This review may contain spoilers
Another drama of Zhao Lu Si & Liu Yu Ning, of course here I come...Story about a girl named Duan Wu (DW), that born as a slave in a brutal pearl farm. At the farm, every person must be able to swim to get the pearl in the ocean. If they can't the man will get harsh punishment and then sold to another place, while a woman will be as 'child factory'.
One day, DW meets merchant Yan Zi Jing (ZJ) and noble Zhang Jin Ran (JR) on the auction day. On that day too she's finally been able to escape from the farm, while sacrificing her mother. Before her death, DW's mother give DW a blood pearl and asked her to find her father relying on that blood pearl. One thing lead to another, in the end DW boarding ZJ's ship.
With success in her mind, DW try everything to gain ZJ trust. Slowly but sure, ZJ see DW potential and finally put her in his important plan. So, slowly but sure DW climbing the 'stairs' in ZJ's ship & of course their relationship also slowly deepen & grow into something more.
DW also find her connection to ZJ not as simple as she's first taught, DW connection to ZJ is go beyond to their parents. DW also learn the identity of ZJ not as simple as merchant, but it's more complicated than the eye meet. So, together DW & ZJ try to uncovering secrets about their family past.
When they think everything go smooth with their plan, something happen to break DW & ZJ apart. DW thinking ZJ betray her & even try to kill her. So, DW end up go to new place & renamed herself as Su Mu Zhe, and starts her own business. But of course slowly, DW misunderstanding for ZJ will wipe clean & they'll continue their relationship with each other.
At this new place, trouble seem unwilling to let DW go. DW whose been pioneer to inspiring women to take control of their destinies, meet trouble in the hands of old fold who's reluctant to lose to the woman. So, they're a few times make trouble for DW. But with help from friends and ZJ also JR, DW successfully avoid the trouble and thriving as a business woman. In the end, the last trouble is only the one connected with their family past. So, how will DW & ZJ successfully going through all the trouble...?
That's pretty much the story without giving anymore spoiler. Now what I like and don't.
What I like:
+ Zhao Lu Si & Liu Yu Ning at my screen. Haha... Whatever people said about them, for me their quite a match for each other.
+ Zhang Jin Ran is a really gentlemen till the end
+ Cui Shi Jiu (SJ). This woman is so interesting one way or another.
+ Zheng Zhi Heng (ZH). I love how he genuinely love SJ.
Overall this quite good drama, but surely forgettable & have some holes. Below I'll write the holes that I notice, but that's also mean SPOILER ALERT!!! Read it at ur own risk.
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SPOILER ALERT!!!
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I feel the plot sometimes like jumping from scene to scene. It's like something supposed to be there but they cut it in the final edit.
- The attack that ZJ & JR experience. What the heck what's that... It's like one moment they ready to attack the next moment it's them who's under attack. Of course later is feel more clear after we find out about who's the betrayal. But still it's a little bit weird, feel something missing.
- The crazy and important cause that make ZJ's family assassinated. Or it's just me that really not take the grab of it...
- The amazing JR. Haha... JR a few time ambush his enemy by hand behind the scene. Haha... I don't know other word to put it, that's how I feel it. Like when he arrest ZH. Oh come on.... That's clearly lazy writing there. I hope they show us more like investigation or stalking or anything that indicate Zhang family is on the radar.
- The way DW been capture & the blood pearl suddenly be remembered again after been forgotten for half of drama.
I already a little bit forget some of it, gonna fill it later when I remember then... Haha...
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Worth the Buzz
I sometimes have the premonition that when something is hyped, it’s most likely not worth it. Honestly the over posting about the drama beforehand got annoying that I considered unfollowing some platforms. Fast forward, I tuned in right away when it aired, and I’m blown away at how much I am enjoying it. My gosh first episode had me so invested I was so impressed with the cinematic quality. It’s like the real life scene of the animated Ariel under the sea . Bravo well done.So much attention is given to main leads (deservedly so) but really though, everyone of the cast and their contributions deserve applause. I watch the older veterans and am so impressed at how they do so well with their lines and acting their parts. What to do without them right? So grateful for their work.
