Novoland: Pearl Eclipse (2021)

I'm seriously looking at all these high rated reviews and I feel like we've just been watching two completely different dramas. Maybe my expectations were too high, or I have different tastes, or the drama is just genuinely.... not good. If you're looking for a fast-paced, super romantic drama, look away because this is not for you.

And I gotta be honest, I feel next to nothing for most of these characters. Like, almost apathetic. The acting, the characters, the plot line - nothing was engaging and real enough for me to feel invested.

First of all - the Emperor. I'm sorry, but he is straight up trash. He sexually, emotionally, and physically abuses Tilan until she's so scared of him that she flinches away whenever he even approaches her, and the show tries to excuse all of this because of his past trauma. HELLO. EXCUSE ME. I don't care WHAT tragic past you have, because absolutely nobody deserves the shit that Tilan went through. I swear, she got strangled by him at least like... three times. Wtf. And then all of a sudden, everything is okay because the Emperor sees the light! He understands what he did was wrong, and Tilan is so understanding! And even comforts him! .... People. If someone treats you like this in real life, please leave them. You cannot be their savior, what they need is therapy.

Second of all - Jiangming, the ML. This emotionless rock. Even the rare times that he showed emotion, I just wasn't into it, and I'm not sure if it's just an issue of me just not jiving with the character at all or what. He keeps the FL in the dark about literally .... everything. Just ups and decides the rest of FL's life for her, under the guise of "protecting her" without ever asking her about what she wants - actually, FL told him multiple times what she wants, but no, he decides to ignore all of that because he loves her so he gets to decide how things go. Lmao. Okay.

Now - Haishi. Y'all. I feel like her life just revolves around the ML, I literally don't know how she would be able to live her life outside of him. I get having a love interest, but I also feel like she needs her own character, her own hobbies, you know? Right now, I'm just not getting that at all.

The acting - I wasn't impressed, to be honest. The acting for the Emperor was especially not doing it for me, kind of felt like the same 3 wide eyed, angry expression throughout the whole show.

The chemistry - not feeling it. I felt like if I could feel genuine chemistry between the two leads, I would be so much more invested in the show. I haven't watched any of William Chan's dramas but I've watched Yang Mi in Fuyao and Eternal Love and the chemistry between the leads in both of those shows were off the charts. This one? Definitely can't say the same, and I don't know if it's because of the ML's character in the show or ???? I also feel like it might be how they shot 90% of these romantic scenes where it's SUPER CORNY - they slow down and zoom in on everything and it just makes the whole scene feel unnatural.

Another (lol) complaint I had was also the terrible wigs for some of the guys, like the wig for Duo Luo made me not take him seriously at all because every time I looked at him in that curly wig, I couldn't help but laugh.

Anyway. Not to say there weren't good things - I liked the OST, I enjoyed the relationship between Haishi and Zhuoying, and Zhouying and Zheliu. I liked Tilan, I guess. I've spent a lot of time watching most of this drama already, so I'll finish it up at least, but I don't think my review on this show will change much.

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Absolutely nutty!

I honestly don't know what I just watched. The ML does not communicate with the FL and leaves her out of the plan, hurting her feelings and making her seem like a dumbass. This is a constant and repeating problem throughout the 34 episodes like c'mon bruh, ain't that your discipline so please COMMUNICATE. Then magically the plan works accordingly to the ML's intentions and wow, praises goes out to the ML for his superior intelligence. FL then realizes she just needs to sit back, relax, and let daddy deal with these issues and occasionally sending her away bc she's weak and can't protect herself. Also how did Tilan fell in love with the emperor, especially when he treated her like shit and messed the fuck out of her health. No girl, say BYE to his toxic ass!!! Watch this drama if you want to see an overload of toxic masculinity, support violent/abusive relationships, and love cringyass lines and romance. I cringed so much throughout the 34 episodes, especially during the "romantic" scenes between the ML and FL bc it's so nasty.

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BEST DRAMA OF 2021

First, I have to clarify that I am not a YangMi die-hard fan or anything like that. I like her just like any other actresses...

This drama is beautifully done, very good-looking casts, not cheesy CGI, gorgeous costumes, intriguing story plot, superb acting, bad-ass fighting scenes....

BEST things about this drama are:
Smart leads: They always work together to beat the bad guys schemes....
They are also the most kick-ass fighters!! I love leads that are capable and the best in fighting....
these two alone are so safistying to watch!!!!!!

