The Rise of Ning

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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Entitled socialites paraded around like relevance was hereditary. Next

This story should have been called, “How I escaped the clutches of an obsessive lover and jumped into the arms of my brother.” 

I could only finish this drama by watching it at 1.5x to 2.0x speed, especially where the second couple is concerned. I wasn’t really interested in watching them in a goose chase with one another, with a literal goose.  

Barring that, I was watching this show mainly for Wan Yi’s portrayal of the multi-talented Shen Yuan, who seemed to be the master of all trades despite being shunned by his family. Equally good in his performance is Ci Sha as the Marquis Jia Xue who roamed the earth and strong-armed people, including the very object of his affection, into submitting to his desires.  

Though Yi Ning is touted to be as smart and cunning as the next Female Lead in C-drama land, the limited range of Ren Min’s expressions, coupled with her shrilly voice, made me wish I had a selective mute button to press. Questionable are also Yi NIng’s actions that jeopardize all the hard work that Shen Yuan did to protect her. She seems like a self-righteous character to me, expecting from others what she herself cannot provide. 

Also relegated to the annoying department are that insufferable Lady Qiao and her entitled children. Good riddance to them.  

I’m not opposed to a pseudo-sibling romance, but only if it’s properly established, such as revealing the birth secret to both characters early in the story. But it wasn’t. Also, I expected both families to object to their relationship, but they seemed unconcerned, even highly encouraging their siblings-turned-lovers relationship. For all their talk of appropriateness, this was certainly out of left field. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised, as anything is possible in fiction.

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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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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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Newest favorite Actor

This is the 3rd drama of Zhang Wan Yi that I have watched. His character in Lost You Forever is my favorite and the sole reason why I was able to finished the first season. Second Drama was Are you the One and I was hooked from the very start. I just wished the story was longer. I developed a routine to watch it every single night. I'm so happy that he is in this drama, I don't have to wait that long to see him act. This is my first time giving a review and i apologize if it is all about ZWY. The story is good so far. There is enough screen time for each character. At first, I was bothered by the Female lead's voice quality but later on I got used to it. It's just that usually for strong and clever character, tone of voice is stable and calm. I know the story is about her but I'm actually more excited inZWY character's revelation. That he is not who they think he is.

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ACTORS

Things that I like about the synopsis is that no connection to Emperor or any Emperial family which rarely in costume C-drama. It just about dirt in Luo family, which about petty family dispute that we got a lot from C-drama; over jealous, rivalry, status, denigrating, incapacitate family members, treat each other with disdain. Pretty standard & common synopsis. So, why is this drama stand out? Timing & Male Leads.

ZHANG WAN YI (Luo Shen Yuan)
Zhang Wan Yi, he's getting better with his craft, he's sometime has empty eyes but most of the time he's doing great. a illegitimate abandon son whose rise to the well-rounded minister, a scholar that know how to fight. Attentiveness, indulgence smiles, great stature, soft persuading voice, costumes that enhance his persona, great intonation. Wan Yi is good in retorting dialog; friendly battering to his attendant Shao'An.

REN MIN (Luo YiNing)
Has the annoying voice like Dilraba & Yang Mi, high pitch squeaky short breath voice that has no spirit. I think she's better couple up with Zhang Wan Yi rather than Xiao Zhan (in Longest Promise) as Xiao Zhan has exceeding look than any females. Maybe Ren Min needs a voice trainer to help with vocalization. Her acting is like a weak delicate feeble girl which supposedly appropriate with her character. For an experience actress, I think her acting isn't much noted. An average looking, nothing special girl that got so lucky with 2 men fighting over her (sigh!).

CI SHA (Marquis Lu Jia Xue)
He's the testosterone element in this drama. Very intense, male dominant, yet has charming smiles. I like him in the Legend of Heroes and this too. When he grab someone roughly, I can also see his vein shows he might really hurt somebody (wondering that), his face can transform from cynical to sweet. I hate he has to acted upon as a maniac lover, that has to force an average girl to be with him although he's been rejected many times over (let it go already!). I am rooting for him to have better roles in the future but please do not pick feminine male-roles because that's going to ruin his male charm.

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Not very interesting

This drama is plagued with lots of issues that caused me to drop this one after 11 episodes.

The Good

Actors are mostly using their own voice which is nice to hear. Production quality is a little on the better end down to the costumes, wigs, makeup, lighting; although, the production still isn’t the best. The story is fast paced so it keeps you engaged. OST is decent. Lin Hai Ru’s character was a refreshing addition to the storyline.

