This review may contain spoilers
such a beautiful drama <3
MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR PURSUIT OF JADE !!!
This drama was one of my absolute favorite historical dramas that I have watched this year! It hooked me right from the very first episode, which is something that a lot of dramas don't always do for me. I adored everything about this drama, from the visuals to the story. The characters were ones that will definitely stick with you, even after the drama is over! Waiting for new episodes to drop was torturous, but it was so worth it! The acting in this drama by every single cast member was phenomenal!
The OSTs of this drama are absolutely gorgeous as well. I also adored how female centric this drama was. It really focuses on Fan Changyu as a character. I absolutely adored the friendships that she formed throughout this drama, especially with the Northwest Pig Slaughter Squad, the Grand Princess, and the father-daughter bond with Grand Tutor Tao Yi. I also wanted to give recognition to Snow Kong , who portrayed Yu Qian Qian, and Deng Kai, who portrayed Qimin/Su Yuanhai. Their acting was phenomenal!!
Though I wasn't necessarily a big fan of the way their relationship was romanticized, as Qimin's character is very much a walking red flag, I was blown away by the levels of emotion and depth these actors had in portraying their respective characters.
Qian Qian is such a strong female character who endures literal hell to save her son, Bao'er (who is so so precious, just like Ning), and even forces herself to do horrible things just so that she can find a way to escape. It definitely hurt my heart to see her do those things, but it also showed me just how strong a mother's love can be. She was willing to do anything to save her son, even at the cost of her own life. She is absolutely one of my favorite female characters, and I also adored her friendship with Changyu as well, and the way that they care for one another.
Qimin, while his character scared me, the acting by Deng Kai in this role was incredible!! He really suits the "villain" role so well! The levels of emotions that he could portray was insane! He did absolutely amazing in this role, and I honestly am thinking of watching other dramas that he's in!
Gongsun Yin and the Grand Princess (Qi Shu)??? OMGGG!!! Their romance honestly hurt my heart so much:((( Their love story was so angsty, and I'm really glad these two got their happy ending as well! I do wish we got a bit more of them in this drama, but I am glad that they did eventually end up together! I also adored both of their characters individually, with Gongsun being Xie Zheng's Strategist and also his closest friend. Their bickering was absolutely hilarious! I also love how strong of a character Qi Shu is as well. She is intelligent and also is not afraid to speak her mind, which is one of the things that I love about her. (literally NO toxic female friendships in this drama and I loved that!!!)
Fan Changyu is one of my absolute favorite female leads ever, and Tian Xiwei did an excellent job of portraying her and bringing her to life! She knows what she wants and she goes after it! And while Changyu does have a strong personality, and can definitely fend for herself, we also get to see her softer side shine through. I love that contrast of her character!
While she is tough and formidable in her own right, Changyu still possess a soft heart that deeply cares for her comrades and her loved ones. She will do everything she can to protect them. She is a protector through and through. This brings me to my next point: her relationship with Xie Zheng (Yan Zheng).
Xie Zheng has been on the battlefield from a young age, and he has known nothing but destruction and death. He experienced it firsthand when his mother took her own life, and again in the atrocities on the battlefield. His father, (at least from what is shown in the drama), didn't seem to be around a lot? Perhaps he was busy with military duties and was rarely home? I feel like Xie Zheng was definitely closer with his mother. Ultimately, Xie Zheng is someone who feels that everybody in his life eventually leaves. He is someone who was raised to be a warrior, and eventually, the Marquis of Wu'an, who is formidable and ruthless. As the Marquis, Xie Zheng is cold-hearted and merciless. He is very feared as well. He hasn't really known the warmth of love, as it was taken from him very early on in his childhood.
For me, the way I see it is that Xie Zheng's "source" of light in his life is Changyu. She was the one who wasn't scared of him, and who brought him such fond memories and joy throughout their time in Lin'an. At first. we see that Xie Zheng is very much guarded and closed off, but, as time goes on, he starts to warm up a bit, and we even see him becoming fond of Ning. Changyu was the one who brought him all this light, and gave him this pure love that he was scared of losing, which is one of the reasons that he decided to conceal his identity from her, for he was afraid that she would leave him if she knew who he really was.
Xie Zheng and Changyu work so well together because they both respect each other, and also see each other as complete equals. Xie Zheng quietly supports her and provides her with a quiet strength that Changyu can lean on when she needs to. He allows her to pursue what she wants, and never tries to diminish her in any way. For instance, during the Battle at Lucheng, when Changyu and Xie Zheng are standing together on the battlefield, he tells her to get behind him so that he can protect her, but Changyu refuses.
She tells him that she will not hide behind anyone, and that she will fight. Xie Zheng doesn't even try to protest, allowing Changyu to fight alongside him and his army. For me, this showed just how much Xie Zheng respects Changyu in that despite his fear of her getting hurt (despite knowing that she can take care of herself), he doesn't try to prevent her from doing what she wants. As much as he loves her, he also respects her and sees her as a complete equal to himself. Their love is fierce and unyielding as it is tender, as we see in the scene where Xie Zheng comforts Changyu after she wakes up from a nightmare.
Overall, this drama was absolutely incredible, and I highly recommend you watch it!! It made me go through all the emotions, and I will forever think about this drama <3 TAKE ME BACK TO LIN'AN !!!
