Reviews

Even though this drama is a ML centric drama, they should have at least tried to develop the supporting characters a little instead of just using them as tools to elevate the main character. The main character gets to power up multiple times without any logical explanation whatsoever, hence they lack the emotional depth. What was even the point of his friend group instead of them being his lackeys? And they keep introducing so many new characters instead of developing the existing ones with real potential (eg - Liu Sui Feng). LSF character is interesting with tragic backstory , but it seems that the writers have forgotten about him in the later episodes.
So, nope, I definitely won’t rewatch this.

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What a Waste...

I watched Empress Ki way back in November 2017. I remember it so clearly, as it was the first K-Drama I ever watched. I was getting into East Asian cinema at the time, as the first 'drama' I ever watched was Empress of China with Fan BingBing. Then, I watched Empresses in the Palace, followed by Nirvana in Fire. I decided it was time for a shakeup and decided to watch Empress Ki, as the first 10 minutes of the show immediately captivated me.

When I initially finished Empress Ki, I thought it was one of the best things I've ever watched. However, as my tastes have matured and I've seen *a lot* of other dramas/movies, I have come to the complete polar opposite conclusion for Empress Ki: it sucks.

Now, hear me out. The first 20-23 episodes are pretty good. I still revisit the drama every now and then and rewatch certain scenes. Ha Ji Won & Joo Jin Mo never disappoint, as their acting chops are on full display throughout the entirety of the drama. The music is riveting and powerful, and the political intrigue of the late-stage Yuan dynasty is most certainly entertaining. The dynamics between El Temur and Tanasiri are hilarious. Tanasiri is soooo unhinged and I love it. Empress Ki has a lot going for it in the first 20-23 episodes, so much so that I don't have much to say about it other than it's great.

However, after episode 23 or so, it all goes downhill.

Sometimes, writers just don't know when to call the quits and make a drama 25 episodes or less. The moment that Lady Park gets killed and SeungNyang has to escape while being pregnant is where things all go downhill. I understand that film is not supposed to be realistic and that certain things are simply 'cinematic expressions.' For example, in Chungking Express, when Ho Chi Moo buys 30 cans of Pineapple that have a specific date on them, nobody is saying that people are going to do that (though, some might lol.) But it's a cinematic expression for the breakup the character is going through. Empress Ki, however, takes this liberty way too far and has her baby who gets thrown off a cliff survive! There are also so many other things that don't make any sense. For example, who cares about a 'blood vow' and who it was written by? A tyrant could easily forge it and convince others that their own blood vow is the real one. Even if the real one existed, who really cares at the end of the day? Li Shimin with the Xuanwu Gate Incident killed his brothers and forced his father's abdication from the throne. Henry the VIII killed his wives and told the Catholic Church to screw off; he even made his own church (the Anglican Church) just so he could marry the way he wanted. Why should tyrants like El Temur hold back over a blood vow? Some people say that Tanasiri using black magic to curse SeungNyang was too far, but I don't think so. She's a genuinely disturbed person, so I see no issue in that. The real issue is that the black magic actually *worked* on SeungNyang. Just stupid. It's a historical drama, not a wuxia/muhyeop. There are so many others I can't remember, but you get the idea. Again, there's a theme in all of this; when the writers can't get out of the clusterf**k they created, they take the easy route and write it off with some stupid tangent.

Additionally, after episode 23, Wang Yu's story takes a nosedive as well, as the whole 'counterfeit currency/vouchers' plot is another trope in historical dramas that's typically added when the writers don't know what else to do. The whole romance of Batoru and Wang Yu is just contrived and doesn't make any sense whatsoever. It's just there for there's sake. Just a huge yawn session through-and-through. Wang Yu's loyal sidekicks do give this section the humor is separately needs to be somewhat entertaining.

