Don't take this one too seriously, and you're in for a fun ride
This is an unexpectedly entertaining costume/period drama with some fantastical elements. While not an original concept (the author entering her own novel), the story has solid characters that develop logically throughout the story and a well-placed plot with villain(s) that keep things moving.I really enjoyed Song Yiren's performance here. She strikes the right balance of comedy and drama, which is needed is such a story as this. Ding Ze Ren as the ML is a relatively new actor, and he does generally well here, although he does have a way to go in the more angsty scenes.
January 2024 was disappointing to me as far as Chinese dramas (period/costume in particular), but this one was a nice little gem.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A few good men
This is a dark yet poignant tale of the frailty of human nature - the loss of innocence in the effort to survive in a world where justice is hard to come by.The drama starts off seemingly like any straightforward murder-crime-mystery series. You are drawn into deciphering various clues and studying each character to determine who is the murderer. By the show's end, however, even though it pulls out a "surprise" reveal, the power in that moment is not so much the shock factor of who is who but more so the underlying sadness of seeing two friends end each other's lives. There is no mustache-twirling psychopath villain here. It's a hauntingly realistic tale of greed and deceit that explores the lengths to which someone will go to obtain what they want.
The entire ensemble cast give great performances - my favorites are Ning Li as Song Chen and Yu Yao as the young Lu Zhi. Great atmospheric music and realistic sets/props/costumes make the world of Du County come to life in all its dingy glory.
Was this review helpful to you?
Here's hoping there will be more dramas like this one in the future.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A drama that ages like fine wine
The first time I watched this drama, I was quite disappointed with the ending. How could someone as intelligent and brave as Feng Zhiwei just end her life like that? After all she went through, I thought it was a waste and a weird change of character. And for Ning Yi, after all his struggles, the ending felt like an empty goal achieved in becoming Emperor. But perhaps that is part of the story? Can an emperor be fated to have true love? Fast forward about 5 years and with all the things I have been through, watching this again I have a new understanding of this drama. If I look carefully, the seeds of Zhiwei's depression and ultimate decision to end things were sown throughout the drama.It's hard to summarize this very long tale of 2 very multifaceted people fated to meet and fall in love but not to share a lifetime with each other. There's a lot of court/palace politics and drama that take a while to churn, but when things get going, they really come out in an exciting, satisfying fashion.
The production is beautiful - unmatched for me in recent years in C drama land. Great use of music - not overbearing. Some of the editing is uneven in parts, and the latter parts can be hard to watch for those wanting a happy ending. However, there is a tragic beauty in it as well that I can appreciate as I am getting older - although I would never want anyone in this day and age to suffer from depression as Zhiwei did.
Definitely worth the watch and re-watch. I haven't found a drama since quite like this one.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Good vs evil in Heyang
Within this story is a potentially really great one if the drama had dared to push the boundaries of its storytelling a bit more. Set against the "evil" city of Heyang, where bad deeds go unpunished, our righteous male lead Pan Yue seeks to find his long-lost beloved Yang Caiwei and to right the wrongs of the past. Along the way, we meet a multitude of characters including the charismatic if headstrong Zhuo Lanjiang and Caiwei's plucky friend Bai Xiaosheng -- and solve some murder mysteries.It turns out that with each case solved, we are closer to solving the ultimate mystery -- who is the mastermind behind the deaths of Caiwei's parents and the dark deeds in Heyang? That, unfortunately, is never fully fleshed out. Our villains' motivations are presented only in broad strokes, making the ultimate confrontation a bit of a letdown both thematically and dramatically.
Which is not to say the drama is terrible -- far from it. Some of the stories within the main tale are quite moving such as the case of the Gu family and that of the twins and the academy. They show quite effectively the potential darkness within people and the struggle to overcome it without resorting to too much exposition, which is unfortunately present in other cases and parts of the show. If the drama had explored this theme than just at the surface level - the complexities of humankind and our capacity to do both great good and evil - it would have made for a very compelling drama.
As it is, this drama is worth the watch for the interesting cases (which actually are nicely interwoven with the overarching plot and our characters' arcs), a well-paced romance story, and some great performances from both main and guest/supporting cast alike. Liu Xueyi as Pan Yue and Li Geyang as Zhuo Lanjiang were standouts to me.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Love conquers all (again)
This was a lovely surprise in a season of underwhelming Chinese dramas, but it falls just short of greatness. While it does develop the romance between Ji Bozhai and Ming Yi in an enchanting way, a lot of opportunities for developing some of the supporting characters are not capitalized upon fully. Most notably, Yu Cheng En is unconvincing as the ultimate villain, and his story follows along the lines of someone seeking power due to a life of abandonment and weakness. But more meat is needed on this skeleton, and while I can respect the actor's desire to branch out and try out different roles, the desired effect was not there. Additionally, some of the deeper themes could have been developed further such as inequality, abandonment and neglect, and why exactly does love conquer all.All in all, prepare to be enchanted by Hou Minghao and Lu Yixiao as they learn to embrace who they are and each other and the other great supporting characters such as Princess Tianji, 27, Buxiu and and Granny Xun.
Was this review helpful to you?
Revenge vs Justice
While this is not the most elegantly written or sophisticated drama, it has its entertaining qualities. For those expecting super smart cases to solve or a political thriller palace drama that builds logically, this is not one of those shows. The plot moves from case to case until you reach a blisteringly chaotic climax, involving the royal family and its many dark deeds. By the end, there is the attempt to tie everything together, but there have been ultimately too many elements thrown together so not everything hits exactly right emotionally or thematically.Still, Li Landi and Ao Ruipeng make an adorable couple on screen, with a comforting, healthy relationship that remains steady throughout the show. There is not a whole lot of tension romantically or politically throughout the drama so some may find it all a bit bland, but this may be a nice show for others to unwind to after a difficult day at work or school. Watching the good guys win and justice being served (and not just pure rage revenge) can be a welcome respite from the craziness of today's real world.
