Editorials 
This review may contain spoilers
The usual mess but with nice visuals
Needed me to turn off my brain too many times for me to enjoy the unique parts relating to brocade. The ML’s skills are super power level so doesn’t mix well for this realistic setting which is unfortunate as it was nice watching him fight. But the way he can take down so many people on his own was beyond realistic.FL has a nice believable young girl vibe but it breaks down when she matures and manages to capture the attention of so many men especially the villain. The villian should have stayed truer to himself and not turned into such a love sick fool.
The evil lady reduced to a pitiful shadow because of her love for her maid which we cannot understand as not enough is shown about their past to justify her feelings for her maid.
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Disappointing
I started this drama thinking it was literally gonna show brocade's odyssey during the tang dynasty but there was way too much focus on the romance instead. The cast and the leads did what they could with what they got, but as a fan of TSY I gotta say this is the dullest role from her. The acting is great, it's just I never warmed up to her character here. I don't get her character's motivations much, what she wanted from all the men and whatever she was trying to do - I just wasn't invested. I'm not sure if it was the writing or editing. The chemistry between the leads was also lukewarm at best, not really romantic tbh. So whenever it came to their scenes I was bored to death. Also there are several parts where I was just rather disengaged.Was this review helpful to you?
SLOW POISON WHICH WON'T LEAVE YOU. GETS BETTER WITH EACH EPISODES.
I'm currently on episode 26, and I have to say—episodes 23 and 24 were absolute masterpieces in terms of storytelling, screenplay, direction, and performance. The emotional range is sky-high. The music mix was brilliant, adding so much depth to every scene.Zheng Ye Cheng — I’ve officially become your fan. What an incredible character portrayal! He balances humor, sincerity, and sheer intensity so effortlessly. His character is both deadly and loving — a complex mix of traits that he absolutely nailed. Every shade of emotion felt real and deeply layered.
And Tan Song Yun — words honestly fall short. The range of emotions she conveys through just her eyes is mesmerizing. She brings such authenticity to her role; it’s impossible not to be moved by her performance.
I’m completely in love with this series. It’s a slow poison — it draws you in bit by bit, and before you know it, you’re fully immersed. The pace never drags; in fact, the stakes keep rising with each episode.
Interestingly, though the tone is very different, the show somehow reminds me of the Korean drama My Dearest. There’s a kind of atmospheric symmetry — an emotional pull that lingers, even if the genres don’t match.
Anyway, I’ve written a lot, but I just had to share how much I’m enjoying this. Can’t wait to watch the rest ASAP!
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This review may contain spoilers
DISAPPOINTED
I like Seven Tan Song Yun & Zheng Yi Cheng, what I don't like it the synopsis of this drama. C-drama is kept producing similar themes of dramas, everybody seems like making the same drama based on popularity at the time. To name a few before it was Imperial harems with all s**ty women's jealousy, then BL dramas, now merchant story lines. Brocade Odyssey starts slow, so boring, doesn't hold attention that we're excited about.Haiyo, why is it so a big of deal about silk yarns? Why appointed a special inspector brocade? To understand all these, I should watch the whole drama but I am currently stuck on ep 11 like long standing 'pending'. What I like about this drama? Nothing. I only like it because of Zheng YiCheng & Tan Song Yun. But then their acting isn't memorable here, it's boring characters.
Merchants, abuse, discrimination and slavery scenes/plots are repetitive in c-drama world.
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A beautifully woven tapestry
This drama was just fantastic with multiple layers, great cast, great costumes, great plot, great cinematography, great music - at 40 episodes it didn't drag either.I started watching this because I'm a big fan of Tan Song Yun and she delivers another excellent performance here. I also think it's kind of neat that she's in both dramas on Viki with 'brocade' in the title.
I didn't think I'd seen the ML, Zheng Ye Cheng, before - until I discovered he was one of the bros in Love O2O. I think it's testament to his acting skills that I had no idea and I was genuinely impressed with his performance. He handled the serious, romantic and comedic scenes with equal aplomb. At one point where another actor might have gone over the top he played a scene so believably with his controlled performance that it made it all the more powerful.
