Wenxia
Hopefully hiking somewhere in the world's mountains as far away from civilization as possible:)
It's hard to find words expressing what a treasure this series is. Hotheaded artist and a suave businessman intertwine their lives against the backdrop of a bygone era. Beautifully made and brilliantly acted, all-time favourite!
I noticed this series is not very popular and I agree it may not be for everyone. It is not bingeable. It doesn't speed towards an emotional high-point (def. not a cute love story). There is no mystery that gets revealed at the end. This is basically two people from very different backgrounds and social classes meeting, getting into and bailing each other out of trouble continuously, and weaving their lives and the lives of people around them together. There's another layer to the story being told through the opera performances but that requires interest in the art. It also requires a certain mood and full attention, because it's very easy to get lost in the many characters and sidestories. I watched it at the pace of 3 episodes every few days.
Still, I wanted to write a few words for those who may be hesitating because of other reasons.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS below......,..,.....
First of all, I'd like to stress that this is not a bleak, tragic or depressing series.
Yes, it's set in turbulent times. But the (very well-written) story mainly tells of ups and downs in the lives of all manner of people connected to our protagonists or the Beijing opera circle. The Japanese soldiers arrive to occupy Beiping only after 30+ episodes full of Shang Xirui's shenanigans and funny or emotional side stories.
Yes, it has an open-ending but it actually fits the story well and neither ML dies. Plus if you want a less ambiguous version, there's a 'gift ending' posted on bilibili by one of the screenwriters with an alternate cut of the last few minutes of the series.
I think the level of melodrama, or the sadness-happiness ratio, fits the slice of life genre. At least, there are no dramatics here for the dramatics sake.
Secondly, this is not some twisted heartbreaking love triangle story.
Yes, one of the MLs is married with a baby. It wasn't a love match though, but an arranged union in the past due to money problems. What this series has done incredibly well, is how well-written and fleshed out all the characters are, including Er Nainai. To me, the backstory fits the times well and adds an intriguing angle - the contrast between the two relationships in Cheng Fengtai's life. Not to mention, the curious interactions between the wife and the soulmate. Again, both from very different backgrounds.
Lastly, this may be worth watching just for the stylish visuals and artistic flare. I think this is the first series where I actually stopped the video to look at certain stills. There are so many insanely beautiful ones! Just take a look at the sequence in ep43 starting at 21:41. If I can get it in high-res this goes on my wall!
I noticed this series is not very popular and I agree it may not be for everyone. It is not bingeable. It doesn't speed towards an emotional high-point (def. not a cute love story). There is no mystery that gets revealed at the end. This is basically two people from very different backgrounds and social classes meeting, getting into and bailing each other out of trouble continuously, and weaving their lives and the lives of people around them together. There's another layer to the story being told through the opera performances but that requires interest in the art. It also requires a certain mood and full attention, because it's very easy to get lost in the many characters and sidestories. I watched it at the pace of 3 episodes every few days.
Still, I wanted to write a few words for those who may be hesitating because of other reasons.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS below......,..,.....
First of all, I'd like to stress that this is not a bleak, tragic or depressing series.
Yes, it's set in turbulent times. But the (very well-written) story mainly tells of ups and downs in the lives of all manner of people connected to our protagonists or the Beijing opera circle. The Japanese soldiers arrive to occupy Beiping only after 30+ episodes full of Shang Xirui's shenanigans and funny or emotional side stories.
Yes, it has an open-ending but it actually fits the story well and neither ML dies. Plus if you want a less ambiguous version, there's a 'gift ending' posted on bilibili by one of the screenwriters with an alternate cut of the last few minutes of the series.
I think the level of melodrama, or the sadness-happiness ratio, fits the slice of life genre. At least, there are no dramatics here for the dramatics sake.
Secondly, this is not some twisted heartbreaking love triangle story.
Yes, one of the MLs is married with a baby. It wasn't a love match though, but an arranged union in the past due to money problems. What this series has done incredibly well, is how well-written and fleshed out all the characters are, including Er Nainai. To me, the backstory fits the times well and adds an intriguing angle - the contrast between the two relationships in Cheng Fengtai's life. Not to mention, the curious interactions between the wife and the soulmate. Again, both from very different backgrounds.
Lastly, this may be worth watching just for the stylish visuals and artistic flare. I think this is the first series where I actually stopped the video to look at certain stills. There are so many insanely beautiful ones! Just take a look at the sequence in ep43 starting at 21:41. If I can get it in high-res this goes on my wall!
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