MY BABIES
Amazing cinematography, i feel empty after finishing this. This is the second drama that made me feel this way - the first was The First Frost.No notes, I love love love the main leads, love lin'an town, love yanzheng and changyu.
Though the story isn't 100% for me because i expected better fighting scenes, and towards the end it got pretty politically heavy and the end fight scene didn't live up to my expectations.
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OMG ! Not a single dull moment.
These series has surely raise the bar for chinese dramas.All the characters in these series are woven intricately. They all have background story. And the execution of the show is done so well that it doesn’t bore us to know the story of each and every character. Character development is very important part of this show. First half was very well developed.
And what to say about main leads, they are already top notch actors. Their chemistry is breathtaking. I love them. Zhang Linghe never disappoints with his acting. But I must say FL is amazing in every episode. It is true women empowering show. I loved it. It has become one of my favourite cdramas.
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An Epic Drama That Stays in Your Heart
A beautifully written epic story and a drama that truly tugs at the heartstrings. This series is a real masterpiece when it comes to building tension and emotional intensity from one episode to the next. The experience is made even better by the strikingly handsome male cast, who are undeniably charming on screen, and by the ML’s excellent performance, especially through his body language and facial expressions. It is no surprise that this drama is breaking popularity records. It is definitely worth watching, even for viewers who are not usually fans of historical Chinese dramas.Was this review helpful to you?
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Like black dot on white sheet, not much but obvious flaw
Different from my full dissatisfaction rant novel purist review of LOFG, this one is from someone who hasn't read the novel, probably never. As usual, i'm not a rewatcher type.I picked this drama quite randomly amidst my long drama slump, tho it's a lie if i say it was never in my radar since our leads are interesting and i've seen some reuters lmao. Some stuff i only learned after premiere was the director, the plot, the "drama" etc etc. He's not my favorite director but his work tend to left a good impression on me. Especially the short dramas. Safe to say, i had certain expectation, especially but not limited to cinematography. Anyway, i do satisfied with that department. My eyes were pleased with its visual, both face and background.
Now, this could be minor but becomes fatal when it's the only black on white sheet. The plot.
As i said, it started strong, really strong that i still remember thinking the only thing they needed to do was to maintain the plot and pace and it would easily become my lifetime drama. The first 10 episodes was solid. Pace, plot, introduction, impression. It was that superior. Then i realized, first arc is too long. Yes, it made the massacre more impactful as the Lin'an folks grow in us but this drama isn't only about it. It's not slice of life drama. The drama failed to laid the groundwork in political/revenge department. We know there's revenge but against who? About what? They only show a glimpse of its, not a proper basis meanwhile the revenge, the enemies, was against the whole system, basically almost everyone in power had hands on the past tragedy. That big revenge plan need proper introduction imo.
However, i do admit, this one is falls into idol drama category. The romance portion naturally bigger, right? RIGHT? Yes it is, to some extent. I'm actually disappointed with the lack of Marquis Wu'an in action scene and how Fan Changyu character evolve at the later part. I feel like FCY was more active, more powerful and presence before they arrived in capital. Well, our leads screentime was lesser in later part so.
About screentime, hmm, how to put it nicely. I don't mind 2nd cp plot since they're future emperor parents and Qi Min revenge also related to the plot. I do mind how their story portrayed as love story when at some point i felt disgusted as it blatantly harassment by how uncomfortable YQQ was.
I also annoyed by how underdeveloped XZ's crew, Xie army general, due to lack of fight scene and how useless FCY's butcher crew. Totally unnecessary romance subplot. Also annoyed how they behave towards XZ, as in instead ofFCY comrades in arms they became more like annoying aunties.
Most of my plot irked is actually minor but when many minor inconvenience occurs, well it's still inconvenience and still annoying. As someone who put plot value on top, minor plot hole pretty much overshadow my whole watching experience. My rating still high because yes, i love many others aspect from acting to cinematography yet i can't just brush off the storyline issue.
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A Drama That Draws You In
I have seen MANY Chinese dramas in the 8 years I've been hooked into Asian dramas. This drama ALMOST beats Love Like The Galaxy which is my top one. It's a VERY close second. I love a strong woman drama, but this one shows off the FL's character in physical strength. The FL is believable as well as beautiful. Those eyes of hers draw me in. The ML is no less beautiful and his tenderness in this drama got me from the start. Unfortunately Netflix is on 1 drama per day this week instead of two which is sooooo aggravating. Don't miss this drama. It is definitely worth your time to watchWas this review helpful to you?
Honest review: overhyped. Hypocritical rating.
The plot is flawed halfway through. A 6/7 score is appropriate. There are many other dramas with clearer plots than POJ.A score of 9+ is excessive and can lead to new viewers being misled.
