This review may contain spoilers
Actors are awesome, story is busted
I love the male and female leads. They are hilarious with amazing screen chemistry. However the story is repetitive and mediocre at best. They're too many side stories that are unnecessary and kinda take away from the main plot. Which is sad because the main plot idea is what drew me in. I love Ding Yuxi and Zhao Lu Si, they are easily two of my favorite actors and they executed these roles well. But how many times did the sister suspect the husband? She was constantly accusing but then bam fell in love with him đ€Šand the sisters right hand man being a snake. The main characters whole personality changed and no one questioned it. I wanted so much to love this drama but it just wasn't for me đ«€Was this review helpful to you?
My Fav drama of the Year 2020
I have never interested to watch C-Drama before. But because of this very specific drama that popup in my FB video search, i tried watching C-Drama and completely head over heel to C-drama since then (2020). This is a MUST MUST MUST WATCH C-DRAMA!! Love Zhao Lusi and Ryan Ding so much.. 10/10. Been watching this 3x already...I have never interested to watch C-Drama before. But because of this very specific drama that popup in my FB video search, i tried watching C-Drama and completely head over heel to C-drama since then (2020). This is a MUST MUST MUST WATCH C-DRAMA!! Love Zhao Lusi and Ryan Ding so much.. 10/10. Been watching this 3x already...
I have never interested to watch C-Drama before. But because of this very specific drama that popup in my FB video search, i tried watching C-Drama and completely head over heel to C-drama since then (2020). This is a MUST MUST MUST WATCH C-DRAMA!! Love Zhao Lusi and Ryan Ding so much.. 10/10. Been watching this 3x already...
I have never interested to watch C-Drama before. But because of this very specific drama that popup in my FB video search, i tried watching C-Drama and completely head over heel to C-drama since then (2020). This is a MUST MUST MUST WATCH C-DRAMA!! Love Zhao Lusi and Ryan Ding so much.. 10/10. Been watching this 3x already...
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This review may contain spoilers
This show is a rather typical fall-into-novel drama where the FL ends up somehow in her own novel, in which she then goes on to disrupt the story and "steal" the ML away from the original FL in the novel. TLDR: what I appreciated most about this show was the lighthearted tone despite the heavy plot (at times - for a historical drama, the plot was relatively tame tbh, only gets intense at times) and it is absolutely HILARIOUS (moreso if you can understand Mandarin, there are a few good puns and expressions that get lost in translation) - I did not expect to laugh out loud this much when I first started this show. I also really liked how short this show is - nothing is too dragged out and everything progresses at a good pace. It's perfect for a cute rom-com and a good laugh or as a palette cleanser. I watched this after wallowing in post-drama depression following my watch of Love Game in Eastern Fantasy and The Story of Pearl Girl LOL and I might be slightly biased because I watched this purely for Ding Yuxi and Zhao Lusi, not for the plot or anything else, yet I ended up loving this show a lot more than I expected to. It made me laugh, cry, and scream at my screen. I honestly really recommend this drama if you're a fan of either (or better yet, both) of the main leads (DYX or ZLS) because they both killed their roles.The main leads have good chemistry - not INSANE chemistry, and I don't personally think that this pairing is either of their most electric ones (for example, I personally think Ding Yuxi has the best chemistry with Esther Yu), but they do have really good chemistry and their relationship is very heartwarming and easy to follow and fall in love with. I really enjoyed watching all their interactions and I really adore their relationship and how it was developed. Watching them fall in love with each other was super satisfying and squeal-worthy and they're now one of my favourite drama couples - it's just so easy and so playful and so pure (yes, despite [SPOILER] the vaguely glossed over bed scene in ep21, their relationship still feels pure to me because of how tender their love is and how they show these sweet, innocent, butterfly-inducing moments). I LOVED watching her slowly thaw his heart and Ding Yuxi did great in mastering the duality of Han Shuo (ML) as a brutal and unforgiving warrior/prince and at the same time as a golden retriever boy gone for Qian Qian (FL), vying for her love and attention. In some way, he reminded me of his role in Moonlight when he [SPOILER] got jealous watching Qian Qian interact with the 2nd ML LOL. I also really liked watching Qian Qian slowly realise her feelings for Han Shuo, and what struck my heart the most was [SPOILER] when she decided to stay in this world and not return to the present because she loved him more than her original world - she wanted to stay for him. And in the same way, he [SPOILER] wanted her to go back to her own world when he realised in ep24 that he didnât have long to live and didnât wish to entrap her for his sake. (Yes, I cried when this happened.)
