2Machiavelli in love.
The first thing that comes up in any discussion of the Rise of the Phoenixes is that it has a bad ending. I put this in cold storage because I didn't want to be punched in the face after 70 episodes. After watching, l can confirm that it does indeed have the worst ending ever: 5 bad minutes that make little sense. The rest of it is so engaging that I loved almost every moment, plot flaws and all. It is one of my top 3 dramas. There is a spoiler discussion of the ending at the bottom if you scroll down.This was adapted from a popular novel (which I did not read) that had tragic elements but did not end in tragedy. Most of the flaws can be traced back to a fatal decision to change the book ending. That resulted in plot inconsistencies and several main characters making odd and uncharacteristic decisions in order to force this outcome. This begins from about episode 50. The last arc (~10 episodes) are the least convincing and closes the drama at its weakest moments. There are excellent reviews here that analyze the plot holes and flaws with this drama so I won't deep dive any of that. I will focus on what makes this hidden gem irresistible and unforgettable in spite of the negatives.
This is a political drama about the ascent of Ning Yi, the 6th prince of Tiansheng. Raised amidst palace intrigue, betrayal and murder, Ning Yi is a somewhat dark character who is an ultimate survivor. He is the quintessential Machiavelli; a ruthless manipulator and a consummate Go player both literally and figuratively. Wrongfully banished for eight years, he claws his way back to favor, methodically eviscerating his scheming brothers along the way. Initially his purpose is uncover the mystery behind his mother's disappearance and avenge his third brother's deposal. As he gains power, the goal posts change as he aspires to unite the kingdom and make it a place where all are equal in the eyes of the law. Like all characters destined for political greatness, Ning Yi believes that the ends justify the means and ruthlessly and deftly eliminates anyone in his way. He is a guarded character that conceals his true self behind a mockingly care-free and cynical façade. Shards of radiant light emerges when his core convictions are tested and when the people he cares for are threatened. Chen Kun's deliciously portrayed Ning Yi is brilliant, dramatic, wicked, ferocious, daring, charismatic, mischievous, sentimental and utterly unforgettable. I could not get enough of his wandering eyebrow, the wicked gleam in his eyes, his vehemence and his diabolical sense of humor. Ning Yi is an endlessly fascinating, one of a kind character that is by far my all-time favorite c-drama protagonist.
Fang Zhiwei for the first ~50 episodes is the rare strong female lead character we don't see enough of. She is the lowly niece of a powerful minister that is raised in his household on sufferance. She is highly educated, clever, idealistic and audacious enough to take charge of her own destiny. She encounters Ning Yi for the first time in a bold attempt to foil her uncle's plot to marry her off to this powerless prince in her cousin's place. He is intrigued by her and recognizes her resourcefulness could be useful to him. But she has a mind of her own and does not fall in with his plans that easily; as often as not they end up on different (though not necessarily opposing) sides. With Ning Yi's help, she disguises herself as a male scholar Weizhi and enrolls in the most prestigious school in the capital. She gains recognition as the Ultimate Scholar and becomes an influential member of the court and trusted confidante of the emperor. I love strong female characters like this and Ni Ni really shines in this role, especially when she goes toe to toe with Ning Yi. She is as persuasive as the boyish, accomplished and cunning Weizhi as she is the exquisite, vulnerable and overly idealistic Zhiwei. Zhiwei/Weizhi is a consistently awesome character until she sheds her identity as Weizhi and becomes Zhiwei again. At that point, in all the moments that matter she loses her common sense and regresses into a naïve, overly emotional and easily manipulated Zhiwei who no longer knows what she wants. Unfortunately this remarkable character was thrown under the bus to facilitate the dreadful ending.
Ning Yi and Fang Zhiwei were just made for each other. Only actors of Chen Kun and Ni Ni's caliber can express intense passion and longing while barely touching and the wordless communication of two soul mates who just know each other. All of their interactions are mesmerizing - their spirited and witty banter, the way Ning Yi chokes with unholy mirth every time he teases her and of course the biting scenes that I couldn't stop re-watching. Every time they part ways, I am devastated by how dejected Ning Yi is; how their body language conveys the true feeling behind the false bravado of their words. Ning Yi is proud of, not threatened by Zhiwei's abilities and independence, even when she challenges him. Thus Zhiwei bails out Ning Yi as often as he saves her. They are the ultimate power couple, a force to be reckoned with when they are united against some rather formidable villains. By no means invincible, they suffer crushing personal losses and setbacks that among other things forces Ning Yi to make the hardest sacrifice to keep Zhiwei safe.
