ADWAD stands out from the crowd.
It is a remarkable, creative brilliance, albeit with a few rough edges.
I finished watching this drama not long after it ended, and my conclusion was that it was just about average. Not bad, but okay. And, for me, my initial conclusion was because it started well and later seemed convoluted along the way. Also, I initially found the Female Lead (Song Xiao Yu/Song Yi Meng) to be annoying and frustrating midway through the drama. But somehow, this first impression I had did not sit well with me. It felt like something was off with my impression of the drama, and particularly the FL.
I had initially written an incomplete review. Then I discovered that the drama polarized viewers, although it looked like those who liked it were the majority. So, I decided to rewatch the drama to understand what really went wrong with it. I wanted to figure out what I may have missed that also made me unimpressed, and if it really was as bad as some have said.
Well, here is my final review of the drama. I'll break the ice by saying I went from being unimpressed with ADWAD to LOVING it. I am glad I rewatched it. From the experience I had watching the drama again, I can confidently say that it has a solid rewatch value as the story grows on you and the narrative gets clearer. Many cdramas I have watched have been interesting, but most of them have the problem of plot fillers and holes in their mid-episodes, repetitive subplots, and sad endings, except for a few. For some, their endings, usually from about 5 episodes out, are simply bad because they were unnecessary and poorly written. So, while I liked the dramas, I do not look forward to rewatching them because I know I would have to skip the middle or the end.
But with ADWAD, I know whenever I rewatch the drama in the future, I will never have to worry about skipping any part of it because there are neither any weak links in the 40-episode plotline nor are there plot fillers, holes, or ridiculous repetitive subplots. Every episode made sense, was necessary, and all the episodes were all neatly tied together in a seamless flow with smooth continuity from one to another to make up a FULL story. The final arc of the story, the ending, was the best treat for me. The “enigma wrapped up in the riddle”. And thanks to the SATIRE, there are no dull moments and no slow pacing at any point that require you to tune out. With these, and particularly the substance of the drama, every time you rewatch ADWAD means you get to relive not only a fun but also a meaningful experience. Now, that is something to look forward to!
I’ll move on to details of the review. If you are going to read further, please bear in mind that this is my personal, unbiased opinion. So, do try to respect it.
To start off, this is how I think of ADWAD. It is a masterpiece with some chips around the edges of the frame. But when you see a masterpiece, do you focus on the painting or the tiny chips on the frame? I'd rather focus on the painting and ignore the chips.
ADWAD does have a few downsides, but many, many upsides. The drama is a classic lesson in having a great story and ensuring you tell it well. It is not a bad or good story, but a GREAT one. However, the narrative, that is how it was told, fell short a little, and this occurred only in a few scenes in some episodes. I believe this was what caused the confusion and mixed reactions from viewers. Then there was the gutsy subliminal messaging that probably put some others off.
Nevertheless, like the two perspectives of seeing a cup as either half full or half empty. This story/drama is beyond half full. It is like above three-quarters, with the missing bit being the few issues with the narrative. But, I would rather have ONE drama that has a purposeful and engaging story, a compelling plot, and a lot of positive and meaningful messaging, albeit with a few slips in the narrative. Than SEVERAL dramas that have fantastic narratives, but the story is lacklustre, the plot is weak and ridiculous at best, and the messaging lacks substance, meaning, or is downright negative.
So, what is ADWAD?
It is a mix of genres and tropes. It is mainly a SATIRE and METAFICTION. It has some major elements of romance and politics, a lot of parody of other cdramas (for good reason), and a bit of transmigration and fantasy, all in this order of importance, I believe.
Put simply, ADWAD is a brilliant, eclectic piece of work. Not entirely new, but unconventional and inventive, particularly in its take on a period piece and the transmigration element. However, what I love most about the drama is that it is intentionally purposeful. It has a lot of meaningful and bold messaging that comprise its thematic depth and complexity. The messaging also serves as the essence of the satire and metafiction. But, it seems many viewers missed this as a lot of focus has been on the romance of the Male and Female Leads and how it progressed, the wrongs the Male Lead suffered, as well as the few flaws in the narrative.