Their love stories are heart-wrenching, but in the end, they all get the happy endings in my opinion!

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***I am reposting this from someone else so everyone can understand the ending better. I am not Chinese so I wouldn't understand all this....but it is actually a beautiful ending once you get the meaning:

"You know the ending with the crane flying above head and it sheds a feather? It's when the Crown Prince aka Emperor is telling HS that FJM's health has improved as compared with the earlier years...

here's what a crane symbolizes:
From fengshuibeginner.com : "In China, the crane, also known as the heron has always been one of the most auspicious symbols since the olden times. It is a symbol of nobility and long life. In addition, it also represents everlasting love and loyalty in romance. "

And from artfixdaily.com: "In Chinese culture, the crane is venerated as the prince of all feathered creatures and thus has a legendary status. Embodying longevity and peace, it is the second most favored bird symbol after the phoenix"

So, I take it to mean that the country is ushering in a period of peace and that FJM will live a long life. I was a little puzzled as to why the feather flew in the wind and we got to see young HS with FJM plus all the other love-scenes.... and I think the first explanation informs us that it also represents "everlasting love and loyalty"....
(reason is because in E06, he didn't catch the feather, but in E48, he catches it"...so he accepts the love and loyalty from HS.

So that's the parting message - though a rather cryptic one. Geez, it's not like all audiences know what the crane means!"

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Beautiful show?

After all those sacrifices they still didn't get to live and grow old together. My heart is in pain for them. The only silver liningwas that FJM didn't die at the end but personally I would want him to be dead at this point. I'm more in pain knowing that he's alive and still couldn't live with his love.
Final thought- this is one beautifully directed and produced show. For me William Chan was the MVP. Given his personality he pulled off this role amazingly. I was totally mesmerised by him. Other casts also done their job well but WC was the best. The only thing that irritated me were his 2 fringes. ?

Story was nice and they executed it well. There were some flaws obviously but I managed to overlook them coz everyone acted so good that I didn't want to pin point them.

Osts were also so good. I feel like osts also major role in making a show worthwhile. So they were winning in that area.

Costumes were amazing ? couldn't take my eyes off of them at all.

At the end my heart was aching for all the characters except the 3rd couple atleast they
were happy.

Thankyou so much everyone for making such a wonderful show.

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Favorite c-drama in 2021 - and overall

I really didn't think I'd like this show as much as I do. There are only a few actors and actresses I like in c-drama in general. Yang Mi is one I follow. But their shows are still a hit or miss.

Pearl Eclipse is a great story, has a great flow. There are certain points that I am not too keen on. Example: the master not communicating or sharing his plans ... he holds too much in. But I guess it goes with the character. Bleh.

Yang Mi hits the mark every time. She appropriately fluctuates between cutesy and serious. Her behavior is subtle and perfect for the role. She doesn't swing to extremes like some FL we see in other dramas.

The emperor was annoying as heck, and has behavioral problems early on and for a good half of the show. But he does have character development. The Consort Shurong is a nice, passive lady. She's so passive that her role (to me) is flat and sits in the background. I do think this role could have been better than how it was interpreted or acted out.

The rest of the support roles hit their marks. I find myself really like the 3rd couple. Sincere, no drama, pure (brother and seamstress).

36 episodes in and it still intrigues me. I am on pins and needles waiting for the next episodes. The actual episodes are not as frustrating as the trailer makes it out to be. And although this is a love story, it looks like it'll be more about Hai Shi's rise. this is my fav in 2021, and certainly one of my favorite 10 out of all the dramas I've seen (and it's a lot).

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What is understand does not need to be explained

If you haven’t stuck out the ride then buckle up. At the begin it does start out slow because it’s all political (that’s a story). In my opinion the story does not pick up until the gender reveal ( episode 35) . The whole drama talks about a love that’s building and blossom. It’s hard for me to explain as though I’m really finishing it now and my emotions are raw. This is really a selfless and selfish love story at same time. The FL was real and persuade her love non stop while the ML kept denying his feelings. I feel like it the ML And FL did not get enough screen time. When they did do a first REAL KISS at episode 45 it was blurred out (maybe because of censorship, but I’m trying to see something) . All this build up to have a weak ass bed scene at episode 47. Fang Hai shi and Fang Jain Min has one of the most tormented love story at the end . What is understanding does not need to be explained . She excepted his fate and did not fault him and did what she had to do…

To pacify the viewership, the director and producer need to do an epilogue because that open ending story is not the business.
I’m not for it!

