AudreyMay
Young and naive Prince Dowon/Yi Rim, a dreamer who writes popular romantic novels while waiting for life and love. He's been ostracized by the palace for reasons that only become clear in the final episodes.
He meets Goog Hae-ryung, a courageous young woman who foregoes marriage in order to become independent and be somebody rather than be merely a cooking and breeding little wife in the shadow of a man. She becomes a historian together with 3 other young and strong women. After initial sparring Prince and Historian begin to fall in love. After much intrigue involving the deposed and murdered previous king the mystery of Prince Dowon's real birth is finally revealed. The ending of the 20 episodes leaves room for a sequel.
The plot is good, the action pace is good, the acting is good. 5 stars. Not embarrassed to say I've watched it more than once.
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Stunning headdresses, beautiful wardrobe and sets. Power and love games where the women vie for love and power with plenty of intrigue and dastardly doings. Can get quite nasty not to mention downright fatal.
The first few episodes are a bit boring, going around and around, but the story and the acting pick up at the royal hunt.
Throughout, there's a collective obsession with this one woman, the surviving princess of a wronged kingdom who by accident or chance becomes a member of the enemy kingdom.
She seems to be another version of the unsinkable Molly Brown and a combination of Sherlock Holmes, Joan of Arc and Mother Theresa who attracts both loathing and affection especially the love of the two handsome main players - Prince Tuaba Jon, caring and honest, and Prince Tuaba Yu, devious and capable - two very different characters. Take your pick.
In the end even nasty characters are capable of sacrifice.
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However, after Bai Suzhen, the white snake, and Han Wen, the physician, get married they lose their sparkle and often look sick and helpless which shouldn't be because they married for love and were (apparently) very happy together. Qing, the green snake, saves the day! Although temperamental, she's basically kind and wants to do well, becomes very attached to Bai Suzhen and tries to protect her. She also brings much needed humor to the episodes. B.Z. is in a difficult position being a 'demon' and having to conceal it and fend off the jealous young competitor for the love of Han Wen, but does she have to look so miserable all the time? She has the upper hand, anyway, but both she and her husband seem to be exceedingly good and kind to the point that they become boring. It took me a long time to watch all the episodes because of this. I do hope the sequel is livelier.
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Joseon's King/Emperor, lacking the support of his ministers and betrayed by many, does not want to create a confrontation with a superior military force fearing it would plunge the country into a bloodbath, so he gives in too often and finally loses the throne. Joseon-Korea ended up under Japanese occupation for 36 years until the end of WW2.
Eugene falls in love with Ae-Shin, a noblewoman fighting for her country, and protects her at the risk of his life and career. Lee Byung-hun makes an excellent captain, his calm demeanor and composure thinly veiling the anguish of his childhood and his now all consuming love for Ae-shin.
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A tale of two brothers
Love rivalry between half-brothers in the Heaven world, the Night Immortal and the Fire Immortal, two different characters who fall for Jinmi, a fairy in the Floral world who later becomes the Water Immortal.A very appealing story line with several twists and turns. Particularly interesting are their sojourns in the Mortal world and then later in the Demon world.
Run Yu, the Water Dragon and Night Immortal, is a handsome and huggable character, the more cerebral of the two brothers, he has love and passion, but alas cannot communicate the warmth needed to reach Jinmi's heart. He disregards Kuanglu's love while enjoying her admiration and his control over her. Later he becomes petulant and jealous of his brother.
Xufeng, the Phoenix and Fire Immortal, is the handsome, very huggable and kissable Immortal with an easy manner projecting the warmth Jinmi so desperately needs despite the Yun Elixir. He's very dashing when wearing black or armour and is always ready for action.
The other love story in the plot is Muci & the fiery Liuying's. Their enduring love has many tender moments.
Ashes of Love is very watchable and I've done so more than once. The downside is that the translation could do with revising as some words and expressions are not quite right in the context they are used.
I look forward to the sequel.
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An interesting story line
At first it seemed like a computer game (and there are games in the story), but I warmed up to the plot and cast later on.The handsome Ka Suo is a prince going through some difficult times, but he's not alone, he's surrounded by friends. Pity they all seem to be terminated by the end of the story - perhaps they'll revive in the sequel? Prince Shi, Ka Suo's younger brother, is an interesting character prone to mischief yet still likable. The Eagle King's lost love is sad, but he's an appealing character, the Chief Healer is lovable, the Fire Princess has a certain quality that the rest of her tribe is lacking, the Mermaid Princess can be annoying, but don't hold it against her.
Loved many of the costumes and many of the wigs and headdresses especially Grandma's.
What I positively hated was the silly evil laughter, but characters in other stories use it so it must be typical of the bad guys.
Most of the beautiful sets are computer generated which is not uncommon for this type of fantasy production and allows for greater flexibility.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to magic anything you need just as they do? And they do it so well ; )
Look forward to the sequel.
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Ye Hua, the handsome, overachiever and humourless crown prince of the Heaven Realm, finds freedom and love in the mortal world. It does not last long however as the arrogant and jealous inhabitants of his realm soon see to it. He is reunited with the love of his life 300 years later at the Eastern Sea bash and learns that she is Bai Qian, the High Goddess of the Fox Realm, but she has no memory of him.
Through mishaps and wounds his patience and determination win her back. Pretty Bai Qian is aloof, full of herself, reluctant and romantically dense as her brother Bai Zhen points out, but with his help she finally sees through her denial.
Curiously, she sleeps in her day clothes and does not remove the hair combs ever. Her delicate features and petite frame are not well served by the severe and heavy wig and as the style never changes it becomes boring. Ye Hua, on the other hand, does slip into something more comfortable at bed time and lets his hair down, literally, thus looking not just good but very dishy, as she finally notices.
Li Jing is the handsome Ghost Lord who starts out by being a lively and fun character and then becomes dour in his obsession with Si Yin. Perhaps he'll reincarnate in the sequel.
I haven't read the novel on which the series is based, but hope to watch the sequel when it comes along (2020?).
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A gripping story
This is a gripping story told at a good pace. The twists and turns of the plot and the action have a good flow. One can see that great attention was paid to the period costumes and sets, the palaces are beautiful and the houses are genuine rather than computer generated.It is not just a love story, it's mostly a political story which encompasses vicious struggle for power, misplaced loyalties and fatalistic acceptances, but there it has humour too.
Handsome Ning Yi is an almost neurotic prince with lofty ideals and clever scheming with the collusion of the superb Head of Qingming Academy, Xin Zi Yan. One particular highlight is his return from Minhai to the capital as he rushes to and enters the palace to save the woman he loves, Zhi Wei. She's an interesting character, strong and independent, at times irritating, ugly when impersonating a man and yet beautiful when she is herself. The tormented Gu Yan is a quiet but powerful character and Zhi Wei's bodyguard, Gu Nan Yi, is very huggable. The not so likeable Emperor character is excellently played by Ni Da Hong.
I have not read the book, but I understand this ending is not the same as in the book. In my humble opinion the chosen ending is hurried and it feels like a let down.
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