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Brace Yourself for A Messy Dining Table
Having been dormant for a period of time after "Ray of Light" ended, I immediately get back on track by eyeing "The Vanishing Beauty". Truth to be told, I've always loathed makjang chaebol soap opera dramas, and "The Vanishing Beauty" indeed falls into this category. However, for the sake of Chang Huasen and Cheng Hongxin, I still have to give it a go. Even if the story is a complete fiasco, I feel as if there were an obligation for me to pick up where I left off. Before I begin the review, please be aware of your increasing blood pressure because this drama is 'designed' to rage-bait you, not to mention the amount of screentime reserved for the cheating husband and wife.
The story delves into the life of a carefree but strongly independent second-generation heiress and video blogger Yu Meng. As the only daughter of the affluent Yu Family, Yu Meng has always gotten whatever she wants in a single swoop, even her parents allow her not to take charge of their cosmetics company, Jiali. Besides, she is also blessed with a wonderful and splendid marriage everyone yearns for. Her husband is none other than Di Liren, a supposedly ordinary salesman who happened to save her from a car accident. Since then, both of them have been reaching out to each other, eventually carving a path to the marriage. As their fifth-wedding anniversary is approaching, Yu Meng receives several pictures depicting Di Liren hooking up with another woman, which he adamantly denies. After the discovery, Yu Meng begins to feel suspicious of Di Liren and devises a plan to catch him red-handed. Di Liren has his own forces as well - his devoted and loyal wife Lu Hui, his business partner Han Guang, and his naive innocent son Harry/Fang Haoyu (so far, I'm not sure which side Harry stands for, but based on the poster, he's on Di Liren side). However, Yu Meng isn't alone as her band of friends are ready to help her unraveling the hidden conspiracy - her agent Liu Zi, Liu Zi's younger brother, the divorce lawyer Jiao Xu, Liu Zi's one-night-stand partner Kang Long, and Di Liren's 'third mistress' Wen Xiaoxiao. Together, they dismantle Di Liren's chess pieces one by one until the cat-and-mouse game reaches its pinnacle. The questions are, who will win this malignant game, and will Yu Meng be able to secure the company alongside the assets her father had fought for before?
As per my expectation, "The Vanishing Beauty" is a lavish show filled with a myriad of makjang soap operas and recycled cliche tropes, which you can find easily in a Wattpad novel. Firstly, the complicated relationship between Yu Meng, Di Liren, and Lu Hui has gotten the better of me and I'm always fast-forwarding their scenes. The amount of hinting and stalking and scheming in a rinse-and-repeat mode makes "The Vanishing Beauty" stuck on a limbo, prompting the viewers to feel exhausted and tedious despite the plot twists provided. Secondly, numerous glaring plot holes are plaguing the drama, not to mention most of the superficial details are ignored completely. The most awful plot hole I can think of is why Harry doesn't have any slightest idea of who Yu Meng is. If it hadn't been for his cafe owner friend who showed Yu Meng's Xiaohongshu profile to him, he wouldn't have discovered Yu Meng had been married to Di Liren for a long time. Yu Meng herself is a popular vlogger in China with over 20 million followers. I was like," Can you check on her social media or online profile before you make a declamation about your crush to her?". In addition, Di Liren and Lu Hui are always two steps ahead from Yu Meng (like they seem to be able to guess whatever she thinks about). It's giving me omniscient-prophet-like vibes, which reminds me of "Snow Eagle Lord" and "Omniscient Reader". Furthermore, if Lu Hui had posed as a threat for Yu Meng, she should've kicked her out of the mansion or sacked her to avoid any complication. Instead, not only does she not sack her, but she also lets Lu Hui enter her house and become her housekeeper. Oh my gosh? Why are you letting a predator into your nest? Aren't you afraid that she may try to harm you again? Thirdly, a lot of characters are behaving dumbly, especially the board of directors in Jiali, with Mr. Tian on top of the list. No matter how many times Yu Meng tries to convince Mr. Tian to side her, he is immune to her persuasion and takes Di Liren's side instead (don't know how Di Liren charms his way to Mr. Tian). The whole corporate business talk is boring the hell out of me, so I use fast-forward button on that part too. Liu Zi is kind of frustrating too, because she's too obstinate to listen to Kang Long's explanation regarding his ten-year-old pet dog, which she deduces as a ten-year-old kid. Hence, a misunderstanding crack on their relationship again just when they are about to make up. If she had just listened to him and let him speak for himself, things wouldn't have gone haywire. Yu Meng's mom and her obsession of spiritual belief is driving me nuts as well. Who the hell still believe those obsolete superstition in these modern days? Lastly, Yu Meng and Jiao Xu's interaction are always in a stalemate, never getting a proper development they deserve. Aside from scheming and brainstorming together, they're just 'friends' when they could've been more than that.