Let's talk about the most useless character in drama history: Togon / Yuan Emperor. This pathetic excuse for an emperor really gets on my nerves in the last few episodes. While he does grow a spine (much too late), he shows his unspeakable brutality by killing Wang Yu at the very end for no reason, under the 'guise' of protecting SeungNyang. SeungNyang evolves into a Mary Sue protagonist at this point, where she is the center of attention of all the male protagnists, and she is someone who can do nothing wrong. While this trope can be done right, it's not done well at all in this series. While Togon can't be blamed entirely for his infantile behavior, he certainly has to start taking responsibility at some point, especially after El Temur passes away. I honestly can't blame Kolta and the Empress Dowager for betraying Togon. The last scene where Togon orders the 'scum' conspirators of the court to be killed is pretty badass, though.

Now, with that all aside, what's the glaring problem with the drama overall? Well, it's the narrative behind our protagonist, SeungNyang. Her mother was killed by Tangqishi (son of El Temur) in the 1st episode, so she already has a deep-seated hatred for the Yuan Dynasty, so I get it. However, because the writers are so bad at their job, you start to feel that SeungNyang is overstepping her boundaries at a certain point. She makes an enemy of Bayan, Bayan's neice Bayan Khutugh, and the Empress Dowager after deposing El Temur, and while I certainly see why she's doing it, the writers are so bad at their job that I start to lose my interest in her story. She's grabbing at straws, and by the time she "wins", the Yuan Dynasty is practically moot and void. It's just so much trouble to go through for literally no gain. She probably lost her life, Wang Yu, Togon, Tal Tal, and many others. Maybe it was inevitable, but the drama doesn't make it feel that way. While Empresses of China was a mess narrative-wise as well, at least Wu Meiniang / Zetian actually became the only Empress in China's history, and the drama does reflect this somewhat. While not every drama needs a good or neatly tied ending, the motivations behind SeungNyang make me think that she went through all of that suffering for nothing. She got her revenge, but at what cost?

Overall, this drama became its own worst enemy. It didn't know when to stop and became convoluted, strange, stupid, and downright insulting at times. I miss the memories of this drama when I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I still recommend you give it a shot; but, after episode 23, do yourself a favor and either skip around the next 27 episodes or so or just watch/read recaps. I view Empress Ki and Queen Seondeok as sister dramas in a sense, and I'd take Queen Seondeok over Empress Ki anytime.

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A game of deception, a war lost to love

Storyline: Overall a great storyline with unpredictable twists of fate and painful sacrifices. The good moments were fleeting, chased by conflicts. The story starts off light-hearded and comedic as we watch Jo Bozai and Ming Yi compete in a war of deception; who can out-decieve the other? We see Ji Bozai mercilessly using and deceiving Ming Yi, taking advantage of this useful pawn that fell into his arms. It isnt until he falls in love with her that he learns to cherish her. The prideful Ming Yi isnt much different; deceiving him relentlessly even as he is willing to sacrifice himself to save her again and again. And then she fell in love with him. Suddenly they were both decieving eachother in attempts to keep the other alive. Ming Yi leaving Ji Bozai not because she stopped loving him, but because she couldnt bear to steal his Golden Millet Dream. Ji Bozai keeping it a secret from Ming Yi that he endured so much pain and suffering to refine the Golden Millet Dream for Ming Yi to be cured. Omg the frustration of this deception is so much worse than the deception to self-preserve! I was constantly pulling my hair, wondering when the truth would be revealed! I love the playful and flirtatious banter between these two and their chemistry is off the charts!

Lets talk about Situ Ling. An exceptionally pitiful character chained by his upbringing and background, tortured by his obsession with Ming Yi. This character definitely brings about the question of when is obsession acceptable? Dont viewers enjoy it when the antihero sacrifices the world in order to save his one lover? Thats what Situ Ling essentially does. He tries everything in his power to take care of and love Ming Yi. He is just misguided in this illusion of love. Ming Yi never wants Situ Ling to do these things for her; she never wanted him to transfer his lifespan to her. Yet at the same time, Ming Yi didnt want Ji Bozai to sacrifice himself to save her either? So what makes it okay for Ji Bozai to do it and not Situ Ling? Is it because Ming Yi doesnt love Situ Ling and expresses again and again that she wants to leave a respectable boundary between them but he keeps crossing it? Situ Ling is a great foil to Ji Bozai: both came from backgrounds of torture and suffering and yet Ji Bozai chooses to do good. But would Situ Ling also choose to be good if he found love too? While a pitiful character, I can't get past his soft "jie jie", it gives me chills 🙈

