The Legend of Anle (2023)

Dumbed down to the point of fatousness.

Let me keep this short to avoid wasting more time on this mind numbingly boring 39-episode revenge drama that was 40 episodes too many. The original works The Emperor's Book 帝皇书 is a dark and complicated tale of a love, duty, revenge and atonement. The adaptation has been dumbed down to the point of fatuousness in a misguided attempt to make the intricate plot more accessible. The broad plot outline is unmistakably Nirvana in Fire lite with swapped gender roles and a ton of romance.

The bright, over-lit palette sets the wrong tone for this kind of dark story of betrayal from the get go. The action heavy open sees swashbuckling badass pirate Ren Anle proposing to crown prince Han Ye with her dowry of 30,000 elite sea troops. Despite Dilraba's impressive flirting skills, Anle's shameless pursuit of Han Ye went on for too long and seems heavy handed. There isn't much natural spark between her and Gong Jun even though they look fantastic together. Despite her exquisite beauty and charisma Dilraba's acting in this is disappointing. She comes across as someone who never suffered or experienced profound loss. Her best distressed or traumatized expressions smack of someone whose favorite pair of Jimmy Choos got muddied; a far cry from someone whose entire clan down to nine generations got unjustly wiped out. The collaterally damaged characters Luo Mingxi, An Ning, Lin Lang and even the delusional Chengán are more convincing as deeply scarred and haunted by the Di family massacre. To be fair, the titular role of Anle is not well written. She barely gets to do any of the hard stuff. Everyone from Luo Mingxxi to An Ning steals her thunder in terms of the scheming, making ruthless decisions and even fighting.

"My heart was once stirred by a woman called Ren Anle, but all my life I will protect Di Ziyuan/ 我对一个叫任安乐的女子动过心，但我这一世都会护着帝梓元" is the novel's best line that encapsulates what Han Ye is all about. If Gong Jun had to get one line right, it was this one. His expressionless lacklustre delivery of this line epitomizes his vacuous, uninspired acting throughout. The only characters that made me care are Wen Zhou and Lin Lang. Liu Yuning also does a decent job largely because he dubbed himself. Sadly his character has no development and doesn't do much other than to mope and slouche around plotting with a sinister twisted smile on his face.

There is too much standing around and talking in this drama but there are only a few good lines that are repeated ad nauseum. Of course the Di family army lost 80,000 troops; more than the 70,000 strong Chiyan army! The sheer hubris and audacity of these third tier writers to repeatedly allude to a masterpiece and hint their Di family suffered more is pathetic. They neutered an amazing plot and weighed it down with a pedestrian rendition of the Romeo and Juliet trope. The revenge arc climaxes too early and the showdown lacks intensity. The narrative further devolves into a bunch of silly sub-plots that are just juvenile attempts to squeeze some angst out of viewers by unimaginatively throwing a few characters off a cliff and killing a few others gratuitously. This just made me laugh instead of cry. This drama seems to drag on forever to the point that the hair turning white oddly makes sense! Only watch this if you are die hard Dilraba or Gong Jun fans. I rate this 6.5/10.0.

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No One is Above the Law

"The Legend of Anle" is an engaging drama that centers around Ren Anle, a courageous pirate seeking justice against the Emperor, who falsely accused and executed her entire family, along with 80,000 military men. The story also delves into her complicated romance with the Crown Prince of Great Jing, to whom she was betrothed since birth. Can one truly love someone whose family has caused so much pain and suffering to one? Adapted from Xing Ling's novel "The Emperor's Book," this drama features Dilraba Dilmurat as Ren Anle, portraying her with authenticity and charm.

As the playful and forthright Ren Anle, and later as the determined and resolved Di Ziyuan, Dilraba's acting is truly convincing. Alongside her, Gong Jun shines as Han Ye, the virtuous and selfless Crown Prince. Despite some criticism, his performance exhibits good chemistry with Dilraba, showcasing the complex dynamics of their relationship.

The entire cast has been thoughtfully chosen for their respective roles, and the high-quality costumes and props reflect the dedication of the production team. The beautiful and touching OSTs add to the overall appeal of the drama, making it a captivating watch.

However, it's fair to mention some negative aspects of the drama. There are instances of plot holes and childish logic, which might detract from the viewing experience. Additionally, repetitive narratives stretching into many episodes can lead to viewer fatigue (eg. Ren Anle harps about her 30,000 navy force as dowry, Han Ye insists that he would only marry Di Ziyuan, Di Cheng’en laments that she has suffered on the mountain for 10 years, Ren Anle laments of the 80,000 dead Di soldiers, etc.). Nevertheless, the character development remains consistent, even with some changes from the original novel.

My Verdict

While the drama primarily focuses on scheming, revenge, espionage, and war, the last three episodes gracefully shift towards the main couple's romantic journey. Overall, "The Legend of Anle" may not be flawless, but it is still a decent and worthwhile watch. So, if you're a romance fan or a fan of Dilraba or Gong Jun, don't miss out on this one!

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