Production team did really well planning out each scene that the story flow is great as we can easily follow the story of the enslaved pearl harvester heroine. Lusi really put in the work to her character as she is shining. In fairness, as I’ve said, everyone is playing their role really well.
Join in the fun as the story unravels. It’s a fun ride and of course we got long ways to go but so far, it’s a very promising story that hopefully will end as it started, on a very high bar.
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Will not entertain You!!!
Yes,this show is no good if you want a watchable experience,except that It is unique character of pearl diver female lead(only 2 ep and rest was thinking i was pearl diver back then),The biggest drawback(I felt) was this is like a game finished this level, ok what is next and that too "boring",For this kind of a drama,one expects most of characters to be intro at a max of 8 episodes,And in this new characters show up even after 24,Vague story line,Big disappointment after scenes in Yangzhou, Irritating antagonists,bad triangle among leads, I tried watching it for LYN but can't continue I wish LYN to select character based scriptsWas this review helpful to you?
It is a story that will give mental energy to those who are struggling in life.
duan wu is like the pearl carefully picked by zhao lusi ࿐࿔through her character as duanwu, she left behind the most beautiful version of herself!
duan wu, like a pearl polished by the waves and sand, had her resilience and beauty brought to life by lusi's empathetic acting
whether it was her stubborn, unyielding tears while fighting against injustice, her sharpness in a breathtaking dance, or when she firmly told zhang langjun, "we are both fundamentally different," we could all see how much lusi cherished and deeply understood this character.
it is duan wu’s resilience and vivacity that makes this role unforgettable!
throughout the process, lusi embodied duan wu’s line: "women should not be bound by the fate spoken of by others." she grew with duan wu, accompanying her from resisting fate to reconciling with herself, completing her own transformation.
just like how sand turns into a pearl, lusi showcased the strength of women and the right to make their own choices. lusi became even more radiant because of duan wu, and with her sincere heart, she continues to sail forward in her acting journey 𓂃 𓈒𓏸
may both duan wu and lusi always shine like the sun, lighting the path ahead ☀️
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Liu Yunning and Zhao Lusi- I waited for this duo since the Long Ballad
I won't go as far as declaring it a masterpiece or the perfect drama of the year. Cdrama tends to go down the drain towards the second half most of the time which was the case here as well. Story wise, the premise was really good, though it depends on your personal preference for me I found myself skipping a lot especially in the second half. In the beginning it felt quite a mix of Novoland pearl and Princess Agent. The torturous life of FL and her evolution from a slave to an independent strong woman is what reminds me of the other two shows. Plus I am a sucker for a strong female sort of storylines hence I continued watching it despite everything. ML on the other hand looked like a jerk, snobbish and a typical cdrama ML but he was more than that. The more you watch the more you understand his pov. His own experience and the way he represented a life that was not full of roses to FL made his character more grounded. He never helped her in things or showed any affection to her, never bend his harsh rules for her or showed leniency whatever may come. His reasons were simple. 'You won't find kind hearted people out there so one should be strong enough not just physically but mentally as well to deal with a world like that without expecting someone's help.' That was the biggest contrast between him and the SML, who showed her a world full of kindness and goodness shit and what not. I understand him to some extent but would not agree with his ideologies of kindness returns kindness. This only works only in some cases but rest of the time it is pretty much what happens with FL during her business ventures in the beginning.Side cast in my opinion was not explored enough that I would find myself thinking about their characters. Except for another tomboy female (Shijie) I do not think there was anyone worth remembering. Her character though was strong and tried to portray an antagonist which people could sympathize with but she felt little extra at times and I couldn't feel much sympathy for her. Music was good and costumes were beautiful. l am Not a fan of CGI here they could have done better there but overall it was an intriguing drama. And obviously with one of my fav CPs. I wouldn't say it has much re-watch value but it is definitely a one time watch.