The romance is so consuming it sucks you into rooting for them through many obstacles; blithely ignoring the blatant warnings throughout that it doesn't end well. This overshadows the fact that this drama is actually about political strife both internal and external. Together our main protagonists deal with internal conspiracies, ambitious princes and politicians, rebellious fiefdoms, remnants of the former kingdom, encroaching neighbors and a devious and paranoid emperor. The emperor is a distant father with too many sons that he treats as little more than pawns and potential usurpers. He is the one person that Ning Yi cannot protect Zhiwei from once her origins are revealed. Their worst enemy however is misplaced fiduciary to an older generation that can not let go of the past so that the younger generation can follow their hearts and dreams.
While the plot is complex with multi-faceted main characters, the overall narrative is clear, well paced and easy to follow. Despite some messy transitions and plot holes (likely due to censorship), the meaning and general thrust of the storyline is intact. The dialogue is witty and sprinkled with light humor that balances politically heavy tone of the drama. The characters are colorful and many have lovable quirks: Nanyi's odd eating habits, Ning Sheng's priceless facial expressions and Helian Zhang's parody of a lovesick fool. Both main protagonists have meaningful and independent relationships with the other core characters; they are not just defined by each other. Ning Yi's key friend, ally and confidante is headmaster Xin Zhiyan, an ambitious and wily strategist. He is protected by the fiercely loyal Ning Cheng, who is the couple's greatest champion. Zhiwei is aided by the dependable Yan Huaishi and protected by the devoted and silently lethal Gu Nanyi. The characters are well written, with their own priorities and agendas and have free will. Ning Yi and Zhiwei's relationship and their actions create uncertainly and friction in some of these surrounding relationships that sets in motion a number of unexpected and exciting plot twists with some heartbreaking consequences.
Though the last ten episodes are the weakest with pathetic and unconvincing villains, I still wanted to see the last main villain go down. Although I was warned, I won't lie: the last 5 minutes were still despicable and unforgivable. It was also completely out of character for Fang Zhiwei and thus not convincing. It was so bad I didn't even feel sad, I just kept shaking my fist at the TV. That said, this drama must be judged in its entirety and remains emphatically one where the journey is much more important than the destination. What a thrilling and riveting journey! I started to re-watch it almost immediately, something I haven't done since TMOPB. I really want to give this a 10 because I love it so much I just don't care about the flaws. But I knocked off 0.5 anyway as my petty and impotent vengeance for the ending.
On re-watch I realized that the ending can be interpreted as open which I discuss below (MAJOR SPOILER).
Warning: Major Ending Spoiler
In Zhiwei's last conversation with Nanyi at their base in the capital, he reiterates that he goes where she goes. He asks her if she is really going to marry Ning Yi and be his empress. She asks if that would be such a terrible thing? We may not have been shown the whole conversation which ends with Nanyi saying that he will wait there for her, implying she is coming back (and not marrying Ning Yi). The ending jump scene had a very surreal quality to it, almost as if it were a dream and not real. It can be argued that she fakes her death and disappears with Nanyi. This would be much more in character for Zhiwei. It would also be closer to the book ending which has her faking her death and eventually reuniting with Ning Yi who gives up the throne for her (credit to @Skibbies who shared the book ending with me). I think most viewers (including myself) were so shocked and dismayed they missed this subtlety. Though less obvious, it is the ending interpretation I prefer. I understand why Zhiwei wouldn't want to be empress when their path to the throne is littered with bodies but she is also smart enough to know that their cause was never her cause and that would be too unfair to Ning Yi. Ning Yi and Zhiwei have done enough for king and country and deserve a chance to enjoy their uncommon love as common people.
