Now that this part i over, here are my thoughts. This drama is all over the place, it tries to do a little of everything, and it doesn't get anything right. Not the romance, not the business aspect, not the revenge and not the female empowerment thing. In the last 4 episodes, practically nothing substantial is happening, story-wise.
I understand how it was justified, but ending as a slave then a concubine, it is a stigma that doesn't sit well, and really doesn't fit with the female empowerment thing. Ppl where just blaming Shengyi for her low self-esteem, and this is not much different, especially the fact that Mudan is just fine with it, as long as she can run her shops. I didn't like it one bit.
There is not much focus on business either, except in the beginning, then the things are happening very fast. The romance doesn't exist, the ML's feelings are not returned.
The villains of the story are very generic, unnuanced, ridiculously overpowered and with very little depth. They also have practically no screen-time.
There is very little revenge involved. Some bad things happen to some of them as a result of 'bad karma', not because of the actions and plots of the main leads, and this in my book is not satisfying in the least. Bad karma is not revenge. I want revenge!
A Dream of Splendor does all these things better and in a satisfactory way. I'm only mentioning this because this is obviously a copy-cat, a re-script and it is fair to do so.
What is this about Shengyi not having a choice? She did have a lot of choices but she didn't take them. That was the whole point of her story arc. This excuse, it makes 'good drama', but it is not real.
And for further reference, everybody has choices, anytime, anywhere, always, even in these period dramas. What most characters lack is ambition and intelligence not choices.
This is Another Dream of Splendor, but it made some several good points on its own. The ruling / noble class manage to keep its power and status because they make alliances, while the common folk are divided. They should form their own alliances.
I specially enjoy these dramas, where the main characters break the norms and do their own thing. I mostly like dramas with female leads, since they have to start at the bottom of the food chain. I'm still searching to find a better drama in this strain than LLTG and a better anti-hero character than the female lead in that drama.
I'm still searching to find at least one drama that tells a tale from a maid / slave / servant perspective !
I understand how it was justified, but ending as a slave then a concubine, it is a stigma that doesn't sit well, and really doesn't fit with the female empowerment thing. Ppl where just blaming Shengyi for her low self-esteem, and this is not much different, especially the fact that Mudan is just fine with it, as long as she can run her shops. I didn't like it one bit.
There is not much focus on business either, except in the beginning, then the things are happening very fast. The romance doesn't exist, the ML's feelings are not returned.
The villains of the story are very generic, unnuanced, ridiculously overpowered and with very little depth. They also have practically no screen-time.
There is very little revenge involved. Some bad things happen to some of them as a result of 'bad karma', not because of the actions and plots of the main leads, and this in my book is not satisfying in the least. Bad karma is not revenge. I want revenge!
A Dream of Splendor does all these things better and in a satisfactory way. I'm only mentioning this because this is obviously a copy-cat, a re-script and it is fair to do so.
And for further reference, everybody has choices, anytime, anywhere, always, even in these period dramas. What most characters lack is ambition and intelligence not choices.
This is Another Dream of Splendor, but it made some several good points on its own. The ruling / noble class manage to keep its power and status because they make alliances, while the common folk are divided. They should form their own alliances.
I specially enjoy these dramas, where the main characters break the norms and do their own thing. I mostly like dramas with female leads, since they have to start at the bottom of the food chain. I'm still searching to find a better drama in this strain than LLTG and a better anti-hero character than the female lead in that drama.
I'm still searching to find at least one drama that tells a tale from a maid / slave / servant perspective !