[SPOILER] I did however DESPISE the angst in ep18-20, I can on some level understand why she did what she did but it was just so cruel and stupid and I cried a lot and I really think it was angst for the sake of angst/to drive the novel's plot forward using the divide between the leads - there were BETTER ways to achieve what the FL was trying to do and I was so frustrated the entire time. And when the ML "got her back" I was just depressed and angry the entire time, especially [SPOILER] the attempted r*pe scene in which he tried to force himself on her (but stopped when he saw her tears). I know it's "in character" for him as the FL wrote his character to be ruthless and half-evil, but I think as the show progressed we saw that after he fell for Qian Qian he was no longer the cruel, ruthless man he used to be, and for me it felt like a very OOC moment for him. Though I can also understand that it could be interpreted that the intense heartbreak and betrayal he went through on her account could have forced him into this way of behaviour, and I did appreciate that he stopped at the sight of her terrified tears - DYX nailed the look of sudden shock, it felt as if he was operating on pure vengeance and anger and was suddenly jarred out of it at the sight of her crying because of his actions towards her. I also appreciated how the show captured moments of his "weakness" and his concern for her despite his anger and heartbreak - for example how worried he was after [SPOILER] he realised she hurt her hand while ironing his clothes. So in summary, yes I hated the angst, but I do appreciate that it was not dragged out further than it had to be and that she realised she did not have to push him away. It was tough pushing through these 3 episodes (maybe 4 if you count the first half of ep21) but it really did make the last few episodes sweeter and cemented their love to be stronger than ever - undeniable, for sure.
Overall, despite the angst from ep18-20, I think they have a great relationship that is fleshed out well and I respect the mutual love they share, against all odds. If youâre looking for pure fluff, ep16 is by far the fluffiest one - right after they both confirm their love for each other and are officially together (which is ironic considering theyâre married the entire time LOL).
I also really like how clearly it was made that [SPOILER] the FL was not from the ML's world, and that she let him in entirely on this fact too. This is a first (from what Iâve seen at least) for these fall-into-novel or time-travel shows. I really liked that he was entirely aware of her being from another world and yet still choosing to stay for him - it made their relationship feel more authentic and genuine, giving it another layer of depth and sincerity that made me believe more firmly in their unwavering love. Another thing I really liked was that the FL didnât lose her memories [SPOILER for Love Game in Eastern Fantasy] of the modern world like the FLs in other shows (cough, LGIEF...) and was constantly able to use her knowledge of the novel and its characters to her benefit. There are some minor plot holes here though, where the FL is unaware of something, which doesnât make much sense because she literally created the world and the characters, though it could have been the show's attempt to push the idea that the characters are not 2D and flat and merely puppets in the novel world; they are instead, very real human beings with their own stories, backgrounds, families, and feelings. However, while I do acknowledge the attempt and the sentiment, I think it couldâve been made more explicit because it can come across as a plot hole where the FL doesnât seem to be fully aware of the world and the characters SHE created.
I also found it quite refreshing how we were able to see the villain's villain arc, and watch the tragic transformation of her falling into the abyss of darkness and wrongdoing. I definitely was able to sympathise with her in the first half of the show, but after that I started to thoroughly despise her and her cruel actions, which was a job well done on the directors' (as well as the actress and the scriptwriters) part. I will say that I for one HATE love triangles, so I was pretty annoyed with the 2nd ML throughout the show, but he is a good person who I can say does love Qian Qian genuinely and always does whatever he is able to in order to help/save her - and she has been saved by him many times. However, on a personal level, I just was not able to like him because I really hate love triangles LOL.
