If you just wanted to see Zhao Liying in something else, then I'd rather recommend wholly different, more slice…
As I mentioned in my https://kisskh.at/discussions/yu-feng-xing/124265-notes-about-the-legend-of-shen-li-xianxia-drama (Discussions part of the Shen Li drama page) : Zhao Liying is the only Chinese actress whose dramas has exceeded 10,000 heat on 3 online platforms: IQIYI, Youku, and Tencent platforms. Youku's The story of Xingfu, IQIYI's Wild Bloom, and Tencent's The Legend of ShenLi. So if you had not watched Wild Bloom, there is that one too 😁 Enough to keep busy for a while 🤣
I started this drama because I’m watching The Legend of Shen Li and wanted to see Zhao Yi Ling in something…
If you just wanted to see Zhao Liying in something else, then I'd rather recommend wholly different, more slice of life The Story Of Xing Fu. Lighter, with possibility to make pauses and watch later so you don't need to commit to watch 40 episodes too fast, one you can enjoy with no qualms, despite an unhappy event in the first episode, that triggers Xing Fu to go on the war path and eventually to grow to show other ways to develop personally and with the people she works with.
Princess Agents is too long, unfinished, and too heavy, despite it has a stellar cast with so many well known actors and actresses : Shawn Dou, Lin Gengxin, Li Qin, Deng Lun, Xing Zhaolin... I have not seen many episodes, just had a look because so many referred to it, but don't think I'll go on further, also because I am busy with other dramas: Shen Li, War of Faith (not for those who are not really interested in the period, it is not a romance), In Blossom, Burning Flames. Enough on my plate for the moment, as is!
As for Lin Gengxin, I liked Master of My Own, also in modern setting, in which he starred with Seven Tan. Not too long a romance, 32 episodes, it is about female empowerment, even though it starts in apparent office bullying (although it is not as vicious as it seems).
This is a seriously good drama, the pace is good, the lighting and colors are appropriate, the story is riveting (which I was not sure could be achieved with such dry stuff : finances and stocks and banking wars in the center). And the cast is just great. I already knew Li Qin, and Wang Yibo, from other dramas different from the one everybody thinks about, and know his seriousness in dance and choreography on stage (another facet of his talent), but am discovering Wang Yang here ; that said even the supporting roles are for the most very well played !
Looking forward to stay till end. I probably should read more background about those financial intricacies in the 1930s, although I do know about the Green Gang, the Nanjing government, the deadly enmity between the Guomindang and the rising Communist Party, the Jiangxi Soviet Republic, the lingering role of warlords, the special status of Shanghai as a magnet for both Chinese compradors and foreign influences in that time where the city was carved up by "concessions". All that backdrop has already been covered a lot in other dramas and movies about the Republican era. The struggles and intricacies of finance and tariffs without using them as clothing for a romance is something new to me, and I feel that it has bearing beyond the period.
It probably is not a drama for people who come with zilch knowledge about that period in China, and the political game where finance was part of History there. Nor for those who only see the names of WYB and LQ and expect them to pair up in torrid romance. I am sure the actors have been happy to play something different than what triggers the hackneyed "where is the love triangle?", "when do they kiss?", "how much bromance?" that looks like it's become the main concern for commenters on MDL to decide or not to watch a drama.
(Hint, for those who look for such cloying stuff, not too badly done, just for entertainment and thrills, try instead some thrilling mini romances like Maid's Revenge, Provoke... Or for longer dramas, focusing almost only on romance : Fall in Love starring Chen Xingxu and Zhang JIngyi. That should satisfy cravings. But these are not as "fulfilling" to me as War Of Faith, now. I am happy to have clicked on this one, on iQiyi!)
I just love how we are all collectively happy when it comes to the show. Does anybody know if Chinas viewers are…
It was #2 in the top ten most watched dramas on TV in China this week, only because it was one day late in computing viewing scores as compared with the #1 so it is expected it will rise above 600 pts (a score that marks the "really popular dramas") and be #1 by next Sunday.