It wins on visuals and fandom alone. Everything else is a failure.
Especially when episode leaks appear ahead of schedule. It's not just a failure, it's a complete failure.
This is an honest review.
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A gorgeous & wild ride in the beginning but falls flat at the end
My first thoughts were that this drama is highly entertaining, with gorgeous production & heart-stopping action scenes. It was therefore easy to be swept up in the hype as this show started to air, to the point where it was difficult to view it with a critical eye.The story begins with a carefully constructed introduction to the life & character of 19 y/o Fan ChangYu, the orphaned daughter of a pig butcher, carrying on her father's profession to support her young sister & adoptive aunt & uncle. She possesses extraordinary physical strength & is highly intelligent in spite of being poorly literate. She rescues the injured & severely weakened fugitive, Yan Zheng, & their developing relationship anchors up to 2/3 of the show. Past identities are slowly revealed as political instability & war drive them from an idyllic village life into the battlefield. ChangYu's fierce independence & heart, always staying true to herself while having her world turned upside down, is what made this drama so mesmerizing to watch. Her identity changes only in the way others view her, but she never loses sight of her own self.
However, like too many high end productions before it, the last 10 eps of the drama slammed to a crawl with no further growth in the personal relationship between the main characters. The writing & acting seem to have fallen off the cliff & we don't gain anything in any character's story as so much time is spent featuring the ineptness of the emperor. In fact, ChangYu almost fades into the background which is so puzzling after dominating the story for 30 eps. What began with so much heart just simply ran out of steam toward the end. All the time spent building up the secondary characters also came to a grinding halt, with the main villian(s) falling (literally) too quickly & easily. I was ready to give this drama a high rating but unfortunately the show dropped the ball far too soon.
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Mesmerizing
I'll adjust my review based on the rest of the series but I've been watching since day one.I have not read the book but based on other reviews, it seems to follow it well.
The plot is thrilling. The acting is electrifying, including by the kids. The snarky, funny parts are on point.
Despite having a vast range of characters, they aren't overwhelming. The cinematography and score are brilliant and put you into the environment. The pace is consistent and engrossing.
I highly recommend it so far.
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A drama that can melt you softly and make you obsessed ❤️
Hooked to this drama and the casts specially zhang ling he. What a handsome and talented actor. Emotions and glances he gives..its like everyone can 🫠 . Unbeatable military marquis softly can melt before his wife and feel safe as he knows she will be his protector and a wife who his so strong and ready to fight with every fear to protect her beloved husband and family. I love this feeling. Writer wrote it beautifully and What an outstanding outstanding performance of every actor and incredible direction. Even the villains nailed it. Director is smart he knows what to capture and how to capture. Screening, action, acting, emotions and chemistry between the couples everything is so good. This is the second time I am so obsessed with a chinese custom drama after THE UNTAMED. Highly highly recommended drama. Love it❤️❤️Was this review helpful to you?
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From the sublime to the ridiculous
I was such a fan of PoJ until episode 26. After that, it became so anticlimactic and unevenly paced, ending in complete makjang in the final battle, without a clear and satisfying explanation of past events, and perhaps the most awkward and stilted final cdrama moment in the alternate ending from the 2ML/main toxic villain.How can a Cdrama do a complete 180 in terms of storytelling, tone, pacing, character development...? I am so confused as to how this happened. PoJ started off so beautifully with the first arc in Linan village. I was completely enraptured with our FL and ML, how she saved him, their back stories, and especially how their relationship developed. I loved the snowy landscape, the chill mountain village vibe, the cozy cooking scenes, the way they slurped the pork intestine noodle soups with relish, the intrigues here and there about what happened 17 yrs ago, and of course all the scenes with ZLH 😍. I loved how Changyue nursed XZ back to health, and how he was so understanding, observant, and caring. It was lovely.
Everything was moving along so well, even when he left to go back to the military camp, even when she went to look for him, and all that happened in between. Our MC was still in character, and their reunion at camp was so moving. Really on its way to being a masterpiece.
I was enthralled with how their story (and even the side stories!) developed at this point, and even more thrilled when she fought on the battlefield, defeating Shi Hu. The fight choreography was so memorable and so well done! And how she realized XZ was the marquis and how he whisked her off on horseback...that was truly the peak moment of this drama.
Sadly, after that, it kind of went off the path of masterful storytelling. I think this became obvious starting with her fight scene against General Changxin...actually it was more when she asked XZ who he would take on, Changxin or his psychopath son. Anyway, it just seemed out of character.
