Si Jin

Good acting average storyline

I watched this series bcz of zhangwan yi, his voice is soothing, and is expressions are pretty good. For last 3 series (ARE YOU THE ONE, RISE OF NING,SI JIN) ZWY as same look same makeup and costume I just want to see him in different looks...

About storyline, it started like reborn and chance to change her fate but somewhat the Story remains the same i feel bit slower in some episodes, romance was too good so many kisses ,si gege was bit funny and I feel nanwu screen time is low like why there is spy what is issues between them are hard to understand. Few final episodes are good like can't wait to see next episode but I don't know why everyone waited till last episode to complain about her evilness?
My favourite part is when SML respect her decision and moved on from her and didn't cause any problem . Watch when you feel bored or nothing to watch.

Read More

Nothing extraordinary but a decent watch

Started out pretty solid but sadly at abt the midpoint (?) it loses in plot quality; it gets more fast paced, some scene cuts are obviously poorly executed, the plotting and characters are //so// overly simplified that some characters made no sense at all for how they did a 180° flip in character. It's a pity because it really had potential. There is nothing extraordinary about it tbh but it's not bad either, it's somewhere in between.
Actors are pretty but again, no one that popped with ther skills; the music was fine but it's not the kind of OSTs that stick with you even once the drama is finished.

Read More

Troppo illogico

Ad una ottima interpretazione degli attori, una musica più che apprezzabile e costumi e ambientazioni molto gradevoli, fa purtroppo da contraltare una sceneggiatura molto spesso carente. È un peccato, anche perché la cinematografia è molto apprezzabile.
Purtroppo però i personaggi si muovono troppo spesso in maniera macchiettistica e con fin troppa frequenza si comportano in maniera completamente illogica.
Non stiamo neppure a parlare delle fin troppo numerose coincidenze, dei cattivi della situazione quasi sempre monodimensionali, delle inimicizie pretestuose e così via.
è irritante e frustrante al punto da avermi costretta ad abbandonare, con buona pace della buona interpretazione degli attori che cercano di fare quello che possono combattendo contro i mulini a vento di una sceneggiatura spesso idiota tanto da far cadere le braccia.

Read More

Overall ok historical drama

I like historical dynasty drama with a mix of palace scheme and fight against other country, ML with great martial skill and FL with brain. This drama started off like that however the story is not well tailored together, it's jumping here and there through FL backlash just bit and pieces..

Will they tell how in the past life from a meek girl to change completely to become a saintess who managed to kill the high and above royal princess ? It was told that she turned against her own country to avenge her husband but when she woke up her first line was "why did you kill me?", not showing even a bit of surprise nor glad that he was alive. Her character is someehat badly written from the start.

Then there's the part where his brother was saved from the river. He was such a weak man who is not disciplined how could he withstand the test of burnt on his chest when he pretended death? Secondly he can't swim to start with, how was he not drawn after he's thrown into the river with bad wound..

Yes its nice to see him alive as he's such a cheerful character but it makes more sense that he's really dead from the torture since the writer wouldn't let him escape the hands of the princess regardless the FL intervention in the second life.

The almighty and scheming royal princess who loves her daughter and spoils her actually lets her daughter marry a nobody just because of a prior agreement? Regardless how her daughter cried to her opposing it. Seriously out of character. She killed the guy's whole family and she wasn't at all suspicious that he is coming for his revenge? Seriously????

Writer please can do better job next time to make characters more consistently please.

Overall, it's still nice to watch alot of actions on this drama. There's the classic family pressure from the matriach and plotting, and FL outsmarted them in the second life, saving her loved ones from the danger.

Read More

Si Jin (2025) — A Flawed Heroine’s Emotional Selfishness vs. A Strong Male Lead

🌟 Drama Review: Si Jin (2025)

🔹 Synopsis :
Si Jin tells the story of Yu Qi, the Seventh Prince wrongfully exiled as a child after an imperial astrologer falsely claimed his birth would bring disaster. In truth, he was a victim of a palace-wide conspiracy.

Jiang Si, an ordinary lady dies with deep regrets and gets a second chance through reincarnation. Her mission? To rewrite the tragic past and protect the people she failed before… or so it seems.