ADWAD addresses the subject matter of fate versus faith, mirroring the poem “Invictus” or the Chinese version, “Bùkě zhēngfú de línghún” or “Bùqū de”, in a bid to positively challenge a subtle, prevalent negative in the fictional works of many storytellers. It explores themes of free will, faith, trust, forgiveness, blind-to-dark revenge, thirst for power, the significance of people, and a few others. The idea of free will and the dangers it carries when it is all about self, and devoid of selflessness and a just purpose or cause, is also highlighted.
I say, bravo to the writers of ADWAD! Regardless of its few narrative flaws, I believe ADWAD IS a story, better yet, an allegory, that is needed in this present age of storytelling. Why? Because it holds a big-picture perspective by targeting a major problem in many fictional stories, especially in the cdrama industry. And particularly those about ancient times. There is too much focus on ill fates and tragic endings, not enough on hope and faith, and redemption is selective. Storytellers or writers play demigods over their characters and give them whatever fate they please, no matter how ridiculous or incredible it may be.
Some characters (often the leads) are just fated to succeed, while others are fated to fail. Nothing they can do about it. Some are fated to be good, and others are fated to be evil. Nothing they can do about it. Protagonists are fated to live, and villains are fated to die or vice versa. Or both protagonists and villains are fated to die along with beloved supporting characters. Or the protagonists and villains live, and only beloved supporting characters die, and so on. Nothing all can do about it. The indulgence in varied ways to give characters tragic ends is unimaginable.
And then, some characters are fated to be important, and others are fated to be insignificant nobodies. And still, again, nothing they can do about it; ehm...Passerby A and B, and maids of main characters. No matter what, you cannot escape the fate you are given. Hope, faith, and free will, albeit with a just purpose, are not open to EVERYONE. And redemption? It is also often not for all but a few lucky folks.
Now, what did ADWAD do?
This drama began with the critique of a fictional script and the roasting of the screenwriter. It continues with a constant reference to the absurdity of the script and the callous and merciless attitude of the almighty writer towards the characters. It climaxes with the writer going into the world of his ridiculous script, and we see how far he makes it to survive. It ends with even the almighty writer, too, needing mercy and redemption after all. Ultimately, he is no better or superior to the characters he created. All the characters, except one, end up with owning their free will, changing their ill fates, deciding their own path in life, and having faith for a bright future filled with love. Ehm, the love part was questionable, though, because some characters become nightmares for others!
However, ADWAD, unfortunately, also fell victim to a negative that it seemed to aim to address in its messaging, and this negative is “selective redemption”. (Chu Guihong should have been spared, and I explained this further on.). Still, the drama sends a strong satirical message, which I believe is to implore storytellers/writers to have more heart and be humane in their artistry, particularly in their desire to create dramatic effects to make their stories more engaging, compelling, and memorable. Also, to be more respectful of the characters they design and their lives, and hopefully rethink how they give these characters ill-fates and tragic ends. Otherwise, someday the unexpected may happen as one of their scripts may just develop a life of its own due to a higher power. And then they may find themselves in their own script world and end up not lasting very long in it. A fundamental problem, brilliantly satirized!
While ADWAD parodied other cdramas, The Prisoner of Beauty (TPOB) was undoubtedly at the centre of the parodies. I must say that I liked TPOB and most of its characters, particularly the complicated and principled Wei Shao. The drama was an enjoyable watch, and it has its own merits. But the writing was good until the last four episodes, which, to me, were totally nonsensical and unnecessary, especially with all the deaths that occurred. Also, I don’t know how it could make any sense for a story to ignore the main cause of a problem (Bianzhou), that is, the powers or family that instigated the problem. But it makes another family the primary target of the revenge, yet they had NOTHING to do with the original cause of the problem and were also at the receiving end of its effect. Then there were the plot holes and many repetitive subplots. (Please see the end of my review of TPOB). Nevertheless, at least in the end, TPOB spared its main protagonists, thank goodness. But it still killed some supporting characters, which was really annoying, as one of the deaths heavily projected the selective redemption problem.