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A deeply flawed drama with absolutely phenomenal acting, gorgeous sets, elaborate costumes, layered characters bogged down by inconsistent pacing, questionable editing and unsatisfying scripting, especially towards the end. I love this drama a hell lot, followed it from its initial broadcast which I've never done for cdramas. After watching the making of documentaries, I deeply appreciated what this team tried to do, but its flaws are also so apparent and hard to overcome that I don't know how to recommend this to anyone, but I still want to so I'm going to try.The plot is actually about princes' power struggle with sprinkles of romance, the focus is on Ning Yi, Feng Zhiwei plays second fiddle to him, do not come in looking for romance, you will probably be disappointed. Their interactions were actually pretty jarring compared to the rest of drama due to its different tone. It was super restrained, there were no real kiss here, I'm serious! There were just scenes hotter and cuter than kisses. I do like what's shown of their romance, it's nice to have an OTP who understand each other on a fundamental level and have similar ambitions, even if they disagree when it comes to methods. It meant they don't really go through misunderstandings, until the drama crashed and burned in the last 10 episodes, but I digress. It's lovely to have a drama that cared so much about details and trusted the audience enough to interpret things that's half said, the schemes were fun since everyone, including multiple antagonists who were smart, so it was always multiple parties trying to further their own agenda and screw up lead to unexpected circumstances. The protagonists weren't infallible either, they disagreed and sometimes they end up doing things that would seem unwise to the audience. This drama doesn't really play by the books.
The thing is, the first half of the show, up to ep 45 is fairly steady, packed with lots of information in each episodes. Then Minhai arc got shaved off probably 75% because of NRTA*, which ugh but can't be helped, we can make out important things that happened (it's all in the dialogues) but that's a pretty bad viewing experience. It returned to normal with some explosive acting, Jinshi arc was relatively simple because scriptwriters couldn't really touch it but I think it was mostly fine, Dayue arc got probably 30% cut, but it was mostly still there. Then came the last arc, which I'll just say features a lot of sudden appearance, sudden deaths, sudden misunderstandings (which will get cleared up, no worries! but it sure as hell shouldn't have happened) I suspect that the ending was a very rushed rewrite (which would explain all the plot holes) and the pacing was 3x of the earlier episodes, making everyone who stuck around for 60 episodes fairly confused. The events and character motivations do make sense if you analyse it and fill in the gaps, but they needed more lead up, foreshadowing and detailing that it was so good at before. Never have I, after watching 70 episodes, wanted to have more episodes so the story wouldn't feel so jarring. I honestly think when they edited it, they should have repaced the drama, if latter arcs were cut due to main plot not popping out, this is NOT how you pop it out.
Ning Yi, as a protagonist is one of most layered character I've seen. He is a gifted manipulator, but also someone who care deeply for people close to him because of his childhood. He can be ruthless to his brothers. childish and awkward with Zhiwei, utterly broken when it comes to his mum. He deeply wants a father-son relationship with the emperor but they sort of can't, as being an emperor means being on guard even against your son. He's pretty morally grey, but some of his lines were dubbed over due to NRTA (most notably, end of crown prince arc and the ending). Chen Kun did an astounding job playing Ning Yi, I was quite bemused by his overacting in the first episode. which I know can put off people, it's just Ning Yi likes to be on the edge and taunt people. I was also not a huge fan of his long hair look, but it did signify Ning Yi's carefree attitude. Chen Kun can definitely overact at times, rather like stage acting, but he's also very good at microexpressions and small gestures that just make some scenes so much more real.
Feng Zhiwei is the female lead that I love through and through, even if I'm somewhat disappointed with how they wrote her. To make her more realistic (compared to how OP she was in novel), she was made into a smart but bit naive and impulsive girl who gets dragged into power struggle for the throne and had to grow. That's fine, except Minhai arc was basically her time to show her abilities is equal to Ning Yi got cut (because the main plot doesn't pop? political reasons? idk). Jinshi and Dayue both had limited time and significant changes, so while she wasn't helpless, she was still partially damseled to prop up Ning Yi more, who honestly doesn't need more focus. I know the romance is linked to the plot but it's just badly plotted. I do appreciate that FZW is more straightforward, so she tends to lead the romance. I LOVED Ni Ni who portrayed her, she's gorgeous as a man AND a woman, and neither looked jarring. She had some of the best crying scenes I've seen and had wonderful chemistry with her co-actors. I shipped the otp so hard and was deep in otp hell for a long time after this drama.
My other favourite character is probably the emperor, who was the smartest I've seen in recent years. Emperors in these kind of dramas are usually overly suspicious or useless, and he's neither. He's not a good father or even a good husband, and I'm pretty sure he's sort of an antagonist but that doesn't stop him from being a complicated person. Thanks Ni Do Hong, I'd watch all your scenes all day long. Headmaster Xin had great chemistry with Ning Yi, they shared the same goal but had very different methods and priorities making their scenes a blast to watch. The various princes all had their shining moments too!
