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Upside down gender dynamics; FL always a scheme ahead
My favorite part of this show might be all the girl power, baked right into the setup. The matriarchal Rong family, powerful enough to hold its own in a patriarchal society, may not be quite historically believable... but it still provides the perfect context to reverse all the traditional gender dynamics! I found it so satisfying to watch, even when these women are unfair or wrong. It’s just so casually a reality in their world, that the women- whether they are protecting the men, using them, or trampling over them- are in control.
I think the writer(s) must really like women. The female characters are generally interesting and multifaceted, as are their relationships. There are some typical power struggles and rivalries within the family, but refreshingly, not a whiff of love rivalry. These women are concerned with bigger things.
At the helm is the female lead, Rong Shanbao, who is so completely badass- confident, in control, outsmarting everyone. I did not find her relatable or, to be honest, even that likable. She lacks a certain humanity and genuineness. However, she always acts on the side of “right”, and it’s pretty satisfying to watch her run circles around everyone else.
The male lead, Lu Jianglai, is decently capable, just not quite to her level. I like the way their relationship develops, which allows them to stay in each other’s orbit without turning into a sappy couple. The care and attraction are there, but their interests are not always aligned; this creates some interesting situations and dynamics.
That said, at some point Lu Jianglai goes full sap for her while she stays an ice queen. I get that she is the clever and powerful one, but she doesn’t seem to respect him very much. At least he has the decency to be upset about it at some point, but then he is mollified by... a kiss on the cheek. Right. Like so many other men in this show, he didn't totally have my respect, either.
A special shoutout to the grandma. Her sometimes-misguided authoritarian character is usually reserved for men, here it is fittingly the matriarch. I thought it’s interesting that she enforces “traditional” hierarchies even in a convention-defying family; it reminds us that the Rong family is not “modern” per se, but still a product of its times.
The plot is generally decently paced, though the reverse harem at the beginning gets a bit draggy. Other than that, I was happily binging this show, which involves taking down evil schemers and that sort of thing. Some of the side stories are also quite nice, like the second sister’s, but that one ends up suffering from lack of attention and resolution.
There is a little bit of humor sprinkled through the beginning to middle, but only on a small scale. It’s not quite a funny or lighthearted show, but I found it generally low-stress, mainly because things tend to work out and it’s pretty clear who to like and who to hate. Sympathetic antagonists are largely redeemed; those who aren’t, are revealed to be less sympathetic. Now, I wouldn’t necessarily call this realistic or masterful storytelling, but I was surprisingly relieved that this show takes it easy on my emotions.
My main complaint, I don’t know how to say without spoiling all the “plot twists”... but basically, there are just too many of them.
“BUT WAIT! It was part of her plan all along!” - happens over and over again. I may have been impressed the first one or two times, but after awhile it just feels tired and excessive.
The show doesn’t bring us along with the FL’s plans, it’s all revealed afterwards (plot twist style). Some of them don’t even make that much sense- how could she have predicted all those things with such precision?- but they are revealed in such retrospect that I couldn’t keep track. Of course it’s satisfying to watch the FL outsmart everyone, but it does make her feel even more cold, distant, and unrelatable.
The last arc breaks from this formula. The FL barely seems relevant; in fact, the entire thing seems to be more about other people than about our leads. It’s not my favorite arc, but it’s better than, I would say, the majority of Cdramas, which often fall apart towards the end. At least I stayed interested.
The acting is ok. Gulnezer plays her calm, composed Rong Shanbao well, but I don’t know if there was anything she could have done to make us like her more. Neo is also fine, though I thought his voice (his own) was strangely wispy and weak, and had a lisp. I honestly don’t think they look that good together- Neo just looks so young and delicate next to her, which I suppose matches their dynamic- but that’s not their fault. I thought some of the sisters overacted (the ones who were supposed to be catty), but the grandma did a fantastic job.
The costumes and such are ok. The settings are pretty nice, the tea plantations are pretty. The background music is good at setting the mood, like lighthearted vs intrigue. The songs didn’t stand out for me. The occasional fighting looks very sped up.
Overall this is a fun watch and I loved seeing women kicking ass and dominating. The story and characters are not without flaws, but it kept me interested and hooked. Solid 8.
ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS
This a fairly happy ending. For a minute it looks like things won’t work out, but it all shakes out last minute, with a path visible for them to stay together.