Yes, that's almost polar opposite to the (excellent, but heavy) incurable disease romance played so well by Lin…
Notice that my answer was a response to OP who was inquiring and has good reasons to be likely having a good time with this xianxia. So my answer was tailored to bring them objective information in view of the OP's watchlist. It may mesh with other readers of comments own questioning, therefore I did not put it under spoilers at first, but on reflection I did, to be consistent and avoid people who only watch a couple episodes at most before starting to put in their likes and dislikes, butting in for no good reason.
It is difficult to watch 4 long dramas simultaneously with same pleasure and mindset, so if you prefer BF after sampling, and can't get into the other ones, that's fine, go to the MDL page of the one you decide to spend time on, and continue commenting there how you like it!
Personally, I was amazed by the transformation of JJY in first episode of In Blossom, so that's why I decided to continue watching and mention it, only in passing, here since this is not the relevant drama page. Perhaps I shall have to reluctantly, at some point, record putting on hold one or more of the four dramas, because that's a lot on watching plate. But not out of dislike, just for time management so as better to focus. Trouble with "on hold" is that it is often difficult to go back, but not the same as "dropped" for disliking.
I notice that you don't publish a watchlist, btw. Perhaps you can put a spoiler tag on your previous comment too since what you wrote is not really relevant to this drama and might look as spoilsport for those who look for something interesting to watch, asking why it may be nice to watch TSoSL. Or like you are fond of broadcasting your hate for some actors/actresses.
happy but as usual they need to deserve the happiness.
Don't spoil it too much, dear Goddess : we are still enjoying, aren't we ? Similar to when reading fairy tales to young ears, and making it so that their eyes light up before peaceful slumbers 😂😂😂 Reminds me of times when I was reciting some of those, like Red Riding Hood, in a revamped modernized adaptation from my imagination, to make sure the young one would be careful on the way back from school, but also entertained: it's always possible to spin a new version of the same old tales.
how is this? never watched these actors before ...don't know what to watch at the moment. Just finished "angels…
Yes, that's almost polar opposite to the (excellent, but heavy) incurable disease romance played so well by Lin Yi and Li Landi! I had braced myself for the (thankfully not going all the way to bitter end) last episode of that one, by watching on the side a sweet mini. While waiting for Shen Li, because of both leads, although I am not a returnee from Princess Agents, where they famously played together in a stellar wuxia, that ends in cliffhanger, so one reason I refrained from diving into it, but after all the snippets I could not escape, I think I shall finally watch it soon.
It's not that the other dramas I saw where they starred separately were that spectacular, but Lin Gengxin (male lead) captured my attention through the wry humor he weaved into his acts (and bts, and live stream: I did follow up some, although not -yet- exploring his fandom of "Kids") and Zanilia is someone I watched on and off from way back; she seems never aging, despite she is a mom and also a busy singer, producer, and more in the real world, with a huge fandom of "fireflies/glowworm", second only to the one of Yang Mi.
I particularly liked that she rose to the challenge of doing a modernized long drama version of the iconic slice of life Story of Qiu Ju, the vivid tale of a countryside woman challenging the village chief, filmed back in the days by Zhang Yimou. This modern version was particularly interesting to me, as an illustration of the societal changes in just one generation since the 1990s : both were very true to life, as I have witnessed it, and Zhao Liying did not shy away from appearing sunburnt and without flashy clothes and ornaments.
She is a seriously good actress, despite some criticize in Shen Li that she "lacks expression", although she plays totally in character the half demon "immortal" warrior who needs to appear calm and composed, and still is unsure if she is right in suspecting that the Divine that follows her everywhere is the same as the Mortal she grew feelings for. That changes when he acknowledges that he is indeed, but he, on the other hand, still holds back on his end, because as an ancient god, he can't play the spontaneous youth he is not, and has responsibilities that put obstacles to his opening up to feelings that are alien to his kind.
