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BEAUTIFUL AND UPLIFTING - Nothing Cliche!
This drama was so enjoyable with multiple groundbreaking topics I have not seen in historical dramas. Started light and funny, this drama has humor, romance, warm brotherly relationships, warm friendships, conspiracies, etc. Groundbreaking topics include post-partum depression, domestic violence, and women's rights.What I love:
- the main couple's relationship evolution was gradual but made sense. Not love at first sight and you can see how they slowly fall in love with each other (ok, he fell in love first and much faster, but still).
- loving brotherly relationships between the 3rd, the 5th, and the 6th princes.
- loving friendship and really sisterly between the wives/concubines.
- the topic of domestic violence was uncomfortable but reasonable. Especially when HJ couldn't leave because she was pregnant. That was heartbreaking.
- the topic of post-partum depression was amazing. I only wish they took it further beyond just recognizing it since it wasn't addressed on how women overcome post-partum depression.
- the topic of women's rights in terms of education and working was very well addressed and concluded beautifully though the end was a bit rushed. I wish they would show how the women showed their talents which would then enable them to be selected for particular ministries. It was rushed that made it look like they were selected simply because they were there.
Overall, this was a beautiful drama with a unique storyline and I highly recommend it.
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Feminism done in the right way
I came to watch this drama because I crave dramas that have touching story about friendship. I usually don't watch historical romantic-comedies drama because they tend to be more melodramatic, however, I underestimated this drama before watching it. It has a lot of elements that I love, which are comedy, pure friendship, and admirable love story.Firstly, this drama has a lot of feminism touch which I love. Not going to lie, a lot of Asian dramas tend to portray female characters as a weak individuals, at least to my knowledge. However, this drama portrays women as strong individuals who's equal to men.
The drama tells a story about Xin Chuan state bringing young women from the 9 states and forced them to become princes' concubines. The Female Lead, Li Wei did not want to become a concubine and forced to become one with the 6th prince who everyone thought is the weakest and invincible prince among all the princes in the palace. Meanwhile, Hao Jia is a concubine's child who were forced to climb the ladder by seducing the crown prince due to her situation and greediness. However, along the way, Li Wei got the most sincere and kindest prince among all of them, meanwhile, Hao Jia, who has the most ambition, got the worst, sick and cold-blooded prince who abuse women.
What I love the most in this drama is how the writers did not turn Hao Jia's character to become evil. What I noticed every time I watch Korean&Chinese dramas, when side-female characters got into hardship, they tend to become jealous and evil, so they betrayed their friends or the loved-ones.
What I dislike about this drama is how netizen views this drama. (Please keep in mind, NOT all viewers think this way) I watched this drama on VIKI, and they have a time comments section where viewers can comment while watching this drama. Honestly, it scares me how they always blames female characters no matter what. For example, Yin-An, the 3rd Prince has a legal wife, and 16 unregistered concubines. He lures the 16 concubines by helping them in their lowest moments in exchange for them to become his concubine. However, not only he did not remember their names, he abused them mentally (and kind of physically) by starving them if they gained weight. He's also forcing them to have sexual intercourse and get them pregnant. Then, when the time comes, the 16 concubines and his wife turns their back on him and leave him because they had enough of him.
I thought the viewers would be happy for the concubines because they finally got their freedom, but no, some viewers thought the concubines were ungrateful towards the 3rd Prince - who abuse them.
Moreover, there were a lot of comments who thought the female lead, Li Wei, was ungrateful towards the male lead, YinZheng. They were saying that Li Wei is ungrateful and annoying by denying 6th prince as she wants to leave the palace to reunite with her family. I find the comments who find Li Wei annoying is very shallow and unjustified. I understand her position a lot because she was forced to become someone's concubine/side wife and not a wife to a complete stranger from a young age. Though her life may be grand in economic perspective, there were a lot of strict rules in Xin Chuan, who are unfavored towards women. If she has to choose between life in Xin Chuan and her family, of course she would choose a life with her family.
