A Tale of Love and Loyalty

A tale of shit wrapped as muffin

Oh, where do I even begin with this masterpiece of logic-defying brilliance?

First question to anyone who’s had the endurance (or misfortune) to sit through this chaos:
She had to marry her brother-in-law to take care of her sister’s kid? Really? Because apparently being the aunt is just too basic now. Why be a guardian when you can be a crown princess-slash-replacement-wife-slash-lifelong martyr, right?

Now let’s talk about the writer, who deserves a standing ovation for crafting a female lead so obnoxious, so utterly insufferable, that hating her feels not just natural, but therapeutic. And yes, I get it—character arcs in these dramas go from “spawn of Satan” to “goddess of redemption” faster than a plot twist in a daily soap. I, however, chose peace. I dropped the show before witnessing her glitter-drenched rebirth.

Here’s what really had me internally combusting:

Sister #1, lying on her deathbed, still obsessed with preserving her husband’s legacy like a “devoted wife” and planning to emotionally blackmail her sister into marrying her husband using a single page letter. No apologies, no second thoughts—just vibes and manipulation.

Sister #2, who thinks marrying the brother-in-law is totally normal because a letter told her to. Not a single brain cell stopped her to ask, “Why do I need to marry him to help with a child?” Ever heard of being a loving aunt? Or may be that was too logical for her dead brain.

This walking red flag of a woman then proceeds to emotionally devastate the one man who truly loved her, tossing him aside with the excuse: “I want to be crown princess.” Yes, because saying “I'm sacrificing myself for the child” apparently wasn’t dramatic enough? So let's go for a statement chaotic enough.

And the cherry on top? Five years later, she sends a letter to her heartbroken ex, asking him to help save her husband’s ass. Talk about the audacity. She wants to claim all the spots of his priority that should rightfully belongs to his life partner but doesn't like his advances. She wants to use him as a husband on the expense of being mere acquaintance. She has compassion for entire world from that brother in law to servants of palace but the ML

Look, I know there’s a certain niche that lives for these “PLAYING YO-YO BETWEEN TWO MEN ” FLs —but this lead? She’s not torn, she’s utterly detached from logic, reason, and basic emotional accountability.


Plot had enough pot holes and casting wasn't too helpful either ...richard was fine not the best thanks to his hopeless role here and ming Jia Jia's bucktooth appearance and mediocre acting doens't appeal to me at all. for someone like me who gives equal importance to FL she doesnt serve the purpose.

* Hence Dropped *

Read More

A Stormy, Intense Romance Anchored by Richard Li’s Standout Performance

Tale of Love and Loyalty is one of those rare mini dramas that hooks you with intensity alone.
What makes it special isn’t just the plot — it’s Richard Li’s performance. I’ve now watched several of his works, and this is the drama that really showed me the range he has as an actor.
Here, he steps fully into the role of a commanding, sharp-edged ML — the kind who walks that thin line between domineering and red flag. But instead of feeling one-note or overdone, he plays the character with so much emotion underneath the armor that you can’t help being drawn in. His pain shows, his longing shows, and when his softer moments break through, they hit surprisingly hard.
The FL I found the acting a bit lacking because she didn't show as much range besides angst and tears. But I did love the tender moments between them and the steamy, fiery, tense, and sometimes messy moments too. If you enjoy romances where the emotions run hot, the stakes feel real, and the ML has a storm he doesn’t quite know how to contain… this one delivers.
What impressed me most is how Richard Li pivots between the hardness of his character and the flashes of tenderness and deep ache and pain he shows. He sells the role completely and you can't help but root for him and love him as his layers unravel.
This isn’t a soft, sweet romance, it’s the kind you feel in the chest.
And here’s the best part:
If you want to see Richard Li in a completely different light, strong and commanding but also deeply gentle, devoted, and romantic, you must watch Deliberations of Love!! It shows a whole other side of what he can do, and honestly, it became one of my all-time favorites.
Tale of Love and Loyalty is for when you’re in the mood for intensity.
Deliberations of Love is for when you want to melt. Deliberations of Love is the one I’d recommend everyone watch immediately, especially if you want to see why Richard Li has become the king of mini dramas!

Read More

This could have been longer

I watched this on Viki. I did not read the comments until after I finished it, but some said, and others agreed, that you might want to watch the last episode (10) first, if you want the events in chronological order.

First of all: This had potential to be a great series. It is good in it's own way as it is, but I have a feeling it would have been even better if it was a little bit longer; maybe 12-14 episodes. I don't often say "longer" for C-dramas, lol, it is more often the other way around.

The two leading actors (ML & FL) were both good, and I liked their chemistry.
Second ML (the emperor) didn't quite sit right with me, but that was partly due to his appearance, which again was partly due to his hair and makeup.
Other than his, I found the costumes and such to be nice as well.

The series had a concistent overall almost "steamy" vibe to it.

