The Story of Pearl Girl

Lots of epic scenes and a barrage of emotion

I binge watched this but due to not having a subscription to Youku many of the scenes (often pivotal) were missing so I’ve had to scrabble around on YouTube to fill in some (but sadly not all) of the gaps. It would probably pay to subscribe to get the complete picture.
The story while complex and brilliant is sometimes frustrating when the main characters put themselves in harm’s way without proper backup.
As the chapters pass the main characters grow and develop beautifully so that when some of them die, it is both heartbreaking and memorable. The lad who plays Shrimp is an incredible actor and I hope he goes on to other things.
The ending was open so that although we know ML is dying, we do not know exactly what happened. Did he really leave to die alone? Difficult to say although his SiC is absent from the last few scenes. I hope he didn’t as she begged him not to but that’s just my take on things.
Cannot fault any of the acting but as usual Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning were exemplary and had incredible chemistry.
Would I watch this again? Absolutely, provided I could get the complete storyline with every scene included

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Lavish and very watchable

Dec 2024
This period action, adventure, revenge, romance C-drama has everything, and overall I found the story enjoyable and captivating.

There are almost always lots of characters in C-dramas, with lavish sets and costumes, especially if fantasy (xanxia/wuxia). Whilst this drama wasn't a fantasy story at all, it did have all the production values of one.
The slavery aspect early on was pretty unpleasant, with the usual wealthy, yet greedy, pearl farm owners being up to no good, involved in shady dealings, and using/abusing their captive workers in the process.
Our FL escapes that life, finding out some shocking secrets as she does, which lead her on a journey.
She collaborates with an unlikely person, who's on their own (yet linked) path, but for very different reasons.
There are not as many annoying female characters as I usually come across, and I enjoyed the lead actors very much. There's also some great and diverse supporting ones, with the relationship between Yan Zi Jing and his right-hand man, Kang Ju, being a favourite of mine. I especially loved the latter character.
It kept my attention and there was enough wit, action and an appropriate level of romance, that I thought melded well for a balanced watch.
I have to admit that I wasn't happy with the ending though; but that's to do with me and not the story. It did fit, I have to say.
Definitely worth a look, and if nervous of the number of eps, it could be used as a 'filler', whilst watching dramas that are currently airing.
It kept me happily watching and was a little different to the usual C-drama period stories.

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Not quite right

I enjoyed the beginning story where FL fights her fate and gets to escape the island, and develops her skills under ML guidance. I also liked how the ML plotted against Cui family so wonderfully, but then it's going downhill after that. I had guessed it from the start that the sworn brother is the bad guy.. he's a successful figure in a dangerous area, isnt it obviously suspicious?

It kills the whole drama that the supposedly scheming ML rushed to find the dragon bandit and fell into the trap.. they didn't even give him a chance to reflect on his mistake and find out how he got fooled. Why did he hire people without any caution in the first place, that's such a big deviation from his character.

I also think this drama elevates female characters and their careers too much. The villain who started off killing anyone who's in her way actually survived the ordeal and became a successful merchant, all thanks to her devoted childhood sweetheart who died for her. Then she suddenly shifted her hatred from ML and FL toher father in law because her man died miserably..

Lastly, the ending is the most disappointing to me. Why not give us a happy ending for the ML????? He's still consumed by the revenge and died for it. Too disappointing!!! I have loved the leads acting and coupling since Long Ballad so I'm very heartbroken that ML had to die from the poison.

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A Missed Opportunity

had the potential to be a gripping historical drama, but it falls short due to weak storytelling, inconsistent pacing, and underdeveloped characters. While the premise of a pearl diver escaping slavery and navigating the ruthless world of commerce is intriguing, the execution feels shallow and repetitive.

One of the biggest issues is the lack of depth in character development. Duanwu, the protagonist, starts strong but quickly becomes a passive figure, constantly reacting to events rather than driving the story forward. Yan Zijing, the supposed complex and ruthless merchant, ends up being a predictable and cliché male lead whose interactions with Duanwu rely too much on forced tension rather than genuine chemistry.