However, despite all the comments, this drama is worth the watch. I'll probably will watch this drama many times as I love how the writers portray each character.
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Sad now that it's over ...
Ah, now that I finished this drama, saying goodbye is hard ?. This show is such a beautiful gem among the C-Dramas that I have watched. I am more and more excited to start historical dramas, and this one made my excitement even bigger. A beautiful and light-hearted show that did not shy away from diving into serious topics such as a woman's independence, domestic/spousal abuse, mental health problems and more.The female relationships in this drama were sooooo great: support and love, and it did not matter whether they were blood related or not. To have such strong relationships was so beautiful to watch. The female characters loved and appreciated each other, supported each other unconditionally, and were true friends. Thank you to the writer for giving us such a show.
The actors did such a good job playing their characters. The comedic timing of the leads and secondary characters was always spot on, thanks to that the show was a delight to watch!
I felt like the show was a little too long, and the leads' relationship seemed to stall for a little bit, but honestly the last 15 episodes were very good and some even made me cry. The emotional attachment to the characters and their fate is veryyyy strong haha!
Li Wei is such a sweet bean, who grew into such a smart and capable woman without losing the essence of who she is. When needed, she was the boss, but with Yin Zheng she always knew how to be her carefree sweet self, and I appreciated that a lot. Seeing Yin Zheng's unconditional love for her was so sweet too, he could be so silly around her. The team work between him and butler Su was always very fun to watch???
Overall, a very nice show that I thoroughly enjoyed. At first, I didn't think I would rewatch it, but the last episodes made me change my mind. I would probably opt for the latter half for a rewatch, simply because of the lead's relationship progressing a little more, and them committing to their feelings for each other more fearlessly. But the entire show is definitely highly recommended!?
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Too good for you to ignore!
First, if you like slice of life and family dramas, this one will definitely please you. Its also very funny in the beginning, Second that I have never seen a historical drama where the female characters unite as much as it does here. The sisterhood is amazing. It's impossible not to get attached to these characters and the sisterhood they share. They fight for their rights and always helps each other. and although the romance is not the main focus, the couples scenes are extremely cute and we easily become attached to the them. The two main leads are wonderful too. Li Wei the very first feminist in the world, I loved her! She can be annoying for some people but for me her actions were really plausible and I liked how she cared more for herself in the beginning. Later, she begins to grow up and deal better with things and wow, she become even more wonderful. Our Prince Yin Zheng is really a prince. Always treated Li Wei as she deserved and he was just so sweet with her and with all characters. I also loved him.The secondary characters are amazing too, especially Yuan Ying who was one of my favorites. Speaking of her, she could become an obstacle for the main couple and be a boring character as usual in romantic comedies, but here the character is given a importance and she does not disturb the couple, on the contrary, she helps them and creates a very beautiful friendship with Li Wei. Most of the characters here have a very satisfying ending too and the ending was perfect. So yeah, this drama was a very good surprise for me and Im happy I gave a shot and watched until the end.
If you're looking for a romance drama, this one might not suit you so much and I think that's the only negative thing I would say about this drama because I started looking for something more romantic and I do wish we had more romantic scenes especially between main couple. but still, I love a good slice of life and family drama and this one was AMAZING. Please give it a chance like I did because this drama has too many good points to ignore. I will miss them :(
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FEELS GOOD SERIES YET SO UNDER RATED! YES TO SISTERHOOD!
*** Spoiler Alert (PERSONAL FEEDBACK)Title : New Life Begins - 2022 (Complete 40 Episode)
Personal Rating : 9/10
FEELS GOOD SERIES YET SO UNDER RATED! YES TO SISTERHOOD!
New Life Begins is on top of my list. I watched this initially because of Bai Jing Ting and came to love Tian Xi Wei. Their chemistry is so good and the relationship between the ML and FL is relaxing, natural, and without any heavy drama.