It's such a shame most of the people around FZW's characterisations weren't as layered. Her mum was rather conflicted between reviving the kingdom and having her live peacefully, but she was one of the big reason the OTP didn't proceed as well so it's somewhat hard to like her. Her brother is kind of an idiot but had a few nice scenes that I really liked. Gu Nanyi had awesome lines and decent character development, but we weren't show how that happened. I'm actively mad about how they cut out Hua Qiong, who was originally promoted as a main character, and reduced to essentially cameos. Her scenes were largely in Minhai arc, she appeared later and played pivotal role as a best friend and in a scheme then was promptly written out of the story, excuse me?! There wasn't even mourning for her? Helian Zheng actively seemed like he was in a different drama just because of his behaviour and he literally couldn't follow along what Zhiwei is thinking, good as comic relief I guess. I suppose he could also be used as a contrast against Ning Yi, but they also hastily wrote him out of the plot.
Honestly, I think they were too ambitious when they wanted to fuse power struggle + romance, where the OTP can go head to head, they lost their balance. The romance and anything involving the female lead had noticeably more plot holes and was weaker. They also tried to make it more realistic but still fuse in book characters, I love them a lot and would have liked to see a realistic version of them, but I'm in the minority. They should have cut their loses and fused more characters or plot lines. Jinshi is honestly not really needed as an arc, FZW could have gone elsewhere. If it was for uniting the kingdoms, the drama didn't really accomplish that either (whereas the novel managed to establish an alliance there). Dayue had very nice characterisation moments, but it wasn't plotted that well, they could have written other scenes to get the idea across.
I must emphasis this was recorded live while filming, which is super rare in recent years in historical cdramas due to noise pollution, accents and actors' acting. The drama usually have ambience sounds as bgm, and only play its insert songs during important moments. The sets and costumes are exquisite, I did spent fair amount of time just staring at them. I loved the use of go/weiqi, the tea pouring, the small differences in manners in different countries. I'm a little mixed about the dialogue, I have been taken out of the drama by some rather modern words, but it also quote a lot of classical Chinese, some rather cleverly (like when FZW became imperial adviser) , some I had to look up but got its meanings through context, some were just plain wrong. I appreciate the attempt but they could definitely have made it flow better, rather than feeling like they just dropped it into the drama to look well studied.
Despite all of its issues, I still loved this a lot and will probably rewatch it just for acting and characterisation, which is something I basically never do, as someone who largely care about plot. I deeply wish the female characters played bigger roles as they had likely intended before, but even as is, I still love them because they are different and varied, and they are allowed to be flawed, to make mistakes, just as male characters are. I would love to see more effort in fusing more serious elements with romance because that's much closer to life than just fluffy fun times or only serious business time.
P.S: *NRTA is the government agency that all cdramas have to go through, this drama went through it at least twice and they also had people come in half way through filming to check on their progress, and part of the script were rewritten on set. Historical dramas, especially ones that go on prime time slot (this one is, the only other one this year is Ashes of Love) are subjected to stricter scrutinisation, this year have gotten even tighter. Main characters can't be overly dark which is why some of Ning Yi (and maybe Zhiwei?)'s lines were dubbed over.
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Beautiful Production, Puzzling Plot
The Rise of Phoenixes kept me hooked from start to finish, and for me this is a serious act of binge watching, but... I tend to disagree with fans on the internet comparing this show to Nirvana in Fire, or even Game of Thrones. This show wasn't up to par compared to those two. I think what mesmerized me were the stunningly filmed scenes and actors. I just love to look at beautiful faces and places. The leading couple took my breath away sometimes. Although Ni Ni was forced to play a Mary Sue, completely different from her character in the original novel, I easily forgot all this by just looking at her. The same can be said about Chen Kun. He sometimes fell into the trap of emotional, hammy playing, with eyeball rolling and all, but compensated this with good scenes that made him a true anti-hero. I loved their flirting scenes and their love scene beneath a water surface. Also the supporting cast did a good job, especially the old emperor.So why do I feel unsatisfied after 70 episodes? I think it was the script. With historical drama there’s usually the choice between (a) the “man meets woman/they fall in love/they have difficulties/their love survives or not”- storyline or (b) the “man meets woman/they support each other/one of them choose to break up for the common good”- storyline. I guess this production didn’t make this choice. It started as a love story, and abruptly hopped off to version (b). I wonder why, because we didn’t see the suffering of the common people at all, they were absent during all scenes.