As much as I love xianxia, i cant enjoy it because of the obsessesion with pain and suffering. If I got paid for everytime the antidote is painful to prepare/endure, I'd be rich. There also really isnt much thought-provoking happening in the drama. The answers and foreshadowing are given to us in memories immediately as the twist is revealed. It doesnt give me enough time to guess the twists myself. Solutions to problems are often some kind of herb or some kind of array.

Casting: I love Neo Hou because he is SUCH a crier! When he cries, i cry. He portrays microexpressions of love and pain so absolutely well! I fell in love with him in Back From The Brink and so many of his dramas have sad endings. Im so glad this was a happy one! Lu Yuxiao has an interesting sound of speech and is also a painful crier. I think she portrayed this role v well and im glad they picked her! A lot of times, side characters dont know how to shed tears but the entire cast knew how to cry! Which made the experience all the more real!

Music: ooh so good! Emotional and fits so well with the scenes they play in! It got to a point where hearing the ost from this drama triggered a pain response. I can recognize Liu Yuning's and Neo Hou's voice anywhere! I also super appreciate it when the actors sing the drama ost, it feels more immersive!

Overall an enjoyable experience! Just too painful to rewatch. I had to take a break from watching because i was too emotionally invested. Some plot twists, i did not see coming and i was so invested!

Extra side note: am i supposed to be assuming something between 27 and Buxiu? I feel like theres some room for that.

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A Decent Watch - Came for WXY, Stayed for… Well, Mostly WXY

Shadow Detective was a decent effort, and the show was carried almost entirely by WXY’s performance. He was easily the strongest part of the drama for me—not only because of his effortless good looks and charisma, but because he keeps expanding his acting range as he takes on more projects. This was his first attempt at a Republican-era drama, and he showed that he has the star quality to headline more shows in this genre. He looked especially sharp in his three-piece suits as Inspector Guan Cen.

For a show with a low budget, the costumes were good. The men looked dapper in their suits and mandarin-collar outfits, and the ladies were lovely in their qipaos and Western-style clothing of the era. The sets were also fine and the props looked authentic to that era. The OST, on the other hand, was not memorable.

Since this is a shorter-length web series, I can forgive the plot shortcuts and inevitable holes, but the main storyline was much too predictable. It honestly felt like the director and writer wanted viewers to identify the villains early. Whenever a character who ultimately turned out to be bad appeared, the camera lingered, the lighting shifted, and ominous music kicked in. By episode 19, every one of my guesses—including the final villain’s identity—was correct simply because the show was not subtle about handing out clues.

On the flip side, there were also cases where the culprits came out of nowhere with little or no buildup. Not surprisingly, I liked those more. Even though viewers didn’t get any chance to guess, at least the writers injected some unpredictability into the story. What kept me watching was mostly WXY and the police investigation aspect. I wanted to see how they would catch the villains, and that part stayed engaging.

One memorable antagonist was a villain who smiled through everything and seemed almost impossible to defeat. He reminded me a bit of Jaws, a James Bond villain —minus the metal teeth, but with the same “you can’t kill me” vibe. It took an impressive amount of plot armor for our leads to finally bring him down.

The dynamic between Guan Cen (ML) and Du Ling Feng (SML) was one of the highlights. They had great chemistry, and I wish the show had given them more scenes solving cases together. Their teamwork—half serious detective work, half comedic bickering—deserved a lot more screen time. Dong, Dr. Ding, and Chief Huo also added their own flavor and kept things entertaining. If we could get a spin-off, I would want one focusing on the ML and SML’s bromance while they take down bad guys.

