The Story of Pearl Girl

Women are not weak in business word.

Exciting plot..The value of the sentence "Women should not be bound by the fate of others" has been increasing. Pearl Curtain Jade has never been a drama with a heroine, but a drama that runs through all the female characters in the drama!

Whether it is the pearl collector Duanwu, Feng
Wuniang, or Cui Shijiu, they are all trying to break the current difficulties and the shackles of traditional concepts, and become the heroines of their own lives!

The screenwriter respected all the female characters in the play. Cui Shijiu hated Duanwu so much, but she only thought that Duanwu was Yan Zijing's errand boy, and she would not objectify women with dirty thoughts!

The drama "The Story Of Pearl Girl" is very detailed, just taste it! The more you taste, the more you will find it interesting.

Read More

A dazzling start, a disappointing dive

The Story of the Pearl Girl initially captivated audiences with its stunning visuals, a compelling female protagonist, and an exploration of societal constraints. However, the narrative loses its focus in the latter half, diluting the impact of what the characters had created till the western region arc.

The early episodes are a visual feast, particularly the underwater sequences that showcase the arduous life of Duan Wu, a pearl diver. Her life as a pearl diver had been difficult, but she never lose hope of having a shop of her own. Her journey allow her to met new people along the way, such as merchant Yan Zijing and Noble Zhang Jin Ran. The drama was enjoyable to watch, and there was a balance between the quest for revenge and for romance to blossom between Duan Wu and Yan Zijing.

Unfortunately, the end of the western region arc and the start of the Yangzhou arc derails the well written narrative. The excessive number of new characters and subplots introduced in the Yangzhou arc diluted what kept the story interesting in the first place. The focal point of the later part of the drama was on the FL and her Jewelry shop, and how she pit her wits against other shop owners in Yangzhou. While they try to link it back to the main plot (which involved the ML), it was quite weak and the change in focus resulted in the ML's airtime (and the romance between the FL and ML) to be reduced.

The conclusion of the drama was slightly bizarre, and there were questions unanswered, which made it disappointing.

Rosy shines as Duan Wu and Su Mu Zhe. As Duan Wu, she is a spirited and resilient woman who defies societal norms. She is someone who will do whatever it takes to protect herself and those around her, which Rosy delivered through her acting. At the latter arc, when the name change from Duan Wu to Su Mu Zhe, she delivered perfectly all the heart-wrenching scenes.

Liu Yuning also delivered a compelling performance as Yan Zijing, a complex character who sworn to revenge against those that wronged his family and later as someone who wants to protect Duan Wu/Su Mu Zhe. Yuning's emotional performance throughout the drama, particularly in the latter half (even with the reduced airtime) is impressive and was what that got me through the end of the series.

As this wasn't the first drama that Rosy and Yuning acted as a couple, I find that their chemistry was great and they were very comfortable with each other in the show. I personally do wish there were more opportunities to show their romance in the drama (especially at the latter arc), where the romance was almost non-existent.

I personally like the OSTs of this drama, particularly the song performed by Liu Yuning which further enhances the emotional depth of the drama whenever I hear it.

Despite the story plot that didn't manage to sustain its interesting level, The Story of Pearl Girl is still a great drama, which I recommend those with the time to give it a go.

Read More

This Drama is a Glass Pearl

This drama is a glass pearl. It's almost the real thing, but not exactly. Pretty to watch and is unique in it's way, but not memorable enough. The story follows Danwu (Zhao Lusi) as she journeys through life from being a slave pearl diver to a respected and successful business women. Along her journey, Danwu meets Yan Zijing (Liu Yuning), an established merchant who mentors and paves her way into the business world.
The first few episode was great, but as the story progresses, it became a little stale. It was watchable, but not enough for me to go "oh, what's going to happen next?". Now, the story line did not grab me, but the characters as an individual did. A perfect example of great actors, but bad story writing and/or directing. Danwu is a lovely character. She is strong, willing to push through any obstacle and learns quickly to adapt to situations around her. It was not love at first sight with Yan Zijing, but he grows on me. Like most ML, he looks bad and cold on the outside but really he's a charmer after a few episodes. I especially like that he does not overshadow Danwu despite all the "power and riches" he already had. He didn't just hand them to her, she physically and mentally worked for her own. Zhang Jinran (Tang Xiaotian) was a character made to like in the very first episode to the end. He have justice, loves and care for the FL, and serves as a good love triangle. Cui Shijiu (Chole Xie) is an interesting character as a whole. I like her character set up, but her arc falls short because she never really learns from any of the tragic events that happens to her (except towards the end of the drama she finally "wakes up"). Unlike Danwu, she's hell-bent on vengeance. And unlike Yan Zijing, the writer made her vengeance scheming not so smart.
I would recommend this drama if you are a big Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning fan. I enjoyed watching every scene between Danwu and Yan Zijing, especially the sweet romantic interactions between them. However, if you're looking for good storyline to awe you, this drama will leave you luke warm. You won't necessarily dislike it, but at the same time clicking on the next episode won't be as tempting. Will I rewatch it again? Only if I want fan service of Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning in a drama, then maybe.

