This review may contain spoilers
She's the Fire and the Blade!
10/10 for me! Very long post ahead. And with spoilers.
I love everything in this drama. No fast forwards, no dull moments, the scriptwriting and direction style made the flow of the story seem cohesive. My favorite part is the engaging plot with thrilling schemes! What started as a typical trope later unfolds with unpredictable and gripping twists after twists, making my viewing experience so enjoyable that I'm seriously glued to the screen. The drama is dark and heavy-themed, centered on revenge, suffering, hatred, deception, betrayal, and constant threats to life, but still with traces of warmth in between. So I had to pause between scenes and episodes so I could calm myself down. The stakes are getting higher and higher after each scheme is resolved. Just when I thought I could finally breathe a sigh of relief, we were thrown into an even more dangerous scheme.
I love the focus on women perspective, empowerment and solidarity from start to finish. From Yanzi defending herself against her abusive stepparents, and eventually killing them, to Madam Zhou killing Zhuang Shiyang who is the mastermind behind many manipulations that led to tragic events. The journey, with Yanzi as the female lead, is truly dark and tragic but through persistence, resistance, resilience, courage and bravery, the women fought against those who manipulated, abused and used them, and eventually overcame their sufferings. And what I like is that all those women ultimately fought together for a common cause. They each used their own strengths to support one another and helped Yanzi bring down the root cause of evil in her life – her very own father. And I appreciate it when the women stated their names, it makes us remember them and what they stood and fought for.
Romance is a bonus. It’s not the fluttering kind of love with sweet moments, but the core foundation of their relationship is “trust.” The OST “Flame” by Li Qi visualizes their love story and, for me, their complicated love story is refreshing to witness after watching other traditional, sappy love stories of enemies to lovers. The tension between the leads are so palpable since that 6th minute mark in episode 1, and I love them ever since. They used one another, schemed against each other, and almost killed each other for their own agendas and mutual suspicions. Even their marriage begins as a mere exchange of benefits. Their choices are mostly driven by their desire to protect the people they love – her mother and Chai Jing for Yanzi, and A'zhi and his mother for Fu Yunxi – and even more so, Yanzi’s desire of a secure home and peaceful life. That’s why their choices felt so authentic and comprehensible, although extreme and dangerous, even if they ended up hurting each other. After going through all the ups and downs, life-and-death situations, along with complex feelings, Yanzi eventually came to realize that she could trust Fu Yunxi because he had always stood by her side and supported her. On the other hand, Fu Yunxi began assessing her capabilities as a protector of his family the moment he realized, at first sight in episode 1, that she's the wife he had been looking for. Over time, he is moved by her resilience, bravery and wisdom that he gradually protected her and supported her quest for revenge, despite his shortening lifespan and increasing vulnerability as the adopted son of Eunuch Pei. That’s why that part in later episodes where Yanzi saves Fu Yunxi from execution and from his poisoning really felt so special. The water prison scene is such a monumental moment in their relationship that is deeply moving and emotionally powerful, a confession that showed they can finally fully trust and understand each other. It is slow burn, deep and complex but totally satisfying to watch the process. In the end, she got revenge on her father, found a secure and peaceful life with the Fu family, and built mutual trust with Fu Yunxi that, even if she still has secrets yet to be revealed, it no longer matters because the trust between them is absolute.
Yanzi: “I once thought love was not important to me, but now, looking back, all the schemes and tests I had with him were because I had already fallen for him.”
Fu Yunxi: “Perhaps from the very first day we met, I thought I was the one hunting the fox, but I’d been captured by you. Later, our marriage, protection, and alliances were just excuses to deceive you and deceive me.”
On the casts —
I really commend Dudu as Yanzi! She really has the antagonistic heroine vibes ever since I first saw her in TTEOTM then I followed her in MLCB, MJTY, Yuehong, FOF, and LGIEF; so it's satisfying to see her role as Yanzi which captured the full depth of her nuanced acting. She has the quiet, melancholic and solemn vibes but she can also be decisive and ruthless to her enemies, even toward the male lead Fu Yunxi. She really has no bottom line just to protect her mother and Chai Jing. She’s also not always right and suffers from the consequences of her own scheming which shows she's not an omnipotent heroine whose fate always favors her. But she rises again with even more female power and rage, and becomes more unpredictable in her actions. She refuses to accept defeat, even willing to die for her plans to succeed. And that made my watching experience so satisfying. She's really the definition of “fire” and “blade” as her common themes in the drama. Her eye and facial expressions are really great – you can really feel the changes in her emotions when her eye curves change shapes. And she's a good crier too. I cried with her many times in Fangs of Fortune and I cried with her again here in The Glory. I know I'll cry with her again in Veil of Shadows but I'm still really looking forward for that drama and her other future works.