As I stated in my review of another period cdrama, I can understand that some writers want their stories to reflect the realities of ancient times portrayed to convey the sincerity in keeping with the facts of those times. But it is imperative that this desire is balanced with positive messaging for the present time and generation, as well as those of the future. Especially in terms of the outcome of the main protagonists’ lives in the stories. Unless period dramas are meant to be nothing but lessons about history, filled with hopelessness and defeat for anyone who champions good causes. Because none of the main protagonists in the dramas live to see the results of their good works, as they always end up tragically or horribly killed in their time. About this subject, some other cdramas parodied in ADWAD come to mind, but I won’t mention them.
If all heroes and protagonists in ancient times had been killed, and horribly so, the world would have been an unlivable dystopia today. A lot of the successful and enduring systems we have today that continue to function to save and benefit many lives across the world were created by protagonists and their supporters who lived in their time and worked purposefully and determinedly to build these systems and protect them. More light should be shone on this truth. It should be promoted much more than clichéd stories about how the lead protagonists and their supporters in ancient times were horribly killed, written for the sake of dramatic effects and artistry. It is because hope, faith, and even love succeeded in the past that the present and future generations can and will hold on to the same principles and continue to strive to live together in peace. Regardless of how much these principles and our peaceful coexistence are challenged every day.
Next, I’ll address the intro of ADWAD.
At this point, let me apologize for spoiling the drama going forward. But, I believe the facts had to be stated IN DETAIL for the drama to receive an unbiased, POSITIVE review as well as rating it deserves, like the many others it already has.
Sincerely, while many viewers were hooked right from the start, or found the beginning episodes captivating, I didn't like the beginning. In fact, I wanted to walk away in episode 4 because I found the melodrama to be excessive even for a satire, and it just didn't quite nail it for me. Especially how the Female Lead (FL) kept snapping her head, dying, and coming back. It was just not believable and almost became annoying. However, the messaging in the drama immediately got my attention right from episode 1 when the FL made some references to the cdrama industry and its entertainment machinery. I knew more of this would come up later, so I kept watching and got past episode 4. But then, bam, midway into the episode, the humour took a turn for the best that I couldn’t stop laughing so hard and loud, and that was it. After rewatching ADWAD, everything (the satire, metafiction, transmigration, and all the thematic elements) now makes sense from episode 1, in terms of the WHY of the drama.
By the way, if you do not enjoy SATIRE and ALLEGORIES, or you do not understand what these mean, THEIR PURPOSE, then you will not understand this drama and will definitely not like it. But if satire and allegories are okay for you, then you will get this drama.
About the cast.
They were all a well-blended ensemble for satire. I have only seen two other works of Liu Yu Ning. His acting skills continue to improve as his emotional expressions have developed into becoming compelling. It is my first time seeing Li Yi Tong in a drama, and I think she did a wonderful job to pull off a convincing satirical act. She is a talented, bona fide actress, and not just some pretty face. No doubt, LYT and LYN have great chemistry for comedy and romance.
All the supporting actors gave a superb performance, and the screen time for everyone was balanced. As for the characters, the Female and Male Leads were well fleshed out, and so were many of the supporting characters, all brilliantly portrayed by their actors. Song Yude and the Emperor were interesting, complex supporting characters to watch, as well as Yao Qian, “the poet” and Chancellor Gao’s political pawn that backfired on him. As for the comedy, the prize for outstanding hilarious performance should be split between Fugui and the 18th Prince, Nan Rui.
The entire cast was so good together that I would love, love to see them again, perhaps in a modern-day romcom.
Production?
One of the best I’ve seen for a cdrama. The directing was remarkable, and the cinematography kept in step with it. The choreography for the fight scenes was very impressive. Especially the fights between the Male Lead (Nan Heng) and the Second Male Lead (Chu Guihong), which were displayed confidently without any cheating camera angles to hide or cut out some parts because the fights were a dodgy job. Per the background music and sounds, they were exact for a satire, incredibly hilarious, and perfectly suited for the multitude of contexts in which they were used in the drama. The top spot goes to the costumes and OSTs, though. The costumes were amazing and, so far, the best in the cdrama industry for me. I loved those of the ML and FL, which were absolutely exquisite. Then the OSTs? They were first-rate. All the artists did a brilliant job, but Hu Yanbin’s song, as well as Liu Yu Ning’s song for the opening montage, were my favourites.
Kudos to the entire production team of ADWAD for a fantastic job well done, and money well spent!
