Si tratta di un adattamento della web novel "Qing Chuan Ri Chang" di Duo Mu Mu Duo, ambientato in un paese di fantasia, pseudo cinese antico, e non risparmia bordate al sistema patriarcale che vuole le donne sottomesse agli uomini in ogni più minuscolo dettaglio della loro vita.
In questa storia, ci sono otto staterelli dominati da un nono, al quale ogni tre anni vengono mandate in tributo, per mantenere la pace, delle fanciulle di buon lignaggio per farne mogli e concubine dei vari principi. Ma nel mucchio che prendiamo in considerazione ci sono alcune “mele marce” che rovineranno i calcoli degli sciovinisti e, aiutate da alcuni principi decisamente migliori di altri, cambieranno in breve tempo le carte in tavola nel paese retrogrado e maschilista. Sì, perché nella maggior parte degli altri paesi, le donne hanno un rapporto di parità, se non addirittura di predominio, rispetto agli uomini. Come accadrà tutto ciò è il succo del drama, che verte principalmente sui rapporti di stretta sorellanza che si sviluppano fra le varie mogli e concubine, distribuite fra i vari principi. Alcune avranno più fortuna di altre, ma la lezione che ricaveremo da questa serie è che, se le donne si alleano invece di farsi la guerra, possono ottenere risultati impensabili. Raramente si sono viste amicizie così solide a palazzo, ed è molto piacevole.
Ammetto di essere approdata a questo show per il protagonista Bai Jing Ting, già amato in Reset e in You are my hero, che interpreta qui il sesto principe, figlio non prediletto, apparentemente malaticcio e senza aspirazioni. Inutile dire che la sua ascesa avrà grande parte nell’economia della storia. Dicevo che ho deciso di guardare New life begins per lui, e non sono rimasta delusa dalla sua interpretazione: il suo viso molto mobile e espressivo è perfetto nei momenti romantici, commovente in quelli tristi, esaltante quando fa valere la sua autorità. Non ha una bellezza patinata e convenzionale e, per il gusto occidentale, è dotato di un paio di orecchie decisamente importanti ma che probabilmente non sono un problema in Cina, visto che sono in molti ad esibire orecchie a sventola e, con la dilagante mania della chirurgia plastica, ci vorrebbe pochissimo a correggerle.
Tian Xi Wei, protagonista femminile già vista in Be my cat, è anche lei interprete di spessore, e ci regala qui diverse scene veramente memorabili. E’ la concubina del sesto principe, vero motore dell’epocale cambiamento che avverrà nel retrogrado regno dove è stata inviata.
Attorno a questa coppia principale se ne aggirano diverse altre, coi loro problemi, le loro interpretazioni di cosa è o dovrebbe essere un rapporto di coppia, le loro relazioni coi potenti dei vari regni.
Le relazioni che si sviluppano fra le varie coppie sono abbondantemente sviscerate e, se certi personaggi sono all’inizio negativi o piuttosto antipatici, diversi intraprenderanno percorsi che li porteranno a crescite significative. Fra i personaggi secondari, è particolarmente azzeccata l’interpretazione di Chang Long, il quinto principe Yin Qi sposato contro la sua volontà con una feroce principessa proveniente dal regno dove comandano le donne. La loro è sostanzialmente la seconda coppia, e l’evoluzione del loro rapporto è molto godibile.
Ma in realtà occorrerebbe citare praticamente ogni attore, e sono una settantina: quasi tutti, fino alle comparse, hanno dato vita ai loro personaggi con vera maestria. Ho avuto qualche riserva sul secondo principe che, a tratti, mi è parso poco convincente, per poi però riscattarsi subito dopo con scene da brivido.
Costumi e ambientazioni sono veramente ben fatti e piacevoli alla vista. Si vede chiaramente che in questo comparto non si è proprio badato a spese! Anche la cinematografia è molto apprezzabile, i colori sono accesi e luminosi e i combattimenti, pur non eccessivamente numerosi, sono ben coreografati. Le musiche fanno tutto il loro dovere nel sottolineare i momenti più dolci o tragici. Ottimo lavoro.