The senior actors also delivered strong performances and kept the drama engaging to watch. The highlight, however, is the Zhuang family – they are a traditional yet unique family full of hidden agendas. The casts truly brought them to life – Wang Yan, He Hongshan, and Liu Xiwei really stood out. And the most impactful for me is Wen Zhengrong. Her performance as Madam Ruan is really so gripping since episode 1. Her character is so unpredictable and ruthless even to her own daughter. The aura she exudes when she antagonizes Yanzi and the Zhuang family is really intimidating, especially with her voice, line delivery, painful words and intense expressions. But as the drama unraveled her past and intentions, we see the layers of torment she's hidden inside of her and that totally broke my heart. All of her emotional scenes had profound impact on me that I cried every time. Until she finally let go of her hatred and we see the youthful, beautiful noble lady inside her that Yanzi always admires. But even good things come to an end. I was so devastated when she died with Yuwen Chang'an, but at least they made up for the time they had lost during their separation. They shared a period of happiness together and they got married before they died together. And maybe that short-lived freedom and happiness are still worth it despite the tragedy.
Yu En Tai as Zhuang Shiyang is an interesting villain. He first appeared as a kind father that I was actually confused about how I would end up hating him. Then he slowly unmasked his hypocrisy. The more I see him, the more I feel psychological horror – his mental manipulations, pitiful appearance, and elusive words with no remorse are really disturbing to watch. Yu En Tai really did well in portraying that kind of villain. The subtle changes in his facial expressions as he shifts from overacting as a victim to becoming a composed villain in a split second are unsettling but worth the watch.
Fu Jing as Chai Jing is a surprise character for me. She's a refreshing character to see as the female lead’s female sidekick who is skilled at martial arts, with fierce presence and killing intent but had great sense of sacrifice for Yanzi. Episode 10 touched me the most when we saw the side of her story. The focused stares and gentle touches they gave each other felt like I was watching a lesbian love story, and it genuinely moved me. Dudu really has good chemistry with her female co-stars so it's nice to see it here again in The Glory, with deeper connection and emotional journey, almost as if they're soulmates.
Lastly, Xin Yunlai. I actually like him as Fu Yunxi despite the criticisms in his acting ability. For me, he fits the character of Fu Yunxi as someone who is calm, reserved and scheming yet full of tenderness toward the people he wanted to protect. He gives that stoic aura when dealing with most people, even with Yanzi, but when he interacts with A'zhi and his mother, his facade changes to softness and warmness. I especially like his interactions with A'zhi. They're one of the cutest father-daughter duo I've seen in the dramas I’ve watched. Huang Bosi really did well in portraying A’zhi. She is incredibly cute and adorable, and just as smart as her father. I'm really touched when he remade her wooden horse in episode 5 as he promised her despite his busy schedule. And he's so immersed in completing the wooden horse he almost didn’t hear what Mu Yan said to him or what he said to Mu Yan. He just drifted off and smiled when the wooden horse is finished. I could also feel his aura changed after marriage – how he seemed so cold when they first met, but he gradually warmed up after they got married. All the small gestures and subtle touches he gave Yanzi are just so lovely to watch. All along he remains the ruthless vice minister to his enemies throughout the drama. He’s really the best as Yanzi’s ladder, stepping stone, and strategist, giving her the spotlight she deserves when executing her plans. I noticed how he always asks her “what do you plan to do?” or “what do you want me to do?” and that’s like giving her the initiative to execute the plans, while he supports her from behind. Also, how he walks and stands behind her in pivotal moments where she takes control of the moment? Yes, I absolutely love those moments! So I really couldn’t imagine any other actor who can vividly portray Fu Yunxi as what Xin Yunlai did. With the public attention on him right now, I just hope some production team can give him a good script and good direction to showcase and improve his acting ability because he definitely has a potential. I actually like him as Mo Fang in TLOSL so there's familiarity of watching him in The Glory. I really hope to see him in more dramas and films soon (I knew he has a film with Zhang Jingyi, "The One", so I plan to watch it when it’s available online).
