In this drama there were so many big shot actors all in one for which impacted the many watching audiences:
Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye)
As much as I love Park Shin Hye as an actor I found her character very annoying. This is because of her constantly crying whenever she faces a problem in her life, or just crying after see Kim Tan (Lee Min Ho). But if she was aiming for that type of character I applaud her for that.
Kim Tan (Lee Min Ho)
Lee Min Ho playing Kim Tan was pretty good because of how he would always want to stick to his brother, having no clue of what's going on within the business because of his young age. However, he kept cockblocking the relationship between Cha Eun Sang and Choi Young Do for which I would like to see further develop.
Choi Young Do (Kim Woo Bin)
Oh gosh, did I love Kim Woo Bin's character in this drama. The different emotions he used to express each and everything showed perfectly well on his face. However, I feel as though if the relationship between Choi Young Do and Cha Eun Sang were to further develop it would add some extra excitement.
Lee Bo Na (Krsytal) & Yoon Chan Young (Kang Min Hyuk)
This is one of my favourite couples the were so cute and funny.
Lee Hyo Shin (Kang Ha Neul)
He acted out his character extremely well with the different emotions shown in this drama from: Mysterious -> dorky -> angry -> jealousy there were so many emotions he displayed wonderfully.
Kim Won (Choi Jin Hyuk)
He played the role of an elder brother, step in company owner and a lover extremely well. I loved how he could show different personalities to his character.
Jo Myung-soo (Park Hyung Shik)
asdfghjkl;' He was too adorable in this drama I could see the many bromances forming with him. ><
Han Ki-Ae (Kim Sung-Ryoung)& Park Hee-Nam (Kim Mi-Kyung)
OMFG these mothers were one of my favourites! They were humorous, cute and dorky. I also applaud Kim Mi-Kyung for not speaking throughout this whole drama, other than narrating :L
Rachel Yoo (Kim Ji Won)
She did amazingly well! Playing the antagonist in this drama simply brilliant.
As or music wise, it did sound really nice at the beginning but they just kept replaying the tracks over and over again when there was any chance possible. Which made it especially cheesy.
I'm sorry but I wouldn't watch this again, it was very confusing and lacked finesse therefore I would give it an overall score of 6.
Sorry if I did offend anyone with my review but as mentioned before I had my expectations up really high. Also is it just me or did Cha Eun Sang cry in at lest 18 of the 20 episodes?
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Hilariously entertaining
The story is very entertaining. 1st episode is funny, second episode is funnier and the rest is enjoyable. This is not annoying anti women/men love story.. The male lead is a popular actor that has an adonis reputation but the truth is he dislikes women, and vice versa for Female lead who is a lawyer. Where she ended up working in a law firm dominated by men. And that’s how they met, It’s worth watching. You won’t be sorry. The casts have good chemistry. They’re all good actors, they played their roles really well. It’s funny how the men and women are totally opposites from the female parents to main leads.Was this review helpful to you?
Now that we've got that out of the way: Despite unevenness, Cheese in the Trap is a narrative success in my books, for many of the same reasons I've also defended that other 2016 YA drama with a bad reputation, Scarlet Heart: Ryeo. (Speaking of, MLSHR is one of the recs under CITT because it, too, has a "questionably crazy male lead." Hilarity.)
Anyway, k-drama romances tend to fall under two trends:
(1) Zany Disney-esque romcoms where love lifts everyone up where they belong (see: My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, To the Beautiful You, You Who Came From the Stars, etc. etc. etc. etc.).
(2) Toxic and imbalanced relationships that are glorified with undeserved happily-ever-afters (see: Boys Over Flowers, The Heirs, and so on and so forth).
Cheese in the Trap isn't either of those stories. Much like MLSHR, CITT is concerned with one overarching question: Can a person change another person? (Alternatively: Do people change *for* other people?) The show doesn't give a pat answer, and that's to its credit.
In short, this is a slice-of-life that isn't afraid to go dark (and not in an incongruous after-school special way — unlike Age of Youth, the darkness in CITT is fully fleshed out). If you're looking for light, escapist fun that delivers a straightforward message, there are literally hundreds of other dramas for you. If, otoh, you want a complex story about young adults that doesn't idealise its characters — but also, importantly, doesn't descend into nihilism — you might want to give Cheese in the Trap a shot.