This drama was so funny from the from the start that’s why it got me hooked. Yin Zheng is smart, strategic, secluded, who keeps a low profile and a bit sickly chooses to be with Li Wei who is adorable, foodie, who knows what she wants, stands up for herself and wants to live comfortably in her hometown.
The two became a support to each other even though they were not into a deep relationship from the start. Li Wei doesn’t want to marry a man she doesn’t love, and she wants a one-man-one-woman marriage with equal rights practiced from her city Jichuan whereas Xin Chuan still follows the traditional polygamous system. But in the end Yin Zheng follows Jichuan traditions of one-man-one-woman marriage because of his love for Li Wei.
Each couple has stories to tell. Each prince is married to woman from different cities with different mindset, cultures and characteristics which will they showcase of how to handle each others wife or husband from being just fixed marriage to true love. ?
What makes this drama different from other dramas is that woman in this drama (The wife of the princes) supports & protects each other back instead of scheming like other dramas. They start a food business which is not typical Xin Chuan kingdom specially they are woman. But despite that they still pursue it with the back up from the princes. And this drama shows women experiences like postpartum depression and domestic violence.
Overall, this drama is on top of my list. It’s a beautiful, light romantic comedy drama with a happy ending!
GENRE – Historical, Comedy, Romance, Life
CAST – Bai Jing Ting , Tian Xi Wei
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A drama that shows supportive females
One nice thing about this drama is all the female characters supported and took care of each other. There was no backstabbing b*tch or some SFL trying to ruin the FL. It was very nice to see such supportive females all together. There was also a lot of emotion in this show. It shows how these girls were forced to leave their countries and how they miss their family who took care of them. All these girls come from different countries which have different values and ways of doing things. One girl has horrible parents and an abusive "husband" and I felt like the actress really portrayed those emotions well. There were also a lot of funny moments with the third prince's harem. Those girls were hilarious. The ML was also very good and voiced his opinions and helped the FL.Was this review helpful to you?
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Not heavy on romance
I came for the romance and wished there could have been more.. I stayed for whatever romance I could get because it was so sweet and nicely developed, just wanted more.Everyone grows, there is some interesting stuff happening
But it does drag somewhat. And some parts I was bored. Wish it didn't do this. Probably could have cut it down a few episodes to tighten the storyline.
It was cute and funny and lite hearted. Not hilarious or all that laugh out loud all the time. But I enjoyed that there wasn't too much scheming and over the top drama
It was interesting to see the sisterhood and the feminist takes.
The minor characters' story was not bad
Not much of an ost behind it
I wouldn't rewatch, even for the sparse romance... Or even for the chemistry of the leads..
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Lighthearted and Cute
This show holds a special place in my heart, currently on my 5th rewatch within two years. A colorful cast with balanced focus on each characters which at times tugs at your heartstrings. TXW is much more suited for historical dramas in my opinion and this show cemented her as an actress i kept tabs on for future shows. BJT is also a phenomenal actor with a wide range which really adds on to the star studded cast. This drama is one i would always revisit whenever i needed a good laugh and cry. Hoping to see more similar shows in the future.Was this review helpful to you?
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Women empowerment & powerful couple in politics
I came across this drama accidentally on IQIYI because Xiao Bai was on it. Honestly, ep 1 was enough to get me hooked and invested in the drama :(I really love the idea of smart women, and behind every women are actually women ourselves. At first I thought this is about fights between royal harem over the princes but it is so much more than just love and marriages. It tackles issue like forced marriage, gender inequality, post-partum depression, domestic violence, status and position. You would never expect a historical palace cdrama with these themes and you can expect good laugh too! All the leads have solid chemistry and I thought they must have done quite a lot of adlibs because there were so many spontaneous and impromptu scenes LOL.