There was also an inconsistency in characters. Normally there are outright heroes, villains, and anti-heroes in a show. Ning Yi is the anti-hero type, who should have become more defined as the story fleshed out. It didn’t happen. In the original novel his life experiences made him another man. In the end he dares to choose for his personal happines. In this production however, although he’s portrayed as a highly intelligent man, Ning Yi only wants to win the throne above all other things, turning him into a Macbeth type. This makes his character difficult to portray. How can this prince be a romantic anti-hero, a highly treacherous schemer, and an intelligent person at the same time? The same goes for Feng Zhiwei. She’s the protagonist/heroine of the story. She’s young, intelligent and she becomes an imperial adviser, she doesn’t know her origins and is highly naive, although she can be plucky and daring at the same time. The moment she knew about the fate of several people who gave their life for the sake of her heritage and dynasty, she should have thought about her purpose, her goal in life. It would have been a call to action for her type of character. This happened in the novel. In this production however, after a few revengeful thoughts, she became like many heroines in other c-drama: a brokenhearted, passive love interest.
This production could have been a complicated love story. In stead it became the story of many people whose lives became intertwined. They just happened to meet at the same place, at the same time under difficult circumstances, namely the struggle for power at the imperial palace. All actors did their very best, this makes it worth your time. There are many questions left about certain events, and characters, so it feels that even 70 episodes is not enough. Perhaps a remake will meet the challenge.
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Do I wish it could have ended better? Yes. But I think it has more to do with the fact that I bought so much into Ning Yi and Zhiwei's romance that I just wanted them to be happy together no matter what it cost. Reflecting on how it could have ended better, I realized that it is a difficult task. The ending felt rushed and disjointed. But if it was 100 episodes instead of 70, would I have been satisfied? Probably not. I would want to see my Phoenix couple together for 100 more.
Initially, I knocked off a star for the rushed pacing towards the end and the lazy use of flashbacks in some parts, and another for some really messy writing towards the end. But I asked myself, would I watch it again? If so, I would restore one star for replay value. The answer was a loud and resounding yes.
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I felt that almost everything about this drama was top notch in the beginning. The costumes, sets, and cinematography are beautiful. The music is dramatic, dark, and lovely. The plot was reasonably interesting. Most of the characters were complex and interesting.
Ning Yi is an especially fascinating character, as he is at once a gentle, compassionate, ruthless, and manipulative character. I'd never seen Chen Kun in anything prior to this drama, but I was very impressed with his acting. Of any drama protagonist I've seen, he is perhaps the most believable in his ferocity and ability to assert his power over other characters. Chen Kun has great screen presence. I enjoyed the character's capacity to manipulate and control his adversaries – and he is one of the darkest protagonists I've come across who remains mostly likable – but my favorite aspect of the character is his more lighthearted, frivolous side (even though it is usually fake). There is a genuinely kind and idealistic side to him that is constantly at war with the wounded, vengeful, and ambitious side of him, and watching him try to balance those two contradictory sides of himself is interesting.
Feng Zhiwei is also generally a very likable, fun character to watch for most of the series; Ni Ni is a beautiful and talented actress who imbues her character with warmth, charm, and wit. She is usually careful and well-spoken, but she sometimes struggles with restraining her emotional, impulsive nature - especially when her loved ones are in danger. I enjoyed her most when she was acting as Wei Zhi (the male student turned court official under the title of Ultimate Scholar).
I've seen some viewers comment about the lack of chemistry between Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei, but I actually very much disagree with that. Despite the fact that the show is pretty lacking when it comes to physical displays of affection between the two, I found their interactions to be mostly enjoyable until the latter part of the series. I enjoyed how much they enjoy each other's wit. There's more than enough foreshadowing in the early episodes to alert the viewer to the fact that their relationship will not end well, so the fact that things fell apart between them came as no surprise. Still, I feel like it could have somehow been done in a way that was not so tedious and frustrating to watch. Although I prefer happy endings and generally try to avoid dramas that I know will end tragically, I have seen it done well before. Alas, like the drama as a whole, their relationship just kind of became boring.