The phenomenal acting from the entire cast makes the drama watchable as we can feel the emotional impact displayed through their actions and facial expressions. Li Yitong is exceptional in her role as the independent vlogger Yu Meng - you can sense her turbulence of emotions in one fell swoop. Imagine her perfect marriage crumbles and gives way to a scumbag jerkish man who wants to steal her family's company and assets. At first, she nearly succumbs to her despair until she pulls herself out of the brink and makes way to throw her 'trophy husband' out of the company. Not many women can overcome this experience, and Yu Meng is one-of-a-kind in this context. Meanwhile, Qiao Zhenyu also shines as the nasty scoundrel of trophy husband Di Liren aka Fang Yong. From the transition of a dutiful omnipotent husband to a manipulative psychopath, Qiao Zhenyu truly embodies Di Liren's character seamlessly, as if it were made for him. FYI, I'm very surprised to see him portraying this kind of role - he's much for fitted for the humorous Uncle Zhe in "Tales of Dark River". Ester Wang, who plays the cunning housekeeper Lu Hui, performs flawlessly as well as her character tethers between the good and bad side. Nevertheless, you need to understand why she does this - she is unknowingly manipulated by Di Liren and compelled to help him no matter how treacherous the actions are. When Yu Meng and Harry knock some sense into her head, she finally rediscovers herself and joins Yu Meng in dismantling Di Liren's web of lies. Special mention for Chang Huasen, who plays the shrewd and charming lawyer joining in Yu Meng's band-of-criminals. He literally needs for modern roles and I feel that his portrayal of Jiao Xu is quite decent. Second special mention for Cheng Hongxin as the gullible son of Di Liren and Lu Hui. Thanks to his boyish charm, Cheng Hongxin is able to fit into Harry's role flawlessly and displays the conflicting emotions during the confrontation with his parents. I'm also hoping to see more of Cheng Hongxin in the future. For the second couple, Zeng Mengxue and Zhou Dawei as the one-night-stand couple Liu Zi and Kang Long is so-so to me, but their misunderstanding about the dog is too far-fetched when it can be solved under 5 minutes if Liu Zi asks properly instead of pouting and throwing tantrums.
The OSTs, to be honest, are underutilized and only played during some emotional peaks. The most played are Wang Jingwen, Li Yitong, and Qiao Xi's tracks. Meanwhile, Jane Zhang's are sidelined as the opening theme. I have no idea of the closing theme as I am prone to skip the said part. However, my favorite is Vava's track, "Butterfly". It uses the metaphor of butterfly to depict that we can enjoy our lives to the fullest without having to committed to someone or something shackling our freedom. The track mainly emphasizes freedom and women empowerment, showcasing that women are no inferior to men.
As we reach the rewatch part, I'm not sure if I'm to rewatch again. Given my tight schedule, every drama has become a one-time-watch for me. But I highly recommend "The Vanishing Beauty" for those who love corporate soap operas, scumbags, cheating, wealthy chaebol family's antics, premeditated plot twists, and top of that, rage-baiting. This drama is going to drive you nuts and make your blood boil over the characters' actions, believe me. Despite my yapping above, I must give this drama a ten out of ten, 'cause it's that wonderful. Okay, I guess that's all I can say. To cap it off, good luck and happy watching!!!