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I really thought Idol Romance finally made a good show
After the first two episodes, I thought this show was going to be good. I thought "Wow, Idol Romance finally learned from their mistakes", but immediately after episodes 3 and 4, I realized that they hadn't. The only thing I liked about this show was Eun Gyu, but more on that later.The story was just boring. Nothing happened. In the span of 8 episodes, not a single thing happened. The whole show can be boiled down to this: a new guy joins a restaurant and creates an overly dramatic love triangle that would never happen in real life. I don't understand who green-lit this script. It could've had the potential with a different storyline than just another love triangle. I do admit, Hae Won and Eun Gyu did have decent chemistry. The actors did their scenes nicely. But what was seriously lacking was some development in that relationship. And the fact that Ji Soo and Eun Gyu got into such a dramatic argument about a guy they'd known for a month, despite their 15 years of friendship, seriously annoyed me as a viewer. There was so much backstory between those two friends that never got unpacked, other than maybe 5 minutes across all episodes that just dropped bombshells of information on us.
Along with the story, the characters just bothered me in so many ways. All of them. They were all poorly written. This is no hatred towards the actors, by the way. But I don't get why all the characters were so childish when they were all at least in their twenties. Why did they all start acting so fussy just because of some new handsome guy joining? Ji Soo was just a very uncomfortable character in the weird way he forced himself upon Hae Won, but Hae Won was also annoyingly naive. And I didn't understand what the real function of Ha Jin and Joo Seo Hyuk was. They were just kind of there.
I hate critiquing acting because I know I'll never be able to perform the same way, but the acting in this show was not that great. The only actor whom I genuinely thought was good was the actor playing Eun Gyu. The guy playing Ji Soo was also good at times, but it was Eun Gyu who carried the show acting-wise. I hope to see him act in other shows after this because he really has talent.
Overall, no, I did not like the show. And I honestly don't recommend it to anyone. I think you'll only like this show if you swallow *anything* related to BL. But this show was just not good. I would've dropped this show if it weren't for being so short.
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1
1ABOUT THE ROMANCE....
Touted as a female-centric drama, The Story of Pearl Girl tells the story of Duanwu's journey from slave girl to entrepreneur. It is a story of hope, perseverance, and resilience. Zhao Lusi's portrayal of the growth of her character from one whose actions came from desperation for freedom to one who uses her prosperity to help other women was captivating. Lusi as a versatile actress is well known. I am not part of any one fandom and have several other actresses I enjoy watching, but I have to say that I cannot imagine another actress in this role. She was outstanding!One expert in the field of TV and communications noted that "the drama opens up a new direction for the transformation of female-oriented dramas... as there is an awakening of women's consciousness, shifting from a desire to watch love stories to that of watching business dramas. " Well, not me. As much as I enjoy an interesting business drama, I enjoy love stories more. For more details such as expert feedback, background, production, and all things The Story of Pearl Girl please see Frost-edelweiss' companion piece. Just copy and paste the following link or you can find it in discussions at the top of the TSOPG forum. https://kisskh.at/discussions/zhu-lian-yu-mu/131556-the-story-of-pearl-girl-companion-piece.
Romance....
I felt the tension between the leads long before they got together. Lusi and Liu Yuning's chemistry captivated me in such a way that I have never wanted so much for a happy ending. Their relationship did not start with love at first sight...even though I saw a l flicker of interest in Yan Zi Ying's eyes when he saw the beautiful Duanwu in her pearl dance. Their earlier relationship was not one of equality and YZJ was not the gentle hero. You might even find him cruel and unyielding at first but you will come to understand him. The relationship developed at a steady pace. Duanwu's quick mind allowed her to keep up with YZJ. It was obvious he found her fascinating and smart. And little by little he gave in to her wishes. But he also allowed her to learn and to grow on her own. I don't know at what point he realized he loved her, but watching this big tough man fall in love to the point her closeness unnerved him, was endearing in itself. I am unsure if it was character or actor, but the way YZJ held Duanwu's hands, smiled at her, and simply engulfed her in his protective arms melted my heart. And perhaps it wasn't just him, but the chemistry between Lusi and Liu Yuning that made it so special. Viewers have to see for themselves, but anyone who has watched Lusi before will not be surprised. This is my second drama with Liu Yuning as the ML and I find myself loving him the more I watch him. And yes, there are kiss scenes...special kiss scenes...special to their unique chemistry.
While TSOPG is said to NOT be romance centered, it was the love...the chemistry... between YZJ and Duanwu that held me captivated. To me, their relationship was the center. Meeting YZJ, set off a series of events that led to Duanwu's character growth. There were times he watched her fail, and times he helped her. Watch for those little quirks of his lips whenever she succeeds. You will see that he fell first. Duanwu was too busy trying to achieve freedom. I felt the romance every time the leads were together. There is a separation after episode 18, but it doesn't last long and even before the misunderstanding is cleared up, they still see each other. There was never a doubt that YZJ still cared for Duanwu. The lull in their relationship allowed for the FL to grow in her efforts following the ideals of female empowerment. Yes, the plot was interesting and it was gratifying to see Duanwu's resilience and intelligence result in her success as an entrepreneur. BUT it was the chemistry of this couple that had me so invested in this drama that I had ONE WISH! Both Duanwu and YZJ suffered many losses. I wanted them to be happy at the end.