✅ What’s GOOD:

💯 Yu Qi – Strongest Male Lead Energy
• Loyal, clever, emotionally mature.
• Even when betrayed, he chooses protection over punishment.
• A silent sufferer who never loses sight of the bigger picture. Husband material 🥹

🎨 Stunning Production
• Cinematography is breathtaking. Palace aesthetics, starry nights, rain scenes, all poetic.
• Costume and set design are rich yet grounded.

❌ What’s INFURIATING:

😡 Jiang Si – Emotionally Driven & Dangerously Selfish
• She acts on a personal code:
“If someone helped me before, I must help them now” even if they’re the enemy of the nation.
• That’s exactly what happens when she releases Sang Qi, a known traitor who plotted against the Emperor (Yu Qi’s father).
• She values past relationships over national safety and that’s not just naive, it’s reckless.

🚨 She Doesn’t Understand the Stakes
• In her world, loyalty is personal, not principled. She thinks:
“He helped me once. So I owe him everything no matter who he wants to kill.”
• It’s a mindset that could literally bring down an entire empire. She puts emotions above duty, again and again.

🐌 Pacing & Repetition
• Flashbacks and emotional flash scenes can feel overdone.
• Some viewers may find the middle arc slow.

❤️‍🔥 You’ll Like This If You:
• Love slow-burn romance with strong political layers.
• Can handle a female lead who’s deeply flawed, but trying to do better.
• Want a male lead who’s strong, grounded, and NOT easily manipulated.

Unfortunately, the drama didn’t live up to its potential, and I lost interest the more I watched, so I had to drop it.

Read More

Plot holes and constant scheming mended by the leads good look

There’s just something magnetic about Zhang Wanyi — that voice, textured like velvet stretched over steel, demanded your attention before you even realised you were giving it. When he was serious, it dropped low and heavy, like a storm about to break. And when he teased Jiang Si, it lifted — lighter, almost playful, but never losing that quiet authority. He didn’t need theatrics to take over a scene; his voice alone could thread menace, warmth, and irony all in a single breath. And yes — the face helped. Striking bone structure, eyes that could look empty one moment and wreck you the next. No notes.

But Si Jin wasn’t just about voice and presence. It dug deeper — into bleaker truths, especially through Jiang Yu, the Second Sister. She wasn’t some cartoon villain. She was what happened when years of degradation blurred your sense of right and wrong. Trapped in a cruel marriage, reduced to survival mode, she enabled horrors just to keep breathing. It was horrifying — but heartbreakingly human. Because sometimes self-justification was the only thing left standing between you and the truth. And in a world where walking away brought more shame than staying, where decorum mattered more than safety, even victims clung to illusion. Si Jin didn’t excuse it — it just looked it straight in the eye.

That rot ran deeper, though. The Marquis of Changxing’s family wasn’t just powerful — they were untouchable. They didn’t face consequences; they erased them. Abuse? Disappeared. Murders? Covered. And when their monstrous son finally got exposed, the Marchioness offered a masterclass in denial: “Oops, parenting is hard.” No guilt. No shame. Just panic over a tarnished name. In this world, justice was optional — reputation, sacred.

And then there was Jiang Si — walking back into life, shadowed by a doomed love. She tried to stay away from Yu Qi, but her heart never quite listened. Both of them were marked from birth, seen as burdens, not blessings. But somehow, they still found each other in the ruins. That love, fragile but real, felt like defiance. Like a flicker of light in a world built to snuff it out.

Also, give Er Niu his flowers — the fluffiest wingman in the genre. In the novel, he’s a tiny general on secret missions, bartering for snacks. A scene-stealer with paws.

That love triangle moment at the store opening ? Gold ! Yu Qi — usually Mr. Cool— completely lost his composure, all because he wanted to impress Jiang Si. Smoothing his sleeves, trying (and failing) to look casual, throwing little dagger glares at Lord Zhen every time he dared speak to her — he was a mess. And Lord Zhen? Equally stressed, equally desperate for her attention, playing the polite, charming gentleman while Yu Qi stood there fuming silently, like, “Why is he even breathing the same air as her?” These two men were having a whole invisible rivalry war while Jiang Si was just out there trying to sell fragrances. She 100% knew they were both acting weird and competing like lovesick puppies, but she pretended not to see it because it was too deliciously awkward to interrupt. Honestly, I need more love rivals acting like children over the calmest, most oblivious queen in the room. Jiang Si wins without lifting a finger.