As for the ending, I honestly loved it. [SPOILER] I really like that there was a proper reunion AND an explanation that reassures the viewers that yes, the ML is Han Shuo and the FL is (as we already know) Qian Qian, and they are truly able to be together happily in real life, and that everything they went through together was real. I know a lot of people think the whole "it was just a dream" ending was complete BS, and I can understand why, but to me even though it WAS a dream for both of them, they still have their memories of what they experienced together completely intact and remember how they felt for each other in the novel world. Even though they fell into the novel via the means of a dream, to me they are still the same people - Han Shuo is Actor Han, and Qian Qian is Xiao Qian. They are real, and they are finally together. Thatâs the best ending for me!
The music is rather forgettable and cannot be compared to the osts of other historical dramas with an excellent tracklist, but I do think itâs apt and manages to set the mood quite well. Nothing to loop or listen to outside of the show, but it wasnât bad either.
Also - I LOVED the bromance between the ML and FL's servants LOL. And the scenes with the FL and the 3 storytellers with her using the fruits to represent her and her characters when seeking advice from them is just so creative and amusing and also makes complete sense in relation to her situation as a writer stuck in her own novel trying to push the plot forward, ensure her character continues living, as well as ensure the other characters' well-being.
Overall, I definitely recommend this show if youâre a fan of either of the leads, or if you like the plot of falling into novels and time-travelling etc (i.e if you enjoyed Love Game in Eastern Fantasy or Scarlet Heart like I did, youâll enjoy this one too). Itâs quite a refreshing watch and the leads are definitely worth watching for their chemistry and relationship progression. I really loved this drama and I would definitely rewatch this when I need a laugh - if not, just purely rewatching for the leads' relationship is enough for me too!
For a similar show, watch Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (Ding Yuxi as the ML too). I loved DYX in LGIEF (and Moonlight is worth a watch after watching LGIEF too, for him and Esther's first collaboration). As for Zhao Lusi, I loved her in Hidden Love, but if youâre looking for historical shows, she did amazing in The Story of Pearl Girl and Who Rules the World too - though Iâd say most if not all of her shows are worth a watch (and the same goes for Ding Yuxi!).
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This review may contain spoilers
Great drama
I finished the series in just 2 days!I personally enjoyed watching shows that have good storyline from the start to the end, with equivalent amount of exciting, funny and emotional scenes in between :)
Well.... but the sad part wasn't that sad, it just turns out to become funny, so probably you should not be expecting this drama to make you cry haha~
I loved the main leads chemistry and Han Shuo's devoted character! Just made your heart flutters!!!!
It might not have massive production like big war or hidden conspiracy but as a small web drama piece, it is just PERFECT!
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Love sacrifice between in real world and in dream.
What I like most about the story is that Chen Qianqian has to weigh her love between Han Shuo, Huayuan City and her real world.The most tearful scene for me is that Chen Qianqian betrayed Han Shuo in order to save his life from death and both was going through devastation after being separated.
It makes me cry so much watching the scene also when Chen Qianqian doesn't want to leave Han Shuo but Han Shuo wants her to go back to her real world.
It's too painful when you realize what love is and how much you love someone, everything seems real and then you wake up from a long dream only to find out that it's not real and that the person you love doesn't exist.
I'm really looking forward for the part2 of this tv series. I love them so much , they are so cute and so lovely together. Their chemistry is so high and intense. I just can't help but falling in love with Ding Yu Xi and Zhao Lu Si.
I look forward for their upcoming movies and tv series together please more more projects for the two. Have them work again I'll definitely watch all of their movies and tv series.
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This review may contain spoilers
Story is fine
Same theme movie i have watched many times , time span like that ,resembled stories enter into the game so basically the theme was same .Starting episodes were good then middle of the episodes were little borring and then ending was good .
