Zhen Xiu Ji (2022)

Entertaining but not perfect imo

The ending.... Was quite something. Oh, I don't even watch the alternate ending yet as I write this. What i noticed is that I like the inclusivity of this drama you know, coz it didn't try to be realistic as possible for a historical drama. I like that it gave something new like how man got to be treated like the way woman always got in a real world or usually it would be like that for them. Also, the beauty standard, like I said b4, the inclusivity of plus size and rounded face girls. Another thing, I love that the dramas in the imperial harem were not cruel and vicious. The devotion and patience of the Hero and the strong and courageous stand of the heroine. I'm glad my tears are worth it in the end. Kind of.

Leggi di Più

It's good until it reach ending. I don't get both the ending.

this movie have 2 endings. but, I don't really get both the ending. I don't know if I am just dumb, but both the ending is kinda forceful for me. I actually quite enjoy the shows (episode 1 - 15). For episode 17, it's basically just a re-run from previous episodes. I think they want to emphasize the alternative ending.

It's funny and don't have much politic involve even though the setting is in kingdom. It's also a good thing the emperor and empress both are easygoing.

Actress wise, I don't know why, her hairstyle looks so weird. People around her have similar hairstyle, but in my opinion only her hairstyle looks a bit silly. She is pretty, though.

Leggi di Più

An okay break for the usual.

This is my first review, I'm not sure why. We watched this for the cuisine, because we're foodies. We usually watch xanxia, wuxia dramas and take short breaks from them. We went back to this as when it had originally dropped on Disney+, it was dubbed over, with no way to fix that. Well, they eventually fixed it and we gave it a go.

The food scenes were amazing, however as we watched more and more. You start to pick up on why the show was placed on Disney... Which I can't stand anything Disney usually, the new live action Mulan was hardly a pass, just as this is/was.

When you present Chinese culture and history to Americans, or those watching from Disney, of all places. You begin to wonder why, they don't depict it like a real Chinese Drama is presented, in China. From the social norms, to the personalities, to the general lifestyle.

They show the entire duck presented at a table, normal in Chinese culture. But off-putting to Western culture with their soft-mind and heavily judgmental minds.

They present the duty of the Crown Prince to marry someone and how men are not equal to women. But then the ML prods the FL in public, for a kiss.

People just nonchalantly walk in and out of spaces as they please. The Crown Prince easily giving up his position. The Empress allowing him to do so. His brothers being in on it. Leading the emperor more than likely, also in on it. Seeing the Crown Prince's Eunuch hold back the other Princes. The obvious eavesdropping on the Prince. I could just could go on and on and on.

It was literally a westernized romance, with ideas taken from the Korean drama, with the premise of food and wrapped up to be an acceptable fairytale for Westerners to watch. I just couldn't by the end of it.

Which is another issue. That ending. Her starting up her own hostel, no. But just when all that is occurring, you're cut off midway with an alternate ending of her choosing the Crown Prince. So you're left not knowing the outcome of her final competition, or if she even comes back 6 months later.

Finally, you watch the "alternate" ending and you're re-capped with everything that just occurred in the last 2 or 3 episodes and you've wasted half an hour of your life rewatching more inaccurate fictions to Ancient Chinese culture. Yikes.

The saving grace was the casting, which had a lot of familiar faces. But the rest was a let down.

Leggi di Più

Mouthwatering food for an unsatisfying story

It’s an easy watch, the story is simple enough, the acting is good and the food looks great; I didn’t like some of the soundtrack choices (it sounded too modern if that's possible) and I actively dislike the last part of the drama.
The main draw of the drama, for me, is the female lead. She’s independent and smart. Nothing seems to faze her and no matter what she always lands on her feet. She also cares for the people around her, even if she doesn’t show it openly. She is very goal oriented in the first half of the drama and I really liked that. She’s basically a watered-down version of one of mi favorite cdrama heroines, Wei Yingluo (Story of Xanxi Palace).
Unfortunately, the moment they start to develop the romance more, my interest waned a little, the male lead is very unlikable in the first few episodes but melts down fast and is all about the fl all the time which is ok, we never saw him doing much anyway ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
My hot take is (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) that I would have prefer a sad ending. The last few episodes are about how the fl is asked to sacrifice a huge part of who she is in order to be with the male lead, and her having second thoughts about it is bad actually. But this happened to other female characters throughout the story; they are the ones who have to sacrifice something in order to be with their male love interest. And what’s worse, this is treated like the only correct choice.
And make no mistake, at no point the narrative asked the same from the male lead, he doesn’t have to make any sacrifices, he gets to have the cake and eat it too. Thus, their relationship is never equal and I hate that, but more than anything I think the ending does a great disservice to the characters as they were presented throughout the drama. Maybe it’s a me problem, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth.

Leggi di Più

If you love Chinese foods , you have to watch this drama

This was an unexpected fun drama with great cookings and foods scene with romance. I was watching ROYAL FEAST first, but then I found this drama. Well I ended up finishing this drama before Royal Feast. It was only 16 Ep + extra episode. So it was easy to watch and I simply couldn’t stop watching it. ( Royal Feast is good too but it’s getting tedious and this one was more fun to watch .)

It’s a light romance comedy. ML who is a bit spoiled 世子(Crown Prince) is well played by Wang Cing Shou Kui. FL is played by He Rui Xian who is also in Royal Feast. There are lots of cooking scenes and variety of great looking Chinese foods. I really enjoyed watching these cooking and visually delicious dishes. At the same time the sounds and the scenes of eating these foods made me hungry and I had to go get some Chinese foods each time I watched this drama.

The romance is quite cute between ML and FL. ML is handsome and nice to watch him being jealous. FL is probably more experienced actress and I really liked her a lot. Their chemistry is very good and side actors played well. In the beginning some of serving maids were bit mean to FL, but they all got along right away due to FL’s skilled cooking. Story is very hart warming and funny.

The only thing I didn’t care is the last episode. They even made extra alternative ending, so I am happy the way it ended with extra episode, but I just don’t get it why they don’t make this ending as alternative ending from the beginning instead of ep 16 ? Ep 16 ending was bad.

Anyway as long as you can watch the extra episode, then you will be fine and you will like this drama a lot for sure.

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