2
This review may contain spoilers
Take me back to 6 March 2026, 6 p.m., when this beautiful dream beneath the rain pavilion began
What I would give to hear the words “我杀猪养你啊🔪🐷” for the first time again. 逐玉 made my March so delightful, and I want to thank its incredible cast for keeping me hooked from start to finish🥹
To preface, I tend to separate my enjoyment of a drama from my analysis of it. I gave Zhu Yu an overall 10/10 purely for my own list and reference (despite not giving any individual category a 10), because for me, it was a 10/10 experience🥲. Realistically, I would rate it around an 8.5 from a more critical standpoint, as I did have some issues with it. If you’d like to hear more, please read on💖
💗Stylistic Choices💗
As someone who is a sucker for cultural symbolism and loves looking for tiny details that add to the story, director Zeng Qing Jie hits all the right notes for me😭There are many things I LOVED about Zhu Yu, but here are some of my favourites:
💗Shadow Puppet Show
True to his signature style, ZQJ opens the first episode with a puppet show, just like his other hit, Blossom (2024). I appreciated that he uses the Qin Qiang Opera style, which not only enriches the cultural texture of the drama, but also deepens our immersion in its world. If you pay attention to the post-credits scene of the 1st episode, there is a poem recited during the shadow puppet show. It foreshadows and outlines the story, and is originally written by ZQJ and the production team. I did a very rough translation (poems are hard😢):
隆冬朔野玉尘飞，与君初遇雪地危。
天降姻缘两情许，杀猪为汝誓不摧。
暗潮翻涌金戈震，生死契阔心相随。
戎装换却庖刀影，巾帼辉戈向云麾。
“In midwinter, jade-white snow swirls across the wilderness; our first meeting was a chance encounter amid that perilous snowfield.
Heaven brought us together, and our hearts chose one another; I slaughtered pigs for you, and my vow shall not break.
As hidden currents surge and the clash of arms resounds, through life and death, our hearts remain bound.
I laid down my butcher’s knife and took up armour; now, as a woman of valour, I raise my spear toward the clouds.”
A super poetic and classy opening to Zhu Yu, imho🤩
💗Visual Storytelling
But of course, we cannot mention Zhu Yu without talking about its cinematography!!! The colour grading, the clever use of lighting with candlelight and shadows✨, the super satisfying framing and composition, and the brilliant use of unique shots (e.g. POV angles), everything is so thoughtfully done.
Visual symbolism is used so effectively, examples include the Yin-Yang motif, recurring imagery like the hair ribbon💙, as well as visual parallels and callback shots that mirror earlier scenes… I can go on and on about the visuals, everything about it is just so well done 😭✨
❣️Story❣️
This is the part where I wished it could’ve been better, and I knocked off 2 points for pacing and the butchering of plot points (lenient, I know, but I couldn't help it :") ). The story itself isn’t particularly anything new, it’s fairly straightforward and everything unfolds quite logically, though I did watch and rewatch it without subtitles and had read the novel many times beforehand, so that likely helped. But there were changes here and there that made me go ??? at times, especially in the middle arc, and I will blame that on the screenwriter🙄
When it comes to the story’s pacing, I will readily agree that Zhu Yu pales in terms of plot progression compared to other good dramas that I’ve watched before. There definitely are parts that were too rushed, some unnecessary filler, and some important parts were cut out. It started off super strong and promising, but as it progressed, its flaws slowly emerged and became too apparent to ignore completely (blaming the screenwriter and anyone who made editing decisions, ugh!!).
Now, the first 19 episodes were an absolute chef’s kiss. I really loved the slower pace, which helped build the rapport between Chang Yu, Yan Zheng, and their relationships with the villagers. It made me not just feel for them, but feel like I was actually part of the homely village of Xi Gu Alley. Which is probably why I ugly cried when the massacre happened, and even now, I can’t bring myself to fully watch that episode, even though I’ve watched the others countless times😭
The 2nd arc felt excruciating at times, and combined with the painful airing schedule🥲, the relief brought about by the revelation of the secret was liberating, to say the least. Compared to the masterful build-up in the first arc to the massacre (a hard one to match, definitely), this build-up felt less complete and was repetitive, and there were instances where the editing was weird and changes made from the novel felt off.