The differrent in the story was it had shown that one city was woman dominant and other city was man dominant city . so how these dominant power entangled with each other and how end went and how they came back to present life .so this was in the story .
I think the drama should have one more episodes of their present life where they first realised that was not a dream actually that was real and he search her not she . something like this should be there or may be the drama should have both the part historical one and the real one with 15 and 10 episodes respectively so something good may be come out.
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watched it for the nth time!
The story is really interesting. There are tons of transmigration drama out there but it's my first time watching one wherein the main setting is a place where women rule (already a plus factor). And although both leads could be considered as rookies, their lack of experience didn't prevent them from doing an excellent job. Both Ryan and Lusi's character set-ups -- cute, funny, kind, warm, sweet, and basically everything positive -- are also very likable. Coupled with the oh-so-amazing plot, what more could I ask for? ----- aside from season 2 ofc! (and naturally, with the same cast)Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I really enjoyed this, I hope you would too :))
This is one of my most loved chinese isekai romance drama that I have ever watched, especially because I really liked the ml and I'm also into cute and clingy straighforward female leads. If you see how the ml smiles you would definitely be hooked and continue on just to see our cute and arrogant ml.The way the ml gets jealous makes you giggle as he misunderstands a lot. And I do hint a yandere side to him, especially when he blackened after he thought she betrayed him. Ml went a bit insane and became aggressive, it gave me the chills but he ended up warming up to our fl hehe.
I do hope for a 2nd season, season 1 feels so short I want more :)))
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This review may contain spoilers
you thought you ate? well you did, here's another plate
Every once in a while, I come across a gem, unpolished, hidden and unknown. I wipe away the dust and the dirt and am met with something so beautiful that I can hardly believe my eyes.This show is no exception.
It is lockdown 2020; I am at home and finished my second semester of first year uni. I have gone through almost every single historical kdrama on my netflix and I am BORED. I turn to Viki, "maybe it'll have something else that won't have constant porn ads popping up" I think, scrolling through aimlessly the suggestions. Then I stop, I pause and look at a show tile with the title "The Romance of Tiger and Rose". By this point I have only watched one cdrama ever back in 2018 and I have never strayed from kdramas since 2014. But there's something about this show - the premise is wacky, it's something a kdrama would never do, it's 24 episodes instead of the 48 that normally come with historical cdramas and most importantly: it's tagged as "rom-com". It's fully subtitled, it's completely finished. "What the hell," I shrug. "I have nothing for doing anyways."
I click "play first episode" and I go on a journey.
Xiao Qian has a problem - she's stuck in her own script and doesn't know how to get out. But there's an upside: she knows everything about everyone and knows exactly what's going to happen. After several attempts at thinking death would be her only escape, Xiao Qian decides there's only one solution: see the story to the end as Qian Qian.
The thing about TAR is that everything is done on purpose - the side character made for exposition? Yeah, turns out QQ wrote him like that to meet a word count. The "hero" having a heart defect? Well, he needed to be because how else was the initial female lead going to make him trust her after she cures him? The different cultures in either city making no sense? Yeah, QQ realises halfway through that she needs to change that ASAP once she gets home. The fact Han Shuo and Chu Chu don't really have a reason to love one another in the real script? Well, don't blame QQ, she's never even dated and she's just doing what she's seen in other dramas! But things are different: she's there and she's going to make sure that Han Shuo and Chu Chu fall in love and everything works out.
Only there's a slight, tiny, teeny, little bit of a problem: uh, Han Shuo is married to QQ and he doesn't seem eager to turn his attention to Chu Chu.
Because there's only thing QQ can't account for: her character's feelings. Having survived the wedding night (the night she was supposed to die) QQ works hard to turn things around because she wants to go home and not for one second is she going to forget that mission. She has two goals: make HS and CC fall in love and make CC the City Master. Seems easy, right?
WRONG.