The first four episodes of Shen Li are delightful, with the addition of a "chicken" that has captured the heart of many who like this drama. It is a xianxia, so, if you are not used to the genre, it might be difficult to get into, but since you already liked LBFAD, AoL, ALP, TSL, TTEOTM... you will find it easy, and I hope, interesting. The "geography" of Shen Li is different from the one in LBFAD (the story of which is based on a novel by same author) and what in other xianxias are "demons" is merely called "immortals" here, while those from "Heaven realm empire" are just "Diviners", who for once are not bitterly opposed, but working together to contain the evil in the Abyss.
There are a slew of interesting dramas in different genres airing these days, so it's hard to make a choice, and harder to watch them all simultaneously : Burning Flames (costume drama starring Ren Jialun), In Blossom (costume/wuxia starring a less bejeweled as in other dramas Ju Jingyi), War of Faith (riveting Republican Era drama featuring Wang Yibo which I also dived into -- but I'm eclectic and like stuff in any genre). Each including of course Shen Li are worth watching !
I included in my Notes (in Discussions above) a small GIF from the live stream excerpted and commented on YouTube, under the title "Why does Lin Gengxin become so shy when he makes eye contact with Zhao Liying? " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNqW8Nbjtm4 (commented by Chinese Star News with language tips on the 10'40 full video). Video featured Zhao Liying, Lin GengXing, Liu GuangLin (Tian Jun), Xin YunLai (Mofang), He Yu (Furong Jun), discussing the sparring session in Episode 13 including the dangers of the martial arts shooting with a waist ring (BTS of the scene here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGFTlR3m1VQ).
The Legend of Jewelry name was changed to THE STORY OF PEARL GIRL a few days ago after wrap ceremony on March 14-16. (It had been filming since Nov21). I don't know if it's usual to change names after wrap this way ; I was surprised. Anyway, on Marcus Here! channel reporting of Thursday, a commenter informed:
Reservations are open for The Story of Pearl Girl in Youku. Starring ⭐ Zhao Lusi, Liu Yuning ,Tang XiaoTian. Zhao Lusi as Duan Wu , Su Muzhe .
I have updated the Mini Profile linked in my earlier comment with a GIF from the new trailer/making of which can be watched in full (3'13) on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEwBvk0o3Hw
So, name was changed a few days ago after wrap ceremony ? I don't know if it's usual but I was surprised too. Anyway : In recent comment on Marcus Here! channel reporting : Reservations are open for The Story of Pearl Girl in Youku. Starring ⭐ Zhao Lusi, Liu Yuning ,Tang XiaoTian. Zhao Lusi as Duan Wu , Su Muzhe .
Ahaha, XZ managed to sneak in a dip and a kabedon move. Love the chemistry between him and SL! The generals' reaction…
well XZ did not punch the post with a loud sound when he pinned her to it at end of their training battle, so not full kbd (but I admit it was close 🤣) It was a nice change to see a more powerful stance from this "bored and jaded tourist-like" god! The action was swift and nice in that "fight" and the long dip was appropriately unsettling for the "colleagues", and food for thought perhaps for Shen Li. Of course we in front of screens know where all of this is going, 🤣
Just got back to finish it, watching 19-24. Well yes, there were the expected complications, nothing really surprising. Last episode switched back to the expected sweet happy end. Qu Mengru has a nice face, and I will not remember her as annoying in future dramas ; Li Zhuoyang will certainly also go on to better roles. I don't regret my time here, although agree that 19-23 can be skipped for those who are not tolerant of tropey complications. Overall it was a relaxing aside from other chores or drama watching. I rather liked the music, hummed along with ending song :)
Yeah, it only talks about her time on earth, which was exactly the same as the previous synopsis. I don’t understand…
Yr sentence was ambiguous : I took it that you criticized me for submitting too many (edits) at once, and I was not very happy to feel you thought that 😢. If you feel your brain was damaged because of knocking too often on Heaven's door (MDL's edit function) , that's another matter, and I hope you were wildly exaggerating there. 😁 Anyway, I have other things to do now, so I'll just leave here. Have a pleasant and restful Sunday. 💐
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Zhao Liying is the only Chinese actress whose dramas has exceeded 10,000 heat on 3 online platforms: IQIYI, Youku, and Tencent platforms. Youku's The story of Xingfu, IQIYI's Wild Bloom, and Tencent's The Legend of ShenLi. So if you had not watched Wild Bloom, there is that one too 😁 Enough to keep busy for a while 🤣
Princess Agents is too long, unfinished, and too heavy, despite it has a stellar cast with so many well known actors and actresses : Shawn Dou, Lin Gengxin, Li Qin, Deng Lun, Xing Zhaolin... I have not seen many episodes, just had a look because so many referred to it, but don't think I'll go on further, also because I am busy with other dramas: Shen Li, War of Faith (not for those who are not really interested in the period, it is not a romance), In Blossom, Burning Flames. Enough on my plate for the moment, as is!