Amid all the chaos, Jiang Si’s relationship with her father was a warm little pocket of safety and peace. He believed in her, defended her, never let superstition cloud his love. When she spoke gently about her sister — “She married the wrong man. It’s unfortunate” — you saw her compassion. But her father’s quiet reply hit harder: “We can't control our luck, but when misfortune befalls us, we can at least make the right choices.” A reminder that victimhood does not erase agency, that suffering doesn’t strip away responsibility. Bad things happen. But righteousness is a choice, not a privilege of the lucky.

Also... What is it with Jiang daughters and their taste in husbands? Emotional torture, violent control, humiliation — the family might as well have taken out a Platinum Membership at the "Abusive and Deranged Husbands for Daughters Club™" and renewed it annually. And the worst part isn’t even just that they’re trapped; it’s that they seem to cherish their chains. Like, “Oh no, I’m suffering horribly... but at least I have a husband...” Hello??? Is the bar in hell? Because back then, being married — no matter how awful — was still seen as better than being alone. That mindset? Si Jin drags it into the light and rips it apart. Fortunately, Jiang Si didn’t just break the pattern — she shattered it. She chose freedom, dignity, and her own damn path. That’s Queen behaviour.

Read More

The chemistry

This show was really good while others say it was slow paced I highly disagree because the way the drama was shown it was necessary for this kind of drama as a little slow burn can help you understand the characters more and their thoughts while also instead of just jumping into love they brought out the small things which needed to be there like how Jiang Si was being hesistant and why. I feel like the flow of the story was good but I wished that the Emperor had more of a back bone and wasn’t so forgiving because if it was the villains they would never spare him but everytime the Princess Royal and her daughter made a mistake nothing literally nothing was being done to them foreal and he was just foolish but overall the other characters carried the show because he really got on my nerves even his servant was more smarter than him but let’s not get into that nonetheless this show was good and I think everyone should give it a try because you might really like it

Read More

Si Jin – A Drama That Had Me in a Chokehold ?

This drama? WHEW. I went in thinking it’d be a cute historical romance and came out emotionally wrecked, yelling at the screen like I live there.
The female lead? Smart, savage, and not here for anyone’s nonsense. She’s the kind of woman who’ll cry once, then come back with a plan and a sword. Love her.
The male lead? Silent. Grumpy. Obsessed. The way he looks at her like she’s the only light in his cold, war-torn world?? Yeah. I was gone. 💀
Watch-worthy? 1000%. Plot’s juicy, characters are solid, and the chemistry?? On fire. You’ll stay up “just one more episode” until it’s 3 a.m.
Breakups? Yep. Painful. Real. But not stupid. You’ll feel the heartbreak, scream at the miscommunication, but then sob during the reunion like it’s your own love life. Worth the emotional rollercoaster. 🎢💔➡️💖
Rewatchable? Oh absolutely. The longing, the tension, the little glances—you’ll want to relive it all. Again and again.
So yes. Si Jin is for the girlies who love strong heroines, obsessed quiet kings, and just the right amount of suffering before the happy ending.
10/10 would risk my sanity again. 😂🔥

Read More

Redefining Destiny: A Second Chance at Life

Ever since China lifted its restrictions on time travel and reincarnation, there’s been an explosion of Chinese dramas revolving around these themes. While the concept may seem a bit overdone by now, it still captivates me every time. This latest drama marks the sixth in a growing list of similar shows I’ve watched. Among the standouts I’ve rated as top-tier are the Chinese dramas Til the End of the Moon, The Story of Kunning Palace, Princess Royale, and the Korean dramas Reborn and Marry my Husband. Each of them brings something unique, but what really keeps me hooked is the idea of reliving a life and having the chance to right the wrongs of the past. It’s a concept that never seems to get old.

In this particular drama, Jiang Si is killed by her fiancé, Yu Qi, in a past life where she also served as the Saintess of Nanwu, a rival state. But when she wakes up in her present life, it’s just before the tragic events that claimed her loved ones — her father, her brother — have unfolded. Determined to change her fate, Jiang Si sets out to prevent these horrors from repeating. As she crosses paths with Yu Qi again, who has just returned from his post on the border, he begins investigating her, suspecting her to be a spy from Nanwu. Instead, he finds himself drawn to her, becoming infatuated. What follows is a rocky journey toward love, complicated by the ruthless Princess Cui Ming Yue, who has her eyes set on Yu Qi and is willing to do anything to make him her husband. Behind her stands her mother, the powerful Grand Princess RongYang, sister to the Emperor and notorious for her cruelty. Both mother and daughter are willing to commit murder to get what they want, blaming others for their own faults without hesitation.