Because QQ quickly realises that these people aren't just words on paper; they're real, they have goals, ambitions, dreams and, most importantly, feelings. And the person that shows this to her the most is her supposed arch enemy: HS. She's written him, she knows how he's cruel and vindictive and malicious, she knows what he's going to do, what he COULD do to her if she's on his bad side. So she tries to be nice to him - she celebrates his birthday, she gets him a new set of clothes, she's all about compromise - they will live by his rules in private, and her rules in public. This QQ is not arrogant or rude, she's kind, she's caring, sometimes a bit of a smooth brain but it's understandable why. And Han Shuo is all but helpless as he falls in love with her.
This HS and the HS that QQ wrote are two very different people and she doesn't realise at this point that it's all because of her; HS cares very deeply for QQ to the point he would turn his back on his own city to help her, and he knows falling in love with her is not a smart move but there comes a point where he doesn't care. He's at her heels, constantly making sure she's safe and protected, being a shoulder for her to cry on and he'll shake his head at her antics but he will never discourage her from them. He's her #1 supporter, he knows what she's really like and he will never talk down to her or act like she's some helpless maiden that needs to be protected.
But it seems smoothbrain QQ has this completely slide off of her brain because she's still deadset on going home and continuously tries to make her script happen. Not once throughout this show does QQ's actions aggravate me because there's always a reason behind them. Doesn't realise HS is in love with her? Well, he did try to kill her several times and she wrote him to be in love with CC not her. Blatantly manipulates people to do what she wanted done in her script? She wants to go HOME, she doesn't want to be stuck in a dream forever, she has bills to pay and she misses WiFi! Sends Han Shuo away and lies about her feelings? QQ thinks that she cannot change her script and therefore cannot change HS's fate, but perhaps she can save him long enough until the story is over so he doesn't have to die because of her meddling.
QQ's goal is constant: she wants to go home and needs to take the actions necessary to do so, even if it means hurting herself and others for it to come true. But for a moment so brief that you would blink and miss it, there is a time when she and HS get to live out their marital, blissful life, knowing that they love each other and want to be with one another. And it's so cute - you can tell that HS fell first and he fell HARD, while QQ still obviously has her reservations but she loves him and she's so happy that he loves her. Everything she has done has been to protect him and everything he has done has been to protect her, and he would never do anything to hurt her.
Well.
Sort of.
This show loses its 10/10 rating for a certain scene portrayed in episode 19. I believe that this scene needs to be talked about because of how triggering it is and I remember being completely shook to my core once the scene happened without warning so...
TW: SA.
Without spoiling too much, HS has been cast out from the city by QQ and he is not a happy camper. His love has turned bitter and he wants revenge, revenge that is gladly offered up to him by another character. He returns and he's not at all the happy, loving husband that QQ had turned away. He's angry, he's cruel and cold - he's the HS that QQ had written in the beginning and she knows that she should be very much afraid. HS doesn't believe QQ's reasoning for turning him away and she essentially becomes his prisoner and he the key to her cell.
a lover scorned, HS has a lapse in judgement and his feelings for QQ and acts maliciously towards her, his behaviour worsened when second male lead Pei Heng appears. Certain that QQ and PH have been loving it up, HS shoves PH down a set of stairs and beats him, until QQ steps in. HS wastes no time in throwing her over his shoulder and carrying QQ into her room while she's kicking and screaming, throwing her onto the bed and looming over her. You can tell QQ is afraid because she knows what he's capable of, and she begins to plead with him to calm down and listen to reason but HS refuses - instead, he says it's about time he's got what he's deserved after all this time. And then promptly begins to attack QQ, trying to take off his clothes and hers, not caring for the fact she's fighting back to get him off of her.
HS only ends his assault when QQ's crying grows louder and more afraid and he can see how frightened she is, begging him to stop and that he's scaring her. There's a moment where he reaches out, seemingly regretful, and his mouth opens, making me think he's about to apologise when his voice says: "You ruined my mood" instead.
And then that's it.