The final palace politics arc is very fast-paced, too fast for the amount of content it wanted to mash together in less than 10 episodes. It didn’t help that audiences have already long forgotten about the palace politics, with how little of it was shown in earlier episodes. Hence, the sudden bombarding of so much information may cause significant confusion for many. But also, this is where I loved the interactions between our main leads, as after such a long journey, they are finally on equal ground, and are able to support each other truly and fully❣️
❤️Characters and Acting❤️
Casting for Zhu Yu was spot-on, the best I’ve seen from C-dramas in recent years. Every character felt well-rounded and vivid, even minor ones, and I daresay that there wasn't one character which I felt was totally useless to the overall story (though some were really annoying!)
But if I went into detail for everyone it will be a very very long essay🤣, so I will just focus on our two leads.
❤️Chang Yu
There have been many C-Dramas with a "female general" tag released in recent years, and most of them have not met the mark for me. But Fan Chang Yu, the woman that you are!!😭 Our FL starts off as a simple, straightforward, kind but somewhat ditzy girl, forced to become head of the household due to the tragic death of her parents. The story begins when, out of kindness, she saves a man she doesn’t know and gradually falls in love with him.
As we follow her on her journey, we come to understand her better: she's extremely protective of her loved ones, she's a badass that can hold her own in fights, she's very understanding and forgiving, and she has the bravery to match her sense of justice, which allowed her to attain the growth that she achieved by the end.
Undeniably, Tian Xi Wei absolutely shines in her role as Chang Yu. I am a Tian Xi Wei stan, and I feel that Xiao Tian really made the most of her role in this drama, and successfully brought Chang Yu to life😭 She's so beautiful here and the styling suits her SO WELL. But not just that, she is able to pull audiences in and we are able to immerse in the emotions Chang Yu feels in each scene. Whether it’s her crying scenes, fight scenes, cold expressions, or her soft and adorable moments, she nails every single one and switches between them so effortlessly!
My favourite scene of hers has to be her grieving for the lost villagers in ep.19, it really did feel like Chang Yu was going to fall apart into pieces at any second, especially that line “And my Ning Niang😭”, it made me bawl😭 Her previous roles never really gave her this much room to shine, so I'm really happy that Zhu Yu has let people see her real capabilities as an actress🤩
❤️Xie Zheng
As for our ML, he is a proud and accomplished Marquis cum commandant of the Xie Army, who narrowly escapes death and is saved by our FL. He marries into the Fan family under the pseudonym Yan Zheng, both out of gratitude and out of necessity to hide his identity to regain strength and eventually return to his position.
While our FL’s growth was more external, I really appreciated that the focus of Xie Zheng’s growth was internal. From the start, he was already at the top of the food chain in the political and military scene, but he didn’t have a true family, he didn't have people who would go to great lengths to protect him, it had always been him protecting others. So what he needed wasn’t more fight scenes, it was a chance to show vulnerability and his flaws in front of someone, which he is able to do with Chang Yu🥰
Zhang Ling He’s performance here is a breakthrough for him. As an actor that possesses striking features, people may tend to focus on his visuals, and overlook his ability to portray miniscule emotions very well in this drama. Many times, I felt my emotions rising and falling in sync with his.
My favourite scene of his has to be when he showcased fear for the first time when he saved Chang Yu in ep.19. I felt that ZLH really captured Xie Zheng’s panic, fear and regret, evident in little details, like how he didn’t even notice the blind granny come in and was shocked to see her, and how he used such a desperate and clumsy method of warming her face with his hands, a huge contrast to his usual confident self.
❤️ZhengYu
Truly, they are one of the most complementary drama couples I’ve seen in a long time. This couple was promoted as a “power duo”, and it is really hard to accomplish that, with most dramas falling back to the typical trope of the FL relying more on the ML. But for ZhengYu, I never felt that either one of them was overpowering or overly reliant on the other.
