1
5
Ambitious, heartfelt, beautifully acted — even if the final arc loses the sharpness it promised
Pursuit of Jade is one of the most confidently mounted dramas of the year. The budget shows in every frame: from sweeping battlefields to intimate, character‑driven sets, and even the green‑screened dam destruction later in the story feels like an ambitious swing rather than a shortcut. My great friends Rita, Jennifer and Beez adored it from start to finish, and for most of the run, I was right there with them.
The central OTP between Fan Changyun, the pig‑butcher‑turned‑army commander then general, played with terrific grit and warmth, and the bedevilled Marquis, a man who only ever had eyes for her, is magnetic. Their romance is so strong it demands attention in every episode they are in. One of the show’s emotional anchors is Changyun’s relationship with her little sister Chiming, played by a luminous young actress whose future looks bright. Their bond is tender, protective and beautifully acted.
The second OTP is tragic and brutal, with the heartbreak rooted in the female character being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is a madman. It’s a thread that lingers long after the scenes end. The fourth OTP is equally tragic: both characters are villains, though one ultimately finds redemption. Their arc is messy, compelling and surprisingly emotional, especially in their final moments together. In contrast, the third OTP: the Grand Princess and the Headmaster/army strategist, is a delight, full of wit, ambiguity due to the differences in status but there was a delightful tenderness there.
The Pig Slaughter Squad deserves its own applause. They’re a loyal, chaotic, charming bunch of gangster deadbeats who adore their Flower General, and every scene with them adds humour and heart. The villains across the drama are brutal, sometimes maniacal, and the show handles that darkness with clarity and confidence. My favourite senior actor appears here as the master, the retired Grand Tutor to both leads, and as always, he elevates every frame he’s in.
Where the show falters for me is in the final five or six episodes. What should have been a political tour de force softens into something closer to a limp lettuce, and the wimpy emperor never quite earns the narrative weight the story required. The Chancellor and the current Grand Tutor also undermined the political intrigue the story had developed so strongly in the beginning. Even so, Pursuit of Jade remains one of the better dramas of the year. I’m only flapping my wings a little because the ending didn’t land for me. The journey there is rich, emotional and absolutely worth watching.
The central OTP between Fan Changyun, the pig‑butcher‑turned‑army commander then general, played with terrific grit and warmth, and the bedevilled Marquis, a man who only ever had eyes for her, is magnetic. Their romance is so strong it demands attention in every episode they are in. One of the show’s emotional anchors is Changyun’s relationship with her little sister Chiming, played by a luminous young actress whose future looks bright. Their bond is tender, protective and beautifully acted.
The second OTP is tragic and brutal, with the heartbreak rooted in the female character being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is a madman. It’s a thread that lingers long after the scenes end. The fourth OTP is equally tragic: both characters are villains, though one ultimately finds redemption. Their arc is messy, compelling and surprisingly emotional, especially in their final moments together. In contrast, the third OTP: the Grand Princess and the Headmaster/army strategist, is a delight, full of wit, ambiguity due to the differences in status but there was a delightful tenderness there.
The Pig Slaughter Squad deserves its own applause. They’re a loyal, chaotic, charming bunch of gangster deadbeats who adore their Flower General, and every scene with them adds humour and heart. The villains across the drama are brutal, sometimes maniacal, and the show handles that darkness with clarity and confidence. My favourite senior actor appears here as the master, the retired Grand Tutor to both leads, and as always, he elevates every frame he’s in.
Where the show falters for me is in the final five or six episodes. What should have been a political tour de force softens into something closer to a limp lettuce, and the wimpy emperor never quite earns the narrative weight the story required. The Chancellor and the current Grand Tutor also undermined the political intrigue the story had developed so strongly in the beginning. Even so, Pursuit of Jade remains one of the better dramas of the year. I’m only flapping my wings a little because the ending didn’t land for me. The journey there is rich, emotional and absolutely worth watching.
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