Gli intrighi di palazzo per conservare il titolo di principe ereditario, o appropriarsene, sono abbastanza interessanti ma, in ossequio alla leggerezza di quella che resta pur sempre una commedia, non sono mai troppo feroci o tragici. I cattivi, al dunque, vengono sconfitti senza troppa difficoltà, anche perché, contrariamente all’idea che hanno di sé, non sono particolarmente furbi o intelligenti.
Quello che alla fine viene sconfitto, in una soluzione utopica della questione, è il vero nemico da combattere: il sistema pesantemente patriarcale che soffoca e uccide le donne. Sarebbe bello se fosse vero, ma purtroppo ci si deve accontentare del lieto fine di una commedia molto piacevole.
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1Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.
New Life Begins is a fun and funny satire that mocks ancient Chinese feudal society. It is set in the fictional kingdom of Xinchuan, which presides over eight other provinces or chuans. Xinchuan is the poster child for every deplorable aspect of the feudal patriarchal society that prevailed over most of China's 5000 years of recorded history. Every three years as tribute, eligible young beauties from the provinces are sent for selection as wives or concubines of the Xinchuan princes. As these poor unsuspecting scions pore gleefully over bride portraits, little do they know that the very foundation of their kingdom and beliefs are about to be rocked to its chauvanist core.As fate would decree, subversive elements infiltrate that year's bride candidates. These elements are woefully untaught and unteachable in the Rules of Reverent Submission for Women. The kind of marriage envisioned by the Xinchaun royalty could not be further from their minds. The ringleader is Li Wei, a deceptively harmless foodie from Jichuan, an inconsequential province where men and women are equal and monogamous. She finds kindred souls in the scheming Hao Jia, the fierce Shangguan Jing and the savvy and ambitious Yuan Ying. Together, they prevail against the suffocating, often life threatening strictures of the Xinchuan inner palace to carve out an existence with some free will. Their brave and hilarious exploits resonate with the oppressed and fuels a fire across the inner palace and then, the capital. As it turns out, behind every great man in Xinchuan is a woman rolling her eyes. Despite the period setting, the ideals in this drama are very modern. It is a very fantastical utopian depiction of the kind of power women can unleash by simply working together instead of turning on one another.
This is not to say that all ten of the Xinchuan princes are bad fellows even though most of them make exceedingly bad husbands. With some, it is simply a matter of training while others need to be kicked to the furthest corners of the empire. The commercially savvy playboy Prince An who thinks he is the sun that the solar system revolves around when he is really the moon is the caricature that made me laugh hardest. That said, the entire ensemble cast delivers rib-tickling and lively comedic sketches that poke fun at the mundane. In a mostly lighthearted and positive but rather cursory manner, the drama evokes many women's themes. Hua Jia's arc is the darkest and most complex one and sounds a dire warning about disgruntled female employees. The sub-plots are short and even though the villains made my blood boil, they are not that smart or complex. That is because the true villain is the tyranny of the patriarchal feudal system and they are all victims of its shortcomings.
All of the sub-plots unfold around the evolution of the relationship between Li Wei and Yin Zheng, the unfavored sixth prince. Hilarity ensues when this woman who lives to eat finds herself shackled to a man who eats to live! With the help of MVP Butler Su, she attempts to tease out the inner fat dude just waiting to burst out of Yin Zheng. In fact, food is her secret weapon; she worms her way into practically everyone's hearts through their stomachs. Both Bai Jingting and Tian Xiwei have good comedic expression and they are fantastic at seamlessly turning funny moments into heart stopping passionate ones. While theirs is a fun, wholesome story, it is too much of a fairy tale. Neither of them have serious flaws and every cloud has a silver lining. In fact Li Wei's perpetual chirpiness grated on me at times. While Yuan Ying is a fabulous and formidable character and I get that one woman's treasure is another's trash, that entire situation is just too good to be true. I also didn't like how their relationship jumps from courtship to the comfortable rhythm of a long married couple, deferring the best romance part till the end. It breaks the natural momentum of a relationship and distracts audience attention from the other arcs. In truth, this drama is a lot more about sisterhood and women's themes than it is about romance. The production should be more confident that these well written, funny, and touching arcs can engage on their own without dragging out the romance to keep viewers invested.