As for Lin Gengxin, I liked Master of My Own, also in modern setting, in which he starred with Seven Tan. Not too long a romance, 32 episodes, it is about female empowerment, even though it starts in apparent office bullying (although it is not as vicious as it seems).
Looking forward to stay till end. I probably should read more background about those financial intricacies in the 1930s, although I do know about the Green Gang, the Nanjing government, the deadly enmity between the Guomindang and the rising Communist Party, the Jiangxi Soviet Republic, the lingering role of warlords, the special status of Shanghai as a magnet for both Chinese compradors and foreign influences in that time where the city was carved up by "concessions". All that backdrop has already been covered a lot in other dramas and movies about the Republican era. The struggles and intricacies of finance and tariffs without using them as clothing for a romance is something new to me, and I feel that it has bearing beyond the period.
It probably is not a drama for people who come with zilch knowledge about that period in China, and the political game where finance was part of History there. Nor for those who only see the names of WYB and LQ and expect them to pair up in torrid romance.
I am sure the actors have been happy to play something different than what triggers the hackneyed "where is the love triangle?", "when do they kiss?", "how much bromance?" that looks like it's become the main concern for commenters on MDL to decide or not to watch a drama.
(Hint, for those who look for such cloying stuff, not too badly done, just for entertainment and thrills, try instead some thrilling mini romances like Maid's Revenge, Provoke... Or for longer dramas, focusing almost only on romance : Fall in Love starring Chen Xingxu and Zhang JIngyi. That should satisfy cravings.
But these are not as "fulfilling" to me as War Of Faith, now.
I am happy to have clicked on this one, on iQiyi!)
It is difficult to watch 4 long dramas simultaneously with same pleasure and mindset, so if you prefer BF after sampling, and can't get into the other ones, that's fine, go to the MDL page of the one you decide to spend time on, and continue commenting there how you like it!
Personally, I was amazed by the transformation of JJY in first episode of In Blossom, so that's why I decided to continue watching and mention it, only in passing, here since this is not the relevant drama page.
Perhaps I shall have to reluctantly, at some point, record putting on hold one or more of the four dramas, because that's a lot on watching plate. But not out of dislike, just for time management so as better to focus. Trouble with "on hold" is that it is often difficult to go back, but not the same as "dropped" for disliking.
I notice that you don't publish a watchlist, btw.
Perhaps you can put a spoiler tag on your previous comment too since what you wrote is not really relevant to this drama and might look as spoilsport for those who look for something interesting to watch, asking why it may be nice to watch TSoSL.
Or like you are fond of broadcasting your hate for some actors/actresses.
Reminds me of times when I was reciting some of those, like Red Riding Hood, in a revamped modernized adaptation from my imagination, to make sure the young one would be careful on the way back from school, but also entertained: it's always possible to spin a new version of the same old tales.
While waiting for Shen Li, because of both leads, although I am not a returnee from Princess Agents, where they famously played together in a stellar wuxia, that ends in cliffhanger, so one reason I refrained from diving into it, but after all the snippets I could not escape, I think I shall finally watch it soon.
It's not that the other dramas I saw where they starred separately were that spectacular, but Lin Gengxin (male lead) captured my attention through the wry humor he weaved into his acts (and bts, and live stream: I did follow up some, although not -yet- exploring his fandom of "Kids") and Zanilia is someone I watched on and off from way back; she seems never aging, despite she is a mom and also a busy singer, producer, and more in the real world, with a huge fandom of "fireflies/glowworm", second only to the one of Yang Mi.
