The Story of Ming Lan (2018)

niche slice of life from mostly woman viewpoint in ancient china

__*The Story of Ming Lan (2018)*__ -8,5/10 cdrama

good but sadly its just too long.
first part of drama was very good and niche in style :slice of life from noble female courtyards in ancient china:
sadly second part of drama went to quite classic fight for throne fight for power in noble houses and intrigues.
[this theme is used too many times in historical dramas and in this drama it was quite averagely done].

Still this drama did quite good job on character development .. at least for some characters.

__*plot*__ - FL is kid of third unfavored concubine from noble house. Sadly her mother is pregnant and falls dead due to intrigues of other wife. FL ends up being raised by paternal grandmother. Growing up, she learns to hide her true self and use cunning methods in order to survive in family where members are plotting against each other and where no actual familial love exists.

ML is second son of marquis household who is supposed to inherit, but falls victim to tricks of his family members to lose all.
Story is about FL and ML growing up from kids to adults and going through their first love and all kind of different troubles just to meet each other and form complete pair.

__*genre*__ - historical, romance

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Most Intelligent and Satisfying Drama

I’ll break this into non-spoiler and spoiler.

Non-spoiler:
I’m very amazed how such a lengthy and slow-paced show turned out to be not boring at all.

I went in expecting to fast forward through every non-Ming Lan scene but to my surprised I wanted to actually sit through all the scenes with the other characters!

For me, apart from the star-studded acting from Zhao Li Ying, Zhu Yi Long, Feng Shaofeng and the old folks, the story itself is beautiful. You don’t have the repeated lame schemes amongst the sisters, concubines, brothers that other shows do. The script and plot were very well written, well paced and pleasant to watch. There’s also a lot of subtle humour in this especially with the mothers and grandmothers.

I may be a little biased because I’m a Zhao Li Ying fan but every scene with her were great. She pulled off this innocent yet highly intelligent character very well. I particularly enjoyed watching all her conversations with her grandmother.

I personally learn a lot from the script. Very applicable to real life. :)


-Spoilers ahead-

Minglan is so very intelligent. She has a lot of devils trying to take her down, but she also has a lot of supporters. Grandma, cousins from Youyang, Shen family, Yanran. You could see how supportive they were when she was at her lowest. 90% of the time she is very calm, composed and smart but touch her grandmother and husband, and she will claw you without caring about the consequences.

Every 20 episodes or so, you’re introduced to a new villain. Each, more cunning than the last. Gu stepmother was the one character I never thought I could hate so much (what a good actress!)

I fully understand why everyone was raving about the main couple. They are so sweet. I’m amazed how a playboy like Gu Tingye could be so caring, sweet and somewhat attention-seeking childish when it comes to Minglan.

Yet at the same time I felt his childishness were a bit prolonged. Just arguing with Minglan for getting him a concubine lasted 5 episodes. I understand the premise, but again was abit too much of a filler. His childishness was very hot and cold. This part was the only part I didn’t like in the whole series.

The ending was satisfying. Very, very satisfying. Whilst I expected Gu Tingye to rise again for winning the war, I didn’t expect that the Emperor was behind it all along. Very well played. I was wondering why this Emperor would turn so ungrateful to his saviours.

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Two things which I want to mantion:
1. Why to watch this series.
2. What I liked about this series.

1. Why to watch this series.

First of all , I liked this drama because I love chinese historical, war,romantic dramas so if you also have same taste Iike me then this drama series is the best choice for you. I am 100% sure you are gonna love this drama too .
Perhaps Some people says that this drama is slow or you may fell, but at this point what I want to say is that, yes, it is , but it is still not at all boring you will not be able to skip a little bit.
In this series, as same as the title the story of minglan they showed a life of a girl from childhood to adult, the real problems which a girl use to face in that time, or have to compromise, and at the same time a beautiful love story, which will definitely make you cry , the love and hatred. If you really finding a best drama to watch then this drama is really a best choice for you to entertain and worth of time.