This is one of the rare times that it is the second couple, Shangguan and Yin Qi that stole my heart. I have a weakness for flawed, colorful and unconventional characters like these. Yin Qi's plight is far worst than Yin Zheng's - he is just as unloved and he is no great talent to boot. In the bride lottery, he finds himself sacrificed to the fierce Shangguan, a princess from the powerful and matrilocal Danchuan. But he has a giant heart to go with his big goofy happy-go-lucky smile that makes the fiery Shangguan forgive him for always saying wrong things. Their clashes and banter made my shoulders quiver with laughter as they humorously navigate true challenges and hardships together. Even though they are not perfect and don't have everything, I somehow get the feeling they couldn't be happier.
Overall this is a gorgeous, lighthearted and highly enjoyable story about women's struggles and sisterhood with some romance thrown in. It lacks depth, is slow in places and is far from a masterpiece but the humour is very well done and has mass appeal. A highly recommended watch that I rate 8.5/10.0.
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Sisterhood. Love. Delicious delicacies
卿卿日常 (New Life Begins) narrates the story the life in Xin Chuan, how different women from nine regions come together and live their life there, also centering around the main couple (the sixth prince of Xin Chuan and a girl from Jin Chuan.)Helmed by director Zhao Qichen, who also directed My Heroic Husband. You can expect a good laugh from the drama! There are a lot of elements in the drama that is intertwined together flawlessly, such as comedy, feminism, love, friendship, family, and a tad of (child’s play) politics and rivalry. There are so many plot devices and themes that worked together harmoniously, there isn’t any dull moment for me. It is well-paced, the storyline develops at a brisk and engaging pace.
What makes this drama different from other dramas is (at least for now) that the drama avoids going on the mainstream road. There is no rivalry and scheming between women, unlike other historical dramas. The drama has a very heavy element of feminism - how women in this drama showcase their abilities, support, protect, and have each other backs, and more. Other than it, the drama also focuses on what women experience: postpartum depression, domestic violence, marriage, and more. All the women characters in the drama are interesting, well-conceived, and realistically written - each of them comes from different regions with different mindsets and beliefs, thus making their struggles and actions understandable. The colorful and depths of the ensemble characters make the drama even more compelling.
In addition, almost every couple in the drama is very also lovely! Every couple’s romance is developed equally. It is nice to see how each couple grows fond of each other over time and also grow as an individual. Each character possesses their own distinctive qualities that when combined together make the overall development of the story interesting and fun. Each character is also multidimensional, each having its own interesting story arc. You will find yourself immersed and invested in each character’s growth through the experiences they went through. I especially love how Hao Jia (the second prince’s concubine) has an inner monologue whenever the second prince is near him!
New Life Begin’s cinematography is generally adequate. But some of their shots of food are beautiful, which will make you salivate. The color palette of the drama is light and bright-toned with a soft filter and vibrant color palette, which is pleasing to the eyes. Another thing I loved about New Life Begins is their elaborately authentic sets and exquisite costumes. Where each character has their own styling. Lastly, though not seamless, the editing and scene transition is cohesive. There are a lot of scene transitions in between however it’s understandable as the narrative not only narrates the character in a certain period of time but over a long period of time.
The characters of the drama are brought to life by an outstanding cast, who delivers compelling interpretations of their character. Both Bai Jingting and Tian Xiwei did an exceptional job in the drama, embodying the character! Tian Xiwei imbues her character as Li Wei with cuteness, nuance, and also elegance! Though she looks very cute and sweet. But she is not one of those sweet-looking girls that are easily manipulated. She manages to infuse her character with kindness, righteousness, knowledge, and standing by what she believes; which makes her character very interesting. It is unimaginable that anyone else can pull off such a character other than Tian Xiwei.
Bai Jingting also elevated his character with his micro-expressions. As the sixth prince who grows up to be sickly and secluded, he still managed to show us different sides of the character - how he grows throughout the relationship and more. Not only Bai Jinting and Tian Xiwei but each character in the drama were immensely elevated by all the cast’s excellent acting. The depth and richness of each character and their development were commendable. In addition, all the character’s interactions and chemistry are also realistically and convincingly portrayed.
Personally, I think this is a really great drama to watch when you're looking for something light-hearted! This drama is like a serotonin boost!
