This drama is sadly underrated. It was not super popular, or so I'm told, in China. I cannot claim to know why, but maybe that is because of the other shows airing at the time... or perhaps, the audience was looking for something more fast paced? Whatever the reason, it deserved more love.
General Plot:
On the eve of her wedding to her childhood friend, Yang Caiwei is abducted by Shangguan Zhi-- a cruel woman who craves her betrothed, Pan Yue. After being forced to swap bodies, Caiwei escapes only to discover Shangguan Zhi has been murdered. Killed, it would seem, in her stead. Armed with nothing but a stranger's face and her skills as a coroner, Caiwei embarks on a journey to unearth a conspiracy that goes back twenty years... to the murder of her parents. Pan Yue is also on the case, but could he be her killer?
Liu Xue Yi, who plays Pan Yue (male lead), took what might have been a simple character and turned him into a brilliant one. I must admit to being more attached to him than the female lead I was supposed to be rooting for! His expressions, nuances, and subtle gestures portrayed a very private individual's inner turmoil expertly. His emotions--even when the character was hiding them from other characters--were evident to the audience. His heartbreak and grief was palpable. He was confused over the change is "Shangguan Zhi" and loathed himself having feelings for her. Was that not a betrayal to the woman he loved?
Some people say Pan Yue should have caught on sooner, but in the character's defense, there is no magic in this world. Any supernatural instances are disproven with science and practicality. If someone I knew showed up and started acting like someone else, would I assume a body-swap? Not likely. Not ever, to be honest.
The female lead was alright. She wasn't my favorite, but she grew on me. I enjoyed the story enough to ignore a little inconsistency in the character when the actresses switched. Ju Jing Ye reminds me of a 'type actress'. She often plays herself--which is fine because she seems to be genuinely nice person. Her character was very resourceful and clever, and she had the perfect eyes for the part. Red rimmed and pleading... but that might have also been allergies. There were times I really wanted to get her eye drops.
Overall, I truly enjoyed the story. Why not a higher score? Primarily, it was the disappointing ending for some of the secondary characters. One in particular was very heart wrenching, and while his 'fate' was tied into the plot, it could have been done differently. What can I say? I am a sucker for happily ever after.
If you are a fan of Liu Xue Yi, this is a much watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
"The Ballad of Horrible Families, Take Two".
If it was up to me, I would rename this show: "The Ballad of Horrible Families, Take Two".This is a reincarnation tale, where the protagonist Dou Zhao gets a do-over in life. Armed with the knowledge of her last life, she awakens as a young girl and dedicates herself to changing fate. Her destiny, however, is tied to that of Song Mo, who died by her side in the previous life and seems doomed to experience the same betrayals and heartaches in this one.
This may sound silly, but going in, I didn't realize how politically heavy this drama would become. The previews made me think it would be more action and fighting with some politics sprinkled in for good measure. This is not the case. If you are looking for an action packed story--without the political backstabbing and family bickering--this may not be the drama you're looking for.
The acting is spot on. The connection between the male and female leads was fantastic, and even the characters we hate are played convincingly enough to truly despise them. So, why only a seven?
1. The first episode was amazing, but episodes 2-17 were very rather tedious. I get that there was a lot of things to go through--betrayals of both familial and imperial natures--but I nearly dropped the show so many times. How much time does it take to point out that her step-mother is evil, his uncle was innocent, her father is purposefully blind to the injustices around him, and his father wants to kill his own son?
2. Once the two leads are finally together, the show picks up, but it didn't leave much time to explore what the two of them would be like romantically. We get to see very little of their love life. They are either planning strategy, fighting injustice, or being ignored for minor characters. For characters that actually get together rather early for a c-drama, we are permitted very little insight into that. The little we could see was constantly interrupted. Some of this was humorous. Song Mo’s soldiers were fantastic, but Duo Zhao’s cousin literally interrupting their wedding night to talk about her own romantic issues? Wow.
