Rhea
Malaysia
Need Some Warming Up!
The way I see it is that there are 2 main reasons why you might end up abandoning Ancient Love Poetry after a few episodes. One is the actress. It is a case of love or hate. If you love Zhou Dong Yu as Shang Gu, it is easier to enjoy the story. This is because everything that happens revolves around her. Hence, if you think she was wrongly casted as the female lead, then it might just turn you off as you watch. For me, I don’t think she is perfect for the role. It took me some time to warm up to her and the way she portrayed the role with her smiles. She just doesn’t have the aura of a Chief God to me.
Two is the slow start. The beginning plot is very typical of a xianxia drama. The presence of an imprisoned Demon Lord trying to break free and a young goddess falling in love with a more matured and cold god actually remind me of Love And Destiny and Eternal Love Of Dream. So, the familiar storyline is there but the good news is it is condensed to about 16 episodes before the second arc begins. Nevertheless, that is still 16 episodes to sit through if you find the start to be boring.
In short, Ancient Love Poetry will need some warming up for a section of viewers before the story starts to get more captivating and you begin to get used to the female lead. Basically, some patience is needed if you can’t get into the story from the word go.
Interesting Overall Plot
Despite the familiar opening plot, I find the story takes a more refreshing turn after 16 episodes. There is a certain anticipation of how Hou Chi, Bo Xuan, and Qing Mu are related to Shang Gu and Bai Jue. You know there is a connection there which would make you look forward to the moment everything is revealed. So, the boredom dissipates by the time you reach the second arc of the story.
In addition, the supporting characters are interesting to give a more complete and satisfying drama. Despite being gods and immortals, they have their struggles and selfishness to protect the person they loved such as Tian Qi and Mu Guang. Most dramas do not have well-developed supporting characters but not Ancient Love Poetry. I think the team did well to give more life to these characters to heighten the viewers’ emotions to the story.
Acting And Chemistry
As mentioned, I’m not too gung-ho about Zhou Dong Yu’s portrayal of Shang Gu. It has nothing to do with her looks. Instead, the switch from a playful to a more commanding goddess is not obvious when required. She doesn’t have the screen presence to carry that aura of a Chief God convincingly. In contrast, I think Yang Mi did it better in Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms as one can see her character’s commanding nature when the scene calls for it.
In a way, Zhou Dong Yu’s performance seems to be overshadowed by Jenny Zhang’s portrayal of Wu Huan to me. Wu Huan is a hateful but insecure character due to her past experience. But the way Jenny Zhang displays Wu Huan’s regal stature and deceit is very persuasive which is why it is easy for viewers to hate her.
As for Xu Kai, playing Bai Jue or Qing Mu isn’t really a problem to him anymore. He is a pretty versatile actor and can be cold or mischievous like in Dance Of The Sky Empire. At least, I can detect a difference in Xu Kai’s portrayal of Bai Jue and Qing Mu which are 2 different characters in the drama.
The chemistry between Zhou Dong Yu and Xu Kai isn’t off the charts but good enough to make it watchable to me. There are sad moments for the couple in the drama and their watery eyes could break your heart. This is where this couple could hook you and make it hard for you to let them go after the drama is over. But generally, I find that the teasings, quarrels, hugs, and kisses are like most on-screen couples which is nothing really extraordinary.
My Verdict – Watch!
Ancient Love Poetry isn’t perfect but the overall plot is good enough to keep you interested once you have warmed up to the story and actress. It is the initial stage that you possibly need to get over to go on to enjoy the drama. Moreover, not everyone will find the first arc to be boring. It really depends on your tolerance level for recycled plots. It is also obvious that this is a high budget production compared to the usual romance dramas. The CGIs are realistic and costumes look beautiful. All these little details add up to give viewers a quality production.
My opinion is not to let the actress and first few episodes to bother you too much if those are what make you hesitant. Be a little patient to wait for the story to unfold. I know 16 out of 49 episodes is a little long to gauge if it is worth watching but I think the characters will grow on you as you follow their journey. I see this as a plot-driven drama and the supporting characters also have their own backstories to keep things more engaging.