The ending when Zhuang Shiyang died might feel underwhelming to others but it made sense for me. As a female-centric drama, it is the women who played key roles in bringing about the death of the main villain. Yanzi is the mastermind, Madam Zhou is the blade that struck him down, and Yushan and Grandma Zhuang on the sidelines are waiting for him to die; when all this time, he's the one who threatened, abandoned and used them as scapegoats to his plans. He also died in his home, a poignant allusion to the Zhuang family plaque "Seclusion" where in the end, despite all the wealth and family he had gained, he's still all alone, no one loved him and everyone would rather let him die. Also, he died in that secret passageway, the same place where Madam Ruan discovered his connection to Eunuch Pei, signifying that his death was the result of his obsession with clinging to power, echoing what Fu Yunxi had said in episode 23: "Those who flatter the powerful ultimately wouldn't end well. Today, you may rely on power to succeed, but power will also trap you later." The ghosts of the dead he saw in that passageway added to his psychological torment before his death, just like the suffering he inflicted on all his victims before they died. In the end, he died alone, trapped and secluded in the tunnel of darkness where he is meant to die.
The watching experience became even more immersive because of the cinematography, aesthetics and OSTs! This is definitely the type of direction style that I really love with good camera angles, good editing, good zoom shots, and suspense horror vibes that highlight the dramatic effects of every scene. The fight scenes are also well-shot, not too long and not too short, and with very good stunts. The aesthetics are really breathtaking – the makeup, hairstyles, costumes, props and set designs. They truly captured the essence of an ancient painting in every frame, just as the director envisioned. The emotional and dramatic impacts of the scenes are more heightened with the OSTs. The OSTs are mirrors to the experiences and thoughts of Yanzi, Fu Yunxi and Madam Ruan so it's very fitting when it plays on pivotal scenes.
Yanzi's journey, aside from revenge, is also focused on defining what is home, family, mother-and-daughter love, and noble lady. And I'm satisfied with how the drama explores these themes as she navigates the dangerous schemes in the capital.
Kudos to the collective efforts and dedications of all the casts, director, screenwriter, costume designer, production staffs, composer and ost singers. May we meet again when the goose comes back to return to her home (aka when I rewatch this drama again haha).
I love everything in this drama. No fast forwards, no dull moments, the scriptwriting and direction style made the flow of the story seem cohesive. My favorite part is the engaging plot with thrilling schemes! What started as a typical trope later unfolds with unpredictable and gripping twists after twists, making my viewing experience so enjoyable that I'm seriously glued to the screen. The drama is dark and heavy-themed, centered on revenge, suffering, hatred, deception, betrayal, and constant threats to life, but still with traces of warmth in between. So I had to pause between scenes and episodes so I could calm myself down. The stakes are getting higher and higher after each scheme is resolved. Just when I thought I could finally breathe a sigh of relief, we were thrown into an even more dangerous scheme.
I love the focus on women perspective, empowerment and solidarity from start to finish. From Yanzi defending herself against her abusive stepparents, and eventually killing them, to Madam Zhou killing Zhuang Shiyang who is the mastermind behind many manipulations that led to tragic events. The journey, with Yanzi as the female lead, is truly dark and tragic but through persistence, resistance, resilience, courage and bravery, the women fought against those who manipulated, abused and used them, and eventually overcame their sufferings. And what I like is that all those women ultimately fought together for a common cause. They each used their own strengths to support one another and helped Yanzi bring down the root cause of evil in her life – her very own father. And I appreciate it when the women stated their names, it makes us remember them and what they stood and fought for.