3. I personally feel there were too many characters for the allotted time. The story around Song Mo and Duo Zhao was great, but their friends, cousins, siblings, uncles, parents… Trying to get through plots and endings for each character left the last bit of the story too stretched. The main duo was barely in the last six episodes and they had some serious complications going on! Less time about her friend marrying a psychologically damaged man and more about how they are doing with one of them slowly dying from poison, please. I realize this is following a book, but the extra plot lines were just too much.
4. Also, on a personal note, this show may me very angry at times. As shown in the previews, both of the main leads have truly horrible families. From parents to in-laws, and half-siblings to step mothers--it's worse than a harem. Selfishness, cowardice, 'justified' cruelty--you name it, it happens. Neglect, miscarriages, characters who are harmed (even killed) simply out of carelessness. People who crave nothing but power and those who stand by and do nothing while those they love are abused and mistreated. Meaningless punishments and pointless justifications—truly horrible things happen and the perpetrators have the audacity to claim innocence, hiding behind tradition and family loyalty like that excuses their behavior. It has been a long time since I watched something where people die for no reason and scapegoats are created simply to appease someone's pride. The number of people consumed by greed and selfishness was off the charts. Even the Emperor was shocked that Song Mo resented him for betraying his uncle—the emperor’s best friend since childhood and the only parental character shown in a good light.
If you can watch that sort of thing without getting really worked up, it is a good tale. There is no doubt the actors all put their hearts and souls into their performances, and there were some truly beautiful moments. For my own blood pressure, I think I’ll be taking a break from something with this much corruption. Otherwise, I’m likely to jump through the screen and take out the evil doers myself!
Was this review helpful to you?
Short but Sweet!
This very short drama is so much FUN! It makes light of all the tropes and cliches of popular Asian dramas and uses them to its advantage. Of course, it tells the viewer this will happen right away and does a wonderful job balancing humor with plot. The main couple have great chemistry and the secondary couple are a riot.A young woman unfulfilled in her career, enters a romantic comic "game" to earn a better place in life. Is it a silly premise? Yes. But incredibly enjoyable. The female lead is upset about falling for the supposed 'villain'. Oh, honey, haven't we all at one time or another?
If you are looking for a shorter show with a lot of humor and a genuinely good time, this is it! Expect a lot of kisses, goofy support characters, and all kinds of humor. I choose this drama because of one of the actors, but I would rewatch it again and again for the enjoyment of the tale.
I would give the drama a ten save for a few minor issues. One, the last two minutes should be ignored. Someone was either trying to get past censorship or thought they were very clever. Two, some of the minor time jumps were a bit confusing, like scenes were shortened or deleted. Three, it could have been a bit longer. Such a great story deserves more air time. It also deserved a theme song with opening credits.
Was this review helpful to you?
Golden Standard for Chinese Drama
This show is the Golden Standard for Chinese Drama. There is a reason other shows are so often compared to this one. The main cast's acting is so on point that one actually forgets there are actors on the screen rather than the characters themselves. The emotion, the micro-expressions, the sorrow, and the jubilation... The audience feels it all right along with them. The story is so expertly interwoven with each character's personal journey that it can be difficult to tell where one ends and another begins.I cannot speak for anyone else, but characters are what capture me in a story. Give me a good character--flawed but captivating--and I will become emotionally involved every single time. Dongfang Qingcang was that character for me. His story was breathtaking in its depth and sincerity. Wang Hedi (Dylan Wang) played him expertly. I hope he takes on another such role in the future.
This is the very Chinese Drama I have ever watched all the way through. I heard about it through fan videos, watched it, and literally signed up for Viki because of this show. It got me hooked on historical C Dramas. On a personal note, I discovered this show a few months after the passing of a loved one so some of the themes touched on in this particular drama hit very close to home.
"Love Between Fairy and Devil" will always be one of my favorites. In fact, I am rewatching the show on Viki now! MUCH better subtitles.
If you haven't watched this show, put it on your list. You won't regret it.
Was this review helpful to you?