I think the writing must be good because there were points where the subs conveyed the tremendous affection and noble character of the ML superbly. That said, there were a couple of mistakes in the subs where they refer to the second ML instead of the ML lead or the wrong city so watch out for that.
Beautifully shot and some fantastic action scenes, some of the best I've seen. I also liked that the second FL got to show her fighting skills too. Overall the staging was excellent.
Costumes - I'm sure my fellow crafters will appreciate that a drama where fabrics play such an important role, the quality of the costumes added to the atmosphere. I also noted several costumes with patterned fabric where they'd taken the trouble to pattern match across different parts of the garment, love the attention to detail.
Music - I realised at one point that Tan Song Yun was singing one of the songs and honestly it just added to the scene and made it all the more touching. Soundtrack is good all round.
Set / production design - the main city is painted in mid and light blue with red and it's so pretty. Really well done and scenes felt as though they had depth, which added to the realism.
I also liked how there were some characters who were clearly good or bad but others who were more complex. I'm not sure you can say they redeemed themselves but more a case of making good decisions in the end. Definitely made it more interesting to watch. We got a good supply of villains, both male and female, and as different ones took the stage at different points it never got boring or felt drawn out.
Lovely supporting cast and some nice bromances going on. A few side romances although they aren't major plot points.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this drama. It's got it all!
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A Tough Watch with a Worthy Story
Let's be honest, this drama ain't exactly my cup of tea, literally everything except for Tan Songyun. With all those lil' controversies sprinkled in, im not holding back with my brutally honest rating: overall 6/10 (being nice here, it could've been a FIVE). I'm just not the type of viewer who can patiently stick to an ongoing drama (yes im writing this review after finishing the ongoing one). The first 5 eps were a vibe tho, the FL (Ji Yingying) had this clever charm that got me hooked instantly. But after 10+ eps... ngl my patience tapped out. It got kinda meh to wait. So i just saved up for it and got back in the mood before watching it again.BROCADE ODYSSEY isn't one of those comfort dramas you can binge and feel cozy with. The plot's all over the place, the quality's mid, and there's zero standout cinematography :') BUT... the whole storyline about a woman bringing SHU BROCADE to the spotlight? Okayy I'll admit, it kept me somewhat interested.
The characters' mentalities in this drama are good GOOD. I legit love everyone, even the side roles and villains. Sure suree the plot development had me cursing at times but at least it's delivered well. No dragging dialogues just straight-up meaningful lines that hit hard (that one line from Sheng Fengze “I bet on his love for you, but you bet on mine ” shahsjsjksksl). The character growth was solid too. Watching them go from fearless innocence to truly valuing life and legacy was everything. and the cast? THEM. GOT. IT. (not you ZHW) 100/10 for them!
I looove FLs who are smart, sly, a lil cunning, and just the right amount desperate like Ji Yingying. Yes she's got some mary sue vibes, but shes not perfect to the point where life hands her everything on a silver platter. SHEE works for it, fights for it, and survives. TAN SONGYUN nailed nailed this role. Soo if u think she's selfish or that ML deserves "better" than her, plss do rewatch & ask yourself are u expecting a human or a flawless goddess?? (even the goddesses in xianxia have struggles too). If a woman with her talent whos been dealt a crap hand since childhood, chooses GRIT over REVENGE, I do marry her in a heartbeat. THAT'S why Zhao Xiuyuan wants to tie her down, Sheng Fengze can't let her go craves her talent and heart, and Yang Jinglan just wants to love her, protect and stay by her side forever. That's Ji Yingying for you. The mean daughter of huanhua river, THEE main character of Shu Jin Ren Jia.
With an FL as amazing brilliant as this yet not even close to my top 20 sadly because of how bad the production is. The color grading alone made me wanna screammahsjskdk#(/1+&- a total fail like seriously how do you mess that up?!
What saves it for me? The actors' top-tier performances (shout-out to Tan Songyun! You carried, QUEEN). Big thanks to all the cast for their hard work (& a half-hearted "thanks" to the drama team). Here's my (random person) scorecard: plot 3/5, acting 5/5, OST 4/5, drama quality 1/5, characters 4/5, wardrobe 3/5, cinematography (let's not go there...)