Read More

my two cents

honestly i have not been so active in dropping my reviews on MDL but i had to pen down my thoughts on this one. I did a short review in my X account but i will elaborate here on my objective thoughts of this production

disclaimer though, as a haoyan fan, i had been waiting for this collab since 2021. altho the drama production was surrounded by many skeptical comments and slanders, it still came out as a drama that was worth it and even rising to be global sensation with the international results it has achieved.

i shall not elaborate on the synopsis but i will pen what i liked and disliked about the drama:

- character development. i love that while this was a female centric drama, the development was parallel for both the male lead and female lead.
> For Zijing, no doubt he was a tragic character, carrying the burden of his family's massacre and tainted reputation and also traumatic childhood being imprisoned by his enemy for 8 years!!! suffering an incurable poison at that. his ending was bound to be a tragic one from the get go but it didnt matter to him until duanwu appeared. he lived only for revenge and was determined to die for it too. but duanwu made him rethink his decision ... from having no longing in this world, to having a reason to live... but by the time he realizes this his days were numbered. however, the ending while they didnt show him explicity dying, it was a realistic one. we all know he died in the end... but its just tragic he chooses to die away from his loved ones and perhaps no one will know where he was buried.
> For Duanwu, she was a consistent character. her spirit is to never give in to fate because she believed that everything is possible with one's will and she proved it from escaping the pearl farm, working her way up the yan trade convoy, becoming su muzhe and making a name of her own in yangzhou. she has a painful childhood, and witness time and again her loved ones leaving her ... but she didnt made revenge her only purpose in life. instead, she used it as a driving force to become better and stronger because as i said, she isnt one to surrender to fate. but what really crushed me was, despite her successes in the end, she lost everyone that were dear to her. especially losing zijing... their love enough wasnt enough to withstand the tragic fate that beholds them. like she said, their ending would have been very much different if they werent born into their respective families.
> as a couple: no doubt the chemistry was perfect! second collaboration always work for me because there's already tacit understanding between the two. also no doubts lusi has chemistry with every male lead she had worked with. plus despite the negative comments on the cnet, she recommended yuning to be her costar for this production. and they are serving both visuals, and chemistry way more than my expectations. i love that their love also grew to withstand time, from puppy love at the start, their fateful separation and getting back together where they live a simple life together... it was SOOO GOOD.
> bonus shoutout to jinran because he was such a good second male lead! he was quite forward with his feelings. but i did felt he confessed at the wrong time. he confessed at the time when he didnt understand duanwu like zijing did and perhaps like how duanwu felt, his affections perhaps to duanwu was only a form of protection, which isnt what she wants. she craves for freedom in her way. but jinran does grow to understand that, and was supportive of her and zijing till the end. rendering help to them as a couple and as individuals and telling duanwu he will remain a brother to her. then wanting to release a prisoner so that zijing can get the antidote.... PLUS PLUS POINTS TO THIS SML!!!
- acting wise : for leads acting were stunning. comparing to their previous works, both acting have improved! especially the microexpressions and using eyes to express their emotions. also, thankful they allow lusi and yuning to use their original voices here. it made their emotional scenes 100000x more relatable. the best & most memorable scene for me was their last scene together. even with the minimal dialogue it worked because they the drama allowed us to see their growth, and how their love went through hardships but they still they could not fulfil a simple promise of being with each other everyday in the end. the part where duanwu was drinking the longevity porridge and fed the first mouth to zijing because that was her wish to him. she fulfilled everything she wanted to but she knows she is losing him and he know his departure will mean forever ... she was begging and my heart was breaking. and for zijing, you could tell he really want to said yes to staying by her side, it was just a simple "ok" but... he knew he could not say it because he was about to die. and that hug was so painful because he achieved his lifelong dream and completed his revenge but he wasnt as fearless as before. he has a reason to live now but its all too late.....
- story wise: i liked that the story was rich and they set a strong foundation right from the start. all the choices made were logical given the circumstances the characters were in that we cant even blame them for it. we are moving with the plot as they moved to different cities. it was a good mixture of comedy, tragedy, familial, scheming, i think the emotions were also well balanced throughout the plot.

