A Dream of Splendor

S'okay

Will someone please deliver C drama from the curse of useless misunderstandings between the leads?

This is a woman who wants complete independence yet her business is largely funded by a man

She wants to expand her business and instead of saving up she expects the male lead to fork over a very large sum of money and when a mistake happens, she automatically writes him off and then turns to another man to dig her out of the mess she made all by herself.

I swear I wasn’t sure if the creators of this drama were poking fun at women’s independence or celebrating it cause all this series does is show that women could only have anything bc men allowed or funded it.

I did enjoy eps one through 16 but the FL stood too long on her soapbox and compounded that by making avoidable mistakes for no reason whatsoever.

Now, let’s talk about the male lead.

That the wind blew the mortgage receipt was all due to the idiocy of the ML. So fucking what if your father caused harm to the FL’s family? That was not a good reason or time to play the avoidance game when all he had to do was tell her the relationship was done. Avoiding her was a convenient plot device that allowed the producers drag the series by an additional fifteen episodes. It was all about the money otherwise A Dream of Splendor should have only had 20 episodes.

If you want a show with true female empowerment then watch “New Life Begins”. The women in that series truly support each other and funded their businesses themselves.

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I did not like this drama like all the hyped it was received

I don't know why Douban rated "A Dream of Splendor" 8.8 ratings. WTF. I have watched 30 episodes already, and it was dull, boring, stupid, and dragging, and the plot is suck.

I am unsure if I will finish this drama; aside from having a good-looking cast, the cinematography and coloring of the show are good.

I don't think this drama even deserves 5.5 ratings, and I don't understand what all the raves are about, and disappointed in AvenueX assessments of this drama as well. Grrr.......

The male lead (Chen Xiao) disappears in episodes 30-32, and his on-screen chemistry with Crystal Liu is not great. I don't like the FL character. I like San Niang better.

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Sweet mature Romance

Gorgeous Leads,
Convincing love story,
Off the charts chemistry,
Beautiful female friendships,

Well, It has been a while since a drama captivated me. This story reminds me of good old days of genuine romance and heartaches. I have a major girl crush on the female Lead, Crystal Liu. She is living that character, effortlessly beautiful, elegant and strong. Such a treat to my eyes. The male lead is great as well, the way he steals glances at her is adorable but at the same time his expressions at few other scenes are a bit blank. Anyway there are some lovely, magical moments between the couple that looks like a gorgeous moving painting.

The progression of the story is good, it's exciting, no cliche tropes. Writers have done a wonderful job here, the characters show real human emotions, quite relatable unlike the recent dramas that mock viewers intelligence.

Loving it so far.

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Did I watch the same show as everyone else?

I had a lot of hope for this one, it started out strong, I really like Gu Qian Fan and I thought him and the FL had great chemistry. But as time wore on it got harder and harder to watch. I just didn't find most of the characters or storylines that interesting past about episode 8, when it really started to drag for me. It also started getting annoying that the main characters seemed to just be amazing at everything. Stories aren't very interesting when you're already at the top and there's no real growth to be had.

I've seen numerous times the main couple being referred to as "adults" in a "mature" relationship. For me the reason I watch C-dramas is because they aren't like Western entertainment, which tries to tell people it is depicting love when it is really depicting a toxic and sometimes borderline abusive relationship, with mind games and emotionally manipulative behaviour. C-dramas can be hit or miss but I love their depiction of loyalty, honesty, and unconditional love. The West, by comparison, doesn't even know the meaning of love. Or chemistry. Or empathy. Personally, I watch C-dramas to help alleviate the pain of living in a culture that mimics its entertainment.

This show had a very Western flavour to how the leads were behaving towards each other. They were not acting like emotionally mature adults, who understand and respect differences of opinion. GQF would get angry at Pan'er for the smallest thing and make it out like she was the problem or there was something wrong with how she saw things. He seemed controlling and I was disturbed by how casually the topic of him torturing people was handled. At times they seemed to be belittling each others' perspectives and he blamed Pan'er for how he felt at times. There's a difference between banter and shaming someone, this was the latter and it left a sour taste in my mouth. There's also a difference between honest vulnerability, and using honesty as an excuse to be a jerk and then hiding behind it when it begins to erode the trust in the relationship.