2. What I liked about this series.

I watched this drama in confidence that I will definitely like this because of its ranking of reviews, and same happened.
What I liked about this drama is its story. They really made a best story that I ever watched, I like the type of girl who fights for her rights and as in this drama the girl who fights was bold , sharp and intelligent, have to hide her real self because of her mom's last wish. And then when she plots against her mother's killer for revenge, that is really twisted that we can't even imagine, I liked the why she ploted against her ,without getting involve herself.
And first she liked a guy but due to some reasons they were not able to be together at that point I really cried or felt sad. The way they showed the whole story was well written and directed that I felt that every turn is meaningful , connected and really a real story, not like in other series who schemes or plots for other makes me fell really unrealistic or too much . But this is not the case with this drama. I cried too many times and felt sad during whole series.
And you may know if you use to watch chinese dramas main role actors are well known, so some people may watched this drama because of them, Sheng Ming lan (Zanilia Zhao) and Gu ting ye (Feng Shao Feng) and I also watched because of (ZZ) but because of its ranking to. In romantic drama the chemistry of the lead role is very important that when they come close we fell real couple, or when the breakeup we fell sad and when they patchup we fell happy for them and in this series the chemistry of main roles is best, as now after this series they are together in real life.
First after seeing that this drama have 73 ep. I ignored it but after I started watcing it I was not able to skip any moment .

Now lets talk about the characters in this drama. Although I am a fan of ( ZZ). She is literally a real actor the way she changes her acting style in every drama according to role that is really tough and she is really hardworking actor. And I am eagerly waiting for her new drama (LOF) And (FSF) at first I really don't liked him in ice fantasy drama so I droped it, but after watching this drama I started liking him too. And planing to resume ice fantasy drama too. And btw other characters are also very good in their acting not over or irritating but (GTY) first wife Zhu Man Niang she was really irritating that I wanted to kill her by my own hand not because of acting because of her role, I really don't know why always she gets this type of roles like in (legend of Fuyou) and (legend of dugu). but her acting level is good.
And what I most liked about this series is that there are not many annessery deaths of any important character in order to save main character as sacrifice they showed tha value of everyone's life.
Overall, I loved this drama series too much , I just can't forget about the storyline and characters just like it seems that it is a real illusion in my memory.

IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO WATCH THIS SERIES THEN YOU SHOULD GIVE IT A TRY.

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The Opera House

Performer 1: Come one come all! Hear our words!
Performer 2: Holds no interest, reckonings. Blind reckonings.
Performer 1: Heed us, as we must share the unspoken. I’ve been no stranger to false accusations in my years, tis no surprise here.
Performer 2: Shameful... Framed?
Performer 3: Dressed ineptness wrapped away and labeled as art, class acts dancing away to the tunes of a tired music box. One claims malarkey but the word spreads m-
Performer 2: -orbid(1:-olasses)audacity... speak less.
Performer 4: Do give us room for air, the same words by many must have origin.
Performer 3: Unfortunate that this origin holds the exact opposite of it’s creative counterpart.
Performer 2: Speak LESS. Vile words of scrutiny is at order.
Performer 1: Irony.
Performer 3: A tree falls with no one around, it holds no sound. The impact remains. The word travels with the minority but attracts no ears, as the scratched record entertains.


The Story Of Minglan carries a similar burden as the leads, claimed by many to be this slow bore of a series dragging its viewers along until it all pays off. Those that managed to trudge through holds the same advice, bear with it. First time diving into the drama, i understood. How many episodes must i watch until the drama becomes worth it? 34? The other commentator said sevente-..don’t waste my time? Dropped in 3? What’s the problem with them still being k-. Wait, skip how much? What the hell is yanxi palace again?

I’ve never wanted to rant on anything this much outside of the drama itself until encountering this one. Most that’s given high remarks and praises still holds words that can deter you away depending on what you’re looking for and toleration. For well over a year now i kept my eyes away from this drama because I don’t believe pieces that requires patience past the first episode to be worth my time nor others’. Though that’s just my perspective, as i still respect and envy others that can withhold their last straw. So what even made me give in? Hell every person i know rather didn’t watch it yet or bares the same discouraging words as the rest. Hunger, hunger for this particular setting, genre, and tone convinced me in giving it a go.

Did i encounter this overbearing snooze fest of mundane acts that others warned viewers of in the beginning? No, what i encountered was an articulate trap made up of subtly theatrical performances and neatly wrapped storytelling that slowly unfolds it’s layered lead characters and the world surrounding them. I remain utterly confused as to how anyone can give a slice of life at this length a try and expect anything other than a slow burn. What’s funnier is that the pacing doesn’t even take the actual slow course it’s known for until after those beginning 6-8 episodes, yet many dropped or found it hard to continue feeling that it did. Rather it’s influence from the loud minority or preference for a completely different pace that has no business in a drama of this genre and length. My credulity fell for the influence.