Was this review helpful to you?
Wasted potential
I have not read the source material, but from what I can tell, the drama has been so watered down/altered that it really cannot be considered a faithful adaptation. If you're hoping for a sophisticated, nuanced revenge drama, be prepared to be disappointed. There are some nice moments of drama interspersed throughout, and I did not mind some of the more comedic parts, but the drama as a whole seems disjointed in tone and lacking in a strong backbone of story and character for me to give it more than a 7. Not the worst I have seen, but definitely far from a masterpiece.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
While there are some nice moments of drama, comedy and fights in this xianxia drama, I found it far too long and repetitive to make a profound impact for the audience who is looking for more than its romance story. Its generic plot and characters are somewhat shocking to me given the caliber of actors in the cast. Shen Li and Xingzhi, aside from their romance, do not undergo much development or growth in their characters. Some of the supporting roles and side/guest roles are far more distinctive in their growth such as Furong and Youlan as they become true leaders of the Divine Realm/Clan - or just more interesting such as the former god Qingye and Lady Jin.Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin are skilled enough actors to make their story work - I especially enjoyed the first several episodes in the mortal realm. The rest of the cast are great with what they are given to work with, but don't expect any deeper themes to be woven into the story that would stand out compared to some of the better xianxia dramas in the past several years. If you are a fan of the actors and xianxia, this is still worth a check, but it is unfortunately more of the same in my opinion.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Still, it isn't one I would likely re-watch because it is quite heavy overall, but the message it conveys is also quite healing, hopeful and worth contemplating. If you're a fan of Toby Lee or Tiffany Hsu, this is worth checking out for their great performances, as well as that of the supporting cast.
Was this review helpful to you?
A detailed production (I especially love the costumes) and a satisfying if bittersweet ending help make this a worthy binge watch and re-watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
While the setup is nothing new, the drama manages what I feel is a rarity these days in Chinese drama land - sustaining my rapt attention for the full 38 episodes. The script wisely stays focused on the story and characters - balancing the political storylines with the slow burn romance that is allowed to develop organically, without anyone acting out of character just to create a sense of forced drama or romance. The supporting characters are given time to develop as well and actually add to the overall story. They support our male and female lead in their journey of finding their true selves and each other.
What prevents me from giving this a 10 is the often heavy-handedness of the direction - blinding lighting, distracting camerawork and odd framing of shots give an overall unpolished look. There is a tendency to make things a bit over the top, but these are small quibbles and a matter of taste ultimately. The cast overall do a solid job - I am most impressed with Wang Xing Yue. Despite his young age, he is able to hold his own in a very stoic role.
This is a great one to binge and re-watch. It's not meant to be an artsy, profound expose on life, death, fate vs self determination, etc. It's just great fun to watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A tale of women in the Tang dynasty
Female-centric stories have become quite popular in Chinese dramas lately. While Flourished Peony does not escape some of the typical tropes seen in these types of dramas, its tremendous cast carries the story forward with charm, dramatic tension and a much-needed dose of realism that is sorely lacking in C-drama land these days.He Weifang escapes from a ill-matched, abusive marriage with Liu Chang and flees to Chang'an from Luoyang in search of a new beginning. Gifted with skills in botany and in medicine/pharmacology, she attempts to re-invent herself and to restore to her own what was lost in being forced to marry into the Liu family (her mother's life, her freedom, and her happiness). Along the way, she encounters the mysterious, flamboyant "Flower Envoy" Jiang Chang Yang, and the two begin a tenuous partnership that blossoms to something more. Alas, we will have to wait until part 2 of this drama airs before we can see their full story arc.
You will also meet in this drama your usual villains such as the tyrannical Prince Ning and his entitled and somewhat unhinged daughter Youzhen, but enough is written into their characters to make them seem more dimensional that what is typically depicted in these types of dramas. One of the more interesting characters so far is Liu Chang, whose character actor Miles Wei manages to imbue with a sense of pathos despite his deplorable inability to see himself for who he really is. The rest of the cast from Mudan's friends to even the emperor feel like living, breathing people rather than typical supporting characters.
The beginning and end are the highlights - the middle of this drama does stray into blandness a bit but thankfully not for long. Hopefully part 2 brings more drama, excitement and romance.
Was this review helpful to you?
Unfortunately a failed gambit
Having not read the original novel that the drama is based on, I can judge based only on what I saw in watching this - and boy, was it a frustrating watch. There are elements of the story that could have been developed to become a truly trilling story, but the script decides to jump from plot to plot without respecting the characters, especially in the second half of the story. The best story line was between male lead Shen Zaiye, with a secret backstory and identity, and Mu Wuxia, the noble and upright 4th prince. If Mu Wuyin and Empress Lv's story were fleshed out more and the structure moved around a little, it probably would made for a more thrilling and compelling climax. But as it is presented, I feel nothing for Empress Lv, and Mu Wuyin is reduced to a strange, psychotic small-minded man.The cast is certainly capable of better, and Liu Xueyi certainly does his best to make Shen Zaiye a living, breathing character. Unfortunately, there is not much to work with, and Meng Ziyi probably suffers more because the characterization of Jiang Taohua is very poorly done. The direction is also somewhat uninspired - lackluster action pieces and discordant music make this an overall unpalatable watch for those wanting a truly exciting political and romantic period piece. Still, the first half makes for a fun light watch, so if you are a fan of the any of the cast, it may still have something worth checking out.
Was this review helpful to you?