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Girl Power – Delightful and Inspiring
Despite being set with a background of a royal harem in a fictional world, this drama exudes positive aura throughout, without the typical and tiring hair-pulling cat fights commonly seen in historical palace dramas. “New Life Begins” describes a utopia where girls band together to help each other, freeing themselves and achieving their goals, realizing the adage “unite is power”. Most of the characters are lovable, albeit with flaws, and their growth is distinct, from being weak and helpless to being strong and courageous. The story is inspiring and comforting.Centers around Xin Chuan, one of the nine kingdoms, and its sixth Prince, Yin Zheng (Bai Jingting)’s household, the story contrasts each kingdom which has its individual unique characteristics, features and cultures, with Xin Chuan being the leader of the pact. To build cordial relationships with all the other kingdoms, the King of Xin Chuan wants his sons to marry noble girls from the various kingdoms. He calls for the kingdoms to send their best eligible girls. Li Wei (Tian Xiwei) is selected and sent to Xin Chuan; she is reluctant, for Li Wei doesn’t want to marry a man she doesn’t love, and she wants a one-man-one-woman marriage with equal rights practiced by her home kingdom whereas Xin Chuan still follows the traditional polygamous system.
Among all the noble girls, Li Wei seems to be the least favorable for she tries to wriggle out of the wife selection process. Despite that, she is chosen by Yin Zheng the 6th Prince as a “side” wife, for Yin Zheng wants to maintain his low profile by marrying a girl nobody wants. Yin Zheng looks sickly and to survive in the back-stabbing treacherous palatial world, he blends himself into the background that nobody takes notice of. What seemingly an unlikely relationship, Yin Zheng and Li Wei fall in love with each other.
Li Wei is intelligent, compassionate, and down to earth. She provides Yin Zheng with practical ideas and helps him maneuver and eventually get noticed by his father, the King. How she makes friends with Yin Zheng’s “proper” wife and the wives of his brothers, all of whom later become her business partners and they help each other to become independent, is very inspiring. Tian Xiwei’s Li Wei is natural and believable. She has given a wonderful performance here.
Bai Jingting’s Yin Zheng is equally great. The actor is very pale and slim and does look sickly, which is perfect for the Yin Zheng character. Under that weakling skin, Yin Zheng is intelligent, well-read and a competent fighter that no one is aware of. Despite he has two wives initially, he is devoted to Li Wei only; his relationship with his “proper” wife is cordial and platonic. Bai Jingting has been one of my favorite actors. His acting range is very wide, from a ping pong champion in Ping Pong Life, to a special taskforce police officer in You are My Hero, to a silly and humble character in Octogenarian and the 90s, and to a historical prince in New Life Begins. He immerses himself completely into all his characters, giving viewers very convincing and lovely performance in each. He is always subtly funny.
Each prince has his story with his wife/wives. Most of their stories are hilarious and relatable. For example, the fifth Prince loves his wife and is helpful, but he can’t get a thing right; the third Prince has multiple wives but can never get their names straight. All the other characters are lovable, even the antagonists are pitiful, and the whole cast is very believable. Though despicable, the second Prince who is groomed to succeed the throne, and the fourth Prince, extract sympathy from the viewers when they get into trouble.
My Verdict
This is a heart-warming drama with girls helping girls, and trying to change the male-centered system. All the girls are intelligent, courageous, and independent. Despite their unfavorable environment, they don’t self-pity nor fight among themselves but help and take care of each other. This eventually makes the group strong and enables them to be financially independent, maintain their dignity and eventually change the society to a fairy one. This may sound very feminist to many viewers, nonetheless, it's one of those easy and delightful story that can cheer viewers' mood.
Romance wise, the chemistry between Bai Jingting and Tian Xiwei is pretty good and sweet. There is also a very lovely second couple here with a very funny relationship.
The message: No matter where one comes from, be it Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, or even the open west where girls are being suppressed and their rights infringed, only when girls unite and work together, great things can be achieved, and dignity maintained.
Easy watching and entertaining. Recommended!
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Funny and interesting.._
This drama may seem to be simple at the beginning, very funny, romance, arrange marriage,political..etc.. so it would seem boring and light BUT then as you you GO ON and KEEP on watching you'll find out the things that this DRAMA wants to CONVEY to the viewers, this is one of the dramas that its not merely for entertainment but also to disseminate information and message to the world or all viewers..This drama tackles the different problems that we are encountering not only on our community but all around the world as it represents this nine regions on the drama..