P.S.
Di Liren was a handsome dude in his 20s, no wonder Lu Hui fell for him, and his son took after his charming physical features. But Harry is awfully dumb when it comes to his broken family LMAO.
The story delves into the life of a carefree but strongly independent second-generation heiress and video blogger Yu Meng. As the only daughter of the affluent Yu Family, Yu Meng has always gotten whatever she wants in a single swoop, even her parents allow her not to take charge of their cosmetics company, Jiali. Besides, she is also blessed with a wonderful and splendid marriage everyone yearns for. Her husband is none other than Di Liren, a supposedly ordinary salesman who happened to save her from a car accident. Since then, both of them have been reaching out to each other, eventually carving a path to the marriage. As their fifth-wedding anniversary is approaching, Yu Meng receives several pictures depicting Di Liren hooking up with another woman, which he adamantly denies. After the discovery, Yu Meng begins to feel suspicious of Di Liren and devises a plan to catch him red-handed. Di Liren has his own forces as well - his devoted and loyal wife Lu Hui, his business partner Han Guang, and his naive innocent son Harry/Fang Haoyu (so far, I'm not sure which side Harry stands for, but based on the poster, he's on Di Liren side). However, Yu Meng isn't alone as her band of friends are ready to help her unraveling the hidden conspiracy - her agent Liu Zi, Liu Zi's younger brother, the divorce lawyer Jiao Xu, Liu Zi's one-night-stand partner Kang Long, and Di Liren's 'third mistress' Wen Xiaoxiao. Together, they dismantle Di Liren's chess pieces one by one until the cat-and-mouse game reaches its pinnacle. The questions are, who will win this malignant game, and will Yu Meng be able to secure the company alongside the assets her father had fought for before?
As per my expectation, "The Vanishing Beauty" is a lavish show filled with a myriad of makjang soap operas and recycled cliche tropes, which you can find easily in a Wattpad novel. Firstly, the complicated relationship between Yu Meng, Di Liren, and Lu Hui has gotten the better of me and I'm always fast-forwarding their scenes. The amount of hinting and stalking and scheming in a rinse-and-repeat mode makes "The Vanishing Beauty" stuck on a limbo, prompting the viewers to feel exhausted and tedious despite the plot twists provided. Secondly, numerous glaring plot holes are plaguing the drama, not to mention most of the superficial details are ignored completely. The most awful plot hole I can think of is why Harry doesn't have any slightest idea of who Yu Meng is. If it hadn't been for his cafe owner friend who showed Yu Meng's Xiaohongshu profile to him, he wouldn't have discovered Yu Meng had been married to Di Liren for a long time. Yu Meng herself is a popular vlogger in China with over 20 million followers. I was like," Can you check on her social media or online profile before you make a declamation about your crush to her?". In addition, Di Liren and Lu Hui are always two steps ahead from Yu Meng (like they seem to be able to guess whatever she thinks about). It's giving me omniscient-prophet-like vibes, which reminds me of "Snow Eagle Lord" and "Omniscient Reader". Furthermore, if Lu Hui had posed as a threat for Yu Meng, she should've kicked her out of the mansion or sacked her to avoid any complication. Instead, not only does she not sack her, but she also lets Lu Hui enter her house and become her housekeeper. Oh my gosh? Why are you letting a predator into your nest? Aren't you afraid that she may try to harm you again? Thirdly, a lot of characters are behaving dumbly, especially the board of directors in Jiali, with Mr. Tian on top of the list. No matter how many times Yu Meng tries to convince Mr. Tian to side her, he is immune to her persuasion and takes Di Liren's side instead (don't know how Di Liren charms his way to Mr. Tian). The whole corporate business talk is boring the hell out of me, so I use fast-forward button on that part too. Liu Zi is kind of frustrating too, because she's too obstinate to listen to Kang Long's explanation regarding his ten-year-old pet dog, which she deduces as a ten-year-old kid. Hence, a misunderstanding crack on their relationship again just when they are about to make up. If she had just listened to him and let him speak for himself, things wouldn't have gone haywire. Yu Meng's mom and her obsession of spiritual belief is driving me nuts as well. Who the hell still believe those obsolete superstition in these modern days? Lastly, Yu Meng and Jiao Xu's interaction are always in a stalemate, never getting a proper development they deserve. Aside from scheming and brainstorming together, they're just 'friends' when they could've been more than that.