I further explored the main characters due to the negative comments about this drama and the FL. Check the discussion section.
I finished watching this drama not long after it ended, and my conclusion was that it was just about average. Not bad, but okay. And, for me, my initial conclusion was because it started well and later seemed convoluted along the way. Also, I initially found the Female Lead (Song Xiao Yu/Song Yi Meng) to be annoying and frustrating midway through the drama. But somehow, this first impression I had did not sit well with me. It felt like something was off with my impression of the drama, and particularly the FL.
I had initially written an incomplete review. Then I discovered that the drama polarized viewers, although it looked like those who liked it were the majority. So, I decided to rewatch the drama to understand what really went wrong with it. I wanted to figure out what I may have missed that also made me unimpressed, and if it really was as bad as some have said.
Well, here is my final review of the drama. I'll break the ice by saying I went from being unimpressed with ADWAD to LOVING it. I am glad I rewatched it. From the experience I had watching the drama again, I can confidently say that it has a solid rewatch value as the story grows on you and the narrative gets clearer. Many cdramas I have watched have been interesting, but most of them have the problem of plot fillers and holes in their mid-episodes, repetitive subplots, and sad endings, except for a few. For some, their endings, usually from about 5 episodes out, are simply bad because they were unnecessary and poorly written. So, while I liked the dramas, I do not look forward to rewatching them because I know I would have to skip the middle or the end.
But with ADWAD, I know whenever I rewatch the drama in the future, I will never have to worry about skipping any part of it because there are neither any weak links in the 40-episode plotline nor are there plot fillers, holes, or ridiculous repetitive subplots. Every episode made sense, was necessary, and all the episodes were all neatly tied together in a seamless flow with smooth continuity from one to another to make up a FULL story. The final arc of the story, the ending, was the best treat for me. The “enigma wrapped up in the riddle”. And thanks to the SATIRE, there are no dull moments and no slow pacing at any point that require you to tune out. With these, and particularly the substance of the drama, every time you rewatch ADWAD means you get to relive not only a fun but also a meaningful experience. Now, that is something to look forward to!
I’ll move on to details of the review. If you are going to read further, please bear in mind that this is my personal, unbiased opinion. So, do try to respect it.
To start off, this is how I think of ADWAD. It is a masterpiece with some chips around the edges of the frame. But when you see a masterpiece, do you focus on the painting or the tiny chips on the frame? I'd rather focus on the painting and ignore the chips.
ADWAD does have a few downsides, but many, many upsides. The drama is a classic lesson in having a great story and ensuring you tell it well. It is not a bad or good story, but a GREAT one. However, the narrative, that is how it was told, fell short a little, and this occurred only in a few scenes in some episodes. I believe this was what caused the confusion and mixed reactions from viewers. Then there was the gutsy subliminal messaging that probably put some others off.
Nevertheless, like the two perspectives of seeing a cup as either half full or half empty. This story/drama is beyond half full. It is like above three-quarters, with the missing bit being the few issues with the narrative. But, I would rather have ONE drama that has a purposeful and engaging story, a compelling plot, and a lot of positive and meaningful messaging, albeit with a few slips in the narrative. Than SEVERAL dramas that have fantastic narratives, but the story is lacklustre, the plot is weak and ridiculous at best, and the messaging lacks substance, meaning, or is downright negative.
So, what is ADWAD?
It is a mix of genres and tropes. It is mainly a SATIRE and METAFICTION. It has some major elements of romance and politics, a lot of parody of other cdramas (for good reason), and a bit of transmigration and fantasy, all in this order of importance, I believe.
Put simply, ADWAD is a brilliant, eclectic piece of work. Not entirely new, but unconventional and inventive, particularly in its take on a period piece and the transmigration element. However, what I love most about the drama is that it is intentionally purposeful. It has a lot of meaningful and bold messaging that comprise its thematic depth and complexity. The messaging also serves as the essence of the satire and metafiction. But, it seems many viewers missed this as a lot of focus has been on the romance of the Male and Female Leads and how it progressed, the wrongs the Male Lead suffered, as well as the few flaws in the narrative.
