WhiteTea

FINALLY DONE! 🎉
Pursuit of Jade is certainly not the best drama I have ever watched. The themes and ingredients are hardly new. However, in a long long time, this is the Chinese drama that I got hooked most until near end episodes. It is undoubtedly enjoyable but also undeniably flaw.

Grounded Humble Theme with Blend of Royal Politics&War

The drama started with humble village Lin An, where the humble Fan Chang Yu made a living by butchering pigs and selling pork, and looking after her little sister. Then one day she helped this handsome injured man (Marquis of Wu An) covered in snow , out of compassion and taking it as her mother telling her to save him since, her decased mother hair pin from her head fell into the unconscious man hand. I like her compassion. I do like how the story takes place long time in the village which gives warm, cozy but also chaos feeling of each episode alongside with how the main couple feelings growing for each other as getting close. The village has both bad and good people. There is Fan Chang Yu's ex betrothed family. Because her deceased father had helped him got education, the mother had promised to let her son marry her as a repay but as Fan Chang Yu parents died, she no longer want to involved with the poor girl so she spread bad rumors about Fan Chang Yu as a bad luck and another woman from the town spread this and bad mouth even further. As annoying as they are, its actually entertaining to watch. And then there's the town thugs who try to mobbed Chang Yu's home but later this group would become one of her strongest aid. As good or bad as they are, I like how the town and its people as still "innocent" comparing with the high power that effect the town. And it is we because I bonded so much with them that when the place was masscared, I was very heart felt and sad. I even feel felt so much for the bad mouth woman who just come to accept Chang Yu not so long ago.
Politics and background story was not clearly explained until late episodes. And throughout , we would like to know what are the connections between female lead and male lead.
Romance
I think the main lead couple romance is told well done. However it's not overly angsty. In fact, they had more important issues to handle than hating each. Most of the time they treat each other with caring a lot. Its super clear the two attracted to each other a lot. The issues such as male lead or marquis, not telling her his real position and her dad being traitor(framed) are handle quickly. I like this type of romance when the two lovers tried to understand each other with love. Even though I still cannot call it absolute green as we can male lead was possessive and show firery enough. For me, it is a caring union with strong passion.
And we also have second couple, Kongsun Yin, Marquis's best friend and Princess Qi Shu, who were also clearly in love since start. Nevertheless, miscommunication and other stuffs keep this couple from telling each other feelings for a long time. Their interactions and scenes are cute and I enjoy watching them as well. Nevertheless, I think their scenes are still few and also I wish their story is told better. I still prefer main couple to them.
Villains
I'd say this drama has many villains. Their actions are unforgivable, from Rebel Prince Sui Clan, to Grand Tutor Li. And the main cause of the matters actually rooted in the past, caused by past people, that cause losses in present. The current generation suffer because of what is done before. For example, someone like the sick Qimin (son of deceased crown prince) become too damaged ever heal his sickness again, but physical and mental. All hes willing to do was to do damaged to those who wrong him before, or he believed it that way, that he missed to care about someone who was geniune to him as Sui Yuanqian, or to care properly for someone whom hes attracted to such as Yu Qian Qian. I am not going to spoil how he ended up. But it was a bitter sweet end for someone like him who was in pain throughout his life and commiting wrong doings. As for the rebel prince's son, Sui Yuanqian, its not surprise whom he was because after all he was born among the rebel with much less moral. At times, he gives me feeling that he was kind of a sadomasochist and can kill anyone very easily, moral and ethics are not in thoughts though he did care enough for his side of people, Dying at the hands of someone he cares and continue finish himself off to show repent to his side of person was the most suiting ends for him.
I cannot call Li Huai An "villain" as he certainly have good amount of compassion in general. But sadly he was very tied to his Li family and cannot go against his granddad Li, who was in fact the real one kinda encouraged the deceased King into doing such nonsense damages and wars with rebels. As consequences, Li Huai An has to suffered.
Another kinda grey character, that I'm quite intrigued with is Uncle Wei Yan. He is not a bad person, but have to act very to very tough and was harsh on his nephew. It is the way he care for nephew, male lead though. In final, episodes, he seemed to be very proud of what Xie Zheng, male lead has become. Because this position and place needs ruthlessness to survive and protect the ones that they care. He seems to accept the punishment with ease and leave this world with satisfactory. I hope that in after life or another lifetime, he get softer and successful in love life.
The Flaws
I wish the last 10 episodes could tell in more serious tone about those past ties. This would have made this drama impactful more for me. But what they showed was comedic clown emperor with his dumb eunuch and some other unnecessary stuffs. Its the comedy that doesn't make me laugh. And those real important facts looks slow down and dragged in telling and put it all in last two episodes. Nevertheless, cps scenes are still well done.
Despite that Pursuit of Jade is one the most perfect happy ending I have seen in a while. All the bad have to pay back and repent. Better ones get good endings. For this reason happy end sucker like me do not cut any scores at all.
I am also satisfied with the extra they put in as "what if" or "another dimension", where characters lives are more normal and happier. For me this is the good way to farewell to the characters that I care for last 40 episodes.
As for OST, it takes a while but I am now loving the end credit song, "I Tread Carefully with Fate" sang JJ Lin, and a couple song, "A Single Thought", sang by Zhang Zhining and Li Xinyi.
All in all my score is 10/10.
As for whether anyone will enjoy this show will depends on one's own taste in liking the story and casts. For me, the casting is superb, especially Tian Xi Wei. She is the perfect Fan Chang Yu I can think of.
I`m saying goodbye to Pursuit of Jade though I will visit this world again time to time.
Thank you to anyone who come into my review and reach here.
Sincerely,
WhiteTea (Winny)