The Ending (SPOILER)
I have no regrets watching The Story of Pearl Girl. It was a beautiful journey. And beautifully performed. Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning went beyond expectations. While Duanwu and Yan Zi Ying were able to achieve goals and take fate into their own hands, there were some things they could not change. It was heartbreaking to see the dignity in their acceptance that YZJ was going to die. He decided to leave as he did not want her to see him die. He wanted so much to be with her, so it was heartbreaking to see his selflessness even as he cried. It was heartbreaking to see the composure that Duanwu held together for so long fall apart as she asked him not to leave her. But it was beautiful to see the way they were in their last scene. It was when they finally faced the truth together. YZJ didn't have to hide his health from Duanwu, and she no longer had to pretend she didn't know while doing everything she could to help him. Only then did they share their pain. I like to think perspectives changed once it was all in the open. Perhaps YZJ did not leave Duanwu behind. She wished to see the world with him and she told him. She might have convinced him to let her go with him. We don't know how much of an open ending we can see this to be, but knowing Duanwu, she had always been able to sway YZJ to see her way at some point. We do know at the end, that she declined the position as head of the guild so she could travel. Some might say the gradual build-up to finally facing the truth together, sharing the pain, and then shifting to Duanwu receiving recognition for her accomplishments was beautifully done.
But.... I detest sad endings. And I detest open endings. Good for those who feel the ending works for them. Even though I see how beautifully it was done and appreciate the performances of both Liu Yuning and Zhao Lusi I still need to ask, "Wèishéme?" Why? Why couldn't they have had their happy ending? Why must we watch 40 episodes of ups and downs, be dragged for almost 22 episodes hoping for the cure only to find it was hopeless? And why did they make this couple so loving that we feel invested in their outcome? They deserved their happiness. We deserve our happiness! His death was not necessary to show female empowerment or that Duanwu could do this on her own. She had already proven her resilience and capabilities. I gave TSOPG 10s for everything except rewatch value which I put as 9 at first. Then I changed it to a 10 after writing this review because I miss them. Needless to say, I have already rewatched the final episode several times looking for answers. My heart aches and it is hard to move on. They made me love them ....
Liu Yuning sings the OST "Only Wish." Visit Peachey Blossom's The Story of Pearl Girl Full OST video: https://youtu.be/oNvhO0pbO-4 to listen to Liu Yunings beautiful voice. The lyrics show life and death are two extremes of life's journey. We don't always get our wishes because some things are beyond our control. The following are some lyrics that stood out for me in terms of the drama.
Floating life is like a boat , ferrying the sorrows and joys of the world.
I hope this fateful entanglement is half regret and half hope
...the splendid memories will stain your eyes
...the bitterness of the world is still accompanied by dreams.
...I'll be moored on the other side of the river for the rest of your life, watching
The message here is in life there is good and bad. But may you always remember the good times. Even if there are sorrows, there are joys. The joyful memories will never go away. They are worth it. And this is what I have to say about watching this drama. Yes, it has a sad ending or an open ending as you might see it to be. Like the leads, I didn't get the ending I wanted but it doesn't negate the beauty in this drama or all that went into this amazing production. It is a 10 for me. And it is a beautiful journey you should see if only for once.
It is worth it.
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1
1An Artistic Mess!
Burnout Syndrome tells the story of three characters: Jira, Koh and Pheem, who will eventually make you swoon, then ragebait you, and again will make you settle for less because of some "artistic" bullshit "heart wants what it wants."Storyline wise, it was something that GMMTV had not made anything like this before. It's artistic, cinematographycally chatchy, and aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. But when it comes to the characters, the brain, who does all the judging, tells me it's a waste of time.
Out of all the characters who stood out for me were Ing, Mawin and our "second_lead_syndrome" guy Pheem. Especially, Emi, as Ing, was just outstanding and brilliant. She felt like HOME! Her every word was true to the core and had weight to it. Also, AJ, as Mawin, did a great job. He proved that he's more than just one comedy guy. He gave us something to look forward to his career in the future.
Now coming to the sad boi, Pheem; at first he was arrogant and thought he could win anything in life until he met Jira. He shattered him and left him like a broken tape recorder. He gave more than he received. Dew as Pheem was enchanting! The casting crew knew what they were doing. If it wasn't for the fixed ship, I would have been sold for DewGun.