For this Ancient Love Poetry review, I would give it a score of 8/10. Some would love it while others would end up dropping it. I’m not crazy over it like some fans and I don’t think this is the best drama for 2021 because the chemistry could be better and the ending is rather predictable and simplistic especially the last scene. But it is still worth a watch for the plot and well-developed characters. Don’t be swayed by the high ratings by international audience and the low ratings by Chinese viewers. To me, it is somewhere between the 2 and that is a fairer assessment for Ancient Love Poetry.
Two is the slow start. The beginning plot is very typical of a xianxia drama. The presence of an imprisoned Demon Lord trying to break free and a young goddess falling in love with a more matured and cold god actually remind me of Love And Destiny and Eternal Love Of Dream. So, the familiar storyline is there but the good news is it is condensed to about 16 episodes before the second arc begins. Nevertheless, that is still 16 episodes to sit through if you find the start to be boring.
In short, Ancient Love Poetry will need some warming up for a section of viewers before the story starts to get more captivating and you begin to get used to the female lead. Basically, some patience is needed if you can’t get into the story from the word go.
Interesting Overall Plot
Despite the familiar opening plot, I find the story takes a more refreshing turn after 16 episodes. There is a certain anticipation of how Hou Chi, Bo Xuan, and Qing Mu are related to Shang Gu and Bai Jue. You know there is a connection there which would make you look forward to the moment everything is revealed. So, the boredom dissipates by the time you reach the second arc of the story.
In addition, the supporting characters are interesting to give a more complete and satisfying drama. Despite being gods and immortals, they have their struggles and selfishness to protect the person they loved such as Tian Qi and Mu Guang. Most dramas do not have well-developed supporting characters but not Ancient Love Poetry. I think the team did well to give more life to these characters to heighten the viewers’ emotions to the story.
Acting And Chemistry
As mentioned, I’m not too gung-ho about Zhou Dong Yu’s portrayal of Shang Gu. It has nothing to do with her looks. Instead, the switch from a playful to a more commanding goddess is not obvious when required. She doesn’t have the screen presence to carry that aura of a Chief God convincingly. In contrast, I think Yang Mi did it better in Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms as one can see her character’s commanding nature when the scene calls for it.
In a way, Zhou Dong Yu’s performance seems to be overshadowed by Jenny Zhang’s portrayal of Wu Huan to me. Wu Huan is a hateful but insecure character due to her past experience. But the way Jenny Zhang displays Wu Huan’s regal stature and deceit is very persuasive which is why it is easy for viewers to hate her.
As for Xu Kai, playing Bai Jue or Qing Mu isn’t really a problem to him anymore. He is a pretty versatile actor and can be cold or mischievous like in Dance Of The Sky Empire. At least, I can detect a difference in Xu Kai’s portrayal of Bai Jue and Qing Mu which are 2 different characters in the drama.
The chemistry between Zhou Dong Yu and Xu Kai isn’t off the charts but good enough to make it watchable to me. There are sad moments for the couple in the drama and their watery eyes could break your heart. This is where this couple could hook you and make it hard for you to let them go after the drama is over. But generally, I find that the teasings, quarrels, hugs, and kisses are like most on-screen couples which is nothing really extraordinary.
My Verdict – Watch!
Ancient Love Poetry isn’t perfect but the overall plot is good enough to keep you interested once you have warmed up to the story and actress. It is the initial stage that you possibly need to get over to go on to enjoy the drama. Moreover, not everyone will find the first arc to be boring. It really depends on your tolerance level for recycled plots. It is also obvious that this is a high budget production compared to the usual romance dramas. The CGIs are realistic and costumes look beautiful. All these little details add up to give viewers a quality production.
My opinion is not to let the actress and first few episodes to bother you too much if those are what make you hesitant. Be a little patient to wait for the story to unfold. I know 16 out of 49 episodes is a little long to gauge if it is worth watching but I think the characters will grow on you as you follow their journey. I see this as a plot-driven drama and the supporting characters also have their own backstories to keep things more engaging.
For this Ancient Love Poetry review, I would give it a score of 8/10. Some would love it while others would end up dropping it. I’m not crazy over it like some fans and I don’t think this is the best drama for 2021 because the chemistry could be better and the ending is rather predictable and simplistic especially the last scene. But it is still worth a watch for the plot and well-developed characters. Don’t be swayed by the high ratings by international audience and the low ratings by Chinese viewers. To me, it is somewhere between the 2 and that is a fairer assessment for Ancient Love Poetry.
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