1
5
This review may contain spoilers
"I hope that in this world, there is someone who will come just for me."
"Legend of the Female General" (锦月如歌) is one of my highly anticipated dramas for 2025. It is based on the novel "Rebirth of a Star General" by Qian Shan Cha Ke, but I haven't read the book, so my review is based solely on the drama.
(NOTE: This review has been sitting in my drafts folder for 2 months, and I'm glad to finally publish it!)
PRODUCTION 📺:
For me, one of the things I like most in this drama are the action scenes, which are so well executed. Most of the time, as they wield their swords, whips and spears, I was glued to the screen, and I felt like I had an adrenaline rush just by watching them 😂. I think the production team really put effort into the choreography. Some memorable scenes include:
• He Yan's sword dance in Yezhou👏 ~ It's a combination of gracefulness and strength.
• He Yan's Duel with Ding Yi ~ Badass He Yan at one of her finest scenes!
• He Yan's face-off with the Lie He commander ~ this scene and the events leading up to it are just brilliantly done.
• Their battle with Wu Tuo at Jiyang and He Yan's fight with Hu Ya Te, the commander of Wu Tuo.
There are still other action scenes of He Yan and Xiao Jue that I like, but I won't mention all of them anymore.
As for the location shoots and costumes, they are appropriate and meet my expectations for a costume drama set in a fictional period in Chinese history.
STORY/PLOT 📚:
Right from the start, the drama team shows us that one of the story's main themes is the romance between He Yan and Xiao Jue. For me, they have shown enough of the romantic aspect in the drama. I also like the snippets of flashbacks in some episodes that show the dynamics between He Yan and Xiao Jue when they were still students in Xianchang Academy.
The military aspect is also dealt with, and their military exploits/espionage activities are complemented by the excellent fight scenes. Another thing I appreciate in the drama is that He Yan's military genius, leadership and commanding presence really shine through in the scenes where they're needed.
Overall, the drama's pacing is good. Each arc is given time and space to develop, except maybe for the last arc. As for the ending, it gives a good wrap-up for most of the characters.
There are some parts that could be better though:
• I wish they had shown more background on He Yan and her master Liu Bu Wang, like where and how they met, and how he helped mould her to become the person she is.
• Some parts could have been fleshed out further, but given the number of episodes, I think we got a good compromise.
• I was disppointed with how the scriptwriters treated General Yan He's character (played by Peter Sheng) towards the end.
CAST/ACTING 🎭:
Zhou Ye as He Yan is the one that stands out for me. She was able to show the different sides of He Yan - one who's feminine yet not dainty, sharp and strategic, an ace fighter and a leader. When she fights, she slays it! There were just some scenes with Xiao Jue in Yezhou city where I think she acted a bit too feminine, when she was supposed to be a man at that time.
Cheng Lei is one good actor who has portrayed memorable characters in other dramas, e.g., Gong Shang Jue in "My Journey to You". Here, he brings the same kind of intensity and focus as Xiao Jue. There are moments though when I feel he could bring more depth/emotions to his scenes.
He Ru Fei got my blood boiling many times; his character is so infuriating! Based on this alone, I'd say Bai Shu did a good job portraying him. He Ru Fei is a despicable character, with little redeeming qualities.
Zhang Kang Le was able to show the morally grey aspect of Chu Zhao. He could have been a great statesman, had he learned to let go of his obssession.
Li Qing as Cheng Li Su and Zhang Miao Yi as Song Tao Tao contributed to the light-hearted scenes. I like that they put these two characters in the drama.
QUOTABLE QUOTE 🔮:
"有时候做一个人的替身久了，难免会忘记自己是谁。我希望，这世上有那么一个人是为我而来。" ~ 禾晏
"Sometimes, when you've been another person's substitute for so long, you might forget who you are. I hope that in this world, there is someone who will come just for me." ~ He Yan
FINAL VERDICT ⭐️: If you like military dramas with great fight scenes and romance, and a kick-ass female lead who succeeded in a male-dominated world (despite having to dress up as a man first), then I would recommend this. Despite some parts that could have been better, this is still a good watch for me.