As an actor, Off and Gun was as good as always. But Koh and Jira's character had no development whatsoever. Koh was as shitty as before without being sorry for whatever he did to him and Jira let him trample his art, soul and body. Jira let Koh EMOTIONALLY OWN HIM. AI part was left behind as it was nothing. Koh saw Jira with a capitalistic mindset and he continued to do so. Did he promise he'll not do it again? No. Then what made Jira trust him again with his art? Idk.
If you look at their characters, they were simply so chaotic and unruly that watching them makes this whole thing so overwhelming that you're left with a void inside. Why? Because they made every character so pathetic that it mentally caused me to think, "This is fictional, I shouldn't be THIS mad." But at the end of the day, because of fixed OffGun ship we, the audience had to sacrifice a good story to something like this. This storyline gives you problems, shows you the solutions but doesn't give you the liberty to enjoy it because, at the end, it doesn't make sense.
Cinematography, colouring, styling and colour combination of the series were beautiful. When there were were paired with soulful background music it became alluring. The art pieces were mesmerizing. Shoutout to the artist who's behind this. They created a very artistic vibe to the whole series regardless of how chaotic it was.
Overall, I had great expectations from P'Nuchy. I'm utterly disappointed with whatever it concluded to. It truly proved itself an artistic mess after all. I wouldn't mind if it wasn't a "happy ending". It felt forced.
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OVERRATED
I was really looking forward to watching this drama especially when I heard Kim Soo Hyun was playing the male lead, however unfortunately I was extremely disappointed.I suspect it also has to do with my high expectations of this drama but honestly not only was the storyline average but also the soundtrack and character development wasn't intriguing.
I feel like it got so much attention because of the good looks of the main characters but I felt that their chemistry wasn't amazing and their relationship was overly complicated.
I didn't feel moved at all watching this and the ending wasn't satisfying. It has an interesting concept however lacked thematic value.
Overall it was an alright drama and there were some heartwarming moments however definitely did not deserve the praise that it had received.
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I enjoyed the cross cultural elements of the film. There was a time, in my ignorance, when I thought all East Asian cultures were more or less the same. I have since broadened my horizons, but it was still quite interesting to see that China was just as much a cultural novelty for Dong-ha, a Korean, as it would've been for me, a Westerner.
What's more interesting is that a great portion of this film is in English because Dong-ha doesn't speak Chinese and May doesn't speak Korean. I must admit it was a bit weird for me to hear them speak English so I muted the sound and simply read the subtitles. It's not that their English was poor. Actually, they were as good as anyone can speak a foreign language, but their accents were really heavy. I found that it distracted me from the emotion of the story and the performances.
I'm thankful this movie wasn’t too emotionally draining. The few times it reverted to more somber themes, those were quickly overruled by one comedic scene or another.
Dong-ha and May had mad on-screen chemistry. There were some very steamy kisses in this movie, and May was a full participant in all the action! No shocked, open-eyed reaction here. For once I can't complain about the intimacy between the characters being fake. My only wish was that those kisses were more frequent and longer! haha :)
Overall, I have very few complaints. This was a simple, but satisfying story with good, subtle performances from a pair of very attractive leads. I doubt I've ever seen Jung Woo-sung look so handsome on screen, not even in A Moment to Remember (and let’s face it, the man was pretty darn hot in that movie!). The ending was unnecessary. I would have preferred a different outcome, one that was a bit more straightforward and less open, but it didn't spoil the movie for me. It's clear that the director just wanted to be a jerk and yank our chain.
I highly recommend Season of Good Rain as the perfect date movie. It’s a light romantic drama that’ll make you reminisce about when you first met your love, give you many reasons to make out and offer you something light-hearted to debate about after it’s done. Enjoy!
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The story is good, and the way it's told is very interesting. I loved the way they shift plot sequences to keep the element of suspense. It was done very artfully.
The character Jang Tae San is wonderfully written and Lee Jun Ki lives the role. As we follow his struggles and efforts, we also see more of the person inside,who is the hardest on himself.
The most beautiful parts of the drama are the interactions between Tae San and Soo Jin. The drama writers have written in that connection to perfection. You start to look out for the little girl, when the story has been moving elsewhere for a while. And of course, the girl who plays Soo Jin is super cute.
The rest of the cast are great too- including all the baddies.
Now, the plot isn't without it's share of holes. But none of that affects the compelling nature of this drama.
The ending is perfect- realistic and at the same time, leaving us on a happy note.
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I watched it because of my favorite actress Nakama Yukie. I've seen her acting very different characters; high school student, high school teacher, Sadako, clumsy police, woman with multiple personality, silly yet lovable reporter and her character in Utsukushii Rinjin whom I have no words... So I was tempted to see her acting in this one too.
Second reason why I watched this was Gackt. I loved his creepy yet attractive character with long tongue. If you're curious what he does with the tongue watch the drama.