What makes this drama stand out?

The Storyline: It’s absolutely gripping. You’re constantly on edge, wondering if Jiang Si can break free of her tragic fate, and the mystery behind some characters’ true identities keeps you hooked.

Karma: It’s sweet to see the villains meet their just desserts.

The Rightful Emperor: It’s refreshing that the deserving and righteous characters rise to power, rather than some clueless child or shady figure.

The Cast: Zhang Wan Yi, the lead actor, is superb. His performance really draws you in.

Zhang Chi: The second lead, who brings humor and lighthearted moments to balance the drama’s darker themes.

Eye Candy: The cast is filled with a beautiful array of actors and actresses. Call it shallow, but a bit of eye candy always makes the viewing experience that much more enjoyable.

Huang Yi: As the villain, Huang Yi delivers an unforgettable performance. Her portrayal of the ruthless, power-hungry Grand Princess RongYang makes you despise her, yet, in a tragic twist, when she’s killed by the man she loved, you can’t help but feel a shred of sympathy for her. It’s a testament to her exceptional acting.

In conclusion, I give this drama a solid 10 out of 10. If you’re into compelling stories with rich characters, stunning visuals, and a touch of karma, I highly recommend giving this one a watch.

Read More

When two baddie met.

There's so much about this drama I liked, first of all hat's of to the cast for tremendously playing their role. A person who played villain in such a good way that you hate them really. Wow the emperor is not a deserving king, he knows everything still keeping himself in dark to spoil his sister, he is really spineless. Zhang Wanyi I am slowly becoming your fan, this is third drama (other are Rise of the Ning and Are you the one) I have watched back to back because of your handsome face and soothing voice. A actor with such a beautiful voice, it's music to my ear when you talk. This is the first fl drama of mine and she is baddie and beautiful. I loved that they never held back fl at any point, she always stood her ground even against powerful people than her. It's a must watch drama for me.

Read More

Opening up the past to lead to a positive present and future.

Si Jin Crime Mystery Secret Identity Time Travel drama with Zhang Won Yi as Yu Qi / Yu Jin and Jing Tian as Jiang Si.


The Chinese drama Si Jin is a Time Travel drama, served up in many flashbacks. However, the flashbacks do not get in the way. It is the story of the rebirth of Jiang Si. Her past life gone wrong ended in an early death. However, the female lead character (Jiang Si) is reborn some how. Jiang Si tries to change her original history from her original timeline, as she gets a second chance to influence the original negative outcomes. She teams up with her former nemesis of her past life and the two try to uncover grave injustices as they solve crimes surrounding her former death. The story is Melodramatic in presentation, with lots of family dynamics and Court intrigue. There are villains galore and plenty of female villains too.

The Chinese love women villains in their Costume dramas, and sisters know that we can do “viallian” really good. There is a mother and daughter team of villains in Si Jin who will make your skin crawl. The story is adapted from the web novel "The Brocaded Tale of the Girl Si".


Warning: Some story arcs are brutal crimes. Rated PG 15.



The Chinese Drama Si Jin has become very popular among Chinese drama devotees. Admittedly, the beginning episodes of Si Jin were just barely good, but not great for me. I stuck it out with this drama because of the high praise Si Jin was getting from other viewers. While the beginning episodes did not draw me in, the later episodes were stupendous. The back episodes for Si Jin are pure drama delight. It is almost like two different writers wrote this story. Finally, I can see why Si Jin is getting so much praise.

Edited: Oddly, I found out that six persons are given writer’s credit for Si Jin. I don’t know the order in which the writers were added on to this drama project, but someone in the back end knew where Si Jin should head or the team finally acquiesced to the right person’s lead. That person saved this drama and made it a hit for me.

Screenwriters: Li Wen Ting, Cai Cai, Liu Jai Si, Wang Ke, Dong Fang Chen, Wang Xiang.


The Male Lead for Si Jin is Zhang Won Yi (playing Yu Qi / Yu Jin). Often, I am reminded at how so closely ML Zhang Won Yi has the acting persona of Korean actor Park Seo Joon. Zhang Won Yi is so much like Park Seo Joon, always finding ways to stick in comedic gestures, even though performing serious drama. Watch for these little moments from him. Zhang Won Yi is Park Seo Joon’s acting twin. The female lead is Jing Tian as Jiang Si. Her acting is polished and has great range.