The Bad

The plot is recycled, at least up to the first 11 episodes that I watched. Even though reused plots are very common in CDramas, some of the others are a little more interesting than this one due to better acting in those. The biggest issue I had in this drama is with many actors seeming like they are just reading a script. It also comes off very dull and monotone with the two main leads. No emotion shown with them, like they are just going through the motions. Up to this point, it’s been difficult to connect with any character. Lastly, the schemes are anticlimactic since they are the usual tropes.

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A bubble (tea) drama

I’m sure it comes as no surprise that most drama will try to grab you and hook you as soon as possible. First impression is very important after all. This is why this drama left me perplexed.

I started to watch and halfway through the first episode, I had to stop and checked that I’m not watching ep.2 or even ep.3 by mistake. This was unsettling and caught me off guard. The reason for this is that the drama starts with little preamble. We are introduced to a large cast but there is not much to hook you. Much happens but what are their context? Why should we care?

This is probably a good point to pause and explain why I called this a bubble drama. I coin this phase because this show exists in its own bubble. There is little point in pinpointing the historical context. Costumes and backdrops are fairly generic. It also play hard and fast with some key cultural norms. I can understand they have to do it to make the story work, but it is self-serving. Its inconsistency means you are constantly second guessing the story's rationale. This extends to minor twists which are nonsensical but necessary to get the plot out of a bind. OBTW, if the show gets to the point where it is overloaded with artificial sweeteners then it will be a bubble tea drama. :)

Granted, most turnkey idol dramas are poured from the same mould. It is not a hanging offense if that is its only problem. In this case, we have some fundamental issues with the basic premise. For example, the title is The Rise of Ning. However, while she was sent away as a child, she grew up just fine and is well educated and provided for. She is fully supported by the senior wife as soon as she returns. Her grandmother dotes on her. She is resourceful and well adjusted. She is the heir apparent to the family fortune. This is just as well because her father is a hapless tool. How much higher can she rise, Queen Ning mayhaps?

She set about to right some wrongs done by her father's favourite concubine almost immediately. She and her spoil daughter neither have the means nor the brains to do more than simple dirty tricks. Tiresome and despicable they may be but hardly evil masterminds. What is odd is the official wife was long suffering but grew a backbone as soon as Ning shows up. There is also a mysterious "puppet master" but his motives are hazy. He might even be closely related to the FL.

The ML is also treated poorly by the family as a semi illegitimate son yet he is a great martial artist and a scholar to boot. There is no explanation of how he reaches those heights with limited resources. On top of that, he has assembled a crack team who is willing to die for his cause. I'm sure more will be revealed but consider at the 1/4 mark, we are still lacking a clear focus, it is testing. From my perspective, both our leads are already standing on solid ground with little room to improve. Compare this to recent shows like Blossoms in Adversity or The Double and you will know how low the protagonist can get.

Then there are the constant chatter about scandals and arrange marriages but that's old news and boring, to be honest. All the typical high society shenanigans are present and accounted for.

May be we can look towards the romantic plotline to lift the story? This is where it is even more problematic. Oh wait! Our OTP are supposed to be brother and sister sharing the same father. By ep.8, the ML has found out that the FL was not related by blood after all. That might fix the basic moral problem but the FL doesn't know that and any relationship between them would be technically incestuous. I'm sure she would find out soon as the Chinese censors would not allow this to stand. It still makes for some awkwardness as their attraction builds. The writer might lean more into this just to inject some angst in an otherwise flat drama.

Adding to its woes, I have to confess that I don't ship the leads. Yes, they make a handsome couple but their chemistry is questionable. We know they are the OTP because that is obvious. There is no plan 'B'.

On the other hand, the production value is decent if pedestrian, the OST is serviceable. Most of the support cast are from central casting but they try.

It is watchable and mildly entertaining but it never hooked me. So after 9 eps, I've decided to park it for now. It is not a hard “NO” but more “can't be bothered”. Peace.

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"The Rise of Ning" – A Story of Love, Identity, and Fate

"The Rise of Ning" is a compelling historical drama filled with family intrigue, romance, and personal growth. Luo Yi Ning (Ren Min), the neglected legitimate daughter of the Luo family, returns home after years of exile, only to find herself entangled in love and secrets. She forms a deep bond with her third brother, Luo Shen Yuan (Zhang Wan Yi), an illegitimate son who understands her pain. Their love story is beautifully woven, built on mutual support and quiet devotion, leading to a heartfelt marriage. While Ren Min is visually stunning, her acting at times feels a bit stiff, making some emotional moments less impactful. In contrast, Zhang Wan Yi delivers a stellar performance, bringing depth and nuance to his role, and making the romance all the more poignant. With breathtaking cinematography, intricate family dynamics, and a love story that tugs at the heartstrings, The Rise of Ning is an unforgettable journey of love, loss, and self-discovery.

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