I was amazed by the drama. I'm glad it wasn't super long. Otherwise I would've ended up dropping it...
The music was very good and now I feel like I know something about Okinawa's history.
The acting was good but from some new actors it wasn't as good but I still liked it.
Okay I have no idea what I'm babbling about. I liked the drama and that's all. I think this is a drama no one should miss.
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This review may contain spoilers
Love story in warlords-time Manchuria
First, let's clear away some misunderstandings. The story is not about a "last princess" or even a "fallen" noblewoman. It is about a couple of characters who fight for their own visions and aspirations, and who are somewhat fated to be together, despite hurdles and threats to their life.I was quite satisfied by this drama, despite the sometimes-abrupt editing, which makes suspect parts are missing. But this is understandable since the history of this drama also was not really smooth. As some previous commenters pointed out, it was an adaptation of a novel and in the very long time since it was shot, it got reduced from 50 to 38 episodes, more or less put aside for almost three years, and finally released with little fanfare. Original title is Bu Yun Qu , 步雲衢 (Bù yún qú, which may translate as Crossroads under piling clouds). The original novel was not available to me.
Warning: this is a long review, with History reminders for those unfamiliar with the period. Those who are may of course skip these details.
"The Last Princess" is a historical romance drama set around 1911-1932 from the fall of the Qing dynasty until the end of the warlords’ period and the establishment of the Manchukuo puppet regime in 1931. Despite the grittiness of that Republican era period, it is often the theater for “romantic” movies and dramas using the models of real historical figures, while depicting imaginary characters who might remind of the adventurous ones from Alexander Dumas novels of the 19th century. So, this one is also not a docu-drama, but an imaginary “romantic” story using impressions of some historical characters and events.
***
To start, some reminders about Chinese “Republican era “timeline and places may be useful:
* The Qing empire fell in October 1911. A provisional government was established in Nanjing the following year under Sun Yat-sen, who had returned from his long exile to lead the revolution. But the "southern" revolutionaries were not strong enough to defeat the Beiyang army of Yuan Shikai, in the north, who became the de facto dictator of China after the Xinhai Revolution established the Republic of China in 1912.
* The Warlord Era began in 1916 upon Yuan Shikai's death. It lasted until 1927.
* Two of the most powerful strongmen of the Warlord Era were the "Old Marshal" ZHANG ZUOLIN (warlord of Manchuria from 1916 to 1928) and WU PEIFU in Zhili, known as Hebei province, now. (Today, the C-shaped area of Hebei, surrounding Beijing and Tianjin municipalities, makes up the Jing-Jin-Ji megalopolis region bordering the Bohai sea, the Shandong peninsula to the south and the Dongbei north-east region to the north, which borders with the Changbai mountains and the Korean peninsula).
***
The drama focuses on the story of a couple, who struggle to fulfill their dreams despite many oppositions
FL character Yurong may appear cold in the beginning, but she does not waver in her sentimental attachment once it is formed, although at times to the point of unreasonable clinging, while also being at times too eager to distance herself from her dangerous warlord. She manages not to appear too unbelievable despite her ever-impeccable hairdo and manicured nails, But her sacrifices for the “public good” are exaggerated and make her stand out sometimes irritatingly as a rigid and stubborn would-be martyr. But not as whiny and childish as another female character (the very irritating Jiaojiao).
28-year-old Rain Wang Herun王鹤润 (who played Yurong) has been acting in many dramas since 2017, including as FL in one (2019 Yanxi Palace: Princess adventures, a Yanxi Palace spinoff)), where she portrayed a determined Qing dynasty princess contending with palace intrigue and a vendetta against her family, while navigating the treacherous terrain of romance. Her portrayal of the conflicted Yurong is adequate. The former princess attempts to become an independent modern woman putting action before passion, sometimes recklessly and clumsily, while she at first remains bound by remnants of old-time family loyalty.
ML character Zhao Zhengnan ( played by 38-year-old singer and actor Ryan Zhang He张赫, who seems blessed with never aging physique) is both handsome and determined: a soldier intent on putting the state before his personal feelings, but still doing his best to protect his love whom he puts before his own life. He manages to reel Yurong in and contain her excesses several times, despite many heartaches.
This was my first time watching a drama featuring this actor born 1984 in Shenyang. A graduate of Shenyang Conservatory of Music, majoring in opera, he is also a singer, but does not sing in this drama. He made his acting debut in the 2009 film “Perfect Bride” and has since taken part in 7 movies and 19 dramas, of which 2 are upcoming. Among these, he was playing, together with Hu Yitian, the role of a war pilot in “Defying the Storm” (a drama set in the period from 1937, when Chinese air force was still in its infancy and relying on foreign planes, sometimes complete with foreign pilots, such as the famous Flying Tigers, an U.S. volunteer squad which operated 1941-1942). I was favorably impressed by his Zhengnan and may look up more of his work.