At this point onwards, there were so many unsatisfying moments and I was just so unhappy with how little time they gave to our MC together, and especially to XZ as marquis. This would have been so much better had it focused more on the MC’s romance rather than the toxic side couple’s, allowed the story about past events to unfold better (like maybe throughout the drama, instead of just unloading everything in the last couple of epis and even then it was still confusing and unclear), redeemed Uncle Wei (honestly, the real bad guy whose actions precipitated the tragedy from 17 years ago was Tutor Li who betrayed his friend circle, gossiping to the old emperor! I mean what kind of punishment did he get, he conspired with Qi Min too! So unbelievable and annoying), and kept the same tone & style with the cinematography. I just expected too much!
The Sublime:
-Linan Village arc
-ZLH 😍
-the music
-the villainous brothers’ auras
-Uncle Wei with the moustache
The Ridiculous:
-the ending
-how much time was given to toxic side couple’s romance (ugh!)
-Changyue defeating General Changxin
-Qi Min surviving the fall from the top of the fort (somehow I was shocked to find him in jail! )
It’s funny because as PoJ was airing and while I waited for later episodes (not knowing at the time how it would all turn out), I was rewatching earlier episodes and just enjoying their time in Linan and their reunion. I never could have predicted that I would feel so unsatisfied with the ending. I know one has to take the good with the bad, but at the end of it all, I was left wondering how much nonsense we the viewers can accept at the end of a drama despite an amazing beginning. I guess I can accept a lot because I’m giving it an 8.5, lol. Still, I can’t help but feel like I was played.
10/10 for ep 1-26
7.0/10 for ep 27-40
8.5 OVERALL
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Even with its strong points, there’s a subtle feeling that something is missing
Pursuit of Jade is an engaging and well-crafted story that balances mystery, emotion, and adventure in a compelling way. The characters are interesting, the storyline flows smoothly, and the overall atmosphere keeps you invested from start to finish. It’s a story that pulls you in and makes you curious about what happens next.However, even with its strong points, there’s a subtle feeling that something is missing—perhaps a deeper emotional payoff, a more intense climax, or an extra layer in the plot that could have made the experience even fuller. It’s not something easily identifiable, but you can sense there was room to push the story just a little further.
Still, the strengths far outweigh the minor gaps. Pursuit of Jade delivers a memorable journey and is absolutely worth reading, earning a solid 8.5 out of 10 from me.
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Great start, slacked off towards the end though...
Icl, this show had a extremely good start and everything, however in the last few episodes it's gone downhill and a bit sloppy...Cons:
- In the novel, Lord Changxin was killed by both the fl and the ml, however in the drama she killed him by herself which was a bit unrealistic considering the fact that Changyu hasn't actually had a lot of experience on the battlefield compared to quite a few characters, especially Lord Changxin himself, cuz how are you going to tell us all that someone who has had decades of experience on the battlefield is able to be easily defeated by someone with little experience? This also links to the fact that it was quite strange how Changyu was able to kill General Shi Hu just by herself, once again, with the minimum experience she has 😔
- I felt like it was quite selfish for Changyu to knock both Xie Zheng and Li HuaiAn out to go to battle for them even if it was to protect them, I understand the one with Xie Zheng because she didn't know his real identity and was just trying to protect him, however it is quite literally his duty to fight on the battlefield! But Xie Zheng definately should've told Changyu about his real identity so I don't blame her for this. However it's different with Li HuaiAn, I get that she tried to protect him because he was injured, however she completely went against his wishes and it was extremely weird how it was Li HuaiAn who went to apologise to Changyu rather than the other way round, cuz like why is he even apologising for? he had every reason to be upset/annoyed at her so I don't understand why it was him who had to kneel for forgiveness or whatever!
- I also feel quite bad for the current emperor, I know he is extremely unfit for being emperor but he is literally a puppet emperor put there by Wei Yan! Also, to me it wasn't right at all for Xie Zheng to literally threaten him about dethroning him as if the current emperor actually wants to be the emperor (he's literally just a kid that no one actually takes seriously 😭). I understand his frustration because the emperor want Xie Zheng to marry the Princess Royal, but the threatening was definately not needed!
- we see the FL being a strong fighter more than the ML?? what's going on? 😭 I thought we would be seeing them both fighting and both as strong or at least Xie Zheng being somewhat stronger considering he is literally Wu'An MARQUIS (I'm only on ep 33 so feel free to correct me on this point if they actually do fight in the later eps)
- When Yuanqing killed Mandi, Changyu shouted that she was going to kill him - it felt like she was going to do it immediately, from anger and frustration- but she ran to Mandi first, letting Yuanqing sort of get away, I get that she's extremely upset but I felt like she should've went after Yuanqing first
Pros: amazing acting from literally every single character (yes even the side characters), filming of the drama was done very well too, the quality is extremely good, liked the couples stories too.
These opinions may be controversial but I just wanted to share my thoughts anyways :)
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