The Story of Pearl Girl

Almost perfect

So I watched this drama because I just finished watching Prisoner of Beauty and Zhao Lusi is my favorite cdrama actress and I absolutely loved it until the ending. The ending was so unsatisfying and disappointing that it dropped this from a 10 to a 9.5. Believe it or not, I don’t hate sad endings/ambiguous endings but they need to be well done. This was, in my opinion, not well done. We got no closure and were not told explicitly what happened, which takes it from tragic to frustrating. My heart would break having to watch it happen but at least I would know for sure instead of being left to assume. But I don’t want this entire review to be me ranting about my disappointment with the ending, let me talk about what I actually liked. For one, I absolutely loved Duanwu as a protagonist. She is intelligent and hard working and has been through some horrible things and come out on top. Lusi is a phenomenal actress and she absolutely killed it with this role. I enjoy her modern dramas but I must say, historicals are truly where she shines. Next, I absolutely adored the platonic relationships in this drama. Especially between Duanwu and her female companions. I enjoyed the romance fine, I shipped it, but I would have totally been fine if there was no romance and they only focused on the platonic relationships. But that’s just me. Speaking of romance… I preferred the second lead. Which is truly a rarity for me, usually I find second leads annoying, but I actually much preferred her with Mr Zhang. I enjoy enemies to lovers but as I’ve gotten older, friends to lovers has become much more my thing. I also cannot stand the miscommunication trope, especially when the reasoning doesn’t make sense to me. Not wanting her to be consumed by revenge thus lying to her and making her think it was all his fault just did not make sense to me. But back to the second lead. It was obvious she had no interest in him whatsoever but I couldn’t help but wish she would choose him. Speaking of couples, why did I low key like the second couple? Wu was so toxic and I despised him plus I got such sapphic vibes from Lady Cui at the start but man, some how they wore me down and I was shipping them at the end. Overall I really really enjoyed this drama but I think the ending is too vague and prevents it from being another ten star drama for me. 9.5/10

Read More

How to recover......

Watched on Netflix, I was interested when this title came up on screen enough to watch the trailer. I was hooked when I realised Liu Yu Ning and Zhao Lu Si were the main actors, I was still so fond of their pairing from the The Long Ballad. 40 episodes committed for them.

Personally I hate the ending, I was sick to death of losing people through the series in the light of "growth". I would agree with many reviews that the series went down hill after half way.

This had such potential to be SO MUCH BETTER!!

The music, sets, designs, and costumes 100%

I'm exhausted from holding out the whole time -hopeful.

Not for not appreciating female empowerment as the title does say the story of pearl girl, her character progresses and grows, but would it really have been so bad not to kill the ML.

I feel like I should have expected as much.........

Read More

The visuals & graphics of the series are so beautiful. I love each & every poster of the series.
The visuals & graphics of the series are so beautiful. I love each & every poster of the series.

The story was good. Especially the revenge part. The way Yan Zi Jing planned everything & Duan Wu figuring each & every scheme of Yan Zi Jing is my favorite part of the series.

Yan Zi Jing is a schemer. All he cares or desires is his revenge. This desire of him is understandable because of what he went through in his past.

Duan Wu is strong, clever, stubborn, strong-willed. She fought through the way. She gains freedom & independence through strong-willed & clever moves.

Many people may not like the way Yan Zi Jing treated Duan Wu in the first few episodes. But I like that experience made her strong.

One thing I'm very disappointed about is that it's always shown that Duan Wu is an intelligent woman, but she was unable to figure out that it was the Black Dragon Bandits who are killing them dressed as convoy. She also knew that Yan Zi Jing had no reason to kill her, so her misunderstanding that he wanted to kill her was disappointing. This misunderstanding I didn't like. If they wanted to separate them, they should have used Yan Zi Jing poison.

It was a fun watch. I enjoyed it.

Read More

Beautiful and Well Excecuted

The film was a visual masterpiece, truly captivating from start to finish. The cinematography was beautifully crafted, with each shot meticulously framed to bring the story to life in a stunning, memorable way. The lighting, color palette, and camera movements all worked in harmony to enhance the atmosphere, immersing viewers in every scene. Every detail felt intentional, transforming ordinary moments into cinematic art. The result was not only visually striking but also deeply emotional, elevating the film to a level that stayed with you long after the credits rolled. It was an impressive feat of filmmaking that showcased true artistry.

Read More

Slow and Steady Story

I must say with pride that I am always blaze through 30-40+ episode in a week, but this story is not meant to be like that. There's a lot of things that going on, a lot of nuances that would be lost if we went straight to the end. I feel like I need to take a break after watching 1-2 episode to break down what's really happening in the story. I want to applaud the storywriter to be able to make the story a bit more complicated and not straightforward.

for now, I'll give this rating 7.5 as I'm only a third from the end. Nonetheless I'll just enjoy the story bit by bit

Read More

Heavy but what Cdrama land has been missing for months!!!!!

