A Dream of Splendor (2022)

It was good, but not great.

I finished this series within 2 days with a lot of fast-forwarding. Questionable plot-holes.

Chen Xiao and Crystal Liu (the CP) are both veterans of the entertainment industry. It's a no-brainer that they executed their roles perfectly. From the subtle gestures to the narration, genuinely talented people. Chen Xiao's portrayal of Gu Qian Fan, the 'Living Devil' while being all fluffy with his on-screen beloved was very convincing. I truly enjoyed seeing two sides of GQF, and how he protected his lady behind the scenes from start to finish while letting her have her autonomy and build her life the way she intends.

The political bits really did bore me and I pretty much skipped those scenes. Personally speaking, I didn't lose out on many of the details as for some reason, they were brought up in the later episodes. There were a lot of questions that weren't answered. Did GQF's father really intend to kill ZPE? ZPE was shown to be independent and charismatic which was really progressive considering this was set in Northern Dynasty and her social status was basically considered one of the lowest. However, she seemed to have lost this sense of independence along the way while grieving for GQF's absence. I really disliked the way she begged for him.

The sisterhood was something very refreshing. Although if I was ZPE, I'm not sure if I could tolerate Yin Zhang (Jelly Lin) that much. I get it, she owes her older sister, but it became too ridiculous how she went miles to save Yin Zhang, only for her to make the same mistakes.

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A moving oil painting

A Dream of Splendor was not a drama I anticipated. In fact, the only thing I knew about this drama before it aired was that it starred Liu Yifei and was her comeback drama after many years. Now this might excite her fans but I was never one of them. I was actually quite the opposite and her presence in films usually deterred me from watching it. However, when I saw the first teaser back in late May, my opinions changed about this drama. What stood out to me was the visuals, the color palette, the oil painting esque images. The title of this drama matches it very much because it does feel dream like.

Now, onto the actual drama. I have now finished all 40 episodes and while I can't say it's perfect, this is by far one of the best Chinese historical dramas I've watched in recent years. The directing, cinematography, acting, music, etc are all close to perfect. I would say the weakest aspect of this drama is the writing because towards of the end of the drama, there are certain storylines that felt unnecessary and conflict created for the purpose of creating conflict.

Yang Yang is a director I knew from Ever Night and this drama only raises her profile for me. The directing is imo the best aspect of this drama. Her use of long tracking shots are marvelous and builds the whole atmosphere of the drama. I actually believe these are characters and not actors because of her brilliant framing. She is also great at shooting romance scenes. The boat scene in episode 5, the courtyard umbrella scene in episode 6, the tear kiss scene, etc. This drama's greatest success is the romance and the directing plays a big part. Director Yang Yang loves letting the camera linger on the actors face and I am SO glad the actors deliver here. Chen Xiao in particular is so strong at acting from his eyes and the director knows this and lets the camera linger longer on his expressions to capture the desire Qian Fan has for Pan Er. The umbrella scene in episode 6 is a masterpiece in chemistry.

The cinematography is also gorgeous. The whole drama uses very warm colors and feels like a moving oil painting in certain parts. It is a welcome change from the usual dull blue & grey palette that plagues c-dramas. I've seen complaints about the OST but what I think stands out more in this drama is the instrumental score, not the OST. The main Pipa music that Yinzhang plays or the Piano theme that plays in many Pan Er/Qian Fan scenes are so memorable. I've resorted to searching for song covers on bilibili because the instrumental score hasn't been released yet.

Finally, the acting. I already praised Chen Xiao and I always knew he was a good actor from past works I've seen of his. However, it's Liu Yifei that really surprised me here. I already mentioned that I was not a fan of her acting. She never really impressed me in the past but she absolutely carries ADoS. Despite the romance being one of the key selling points of this drama, the actual content is more focused on the three sisters and their trials and tribulations. Liu really brings Pan Er to life. It's been a while since I've enjoyed a female lead in a c-drama this much. Pan Er is resilient, smart, all the adjectives you'd use to describe a modern strong female character, however, she also has her weaknesses. She cries, she confides in Sanniang her worries about her upbringing. She's a fleshed out character and Liu portrays all these emotions brilliantly. Now I will say her one acting weakness is her dialogue but this is only noticeable for people who understand Mandarin. For me, it only bothered me slightly when she had long monologues, but overall, it was negligible.

