Charming and Countries (2020)

A Palace Drama that Feels Like a Rom-Com

This is a story romanticizing some historical figures, giving us two pairs of very lovable main characters – two sisters matching up with two brothers. The sister/sister and brother/brother relationships are enviable. It is the lightest non-comedic historical drama that involves palace politics. Initially, it feels like a rom-com without the rom-com tag as it's serious but at the same time, also so funny. The mishaps are hilarious!

Accordingly, this drama is based on the actual historical story of Guo Rong of the Later Zhou Dynasty (951-960 AD) during the tumultuous Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era. The founding Emperor Guo Wei had adopted Chai Rong, who later became Guo Rong, from his wife’s brother and groomed Guo Rong to be the heir. According to recorded history, Guo Rong first married the younger Fu sister. After her death, he remarried the older Fu sister who was also widowed.

The Story
For this drama, it fictionalizes the actual historical events and characters. Still as a prince and a general, Xue Rong (Li Zhiting aka Aarif Rahman) first meets the older Fu sister, Fu Yuzhan (Meng Ziyi aka Zoey Meng) and falls in love with her and wants to marry her. However, due to unforeseen mishaps, instead, the younger Fu sister, Fu Jinzhan (Li Yitong) is married to Xue Rong, both later become the Emperor and the Empress. The unintended marriage put them on a hot spot and into a predicament as Fu Jinzhan is also in love with another man, Jiang Shao (Wang Zhuocheng aka Marius Wang). Eventually Fu Jinzhan fakes her death and escapes the palace and elopes with Jiang Shao. Xue Rong remarries his love, Fu Yuzhan.

There are a lot of interesting and unexpected twists and turns here. As with most palace dramas, both Xue Rong and Fu Yuzhan live on thin ice; there are constant palace politics and threats with the Emperor’s throne being challenged for his legitimacy; there are constant dangers within the harem with the Empress being poisoned. However each time, the protagonists always come up on top winning, getting away from all the dangers.

The Characters and Acting
I really like the four main characters because they are strong with good fighting skills, and don’t hesitate to kick asses. Although the older Fu sister doesn’t know how to fight, she is very intelligent and strategic. Their alliance is heart-warming - they care, trust and love each other deeply.

As Xue Rong, Li Zhiting looks very good here (a lot better than in Princess Silver). He is charismatic, strong, powerful and yet compassionate. His character can be arrogant but at the same time adorable. Li Zhiting’s acting is very good, bringing out his regality in the royal court and then becoming a loving husband in pain at the brink of losing his most loved wife.

The Fu Yuzhan character is a very lady-like character, soft on the outside but strong like steel inside. Meng Ziyi’s acting brings out this character convincingly with her bright eyes and intelligent demeanor, and yet not losing her gentle and compassionate personalities.

I also enjoy watching the second couple, the younger Fu sister with her lover, both are impulsive, childish, careless and gullible but very adorable. Their chemistry is very good too. Li Yitong’s and Wang Zhuocheng’s acting here is believable and applaudable.

My Verdict
This is a light palace drama that feels like a rom-com. The twists and turns make it an exciting watch with the protagonists always come out winning, giving the viewers a sigh of relief. Though the ending for the first couple may not be savored positively by some viewers, and despite some flaws here and there, this is still a very enjoyable drama. Don’t miss it!

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two sisters, fall in love with different men and their court story

This drama was better than i anticipated, normally 40 episode ancient drama can be a drag. This one was not too bad!

Characters-
Female lead - is the older sister of the Fu family. She has the the wits and the beauty. She is calm and collected.
Male lead- is the prince, who eventually becomes the King. He is smart, handsome and persistent in loving.

Second female lead - is the younger sister in the Fu family. She is the opposite of her older sister. She is feisty, impulsive, hot head and knows martial arts.
Second male- is a good friend of the prince. He's noble, smart, observative, and loyal.

Storyline-
The storyline flowed pretty well for the most part. It starts off with a prophecy from the local people that one of the Fu's daughter will be a queen . Thus making the emperor, cautious. He tells him adopted son, which is the male lead to take one of the Fu's daughter to another state to get married. This was just a fake mission, so they could assassinate the other state's king, and at the same time get rid of the elder Fu daughter. With her wits, she convinces the prince to not kill her. She is saved and slowly began to develop feelings for each other. The younger Fu sister starts liking the general ( aka second lead) .During all this time there is a conniving aunt of the king who doesnt like the fact, that the king likes the adopted prince so much. She believes her son , should be king and plan against the prince. Stuff happens and the prince ends up marrying the second sister. The story then focuses on how the prince eventually becomes prince. How the second sister faked her death to get out of the marriage with the prince who turned king. I wasnt as fond of the last part because it got more political >_<


Points I liked
1) Although the second sister at times can be annoying and naive, but she still cared about her sister and her family. I liked the sister relationship. I hate dramas when its sister turn against sister.
2) I liked the overall friendship and trusted of the two male leads despite still having some problems.
3) I liked the Fu's father. He was a noble and righteous official
4) of course I loved the elder sisters wits
5) love how the king devoted his love for the older sister, he never changed.

Things I didnt like
- the sister of the prince turned king who turned evil, and tried to kill the queen
- the concubine/empress who tried to help poison the queen. I dont even get her storyline, or like where she came from?
- I HATED THE EVIL OFFICIAL aka the king's cousin. He was just as evil like his mother.

Romance- Between the second lead pairing, i would say there is more development/screen time of them shown developing their relationship more than the elder sister and king. Both pairs are cute :) The drama has a good amount of romance. The king's and the older sister was more sad and slower/slightly tragic.

That reminds me.... wth is the ending? I thought she got healed from the poison ? so did she die , or did she leave? too open ended lol

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