Let me start off by saying that I don’t usually watch cdramas. Despite that, the Story of Ming Lan is now one of my favorite, if not my favorite, dramas. I love it so much that I even made this account to review it! Yes, I am completely serious.

First, the characters! Ahh, I live for the character development here! Contrary to my previous expectations, everyone in the drama is fleshed out, flawed, and so very human. From pesky villains to even our beloved protagonists, the show breathes life into them by artfully showcasing the motives behind their actions and allowing characters to be changed from their environment. Also, kudos to everyone who acted in the drama! I can’t count the times I’ve laughed, cried, got angry, and laughed again.

Our female lead Minglan is my ideal protagonist character. Many dramas boast of “strong” female characters, but I have seen few that truly back up their claim. While Minglan may not be physically strong, her temperament, composure, and intelligence is more impressive than any martial arts sequence I’ve seen. Others may choose to directly confront their enemies in a show of valiant bravery. Not Minglan. On the inside, she’s as crafty as fox, but on the outside, she maintains the facade of a dimwitted lamb. Protagonists often remain as static character, but it is quite refreshing to see Minglan mature and learn to confide in others...

And here comes the romance! Please don’t give up on our male lead Gu Ting Ye! You may have your doubts, but he also undergoes a change (a rather drastic one) that will make him a perfect accompaniment to Minglan. Honestly, these two are a match made in heaven. Watching the two on screen always made my heart warm. No cringey teen romance here! With that said, however, don’t focus too much on the romance! It takes a side seat to the plot and characters.

As for the story, I fear I’ll get too excited and just blabber out spoilers, so I’ll just say this. Other have said that the pacing is rather slow, but I feel like it was perfect! No parts were rushed and each scene had a point in the drama. You won’t feel the need to skip at all, so don’t fear the 73 episodes! In fact, I could go watch another 73 episodes lol.

While I love this drama to bits, I won’t say that it doesn’t have any flaws. Minglan does get through her problems a *little* too easily and her villains weren’t as terrible as some others, but other parts of the drama were so outstanding that those points didn’t matter that much to me.

Anyways, congrats to whoever made it this far and bore with my vomit of words. Now, cast away your doubts and go watch Story of Minglan!