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I am not a feminist by any means but I do like dramas with strong female leads, and I usually stay away from ones where the FL’s sole purpose in life is to chase a guy around, which, thank God, this isn’t the case here. The premise where three down-on-their-luck women, who strive to succeed in a traditional, mostly patriarchal society, appealed to me, and this didn’t disappoint.

Only recalling her as “Mulan,” I was not exactly surprised by Liu Yi Fe’s acting skills. Crystal balances both elegance and determination as Zhao Pan Er, a business-savvy teahouse owner who has been jilted by her ex-fiance who ditched her for a more favorable marriage. Throughout the drama, Pan Er devices ways to bring this person to “justice,” although I wasn’t quite sure what the intention was behind this aside from getting her hands back on a highly sought-after painting that seemed to be left in his possession. Unless there was a legal contract binding Pan Er and Ouyang Xu together, I don’t see why he owed her anything else, except perhaps an explanation. Though he’s no saint in the beginning, I feel others didn’t need to show much malice towards him until later, perhaps when his true colors were revealed. (More on this later).

 

But no, she has to go to another city, dragging along with her three friends and hunt this guy down and demand some sort of reparation. Granted, the other two ended up in the same place may be coincidence: San Niang, floating in the water, after realizing she married a jerk, and Yin Zhang, shackled in her own house, because she married an even bigger a$$hole. So Pan Er’s duty, as the loyal and dedicated friend she is, to save both of them from their disastrous circumstances wearing a flowy cape.

She does all this while carrying on a mild flirtation with some guy named Gu Qian Fan, because you never know, she may need him in the future, even though she absolutely abhorred where he works/where he came from because of past events, that he had no knowledge of. Well, this worked in Pan Er’s favor because Qian Fan saved her ass countless of times. But she insists on repaying his kindness by rubbing her ex’s name in his face. Yes, yes, Qian Fan gets it: “We are just friends, and you’re just bitter, but I’m so okay with this because I’ve never seen another woman in my life who I don’t consider my mother or sister or the kitchen help. I just like coming here for the tea you brew.”

Now, speaking of brewing, this woman can sure brew. Pan Er can brew up several storms at the same time and still keep her skirt tidy. Competitors try to outwit, outsmart, outbid, outflank her, but Pan Er sticks to her guns, the ones that she keeps close to her breasts, I mean, chest. But she eventually loosens up around Qian Fan, because of course, he might prove useful on another occasion.

In the meantime, shady dealings are going everywhere else. It seems that somebody is out to get somebody by using somebody else who is, in turn, using someone else to their nefarious deeds. So everyone’s looking over their shoulder, especially Gu Qian Fan, who has to keep deflecting daggers out of his back. Meanwhile, Pan Er is also busy swatting flies, but does so with a curved pinky, so it’s not surprising that one vermin or two invades her life.

Qian Fan magically disappears from a few episodes, and Pan Er has a second string waiting in the wings. Her falling out with Yin Zhang also stressed her out, because she realizes her friend could do other things aside from playing the Pipa. It’s not entirely for show. (Although it looked liked, it really is). Pan Er realizes that she’s not the only one that Yin Zhang can rely on. She also has her scripted partner, because God damn it, everyone needs to be coupled up, whether or not they like it. It’s part of the story.

The only miserable people really are those who ended up single, like Ouyang Xu, who I still think was driven to madness by his own ambition, with a generous prodding from Pan ER. In the end, it was his desperation to survive in a world that heavily favors people who have a good social standing, that failed him. Ouyang Xu lost sight of his initial dream, which is to pass the imperial exam, so he can marry well. Perhaps, we would see a different story if Pan ER let him be. He could have probably led a decent family life with Gao Hui who genuinely liked him. His moral compass was broken anyway when he started doing questionable things. Like a cornered mouse, he didn’t see a way out except to resort to violence.

As the drama goes, this was way more interesting than I expected. The characters are not perfect but are multidimensional. The three women, in particular, have a natural character development that wasn’t contrived. There was an engaging plot and side arcs that didn’t feel too out of place, except perhaps for the gaping hole that Gu Qian Fan left with his absence towards the end. Acting from both leads were A+, and the rest of the cast were very good in their own right. The few times where I felt frustrated are when Pan Er displays some sort of self-righteousness. I’m not saying that women SHOULDN’T rely on men to be independent. Anyone could use some help, and still be successful in their own right, but just don’t dismiss it as if it’s ALL your effort. Give credit where credit is due. And it’s true what Qian Fan said or implied at one point, that being in a relationship means that you CAN depend on each other, that one didn’t need to take all the problems upon oneself. This does not make you weak. But other than that, this is a decent drama about female empowerment in a Class-based society, and can teach a thing or two on how NOT to be hoodwinked into a disastrous marriage.