ADWAD addresses the subject matter of fate versus faith, mirroring the poem “Invictus” or the Chinese version, “Bùkě zhēngfú de línghún” or “Bùqū de”, in a bid to positively challenge a subtle, prevalent negative in the fictional works of many storytellers. It explores themes of free will, faith, trust, forgiveness, blind-to-dark revenge, thirst for power, the significance of people, and a few others. The idea of free will and the dangers it carries when it is all about self, and devoid of selflessness and a just purpose or cause, is also highlighted.
I say, bravo to the writers of ADWAD! Regardless of its few narrative flaws, I believe ADWAD IS a story, better yet, an allegory, that is needed in this present age of storytelling. Why? Because it holds a big-picture perspective by targeting a major problem in many fictional stories, especially in the cdrama industry. And particularly those about ancient times. There is too much focus on ill fates and tragic endings, not enough on hope and faith, and redemption is selective. Storytellers or writers play demigods over their characters and give them whatever fate they please, no matter how ridiculous or incredible it may be.
Some characters (often the leads) are just fated to succeed, while others are fated to fail. Nothing they can do about it. Some are fated to be good, and others are fated to be evil. Nothing they can do about it. Protagonists are fated to live, and villains are fated to die or vice versa. Or both protagonists and villains are fated to die along with beloved supporting characters. Or the protagonists and villains live, and only beloved supporting characters die, and so on. Nothing all can do about it. The indulgence in varied ways to give characters tragic ends is unimaginable.
And then, some characters are fated to be important, and others are fated to be insignificant nobodies. And still, again, nothing they can do about it; ehm...Passerby A and B, and maids of main characters. No matter what, you cannot escape the fate you are given. Hope, faith, and free will, albeit with a just purpose, are not open to EVERYONE. And redemption? It is also often not for all but a few lucky folks.
Now, what did ADWAD do?
This drama began with the critique of a fictional script and the roasting of the screenwriter. It continues with a constant reference to the absurdity of the script and the callous and merciless attitude of the almighty writer towards the characters. It climaxes with the writer going into the world of his ridiculous script, and we see how far he makes it to survive. It ends with even the almighty writer, too, needing mercy and redemption after all. Ultimately, he is no better or superior to the characters he created. All the characters, except one, end up with owning their free will, changing their ill fates, deciding their own path in life, and having faith for a bright future filled with love. Ehm, the love part was questionable, though, because some characters become nightmares for others!
However, ADWAD, unfortunately, also fell victim to a negative that it seemed to aim to address in its messaging, and this negative is “selective redemption”. (Chu Guihong should have been spared, and I explained this further on.). Still, the drama sends a strong satirical message, which I believe is to implore storytellers/writers to have more heart and be humane in their artistry, particularly in their desire to create dramatic effects to make their stories more engaging, compelling, and memorable. Also, to be more respectful of the characters they design and their lives, and hopefully rethink how they give these characters ill-fates and tragic ends. Otherwise, someday the unexpected may happen as one of their scripts may just develop a life of its own due to a higher power. And then they may find themselves in their own script world and end up not lasting very long in it. A fundamental problem, brilliantly satirized!
While ADWAD parodied other cdramas, The Prisoner of Beauty (TPOB) was undoubtedly at the centre of the parodies. I must say that I liked TPOB and most of its characters, particularly the complicated and principled Wei Shao. The drama was an enjoyable watch, and it has its own merits. But the writing was good until the last four episodes, which, to me, were totally nonsensical and unnecessary, especially with all the deaths that occurred. Also, I don’t know how it could make any sense for a story to ignore the main cause of a problem (Bianzhou), that is, the powers or family that instigated the problem. But it makes another family the primary target of the revenge, yet they had NOTHING to do with the original cause of the problem and were also at the receiving end of its effect. Then there were the plot holes and many repetitive subplots. (Please see the end of my review of TPOB). Nevertheless, at least in the end, TPOB spared its main protagonists, thank goodness. But it still killed some supporting characters, which was really annoying, as one of the deaths heavily projected the selective redemption problem.
As I stated in my review of another period cdrama, I can understand that some writers want their stories to reflect the realities of ancient times portrayed to convey the sincerity in keeping with the facts of those times. But it is imperative that this desire is balanced with positive messaging for the present time and generation, as well as those of the future. Especially in terms of the outcome of the main protagonists’ lives in the stories. Unless period dramas are meant to be nothing but lessons about history, filled with hopelessness and defeat for anyone who champions good causes. Because none of the main protagonists in the dramas live to see the results of their good works, as they always end up tragically or horribly killed in their time. About this subject, some other cdramas parodied in ADWAD come to mind, but I won’t mention them.