Throughout the course of the story, both of the main leads achieved growth, just in different ways. Chang Yu needed guidance and a sense of security, and Xie Zheng was able to provide just that. Xie Zheng lacked a sense of belonging and love, which Chang Yu brought into his life. Like the Yin-Yang Symbol in THAT scene😌, they are interdependent and complementary opposites, and neither side can exist without the other🥺
💞Music💞
💞OSTs
The OST line-up for Zhu Yu is unbelievable, and the songs did not disappoint. I find myself singing the songs without looking up the lyrics, they just remain rent-free in my brain😂. But what I really loved and what gave me goosebumps was the Suo Na BGM that sounds during battles, in the intro, and towards the end of some episodes. A fantastic use of the loudest traditional instrument in China’s history of music🤩
💞The intro sequence
Believe it or not, I never once skipped the intro of Zhu Yu on my first watch of each episode. It is rare that this happens for me, because I usually just skip the intro songs. ZQJ makes it a point to place the intro song at different points in many episodes, some after 10+ minutes, which made it a jumpscare because I was tricked into thinking that I already finished the episode😂 The opening sequence is sectioned into 3 parts that mirror the progression of the story, and the visuals combined with the music reflect just that. Starting with the tranquillity of life in a small town (LOVED the subtle Guzheng here), it transitions to a tense atmosphere as war breaks out (Suo Na was so good!). The last section is goosebump-inducing, ending with a powerful, commanding feeling (such a crisp, bright sound from the Di Zi) that gives a sense of victory, and after that, a sense of peace and prosperity.
💓In short, if you’re looking for a light, easy watch with solid acting and breathtaking visuals, this drama may be for you.
However, is Zhu Yu the most interesting in terms of plot? Definitely not. Is it the most beautiful-looking drama? Many would argue against that. But what made me rate it a 10, despite my criticism of the story and its progression?
Well, Zhu Yu has this addictive charm that I could not fathom or explain even after completing it. I know this at least for me, because I'm someone who has never put in this much effort in watching a drama before. I’ve anticipated this since the day they announced it. I watch silently and don’t really watch shows the second they drop everyday, let alone rewatch episodes while the drama is still airing. I’ve NEVER written such a long review, unless it was for work/assignments😂. Even now, I cannot believe that I translated over 200+ posts, driven purely by my love for this enchanting piece🥲. (you can find my posts under Discussions!)
ZLH mentioned in an interview that if you watch Zhu Yu, you will experience “happy insomnia”, and he was right😂 I’m thankful to have been able to watch this while it aired, and I'm really grateful to everyone who I’ve had lovely interactions with in the comments hehe❤️
But unfortunately, as much as I’m reluctant to part with Zhu Yu, all good things have to come to an end.
And as Gongsun Yin says, 风雨廊亭 梦已醒。（The dream beneath the rain pavilion has ended）
Thank you for the great memories, Zhu Yu! 😭😭💖💖
P.S. There's still 4 days of normal airing, gotta finish translating🥺 But even so I'll probably be back very soon to rewatch again and again hahahaha
To preface, I tend to separate my enjoyment of a drama from my analysis of it. I gave Zhu Yu an overall 10/10 purely for my own list and reference (despite not giving any individual category a 10), because for me, it was a 10/10 experience🥲. Realistically, I would rate it around an 8.5 from a more critical standpoint, as I did have some issues with it. If you’d like to hear more, please read on💖
💗Stylistic Choices💗
As someone who is a sucker for cultural symbolism and loves looking for tiny details that add to the story, director Zeng Qing Jie hits all the right notes for me😭There are many things I LOVED about Zhu Yu, but here are some of my favourites:
💗Shadow Puppet Show
True to his signature style, ZQJ opens the first episode with a puppet show, just like his other hit, Blossom (2024). I appreciated that he uses the Qin Qiang Opera style, which not only enriches the cultural texture of the drama, but also deepens our immersion in its world. If you pay attention to the post-credits scene of the 1st episode, there is a poem recited during the shadow puppet show. It foreshadows and outlines the story, and is originally written by ZQJ and the production team. I did a very rough translation (poems are hard😢):
隆冬朔野玉尘飞，与君初遇雪地危。
天降姻缘两情许，杀猪为汝誓不摧。
暗潮翻涌金戈震，生死契阔心相随。
戎装换却庖刀影，巾帼辉戈向云麾。
“In midwinter, jade-white snow swirls across the wilderness; our first meeting was a chance encounter amid that perilous snowfield.
Heaven brought us together, and our hearts chose one another; I slaughtered pigs for you, and my vow shall not break.
As hidden currents surge and the clash of arms resounds, through life and death, our hearts remain bound.
I laid down my butcher’s knife and took up armour; now, as a woman of valour, I raise my spear toward the clouds.”
A super poetic and classy opening to Zhu Yu, imho🤩
💗Visual Storytelling
But of course, we cannot mention Zhu Yu without talking about its cinematography!!! The colour grading, the clever use of lighting with candlelight and shadows✨, the super satisfying framing and composition, and the brilliant use of unique shots (e.g. POV angles), everything is so thoughtfully done.