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IT STARTED STRONG BUT PROGRESS DISAPPOINTED: EP20-ONWARD
Lu Si & Yu Ning by now knew each other pretty well so there's no hesitation and have strong familiarity in their acting. Their close friendship and the interaction is pretty comfortable so their chemistry is strong and abundance, their hugs are tighter and locking eyes without hesitant. Liu Yu Ning has gained experiences and involve in many great dramas recently, he is no longer a newbie because LuSi helped him to gain his notoriety in Long Ballad. Ep23-onwards, the big number of head-peaces & trinkets start to overwhelm. What we can see are big hair and burst of colors bling, ornaments, flowers, jewelries, LuSi natural beauty is replaced with cheesy show-girls beauty standard. Unfortunately, the story went down hill from there, no longer pulling interest and insignificant characters develop. Cui Shi Jui started with bravado, type A kind of girl, why are we watching her? Her choice of life is apparently miscalculated and cost her unhappiness or unfulfilled. Not feeling sorry for her though...This time around, we can enjoy maturity of YuNing's acting as Yan Zi Jing, his misty eyes are real, passionate glances and caresses on LuSi's shoulder shows affection. Nothing is fake - all sincere. Although he's over her head tall, he manage NOT to look giant over anybody. He can be cynical or sweet as well, his facial muscle seems to know how to work it, great expression. He smiles quite a lot in this drama (than Long Ballad). His life goal is to take revenge to those people who killed his family, a high-risk businessman on the side. After injury and live at 'Clear Mind' shop, he's like a domesticated house-husband.
Tang Xiao Tian (Zhang Jin Ran) came in joining 2nd ML whose in love with Duan Mu (LuSi) at the first sight although she's only a pearl diver aka a slave under duress. As a gentleman scholar who is Prince Ying's study buddy, he has job to go around the country to investigate crimes, bribery, thefts, all wrongs in the country so he can give recommendation and/or uphold justice for the Kingdom. He's a handsome guy & rightfully a scholar. While Yan ZiJing endeavor in revenge, Jin Ran works hard to find the bad guys, he's partial to Su Mu Zhe so any 'justice' he's done always benefited to the duo Su Mu Zhe & Yan Zi Jing.
Zhao LuSi (Duan Mu/Su Mu Zhe) Her dance is seductively mesmerizing, her dive is what divers do, her terrified look on the abuse, tears that break heart. Her tiny figure seems the cutest besides tall LYN & TXT, she doesn't have muscle so when she did manual labor scenes she appears tiny fragile. I want details, if Duan Mu go through so much painful life experience and ocean-diving - her appearance doesn't show that. She still has flawless skin, healthy hair, cherry smiles. Dry crack darker skin, dry rough shorter hair should be from frequent diving in to salty sea water. Because of the hardness of reality, she changed personality to pursue harsh business endeavor. One thing she needs to do better is she needs to take vocalization lesson, she's great when doing cutesy scenes otherwise she sound like misplaced. After ep 25 she's patronizing and becoming a 'mentor motherly-figure', a sober personality like she's 50yo woman (supposedly she's on her 20th). Duan Mu is leading the way while Yan Zi Jing sit back, his male dominance is gone, becoming a subjugated man in hiding.
I am pretty sure besides these 3 actors (& Kang Ju guy) the rest aren't worth mentioning. The story on the middle are pretty dragging, about business competition or jealousy (I want to slap Bai Niao, Zheng Si & Qin Mu guy the acting are so S***ty bad) This drama can actually be shorten in to 28-30 episodes instead of 40, I bet the producer(s) is milking this production taking advantage of LuSi's popularity to make more money for this drama than some quality deliverance.
1. Too much fillers, unnecessary scenes/plots
2. The Extras and supporting actors are terrible in acting, seems like they've recruited randomly without audition.
3. Main actors change characters/personality -change direction of mind-set.
4. Not cheerful/hopeful (happy) ending.
I think because of these four main causes, this drama lost audience and getting lower score as it progress. LuSi can't save this drama because quality negligence from the director & producer. I think they should know that good traffic actors should also be supported by the whole crews, scrips, and directors. Too bad, it was started so well.
