Lavinia Hollis

Nope I have not watch Legend of Fei. But I believe with the right balance it could have been achieved. I don't advocate colorful make-up for the 2 princes but I guess they could have done something better for the younger characters. Nevertheless I still like the cast and for opting a realistic look but for me it could have been better.

I like this drama so far though it started slightly slow for me but it's alright. Zhang Zi Yi is indeed a great actress, she can pass on portraying as a teen-aged character. The scene where she was dancing sans camera close up really evokes youthful character. However I agree with others for casting a younger Wang Xuan and same thing goes with the two princes and other princess. For some reason I'm not really that bothered and I like the cast so I give a pass for the creators.

I blame the make-up & editing departments for comments regarding the main cast's appearance. Zhang Zi Yi is beautiful and to play a teen-aged princess must be a piece of cake for her with her acting skill. However cameras don't lie. This is where the magic of the make-up artist comes to play. Colorful palette could have been used in order to help project youthful character. Pinkish or slightly red glossy tints for luscious lips. A hint of glow for facial foundation instead of matte. A little splash of color on her cheeks and finally filter to polish the look. All of those could have been utilized to help reflect a cheerful and blooming teen-aged character.

Same thing I can say for the two princes. Tony Yang is a good looking actor and I first saw him on Lady & A Liar. Damn! He looks very bland and boring so far. Make-up artist and costume designer could have been of great help here. Or probably he just doesn't look good in historical costume? Maybe, but remember the actors played their younger selves. Really the EDITING crew seemed to be bums in this drama. The crown prince's face appeared to have just gone through diamond peel. And the emperor seemed to be perspiring profusely as his face looked moist every time the camera focused on him. I'm glad that they opted for a more realistic look but this is the time that filter would have been of great help. I dislike overuse of filter but in these first few episodes I advocate the excessive use of it since the characters are young. So they have to be de-aged.

Am I glad they chose this actor for general instead of a fair-skinned one? Yes I am. I don't particularly find him handsome but he's oozing with hormones and has a great on-screen presence. I saw him first on Tribes & Empires and I was impressed with his acting. A general's skin in the olden times is sun-tanned due to constant activity outdoors. And I'm also glad the make-up artist didn't use the pearly white palette on him as it would be distracting. He is the kind of actor that you can imagine whisking you off your feet, slam you on the bed and ravage you with pleasure.:O

Can you imagine if Chinese film industry don't have this rigid kind of censorship pressed upon them by their gov't - more greatness can be achieved. As an outsider I already enjoy their films and TV series. At times though with disappointment on how the story ends or goes and I can't help wonder if the creators were constrained. It can obviously be the answer. I read some articles that Turkey is going through some kind of censorship with the current gov't.

Innocent until proven guilty. This kind of "she said he said" case is very difficult to determine unless there's indeed a concrete and irrefutable evidence. Too bad - I'm not Chinese but I find him to be a good actor. I've only seen him three times on screen. But his portrayal as a Yiqu king on The Legend of Miyue was so good. He has such a charismatic presence on screen. Same thing I can say on Ban Shu Legend.

This looks interesting sadly I can't find any videos of this one.

Seems interesting. I'd like to watch this.

This is actually quite good. I encourage everyone to check this out. I happen to find the English subs on Youtube. Don't be discourage with the male lead's appearance and acting.

This is actually good. I stumble on this on Youtube sadly it's one of those series with unfinished English subtitle. I hope they'll continue. It seems they're currently focus on The Legend of Bao Zheng which turned out to be good as well.

Too bad English subtitle is only up to episode 3. First 3 episodes seems to be interesting and I've been waiting for more than a year.

Too bad it doesn't allow me. Blocked in my part of the globe. Such a bummer.

Why can't governmental affairs or politics and entertainment be separated. Let artists be artists and flourish with creativity. As such it should be one of those that transcends beyond politics that allow us people from different nations to enjoy and also collaborate.

Hello! Anyone knows where we can watch the full English subtitle for this funny series? I found this gem on Youtube early last year but it's still not fully translated until now.

Hello! [email protected]. Sincerest thanks!

I've watched this twice already and planning to rewatch it again. It's such a heart breaking story. I'll do a review afterwards. And I agree with you, I did watch this with absolute rubbish translation. It was alright from the start but somehow in the middle of the series, the subtitle was bad or probably auto-generated.

I'm actually enjoying this series so far compliments from Youtube. Sad story between the young prince and his guardian in the first few episodes. Just don't like the actor who portrays Bao Zheng with regards to his interpretation of his role. He didn't need to look cross-eyed in order to act someone with Asperger's syndrome.

I found it on Youtube with English sub but geographical location doesn't allow me to view. The uploader haven't made it available for everyone to view yet. I would really like to watch this. I love the Republican era or World War II Chinese dramas. Any idea how to circumvent this?

Hello! Are you open to other historical dramas with meat and bones but not C-drama? I can recommend some to you. Let me know... Check this other C-dramas if you haven't yet: Lost Love in Times, Sound of the Desert, Imperial Doctress - fantastic stories for me. You might want to check Arrows In A Bowstring - really good serious acting and A-grade leads. It's a unique action story set during the 2nd world war in Manchuria. FL is such a badass - I was totally impress with this drama. If I'm the creator of this series and wants to make more money I would market this to international streamers and I'm sure they'll get this immediately.

I'm really enjoying this so far. The FL is so good in acting as a man. Not a bad looking cast.

Sometimes ratings do not really reflect the quality of the series. If one does depend on these ratings, he/she would miss out a lot of amazing dramas. There's a lot of great series I've watched that is rated low here on MDL. Most of them are on the average 7.5%. What lures me to watch a certain drama is about an interesting plot. If it happens to be a disappointment to the point of being ridiculous I stop watching it. Yanxi Palace is one of my FAVORITE Chinese series that I recommend this all the time to my friends. Along with other greats such Scarlet Heart, Empresses In The Palace, Legend of Haolan and Legend of Miyue.

This is the 3rd time I've watched this series and the more I've appreciated it. I was about to give up the first time I have watched this on the first few episodes. Thank God I prodded. I encourage everyone to continue watching if you've already started. It's a great series in a historical setting with fantastical element - the Mages. I changed my rating from 8 to 9.5. Who knows...I might change it to 10.