Visual symbolism is used so effectively, examples include the Yin-Yang motif, recurring imagery like the hair ribbon💙, as well as visual parallels and callback shots that mirror earlier scenes… I can go on and on about the visuals, everything about it is just so well done 😭✨
❣️Story❣️
This is the part where I wished it could’ve been better, and I knocked off 2 points for pacing and the butchering of plot points (lenient, I know, but I couldn't help it :") ). The story itself isn’t particularly anything new, it’s fairly straightforward and everything unfolds quite logically, though I did watch and rewatch it without subtitles and had read the novel many times beforehand, so that likely helped. But there were changes here and there that made me go ??? at times, especially in the middle arc, and I will blame that on the screenwriter🙄
When it comes to the story’s pacing, I will readily agree that Zhu Yu pales in terms of plot progression compared to other good dramas that I’ve watched before. There definitely are parts that were too rushed, some unnecessary filler, and some important parts were cut out. It started off super strong and promising, but as it progressed, its flaws slowly emerged and became too apparent to ignore completely (blaming the screenwriter and anyone who made editing decisions, ugh!!).
Now, the first 19 episodes were an absolute chef’s kiss. I really loved the slower pace, which helped build the rapport between Chang Yu, Yan Zheng, and their relationships with the villagers. It made me not just feel for them, but feel like I was actually part of the homely village of Xi Gu Alley. Which is probably why I ugly cried when the massacre happened, and even now, I can’t bring myself to fully watch that episode, even though I’ve watched the others countless times😭
The 2nd arc felt excruciating at times, and combined with the painful airing schedule🥲, the relief brought about by the revelation of the secret was liberating, to say the least. Compared to the masterful build-up in the first arc to the massacre (a hard one to match, definitely), this build-up felt less complete and was repetitive, and there were instances where the editing was weird and changes made from the novel felt off.
The final palace politics arc is very fast-paced, too fast for the amount of content it wanted to mash together in less than 10 episodes. It didn’t help that audiences have already long forgotten about the palace politics, with how little of it was shown in earlier episodes. Hence, the sudden bombarding of so much information may cause significant confusion for many. But also, this is where I loved the interactions between our main leads, as after such a long journey, they are finally on equal ground, and are able to support each other truly and fully❣️
❤️Characters and Acting❤️
Casting for Zhu Yu was spot-on, the best I’ve seen from C-dramas in recent years. Every character felt well-rounded and vivid, even minor ones, and I daresay that there wasn't one character which I felt was totally useless to the overall story (though some were really annoying!)
But if I went into detail for everyone it will be a very very long essay🤣, so I will just focus on our two leads.
❤️Chang Yu
There have been many C-Dramas with a "female general" tag released in recent years, and most of them have not met the mark for me. But Fan Chang Yu, the woman that you are!!😭 Our FL starts off as a simple, straightforward, kind but somewhat ditzy girl, forced to become head of the household due to the tragic death of her parents. The story begins when, out of kindness, she saves a man she doesn’t know and gradually falls in love with him.
As we follow her on her journey, we come to understand her better: she's extremely protective of her loved ones, she's a badass that can hold her own in fights, she's very understanding and forgiving, and she has the bravery to match her sense of justice, which allowed her to attain the growth that she achieved by the end.
Undeniably, Tian Xi Wei absolutely shines in her role as Chang Yu. I am a Tian Xi Wei stan, and I feel that Xiao Tian really made the most of her role in this drama, and successfully brought Chang Yu to life😭 She's so beautiful here and the styling suits her SO WELL. But not just that, she is able to pull audiences in and we are able to immerse in the emotions Chang Yu feels in each scene. Whether it’s her crying scenes, fight scenes, cold expressions, or her soft and adorable moments, she nails every single one and switches between them so effortlessly!
My favourite scene of hers has to be her grieving for the lost villagers in ep.19, it really did feel like Chang Yu was going to fall apart into pieces at any second, especially that line “And my Ning Niang😭”, it made me bawl😭 Her previous roles never really gave her this much room to shine, so I'm really happy that Zhu Yu has let people see her real capabilities as an actress🤩
❤️Xie Zheng
As for our ML, he is a proud and accomplished Marquis cum commandant of the Xie Army, who narrowly escapes death and is saved by our FL. He marries into the Fan family under the pseudonym Yan Zheng, both out of gratitude and out of necessity to hide his identity to regain strength and eventually return to his position.