As for the FL, Lu Yi Zhen… most of her scenes had me rolling my eyes hard. I don’t think the character was written or portrayed very well. The actress seemed to interpret “tough” as “abrasive” at first, and “looking intelligent or serious” as keeping a constant, frowning, constipated look. The FL may be smart, but the show kept putting her in situations that made her look incompetent in the field. More than once for each of the following: she got drugged, dragged away (because she can only act tough with the ML), exposed while spying, and generally needed to be rescued multiple times—usually by the ML or SML. One bad guy even had to give her a break by literally handing her a clue because she couldn’t get it on her own.

The good news is that the character (not necessarily the acting) did improve in the last four episodes, and she ended the show on a better note for me.

Overall, despite the predictability and an FL who didn’t quite land for me, I would still recommend the drama—especially if you’re here for WXY. He made the watch worthwhile.

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An entertaining BL lakorn that fizzled in the end

Disclaimer

What I am writing here are my views and thoughts about this series. Some of you may not like it. That does not give you the right to try to come at me with your opinions on why this series should get a higher or lower score and why it is better/worse than I think it is. You have your own opinions, and I have mine. Kindly respect that.

Woowhee! the excitement! The drama! The action! This series started off strong in this! It had me hooked every week for the past ten weeks, getting to learn everything about these characters (especially Pheem's family). The way his family was basically survival of the fittest to take over the father's company, and the father just letting them do things once he profits from it in the end.

I adored the relationship between Pheem and Than, even though there was a time I personally wanted to kill Pheem due to what Than went through because of him. But, in later episodes, he proved himself (in my opinion) to be worthy of Than. Were there parts of this series that I felt I got robbed of seeing? Yes, yes there is. While it was not shown, I felt that it was hinted at in the close relationship of Jett, Pheem's brother, and his bodyguard, Phakphum. When one was always in trouble, the other one would do whatever they could to save them, even if it meant that they would face the beatings instead of the other one. Throughout the series, we can see how much they cared for each other. It was also heartbreaking to see that small moment when Pheem's father showed that he wanted his youngest son to be safe coming to the end of the series.

What I will say I am disappointed in was indeed the last episode. We, as viewers, went through sooo much in that last episode, and yet, I still feel it was a bit of a letdown. The true bad person did get her just desserts. But, it would have been nice if the person was punished more for what they have done and caused to the family. And then the ending after putting us, the viewers, through so much for it to end like that. Ugh! I don't want to say too much to spoil it for other viewers out there, be they those who are currently watching it or those who will watch it in the future. But besides this, it was still an entertaining series, and I am glad to have completed another project by Offroad and Daou.

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Fantastic story great chemistry superb acting

I am in awe of this script-the plot, the characters, the dialogues and the details that are oh so skilled dancing on the edge of impossible and real, horrible and human! Deliciously blood curling with villain hiding in the plain sight!

I am not big on angsty dramas, but this became "bite my nail" show halfway through and I was glued to the screen regardless of
1 really knowing how this is going to end (but staying on the edge of my seat how they are going to pull it off)
2 the poor YT version with little music (borrowed from other shows, but instrumentals with drums were great)
3 violence against women by other females and men who claim they love the victims (but somehow it was done in the watchable way).
I usually pay attention to dramas with these things (and avoid them), but honestly it did not matter here because from the first scene there was enough to grip my attention and keep me watching. Mostly the bad boy first prince 🤣🤣🤣

From the synopsis we know there is a love triangle, but - is there, really? For me there was only one character pairing, and you would have to be blind to not notice how the First Prince and his assassin were intertwining their bodies, emotions and fates.
Pluses:
I loved how the two princes were written and portrayed -they made me feel for them right away and shift my allegiance with the developments in the story.
I loved the FL - the actress did an amazing job to show us the whole ordeal being bread and butter of the women's life in feudal China-her character was real and evoking compassion.
I also loved the chief eunuch - I have no idea how and why such unimportant actor made me remember him. Check him out for yourself!!!
The director zeroed in on the players and the dynamics among them- their background explained sufficiently, their personas very distinctly showcased and the actors overdoing themselves to truly inhabit the roles.
Minuses:
If not for the shortcomings of VD - we get shortcuts to save time and the sound straight from the stage - this would have been an easy 9 for me.