There are several other enjoyable relationships that offset some of that (although some of them fall apart, too). Zhiwei had an interesting, complicated dynamic with the emperor, as well as a cute friendship with her bodyguard, Nan Yi. (I lowkey shipped Zhiwei and Nan Yi, especially towards the end.) I also enjoyed her close friendship with Hua Qiong. Ning Yi also had a couple of close relationships that I appreciated: an entertaining, playful friendship with his advisor and close friend, Zi Yan, and a brotherly relationship with his loyal guard, Ning Cheng. His interactions with his father was generally interesting to watch, too, due to its complexity. The emperor loves Ning Yi and seems to find him the most relatable of his children, but there's a lot of water under that bridge and Ning Yi's siblings drive a wedge between them further.
The main character who really never added much for me at any point is Helian Zheng. His persistence in vying for Zhiwei's love even after it has been made abundantly clear that she's not interested is just... so tiresome. He goes to great lengths to aid and protect her, and it's clear that he does care for her a great deal - but he is also self-serving in his motivations. He has a fairly big role in the story, so this aspect of it diminished my enjoyment of it a bit.
Although I did love many things about this drama, I can't recommend it. It is very time consuming and ultimately disappointing. I was honestly very annoyed upon completing it, because it had been so good. If I were to rate the first fifty episodes, I'd probably give it around an 8.5. Unfortunately, the story was stretched too thin and it ended up being a mess.
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The Rise of Phoenixes lingers in my head: beautiful cinematography, remarkable art and design, and excellent performance and acting. There are lots of implicit story details hidden in Chinese dialogue, actors'/actresses' lines, their subtle performance, and sets/props, which could be easily overlooked. If one tries to find something entertaining, simple, and straightforward, this is not a good fit for that purpose. However, with an imagined historical setting, this drama challenges many Chinese traditions and Confucianist norms. First, The Rise of Phoenixes presents a new level of gender equality in the protagonists' relationship. Although they had romantic feelings towards each other in an ancient setting in which women were subordinates to men, the male protagonist always respected the female protagonist's decisions and intelligence, and she always considered herself an equal to him -- she never asked for help, protection, or acted as an appendage in the court politics. Second, the male protagonist has an interesting modern (also liberal) personality: a challenger and an idealist. His utopia was ALL ARE EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW. This ideal was shared by the female protagonist (hence the strong bond between the two). It is also an interesting reflection of social reality in China and can be discussed in depth in terms of Chinese view about social justice without the system of democracy. In terms of his personality, he is not afraid of confrontation. He is also aggressive and true to his feeling and emotion. He does not compromise. These are not considered to be positive qualities in Chinese and Confucianist culture, and many Chinese stories and TV drama portray that in order to succeed, especially in politics, one must endure pains, hide emotions, and avoid confrontations. Finally, this series presents the emperor/father as a real human being, rather than just a symbol of power. The emperor/father was a man who always chose power over his family, but he was also hurt, had weakness, and felt the pain when he was a father. Unlike other Chinese historical drama, in which the emperor often functions as a symbol of power and is always cruel, I really enjoy the actor's performance, complicating his role between the emperor and father. Highly recommended! This work is worth of going back again and again. Was this review helpful to you?
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Trying to watch something while simultaneously reading subtitles is too much work that I would not make the effort for anything longer than a 2 hours movie. So you have to imagine what it would take for me to invest the time to complete a 70 episode show. I only started watching it as something to pass the time until I fall asleep. I figured since it was a subtitle I would be bored and tired before the 1st episode ends and that would be that. 10 minutes in I was hooked. All idea of sleep was lost and thanks to Netflix I had 30 episodes worth to binge through. I was impressed with everything that I was seeing. Yes, the story moved a bit slow in the beginning, but the characters were well developed, I couldn’t stop enjoying the story. Impressive acting, beautiful costume, amazing cinematography. I will not dare comment on the accuracy of the costumes or the customs portrayed in the show because as I’m not of Asian background it’s not my place. From my uninformed perspective I can only say that it looked amazing! By second episode I had already fallen in love with Ning Yi and Feng Zhi Wei. I was definitely hooked and emotionally invested.
Chen Kun’s, Ning Yi was as multi-layered as they come, he is smart, cunning, calculating and determined. He can be playful, and ruthless, surprisingly gentle as well as stern. He loves fiercely and will do whatever it takes for those he loves. The actor did a superb job portraying this character, you can’t help but feel indignant when he is, laugh when he does, and of course cry your eyes out when he cries. And that face with that long hair – Whoa!