If you’re a woman I think that you might want to check this out because there are a lot of women characters ...One of its major topic is about showcasing women's rights, worth, and capablility... and thus also lead to the equality between men and women.. Another topics are maintaining the peace and order of every region aswell as UNITY..
I recommend this drama lot, its very Wonderful, they say that its boring but I say this drama is so interesting and funny maybe depends on your palate or preference when it comes to drama...
About the Romance this is not much of a full blown romance but a slowly progressing and burning romance that makes it even more sweeter, also this includes a lot of couples as well that are cute and funny to watch..
Likes:
□It is not centered about only one topic and person.
□First half is funny and fun.
□Has a lot of interesting stuffs on it…
□Gender Equality
□Every character is great
□I think this is one of the high budget dramas since the costumes are very pretty, and they used a lot of the palaces that we have already seen on the other Chinese Historical Dramas
□
□□□□Ending: Very much a Happy Ending!!
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Sooo good yet so draggy...
Once upon a time there was a lonely prince who lived in a palace where toxic masculinity and rivalry ruled... The women where abused and used as objects owned by men. Tradition was supposedly strong in the palace and any one male or female who tried to go up against it was tossed in to a marriage against their will, pretty much forced to commit suicide or ended up in prison. People where scheming plots all over the place...But one day the prince met a girl whom was warm, funny and loved food above anything. And while he could not make her his wife he made her is concubine... Which made for the start of a whole bunch of people working towards new lives... and yes A New Life Begins...
The drama has a lot of everything, maybe a bit to much of everything as nothing seems to get fully explored and both drags out for what seems like an eternity only to be wrapped up with a few lines here and there... maybe a slow mo scene of the result but the turns are fast and the process extremely inconsistent. Is this the result of poor writing, censorship or a writer who just wants to include a bit to much I do not know... But it did feel very off at times. Which is really sad because there is so much good in here.
Both leads are lovable, good actors, have great chemistry and lovely interactions with each other with some pretty steamy kisses. Unfortunately. their story does not get nearly enough screen time as all those other side plots take away from their time together. However I do have to say that this is a male lead who even though he grew up in the toxic palace actually seems to have some kind of respect for women and can both take no for an answer and seems to try to avoid forcing himself on the female lead even if they are supposed to try to consummate the guy seems to want to the girl to actually want to consummate before consummating. Showing some type of consent culture.
The food in this drama is mouth watering, making you hungry every single episode.
The side couples are mostly lovely and show a bunch of ways of power relations and personalities... As we get to see the difference between domestic violence practiced by people with power and violence in the relationship practiced by people with less power. Non are good but we do get to see a nuance done pretty well.
We also get to see a lot of women empowerment, sisterhood and a potential poly relationship that could have been so good if the drama was not so obsessed with monogamy vs concubine culture.... There is one truly annoying character but she grew on me after a while, but then she pretty much disappeared from the plot.
This drama is a good pick for those who like c-historical with many episodes and do not mind the draggy parts. For those who want to see 100 years of woman's rights battles cut down to about 3 or 4 years and are okay with getting pebbles of great romance between sisterhood, friendship, family relations, politics, food and pretty much everything in-between...
However if you are like me you will miss the pebbles and find it draggy and may find yourself struggling to finish it wanting to drop it yet still not being able to score it to low because it just has so many good parts in it...
Also the predictability is pretty high so do not expect to be kept on your toes, at all.
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Not for everyone.