What I love:
1) Yin Zheng, the sixth prince appeared to be very un-heroic and weak male lead (this is very rare in cdrama scenario) however as the story unfolds, he has so much potential due to his smart and wise thinking in decision making and politics. I love that writer focuses on this side of him. He is also very witty, silly and goofy, but only with Li Wei, 3rd prince, 5th prince and Butler Su.
2) Li Wei. I love her character so much! She knows what she wants, she does not put that aside for love. To her, friendship and the women come first. During that scene where she is willing to let Yin Zheng divorce her as long as she can save Hao jia jie. She is a woman with dreams, high spirited, matured, and smart. This is why she is a match for Yin Zheng even though she is not coming from a powerful family background that can support Yin Zheng. She is an intellectual that will think smarter for any solution to issues faced by Yin Zheng and the women. She is also a foodie HAHAHAHA that makes her 10 times cuter. She is a brave young lady, to her 'do not touch them (people she loves) or you die'. This is so obvious when Hao jia's suicidal attempt and Yin Zheng failed to send her letters.
3) The bromance between Yin Zheng, 3rd prince and 5th prince. 3rd prince is evil to his wives but at least he is very nice and supportive to his brothers HAHAHAHA and the 5th prince is so funny, I love his character. Hence, these differences in characters make their relationship dynamic was so much fun to watch.
4) Sisterhood - their relationship is gold. I love how they unite to beat the nannies HAHAHAH and to fight and beat those rude and useless men in Xinchuan. DEFINITELY EVERYTHING TO ME
5) Sweet relationship between Yin Zheng and Li Wei. they are so fun to watch, ideally it is nice to have a relationship like them. They joke with each other, they make fun of each other, they communicate, they are helpful, they are lovely and adorable couple. Yup Relationship Goal!
6) Smart move in politics.
7) Food from each regions - very creative for the women to establish a restaurant that made food from each regions
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Heartwarming!
Young woman enters the palace. How many Chinese dramas have started with such a premise. And yet, what a joy and what a startle to see this series' fresh take on a subject matter overly done in Chinese period dramas ...I loved every minute of it, every bit of acting and story line.
It really gave me the fuzzy heartwarming feeling as when I am enjoying comfort food. Do give it a try. I am sure you will experience the same.
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Funny? Yes. Novel Idea? Yeah!
Its is a good series but it feels empty for some reason. I had a good laugh but it felt dragging sometimes. The cast is good and production wise its also great.Its definitely not for binge watching. After the first few episodes the drama falls back into the cliche thinking of introducing 'our common day ideas' as modern thinking and drags it thoroughly. Some episodes could be combined to form a single episode.
Needless to say its a modern day feminist drama where all men are dumb and stubborn but its lets out some stress the women felt in the those eras.
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A heartfelt drama about sisterhood and feminism with a dash of humor and romance
I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. It was definitely humorous at the start but the drama shifted to a more serious tone about halfway through. I love how the main characters faced a variety of issues such as socioeconomic disparities, female rights, natural disasters, and even in-home power struggles! Our main characters were able to tackle them in a way that shows their true generous character. We saw the main characters mature without losing their true selves.The development in the romance department was also slow but steady. Li Wei is not a princess in distress and Ying Zheng was completely supporting her from behind without overstepping his position. I honestly love that. He knows his wife is capable but is still willing to lend her a hand. They also didnt have any major miscommunication issues which was refreshing.
I thought 40 episodes would be too long but upon finishing the drama, I felt the pacing was very fitting for this kind of story. We grow along with the characters at a very natural pace. I didn't feel any part of the drama being too rushed. It is very common for dramas to have a rushed ending just to wrap up the story. I am pleased to say, that is not the case for New Life Begins. Bonus points for the flashbacks in the last episode! It made me realize how much everyone has grown.
Pros: Family bonding, sisterhood, steady pace, empowering
Cons: Music wasn't catchy and oddly really melancholic. I felt like that didn't really match the mood.
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