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Probably the most Underrated/unknown drama of 2025

love it its so good i would have rated it even higher if they give us more for the side couples like they were cute but they didn't give us anything for them
the main lead already got me from the start
This the type of couple that can make me smile just by being on screen together
i really like all of the actors/characters pretty much
my fav is the fl she is great she was a lot more cold in the start but you will get why she was like that
Not like how they just make characters cold without any reason at all
and the character development was good to
This is actually the best workspace drama i have watched and i guess rivals to lovers to i guess
also i love the outro ost i never skip it
i don't write long review so that's all for now ty for reading hope you will give it a try and hope you like it

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I don’t remember when last a show pissed me off so badly

I will keep this short cause this is my first time writing a review. I honestly don’t remember the last time a show pissed me off so badly. This show was kinda boring but I kept watching cause I didn’t have anything else to watch.
I really couldn’t stand his best friend’s character. The last straw was when he punched Haram (the barista) at the beach without any explanation. He made it seem like Haram kidnapped a 5 year old child. Mind you, all he did was take a grown a*s man (27 years old) to the beach. I literally dropped the show after that scene cause I was looking for a show to help me relax and not to get agitated.
And I can’t believe they chose the most unlovable character to play the MC smh. 🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️

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What The Atypical Family Reveals About Us: A Heartfelt Analysis

The Atypical Family tells, with extraordinary delicacy, the story of immobility — the lives of two families quietly diverted from their natural trajectory. It is a remarkably accomplished drama, built upon solid narrative foundations, subtle writing, and profoundly human characters.

The series revisits the figure of the superhero with intelligence and restraint. Here, no one saves the world; instead, the extraordinary is anchored in the everyday, embodied by ordinary people whose powers are nothing more than exaggerated versions of the flaws and sensitivities we all carry within us. For the Bok family, these abilities are not gifts but burdens. They are exhausted by contemporary ailments: screen addiction, alcoholism, eating disorders, emotional withdrawal. Through this supernatural prism, the show mirrors our own intimate fractures — the invisible wounds of ordinary human beings.

The Bok family, despite having everything to be happy, remains trapped in a past that keeps them from truly living. They no longer speak to one another, no longer share meals, no longer share a life. Their bonds have dissolved into silence. Meanwhile, another group — not a real family but a collection of strangers bound by questionable activities — displays stronger familial ties than those who share blood.

Unable to inhabit the present, the Bok family drifts forward like shadows of their former selves. Each has buried themselves alive in their own way. And the drama excels at portraying this slow sinking with astonishing finesse, never resorting to heaviness or pathos.

Then comes Do Da-hae (and her family), whose arrival changes everything. She shakes the family awake, gathers them, listens to them, and becomes the catalyst for their unexpected rebirth.

The casting is outstanding.
Jang Ki-yong delivers one of his finest performances to date, revealing a nuanced emotional palette, full of gentleness and restraint. Chun Woo-hee is superbly precise in her role. The teenage trio — Park So-yi, Moon Woo-jin, and Kim Soo-in — already known from other promising projects, is nothing short of remarkable, performing with disarming maturity.

The series weaves slow-burn humor, family drama, introspection, and fantasy with graceful mastery. It delicately explores the weight of the past, the struggle to reconcile with oneself, and the possibility of finally living. Each character — and each family — embarks on a deeply moving redemption arc. Both families end up helping each other heal, step by step.

The OST is breathtaking, and the piano motifs that are tender, precise, and perfectly placed.