I’m actually not connecting with this drama so I think that it’s time to just give up at ep 20. It’s not for me. The ideas were good but the execution was lacking. I mean it truly didn’t find a good way to give both genders the respect it was trying to demand. Yes Xin state rules were archaic and the other state had different rules. But the way they try to make Li Wei and her female friends reform Xin states just scream blatant hypocrisy and disrespect to me. More than once Li Wei overstep her boundaries into other people problems without truly considering the troubles she would cause all the party involved, and they try to disguised it as a feminism manifesto in spreading. And Zheng as the feminist king incarnate for going ahead with his little wife crazy ideas all the time. I’m a woman and I had a hard time buying into this because of the way it was implemented. I believe they could have found less disruptive and respectful way to portray all this. It quite sad because it actually had beautiful sisterhood moment and it was quite interesting to see a drama with a harem of women not trying to outdo each other but support each others. But the execution is truly loss on me. There is no need to come out me. I do see why other people may have love it. I’m just saying that it wasn’t it for me. And someone. This view relevant it making them decide if they want to watch this.Don’t get me wrong this drama had great sceneries, and the acting was actually great with tons of veterans actors. It’s just that for somewhat time period it was trying to emulate I felt like they were trying to force feed me moderns ideas and not in a good way either. Li Wei character either came out as chaotic, pushy or plain incentive sometimes. Like she seriously had no alarm for the preservation of others. Her ideas and her feelings were what mattered above all else. I don’t know she may get better later but I did feel the pull to sit through all of it and go through that journey. I sat and gave them 20 episodes to convince me and sadly it fail. Someone reading this may go if you didn’t like it why give it a 8.5. My answer to that is because I like the acting and the scenery and to some instance the plot. My biggest disappointment is the execution and also to uncomfortable feeling I’m getting as if I’m getting judge for not approving the way Li Wei does things and the way Zheng just indulges her.
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Cup of flower tea
This is a drama you'll watch with special fondness. One I'll archive under watch again.From the opening theme, it already hints of what comes next: calm, pleasant, ingenuous.
FL checks a lot of the neither box. Simple but not backwards. Innocent but not naive. Lively but not obnoxiois. Silly but not stupid. She treats people with a genuine heart and that attitude wins people over. Shes one that draws and keeps people around her. Its just one of her many charming qualities.
ML is sharp minded but not manipulative. Strategic but not greedy. Noble but not arrogant. A bit sickly but able to fight and defend. He lacked love and warmth from his parents. But theres not a bone of meanness on him. He mostly masked his ability to safeguard himself in a palace riffed with powerplay, particularly those in cahoots or bowed to the 2nd prince.
ML-FL had a genuinely believable, well-paced relationship. From minor misunderstanding develops to an understanding, forming a cordial employer-employee existence. But far from mundane their interaction and day to day lives are peppered with hilarity and warm moments. That reliable companionship is almost like a form of courtship unique to them. Textbook case of "Familiarity breeds fondness".
My greatest praise for him would be how respectful he is of her. He learn that her valies are different to what is typical of his country. He does not force her to follow in his ways, instead every step of the way he lets her choose, gives her as much freedom as possible and backs her up even as it goes against palace norms and rules.
My greatest praise for her is her genuine personality. Whether it is ML or others, she stays true to herself but also treats others fairly. She can answer ML honestly and he can count on her for being truthful. I love how to takes her time in considering the ML and their possibilities. Entrusting your heart and the rest of your life to another is not sth done at a whim.
My greatest praise for the drama is the entirety of the casts and the stories they rell together. Unlike other palace dramas that can be hair pulling or super angsty but this one is done jus right. FL has this huge gang of sisterhood that was so remarkable and heart warming. Sisters of no blood relation that supports and helps out one another. Than theres the prince brotherhood that reluctantly forms through the ladies. Not to forget the head butler and chef of the 6th Prince that provided a lot of comedy. So many of them had such great comedic timing.
If you've not watched cause of the tag 'slow-burn', dont be. Its like a cup of flower tea. Enjoy the steaming and beautiful fragrance. And when steep just nice, enjoy the sweet cleansing taste and lastly savor the aftertaste.
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A Little Bit of Everything on a Robust Menu
This drama didn't look like much from the get go; in fact they wrapped filming this year so was very surprised when it popped out. I was only watching because BJT is one of the people I follow and wanted to see how he fared in a costume drama. He definitely delivered the goods and so did the rest of the cast. This drama had literally a little bit of everything on a robust menu.Pros: First time I saw BJT was in YAMH last year so I knew he could play fierce and comical characters; I wasn't sure if he could handle a costume drama where some mild fighting was needed. He very pleasantly surprised me though and his character YZ was my favorite. The facial expressions, in between lips talking, loyalty, drunk kissing etc made his character really stand out amongst the plethora of princes.
This is the second costume drama I've seen this year that very heavily focused on sisterhood and made even the most annoying female evolve into someone likable. The outstanding bonds that were grown between all of the women thanks primarily to the FL's ingenuity and grace, was quite beautiful to see. There was very little pettiness and infighting which is so common when there are multiple women involved in these dramas, that it made it very much like a breath of fresh air as there were a lot of women in this one. Same went with the men; though they divided themselves into two factions of good vs evil, the brotherhood of good was full of kind and talented men.