Romance is a bonus. It’s not the fluttering kind of love with sweet moments, but the core foundation of their relationship is “trust.” The OST “Flame” by Li Qi visualizes their love story and, for me, their complicated love story is refreshing to witness after watching other traditional, sappy love stories of enemies to lovers. The tension between the leads are so palpable since that 6th minute mark in episode 1, and I love them ever since. They used one another, schemed against each other, and almost killed each other for their own agendas and mutual suspicions. Even their marriage begins as a mere exchange of benefits. Their choices are mostly driven by their desire to protect the people they love – her mother and Chai Jing for Yanzi, and A'zhi and his mother for Fu Yunxi – and even more so, Yanzi’s desire of a secure home and peaceful life. That’s why their choices felt so authentic and comprehensible, although extreme and dangerous, even if they ended up hurting each other. After going through all the ups and downs, life-and-death situations, along with complex feelings, Yanzi eventually came to realize that she could trust Fu Yunxi because he had always stood by her side and supported her. On the other hand, Fu Yunxi began assessing her capabilities as a protector of his family the moment he realized, at first sight in episode 1, that she's the wife he had been looking for. Over time, he is moved by her resilience, bravery and wisdom that he gradually protected her and supported her quest for revenge, despite his shortening lifespan and increasing vulnerability as the adopted son of Eunuch Pei. That’s why that part in later episodes where Yanzi saves Fu Yunxi from execution and from his poisoning really felt so special. The water prison scene is such a monumental moment in their relationship that is deeply moving and emotionally powerful, a confession that showed they can finally fully trust and understand each other. It is slow burn, deep and complex but totally satisfying to watch the process. In the end, she got revenge on her father, found a secure and peaceful life with the Fu family, and built mutual trust with Fu Yunxi that, even if she still has secrets yet to be revealed, it no longer matters because the trust between them is absolute.
Yanzi: “I once thought love was not important to me, but now, looking back, all the schemes and tests I had with him were because I had already fallen for him.”
Fu Yunxi: “Perhaps from the very first day we met, I thought I was the one hunting the fox, but I’d been captured by you. Later, our marriage, protection, and alliances were just excuses to deceive you and deceive me.”
On the casts —
I really commend Dudu as Yanzi! She really has the antagonistic heroine vibes ever since I first saw her in TTEOTM then I followed her in MLCB, MJTY, Yuehong, FOF, and LGIEF; so it's satisfying to see her role as Yanzi which captured the full depth of her nuanced acting. She has the quiet, melancholic and solemn vibes but she can also be decisive and ruthless to her enemies, even toward the male lead Fu Yunxi. She really has no bottom line just to protect her mother and Chai Jing. She’s also not always right and suffers from the consequences of her own scheming which shows she's not an omnipotent heroine whose fate always favors her. But she rises again with even more female power and rage, and becomes more unpredictable in her actions. She refuses to accept defeat, even willing to die for her plans to succeed. And that made my watching experience so satisfying. She's really the definition of “fire” and “blade” as her common themes in the drama. Her eye and facial expressions are really great – you can really feel the changes in her emotions when her eye curves change shapes. And she's a good crier too. I cried with her many times in Fangs of Fortune and I cried with her again here in The Glory. I know I'll cry with her again in Veil of Shadows but I'm still really looking forward for that drama and her other future works.
The senior actors also delivered strong performances and kept the drama engaging to watch. The highlight, however, is the Zhuang family – they are a traditional yet unique family full of hidden agendas. The casts truly brought them to life – Wang Yan, He Hongshan, and Liu Xiwei really stood out. And the most impactful for me is Wen Zhengrong. Her performance as Madam Ruan is really so gripping since episode 1. Her character is so unpredictable and ruthless even to her own daughter. The aura she exudes when she antagonizes Yanzi and the Zhuang family is really intimidating, especially with her voice, line delivery, painful words and intense expressions. But as the drama unraveled her past and intentions, we see the layers of torment she's hidden inside of her and that totally broke my heart. All of her emotional scenes had profound impact on me that I cried every time. Until she finally let go of her hatred and we see the youthful, beautiful noble lady inside her that Yanzi always admires. But even good things come to an end. I was so devastated when she died with Yuwen Chang'an, but at least they made up for the time they had lost during their separation. They shared a period of happiness together and they got married before they died together. And maybe that short-lived freedom and happiness are still worth it despite the tragedy.
Yu En Tai as Zhuang Shiyang is an interesting villain. He first appeared as a kind father that I was actually confused about how I would end up hating him. Then he slowly unmasked his hypocrisy. The more I see him, the more I feel psychological horror – his mental manipulations, pitiful appearance, and elusive words with no remorse are really disturbing to watch. Yu En Tai really did well in portraying that kind of villain. The subtle changes in his facial expressions as he shifts from overacting as a victim to becoming a composed villain in a split second are unsettling but worth the watch.
Fu Jing as Chai Jing is a surprise character for me. She's a refreshing character to see as the female lead’s female sidekick who is skilled at martial arts, with fierce presence and killing intent but had great sense of sacrifice for Yanzi. Episode 10 touched me the most when we saw the side of her story. The focused stares and gentle touches they gave each other felt like I was watching a lesbian love story, and it genuinely moved me. Dudu really has good chemistry with her female co-stars so it's nice to see it here again in The Glory, with deeper connection and emotional journey, almost as if they're soulmates.