While our FL’s growth was more external, I really appreciated that the focus of Xie Zheng’s growth was internal. From the start, he was already at the top of the food chain in the political and military scene, but he didn’t have a true family, he didn't have people who would go to great lengths to protect him, it had always been him protecting others. So what he needed wasn’t more fight scenes, it was a chance to show vulnerability and his flaws in front of someone, which he is able to do with Chang Yu🥰
Zhang Ling He’s performance here is a breakthrough for him. As an actor that possesses striking features, people may tend to focus on his visuals, and overlook his ability to portray miniscule emotions very well in this drama. Many times, I felt my emotions rising and falling in sync with his.
My favourite scene of his has to be when he showcased fear for the first time when he saved Chang Yu in ep.19. I felt that ZLH really captured Xie Zheng’s panic, fear and regret, evident in little details, like how he didn’t even notice the blind granny come in and was shocked to see her, and how he used such a desperate and clumsy method of warming her face with his hands, a huge contrast to his usual confident self.
❤️ZhengYu
Truly, they are one of the most complementary drama couples I’ve seen in a long time. This couple was promoted as a “power duo”, and it is really hard to accomplish that, with most dramas falling back to the typical trope of the FL relying more on the ML. But for ZhengYu, I never felt that either one of them was overpowering or overly reliant on the other.
Throughout the course of the story, both of the main leads achieved growth, just in different ways. Chang Yu needed guidance and a sense of security, and Xie Zheng was able to provide just that. Xie Zheng lacked a sense of belonging and love, which Chang Yu brought into his life. Like the Yin-Yang Symbol in THAT scene😌, they are interdependent and complementary opposites, and neither side can exist without the other🥺
💞Music💞
💞OSTs
The OST line-up for Zhu Yu is unbelievable, and the songs did not disappoint. I find myself singing the songs without looking up the lyrics, they just remain rent-free in my brain😂. But what I really loved and what gave me goosebumps was the Suo Na BGM that sounds during battles, in the intro, and towards the end of some episodes. A fantastic use of the loudest traditional instrument in China’s history of music🤩
💞The intro sequence
Believe it or not, I never once skipped the intro of Zhu Yu on my first watch of each episode. It is rare that this happens for me, because I usually just skip the intro songs. ZQJ makes it a point to place the intro song at different points in many episodes, some after 10+ minutes, which made it a jumpscare because I was tricked into thinking that I already finished the episode😂 The opening sequence is sectioned into 3 parts that mirror the progression of the story, and the visuals combined with the music reflect just that. Starting with the tranquillity of life in a small town (LOVED the subtle Guzheng here), it transitions to a tense atmosphere as war breaks out (Suo Na was so good!). The last section is goosebump-inducing, ending with a powerful, commanding feeling (such a crisp, bright sound from the Di Zi) that gives a sense of victory, and after that, a sense of peace and prosperity.
💓In short, if you’re looking for a light, easy watch with solid acting and breathtaking visuals, this drama may be for you.
However, is Zhu Yu the most interesting in terms of plot? Definitely not. Is it the most beautiful-looking drama? Many would argue against that. But what made me rate it a 10, despite my criticism of the story and its progression?
Well, Zhu Yu has this addictive charm that I could not fathom or explain even after completing it. I know this at least for me, because I'm someone who has never put in this much effort in watching a drama before. I’ve anticipated this since the day they announced it. I watch silently and don’t really watch shows the second they drop everyday, let alone rewatch episodes while the drama is still airing. I’ve NEVER written such a long review, unless it was for work/assignments😂. Even now, I cannot believe that I translated over 200+ posts, driven purely by my love for this enchanting piece🥲. (you can find my posts under Discussions!)
ZLH mentioned in an interview that if you watch Zhu Yu, you will experience “happy insomnia”, and he was right😂 I’m thankful to have been able to watch this while it aired, and I'm really grateful to everyone who I’ve had lovely interactions with in the comments hehe❤️
But unfortunately, as much as I’m reluctant to part with Zhu Yu, all good things have to come to an end.
And as Gongsun Yin says, 风雨廊亭 梦已醒。（The dream beneath the rain pavilion has ended）
Thank you for the great memories, Zhu Yu! 😭😭💖💖
P.S. There's still 4 days of normal airing, gotta finish translating🥺 But even so I'll probably be back very soon to rewatch again and again hahahaha
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