My dear viewers, you have been wronged. This series requires your time and attention, not patience.This is a fairly paced slice of life warranting it’s length that barely consists of any unnecessary scenes, characters, nor arcs. Yes every single episode is well worth paying attention to and skipping any of them will completely lose you in the next. No this isn’t exaggeration, as my proud elders once said in full certainty, fuck around and find out.

Cast/Production

The cast is as large as it is talented, with naturally witty dialogue and mind games to match. Raw emotions are constantly thrown at the viewers no matter if it’s genuine of the characters or them putting on an act(you’ll get this a lot, i mean a lot). No complaints on the outfits, appearances, sets/backgrounds , or cinematography. All held up to the quality expected. One nitpick i have is that every performance worth mentioning were too..balanced? In my opinion,nobody really went above and beyond. They all were great, just no hint of excellence. Don’t go in expecting stand outs or jaw drops. You’ll be constantly impressed nonetheless .

Story/Direction

The strongest aspect of The Story of Minglan is,in my opinion,the pacing. Scroll through some comments and/or reviews. The most common questions you’ll see are referring to when [blank] will happen, when [blank] and [blank] grow towards one another, when will we see [blank] again, so on, so forth. What we have here is natural progression folks. In all of it’s satisfying and painful goodness. The climb in ranks, pitiful downfalls, house empowerment, filial favor, newfound family, the list goes on.

It’s of no surprise I’m an absolute sucker for slow burns when executed well. And dear god do they go way beyond that here. Not only are you taking in each episode waiting for future inevitable moments and interactions that’s way further down the line, you also find yourself not willing to loose your grip of the current relations and moments happening that would have to take a tumble for the others to progress. There are countless memorable scenes from the very beginning to the very end. You’re nail biting early on not because of anything coming off as banal or monotonous, it’s from disbelief that there’s still so many things you have to look forward to on top of everything you’ve had the pleasure in watching already.

The camera language and use of symbolism is next level, these factors alone marks this series with a very high rewatch value. Stare downs, signaling through eyes and body language, setting up for future stages to perform.There are plenty of subtle hints and details that most will miss the first go around and many moments leaving room for interpretation that lets the mind roam freely, speaking of..

The use of romance and bonds here are second to none. The chemistry/dynamics are so distinct and profound amongst each character you’ll have to see it for yourself to believe how effortlessly they interact. From the banters, thoughts through time apart, strategizing, rehashing, lessons, arguments, persuasions, attests. I could go on and on, the chemistry alone makes this well worth the try.

Shortcomings

The ost’s ass...... condolences. Ight listen if i have to hear that same tired ass track in romantic/longing moments another second I’ll lose it. No track stands out or grabs attention besides the rare use of sound design on sudden tensity, you’ll hear what i mean.

Way too much plot armor and abuse of convenient last moment timings. You’d wish for a competent male antagonist since the women here has to rely on the incompetence of their aides to lay a scratch on anyone. Besides some ass whippings and timeouts the feel for stakes on the line completely diminishes about halfway through. This drama is many things, a thrill isn’t necessarily one of them. So much protection going on I wonder how some of them even got pregn-

Epilogue

To anybody who hasn’t tried this out yet i can only ask what’re you waiting for, more so what’s holding you back? What I’ll advise is don’t force your way through this drama, if you can’t stomach any more, let it go. Need a break? Take as long as you need, it’s okay to not binge in a couple sittings, much healthier at that. Watch and experience this breathtaking journey at your own pace.

A new favorite of mines, been hours since i finished and i think it’s about time for an encore.

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Best c drama for mature audience.

If you havent watched this drama I can only say that this drama rewards patience and perseverance which is actually the central theme of this drama! So only start this drama if you are going to give a serious attention to it, this drama is definitely not for teenagers.
This drama's main character is Minglan, it starts with her back story as a child and her sufferings and the cause of it. The people who were involved in it , to avenge them is her main drive.
But the main USP of this drama is how she actually plans for it or is she really the one planning? This is where I say its for adults cos not a lot of teens would understand her actions , her patience, her humbleness , her real reason for doing sth or rather giving up on sth.
All this leads her to meet someone of her own caliber a true partner for a lone wolf and this is when the real game starts and the show starts sprinting ( and that's why most reviews give it a slow burner tag).
All I can say about this show is that this hit too close to me personally, its such a great show that its a shame why its not world famous!