The phenomenal acting from the entire cast makes the drama watchable as we can feel the emotional impact displayed through their actions and facial expressions. Li Yitong is exceptional in her role as the independent vlogger Yu Meng - you can sense her turbulence of emotions in one fell swoop. Imagine her perfect marriage crumbles and gives way to a scumbag jerkish man who wants to steal her family's company and assets. At first, she nearly succumbs to her despair until she pulls herself out of the brink and makes way to throw her 'trophy husband' out of the company. Not many women can overcome this experience, and Yu Meng is one-of-a-kind in this context. Meanwhile, Qiao Zhenyu also shines as the nasty scoundrel of trophy husband Di Liren aka Fang Yong. From the transition of a dutiful omnipotent husband to a manipulative psychopath, Qiao Zhenyu truly embodies Di Liren's character seamlessly, as if it were made for him. FYI, I'm very surprised to see him portraying this kind of role - he's much for fitted for the humorous Uncle Zhe in "Tales of Dark River". Ester Wang, who plays the cunning housekeeper Lu Hui, performs flawlessly as well as her character tethers between the good and bad side. Nevertheless, you need to understand why she does this - she is unknowingly manipulated by Di Liren and compelled to help him no matter how treacherous the actions are. When Yu Meng and Harry knock some sense into her head, she finally rediscovers herself and joins Yu Meng in dismantling Di Liren's web of lies. Special mention for Chang Huasen, who plays the shrewd and charming lawyer joining in Yu Meng's band-of-criminals. He literally needs for modern roles and I feel that his portrayal of Jiao Xu is quite decent. Second special mention for Cheng Hongxin as the gullible son of Di Liren and Lu Hui. Thanks to his boyish charm, Cheng Hongxin is able to fit into Harry's role flawlessly and displays the conflicting emotions during the confrontation with his parents. I'm also hoping to see more of Cheng Hongxin in the future. For the second couple, Zeng Mengxue and Zhou Dawei as the one-night-stand couple Liu Zi and Kang Long is so-so to me, but their misunderstanding about the dog is too far-fetched when it can be solved under 5 minutes if Liu Zi asks properly instead of pouting and throwing tantrums.
The OSTs, to be honest, are underutilized and only played during some emotional peaks. The most played are Wang Jingwen, Li Yitong, and Qiao Xi's tracks. Meanwhile, Jane Zhang's are sidelined as the opening theme. I have no idea of the closing theme as I am prone to skip the said part. However, my favorite is Vava's track, "Butterfly". It uses the metaphor of butterfly to depict that we can enjoy our lives to the fullest without having to committed to someone or something shackling our freedom. The track mainly emphasizes freedom and women empowerment, showcasing that women are no inferior to men.
As we reach the rewatch part, I'm not sure if I'm to rewatch again. Given my tight schedule, every drama has become a one-time-watch for me. But I highly recommend "The Vanishing Beauty" for those who love corporate soap operas, scumbags, cheating, wealthy chaebol family's antics, premeditated plot twists, and top of that, rage-baiting. This drama is going to drive you nuts and make your blood boil over the characters' actions, believe me. Despite my yapping above, I must give this drama a ten out of ten, 'cause it's that wonderful. Okay, I guess that's all I can say. To cap it off, good luck and happy watching!!!
P.S.
Di Liren was a handsome dude in his 20s, no wonder Lu Hui fell for him, and his son took after his charming physical features. But Harry is awfully dumb when it comes to his broken family LMAO.
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