That said, I wouldn’t consider this a particularly satisfying ending. The immediate situation is resolved but there is no view of what the future would actually look like. I did hear hints of a sequel and I think this is a good setup for one, since it’s somewhat open.
I think the writer(s) must really like women. The female characters are generally interesting and multifaceted, as are their relationships. There are some typical power struggles and rivalries within the family, but refreshingly, not a whiff of love rivalry. These women are concerned with bigger things.
At the helm is the female lead, Rong Shanbao, who is so completely badass- confident, in control, outsmarting everyone. I did not find her relatable or, to be honest, even that likable. She lacks a certain humanity and genuineness. However, she always acts on the side of “right”, and it’s pretty satisfying to watch her run circles around everyone else.
The male lead, Lu Jianglai, is decently capable, just not quite to her level. I like the way their relationship develops, which allows them to stay in each other’s orbit without turning into a sappy couple. The care and attraction are there, but their interests are not always aligned; this creates some interesting situations and dynamics.
That said, at some point Lu Jianglai goes full sap for her while she stays an ice queen. I get that she is the clever and powerful one, but she doesn’t seem to respect him very much. At least he has the decency to be upset about it at some point, but then he is mollified by... a kiss on the cheek. Right. Like so many other men in this show, he didn't totally have my respect, either.
A special shoutout to the grandma. Her sometimes-misguided authoritarian character is usually reserved for men, here it is fittingly the matriarch. I thought it’s interesting that she enforces “traditional” hierarchies even in a convention-defying family; it reminds us that the Rong family is not “modern” per se, but still a product of its times.
The plot is generally decently paced, though the reverse harem at the beginning gets a bit draggy. Other than that, I was happily binging this show, which involves taking down evil schemers and that sort of thing. Some of the side stories are also quite nice, like the second sister’s, but that one ends up suffering from lack of attention and resolution.
There is a little bit of humor sprinkled through the beginning to middle, but only on a small scale. It’s not quite a funny or lighthearted show, but I found it generally low-stress, mainly because things tend to work out and it’s pretty clear who to like and who to hate. Sympathetic antagonists are largely redeemed; those who aren’t, are revealed to be less sympathetic. Now, I wouldn’t necessarily call this realistic or masterful storytelling, but I was surprisingly relieved that this show takes it easy on my emotions.
My main complaint, I don’t know how to say without spoiling all the “plot twists”... but basically, there are just too many of them.
“BUT WAIT! It was part of her plan all along!” - happens over and over again. I may have been impressed the first one or two times, but after awhile it just feels tired and excessive.
The show doesn’t bring us along with the FL’s plans, it’s all revealed afterwards (plot twist style). Some of them don’t even make that much sense- how could she have predicted all those things with such precision?- but they are revealed in such retrospect that I couldn’t keep track. Of course it’s satisfying to watch the FL outsmart everyone, but it does make her feel even more cold, distant, and unrelatable.
The last arc breaks from this formula. The FL barely seems relevant; in fact, the entire thing seems to be more about other people than about our leads. It’s not my favorite arc, but it’s better than, I would say, the majority of Cdramas, which often fall apart towards the end. At least I stayed interested.
The acting is ok. Gulnezer plays her calm, composed Rong Shanbao well, but I don’t know if there was anything she could have done to make us like her more. Neo is also fine, though I thought his voice (his own) was strangely wispy and weak, and had a lisp. I honestly don’t think they look that good together- Neo just looks so young and delicate next to her, which I suppose matches their dynamic- but that’s not their fault. I thought some of the sisters overacted (the ones who were supposed to be catty), but the grandma did a fantastic job.
The costumes and such are ok. The settings are pretty nice, the tea plantations are pretty. The background music is good at setting the mood, like lighthearted vs intrigue. The songs didn’t stand out for me. The occasional fighting looks very sped up.
Overall this is a fun watch and I loved seeing women kicking ass and dominating. The story and characters are not without flaws, but it kept me interested and hooked. Solid 8.
ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS
This a fairly happy ending. For a minute it looks like things won’t work out, but it all shakes out last minute, with a path visible for them to stay together.
That said, I wouldn’t consider this a particularly satisfying ending. The immediate situation is resolved but there is no view of what the future would actually look like. I did hear hints of a sequel and I think this is a good setup for one, since it’s somewhat open.
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