on the negatives which i could mostly overlooked but i had to point out:
- i felt the pacing in first 20 eps were better. it seems that the writing & pacing had changed after ep 20. i felt more detached. ..perhaps it was also because they killed off the yan's caravan people which we had grown to like in the first 20 eps. it was quite detaching for me as i couldnt had the same intensity of affections to the new family at Clear Mind.
- i couldnt vibe with the second couple (shijiu and zheng zhiheng), their romance didn't seem necessary to the plot. but the scene where zhiheng sacrificed for shijiu did made me tear a little. but still i think we didnt needed their sub love plot here
- too idealistic successes: this is very apparent if you compared the guangzhou and yangzhou days. when still in the caravan, duanwu had so much setbacks in making it to the business troop. but when she just stepped foot into yangzhou, she was almost able to succeed in opening clear mind immediately by making a bet on huanlang... although she did face problems after opening the business but the way she founded clear mind seem to idealistic to me
- duanwu's relationship with shijiu: i really hoped they remained as frenemies. the whole plot of them becoming besties at the end seems too forced...and awkward for me. but perhaps thats the whole intention of a female centric drama...

all in love, the second collab didnt fail me and exceeded my expectations in terms of the storyline and execution. even though the ending was regrettable, it was the most reasonable and realistic ending given the circumstances and situation that we cant even blame the writer for making this ending! that's very satisfactory for me as there are so many bad endings in cdramas that are uncalled for nowadays. it almost seems like they write BE for the sake of it.

my only wish is for yuning to take on happier roles like haodu, he has been dying too much in his dramas (7/9 of his main character dramas that are not cameos ends up dead) that him acting in pain/ poisoned felt so real. also if possible (chances are slim) i wish lusi and yuning can have a third collab in romcom modern please...........I AM WILLING TO INVEST

p.s i rated lower for the rewatch because the pain was too much for me yet i cant blame anyone for it

Read More

Beautiful Acting and Great Storyline/Concept

Just finished the show and I've got to say this show has one of the most interesting concepts with an incredibly chosen topic. Using the idea of merchants and their battles in the jewellery industry was both refreshing and interesting to watch given its prevalence in Chinese history.

[Concept of Beauty is Sacrifice]
One thing I really enjoyed about the show is its realistic treatment of the toxic and unethical environments that existed both in the past and even now in the present day. Specifically, they didn't try to beat around the bush about how poorly the pearl collectors were treated which is something that a lot of dramas nowadays gloss over. Everyone looks at the shiny headpieces and beautiful clothing when watching ancient Chinese dramas, but this is the first time I was so gruesomely reminded of how incredibly difficult it was back in the day to collect those items. Without the help of machinery, every single piece of gold and jade was collected by hand, often covered with blood by those who couldn't survive the abuse. Whilst admiring the jewels and their beauty, the show also cruelly reminds us about the people who've died getting their hands on them. This choice both shows the research that the writers/directors must've done to keep things accurate, in addition to reminding the viewers that nothing comes for free and that everything beautiful comes with its own sacrifices.

[Actors/Actresses & Main Characters' Romance Plot]
I'm highly biased in this take but I loved the actors/actresses they chose for this show, especially the ML and FL. I've always been a fan of Liu Yuning so I was excited to see him act in another drama, but I was swept off my feet by Zhao Lusi's great acting and the synergy she had with him. To speak on visuals for a second, they look very good together with their concept of "tall evil businessman" and "short and confident newby businesswoman" especially once they start falling in love and you can see Yan Zijin just absolutely cave and stop caring about trying to be intimidating. One thing I really enjoyed is that they didn't try to pull the overdone "I'm too evil big and intimidating to fall for her blegh" character arc with him which is often done for his type of character. Usually, when there's an ML that is shown as being cold and mean, the directors try to force them to go through a period of self-discovery where they realise that they actually have feelings and it's usually really long-winded and not fun to watch. Here, once he realised he liked her, he just knew and didn't need to go through that, filling the show with a lot of cute couple scenes and avoiding unwanted filler where the ML and FL just dance around each other like dying chickens.