 

 

 

 

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Communicating couple... (for the most part)

You read the title. Yea. That's the biggest adorable part of this drama, how in love the ML was with the FML.

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What I liked:

Character development. FML goes from being naive and trusting to being a strong independent woman. Not only her, but the entire trio. While, they occasionally depend on their men, in the end they take back their own power through their own measures (i think).

The chemistry. FML and ML had a lot of chemistry. And so did the other trio couples.

The supporting characters. they were very humorous, especially the scholars who often came to visit the tea house. They definately carried.

The groveling. Oh my god. The ML lost the trust of the FML, and she shows him (and the world) that women can be successful on their own. I love that message. He tries to run back to her after realizing his mistake and does everything. Sneaking into her window (sounds weird but he used to do it before and she was okay with it). But she put up traps, and he was caught. The PAIN in his eyes when he saw what she did. It was definitely because he realized how much he had hurt her. (This is me commenting on how good the acting was)

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What I didn't like:

Song Yin Zhang. Her character (sometimes). She was stuck up. Looked down on them and seriously had her head in the clouds. I understand that she changed, but FML accepted her a little too fast. But I guess it is part of her character.

Also, Sun San Niang's son. (i don't remember his name) He was annoying. Then suddenly, he walks to the capital and acts entitled. Sun San Niang is way too forgiving. (I think I am seeing a pattern with this show of everyone forgiving too easily)

Plot holes / things not shown or explained (especially at the end). So near the end, Gu Qian Fan sneaks into the empresses room. She tells him that the emperor will have his head if he finds out and all she has to do is like call for help. My confusion is how he got in. It IS the empreress's room after all. Isn't is supposed to be more protected. I would have expected a scene of him deciding / foreshadowing his attempt to find the empress. For example, like him storming out, and jumping over palace walls. Instead of from the queen's perspective of him walking into her room. How did he get there?

Also, the fact that the empress was scheming to get rid of FML, and the emperor got furious because it "looks bad" and "goes against the will of the people." I get that. But how could the empress not see it? She was also supposed to be very intelligent and good at scheming, and manipulative (or that was how she was portrayed) How could she do something so blatantly obvious it was her?

Another thing (in the end ofc) was Ou Yang Xu getting caught for the murder of his servant for seeing to much. Except, to be honest, was never shown on scene. It was implied that he would be killed after seeing the murderous look in Ou Yang Xu eyes, but we the viewers never got that suspense. In fact, it would play a key role in the investigation. So magically, Song Yin Zhang finds a music score hidden in a temple, which by the way, i didn't even know the servant boy could play music. I get that they wanted to make Song Yin Zhang seem helpful, but they just showed her presenting the evidence to the court without searching for it, or even mentioning it existed.

There was also a mention how Ou Yang Xu needed to win the trial for the power struggle in the court. After he looses, there is no mention of such power struggle, or the aftermath of it. It was just a ended with showing a marriage.
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Overall:
Story: 8.5 - Strong start. Okay ending. Some plot holes. I can tell that the ending was rushed, especially since they had to fit it into 40 episodes.

Acting/Cast: 9 - Again the acting of characters was mostly good.

Music: 8.0 - I think I liked it lol. Don't trust me on this one because im basically tone deaf.

Rewatch Value: 6.5 - I don't rewatch, so this score doesn't mean much

Overall: 8.5 - Semi complex drama with power struggles, but some plot holes

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Power couple, friendship and lots more❤️

Highly recommend this series!!

Historical Romance which I really enjoyed. All actors did an amazing job portraying their respective characters, especially Crystal Liu and Chen Xiao, as well as Ada Liu, Jelly Ji,Dai , Zhang Xiao Qian, Guan Yun Peng and Xu Hai Qiao.

I enjoyed the story which kept the viewer engaged and wanting to see how everything is going to work out and routing for the main couple as well as the others. Also getting furious with the villains and sad with characters that were bullied, hurt or humiliated, etc. Had a few laughs with Chi Yan Nei's character as well as Du Chang Feng and Sun San Niang which is worth mentioning.