QQ brushes it off as "oh he's just super mad at me for saying I don't love him", it doesn't affect her or her opinion of him. HS never apologises. Bai Ji makes a joke saying he can lock the two in a room with an aphrodisiac. Everyone forgets and moves on because the end is in sight. I'm still staring at the screen, mouth slack and eyes wide, not quite believing that I just witnessed HS try to grape QQ.
But everyone is moving forward and I can't be left behind so I have to scrub that scene from my memory and pretend it never happened otherwise I won't be able to finish a show that has been perfect so far.
The comedy in the show is completely next level and I should expect no less from Lu Si who is a goddess at comedy and drama alike. I've watched this show three times and it still makes me laugh every single time because the comedy in this show is AMAZING. Like, I don't even know how to explain it because it's so situational and me trying to explain would ruin the joke. I feel like cdrama's are superior at producing comedies compared to other parts of the world because it's all so natural and doesn't rely on vulgar language or humour to be funny.
But the ACTING - everyone holds their own but you know i gotta talk about my girl Zhao Lu Si; she is one of my favourite actresses because she has the RANGE; comedy, drama, tragedy, romance, you name it. She's only getting better as she ages and I am constantly excited for anything new that she is in. I just don't know how she does it, her expressions, her body language, everything about her acting is so superb. The slightest, subtle movement can tell you exactly what she's thinking as a character and she never fails at making lovable, flawed characters for you to fall in love with.
Ding Yu Xi is fantastic as well, I only feel sorry that he got stuck with that horrible wig and I wish they fired whoever was doing his make up because, damn, man's had a LOT of make up on throughout this show. But he is fantastic as HS - he manages to expertly portray the two sides of HS, the cold and cruel side and the loving and caring side. The side that loves QQ and the side that hates her, and it always seems a battle of which side will win because you can FEEL the conflict HS is going through. Falling in love with QQ means betraying his city and his people, but carrying out his duty means betraying QQ, his wife. Bai Ji acts as the devil on his shoulder, reminding a reluctant HS what he must do for his city, but HS pushes it off time and time again until you can see that his love for QQ is more than for his city. And Yu Xi is amazing at portraying HS's constant internal conflict, his hurt over QQ's dismissive actions, when he's touched by her kindness, when he struggles between his city and his wife. All of it is so clear and portrayed through even the slightest of movements.
This show has become my all time favourite comfort show. I cry when watching it, I laugh when watching it, I blush when watching it, whenever I feel sad I can turn it on and just enjoy a few hours of blissfully watching it.
One of the best shows that I have ever watching and I will always return to it because it feels like home.
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humorous & romantic
Honestly such a heart-warmingly cute drama with just the right balance of raw emotion, comedy, achingly sweet romance and gorgeous actors. Binged it in 3 days and I don't regret it. I am such a simp for Qianqian and Han Shuo's romance; it was so sweet my mouth hurts. The costumes were stunning and even though I teared up at times, Qianqian and Zi Rui's antics never failed to lighten the mood.All in all, I highly recommend this cdrama if you're in need of a good historical romance because you won't be disappointed.
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Fun and Forgettable
My initial tagline for this review of The Romance of Tiger and Rose was â24 episodes of wasted potential.â I had planned to recap and break down episode by episode, but by episode 8, I was ready to call it quits. I decided to pause reviewing episodically and binged the rest of the drama instead. The subsequent sixteen episodes went a lot better and made me reassess my original opinion. Once I stopped getting angry at the little things, this drama became a lot more fun!The Romance of Tiger and Rose (Chinese title: äŒ é»äžçéèè) is about a young screenwriter Chen Xiaoqian who, after transmigrating into a world of her own creation, has to see through the story she wrote as the previously ill-mannered and short-fated villainess, Chen Qianqian. Things get complicated as her numerous intentional and unintentional interferences cause the plot to deviate, even more so after the main male lead, Han Shuo, develops feelings for her instead of her in-world sister and the original main female lead, Chen Chuchu.