Episodes 1-4
It may be early, but if this drama keeps the momentum and quality, we have a cdrama masterpiece on our hands!!!

Acting: The older actors bring it, but it's Zhao Lusi that. She is insane so far that even on Weibo, gossip bloggers are praising her. There is a scene in episode two that made me cry so hard between her and an older actress and I tell you, the performance does not disappoint in what needed to make you feel that early in the show, I promise.

Plot: This starts off darker than what most may be used to. We are thrown into the world of a slave and what that means as a young woman in those times, and they don't shy away from the dangers. The plot promised a unique story that is merely a pipe dream in drama land today and so far it has delivered on that

Characters: Duan Wu is easily a FL that grabs you. She is far from a dumb girl since she is a slave and she is determined and resilient in her thoughts, and actions, and strives to have the freedom she longs for so much. She truly is the heart and soul of this drama and her. She is the type that will buy it all or lose it all if she could taste freedom and if you were how she lived, you would understand.
The ML is a ruthless, morally grey businessman seeking revenge from former enemies. He doesn't fall for our pretty FL at first sight or anything like that. In fact, he helps her only because the second ML wants to help and so he does it as a favour and in the end, it was the 2nd ML that came through. He doesn't give handouts to her either. He has the typical revenge background, but his function in the story is different from modern-day Cdrama ML's
The second ML doesn't seem special the moment you meet him, but he quickly wins you over that you might have 2nd lead syndrome. He is genuinely a kind, unforceful, upright guy who wants to do the right thing and help the FL because it is just his nature to do so. We meet him trying to save the life of someone who did a petty crime. His meeting with the FL is one you would expect from the ML.
(I'll add later)

Cinematography: Beautiful. The underwater scenes were literally trending and are currently being used as advertisements for TVs, There are just some shots you have to stop to take in.

Directing: There are weird angle shots of the ML's face that stood out, but other than that the directing for big scenes has been great, especially fight scenes with Duan Wu. Because she is not a trained fighter, they get creative with the camera, as she has to get creative to survive.

Soundtrack/OSTs: Beautiful, and they know how to use them in powerful scenes.

Special effects: Not the best, but it's what I expect from Cdramas. The CGI is not offensive to the eye and is actually quite decent!!! The drama also does as much practical which is great to give more realism like the swing underwater.

Overall so far, this is worth it if you can handle heavier stories/themes.

Read More

Captivating historical drama

"The Story of Pearl Girl" is a captivating historical drama that transports viewers to the enchanting world of the Tang Dynasty. With its stunning visuals, intricate plot, and strong performances, this series offers a refreshing take on the genre.

Strong Female Lead: The titular character, Duan Wu, is a formidable and independent heroine who defies societal expectations. Her journey of self-discovery and resilience is both inspiring and empowering.

Intriguing Plot: The series skillfully blends elements of mystery, romance, and historical fiction, keeping viewers engaged from start to finish. The well-paced narrative and unexpected twists add to the overall excitement.

Read More

Acting skills,story teller

This drama is well worth to watch and also i was waiting for this to be aired from long time..i gotta say about the story of this drama is so well understandable and exciting to wait for the next new episode 😀
Acting: FL acting skills is so on top she deserves to be top one because how she manage herself to deliver this message out by her acting..wow just wow so brilliant acting skills from the Female Lead.

ML and Second Male leads both acting skill is also on top because this character they playing is suitable for both of them,,i can't wait to see more from Male Lead and Second Mlead.

Ost of this drama is so beautiful from opening and finish ...top tier I've seen so far..

I really recommend this drama to all the chinese drama lovers.... watch this cdrama and give it a try to watch..it's well worth your time 😍

Well done and Good Job to the Director of this drama
Female Lead and Male lead, second Male lead
Wow what a hard working cast guys...so well gone and good job...to all the cast of this drama thank you so much for bringing out this drama for us to enjoy and watch..u guys are just bravo 👏 😍

Read More

Zhao Lusi shines again

I’ve loved her ever since I saw her in Romance of Tiger & Rose. She gives us a diverse range of emotions but sadly, they made her too ladylike when she was Su Muzhe which seemed like too much of a departure from her original character.

Another character who also suffered from this was the lady who dressed like a man - she was tough and tomboy-ish but when she dressed as a lady, her make up was like that of a courtesan and the way she walked and held herself was like a totally different person.

And it was yet another story of a lady who beat all odds becoming a super business person and holding her own in a world ruled by men, so many twists and turns that it got a bit tiring for me. It would have been better to simplify the story and have some focus on having a proper build of to show how the leads fall in love. Instead it happened too suddenly and conveniently in time for them to have a major misunderstanding to split up in the next episode.

Thankfully, they didn’t use a magical last minute cure so you were left hoping and wondering if there would be a happily ever after. So, a more realistic bittersweet happy ending is what you are left with.

Read More