The pacing is another major flaw. Some episodes feel dragged out with unnecessary subplots, while crucial moments of character growth are glossed over. Betrayals and conflicts are introduced but resolved too quickly, reducing their emotional impact. Moreover, the dialogue often leans into excessive melodrama, making it difficult to take key moments seriously.

While the cinematography and costumes are visually appealing, they can’t make up for the lackluster writing .

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Great start however

I was excited and so looking forward to this series, the outline of the story was interesting and had real potential but i think in the end it failed to deliver . FL is a good actress and i really like ML Lui Yunning. so what could go wrong.
I felt the start was really really good and interesting and kept me waiting for the next episode but it started to drift. The actors did the best job they could with what i think was a confusing and chaotic story line and script. Or maybe it just wasn't for me. it was in the middle i felt it became lost so the writers threw everything at it, unfortunately it just meant that the middle part was not realistic and neither was it survivable. There it lost me. i did go back and watch the remaining episodes but not with the same enthusiasm that i had at the start.
I think the writers became lost so decided to throw every conceivable plot against the main characters, so it lost its appeal. when you are lost you should keep it simple, The actors are certainly good enough so they could showcase their talents, they did not need to be swamped with the chaos that followed.
I still feel a little cross and sad about it, Excellent actors, great story, what could go wrong.

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Love Zhao Lusi, her acting was fantastic in this drama, but I did not like the script.

The Story of a Pearl Girl is a custom drama about Duan Wu, who was raised, physically abused, and grew up in a harsh Pearl Farm environment without the protection of her parents. She learned to fight, stay alive, and become a well-respected jewelry designer and entrepreneur. She ran her own business in a town full of corruption.

I admired Zhao Lusi for taking on a challenging role that stretched her acting ability. Her character was mature and ambitious, wanting to better her life and the lives of the people who grew up with her in Pearl Farm. I enjoyed watching her, but the script could have been better because it did not do justice to her character and the story as a whole.

Her on-screen chemistry with Liu Yi Ning did not work well in this drama; they had a better story and characters in The Long Balad. The men in this story are useless; it is more of a women-centric tale, which they should focus more on.

It would have been better if she ended up with Zhang Jin Ran's character rather than Yan Zi Jing. ZJR is a better fit for her than YZJ. I did not like the ending either. I would rather see that she spent her time caring for and departing from YZJ since he did not survive due to poisoning. The ending was bad and felt rushed.

Synopsis: After escaping a brutal pearl farm, Duan Wu, a skilled diver, meets merchant Yan Zi Jing and noble Zhang Jin Ran. Joining Yan's caravan, she gets drawn into the glittering world of jewels while uncovering secrets about her past. Along the way, she faces betrayal and loss but stays determined to find the truth. Renamed Su Mu Zhe, she starts her own "Clear Mind" business and teams up with Zhang to right an old wrong. In the end, Su Mu Zhe thrives at the Jewel Exhibition, inspiring women to take control of their destinies.

My Reviews:
1. Good acting from ZLS.
2. The storyline could be better. It is draggy and boring, especially about the jewelry-making process and the corruption surrounding building her own store. It is too repetitive and draggy.
3. LYN and ZLS's on-screen chemistry is better in the Long Balad drama than this one.
4. ZLS is expanding and stretching her acting ability. She acted so well in playing this role where she was oppressed and mistreated by people, yet her optimism, assertiveness, and bravery helped her elevate in society as a jeweler.
5. I agree with Douban's rating of this drama. However, because of the bad script, I give it a 6.5.

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The story was draggy...

I watch anything with Lusi in it, but this is not for me.

I stopped watching when most of the supporting characters died in the first half of the show. The lore and worldbuilding are interesting at first, but the narrative's shift towards angst and drama made it unenjoyable for me. I was so engrossed at the start of the story arc, when the FL was freed from slavery then her becoming part of the ML's merchant crew. Her learning how to trade and becoming a businesswoman was what made me stay at the beginning.