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This review may contain spoilers
Story
Awesome drama with superb acting but unfortunately the main cast has to die in the drama. Why does the actor Liu Yuning always takes projects where he's to die in the end. Enough of him taking such role. He should have a happy ending too. But for me, even though, the drama was awesome but personally I didn't like it at all.Was this review helpful to you?
DuanWu (“Rosy” Zhao Lusi ) and her adventures
Big fan of Zhao Lusi (FL Duan Wu/Su Mu Zhe)~ Don’t know her, but was impressed with Xie Ke Yin ( Cui Zhuo Hua). Male Leads were ok, but obviously played 2nd fiddle to the Pearl Girl. …Romance was light… due to the storyline,… I understand, but wished it was~ different. .. I feel without romance as a primary point.. aside from their goals/character development… there could have been more detail about her achievement/s.
Big shoutout to the wonderful supporting cast, most Especially the seasoned veteran actors! :) I love it when I see veteran actors in roles that are supposedly secondary, but their skills really bring the performances together more seamlessly!
I would recommend this drama series.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Drama About Love, Loss, and Moving Forward
From the very first episodes, I was impressed by Zhao Lu Si’s versatility. I personally think she shines more with a mature voice rather than her usual “uwu” tone. though I’m not sure if her voice in this drama was dubbed.Overall, the drama is good, though it runs for 40 episodes. The only downside for me is that some of the revenge scenes felt a little dragging. There were moments that could have been shorter without losing their impact.
What I really appreciated, however, is that the show didn’t just focus on the relationship between the ML and FL. It also highlighted the dynamics and growth of the supporting characters, which made the story richer.
The ending leaves things open for viewers to interpret. For me, the takeaway of this drama is that in life, we all go through different phases that shape us into the best version of ourselves. People will come and go, whether we like it or not but life continues. Our experiences should serve as stepping stones toward our goals. And most importantly, we shouldn’t let revenge consume us. Life is short, and it’s meant to be lived with a clear mind and a peaceful heart.
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It had potential
I became obsessed with Liu Yuning after finishing this drama. I loved how the story started but after episode 20, I felt it fell flat for me. They built up the side characters midway only to do away with them. I felt cheated. The "breakup" they had was for the dumbest reason/misunderstanding.The chemistry between the main leads should have been explored more and they should have left out the 10 eps of angst. I get it, this drama is about "pearl girl" but Liu Yuning's character had so much potential to be more.
Oh and by the way, how could he just leave her at the end?! I get it why but why? I don't mind sad endings but he could've stayed with her until his illness took his life and that would have been so much more than the betrayal. That last scene of her asking him not to leave her, still breaks my heart each time.
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You will cry
Zhao LuSi is amazing, and the character she played won my heart. I've said it before and I'll say it again give us more FL that are strong and clever. Duan Wu was the embodiment of those qualities, moreover she was skilled.What I learn as I watch chinese dramas is that they are most always beautiful sceneries, clouthing and hairstyles along with the most ugly betrayals and human greed
But the thing that this story left me with mostly is simply a broken heart. After all the battles it takes us through at the end was it really all worth it? (I asked myself)
It's better than it was, yes, but also did I cry? yes
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Female Resilience!
Zhao Lu Si, my beloved flower💗🌸This drama was such a masterclass in terms of acting, cinematography, styling, music, just everything was so splendid. I loved the cast, the complexity of the characters. Duan Wu’s fighting spirit and determination, but also her sensible side and strength, her resilience, her love, her loyalty. What a wonderful character, Zhao Lu Si played her to perfection. Cui Shi Jiu was an interesting character as well, who I pitied by the end of the show. CSJ was in some ways similar to Duan Wu, but she was so much more aggressive, hot-tempered and rash in her decisions. The ending… let’s not talk about it, I cried too many tears😭🤚🏻 My only criticism would be the non-stop problems befalling Clear Mind once Duan Wu set up her business. It was repetitive: she takes care of one person sabotaging her and her business, and whoops: next person coming to mess with her. Regardless, this drama was wonderful. It puts female characters at the center and shows their strength and resilience, their intelligence and sensibility. Truly, a great show. 💗
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