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Carpe diem

Least to say I was disgusted with the way women were treated back then, not only by men but by other women, as well. The system was so evidently misogynistic that women themselves adopted the same mentality as it was natural for them to do so. While most of them were pushed into making some very awful decisions, mostly in order to protect themselves, others did some extremely harsh and evil things so at to get what they want. The struggles of the women of those times were very well portrayed in the story. It was really interesting to see how Ming Lan managed to overcome all those difficulties that seemed never-ending with her intelligence. She was constantly in danger, she had to endure so much hardship just so that she could be alive (in the beginning especially). The acting of Zhao Li Ying as Ming Lan , Zhu Yi Long as Qi Heng / Yuan Ruo (Duke), Feng Shao Feng as Gu Ting Ye / Zhong Huai (Marquis) and the rest of the cast was simply amazing. I specifically feel the need to mention Cao Cui Fen's who played Old Mrs. Sheng (Ming Lan's grandmother), as her acting was magnificent. All those subtle micro-expressions were so well executed, plus her character in the story quickly became on of my favourites.
Although this drama has quite a lot of episodes, the story didn't feel draggy, instead it felt very well developed in an appropriate pace. When I watch dramas like this, on one hand I wish they have even more episodes, as I don't want them to end, but on the other I don't want them to have that many, because then they'll end up getting draggy. This drama certainly has a fitting amount of episodes, it leaves you wanting more, without destroying its plot.
The chemistry between the leads is astonishing, they were super adorable together. My only complain is that I wish they were slightly more open in their communication, especially on Ming Lan's part. That being said with all that trauma she has endured for all those years, and the atrocities of other men that she has come to know of, it's understandable for her to feel insecure and be scared of being vulnerable with her husband.
I have to admit that I felt bad about the 2nd ML, but this drama taught me a very valuable lesson... The circumstances will almost never be ideal, waiting for that to happen is simply useless, instead you should always do the best in your abilities, so as to not have any regrets later!!! Even if you fail, you can at least proudly say that you have tried! So what if the circumstances aren't great... What matters is that we do our best for what we sincerely want! To me, this drama seems very unique and I greatly enjoyed it. I strongly recommend it and would love to watch it again!!!!

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A SLOW LONG 78 EPISODES OF NOBILITY LIVES

I felt like I deserve a pat on my back after finally finish watching long 78 episodes of Shen Ming Lan and Gu TingYe. Their life full of challenges, turmoils, as well as happiness and heart breaks. A lot of begging, kneeling, whining, crying, screaming and yelling between womenfolks. There're many poisonous snakes in the form of beautiful nobility women, which none of them is male antagonist - all about jealousy, greedy, bitter, blind ambition, and muddle-head women. Its probably the protagonist is a female, the production created abundance of sick-bitter-full of hatred women to ruin her life and happiness. 3 men love her, they would go above and beyond to have her, and she reproach them separately in different circumstances. I felt bad for Qi Heng - he earned my sympathy. Family is divided for the prestige of title and a kingdom divided for the power between newly appointed Emperor and Dowager Empress from previous dynasty. There are life lesson I learn from this drama...how basic human nature thought me to survive the most critical situation by switching hatred with sweet manipulation....how communication should be delivered in certain way to warrant peaceful solution - no matter how unresolved situation becomes worst just by smiling and bowing. Women who lives in so much restriction, confinement, constriction, they would device such a way using provocation to manipulate circumstances to their advantage, risking their life and name for the greater ambition. Rewatch value of this drama is 4 because I don't think I can go all over 78 episodes again.

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I loved this. It starts out at a fairly leisurely pace (despite a tragic death) but then takes off with a bang so that the last fifty-three (53!!!) episodes seem to pass by much faster than the first twenty. What sold it to me is the Ming Lan character, who is much smarter and savvier than she appears at first -- plus it’s funny that she seems to be eating constantly. I have to say that it was difficult for me to connect the characters as adults to their child counterparts, with the exception of Xiaotao. I really liked Gu Tingye as a child, who seemed confident but not cocksure, principled, and mature beyond his years. I understand that his abusive family helped turn him into what seemed to be a vain, out-of-control, and immature adult and that he wasn’t really that way but I sometimes sympathized with others, including members of his family, when they found him irritating as hell. But then he would save Ming Lan in the nick of time or prove how smart and wily he was and I would forgive everything.

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Enjoyable...with some skipping

OVERALL
This drama is really the prototype of "slice of life". Watch it if 1) you like dramas with a mature feel, 2) you're looking for a fun couple and cute lover antics, 3) you're a fan of character development. Think twice if 1) you can't stand a drama with no main plot, 2) you easily find small holes in plots and that annoys you, 3) you are expecting a FL like the one of Yanxi Palace.