Read More

It was an easy to watch drama. It was short and different. No prize winning one but….. it was good. The plot was ok - FL fullfill her sisters wish against her own wish to be with her beloved and it makes him to believe she betrayed him for wealth. The plot is weak and nothing too extraordinary, however, in very short space and time, the cast played out the story and all the emotions rather well. Comparing this to a big production is unfair. Short episodes and snippets of actions don’t give space to play out massive actions. Some scenes were absolutely wooden but, let’s not forget, this is how studio tv used to be made and it’s not any worse, I’d say still better, than any cable tv programs around. It’s easy to watch, music is not bad and there are some beautiful camera shots. Though the ML is adorable to.

Read More

If you're wanting to watch this after reading Have a Soft Spot for Her (Novel Updates) then don't bother. This drama is nothing like the book at all. Not even a little bit.

I hate when a drama says adapted from a novel and then it's nothing like the book at all. I understand having to change certain things to make it flow on screen but not every little detail.

This one might as well have said we've taken the names of the characters and written the script totally different. We've turned good guys into evil characters and created unnecessary deaths. Just because we can mwah ha ha.

If you just need a Li Fei fix by all means watch this because the only reason, and I do mean the only reason to watch this is for Li Fei (Richard Li) his acting is perfection as always. He needs to be in longer, better dramas.

However if you want to watch him in something more entertaining might I recommend Seal of Love. Even with the kind of open ending it's still a much better mini drama then this one.

Read More

Oh no...

Watch this after see someone on the feed make costume connection between this drama & The Deliberations of Love. While I'm quite happy with The Deliberations of Love story, but this one really disappointing...

Cause I'll gonna give SPOILER. As usual, the safe & what i like first.
+ The chemistry between Richard Li & Ming Jia Jia.
+ The intense story & plot
+ The cute fat little kids.

Overall this just another short drama to watch. Below is SPOILER ALERT!!! Read it with ur own risk.












==================================================
SPOILER ALERT!!!
==================================================

This short dama have one think I most hate about. OPEN ENDING!!! And unfortunately not a good one like Starry Love.

For me this drama is not end with sad ending but with possibilities of an open ending. If only they ended when Su Yan died, that's another story... But this.... To reverse the beginning and ending like this... Ugh!!! Scream Open Ending instead Sad Ending for me.

Really wish they open the drama with ep 19 instead just put it in the end. My suggestion for you who want to watch this, start watch from ep 19 first. That's gonna make the story a lot better.

Read More

Le partage du cœur entre amour interdit et loyauté...

Pour contrebalancer des histoires plus chargées, j’aime me tourner vers des dramas aux intrigues simples et regardables en quelques heures. A Tale of Love Loyalty est idéal en raison de sa durée (~ 4h30) et de son histoire facile. Son rythme ne laisse pas le temps de faire traîner le scénario. Parfois, c'est un peu déroutant (notamment lorsqu'on sort de plusieurs dramas à la suite qui étaient tous lents), mais c’est exactement ce que je cherche en ce moment.

Même s’il s’agit d’un drame à petit budget, les décors et les costumes sont de bonne qualité. Li Fei est resplendissant dans ses tenues noires. Si bien que j’étais presque déçue de la couleur argentée de son armure. Je plaide coupable quant au fait d’avoir été séduite par le personnage, aussi terrible qu’il soit. Ming Jia Jia est élégante en tant qu’Impératrice grâce à sa tenue gracieuse et distinguée, bien qu'elle restait trop stoïque de temps à autre. Cela dit, on se prend facilement d’affection pour elle, tandis qu’elle se retrouve malmenée par son amour interdit et sa loyauté. Enfin, Quan Pei Lun livre un personnage aux portes de la folie avec intérêt. C’est parfois un peu grossier, mais il parvient à maintenir l’illusion jusqu’au bout.

L’ensemble du casting est bon (antagonistes, personnages secondaires et figurants). J’aime le fait que ces drames n’aient pas besoin d’une foule pour fonctionner. Cela nous évite les scènes et les personnages inutiles.

Bien évidemment, ces dramas ne sont pas autant censurés que les plus grands, en terme de production. D’ailleurs, il suffit de regarder The Double et son baiser coupé pour exemple. Ainsi, A Tale of Love and Loyalty offre de belles scènes du genre aux notes sexy sans jamais être vulgaires ou dénoter avec l’ambiance du drame. D'accord, la relation entre Yu Wen Yuan et Su Yan n'est pas la plus saine, d'autant plus qu'on voit clairement un jeu de pouvoir et de domination dans les premiers épisodes, mais les effluves sexy l'emportent.

La fin (épisode 9) est surprenante, mais chacun ira de sa proposition (la happy end n'est pas au rendez-vous). Cependant, j'ai trouvé le scénario cohérent et bien amené avec ce qu'il faut de tensions tout au long de l'histoire. Le dernier épisode (10) est surprenant. Vous pouvez débuter par l'épisode 10, puis les épisodes 01 à 09 si vous voulez voir l’histoire dans l’ordre chronologique. D'autant plus que l'épisode 09 nous donne une vraie sensation de fin, contrairement au dixième.

En bref, même si le budget est moins onéreux que la plupart des C-Dramas, il n’a pas à rougir pour autant. Grâce à son scénario et ses rebondissements, l’histoire reste entraînante, portée par des acteurs convaincants ainsi qu’une jolie bande son.

Read More