Special mention to Tao Yi Xi who plays Yurong in the first half of the first episode. She often plays child or support roles since 2013, but we don't know much more about her. She does stand out here, with her kitten!
Each character in The Last Princess represents a part of the turbulent History.
As the descendants of prince Chun did in actual History, the child “gege” (title of a Manchu princess) Yurong decided to cast aside her Aisin-gioro name linking her to the imperial clan, adopting the name Jin (金)instead. (The real-life descendants of prince Chun did the same and lived to become valued professionals and even civil servants in the PRC). From childhood already Yurong set forth to fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor to “help people”. She thus represents the New Women in the beginning of the 20th century.
Yurong was an idealist and stubborn young lady. But at first, she was saddled with a cumbersome family member in the person of Guri Bude, a feckless Manchu cousin to whom she had been betrothed in infancy. She never agreed to fully accept the arranged marriage, living instead as a student housemate or sister, in their Tianjin house near the university where she studied medicine. She was concerned about his numerous weaknesses but without more than a sense of family loyalty to him.
He knew she had a crush on a boy briefly met in her childhood, who might be in Tianjin, but Guri Bude failed to evaluate the importance of this. Guri Bude (played by Zheng Xiaodong) represents the clueless and weak people of the previous regime, who could not defend their spouses, their country or themselves, dreamed of restoration of the Qing empire, but only failed miserably and fell prey to a greedy woman and to opium, the evil drug that led to the downfall of the Qing and invasion of China by foreign powers.
This greedy woman, Baoxi (played by Ke Nai Yu), belonged to the antagonist Wu warlord clan, vying for control of mines and land in Manchuria. The Wu family represents the factions who, in Zhili (present-day Hebei) sided with government only for their own gain, with no sense of honor or of country. Their son Wu Pei (played by "Sean Zhang"/Zhang Liang) was a vicious murderer, ready to kill even his helpers and sell-out to the Japanese who would soon launch a full-fledged invasion after killing the main opponent to their schemes: the Zhao warlord of Manchuria. These were the traitors to the country.
On the other hand, the Zhao warlord was, if not exemplary, at least more likeable, and patriotic. The old marshal cared enough for his son Zhao Zhengnan, main protagonist, that he accepted to cancel another infant betrothal, so Zhengnan might marry his one and only flame. This despite having to forego the direly needed money from the Sheng tycoon family, and make an enemy of Sheng JiaoJiao (played by Chen Meng Qin), the rejected bride-to-be. She would never accept the situation and go to extraordinary lengths to “re-capture” her obsessive life-long interest, Zhengnan.
Meanwhile, beset by lack of funds, the Zhao clan struggled to keep their hold on Fengtian and its rich mining resources. (Fengtian was the name at the time of present-day Shenyang city, and of the province, known today as Liaoning province); another important Manchu name for Shenyang was Mukden, but the drama avoids referring to the game changing Mukden incident of 18 September 1931. It features instead the assassination of the warlord of Manchuria (loosely modeled on real-life Zhang Zuolin, who was murdered by Japanese agents on June4, 1928).
In "The Last Princess", Ryan Zhang /Zhang He plays the role of “Young Marshal” Zhao Zhengnan, loosely based on the historical ZHANG XUELIANG (1901-2001), the so-called "Young Marshal" who became both warlord of Manchuria and head of the Beiyang Government after the death of his father.
The constant power struggle, sometimes armed, between factions in Beijing (Nanjing was official capital in that period) is depicted in this drama. The Beiyang government was changeable and unstable: it had seven different heads of state and more than two dozen different ministries between 1916 and 1928 when China was partly reunified under the Nationalist banner. Foreign influence was important, as despite the capital being in Nanjing, foreign countries also recognized the Beiyang government, pressing it for advantages such as land deals and railroad building and operating. In the decade following 1928, Japanese aggression increased on the coast of Manchuria, which was gradually abandoned by the Guomindang Nationalists. The GMD was more concerned about eliminating their political rivals : the Gongchandang Communist party, following the doctrine of先安内, 后攘外 "first internal pacification, then external resistance" (=getting rid of communists, before fighting the Japanese).
I did not skip any part and was not bored. I will not go into too many details, but here's a bird's-eye view: Zooming to end after many twists and turns, after separations and reunions in cities, on railroads, in hospitals, and in the wild Changbai mountains close to Korea, with bandits! Happy end for the pair, although Jiaojiao got a frightful end, but she was so stupid anyway, that it was a wonder she still was around, and what did she mean, bragging to very end about all the dirt she had on people armed with guns? She really was asking for what she got.