What separates Tiger and Rose from other transmigration drama out there is its setting; Huayuan City, which Qianqian is Third Princess of, is a matriarchal society where women are heads of households, political officials, and in positions of power in every way that socially matters. Their neighboring and enemy city-state, Xuanhu City, where Han Shuo is from, is the exact opposite. This difference made for some hilarious setups⊠and itâs also, unfortunately, a failing point. Not a huge failing point. Or maybe it is.
Qianqian, Han Shuo, and Their âEhh-picâ Romance
Weâve all seen the âsmart but ditzy female protagonist who charms the male characters with her unconventional quirksâ archetype, and Chen Xiaoqian/Qianqian is that down to the tee. I say âsmartâ and âditzyâ because she seems to remember and forget her advantage as the near-omniscient author of her own script at the most convenient times. Although I often got frustrated with her because of it, her smarts win over her dumb moments by a considerably large margin.
Han Shuo took me a few episodes to get on board with, mainly because it took until he first fell for Qianqian for him to show any redeeming traitsâthat for all of his ambition and ruthlessness, heâs kind of an idiot in the best ways possible.
Even though their setup positions them akin to star-crossed lovers, their romance doesnât come off as dramatic as the trope implies. While Qianqianâs mother doesnât like Han Shuo, her love for her daughter wins out against everything else time and time again. And while Han Shuo was duty-bound to destroy his wifeâs city and home, he revises his plans so immediately after falling in love that it doesnât become an external cause of conflict to their romance for a long while.
As the story progresses, Qianqian and Han Shuo learn how to grow together as a couple, to trust, forgive, and overcome their individual shortcomings to become each otherâs strengths. I love that they actually learn to communicate and come to not just love, but respect, each other, especially later on. Itâs sweet to watch, if you can overlook certain unsavory choices and actions in the earlier episodes.
Iâm not going to get into all the lies, assassination attempts, and emotional manipulations that happen between Qianqian and Han Shuo because as far as Asian romantic dramas goes, they arenât that bad. (I know, I know. But having seen so many of them, itâs true lol.) However, the one scene I could not get pass was the attempted rape scene after Chuchu and Han Shuo took over Huayuan City. I genuinely thought the drama, for all its sprouting of gender equality and feminist ideologies, was going to address how very not okay it was via Xiaoqian and her modern-day sensibility. Instead, itâs simply played off as playful behavior from Han Shuo trying to test his wife, and the story never mentions it again.
(I actually have a lot of problems with the half-ass, borderline bizarre ways this drama came at the subject of gender equality, but 1) I recognize that my views came from a western upbringing and 2) this shit is too serious for an online review of a 24-episode romantic comedy series, so Iâm not even going to try opening that can of worm. It is what it is.) For the majority of the drama though, they are just two bumbling young adults trying to figure out how to be in a relationship without being the worst of themselves, like every young couple ever.
Why Chuchu Disappoints Me as the Villain
I started out rooting for Chuchuânot in an I-prefer-her-over-the-female-lead kind of way, but I had hoped that sheâd flip the script and wouldnât let resentment and jealousy get to her. I wanted her to stand by her sisters, and to choose her relationship with them over power and romantic attachments. Unfortunately, that was too much to hope for. That being said, her path to antagonism makes a lot of sense. A person can only take so many years of abuse and bullcrap from their own family before they snap.
What I donât understand is why her sudden infatuation with Han Shuo needs to be a part of it. Even if that needed to happen for plot purposes, why have her prioritize him over her own desire for power at times? It really dampens her effectiveness as a villain. Without it, I think she would have more room to be cruel and it wouldâve made her a more interesting and badass character.
The Side Stories and Characters Made Up for a Lot
- Zi Rui and Bai Ji? Talented. Amazing. Spectacular. Showstopping.
- Su Mu and Yuanyuan? *chefâs kiss* Before Chuchuâs blackening, I had thought that Yuanyuan was going to be the main villain, and Su Mu her tragic accomplice/unrequited love interest. Iâm glad to be wrong because theyâre just the sweetest.
