KDW
“Isn’t this just for show? We are just seeing who is better at acting”
Story:
Renascence is a historical drama which tells the story of Yao Mo Xin the Empress, Ye Hong Yi the Emperor and Ye Jun Qing God of the war of Chu. Empress Yao Mo Xin is poisoned and due to circumstances, her soul is switched with her younger sister’s. It’s the finding of the killer of the empress and revenge following, the basis of the story.
Main Characters & Acting:
Yao Mo Xin/ Yao Mo Wan is kind, friendly and quick-witted. She amazes at everything and impresses everyone with her deeds. That was the exact reason why both the brothers, Emperor, Ye Hong Yi and God of War, Ye Jun Qin fell in love with her immediately. Li Mo Zhi did a great job of carrying the role. The instances when she was childish were as fun to watch as she became, a serious and scheming consort. The gracefulness of the Consort was carried out perfectly. The character development of Yao Mo wan/Xin is commendable. (The role of Empress was carried out by Cheng Yan Qiu, which I couldn’t help but hope to have been better).
Ye Jun Qing is a smart and loyal brother of the emperor. He values relationships and sentiment over power and that has made him lose to his brother repeatedly. He is one of the very few characters who are direct and truthful. Chen Zhe Yuan was a treat to the eyes. Jun Qing was a very different role compared to Chen’s previous roles and he portrayed it beautifully. He can be seen as emotional and authoritative the majority of the time and he played it sometimes through actions and at times through facial expressions. The attitude of Jun Qing in one-on-one with the emperor in Ep 25 was amazing. The emotional scenes were performed well and convincingly. Overall he did an amazing job as Ye Jun Qing.
Ye Hong Yi is a manipulative, insecure and cunning emperor. He is ready to be a villain and dirty his hands for power. His one and only love is Yao Mo Xin which becomes his possession. He is also a vary of his brother. Johnny Zhang did an exceptional role as Hong Yi. The various feelings of love, betrayal, jealousy, lust, greed, and cruelty, were all shown with remarkable skill. The character transition was also smooth.
Most of the characters were beautifully portrayed like other consorts, Consort Li and Consort Shu who were an integral part of the story. But some characters were mis-casted.
Editing:
This is exactly where the drama fails miserably. It was originally a 70-episode drama which was cut short to 36 episodes. You can see that in one instance you just knew the character and, in another instance, they are a very integral part of the plot without a proper backstory. There were many heart-wrenching scenes throughout the drama which failed to capture the desired outcome from the viewers due to poor character/story build-up. Some stories did not have proper endings while others had unanswered questions. But what exactly can be expected from a half-cut drama?
OST:
Renascence had some great background scores and a soundtrack. These helped greatly in absorbing the feelings portrayed on screen.
Costume:
The drama is rich in designer costumes that are apt for precise occasions.
Yao Mo Wan had a pastel pink theme but had a transition in colour once she attained the noble consort title. Even the war costumes she wore were beautiful. The wedding dress of Great Shu was beautifully different from that of Great Chus’s.
Jun Qing can also be seen in majorly Grey but also in Black, white and blue costumes with distinct features.
All the different countries had distinct themes and costumes whereas the Country of Southland had a different theme than that of Great Chu, which was great to see.
Overall:
Renascence is an enjoyable drama regardless of the plot holes, poor editing and disjointed scenes. It had some interesting plot twists, good fight scenes, and commendable CGI. If one could let go of the negative issues of the drama and see it for what it is, one can surely enjoy it to the very last episode.
Renascence is a historical drama which tells the story of Yao Mo Xin the Empress, Ye Hong Yi the Emperor and Ye Jun Qing God of the war of Chu. Empress Yao Mo Xin is poisoned and due to circumstances, her soul is switched with her younger sister’s. It’s the finding of the killer of the empress and revenge following, the basis of the story.
Main Characters & Acting:
Yao Mo Xin/ Yao Mo Wan is kind, friendly and quick-witted. She amazes at everything and impresses everyone with her deeds. That was the exact reason why both the brothers, Emperor, Ye Hong Yi and God of War, Ye Jun Qin fell in love with her immediately. Li Mo Zhi did a great job of carrying the role. The instances when she was childish were as fun to watch as she became, a serious and scheming consort. The gracefulness of the Consort was carried out perfectly. The character development of Yao Mo wan/Xin is commendable. (The role of Empress was carried out by Cheng Yan Qiu, which I couldn’t help but hope to have been better).
Ye Jun Qing is a smart and loyal brother of the emperor. He values relationships and sentiment over power and that has made him lose to his brother repeatedly. He is one of the very few characters who are direct and truthful. Chen Zhe Yuan was a treat to the eyes. Jun Qing was a very different role compared to Chen’s previous roles and he portrayed it beautifully. He can be seen as emotional and authoritative the majority of the time and he played it sometimes through actions and at times through facial expressions. The attitude of Jun Qing in one-on-one with the emperor in Ep 25 was amazing. The emotional scenes were performed well and convincingly. Overall he did an amazing job as Ye Jun Qing.
Ye Hong Yi is a manipulative, insecure and cunning emperor. He is ready to be a villain and dirty his hands for power. His one and only love is Yao Mo Xin which becomes his possession. He is also a vary of his brother. Johnny Zhang did an exceptional role as Hong Yi. The various feelings of love, betrayal, jealousy, lust, greed, and cruelty, were all shown with remarkable skill. The character transition was also smooth.
Most of the characters were beautifully portrayed like other consorts, Consort Li and Consort Shu who were an integral part of the story. But some characters were mis-casted.
Editing:
This is exactly where the drama fails miserably. It was originally a 70-episode drama which was cut short to 36 episodes. You can see that in one instance you just knew the character and, in another instance, they are a very integral part of the plot without a proper backstory. There were many heart-wrenching scenes throughout the drama which failed to capture the desired outcome from the viewers due to poor character/story build-up. Some stories did not have proper endings while others had unanswered questions. But what exactly can be expected from a half-cut drama?
OST:
Renascence had some great background scores and a soundtrack. These helped greatly in absorbing the feelings portrayed on screen.
Costume:
The drama is rich in designer costumes that are apt for precise occasions.
Yao Mo Wan had a pastel pink theme but had a transition in colour once she attained the noble consort title. Even the war costumes she wore were beautiful. The wedding dress of Great Shu was beautifully different from that of Great Chus’s.
Jun Qing can also be seen in majorly Grey but also in Black, white and blue costumes with distinct features.
All the different countries had distinct themes and costumes whereas the Country of Southland had a different theme than that of Great Chu, which was great to see.
Overall:
Renascence is an enjoyable drama regardless of the plot holes, poor editing and disjointed scenes. It had some interesting plot twists, good fight scenes, and commendable CGI. If one could let go of the negative issues of the drama and see it for what it is, one can surely enjoy it to the very last episode.
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