The comedy was the best part of the series. You were constantly laughing at the antics of literally everyone. The 3 antagonists were all handled appropriately and when the time came though at the beginning it did feel like the 2nd Prince got away with murder while YZ was either ignored or punished. What I liked was that every single character except him evolved during the duration of this series. Even the Emperor understood when he was wrong (though it took a bit of time) and grew to make his kingdom the most modern. Not a single character was without flaws and that made them even more realistic. But there were almost no cliches or tropes and misunderstandings were cleared up very quickly and in a smart manner where each character grew from their mistakes even the 2 last antagonists where it didn't feel like a redemption arc but actual evolution. The romance was subtle until the end and it made the right kind of sense for the leads.
The costumes, scenery, sets, OSTs were all stunning and fit what was needed. It was very obvious that this production team was in the upper tiers and knew what they were doing.
Cons: You'd think with so much positivity how could this drama not get a perfect score but it did have a few cons though they were minor. What I wish they didn't do was focus on the side couples so much, for starters. There were episodes in the beginning and middle that barely had the leads have onscreen time or together. One of the strangest was Song Wu, who I legit fast forwarded in the beginning because she was a spoiled annoying brat, but the way she got with her husband was way too fast. Here you had an entire show filled with princes and their wives slowly getting to know each other and deciding whether to stay together or not and she meets him in the street one day because they share a name and she's magically in love and so is he and after just two more episodes of them barely seeing each other, they're ready to get hitched. It just didn't fit the speed of the rest of the drama. Her evolution was the fastest out of the entire cast and also could have been slowed accordingly. It was like they spent so much time on the other side couples, they had no time left for her.
With all the talk and addition of food, this show needed a new title at first. In the beginning it was very annoying that the FL spent most of her time talking, working on, doing things with food. Like it didn't seem that there was more to her but thankfully as more palace intrigue took over, all of that was tapered and moderated. For many episodes, she was the human talking menu and it got old quick. Was very glad the character of Yuan Ying was brought in when she was because she was the perfect addition to the household and leveling that portion out. That's it. No more cons.
Would I recommend it? Do you even have to ask lol! 100% would. It's a feel good drama bringing comedy and modern thinking into ancient times. So if you want to laugh a lot, love great sisterhoods, brotherhoods, and strong family bonds (be they immediate or cultivated), this is the show for you!
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Unique, Beautiful & Uplifting!
The opening montage conveys that and is a good reflection of what this drama will deliver.If you’ve ever gone through palace dramas hoping the villains get caught earlier and wishing that the leads didn’t have to suffer so much back stabbing and plotting then this drama will answer those wishes. And if you’re tired of always seeing women playing second fiddle to men, then this drama’s focus on strong, smart women supported by their spouses will be a welcome change for you.
As for romance, this drama had a different sort of love story. In the first few episodes, their budding romance made my heart melt. Then when the ML’s first wife came into the picture, there was a little twist and it became a hide-and-seek romance with the focus shifting to sisterhood. Thankfully, the last few episodes put their romance back in focus for a lovely ending that wasn’t rushed.
I love the FL with her big expressive eyes and adorable characteristics which may appear naive at first glance but proves to be honest kindness as she supports her family and friends in her own unique way. Her acting is mostly quite natural and it was particularly heartwarming watching her scene with her grandfather. The ML is a quiet and calm person whose gaze and subtle expressions convey humour as easily as it does love. The way he supports her fully and finds his own way to help her while not crossing his father (too much) made me like him even more.
The explanation of the different Plains in Episode 1 was adorable. 9 Plains in total and you get a variety of backgrounds - some where having concubines is the norm, some where you only had one wife and some where the wife is the head of the household. Despite their different upbringing, the ladies from the different Plains became good friends without any jealousies. It was refreshing to see this strong sisterhood as they overcame adversities together, cried together and celebrated together.
The story itself was simple and filled with the usual tropes but it had some interesting twists and was tastefully done. Politics was not complicated and kept to a minimum so it was not boring during the court sessions. Little touches of humour kept the mood light and I particularly enjoyed watching the ML’s butler’s comic antics and 5th Young Master’s funny expressions.
