitable marriages that didn't suit them, breeding a hotbed of infighting between wives, concubines and various children.

our male lead is introduced as the unfavoured illegitimate third son of this same second son. you will never forget his rank as Luo Yining calls for him around 864 times per episode. as a person who finds Ren Min's voice attractive, this was no burden for me, and certainly didn't seem to be for san-ge himself.

since these two are our leads, it's clear that at least one of them is in fact entirely unrelated to their purported father. the transition in their relationship was handled surprisingly tastefully, although grandmother was certainly handing out a few sideeyes relatively early on. that said, her sideeye game was prolific and her love conditional so perhaps it was for some other infringement.

as is customary with this type of drama, the politics side dish took over a little towards the end and there were five or so episodes that, while necessary for resolution of some narrative issues, I didn't love. there was very little palace drama, which I appreciated. the emperor was just some distant person we heard about.

the positive relationships were mostly sweet and uncomplicated but there were still persistent melodramatics since we had not one but two couples with some, ahem, intricate familial relations.

the whitewashing of some problematic side characters without any real restitution was perhaps my least favourite theme. while it didn't detract from my enjoyment much, it was interesting how narrative reward and punishment was so random. some people die for their sins; others are rewarded with playing happy families.

but let's get to the real talk here. Luo Shenyuan is a male lead of the attractive benevolent stalker variety. he is thrilled that his girl is an independent, self-supporting queen but he is also the surveillance king because he wants to control the environment around her (for her safety, of course!) while broadly letting her do as she pleases within the guardrails he covertly sets up. think Sang Yan for those of you who have watched the 2025 drama The First Frost.

Lu Jiaxue, our antagonist, is no benevolent stalker. he is a lonely man turned groomer turned obsessive sociopath. there was much discussion when this aired centered around whether he was a more suitable partner for Yining than Luo Shenyuan, and I can't describe the absolute horror of watching this trainwreck of a man on my screen while reading this commentary because his archetype could not be more clear.

Luo Yining was caught in a perfect storm as a vulnerable child. she was unloved and neglected and found a friend in a young man who himself had been discarded. it's understandable that she develops a crush. indeed at this early stage, Lu Jiaxue is a sympathetic character and I understand why his backstory leads people to give him more leeway than he is entitled to.

but that is where this predator was created. as soon as he is secure in her affections, his mind seems to switch gears and you hear some utterly horrific things. there is a conversation I'd like to be able to bleach from my mind where it's clear that he has actively moved into grooming mode and is testing her boundaries when he is talking about things she should eat so she can get pregnant quickly after marriage.

later, when he meets the older Yining, his obsession is glaringly obvious to everyone. she is clearly terrified of him, having grown up and realised that this was not a healthy attachment, which would have likely occurred whether or not certain third parties had been absent, but he is still determined to own her. not the young adult she is now, with her family and business and now-developed personality, but the younger version with her tame childhood interests.

the clarity with which this character is written was impressive. he might appear one-dimensional or overdramatic but he is also solidly anchored in this deeply distorted fixation in a way that I've rarely seen represented in fiction.

all three of our leads did well enough in their roles. Ci Sha was probably the standout given the material he had to work with. Ren Min held a good line that kept her Luo Yining feeling young and light but also intelligent and thoughtful. I could see why she was well-liked even if she was unrealistically perfect. Zhang Wanyi felt a bit underpowered and I wished they'd let his brief vicious arc run a little earlier and longer because it was a nice change of pace from what otherwise looked like he was operating on easy mode.

all in all, this was a creditable if not groundbreaking drama. it avoids repetitive palace politics and focuses on the sweetness of its leads. while it could have been trimmed by a few episodes, it remains an easy, untaxing watch that accidentally (or perhaps purposefully) provides a masterclass in identifying the mechanics of a predator.

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Would have been better if it was a different FL actress that uses annoying baby-voice.

I wanted to love this drama - been waiting for it since I completed Are You the One which I loved. Going from Are You the One to Rise of Ning was such a let-down.

Rise of Ning's FL, Ren Min's uses this cloyingly sweet, baby voice. It's so hard to take her seriously but even if you set aside her voice, her acting is unimpressive and seems unnatural and wooden. She shows no vulnerability and her tone is always the same, whether she's sad, happy or mad! So frustrating - the best part of the drama is Zhang Wan Yi and Ci Sha (ML and 2nd ML). I don't see any chemistry between ML and the FL sadly.

I'll only continue watching only for ZWY and Ci Sha who are both very hot, might I add.

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Same old story with wives, concubines, and offspring bickering at each other. Overly done

The Rise of Ning is a custom drama about wives, concubines, and their offspring bickering at each other. It has been done so many times with other Cdramas. It starts with Zhang Wan Yi as Luo Shen Yuan and Ren Mi as Lou Yi Ning.

I watched about 17 episodes, hoping the storyline would improve as it progressed, but it didn't. I am dropping it for the following reasons:

My Reviews:
1. The same old story that has been done with many other Cdramas.
2. I like Zhang Wan Yi; he is a good actor, but his character could be stronger in this drama, and his onscreen chemistry with Ren Mi could be better.
3. I don't like Ren Mi's acting ability. She has the same expression with many emotions.
4. It is draggy and slow. One cannot repeatedly take 40 episodes of the same type of bickering and jealousy.
5. I give it a 5.0 rating.

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A very good series, catchy & feel-good (with a satisfaying ending)

PLOT: FL, the legitimate daughter banished from a family of scholars, returns to the manor for her grandmother's birthday. She comes up against her father's evil concubine, whom she suspects of having killed her mother. She begins her investigations, helped by the ML, "Third brother" not recognized by his father because he was born to a servant. He investigates incognito the death of his mentor. Together they will face the family problems, the corrupt officials, the evil ex lover, ...

+++ A great lead couple.
+++ Eye-catching production, where we discover the clues little by little.
+++ Coherent, well-written story, respecting the roles and status of the characters.
+++ enjoyable OSTs

### Slow pace (but bearable)
### Sometimes the green background is too obvious :(

=> A very good series, catchy & feel-good (with a satisfaying ending)
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PLOT : La FL, fille légitime bannie d'1 famille d'érudits, revient au manoir pr l'anniversaire de sa gd-mère. Elle se heurte à la evil concubine de son père, qu'elle soupçonne d'avoir tué sa mère. Elle commence ses investigations, aidée par le ML, "Third brother" non reconnu par son père car né d'1 servante. Celui-ci enquête incognito sur la mort de son mentor. Ils vont affronter ensemble les pbs familiaux, les officiels corrompus, le evil ex lover.

+++ Un super couple de leads.
+++ Réalis° accrocheuse, où l'on découvre peu à peu les indices.
+++ Story cohérente, bien écrite, respectant les rôles et les statuts des personnages.
+++ OST agréables

### Rythme lent (mais supportable)
### On sent parfois un peu trop les fonds verts :(

=> Une très bonne série, accrocheuse & feel-good (ending sympa)

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