Lastly, Xin Yunlai. I actually like him as Fu Yunxi despite the criticisms in his acting ability. For me, he fits the character of Fu Yunxi as someone who is calm, reserved and scheming yet full of tenderness toward the people he wanted to protect. He gives that stoic aura when dealing with most people, even with Yanzi, but when he interacts with A'zhi and his mother, his facade changes to softness and warmness. I especially like his interactions with A'zhi. They're one of the cutest father-daughter duo I've seen in the dramas I’ve watched. Huang Bosi really did well in portraying A’zhi. She is incredibly cute and adorable, and just as smart as her father. I'm really touched when he remade her wooden horse in episode 5 as he promised her despite his busy schedule. And he's so immersed in completing the wooden horse he almost didn’t hear what Mu Yan said to him or what he said to Mu Yan. He just drifted off and smiled when the wooden horse is finished. I could also feel his aura changed after marriage – how he seemed so cold when they first met, but he gradually warmed up after they got married. All the small gestures and subtle touches he gave Yanzi are just so lovely to watch. All along he remains the ruthless vice minister to his enemies throughout the drama. He’s really the best as Yanzi’s ladder, stepping stone, and strategist, giving her the spotlight she deserves when executing her plans. I noticed how he always asks her “what do you plan to do?” or “what do you want me to do?” and that’s like giving her the initiative to execute the plans, while he supports her from behind. Also, how he walks and stands behind her in pivotal moments where she takes control of the moment? Yes, I absolutely love those moments! So I really couldn’t imagine any other actor who can vividly portray Fu Yunxi as what Xin Yunlai did. With the public attention on him right now, I just hope some production team can give him a good script and good direction to showcase and improve his acting ability because he definitely has a potential. I actually like him as Mo Fang in TLOSL so there's familiarity of watching him in The Glory. I really hope to see him in more dramas and films soon (I knew he has a film with Zhang Jingyi, "The One", so I plan to watch it when it’s available online).
The ending when Zhuang Shiyang died might feel underwhelming to others but it made sense for me. As a female-centric drama, it is the women who played key roles in bringing about the death of the main villain. Yanzi is the mastermind, Madam Zhou is the blade that struck him down, and Yushan and Grandma Zhuang on the sidelines are waiting for him to die; when all this time, he's the one who threatened, abandoned and used them as scapegoats to his plans. He also died in his home, a poignant allusion to the Zhuang family plaque "Seclusion" where in the end, despite all the wealth and family he had gained, he's still all alone, no one loved him and everyone would rather let him die. Also, he died in that secret passageway, the same place where Madam Ruan discovered his connection to Eunuch Pei, signifying that his death was the result of his obsession with clinging to power, echoing what Fu Yunxi had said in episode 23: "Those who flatter the powerful ultimately wouldn't end well. Today, you may rely on power to succeed, but power will also trap you later." The ghosts of the dead he saw in that passageway added to his psychological torment before his death, just like the suffering he inflicted on all his victims before they died. In the end, he died alone, trapped and secluded in the tunnel of darkness where he is meant to die.
The watching experience became even more immersive because of the cinematography, aesthetics and OSTs! This is definitely the type of direction style that I really love with good camera angles, good editing, good zoom shots, and suspense horror vibes that highlight the dramatic effects of every scene. The fight scenes are also well-shot, not too long and not too short, and with very good stunts. The aesthetics are really breathtaking – the makeup, hairstyles, costumes, props and set designs. They truly captured the essence of an ancient painting in every frame, just as the director envisioned. The emotional and dramatic impacts of the scenes are more heightened with the OSTs. The OSTs are mirrors to the experiences and thoughts of Yanzi, Fu Yunxi and Madam Ruan so it's very fitting when it plays on pivotal scenes.
Yanzi's journey, aside from revenge, is also focused on defining what is home, family, mother-and-daughter love, and noble lady. And I'm satisfied with how the drama explores these themes as she navigates the dangerous schemes in the capital.
Kudos to the collective efforts and dedications of all the casts, director, screenwriter, costume designer, production staffs, composer and ost singers. May we meet again when the goose comes back to return to her home (aka when I rewatch this drama again haha).
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