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Below is my first review after I watched first 23 eps.

I came into this drama casually without any excpectation. I just would like to join my friends watching it.
But Hella...!!
I HAVEN'T BEEN ADDICTED TO ANY DRAMAS LIKE THIS FOR LONG TIME!
Storytelling!
Of course, the way the drama tells a story is very important because it needs to hook the viewers. The pace for this drama is just perfect. The viewers can get into story easily and engaged with the characters. We would just like to know what will happen next, what's been connection with these characters before eyesmet and we would like to see how the story will reveal them.
The Main CP
Its such a cozy heartwarming start which totally won over me. I'm into love stories when a couple care for each other.
Both are very strong. She had to struggle for life, working as butcher to look after her little sister. If she doesn't butcher pigs they might have enough to eat. Its cute how she pray for little pigs to go born as good human before killing them. Our kind female lead could not abandon the random man frozing in snow.
He was injured and physically weak, however even with that we can see whenever he recovered, he can become quite a strong and smart guy. He had plans and stuff. We can all see he fell in love and hesitate to leave. There is this one thing, we viewers can see the two leads are clearly in love. But both of them do not confessed it. Even up to ep23, they haven't confessed it yet. That's frustrating. I am not fond of the fact that male lead didnt tell the truth to female lead of who he is. (I think this is probably because of their different in status? and probably think she may leave if she know who he is. But LOL making her knowing delay will increase her anger for feeling decived) However, their union of smart, strong general and looking normal and cute but also very strong and street smart lady is just my cup of tea.

The Villains
I like how the main crazy villains come in a little later in story. And those baddie in earlier in village are in comparison are much innocent. (That's including the bad mouth gossip granny but for female lead's ex betrothed and his mom, they are good for nothing).
About main villains, or true real grey characters such as Yuan Qing and Qimin and others, the show did well on showing to viewers on how smart but also mad they can be and its probably due to their past trauma.
I give props on how the show make thier vibes to be engaging and interesting.

The Cinematography
This is a winter snow falling theme that ryhme with the bloody war that is happening for me. It gives me the vibe of beautiful but also rough weather. And i also the war scenes between mountains and valleys.

The osts are bit slow for me but not bad.
Im giving the show 10/10 so far. I hope it stays this way to end with good wrap up.