Of course, Manchuria was not yet liberated at end of drama, but the survivors were envisioning peaceful futures. We were spared from gritty depictions of death camps; instead, the cell that held our GCD heroes was surprisingly airy and clean, and I was looking at those handcuffs which slender-wrist Yurong easily could have slid off, and her impeccable clean hairdo with the pearled hair tie... Mmmm looking good till the end! Fingernails always clean and well manicured. THE pin-up heroine! Only found in c-dramas.
Zhengnan also looked dashing in his military uniform, even grazed by bullets that mowed everyone except him. But of course, he still needed to be persuaded to join the Party since this was PRC produced.
(In reality, historical model Zhang Xueliang did not join it, just as he never married a Manchu princess of House Aisin-Gioro, nor a doctor or nurse, for that matter; his real-life personal story was quite eventful, but he was far from a romantic, very different from the Last Princess drama.)
All considered, it was a satisfying melodrama with a handsome cast and mostly OK acting, which I did not regret watching. Since it followed at least more or less the timeline and some features of the Zhang Xueliang historical model, it made me read more to accompany my watching, and I liked the incentive to dig deeper, including watching some documentaries and listening to some period songs, both famous romantic songs by singers like Li Xianglan, the “Liaoning nightingale” (1920-2014) and other ones. These are not featured in the drama, but the OST is soothing and pleasing, and the music is not overshadowing dialogues.
The most memorable song is the one featured on episode end credits: At a glance - 一眼之间 Yīyǎn zhī jiān (Zǐ Zhú 紫竹).
While looking at end credits, I also noticed that there was a musical cooperation with Thailand, including instrumental music directed by well-known Somtow Sucharitkul who is both a gifted writer of horror and science fiction, and a composer (he composed five symphonies and a ballet, a “Requiem: In Memoriam 9/11,” "commissioned by the government of Thailand and inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and T. S. Eliot. ").
You can watch the drama and listen to the complete OST on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ2b2Z8Kvi8&t=15s.
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Stunningly Acted and Shot Film
Egoist is in one word, heart-wrenching. It will pull at your heart strings and really reminds you how harsh reality can be but at the same time, it shows us how beautiful love can pull us from the depths of darkness. The acting from both Hio Miyazawa and Ryohei Suzuki is truly commendable. They gave their heart and soul into portraying these characters. Hio especially shone in this role, he was radiant, charming and beautifully vulnerable (definitely deserved those awards). The subtle gestures, tone of voice and the eyes really make their relationship believable and so poignant. Everything is said through action, not just words. The chemistry is also very palpable and incredibly shown on screen, especially in those love making scenes. But in the end, does Ryohei’s character stop being an egoist, is he purely motivated by self interest or something else? (That’s the real underlying question) Even after the man he loved passed. It’s showcasing the need to be needed, to push your ideals onto an individual to perhaps make yourself feel wanted or to feel better. So are his actions truly altruistic? Overall, a thoughtfully melancholic and moving film about loss, acceptance and the human condition.Was this review helpful to you?
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Enigma is real
where do I get the words to even describe this show like only 2 eps and soo much happened and everything seems sooo real , i really get scaredthe acting IS PHENOMENAL LIKE NO DOUBTS EVER ON THIS win prim and Evey other person realated to this show has. done soo perfect .
I really hoped it has more eps then 4 😭😭 love them sooo much .
believing that black magic actually exsists it's just wow 😮 never thought gmm could give us something like this
the latest ep blew my mind that how the ameture ghost tricked them into thinking the curse is simple but actually she is a Daredevil
win looks sooo hot with the tattoos i really can't wait for other 2 eps 😭
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Everyone Needs a bit of Sexy in their Lives
How to begin this review? This drama wasn't on my radar at all until I saw the trailer and it stopped me in my tracks. Was this c-ent's version of 50 Shades? How were they going to make this possible? I was extremely curious; I'm totally unfamiliar with the entire cast save for the actor of Mr. Han who I saw last year in The Story of Xing Fu. Everything about this drama from the trailers gave off a totally different vibe than what I've previously seen in c-dramas. And for real, everyone does need a bit of sexy in their lives.Pros: The Bohemian vibe, the rich color palette of the locations, just gave the series this extra richness and made every scene extremely alive as it awakened the senses to exotic surroundings and vibes. I never cared about the age gap as that's what the story is about and how the characters overcome to develop their own love story. The music was probably my favorite part of the series and that says something as usually OSTs are ok or good but not to the point where you want to hear them on repeat. Jerry Yan obviously has a very long and impressive résumé in both acting and music, here he knew when to be aloof, almost wooden and when to let his walls crumble and be taken over by emotion. The little nuisances that could be missed sometimes but were very important to viewers like the significance of the painting and the fact that he started out with a copy and ended up with the real thing.