A little too perfect at times (no quarrels whatsoever whether between the ML and FL or among the ladies) so it’s better to not binge otherwise all that perfectness will start to get annoying. A good watch when you’re in the mood for something unique, beautiful and uplifting.
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Court ladies united will never be defeated!
Let’s get 2 fundamental points clear first. The FL is the heart and soul of this Show. When she smiles, the sun shines brighter and the birds sing sweeter. She is the focal point of many subplots. Interestingly, instead of all the wives and concubines scheming and at each other’s throat, the FL gathers a circle of friends from various royal households which grows to becomes a band of sisters who supported each other through thick or thin. It is definitely refreshing and entertaining to watch them work through and around daily challenges. The second point is the push for gender equality. Even though there are regions in this ancient mythical world where women are considered superior, most of the divided realms are patriarchal. A lot of male characters are portrayed as entitled, patronising or outright despicable. The one exception is the ML who is as sweet, gentle and loyal as they come.With this in mind, the Show can be boiled down to a series of vignettes that challenge the leads, their friends and the steady rise of the ML in the imperial court. Some tasks are trivial and domestic while others are more serious and involve palace intrigues and affairs of the state. In all cases, it leads to the growth of our leads, their relationship as well as those who are near and dear to them.
Of course, 40 episodes of this is a stretch and this is where the FL’s presence really anchor the show. She is such a lovely and grounded character that you just can’t help but liking her and cheering her on. More importantly, makes you invested in the show and want to keep watching. Nevertheless, not every subplot involves our OTP and some do drag on for too long.
Draggy plots aside, there are other issues. Part of the problem is that most of the trials and tribulations are contrived. It is quite obvious what the writer wants as the outcome and it follows a well-trodden path.
On top of that, the Show is first and foremost a rom-com so its tone is fundamentally light. There are some serious issues presented mostly regarding mental health, the treatment of women and their place in society. While shows like A Dream of Splendor hit it harder and deeper. This Show vacillate between light and dark and settled on a shade of off white which avoided the really tough questions. We are constantly reminded of the inequality, but the solution arrived at are mostly simplistic, jingoistic and misaligned with its historical context. It is more about sending the message than its content and a contemporary message at that.
Acting is generally good, with the OTP outshining the rest of the cast. Of course, with such a big ensemble, there are some inconsistencies but it is not a big issue. Production is generally good but more care can be taken to give lighting a more natural look. Also, the styling and makeup of FL changed significantly towards the end to try to signify her important status and growing maturity but it doesn't work for me. She lost her characteristic sparkle. It felt like she has put on a mask.
The last few episodes are pure fan service with bonus skinship (about time!). The bulk of the plots have run their courses and the Show took its time to wrap things up and ties off each thread with a huge pink bow.
Overall, the Show is sweet without too much artificial sweeteners. The progress of the OTP’s love line is slow, but quite organic and swoon worthy. The writers stuck to their guns and the storyline is very consistent and enjoyable. It is fluffy and light but in a charming way. I can recommend this show if that is what you are looking for.
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A LIGHT AND SWEET DRAMA!!! ALSO THE COMEDY IS SUPER.. MUST WATCH !!
I'm not good at writing a review but tried to because this drama deserves a lot more viewers.First I want to say that I found this accidentally and just randomly watch it since I know both leads.. at first I didn't much have high expectations when I decided to watch it since the other recent dramas didn't catch my attention BUT THEN Gosh I just watch the first 4 episodes and got addicted LOL
What I like the most in this drama is that it didn't have a lot of angst.. bruh I hate crying over a drama .. this one is good!! The friendship of the girls is wholesome.. they will try their best to protect and help each other.. I also like that they show the different traditions of each places..
There are maybe some times that you might disappointed especially in ep 12.. well I suggest to just continue watching it... I like Yuan Ying😘
THE MAIN LEADS CHEMISTRY IS SOO GOOD!!! ALSO THE OTHER COUPLES IS ALSO GOOD.. AND YOU WILL NOT BE BORED WATCHING THEM... I didn't even skipped a scene watching this whole drama lol
Male lead is lowkey at first but being recognize at time goes by. he's also so
handsome, wise and he's small reactions are so cutee.. The female lead is a food lover and not like other fl this one is not annoying. She is very likeable... I hate dumb fl the most bruh.. this one is good!!!
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