[Misunderstanding & Better Without Me Trope]
Despite adoring this show, I do have one main piece of criticism: I absolutely hated the fact that after getting attacked and almost dying, Yan Zijin decided to leave her. Not only that, but they just had to add in the scene of him shooting her with an arrow and her misunderstanding him, thinking he was trying to kill her. This is more of a personal gripe I have with romance plots like this but I feel like the misunderstanding and better without me trope is so overused at this point that it's an automatic hit against the show's watchability when it happens. I understand that they need something to happen to cause drama, but also it didn't make sense to me that they would both go through a life-threatening attack and suddenly the ML thinks that leaving her alone in the middle of the desert that she's never been in is the safest decision. Sure, he left her with a group of nice travellers, but also she somehow instantly travels into the middle of a snowstorm and almost dies from hypothermia? It feels more like a cheap way of trying to cause a rift between them so that the show can slowly fix it to keep the watchers on the edge of their seats rather than adding anything to the storyline. Rather, if they wanted to create some sort of problem between the main couple, I believe it would've been way more interesting to delve deeper into Yan Zijin's darker side and have a conflict that way instead. At the beginning of the show, his character was written to be hated: bullied everyone, cared only about money, used underhanded means to get to his goals etc. Towards the end, he softens up and kinda just gets relegated to house-husband duty and doesn't really do much for the plot anymore except getting stabbed and dying. I didn't mind this choice really (and actually enjoyed it), it's more that if they wanted some sort of drama between the main couple, they could have easily used his want for revenge as the catalyst without needing to follow these two tropes.

Overall, I really enjoyed this show and thought the storyline was both thought-provoking and entrancing to watch. I would definitely rewatch it at some point in the future and just skip the parts where there's there misunderstanding.

Read More

The show starts off strong but ultimately loses momentum as it progresses

On paper, this drama has everything I look for: a compelling story centered on character development, female relationships, and political intrigue rather than just romance. It starts off with great promise, drawing the viewer in with its strong foundation. However, as the story progresses, it becomes stalled by repetitive obstacles thrown in the protagonist's path, which ultimately saps the momentum from an otherwise intriguing narrative.

The first few episodes were absolutely thrilling and deeply moving—they even brought me to tears. The show tackled heavy themes like sexual violence with sensitivity, delivering a female-focused narrative that made me root for the main character with all my heart. The developing friendships and romances were equally compelling, filled with chemistry and emotional depth.
I’ve always loved stories about women overcoming adversity to build their own businesses, as seen in New Life Begins. However, in this case, the story begins to lose its spark in the second half. The intrigue fizzles out as repetitive obstacles are thrown at the protagonist, making the narrative feel stagnant. The show would have greatly benefited from fewer episodes and tighter storytelling in its latter part.
By the time the tragic ending unfolded, my emotional connection to the characters had waned due to the overly drawn-out plot. Finishing the show felt like a chore, as each new conflict added little to the overall progression of the story. While it had incredible potential, the lack of narrative focus in the second half sadly undermined its impact.

Read More

Zhao Lusi Shines as the Pearl Girl!!!

Zhao Lu Si is my favorite actress and have to say she did not disappoint in this role. Really enjoyed watching her all the way through this drama. Also really loved her scenes with Liu Yu Ning as well even though this drama was not heavy focused on the romance side of it. I still didn't think that made this show lacking in anyway. This drama is focused on Duan Wu about her being a pearl diver, breaking free, and becoming a successful business woman and all the hardships she goes through to get there. Zhao Lu Si really delivered on these scenes I have also thought that she does very well with emotional parts. She always makes me want to cry with her. Granted I can see where this wouldn't be an exciting watch to some if your not a big Zhao Lu Si fan.