It's honestly sad how underrated this drama is. With stellar acting and such an important theme around cultural heritage. But okay let's be real, the messy production didn't help attract earth. STILL, if you're curious about shu brocade heritage through the eyes of the clever ji yingying, it's worth a watch. FIVE for ACTING two for plot.
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It's ok BUT....
The story is good and I learnt a lot about silk and brocade. The actors are good but the script is a bit boring and any attempt at humour just fell flat completely. The entire drama is kinda slow and monotonous, everyone speaking in the same tone and lacking in energyI had to abandon it half way,it was just a bit dull. With three directors you'd think they can do better. The FL has a lot of lines but she's again lacking in energy. I have seen her elsewhere and this is actually one of her better ones.
The ML is really good but the director didn't get the best out of him
It's a so-so drama.nothing to speak of,I just didn't to waste more time
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Beautiful story with beautiful main leads!
I am a long time fan of Tan Song Yun, through her I am glad I have discovered Zheng Ye Cheng now! They have a great chemistry, wonderful play and gorgeous costumes! I also liked the guy who played Prince Bai. Even though he played a psychopath I could not help feeling that he is a nice guy. Will watch more of his dramas. Overall, I've learnt a lot about the silk industry. The drama picked my curiously to learn even more about genuine silk in China.Was this review helpful to you?
No, surprise considering Tan Songyun is the FL!The ML, first time for me watching him also he is a very good actor
The story line is really good .The waiting for the this custom drama,well worth it.
Also it really had me laughing, laughter is the best medicine .
This is my third time watching Song Tan Yan drama.The first time I saw Flight to you,as beautiful as you.
Seven is really a good actress haha I saw a wild horse 🐎
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The best drama of 2024
I haven't watched many episodes yet. I watch them whenever I find time and pay attention to every detail.Now, let's evaluate the roles:
Ji Ying Ying (Tan Song Yun) is an intelligent, family-oriented, businesswoman with a funny character. It's very impressive how she constantly fights for justice. Despite Hua Madam always causing trouble for her, Ji Ying Ying never gives up on her goal.
Yang Jing Lan (Zheng Ye Cheng) is a fighter with a humorous nature, fair, and a secret officer. I love this male character. He is both mysterious and a protective man. He always tries to protect Ji Ying Ying. I love the chemistry between the lead roles.
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Unique and wonderful!
"Brocade Odyssey" is a fantastic show that truly captivated me from start to finish. The leads were passionate, determined, and intelligent, especially when it came to problem-solving. The strong female lead was particularly impressive, showcasing inspiring and empowering characteristics.The storyline kept me engaged every single episode—there wasn't a dull moment throughout the entire series. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the relationship between the leads develop. Their slow-burn love story was incredibly satisfying, thanks to their undeniable chemistry.
The ending was well-executed and left me feeling content rather than bitter, which is always a plus in my book. Overall, "Brocade Odyssey" is a must-watch for anyone who appreciates strong characters, compelling storylines, and a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended!
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Una verdadera Odisea del Brocado
ESPECTACULAR. La historia, los personajes, el brocado y toda la trama.Fue tan satisfactorio ver este drama de principio a fin, día a día esperando por un nuevo capítulo, nunca se me ocurrió dejar de ver el drama, nunca me aburrió. Los personajes principales estuvieron espectaculares, tanto Yingying como Jinglan fueron personajes muy bien desarrollados y el romance fue siemplemente un placer de ver y hasta de sentir, especctaculares actores ambos.
La protagonista femenina siemplemente espectacular, en el punto todo, ni tan romántica ni tan fría, aunque sumamente inteligente y astuta nunca restó al romance, fue dura cuando tuvo que serlo, fue frágil cuando tuvo que serlo y fue muy real e inspirador el personaje interpretado y logrado por Tan Song Yun.
Los antagonistas fueron perfectos, sentí mucho por Zhao Er porque era un gran personaje, de igual manera al final le hizo honor a esa caballerosidad que tanto lo descaba. Lo mismo para Bai Shen, siempre tuve la corazonada de que al final iba a hacer algo importante y no me defraudó.
RECOMENDADÍSIMA, VAYAN A VERLO. Quedé enamorada con Yang Jinglan :c siempre me pasa lo mismo cada que termino una historia.
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