MY RATING CHOICES ARE BASED ON FIXED CRITERIA AND NOT JUST POPULARITY

1. Great Storytelling
2. Not losing focus with the great story
3. Unusual and inventive ideas for the plotline and arcs
4. Challenging characters needing a wide range of acting skills
5. Actors meeting the needs of the challenging characters
6. Meeting Industry Standards for Cinematography, Lighting, Editing and overall film quality.
7. Likability

Read More

Beautiful and Talented Cast!

Actual review of the drama without comparison:
-------------------------------------------------------------
There are lot of things to like, first being Jing Tian's performance as Jiang Si. Usually, I find it hard to see her as a character I just get stuck with her otherworldly beauty and find it so hard to get past that. After Wonderland of Love this is the second drama where I could see her as a person. I love Jiang Si as a character and how she navigates through the obstacles life put in her path.

As for Yu Jin in the drama, he is green flag so he is in my good books. He seems a bit goofy and silly at times and Zhang Wan Yi is the right choice for the character. However, I do hope to see Zhang Wan Yi grow as an actor. He was my fav in LYF season 2. His reactions sometimes often come across as too comical where they could be a little subtle.

Jiang Si and Yu Jin just seem to melt for each other, i love that and would like to see more such couples in drams instead of people not being considerate of each other. Jiang Si's father, brother and sister are lovable so is the niece. That drowning incident sure knocked some sense into the Zhan and it was very much needed.

The one thing that the drama got absolutely right was the casting. It was chef's kiss, the most powerful contenders were actors for Princess Rong Yang, Jiang Si, and Cui Xu.

The romances, if were to focus solely on the trajectory of the romances between the leads, and secondary couples it was quite heartwarming to watch. The ending was also satisfactory. I especially loved what Jiang Si did for Nanwu as a Saintess. In the book she didn't care for them that much.

My one point of contention with some cdramas is why do they want to humiliate the female characters with beatings even when they were not present in the books? This has recently happened with Blossoms where Dou Zhao got beaten and humiliated a couple of times, again with the slaps received by Jiang Si and the torture at the hands of Rong Yang, that didn't happen in the book. I as an audience derive no pleasure from things like these, who are these scenes catering to? What lunatic derives pleasure from watching this? That's not the correct way to deliver angst.

It seemed less like Si and Jin's story and more like Princess Rong Yang's temper tantrums. All the evildoers had the same script, they blamed everyone but themselves.

While some aspects of the drama worked, the story as a whole was a bit lacking.

My rant about why the drama isn't like the book:
------------------------------------------------------------
They could have turned it into such a nice script but so many lost opportunities.
Er Niu was a major character second only Si Jin, but he became such a underutilized prop.
When I first came across episode 1, I put it on hold because I would rather read the book to figure out why he killed her to have the drama leave it unexplained. Thanks to someone's comment I noticed that he still has his arrow nocked and wasn't the one who killed her. But the drama didn't execute the scene well, you can see when the arrow hits her, he puts his hands down as far as we can see the blurry figure. But later when the shot pans to him, he again is at the same position with the arrow nocked. So it can be a bit confusing! All in all, I'm glad he wasn't the one who killed her.
Another change that bothers me is Zhen Heng, it is hard to digest the fact that they gave us Zhen Heng who is combination of two characters father and son: Zhen Shicheng & Zhen Heng. It is upsetting because Zhen Shicheng was an absolute gem of a character and Zhen Heng was a decent one as well. The funniest part was always when he tired to push Zhen Heng together with Jiang Si and he wasn't having any of it only to fall in love at first sight when he saw her. I must admit the drama Zhen Heng is certainly likable and i am glad they changed his story with Princes Fuqing a little.
They cut back on lot of characters , far too many to mention but most primarily, Jiang Qian had two brothers one younger and one older. Jiang An Chen had one more brother who was born of a concubine but Jian Qiao was their daughter. Oh the empress dowager who was actually much more complicit in things compared to Rong Yang.
They watered down so many characters. The Emperor himself was so multifaceted, he did have the qualities they portrayed but he was also someone who loved to read novels in between memorials and then ended up having a cat as a pet.
So many plotlines just gone and most of them were messed up version.
They didn't need to kill Duer, Sang Qi, or Aman..

Read More