But the story completely threw that away and made her start from scratch again because of a supposedly betrayal from the ML. It's just so stupid that the ML could overcome all the previous plots by the antagonists but couldn't have foreseen a possible betrayal from someone he knew after being gone so long? Then he just let the misunderstanding grew after all of what they experienced... seriously?

Could have been a wholesome watch if it weren't for the forced angst.

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The Rise of the Pearl Diver

The series started off well. It was really appealing. It was the same in terms of plot. It was the same in terms of actors. However, after certain episodes, especially after the ship landed and fell into the desert, there was a decline in the script. The series drifted back and forth. Afterwards, I was not happy with the scriptwriter or writer resorting to simplistic things that would overshadow the credibility of this beautiful series. I objected to this. The idea is good, the plot is good. The story of the rise of a slave Pearl Diver woman. Similarly, the story of a member of the Yan family clearing himself and his family against the injustice done to his family. The intersecting paths of these two, the events that developed in parallel. The revenges taken, the fight against injustice and unfairness. There was friendship, brotherhood, a little romance, and a little sentimentality. The actors were good. Only the scriptwriter was not good. He reduced this beautiful series to simple in my opinion. He was a waste of this group of actors. I reduced the series, which I was going to give 10, to 7.5. Especially our leads Zhao Lu Si and Liu Yu Ning were very good. They were in harmony. They also performed very well. I liked it. Tang Xiao Tian surpassed himself. He was very successful. He suited the role. I liked it. But the one who played the most striking role was Chloe Xie. She was extremely good. She stood out. I liked it very much. I think she will play the leading role now. Similarly, Shan Wan Qing showed herself. She also proved that she deserves better roles. What surprised me was Yu Yong Hai. His image was very good. He played his lame self as if he was really lame. It was perfect. I had watched a few more of his dramas. I think he surpassed himself in this drama. Well done. The child actor was very good. He left the drama early. All the actors were very good. I did some auditions, I drew attention, but the acting was extremely good. The direction was good. The shooting was good. The only thing I wish the writer or the scriptwriter had not resorted to some simplicity. If they had added a little more credibility to the stories, it would have been better. However, if we evaluate this as the writer's dream, we will not criticize it any further. That's how I evaluated it. Because in the darkness of the Middle Ages, it is impossible to even imagine a woman being thought of in this way. They even went so far as to establish a women's solidarity association. So I said no. Of course, I support our author's dream. And his understanding of justice and equality. But these were things beyond impossible at that time. That's why, in my opinion, its credibility could not go beyond a dream. The series also ended uncertainly. I was not very happy with the ending either. My grade is 7.5 out of 10.

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Pirate twink sadist courts abused former slave girl

Yeah I don't know who wrote the review that I read before watching this, but it was complete nonsense. The story is good, it's good enough that I might consider watching it again in a few years. Basically the premise is that this pirate twink who is obsessed with revenge for his family meets the enslaved pearl diver. She's a slave that escapes her circumstances and sneaks on his ship. After he puts her through some more horrific abuse for a while, she joins the convoy and the story goes on from there. I think it's ridiculous for the audience to be expected to understand someone like the pirate twink, and forgive him for the cruelty he showed this former slave who already endured so much hardship and cruelty. This is not an appropriate romance lmao. Our victim, a typical abused girl, is convinced she can fix him and shows extreme loyalty. The FL is always a fantastic actress, I have always enjoyed watching her portray characters. This story is one of resilience, determination, and success despite having the odds against you. Around the midpoint of this drama, I had to take a break. Some seriously emotional events happened and I had to actually struggle to find the will to keep watching. I truly was so close to dropping this title because of it, I think a lot of these things were done for shock value and it could have certainly been written in a better way. But despite that, I am glad that I finished it and I think it was a pretty decent story.

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