Legend of the Magenta is a captivating character story framed into a complex and very well structures storyline and different character journeys with breathtakingly lush and beautiful landscape and the complicated history of the late Qing Dynasty.
There is a good balance in the story that never loses steam despite the breadth of the story and the number of characters we get to know through these forty episodes. The story is slow and character focused even if the pacing is often quite sharp. Occasionally too sharp so that certain moments or predicaments are over too quickly or issues solved a little too easily. Especially in the first half.
However, the drama never really forgets itself; there isn’t too much go on within the story at the same time, and it never loses focus on the main narrative. Which means that the play always carries a certain emotional depth within itself no matter what happens.
Although it seems that some scenes have been shortened, possibly to prevent the drama from being too long, it doesn’t halt or hurt the story. And even if I would have liked a deeper explanation of some incidents or for some moments to linger a bit longer, the drama manages to deliver everything quite neatly, through some rugged landscapes and all the political maneuverings that await our characters, thanks to the good structure of the story.
Approximately every ten episodes, the drama shifts gears, introducing new people, plotlines and stakes to up the tension slightly. These changes in the story occur in a coordinated way, with the past actions changing the characters’ lives in some way and driving the changes forward within the narrative.
While certain plot points within this long story that lead us through the late and somewhat crumbling Qing Dynasty are not all equally exciting, each of them contributes to the story’s progression, deepens and develops the character, and the story flows rather effortlessly from one part of the story to another.
As I have mentioned before, Gu Pingyuan’s victories can at times feel too easy even though the story does a good job of making him deserved just so the story can move on. However, the drama manages to retain a certain down-to-earth composure and a certain sense of reality, and this helps with how well set up and tangible these characters seem, making them alive within the narrative and making it easy for the audience to connect with them. These characters grow and refuse to give up no matter what obstacles are placed in front of them, and it is marvelous to watch.
All friendships, rivalries, family ties, as well as romance are certainly given their moments and are portrayed with a lot of nuance and complexity that makes even secondary characters tangible and alive.
This story is never trying to be too epic, but rather a down to earth, tangible and complex journey of a man who rises from having no power to great wealth. It’s a deep and human story where resilience, the power of intellect, and the desire to do better for the people around you drive the story forward.
The core and heart of the story lies in the impeccable characterization and complex life of the main character. The drama is clever, funny, sometimes heartbreaking and even brutal at one point, and sometimes all at once. Keeping the viewer’s interest and a very steady narrative through forty episodes is no easy feat which Legend of the Magenta achieves retaliative ease.
There is a good balance in the story that never loses steam despite the breadth of the story and the number of characters we get to know through these forty episodes. The story is slow and character focused even if the pacing is often quite sharp. Occasionally too sharp so that certain moments or predicaments are over too quickly or issues solved a little too easily. Especially in the first half.
However, the drama never really forgets itself; there isn’t too much go on within the story at the same time, and it never loses focus on the main narrative. Which means that the play always carries a certain emotional depth within itself no matter what happens.
Although it seems that some scenes have been shortened, possibly to prevent the drama from being too long, it doesn’t halt or hurt the story. And even if I would have liked a deeper explanation of some incidents or for some moments to linger a bit longer, the drama manages to deliver everything quite neatly, through some rugged landscapes and all the political maneuverings that await our characters, thanks to the good structure of the story.
Approximately every ten episodes, the drama shifts gears, introducing new people, plotlines and stakes to up the tension slightly. These changes in the story occur in a coordinated way, with the past actions changing the characters’ lives in some way and driving the changes forward within the narrative.
While certain plot points within this long story that lead us through the late and somewhat crumbling Qing Dynasty are not all equally exciting, each of them contributes to the story’s progression, deepens and develops the character, and the story flows rather effortlessly from one part of the story to another.
As I have mentioned before, Gu Pingyuan’s victories can at times feel too easy even though the story does a good job of making him deserved just so the story can move on. However, the drama manages to retain a certain down-to-earth composure and a certain sense of reality, and this helps with how well set up and tangible these characters seem, making them alive within the narrative and making it easy for the audience to connect with them. These characters grow and refuse to give up no matter what obstacles are placed in front of them, and it is marvelous to watch.
All friendships, rivalries, family ties, as well as romance are certainly given their moments and are portrayed with a lot of nuance and complexity that makes even secondary characters tangible and alive.
This story is never trying to be too epic, but rather a down to earth, tangible and complex journey of a man who rises from having no power to great wealth. It’s a deep and human story where resilience, the power of intellect, and the desire to do better for the people around you drive the story forward.
The core and heart of the story lies in the impeccable characterization and complex life of the main character. The drama is clever, funny, sometimes heartbreaking and even brutal at one point, and sometimes all at once. Keeping the viewer’s interest and a very steady narrative through forty episodes is no easy feat which Legend of the Magenta achieves retaliative ease.
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