The only real weakness of the series lies in its ending, which leaves a few questions unanswered. I would have loved a Season 2 with a lighter tone, exploring the collaboration between the two families now beautifully redefined. Even if the final moments feel slightly rushed, even if the narrative loop is not fully closed, none of this diminishes the emotional richness of the series.

The Atypical Family is nourishing, heartfelt, and deeply human — a story whose true power lies not in its conclusion, but in the journey it offers.

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ended openly, with no explanations

Que drama maluco ! A história tinha tudo pra ser boa , mas colocaram um protagonista louco, que não evoluiu nem mesmo no final .E mesmo sendo um drama curto , deveria ter um final fechado, mas teve um final aberto , sem explicações. A história me prendeu atenção do início ao fim , além de ser do tamanho de um filme , por isso não achei total perda de tempo , mas foi frustrante The story had everything to be good, but they put in a crazy main character who didn’t grow at all, not even in the end. And even though it was a short drama, it should have had a proper, closed ending — but instead it ended openly, with no explanations. The story kept my attention from beginning to end, and since it was basically the length of a movie, I don’t consider it a total waste of time, but it was definitely frustrating.

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maybe I'll get jumped for this but...

Okay so what can I say about Typhoon Family? for me, it's one of the best dramas of the year. It gave me everything I look for in a drama and nothing felt really forced. If I had to say something negative, it would be that changing the antagonist in the last episodes felt a bit off. Hyeonjun had been just an annoying, meddlesome guy, and suddenly he became the main enemy of the series only to mess everything up. I would have preferred that role to remain with his father and nothing else.

And it's true that the dynamics in the episodes were almost always the same and predictable; you knew that every time they tried to sell something they were going to run into problems but they would always solve them because that's just how it works. Still, it was fun and entertaining to watch

Also, I would have liked to see more interaction between Taepoong and his mother and how they deal with the situation as mother and son.

My biggest highlights are obviously the romance between Taepoong and Miseon, their chemistry is insane, it feels super natural, and it flows really well, even though the main plot isn't romance. Their moments were just right and really well done.

Another highlight is the character development in this series, especially Majin, who started out as a complete idiot who belittled Miseon just for being a woman and Taepoong as a CEO just because he was young, but all that changed over time, and he ends up being the one who loves and trusts them the most.

For me, this drama was just perfect although my opinion might change over time but for now, it's a 8/10

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Wan Qing Xin (2025), aka: Win Your Heart (2025), is a rebirth/revenge miniseries with Zhou Ling Feng (as Mo Fu Bai) and Hu Shao Chen (as Jiang You An) in the leading couple’s role. On this adaptation of the web novel "Chong Sheng Hou, Wu Ge Ge Ge Ku Zhe Qiu Wo Hui Fu" by Mu Mian Mian, the plot centers more in the revenge part of the story with a slow burn romance between the leading couple which happens closer to the end of the drama. Their only romantic scenes is nicely done but, throughout the drama, the leading couple were more like very good acquaintances that worked very well together to bring down the antagonists.; which they did very well!
***If you have not watch the other adaptation titled “Ming Yue Du Zhao Wo (2025)” with Wu Zhu Xi (as Mo Fu Bai) and Wei Wen Qing (as Jiang You An), I recommend that you watch it because if you would like to see a better developed romance where the main leads had very good rapport.
In the meantime, this drama can be found in YouTube under the caption: “[MULTI SUB] In My Previous Life, I Married a Disabled Prince for My Sister and Died！” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow59DHYjGzA)

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A Powerful and Respectful Homage to Ruan Lingyu

This film was close to being perfect. Stanley Kwan shows the amount of respect he has for Ruan and her contribution to Chinese cinema in this film by creating a biopic/documentary hybrid. Additionally, with Maggie Cheung playing Ruan so beautifully, it seemed like a match made in heaven. The cinematography is dark and morose, framing not just Ruan's inner struggles, but also the terrible time period she lived in. The music was also stunning. While it certainly was a riveting film, there is one major issue that kept it from being a 'cult classic'.

