Youthful or Immature?
If you’re looking for an easy-to-watch love story, this isn’t it. Despite having 3 couples (and what the trailer would suggest), the genre is less of a romance and more of a palace drama.
The primary thread that ties many events of the series together is about a corrupt noble family and all the trouble they cause. The story follows the leads, played by Bao Shang En and Song Wei Long, as they uncover the conspiracy and face various obstacles together.
While Chinese costume dramas can often have irritating supporting characters, here it’s the primary couple that is poorly written, particularly the female lead.
I think she’s supposed to be in her late teens, so it’s understandable the character is somewhat immature, but her whining and self-centeredness makes her hard to like, especially early on. She tends to make reckless choices without considering the consequences for herself or other people. The inconsistent way the character is written doesn’t do a lot of favors for the actress. She’s spoiled and sheltered and somehow also manages a household and is a savvy businesswoman.
Song Wei Long plays the brooding type well and looks great doing it (that furrowed brow; those deep, dark eyes!), but his skills seem underutilized here. His male lead basically has two modes — “war god” or infatuated husband — and not much character depth or development.
The chemistry between the leads isn’t remarkable, and the two are at odds more often than not. Poor communication for the sake for dramatic tension is common in romance dramas (unfortunately), and that plot device is used several times in ways that seem unnecessary and unlikely.
Overall, a sloppy script that struggles to balance comedic and serious elements — including a rebellion plot that’s difficult to follow at times — make “Youthful Glory” a somewhat disappointing watch. There’s some cute relationship development and exciting, gravity-defying (though unrealistic) action sequences, but it’s not one of the better historical dramas released this year.
The primary thread that ties many events of the series together is about a corrupt noble family and all the trouble they cause. The story follows the leads, played by Bao Shang En and Song Wei Long, as they uncover the conspiracy and face various obstacles together.
While Chinese costume dramas can often have irritating supporting characters, here it’s the primary couple that is poorly written, particularly the female lead.
I think she’s supposed to be in her late teens, so it’s understandable the character is somewhat immature, but her whining and self-centeredness makes her hard to like, especially early on. She tends to make reckless choices without considering the consequences for herself or other people. The inconsistent way the character is written doesn’t do a lot of favors for the actress. She’s spoiled and sheltered and somehow also manages a household and is a savvy businesswoman.
Song Wei Long plays the brooding type well and looks great doing it (that furrowed brow; those deep, dark eyes!), but his skills seem underutilized here. His male lead basically has two modes — “war god” or infatuated husband — and not much character depth or development.
The chemistry between the leads isn’t remarkable, and the two are at odds more often than not. Poor communication for the sake for dramatic tension is common in romance dramas (unfortunately), and that plot device is used several times in ways that seem unnecessary and unlikely.
Overall, a sloppy script that struggles to balance comedic and serious elements — including a rebellion plot that’s difficult to follow at times — make “Youthful Glory” a somewhat disappointing watch. There’s some cute relationship development and exciting, gravity-defying (though unrealistic) action sequences, but it’s not one of the better historical dramas released this year.
Was this review helpful to you?