If all heroes and protagonists in ancient times had been killed, and horribly so, the world would have been an unlivable dystopia today. A lot of the successful and enduring systems we have today that continue to function to save and benefit many lives across the world were created by protagonists and their supporters who lived in their time and worked purposefully and determinedly to build these systems and protect them. More light should be shone on this truth. It should be promoted much more than clichéd stories about how the lead protagonists and their supporters in ancient times were horribly killed, written for the sake of dramatic effects and artistry. It is because hope, faith, and even love succeeded in the past that the present and future generations can and will hold on to the same principles and continue to strive to live together in peace. Regardless of how much these principles and our peaceful coexistence are challenged every day.
Next, I’ll address the intro of ADWAD.
At this point, let me apologize for spoiling the drama going forward. But, I believe the facts had to be stated IN DETAIL for the drama to receive an unbiased, POSITIVE review as well as rating it deserves, like the many others it already has.
Sincerely, while many viewers were hooked right from the start, or found the beginning episodes captivating, I didn't like the beginning. In fact, I wanted to walk away in episode 4 because I found the melodrama to be excessive even for a satire, and it just didn't quite nail it for me. Especially how the Female Lead (FL) kept snapping her head, dying, and coming back. It was just not believable and almost became annoying. However, the messaging in the drama immediately got my attention right from episode 1 when the FL made some references to the cdrama industry and its entertainment machinery. I knew more of this would come up later, so I kept watching and got past episode 4. But then, bam, midway into the episode, the humour took a turn for the best that I couldn’t stop laughing so hard and loud, and that was it. After rewatching ADWAD, everything (the satire, metafiction, transmigration, and all the thematic elements) now makes sense from episode 1, in terms of the WHY of the drama.
By the way, if you do not enjoy SATIRE and ALLEGORIES, or you do not understand what these mean, THEIR PURPOSE, then you will not understand this drama and will definitely not like it. But if satire and allegories are okay for you, then you will get this drama.
About the cast.
They were all a well-blended ensemble for satire. I have only seen two other works of Liu Yu Ning. His acting skills continue to improve as his emotional expressions have developed into becoming compelling. It is my first time seeing Li Yi Tong in a drama, and I think she did a wonderful job to pull off a convincing satirical act. She is a talented, bona fide actress, and not just some pretty face. No doubt, LYT and LYN have great chemistry for comedy and romance.
All the supporting actors gave a superb performance, and the screen time for everyone was balanced. As for the characters, the Female and Male Leads were well fleshed out, and so were many of the supporting characters, all brilliantly portrayed by their actors. Song Yude and the Emperor were interesting, complex supporting characters to watch, as well as Yao Qian, “the poet” and Chancellor Gao’s political pawn that backfired on him. As for the comedy, the prize for outstanding hilarious performance should be split between Fugui and the 18th Prince, Nan Rui.
The entire cast was so good together that I would love, love to see them again, perhaps in a modern-day romcom.
Production?
One of the best I’ve seen for a cdrama. The directing was remarkable, and the cinematography kept in step with it. The choreography for the fight scenes was very impressive. Especially the fights between the Male Lead (Nan Heng) and the Second Male Lead (Chu Guihong), which were displayed confidently without any cheating camera angles to hide or cut out some parts because the fights were a dodgy job. Per the background music and sounds, they were exact for a satire, incredibly hilarious, and perfectly suited for the multitude of contexts in which they were used in the drama. The top spot goes to the costumes and OSTs, though. The costumes were amazing and, so far, the best in the cdrama industry for me. I loved those of the ML and FL, which were absolutely exquisite. Then the OSTs? They were first-rate. All the artists did a brilliant job, but Hu Yanbin’s song, as well as Liu Yu Ning’s song for the opening montage, were my favourites.
Kudos to the entire production team of ADWAD for a fantastic job well done, and money well spent!
I further explored the main characters due to the negative comments about this drama and the FL. Check the discussion section.
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