Ni Ni’s Feng Zhi Wei is smart, a little naive but she learns. She’s beautiful as she is fierce. She has an unwavering sense of right and wrong. She is also burdened with the hopes and dreams of everyone without a single person considering what she wants. I loved how she was the more forward one in their relationship and he was the shy one.
I just loved the show I couldn’t stop talking about it. I re-watched old episodes while I waited for Fridays to bring new ones. All other shows I previously followed were put on pause. I had little time for entertainment as it is, whatever I had was going to be spent watching and re-watching these episodes to make sure I did not miss anything while reading subtitles.
This is not to say I didn’t have any issues with it. There were some weird cuts, some story arcs I didn’t care for, FZW talked too fast I sometimes couldn’t keep up and my personal small peeve, I really hated how Ning Yi walked with one hand on his waist and another holding up his cloth lol
And it doesn’t help that somethings were certainly lost in translation (Netflix do better!) But all could be forgiven for an interesting story that included captivating characters depicted by amazingly talented actors.
Then came the Minhai arc to be followed by what I would like to refer to as “an out-of-control car speeding downhill towards a brick wall”. I did not understand where one story ended and where one begun. So many loose ends, so many bad cuts, so many unnecessary characters and plot lines. By the time the show concluded I did not recognize the characters that I fell in love with at the start of the show. The second half of this drama all the way through the end, with its sloppy editing, weird cuts, uncharacteristic actions by the characters at this point you know very well, did a disservice to the incredible actors, production crew who put all the hard work and to the fans that devoted time and emotion.
Now, I am not bitter that it was a sad ending. I will admit I’d have preferred a happy one, especially as I could see multiple opportunities in the story they could have seized on to give the characters a better ending. But it’s a creative decision and I can respect the production choice to end on a sad one. I can respect it, IF it were done properly. What pissed me off about this is none of the characters got what they deserved. Helian Zheng deserved better, Hua Qiong deserved better, even Master Zong deserved better - Ning Yi and Zhi Wei DEFINITLY deserved better.
You can watch a sad ending and feel content. That’s not what happens here. This particular end just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. This feeling was compounded by released photo’s or clips of scenes that you never got to see. I was left feeling cheated and let down and completely unsatisfied.
It wasn’t a sad ending – it was a BAD one.
There are some that say the journey is worth it, not in this case. This is, as one reviewer described it “a best forgotten relationship”.
The title says “The Rise of the Phoenixes” as far as I know Phoenix rises from the ash, it represents rebirth. Who/what rose in this? The Dacheng empire? The lovers? Certainly not FZW. By the end of this drama there was no phoenix to be found, only ashes.
My advice to anyone who wants to watch this drama is, watch is until somewhere between 50-55 and then stop. Let your imagination complete the rest. Whether you believe the story deserves a happy ending or not I guarantee you your imagination will do the story, the characters and yourself much justice then what this show did.
I will say this though, kudos, bravo, well done to all the incredible cast, particularly Chen Kun and Ni Ni. I definitely have become a fan.
I read somewhere the book was a better ending. Hopefully it will get translated into English and I can replace this disaster with a better version
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This review may contain spoilers
I didn't intend to watch The Rise of Phoenixes (TROP). The 70 episode length was daunting and despite the stunning cinematography, cast and novel material, I was just too burned out to invest the time. It wasn't until late one night after randomly watching a cast interview of Chen Kun regarding his role as Ning Yi that I changed my mind. Chen Kun and his portrayal of Ning Yi did not disappoint. He truly anchored the drama and was the most consistent character, despite some gratuitous plot lines. I liked Nini's portrayal of Feng Zhiwei, but I did not like what they did to the character of Feng Zhiwei. I hated all the tropes that they forced on her...the everybody loves me syndrome, the damsel in distress, the constant unknowing pawn, the noble idiocy, and so on....As early as the 20 episode mark I was already at my wits end. Seriously, how could someone be so smart and calculating but always fall into other people's traps? When she wasn't interacting with Ning Yi, I had to start fast forwarding or else I would have had to quit the drama all together.