Production and Visual FX was great in all settings. Beautiful scenery etc

OST, loved every song and Audio etc were played at the right time.

Rewatch value : very high - would like to Rewatch this series to see the intricate detail of the story and moments between characters.

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Ambitions and Aspirations

I enjoyed watching this drama from the get-go! I found this drama engaging and riveting. I wanted very much to "chase show".

What I liked very much:
- From the start when Chi Yan Nei appeared, I didn't dislike him. He was a petty person. He was a spoilt brat and wanted things his way. He was the "chaebol" in this drama too. He had lots of money to be the "mover and shaker". He and his gang were comic relief. Towards the later part of this drama, Chi Yan Nei became my favourite character and I would laugh out loud at this antics that were childish and yet, quite adorably hilarious. I really liked his character (towards the end) in this drama. I liked how he admitted his mistakes and how he tried to make amends by kowtowing four times to Zhao Pan Er in order to apologise for humiliating her for his own entertainment. I liked how he had so much money that he didn't mind wasting it on a restaurant simply because he wanted it and liked it. I liked his hedonistic insistence. I liked that he was authentic (in that he was not devious and not scheming on the whole). I liked that he was his petty self throughout and didn't try to hide his pettiness and his true self. He was humorously child-like.
- I liked Zhao Pan Er despite her flaws and Liu Yi Fei really brought this character to life. Zhao Pan Er wasn't perfect. She had her flaws and her pride. But, she was strong and intelligent. She had ambitions and aspirations which she tried hard to accomplish. She depended mainly on herself and not on others or a man to improve her own situation. I liked how she held her head high and tried her utmost despite her unfavourable circumstances. I liked how she was resourceful and shrewd. She was also a beauty who knew when and how to use her good looks to get her ways. I liked her feminine wiles.
- I liked the sisterhood. San Niang was another female character whom I liked a lot. She was not the best in terms of brains but she could cook! Song Yin Zhang was a pipa genius and with the power of the three women combined, they could overcome challenges and lift one another up. I liked that this drama shows that "with our powers combined, we can do great things together".
- I liked Gu Qian Fan as he was a man of his words. He was dependable and he loved as well as cared truly and deeply. I liked how he turned all "cute puppy" with his lady love and yet, he could be cold-hearted and brutal when dealing with crooks. Swoon! I liked Chen Lian because he seemed naughty and cheeky but oh boy, when "heavy-lifting" was required, he was manly and capable. Swoon too!
- I liked the chemistry of the two leads - Zhao Pan Er and Gu Qian Fan. They had chemistry as lovers and their romance was rather slow-burn yet realistic. I liked that Zhao Pan Er knocked some sense into him by telling him that he did not do anything that he had to feel sorry for as the bad deeds were done by the older generations - their fathers - and had nothing to do with them, the younger generation. They were free to love as long as they loved!
- I liked how wrongs were made right. For instance, Du Chang Feng was a horrific prig at the start of this drama. However, he later became more empathetic and more manly. His romance with San Niang felt warm and believable.
- The King was an intelligent man who wasn't overtly fearsome and power-hungry. He was a little bit of a joker at times. I liked how he truly loved and pampered the Queen and softened her heart and allayed her fears with his comforting words.
- I liked the stellar cast and their acting. Everyone played his/her part very well. I really enjoyed watching the cast showcase their fine acting chops!
- Crooks were dealt with and in general, there was a happy ending. :) Everything panned out well and there was closure.

What I didn't like that much:
- Oh, I detested Ouyang Xu. What a crook! He was a bad seed from the start and he just became worse and worse. There was no positive turning point. He sank deeper and deeper into "the dark side" and instead of being introspective, he blamed others like Zhao Pan Er for his awful fate (which he had actually brought upon himself with his terrible decision-making skills).
- I didn't like Song Yin Zhang that much. I think Jelly Lin suits modern day shows more and she seemed quite out of place in this drama. She became a "better watch" after she suffered more and learnt to depend on herself (and not on unreliable men with no morals). After she had more of a backbone and "found herself and her self-esteem", she was more tolerable.
- I disliked Ouyang Xu's butler. He was a bumbling idiot.
- I disliked San Niang's husband and son. Thankfully, later on, her son redeemed himself.
- I disliked how women were faulted simply for being women. (Still happening till today, sadly.) I disliked seeing how women were at a disadvantage simply for being women. I am all for female empowerment.
- It was torturous to watch Zhao Pan Er going around looking for money when Gu Qian Fan already gave her the money in the form of a bank (pawn) note. Well, there had to be drama (I guess) but it was painful to watch the misunderstanding and the suffering.