Everyone has different preferences, to some this is a desirable dynamic, for me I've had enough of this kind of dynamic for a lifetime.

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Starts off really great

Since i accidentally stumbled upon this one, i had no expectations or hopes of it. It was my first show of all the main characters. The first few eps really raised the bar so high being captivating and promising, that the later eps failed to keep up with it. The first 10 eps were amazing setting up the plot, ml and fl starting off on the wrong foot, getting the sisters together and everything, the next 10 eps focus on relation building and business, the next 10 eps focus highly on the business, setbacks but midway of these eps the drama starts going downhill, ep 27 onwards it was just pure depressing. The ml and fl get separated due to the cliche trope of i cant face her because my father caused her family's death, the ladies business falls apart, the sisters break apart, the cheater x fiance turns into a mad dog and causes menace by changing color like a freaking chameleon. Only towards the end do the happy vibes come back, and after ep 32 things start getting better plotwise. After ep 20 it did feel kinda draggy and slow till some 32 eps and the last 5 eps was again paced well. Why is pacing always an issue with cdramas!?

The story is different from other cdramas, focuses greatly on women empowerment and social discrimination. 3 ladies, each of whom have suffered setbacks in life due to love, start their lives afresh and find love in the course. I really loved the character dynamics between Zhao Paner and Sun Sanniang. I did not like Song Yinzhang at all, she didn't deserve the selfless and generous treatment from the other two sisters, she was extremely proud, arrogant and jealous and greedy as well. Not everything can be pardoned because she was young, well she wasn't even that young considering she eloped TWICE, so she deserved whatever she got. She sort of did redeem herself in the last few eps. I rather liked Zhaodi. Gu Qianfan was very sweet, gentle and loving but he came off as rather weak willed and too kind and gullible to me. It was too easy to convince him and he even bother to verify things. The maturity in their relationship disappeared suddenly after ep 25. Zhao Paner was a consistent character, gu qianfan was not. Onto others, Chen lian was very cute, chi pan was a clown but i liked him very much, i didnt like Du Changfeng at first, later he grew on me. Ouyang Xu was trash throughout and he got what he deserved. And that son of Sanniang, was absolute piece of shit. For a change i expected to have a kind empress here because her bg is different from usual empresses, so I wanted her to get some kinda punishment after everything she did.
Ml and fl had really amazing chemistry. The acting of all the 4 mains was commendable, others did very well too.

Production was great, didn't really pay attention to the non existent music though.

I guess i would recommend watching it once. The first 15 eps can be addictive but then the effect wears off. The ending is satisfactory. Would've rated it 8.2 if possible.

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Chemistry on fire??

My rating according to my new rating scale:
- **Story/Plot**: 2.25/3
1. Synopsis (0.25)✅
2. Initial Impression (2eps) (0.25)✅
3. Genre Adherence (0.25)✅
4. Emotional Engagement (0.25)✅
5. Logic (0.25)❌
6. Plot Coherence (0.25)❌
7. Dialogue (0.25)✅
8. Pacing (0.25)❌
9. Character building/Development (0.25)✅
10. Story Richness (0.25)✅
11. Plot Twists (0.25)✅
12. Messages (0.25)✅
- **CAST/Acting**: 2/2
1. Lead Actor Performance (0.25)✅
2. Lead Actress Performance (0.25)✅
3. Main Cast Chemistry (0.25)✅
4. Supporting Actors/Actresses Performance (0.25)✅
5. Casting Precision (0.5)✅
6. Character Transformation (0.25)✅
7. Scene Stealers (0.25)✅
- **Directing/Camerawork**: 1.25/2
1. Camera Movement (0.25)✅
2. Editing (0.25)❌
3. Continuity (0.25)❌
4. Visual Effects (0.25)❌
5. Visual Details (0.25)✅
6. Cinematic Tension (0.25)✅
7. Lighting (0.25)✅
8. Flashback Integration (0.25)✅
- **OST (Original Soundtrack)**: 0.75/1
1. Opening Song (0.25)✅
2. Ending Song (0.25)✅
3. Background OST (0.25)❌
4. Overall OST (0.25)✅
- **Style**: 0.75/1
1. Costumes (0.25)✅
2. Set Design (0.25)✅
3. Colors (0.25)✅
4. Poster (0.25)❌
- **Ending**: 1/1
1. Closure (0.25)✅
2. Emotional Impact (0.25)✅
3. Logic (0.25)✅
4. Personal Satisfaction (0.25)✅