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i never thought i'd love this so much

this is my first time leaving a review here and probably the last. i rated it a full 10/10 because i'm a simple person. i love the drama, and it's already the best for me.

first off, i had thought of skipping this because the number of episodes scared me. i thought i couldn't watch it all because there are 48 episodes. but with only one ep, i got hooked to this drama. more than i could ever imagine. everything is just so beautiful. made me cry plenty of times, and top-notch acting! great cinematography too. everything is pleasing to the eyes. the fighting scenes were superb too. truly loved every part of this drama. i loved every cp too and prayed everyone will have a happy ending.

i finished ep 48 over 2 hours ago but i still feel emotional. i had prepared myself for that kind of ending but i guess i wasn't mentally prepared. i cried buckets of tears. now my eyes are swollen. for the first time in a while, i feel so sad. like so sad to the point i don't wanna talk to anyone. the ending made me feel this way. it doesn't help that i have an early class tomorrow.

overall, it's a really great drama. a must watch if you love a thrilling series that will make you want to binge the whole thing in one go. not for weak hearted people. y'all gotta prepare tissues with this one.

one more thing: this drama made me love chen weiting ? i think he's a great actor and he's really charming!

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My thoughts

My thoughts on the ending…(from watching 46 episodes and peaking through the last two)


POTENTIAL SPOILERS YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
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Things I loved:
- The brotherhood between the characters from FJM&DX, ZY&HS which were one of the standouts in the show, even above the romance
- Action and cinematography = amazing, it’s been a while since I’ve seen action scenes that don’t just rely on special effects
- The talented and intelligent main leads, and their teamwork (which is refreshing because I’ve watched a lot of dramas where the Emperor/Crown Prince are not the smartest people)
- MVPs: Lang Huan, Mu De Qing, Yuran, Aunt Su, Shaozi, Youdu, Jifeng crew (giving some love to the supporting characters), definitely pillars of the main leads’ success
- Chemistry between the leads (I personally liked Yang Mi and William Chan’s chemistry)
- BTS VIDEOS = the actors are hilarious
- Previews that sometimes tricked us and were not fully predictable
- OSTs (Zhang Bi Chen and Zhou Shen —> cannot go wrong here)
- This FORUM and discussions!

Things I wasn’t crazy about:
- The weak one-sided villains —> very anti-climatic. I would have appreciated a more layered villain (one big bad guy, no need for two villains here) since all the characters are relatively intelligent and wise. A more complex scheme/battle would have been more suspenseful (and honestly they had the time to do that in the series)
- Tilan’s love line (I like her and DX individually, but am not crazy for their romance. The time spent on them could have been used to develop other parts of the story and lack of ZYxZL)
- DX's expressions were sometimes a bit exaggerated, still gave me a good laugh though as the character is endearing at times
- I feel like there were a few minor loopholes that could’ve been flushed out more by removing some filler scenes or flashbacks

No story is perfect as everyone has their own vision of how they wish the events of the story would take place. But enjoyed this journey!!! I will miss them all.

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good, but...

Although there is nothing unique about the story, it is a good show. I enjoyed the interaction between Fang Jian Ming and the Emperor. I also enjoyed Hai Shi and the Emperor's interaction. There are some great action scenes. There's a lot of the usual things like evil plots, backstabbing, unrequited love, fighting, heartbreak, etc. All great for a c-drama.

My biggest issue with this show is the main couple. I don't like the idea of it. Fang Jian Ming kind of raised Hai Shi. He was a father figure of sorts, her mentor, her master. He treated her as a family member. For them to end up as a couple is just creepy for my personal taste. Another thing is that because he's fighting his feelings for her, he treats her like crap at least half of the time. He also plays with her emotions by acting hot and cold all the time. He's doing it to protect her, but it doesn't really excuse some of his actions. He also tends to keep her caged up in the guise of protection. He doesn't want her to get hurt so instead he constantly tries to restrict her from doing things. And the worst part is how pathetic she acts with him. It's also slightly obsessive. I feel like a strong female lead shouldn't turn into a pining schoolgirl constantly seeking attention. She's strong, clever, brave, honorable, and does what she feels is right, but the moment her Shifu is mad at her or hurts her feelings, she becomes pitiful. I honestly would have liked her love interest to be anyone else. There's only a few more episodes left, but I keep hoping he dies and she moves on with someone else.