- Lin Qi? Questionably at first, but badass and loveable as hell. I wish she was a little less abusive towards the âmusiciansâ in her âacademy,â but hey, nobodyâs perfect.
- Meng Guo? MY MAN!
- Han Shuoâs parents? Probably the funniest couple Iâve seen in fiction this year. I disliked Han Shuoâs father up until the feet washing scene, and the way he froze at his wife when she glared at him was so funny and indicative of his character that it made my opinion of him do a one-eighty. With Han Shuoâs parents, I could see exactly from whom he inherited different aspects of his personality, and I love that.
- Pei Heng? To be honest, heâs a better character on his own than as a second male lead. Heâs at his most interesting and compelling when Qianqian isnât part of the picture. I like that.
- The City Chief? Sheâs somehow both the best and worst mother ever. There are just so many layers to the mother-daughter relationships in Tiger and Rose, so much angst and complexity, that I donât know where to begin. For instance, if she had shown Chuchu half the affection she showed Qianqian, things would honestly not have gone this bad. On the other hand, her unconditional love for Qianqian is literally everything a mother should be. Also, she literally doesnât pay attention to Yuanyuan. Whatâs up with that?
I really appreciate each and every single one of these side characters for how well-rounded they are. Definitely one of the highlights of Tiger and Rose.
The Ending Is a Cop-Out
First of all, let me just say that I know the whole plot reason why Chen Xiaoqian even transmigrated is because of Mr. Hanâs criticism that she doesnât know how to write romance. I know that her whole purpose within the universe of Tiger and Rose is to learn how to fix this flaw in her script. The problem is that it matters very little.
I wasnât following Xiaoqianâs journey as a fresh-faced screenwriter. We werenât emotionally invested in her real life. We were being shown and told to care about these âfictionalâ characters she created. Yes, her relationship with Han Shuo is a huge part of the drama, but itâs the backdrop of the world Xiaoqian transmigrated to, and the characters we met there, that gave it life.
That isnât to say that I dislike the ending. In fact, I think the succession ceremony was the perfect place and time for Xiaoqian to return to the real worldâHan Shuo was dying, Chuchuâs claim to the throne got thwarted by bad omens, Yuanyuan finally stood for herself with Su Muâs helpâbut I canât help but feel like weâre owed a âwhat happens afterward.â
If Han Shuo was near death in the Tiger and Rose universe, and itâs heavily implied in that moment that Qianqian died right after the heavenly vision appeared, then whatâs going to happen to the two city-states? Will Chuchu finally relent and give up her pursuit for power, or will she challenge even the result of the sacred ceremony? Will the two city-states finally achieve peace and some semblance of gender equality under a new leader, or will it devolve into all-out war again?
While we donât need a full episode to wrap up loose ends, an epilogue of some sort wouldâve been nice. Maybe the actors in the modern universe couldâve answered interview questions about the fate of their characters. Or maybe Xiaoqian or Mr. Han pens an afterword after filming concludes. Something, anything, because the drama is about a lot more than Xiaoqianâs future love life with someone who may or may not have been her husband in a different universe.
Final Rating and Recommendations
Tiger and Rose isnât a drama Iâd revisit, simply because itâs not that memorable, but itâs definitely one that took my mind off the real world for two or three days and made me laugh.
A tip: I didnât watch the drama correctly on my first try because I took things way too seriously and nitpicked too much, so I would recommend others to not do that. Yeah, Tiger and Rose has some major flaws, and its takes on gender politics are questionable, but if you can look past all of that and see the entertainment value, youâre going to have a way better time.
Itâs got a pretty solid cast, good storylines, and a romance between two immature people that ended up turning them better for each other rather than worse. Plus, the costumes are kind of nice. You can tell itâs not the most well-funded production, but aside from one or two things that stick out, the flaws are hardly noticeable. And the whole thing is only twenty-four episodes!
My rating: 6.5/10
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