(NOTE: This review has been sitting in my drafts folder for 2 months, and I'm glad to finally publish it!)
PRODUCTION 📺:
For me, one of the things I like most in this drama are the action scenes, which are so well executed. Most of the time, as they wield their swords, whips and spears, I was glued to the screen, and I felt like I had an adrenaline rush just by watching them 😂. I think the production team really put effort into the choreography. Some memorable scenes include:
• He Yan's sword dance in Yezhou👏 ~ It's a combination of gracefulness and strength.
• He Yan's Duel with Ding Yi ~ Badass He Yan at one of her finest scenes!
• He Yan's face-off with the Lie He commander ~ this scene and the events leading up to it are just brilliantly done.
• Their battle with Wu Tuo at Jiyang and He Yan's fight with Hu Ya Te, the commander of Wu Tuo.
There are still other action scenes of He Yan and Xiao Jue that I like, but I won't mention all of them anymore.
As for the location shoots and costumes, they are appropriate and meet my expectations for a costume drama set in a fictional period in Chinese history.
STORY/PLOT 📚:
Right from the start, the drama team shows us that one of the story's main themes is the romance between He Yan and Xiao Jue. For me, they have shown enough of the romantic aspect in the drama. I also like the snippets of flashbacks in some episodes that show the dynamics between He Yan and Xiao Jue when they were still students in Xianchang Academy.
The military aspect is also dealt with, and their military exploits/espionage activities are complemented by the excellent fight scenes. Another thing I appreciate in the drama is that He Yan's military genius, leadership and commanding presence really shine through in the scenes where they're needed.
Overall, the drama's pacing is good. Each arc is given time and space to develop, except maybe for the last arc. As for the ending, it gives a good wrap-up for most of the characters.
There are some parts that could be better though:
• I wish they had shown more background on He Yan and her master Liu Bu Wang, like where and how they met, and how he helped mould her to become the person she is.
• Some parts could have been fleshed out further, but given the number of episodes, I think we got a good compromise.
• I was disppointed with how the scriptwriters treated General Yan He's character (played by Peter Sheng) towards the end.
CAST/ACTING 🎭:
Zhou Ye as He Yan is the one that stands out for me. She was able to show the different sides of He Yan - one who's feminine yet not dainty, sharp and strategic, an ace fighter and a leader. When she fights, she slays it! There were just some scenes with Xiao Jue in Yezhou city where I think she acted a bit too feminine, when she was supposed to be a man at that time.
Cheng Lei is one good actor who has portrayed memorable characters in other dramas, e.g., Gong Shang Jue in "My Journey to You". Here, he brings the same kind of intensity and focus as Xiao Jue. There are moments though when I feel he could bring more depth/emotions to his scenes.
He Ru Fei got my blood boiling many times; his character is so infuriating! Based on this alone, I'd say Bai Shu did a good job portraying him. He Ru Fei is a despicable character, with little redeeming qualities.
Zhang Kang Le was able to show the morally grey aspect of Chu Zhao. He could have been a great statesman, had he learned to let go of his obssession.
Li Qing as Cheng Li Su and Zhang Miao Yi as Song Tao Tao contributed to the light-hearted scenes. I like that they put these two characters in the drama.
QUOTABLE QUOTE 🔮:
"有时候做一个人的替身久了，难免会忘记自己是谁。我希望，这世上有那么一个人是为我而来。" ~ 禾晏
"Sometimes, when you've been another person's substitute for so long, you might forget who you are. I hope that in this world, there is someone who will come just for me." ~ He Yan
FINAL VERDICT ⭐️: If you like military dramas with great fight scenes and romance, and a kick-ass female lead who succeeded in a male-dominated world (despite having to dress up as a man first), then I would recommend this. Despite some parts that could have been better, this is still a good watch for me.
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