One other thing to point out is the Emperor and Tilan's relationship is also incredibly messed up. He treats her like shit for a long time before he starts to change his ways. He's actually incredibly cruel towards her just because she looks like her dead sister, who happened to be the love of his life. Some of her health issues later on is due to how bad he treated her. I honestly don't know how she could still love him. Doesn't matter that he realized how awful he's been and begins to love her. It's all very toxic.

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Obsessed with this drama

Novoland: Pearl Eclipse is an incredible production with stunning visuals, great actors and a meaningful storyline. Whilst first starting the show, I desperately wanted the main leads (fang jian ming played by William Chan and fang hai shi played by Yang Mi) to have a happy ending, especially with the dedication and sacrifice they had previously put in for the Zheng empire. If you’ve finished the show, then you know the ending is one marked by tragedy and ill fate. In hindsight, the painful ending actually distinguishes the show as being authentic to its original message, conveying the inevitability of fate.

I have mixed feelings about the character of Fang Jian Ming in this show. On one hand, I believe William Chan did an amazing portrayal of this character as the empires right hand and a ruthless strategist that would do what needed to be done. On the other hand, the internal conflict of emotions that we know the character would have experienced should have been revealed more. Instead, most of the time he is always possessing a controlled demeanour, which causes the character to lack dimension in some scenes. The romantic relationship between Jian Ming and Hai Shi is forbidden and ill fated from the beginning, and I think the drama did a great job at conveying this. It was extremely satisfying seeing their feelings for one another gradually develop episode by episode and the hesitation of Fang Jian Ming to get involved. Also, can we take a moment to appreciate how William chan was serving looks in EVERY.SINGLE.SCENE?!!


Yang mi is no stranger to costume dramas and she absolutely delivers a phenomenal performance once again. She is able to express the temper, passion and intelligence of Fang Hai Shi, whilst also showing the viewer her internal struggles of confusion and seemingly unrequited love. The way she persists despite the rejection from Jian Ming is very coherent with the character’s traits and I love how multi dimensional the character is. It is ironic that Jian Ming told the emperor he did not want Hai Shi to become him, because only he knows how painful that is, yet in the end she ended up taking a similar role for the emperors son.
I feel that the ending she was given was too cruel, all she wanted was to spend her days with Jian Ming, but instead she was forced to a life without the one person she loved the most, all in the name of duty.

The final scene of Jian ming and Hai shi made me physically sick in the stomach and my eyes well up with tears. William Chan and Yang Mi totally delivered in this scene, portraying a couple that knows they are doomed whilst still trying to stay strong. The way this scene is filmed; the music, everything is hauntingly tragic and it leaves the viewers heart heavy after the drama ends.

I have not read the original novel this drama was adapted from, so I don’t know how the author blends the tragic ending into the story, but the way it is executed in the drama is too rushed; within the last episode, all the characters lives abruptly changed. The ending is very unsatisfactory and does not live up to the potential that it was building from the early episodes. I can’t help but feel that episodes 1-30 felt like a huge promise to deliver, but the final few episodes were very rushed in terms of storyline and plot being executed. This being said, pearl eclipse is still an incredibly well produced drama and definitely the best one I have seen this year !!!

Something to ponder:
The ending cut me deep and I felt a hollowness in my body after finishing the drama. Maybe it was the lack of closure or the unexpected dark twist, but I laid down and processed/thought about why I was feeling so sad. I came to the conclusion that I was placing too much emphasis on how Jian Ming and Hai Shi’s love story ends, when the best part of their story (IMO) are the initial episodes. The tension, confusion and awkwardness that marked those moments between the main leads was both hilarious and captivating. To find closure on my own, I will have to force myself to remember the beginning of their story and the short amount of time they were able to spend happily in Yuezhou together instead.

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Yang Mi is too old for this teenager role

Drop this series after 36 episodes. Typical Yang Mi's production with miracle cure, typical love relationship, a faked death, surviving fall from the height, etc. But eventually, I dropped this series because at the tail end of it, it drifted into a senseless love story. Just like Ten Miles of Peach Blossom, just when you felt sorry for the 2nd Male Lead because of the death of his beloved love interest, it turned out to be a faked death. So many of the same tricks and story lines from "Legend of Fuyao" could be seen in this series.

What is with the bromance between the Emperor and the Male Lead. Is this a BL adaption of some novel?

Don't waste your time. Go for "Sword Snow Stride" instead.

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