The Story of Minglan had a lot of buzz going into it, due to the fact that it was 1) a Daylight Entertainment drama, and 2) it would mark the first time that the famous production company would team up with a female liu liang actress, which many saw as an acknowledgement of Liying's acting skills. Not to mention the source novel is quite popular. So expectations were quite high for the drama, especially with the dating rumors circling around the leads at the time.

All things considered, this was quite the pleasant surprise. I was not fond of the director's previous works, but the scriptwriters have a good track record, and what we ended up getting was a gorgeous slice of life historical with colorful and memorable characters. It's so rare that we get historicals that are focused on the life of civilians outside the palace (though the palace does play a part), and it was refreshing to see the depiction of day to day life in the household of a low/mid ranking official, against the background of the Song dynasty.

Story:
I loved the first half of Minglan, probably even more after a rewatch. The portrayal of Minglan's journey from neglected child to a young adult yearning - but also fearful - for love was beautiful, as was the parallel of Gu Tingye's journey from rebellious and misunderstood son to a responsible, bold but loyal commander. The antagonistic relationship between the wives, the sisters, the idea of what a woman's role is...they were explored well and really fleshed out.

Romance isn't really at the center of the drama, but it does play an important part, and I absolutely loved how it was played out and how it stayed true to what we knew of Minglan and Gu Tingye's characters. Minglan had three suitors in her life, and as someone who has never really been put first by anyone, it really made sense that Gu Tingye, who was the only who went all out in pursuing her and actively prioritized her, would be the one to win her over.

That said, after the wedding, that's when things began to drag a bit. The episodes became extremely repetitive and drawn out (and Hunan TV probably has a lot to do with it), but the only times we saw the story being moved forward was through the episode previews. The stakes were higher, but rather than enjoying the ride, I often felt frustrated with the lack of plot movement. There was also less development in the couple's relationship, which fell a little stagnant until close to the end.

Still, I loved the detailed glimpse of life in the Northern Song Dynasty, and most of all - Sheng Minglan, who was a wonderful protagonist.

Acting/Cast:

The drama was helped by strong performances across the board, anchored by Zhao Liying's wonderful take on Minglan. There was a quiet dignity in young Minglan, which became more of a forceful but steady quest for justice as the character grew up and realized she had to take action to protect her loved ones. Zhao Liying has a great ability to balance vulnerability with inner strength, and it shone in spades here.

Feng Shaofeng's Gu Tingye was also great, and it was a good reminder of the acting range that he possesses when given the chance. The Sheng family was a delight, with Liu Lin and Gao Lu in particular giving fabulous performances as the bickering wives. Cao Cuifen is my MVP though - I absolutely loved her performance and chemistry with Zhao Liying's Minglan.

Music:
Loved the instrumentals used, and the theme song grew on me over time.

Overall:
If you're a fan of Chinese historicals, would really recommend giving this one a shot. It's a lot quieter, and probably more slow-paced than what you may be used to, but it's a beautiful journey.