The film's glaring flaw is that it tries to do everything, thereby ensuring that it isn't 'great' at anything. While I appreciate the mix of documentary and biopic, it can be really jarring and confusing at times. Especially at the end where Ruan commits suicide, it almost seems like there was a blooper accidentally left in the movie, because Maggie Cheung is supposed to be 'dead', but she suddenly breaks character, and the film crew starts laughing. I found that to be incredibly bizarre; this is one of the saddest biopics I've ever watched, and yet, the seriousness of it is sucked out of the room with weird moments like this. I don't think it was intentional, I just think that Stanley Kwan made some very poor choices. I heard rumors that when the film was first presented, apparently it was shown out of order and that it was a bit of a mess. There's a reason Stanley Kwan is not talked about as much as someone like Wong Kar Wai, and the choices made in this film prove that sentiment.

The film's length has much to be desired as well, due to the whole issue of combining biopic and documentary. My biggest issue with this format is that I feel I was being told what to feel and know, rather than letting the film explain itself. The documentary portion would have been great as an extra; but, to add it to the film in this manner just doesn't make sense. It completely breaks the flow. This also made the narrative confusing at times, and it took me a good hour or so to finally figure out who's who, as you're not given enough context clues to memorable moments to remember names/characters. Information is just thrown at you. I do not know how much of Ruan's films are left, but I would have appreciated the complete removal of the documentary and replace them with the brilliant cuts from Maggie's acting to Ruan's silent films. Those parts made me tear up, especially at the end when Maggie's crying leads into the actual 'New Woman' film that was considered Ruan's penultimate. Also, from what I've heard, not much is known about Ruan's personal life prior to her joining the Lianhua Film Company, so I do appreciate that Stanley Kwan didn't add anything to the narrative for drama's sake. He kept things to the facts and allowed subjects that are mysteries remain mysteries.

The one thing I will give Stanley Kwan a lot of credit for is how he handled the suicide scene. There are no frills or melodrama. It's really sad, because Ruan at the end is happy, and kisses all the actors and producers at the end of the film, seeming like she's over the scandal that plagued her last days. In reality, much like how many suicide victims are, they will be quite happy during the last few days of their lives, because they've made the decision to remove themselves from this earth. It's not that they're actually happy; they're at peace with themselves finally, knowing that they made a decision to end their live and put an end to their suffering and their 'burden' on others. Kwan handled this immensely tragic scene with such class that I think it's one of cinema's most brilliant moments. It's respectful to the subject-matter while also allowing you to feel the devastation of her decision.

Another aspect I loved about this film was how it portrayed the difference between people who like to preach change versus those who put thought into action. Ruan's private life spills into the public newspapers due to her deadbeat ex-husband putting a megaphone on their divorce, and it's ironic because she is the archetype of the modern 'independent' woman that all the feminists in the film were allegedly fighting for. She stands up to her deadbeat husband, gets a divorce, and gets into a relationship with a man who buys her a new house, promises to take care of her adopted kid, and support her mother. She stands up for herself against a patriarchy in a way that is quite revolutionary for her time, especially for an actress and public figure like herself. Her penultimate film, 'New Woman' was a middle finger to the establishment press and norms of society at that time. Yet, when Ruan had her scandal, no one who purported to support those ideals stood up for her. They stood in the shadows and remained silent, not offering one word of support or comfort for her. They let her get to such a point that she wanted to commit suicide and then have the audacity to show up to her funeral and cry for her. It's disgusting. That part stung the most, as we still see the same cowardice today.

All-in-all, I really enjoyed learning a little more about one of China's most important silent-film-era actresses. While it wasn't a homerun because of bizarre decisions regarding the documentary-portion of the film disrupting the narrative, it still struck an emotional chord in me that I still think about this film a lot. Again, Stanley Kwan kept it professional, and while his efforts were misguided, I can honestly say that he handled this subject with the care and attention it deserved.

Last thing: it's quite hard to emphasize how good Maggie's acting is in this film.

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