I particularly liked that she rose to the challenge of doing a modernized long drama version of the iconic slice of life Story of Qiu Ju, the vivid tale of a countryside woman challenging the village chief, filmed back in the days by Zhang Yimou. This modern version was particularly interesting to me, as an illustration of the societal changes in just one generation since the 1990s : both were very true to life, as I have witnessed it, and Zhao Liying did not shy away from appearing sunburnt and without flashy clothes and ornaments.
She is a seriously good actress, despite some criticize in Shen Li that she "lacks expression", although she plays totally in character the half demon "immortal" warrior who needs to appear calm and composed, and still is unsure if she is right in suspecting that the Divine that follows her everywhere is the same as the Mortal she grew feelings for. That changes when he acknowledges that he is indeed, but he, on the other hand, still holds back on his end, because as an ancient god, he can't play the spontaneous youth he is not, and has responsibilities that put obstacles to his opening up to feelings that are alien to his kind.
The first four episodes of Shen Li are delightful, with the addition of a "chicken" that has captured the heart of many who like this drama. It is a xianxia, so, if you are not used to the genre, it might be difficult to get into, but since you already liked LBFAD, AoL, ALP, TSL, TTEOTM... you will find it easy, and I hope, interesting. The "geography" of Shen Li is different from the one in LBFAD (the story of which is based on a novel by same author) and what in other xianxias are "demons" is merely called "immortals" here, while those from "Heaven realm empire" are just "Diviners", who for once are not bitterly opposed, but working together to contain the evil in the Abyss.
There are a slew of interesting dramas in different genres airing these days, so it's hard to make a choice, and harder to watch them all simultaneously : Burning Flames (costume drama starring Ren Jialun), In Blossom (costume/wuxia starring a less bejeweled as in other dramas Ju Jingyi), War of Faith (riveting Republican Era drama featuring Wang Yibo which I also dived into -- but I'm eclectic and like stuff in any genre). Each including of course Shen Li are worth watching !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNqW8Nbjtm4
(commented by Chinese Star News with language tips on the 10'40 full video).
Video featured Zhao Liying, Lin GengXing, Liu GuangLin (Tian Jun), Xin YunLai (Mofang), He Yu (Furong Jun), discussing the sparring session in Episode 13 including the dangers of the martial arts shooting with a waist ring (BTS of the scene here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGFTlR3m1VQ).
I don't know if it's usual to change names after wrap this way ; I was surprised. Anyway, on Marcus Here! channel reporting of Thursday, a commenter informed:
Reservations are open for The Story of Pearl Girl in Youku.
Starring ⭐ Zhao Lusi, Liu Yuning ,Tang XiaoTian.
Zhao Lusi as Duan Wu , Su Muzhe .
I have updated the Mini Profile linked in my earlier comment with a GIF from the new trailer/making of which can be watched in full (3'13) on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEwBvk0o3Hw
In recent comment on Marcus Here! channel reporting :
Reservations are open for The Story of Pearl Girl in Youku.
Starring ⭐ Zhao Lusi, Liu Yuning ,Tang XiaoTian.
Zhao Lusi as Duan Wu , Su Muzhe .
Watch the 3'13 trailer/making of here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEwBvk0o3Hw
It was a nice change to see a more powerful stance from this "bored and jaded tourist-like" god! The action was swift and nice in that "fight" and the long dip was appropriately unsettling for the "colleagues", and food for thought perhaps for Shen Li.
Of course we in front of screens know where all of this is going, 🤣
Last episode switched back to the expected sweet happy end.
Qu Mengru has a nice face, and I will not remember her as annoying in future dramas ; Li Zhuoyang will certainly also go on to better roles.
I don't regret my time here, although agree that 19-23 can be skipped for those who are not tolerant of tropey complications.
Overall it was a relaxing aside from other chores or drama watching.
I rather liked the music, hummed along with ending song :)
Anyway, I have other things to do now, so I'll just leave here.
Have a pleasant and restful Sunday. 💐