THE STORY
I feel like this drama is very niche. Only the true fans of slice-of-life series will appreciate all of it. I'm not one of them...so I could only watch it with consistent fast-forwarding. On the plus side, it's gorgeously done and feels very mature and natural. No childish, quirky background music like in many historical C-dramas. No slapstick comedy or in-your-face jokes. THAT I like A LOT. It takes ages before the OTP gets going, but when it does, you fall for it. The romance is definitely the best of the show, not just because they have fun scenes or they're cute, but because there is some relationship growth (which almost never happens in dramas). I wish the drama had spent more time on it! FL is depicted as a mature, smart, strong character, and the best part is that we really get to see her evolve throughout the drama, resolving traumas she has due to her upbringing. There's really a lot to like about Story of Minglan.

But, but, but...it's WAY too long. I understand why the drama includes certain parts (to set up the character development), but many of them could have been much shorter - like maybe 2-3 episodes long instead of 10-15. Honestly, apart from the first 5 episodes or so (which are fast-paced because they're about childhood events), I almost get the feeling that the story only begins around episode 30. That's nearly halfway through the drama! If you know anything about storytelling arc, that's like spending half of your story on the exposition/introduction! It's too much. Something else that bothers me about Story of Minglan is the obvious decline of FL after her marriage. As a single girl, she's smart and cunning, always five steps ahead of others, but as a married woman, she can't even see what's in front of her and constantly needs the help her husband *sigh*. There are smaller issues with the drama, such as some aspects that seem unbelievable, some repetitive lines or the very unsatisfying ending scene (the ending isn't bad per say, it's just kind of random?), but these two are the most serious problems in my opinion. If you're fine with the pace and the decline of FL, the drama is definitely worth you giving it a try.

THE ACTING
I heard FL and ML were played by a married couple. That explains a lot haha I didn't feel that there was chemistry between the leads but they looked comfortable and natural with one another and that's what sold the couple. Individually, I liked her more than him. Minglan goes through hell, and because Zanilia is expressive, she really makes you feel that. Secondary cast was also quite good, especially Minglan's legitimate mom. I just have a problem with the villains. It's just so stereotypical the way they act, I don't like it - but I'm sure it was on purpose and isn't a reflection of their acting ability.

THE MUSIC
Mild and fitting background music. Cute opening too. There's nothing I'll listen to now that the drama is over, but I was digging how music was so scarce, and you had lots of scenes with only silence or ambient sounds in the back. Such a breath of fresh air, when compared to the excess of sound we get in many dramas!

REWATCH VALUE
Completely? Not very high. I think I will definitely go back to this drama but I'll skip the first 1/3 and start when the real action begins...and even then, there'll be skipping involved. That's the problem with slice of life. Since it's not a story, but just a collection of episodes in someone's life, you don't necessarily care about all of them.

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I love Zanilia and William, and how cute that they are now married and pregnant!

This drama isn't very "action packed" if you're looking for Zanilia to do stunts like you've seen her do in Princess Agents. It's more like Lu Zhen if anything, she can speak her way out of any issues! This one is not really "palace intrigue" but details the life of a middle-class (can you even classify them as that?) and their struggles with rankings (Main wife, 2nd wife, 3rd wife, etc) and their children's struggles trying to "find their place." Sadly, Ming Lan grows up in a house where her mom is a lower-ranked wife/mistress and they are not treated nicely by the main and 2nd wives. There is a lot of plotting from the mothers down to the daughters!

The romance part of the drama doesn't really kick in right away, but we pretty much root from Zanilia & William since they're kids (well I did!). It doesn't get lovey-dovey until the end where he claims his love for her. But still so intriguing to watch it from beginning to end.

Overall, I liked this drama and I thought they were cast so well to play a couple!

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This show is amazing

Originally I dropped the show around episode 8 because I couldn't understand why the show to some were awesome. But, I came back to it after I had nothing else to watch and I'm so happy I did! The show (without going into too many spoilers) have the best plot and subplots that weave into each other without being too cliche. The fact social hierarchy, gender, and family name matters in the story is great as it shows how some things back then just couldn't happen. Also, what I liked was that the FL was no pushover! She was smart and let people walk into her trap by letting someone else be manipulated into doing it on their acord. The romance is good as well; love the ML.

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