Total Rating: 8/10 +0.5Bonus
>>>>Final Rating: 8.5/10

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A Dream of Splendor" tells the story of four individuals. The narrative centers around a girl whose family has been wrongly accused of a crime, forcing her to live as a pariah. As she grows up, she leaves the place to start her own tea house. Along her journey, she makes two supportive friends who stand by her side.

In her life, there is also a man who represents her love interest. They enjoy happy moments together until he departs to complete his studies and secure an officer position. He promises to return and marry her after finishing his education and finding a job. However he nevers return.

Another man enters the scene, arriving at her tea house to investigate a painting. The story unfolds as the lives of all four characters become entangled, filled with challenges and confrontations. Ultimately, the plot leads to a happy ending.

However, the story lacks spark and intrigue. While the chemistry between the leads is commendable, the overall narrative feels predictable and uninspired.


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Romance done right

I loved the romance in this drama as it didn’t overdo the misunderstandings or have overly dramatic jealousy or other love interests. It was realistic, sweet and hit all the right notes with me.

The conversations between them flowed so naturally, be it when they were lovey dovey, supporting each other or even taking potshots at each other. Watching them fall in love was the best part.

Costumes were top notch and I just loved the gorgeous flowy dresses that the FL wore. Sets were outstanding and I loved the aerial views and how the camera just pans down in one long take and follows the characters around - wonderful cinematography!

Storyline was good overall with some minor plot holes, some characters didn’t sit well with me but I easily overlooked this as everything else was done well. It has been a while since I’ve watched a Chinese costume drama which has good romance and this one delivered beautifully!

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Love love love the chemistry between the leads

Love love love the chemistry between the leads. Compared to other cdramas, their love is more mature. No need for fancy effects on scenes and unecessary slowmos to show chemistry because their banters and interactions are enough. Sweet gestures like looking into each others eyes, small touches, and body movements will make you question if they are still acting. They did so well in portraying a couple in love. The buildup to their romance is realistic compared to other cdramas where the leads already professed their undying love for each other after a few encounters. Also loved the supporting leads and how they've grown so much throughout the series.

The setting of the drama, the costumes, the makeups, the cinematography, and the actors are so prettyyyy. This might be the prettiest drama I watched.

The reason why I gave this show 8.5 is because the plot got dragged on at the last part so I found myself skipping some scenes a few times. There are also so many misunderstandings that took a long time to get resolved. It was a bummer.

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Full of Splendor Indeed

Let's start with how beautiful Liu Yi Fei is in this drama. And the whole production basks in beauty and elegance that you'd want to visit this particular period of the Song Dynasty if you ever get a hold of a time machine. I've read that the original story was written by a person who used to live in the thriving capital before becoming a refugee. He then recalls in this memoir the splendor of the life in the capital and the drama show us that. The pipa and the tea are cultural details I enjoyed learning about from this drama.

I didn't think Chen Xiao would measure up to Pan Er's beauty but it didn't take long for me to wait in anticipation for Gu Xian Fan to appear. I love the characters surrounding the leads, especially Chi Ya Nei and Chen Lian. Sun San Niang was strong and steady. Ou Yang Xu was the antagonist we didn't know we'd hate and pity. Son Yin Zhang, albeit the abrupt change in attitude towards the end, was pretty solid as well. Gu Xiao Fan's father could have been explored more, I thought he was a promising character.

The only thing I wasn't too happy about was the fact that Gu Xiao Fan was mostly side-lined in the last climactic moments. The drama started out with him so I thought they were setting up a predominantly romantic story but his role dissipated and the story tried to be grander than it started out to be. Anyway, I'll still rewatch this because it was simply delectable.

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