The supporting characters were also a mixed bag. The Emperor, Headmaster Xin Ziyan, Head Eunuch Zhao Yuan, and the deposed Crown Prince Ning Chuan were the more memorable of the bunch. The exceptional abilities of each actor to portray multifaceted, complex individuals is commendable. As for the rest, I felt that they were merely check boxes for dramaland requirements...the run of the mill mastermind, some bad guys, some good guys, the lackeys, the second lead, everyone that hates the main leads, every that loves the main leads, etc. Although they fulfilled their purposes, none really gave a believable performance that I could connect with.
The usual plotting for the throne and revenge are nothing new and it's not unexpected that TROP falls in with the usual 90% of C-Dramas where the last act goes off the rails and the ending is a hodgepodge of how to piss viewers off to no end. However, I still can't believe how disappointed I feel. The last arch of the drama was an absolute misstep. If I ever re-watch this drama, I'll stop at episode 50 and consider that the Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei eventually fulfilled their promise to each other. Forget the rest of the crap that came afterwards...LOL
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Acting: Superior acting skills infused a sense of reality to this drama - I almost felt it was a historical piece - but had to remind myself constantly this was fictional. The family conflicts, the depth of love and romance was magnetic - either polar or attractive but all actors did a great job fulfilling the role of their characters without a feeling of - "this isn't right."
Music: I am always annoyed by music that overwhelms the drama or that is inappropriate for a scene. However, there were periods of time that the music was almost a lullaby. It soothed the soul and when needed it led the viewer into a transitional period for emotional changes - romance or conflict. The composer did a good job - only wish the subbers would have translated some of the lyrics. At one point the music was so outstanding I replayed the scene just to close my eyes to listen to the music.
Rewatch Value: Not something I would say rewatch. This is too time-consuming - took me 10 days of marathoning this drama to enjoy it. Plus, I would only recommend marathoning this drama because of the complexity and details of storytelling and the highs and low ebbs of the storyline. I usually watch 6-8 dramas weekly but they had to be delayed or relegated to my evenings only so that I would be consumed watching this drama.
Overall: we all have our preferences. Always love lots of romance in any drama but the writer focuses only on romance as a backdrop not the substance of the "phoenixes". I am glad I watched because I enjoyed every minute, was never disappointed and after 10 days not regretting the fact that my life was "paralyzed" watching and reading every subbed line to fully enjoy. Not everyone's cup of tea but for me - I give it a 9.5 because I really enjoyed the substance of the story the movement of the plot - always forward - never stuck in reruns of memories and there was a probable ending (not like many Chinese wuxia, romance historical dramas currently being produced)
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Good actors, excellent setting, poor writing
What I likedThe whole cast was amazing portraying their roles.
The beautiful costumes.
The music
And the overall chemistry between the cast.
What I disliked
THE PLOT. They changed so much from the original novel. I can take that, but at least give me something decent. First 50 episodes were okay for me. From there it went downhill to thw point of even making them act ooc. Lol they would make the leads say something and changing it up literally the next episode. The last 10 episodes were painfull to watch. So much nonsense. This is straight up a bad ending. What a waste of the cast.
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To be honest, I really was invested and interested in the beginning but as the episodes dragged on, the story got more and more out of hand and ridiculous, to the point where I wasn't even sure if I liked any of the characters anymore.
When I do finish this series, maybe I'll return to leave a more detailed review because I really did enjoy this in the beginning - I even decided to watch this knowing it wouldn't have a great ending! Unfortunately it just didn't live up to the hype for me.
Edit: Finished this series, to say I was disappointed is a severe understatement.
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I loved so many of the characters that it would probably be an endless list of who and whys. Ning Yi (Chen Kun) / Male lead and Feng Zhiwei (Ni Ni) held their spots of being my favorite movie couple of all time and people in this drama. I loved the playful banter and tongue and cheek verbal exchange that they had especially during the difficult moments in their lives.
Chen Kun reminds a of Daniel Day-Lewis in mannerisms and acting style- when facial expressions and body language speak volumes. Ni Ni was such an endearing person - you couldn't help fall in love with her fierce desire to do what's right. I really like that in spite of the tangled mess of situations that unfolded - they and those close to each of them remained loyal.
I'm kind of surprised by the lower ratings - I loved it. Rewatch value? I could watch it again now - and I just finished it this morning. Suffice it to say it's been a long time since I've watched a historical drama I've enjoyed this much. I hope to see more of Ni Ni - I think this is her first TV drama since she's mainly a film actress. And well Chen Kun - I'm totally going to movie/drama marathon him.
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