This drama was one of my absolute favorite historical dramas that I have watched this year! It hooked me right from the very first episode, which is something that a lot of dramas don't always do for me. I adored everything about this drama, from the visuals to the story. The characters were ones that will definitely stick with you, even after the drama is over! Waiting for new episodes to drop was torturous, but it was so worth it! The acting in this drama by every single cast member was phenomenal!
The OSTs of this drama are absolutely gorgeous as well. I also adored how female centric this drama was. It really focuses on Fan Changyu as a character. I absolutely adored the friendships that she formed throughout this drama, especially with the Northwest Pig Slaughter Squad, the Grand Princess, and the father-daughter bond with Grand Tutor Tao Yi. I also wanted to give recognition to Snow Kong , who portrayed Yu Qian Qian, and Deng Kai, who portrayed Qimin/Su Yuanhai. Their acting was phenomenal!!
Though I wasn't necessarily a big fan of the way their relationship was romanticized, as Qimin's character is very much a walking red flag, I was blown away by the levels of emotion and depth these actors had in portraying their respective characters.
Qian Qian is such a strong female character who endures literal hell to save her son, Bao'er (who is so so precious, just like Ning), and even forces herself to do horrible things just so that she can find a way to escape. It definitely hurt my heart to see her do those things, but it also showed me just how strong a mother's love can be. She was willing to do anything to save her son, even at the cost of her own life. She is absolutely one of my favorite female characters, and I also adored her friendship with Changyu as well, and the way that they care for one another.
Qimin, while his character scared me, the acting by Deng Kai in this role was incredible!! He really suits the "villain" role so well! The levels of emotions that he could portray was insane! He did absolutely amazing in this role, and I honestly am thinking of watching other dramas that he's in!
Gongsun Yin and the Grand Princess (Qi Shu)??? OMGGG!!! Their romance honestly hurt my heart so much:((( Their love story was so angsty, and I'm really glad these two got their happy ending as well! I do wish we got a bit more of them in this drama, but I am glad that they did eventually end up together! I also adored both of their characters individually, with Gongsun being Xie Zheng's Strategist and also his closest friend. Their bickering was absolutely hilarious! I also love how strong of a character Qi Shu is as well. She is intelligent and also is not afraid to speak her mind, which is one of the things that I love about her. (literally NO toxic female friendships in this drama and I loved that!!!)
Fan Changyu is one of my absolute favorite female leads ever, and Tian Xiwei did an excellent job of portraying her and bringing her to life! She knows what she wants and she goes after it! And while Changyu does have a strong personality, and can definitely fend for herself, we also get to see her softer side shine through. I love that contrast of her character!
While she is tough and formidable in her own right, Changyu still possess a soft heart that deeply cares for her comrades and her loved ones. She will do everything she can to protect them. She is a protector through and through. This brings me to my next point: her relationship with Xie Zheng (Yan Zheng).
Xie Zheng has been on the battlefield from a young age, and he has known nothing but destruction and death. He experienced it firsthand when his mother took her own life, and again in the atrocities on the battlefield. His father, (at least from what is shown in the drama), didn't seem to be around a lot? Perhaps he was busy with military duties and was rarely home? I feel like Xie Zheng was definitely closer with his mother. Ultimately, Xie Zheng is someone who feels that everybody in his life eventually leaves. He is someone who was raised to be a warrior, and eventually, the Marquis of Wu'an, who is formidable and ruthless. As the Marquis, Xie Zheng is cold-hearted and merciless. He is very feared as well. He hasn't really known the warmth of love, as it was taken from him very early on in his childhood.
For me, the way I see it is that Xie Zheng's "source" of light in his life is Changyu. She was the one who wasn't scared of him, and who brought him such fond memories and joy throughout their time in Lin'an. At first. we see that Xie Zheng is very much guarded and closed off, but, as time goes on, he starts to warm up a bit, and we even see him becoming fond of Ning. Changyu was the one who brought him all this light, and gave him this pure love that he was scared of losing, which is one of the reasons that he decided to conceal his identity from her, for he was afraid that she would leave him if she knew who he really was.
Xie Zheng and Changyu work so well together because they both respect each other, and also see each other as complete equals. Xie Zheng quietly supports her and provides her with a quiet strength that Changyu can lean on when she needs to. He allows her to pursue what she wants, and never tries to diminish her in any way. For instance, during the Battle at Lucheng, when Changyu and Xie Zheng are standing together on the battlefield, he tells her to get behind him so that he can protect her, but Changyu refuses.
She tells him that she will not hide behind anyone, and that she will fight. Xie Zheng doesn't even try to protest, allowing Changyu to fight alongside him and his army. For me, this showed just how much Xie Zheng respects Changyu in that despite his fear of her getting hurt (despite knowing that she can take care of herself), he doesn't try to prevent her from doing what she wants. As much as he loves her, he also respects her and sees her as a complete equal to himself. Their love is fierce and unyielding as it is tender, as we see in the scene where Xie Zheng comforts Changyu after she wakes up from a nightmare.
Overall, this drama was absolutely incredible, and I highly recommend you watch it!! It made me go through all the emotions, and I will forever think about this drama <3 TAKE ME BACK TO LIN'AN !!!
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