I didn't understand the FL at first when she bailed on him twice when she started to relapse. In her mind, though she was sharp as a tack, she didn't want him to see her sick. She wanted him to see her happy and healthy. Though I don't understand the logic in it but I'll speak about it below. In her mind, she wanted to not present as weak for better or for worse. Because they focused so much on flowers, paintings, and animals; I'll use the latter as an example. Both cats and dogs do this, when they know they are in the last stages of their lives, they tend to leave their homes and owners, they just want to go on their own quietly. Of course as humans, we want to be there for them and say a proper goodbye. So in that sense, HR was like a cat running away so her human could remember her in her prime, while not really considering or understanding the human's or XH's need to be with her, nurture, and take care of her even when he had no idea what was going on. That's the best way I could describe how I felt about the two sets of breakups. Also though she broke up with him the second time, she still was ridiculously jealous of him even talking to another woman, which showed her internal tug of war with whether to tell him the truth or just keep pushing him away. Thankfully he solved that one for her.
The last two episodes, I think were very beautifully done. Though he had to put the puzzle pieces together himself and we don't actually know how much time passed between the gorgeous wedding he gave her in his hometown and her passing away in his arms in the snow. I'd like to think they had sometime together to live in between. I love how the mom smartened up and gave her blessing and finally just let go. The extra scene after the ending credits I think was his dream where they always meet in that field of his favorite flowers in front of the building he proposed in; it's forever their very special place. I know many people cried but to me death is just the next step that a soul takes in order to return home. And most importantly, she's now pain free and can come to XH in his dreams in the best of health. She's waiting for him now instead as before it was the opposite.
Their chemistry, for me didn't start right away. Though he claimed he already had feelings for her when they met, I didn't feel anything for real until their first intimate scene in Ep. 9. Even after, all the scenes, cut or not, I have to say that real love and the feeling of it came with the cut scene in 17 when he says the words. They cared for each other and the make out sessions were well placed, but it wasn't until he uttered the words himself that I understood, that he understood it himself. I put this in the pros instead of cons because I felt prior to that, it was more on a physical level of things; nothing wrong with that. And I liked the development of his understanding of his own feelings as it builds his character.
Other characters I liked were Mr. Han, Fatty, the hotel chick that was related to SML, I really liked SML, even HR's roommates. Not one person in the entire series made it an issue of the leads many differences and that was beyond refreshing. C-dramas are known to always point out differences like they're the plague and then create an entire show around how everyone has to learn to grow and accept them instead of just being like "yeah, so what?"
Cons: The secondary couple, they were definitely more of a filler as I never really felt from mom the same passion or longing as from SML. It seemed like he put all the effort into the relationship which even didn't quite feel completed at the end. Were they really necessary? This show didn't need to turn the original into an older woman/younger man thing just because that's a trope very frequently used. Should have left well enough alone.
Even though mom explained she suffered from insomnia and anxiety, her symptoms present as PTSD that induces the other two. I wish they explained that more as to the reason she was essentially the jailer of her own daughter in the beginning of the series. As someone who suffers from all three but for different reasons, if you're going to go with the diagnosis, at least do the proper research on it because what she was actually experiencing was totally different from her explanations. You've already got Leukemia in the picture, which I'm unsure they researched properly either, might as well be as realistic as possible.
I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of the FL in the beginning at all, though she pursued ML like to the point of almost stalking, she didn't even act 20 but more like a high schooler; the baby voice at times, pouting in others, the way she walked and the things she said, just didn't jive with this very smart woman we saw as the show progressed. I really wish this was one trope they could permanently get rid of in c-dramas.
Why was the character of Han Yu even there? That dude lived in his own world literally until the last episode. It was quite funny that even his uncle was like "I don't like him" because he was this narcissistic, annoying as nails spoiled, delusional brat. I never felt sorry for him, I just wanted him to go away. He added a layer to this series it didn't need. I'd rather have the cut scenes over his entire character.
Personally not a fan of characters hiding health conditions from their loved ones and going as far as breaking up. That second break up, I completely skipped over. Some people may agree and that's fine but I don't because I've got a plethora of health issues, one of which if it would relapse most likely then not lead me to seeing my guardian angels early, I would never keep something like that from someone. While I don't want them to suffer, I would want them to have that choice since I decided to make them a part of my life (this could mean significant other, family, or close friends). The fact that she eradicates that choice for him the second time around given their strong love, is something I do not and cannot agree with.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Despite the sad ending, it's a drama that you would most likely see in the west not in c-drama land. Give it a chance, it deserves it. You're basically watching a work of art so don't just look at the surface details, because inside are where the real flowers bloom.
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