Also have to mention these two characters that really caught my attention and they were Kang Ju and Zheng Zhi Heng. They both were just amazing to watch. I felt for both of them Kang Ju for how desperate he was to get a cure for Yan Zi Jing and for Zheng Zhi Heng in how in love he was with Cui Shi Jiu and she hardly ever showed she cared for him in that way until it was to late. Her character actually annoyed me a bit and I wanted better for Zheng Zhi Heng.

I have only one nitpick for this drama and that is the ending. For me I wouldn't call it a sad ending or an open ending it was just blank. They skipped out on giving you really anything. You don't actually get to see Yan Zi Jing die which I think just takes away from the whole sad ending part and can't call it an open ending cause you do know he is dying without a cure in sight. So you don' t really have any hope of them having a happy ending. I have never minded sad ending in fact kind of expect them anymore but just to not give us anything after watching everything these two went through together was a bit upsetting wish they would of done more.

Read More

Women's empowerment

I absolutely love The Story Of Pearl Girl for its unique story centered on women and their struggles, triumphs, the friends that they found on their journeys, the sisterhood and bonding they formed, the challenges and adversities that they had to overcome to succeed in a male dominated world.
Zhao Lusi was excellent in her portrayal of Duan Wu and later Su Muzhe. Same person, two characters with different temperament, seeing the growth from a reckless and immature slave girl to a successful businesswoman ahead of her time was beautiful to see.
Liu Yuning, his best to date performance as Yan Zijing.
Chemistry between the main leads was visible and felt on their first meeting, one of the best chemistry that I've seen.
Other characters, Fu Bo Han, Tang Xiao Tian, Chloe Xie, Yu Yong Hai, Shang Wan Qing were perfect casting and so were the rest of the cast. Each of them shined in their individual role.
Storytelling was nicely paced, I didn't skip or FF any scenes and that is rare for me not to skip in a 40 episode drama. The humor was done nicely, didn't feel out of place and not at all cringy.
Cinematography was one of the highlights of TSOPG, just amazing!
Music score and OSTs were great. My favorite song is 'The World Will Have Its Time' by Curley Gao, what a beautifully haunting song!
The Ending: I watched episode 40 twice. My knee jerk reaction was...oh no, I wanted a happier ending!!! I had to take time to digest my feelings and rewatched the final episode again. The perspective I gained from the second time around was different. I teared up throughout ep. 40 for how beautifully everything was wrapped up. Yan Zijing got his wishes, justice was served and his family name was restored. Su Muzhe achieved her dreams of being independent, financially secured and being a successful businesswoman. Su Muzhe and Yan Zijing's love story was well woven into a female centric drama that evoked an emotional rollercoaster. My interpretation of the ending might be different from others', and I'm leaving it to individual viewer. As for me, I am satisfied with the ending!
The Story Of Pearl Girl is uniquely different than many other K/Cdramas that I'd watched in the past. It's refreshing to see a drama that was mainly focused on women's empowerment and sisterhood.

Read More

A Masterpiece of 2024

"The Story of Pearl Girl" is a drama that will pull you in from the start! It’s a brilliantly crafted tale where every moment feels meaningful and visually stunning.

Set against a rich historical backdrop, this is more than just a love story—it’s a journey of resilience, self-discovery, and personal growth. From the opening scene where Zhao Lusi’s character, Duan Wu, dives into the sea for pearls, the breathtaking cinematography transports you into her world with unforgettable visuals.

Zhao Lusi shines as Duan Wu, bringing incredible emotional depth and expression to her role. Her eye acting alone speaks volumes, making her character’s ups and downs feel real and raw. Every tear she sheds pulls you in; you’ll feel her joy and heartbreak as if they were your own. Zhao beautifully captures both the inner strength and vulnerability of Duan Wu, making her journey powerful and inspiring.

Liu Yuning’s portrayal of Yan Zi Jing is equally captivating, bringing a layered intensity to his role. His chemistry with Zhao Lusi feels genuine, making their characters’ growth and struggles deeply relatable and real. Together, they create on-screen magic!

With unforgettable acting, mesmerizing visuals, a fast-paced and heartwarming storyline, "The Story of Pearl Girl" is a drama you won’t want to miss. It captures the beauty of life’s highs and lows, delivering a tale that’s as uplifting as it is heartfelt. This is a must-watch for anyone looking for a story about strength, purpose, and the courage to grow.

Read More