What could have been better:
- The happy ending would have been happier if Zhao Pan Er and Gu Qian Fan could have had their wedding too, just like San Niang and Du Chang Feng.
- Explain what happened to Song Yin Zhang's elder sister. Chi Yan Nei wanted to know and I wanted to know to.

Takeaway from this drama:
* Everyone has different sides and not all sides are shown at all times. Some sides are shown only to selected people. Some sides are vulnerable while some sides are tough etc.
* Women should lift one another up and men play a huge part in helping women to achieve equality/ power.
* It is important to play up and play to our strengths. Everyone has different gifts to share with the world. Yin Zhang has her beautiful music while San Niang has her scrumptious cuisine. Zhao Pan Er has a smarts while Zhao Di is a hard worker... ... ... By working together, we can achieve even more than if we work solo.
* It is important to have self-esteem and dignity. It is important to have the will and perseverance to achieve one's goals. It is important to have resilience because life has down and we need to pull ourselves back up. It is important to be real to others for we are all flawed individuals. It is most important to grow and become better versions of ourselves.

I really liked this drama a lot! :)

My verdict: WATCH!! It's 40 episodes of engaging antics and drama and ups and downs and tears and laughter! :)

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The interaction between the main leads is just so adorable!

Loved all the moments between the main leads. Like the FL said many times, the ML could spout jokes with such a straight face and he was charming doing it. Chen Xiao was such a perfect choice for this character, he was a bit churlish but also sweet.

There that one time when you want to hit him on the head and tell him to go tell her the trust instead of hiding like a coward, but he just behaves like one for a long time. Thankfully, its not that long and we have a smart FL who figures it out.

All the women in this show were so powerful. It was beautiful to watch them focus on success of their businesses. They each had a dream and they found a way to achieve those despite all the obstacles standing in their ways. They even changed things for future.

The scene where the FL gets flogged is so sad, yet somehow added more more meaning to her fight.

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Not all sweet dreams have silver linings

I am impressed with the production quality of this show. The set looked lived in and organic. The story is engaging, and the actors’ visuals are spot on. You can sense the chemistry between the leads even during their meet-cute. The story generally moved along at a good pace with some troubling and hard-hitting plots that really set up the backstories of the three female leads and what drove them to make a new life in the Song Dynasty’s Eastern Capital.

I really appreciate the Show's attention to detail with some very elaborate sets and costumes. Both arts and crafts are well featured and referenced. The tea ceremony and banquet entertainment are most impressive. The one exception is the pipa performances. There is only so much you can alter reality. ;)

Scenes also have a more natural feel by shooting under natural lights and weather conditions. This dedication to authenticity did slip a little towards the end but it is still impressive.

In terms of the main plot, it is very much built upon the strong bonds between the three female leads and their struggles. Ancient China is not built on equality. Gender inequality and a rigid class system is institutionalised (look up 3 obediences/4 virtues). The Show's feminist and class struggle messages are unmistakable. I do appreciate the effort but it can get a bit heavy handed and you start to feel that our FL’s are the divine agents of change.

Running alongside this are the love lines between the OTP and a cute/comedic older 2OTP (there is a junior 3OTP). As I mentioned before, the chemistry of the OTP is strong. While we have the usual push-pull, it was handled with maturity resulting in meaningful conversations and straightforwardness, an uncommon sight in dramas. There is also a decent amount of skinship and it felt natural and playful. I for one am happy that the confession happened sooner rather than later, and we were treated to some nice swoon worthy moments before . . . the tropey plot took over.

I know tropes are inescapable. The first half was so engrossing that you took them in your stride. However, around the 2/3 mark, the show seemed to hit a fork and the writer grafted a big branching plot onto the story and doubled down on the tropes thus creating a lot of angst for all involved. This was further compounded by the ML going MIA and then flashed the Noble Idiot card. Is the Show trying to pad out the length? You can put a fence around this and excise it and there will be minimal impact to the overall story. I would have scored the Show higher if we were spared this “distraction”.

Speaking of distractions, the palace intrigue subplots was all prevailing, but it didn’t do much for me. It just seemed to be there to create agitation. In the end, the “intrigue” was fairly humdrum.

To fault the acting of the main cast is to nit-pick. I’m particularly impressed by Dai Xu. He played a bumbling bully and a loveable rogue with great comedic timing and a deft touch. The pairing of our OTP was perfect. Liu Yifei and Chen Xiao could have stepped out of a history book. The other main cast members pull their weights. The main antagonist is a tragic figure whose downfall was foretold but his retribution did left me with a sour taste.

This is one of the best historical drama I have seen for some time. OST is wonderful. 40 episodes is a tad long for a rewatch but I would definitely enjoy a swoon-y highlight reel, especially the ending.

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Chemistry on fire??

My rating according to my new rating scale:
- **Story/Plot**: 2.25/3
1. Synopsis (0.25)✅
2. Initial Impression (2eps) (0.25)✅
3. Genre Adherence (0.25)✅
4. Emotional Engagement (0.25)✅
5. Logic (0.25)❌
6. Plot Coherence (0.25)❌
7. Dialogue (0.25)✅
8. Pacing (0.25)❌
9. Character building/Development (0.25)✅
10. Story Richness (0.25)✅
11. Plot Twists (0.25)✅
12. Messages (0.25)✅
- **CAST/Acting**: 2/2
1. Lead Actor Performance (0.25)✅
2. Lead Actress Performance (0.25)✅
3. Main Cast Chemistry (0.25)✅
4. Supporting Actors/Actresses Performance (0.25)✅
5. Casting Precision (0.5)✅
6. Character Transformation (0.25)✅
7. Scene Stealers (0.25)✅
- **Directing/Camerawork**: 1.25/2
1. Camera Movement (0.25)✅
2. Editing (0.25)❌
3. Continuity (0.25)❌
4. Visual Effects (0.25)❌
5. Visual Details (0.25)✅
6. Cinematic Tension (0.25)✅
7. Lighting (0.25)✅
8. Flashback Integration (0.25)✅
- **OST (Original Soundtrack)**: 0.75/1
1. Opening Song (0.25)✅
2. Ending Song (0.25)✅
3. Background OST (0.25)❌
4. Overall OST (0.25)✅
- **Style**: 0.75/1
1. Costumes (0.25)✅
2. Set Design (0.25)✅
3. Colors (0.25)✅
4. Poster (0.25)❌
- **Ending**: 1/1
1. Closure (0.25)✅
2. Emotional Impact (0.25)✅
3. Logic (0.25)✅
4. Personal Satisfaction (0.25)✅

Total Rating: 8/10 +0.5Bonus
>>>>Final Rating: 8.5/10

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a love romance with passion and strengh

the story is about a woman, dance entertainer, who has fallen into pariah class for her father's fault and HOW she will stand up high again after that. my feelings after watching the drama are joy and relieve.
there are a lot of good things to view in this drama: costumes, poetry, songs, dialogues, fights, political plots, views of ancient life in China, view of women condition in ancient China. I loved the subtle way the main characters seduced each others and behaved with one another. I also loved how smart the main female character is.
violence: in my opinion there are 2 major violent scenes, (ep24, 39th min until beginning ep 25 4th min) and (ep37, 18th minute). I would keep children under 12 away, and definitely explain to all under age children why that's not ok.
sex: that's a very family friendly show.
when to watch: with your family or your lover. there are definitely too much love scenes for friends' entertainment. the show is relaxing enough to be watched on after work's basis. it is catching and you'll have sometimes hard time stopping. but keep some good stuffs for tomorrow my friend!
have fun!

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Women empowerment

Pros:
- The sisterhood is so good—literally, you won’t wanna skip any scene.
- Strong themes of women empowerment, feminism, and challenging patriarchy are woven throughout, giving the show depth.
- The Song dynasty setting? Hard to pull off, but they nailed it. Realistic, solid plot, and it looks amazing.
- The fl is a standout character. The actress really brought it, simple but powerful, a character who understands right from wrong while maintaining a relatable vulnerability. ml is a walking gentleman, everything he says is like “stop, you’re too perfect.”
- Slow-burn romance done right. It’s a mature portrayal of love, where the connection builds gradually, making the tension feel even more authentic.
- No filler convos here. every scene counts, which is super rare for this genre.
- I love how the problems come from everyday life, not some grand political schemes. Makes it more relatable and less heavy.

Cons:
- It’s slow, no steamy romance, and maybe too realistic for some. ik not everyone will love that.
- More people need to watch this, but it’s flying under the radar. Deserves way more hype tbh.

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