This series is definitely rather for women, for it describes all the typical possible situations for women in the society of China at this time, 17e century. It is hard to believe that a man wrote the story, so much it concerns in depth and precision women condition. I would not be surprised the author lent his name to a female writer, who in the past used to remain anonymous. This series is the ancestor of many of those produced today, by the care of its frames, the refinement of the costumes and hairsets. Images are highly esthetic, each frame like a master's painting, when before chinese series ressembled very much to the indian 'Bollywood' style. Many new actresses, today famous, were discovered with 'Red Mansion' as well as the actor Yang Yang who, appearing only in episode 31 over 50, gives a great and very moving performance, especially for a beginner. His predecessor in the younger same character is very good too.
Everything is original and beautiful in this series, including the fascinating music, so genuinely chinese.
Something important to understand the series from the start, for those who did not read the book, and which is not mentioned here with the story summary, is that the two main characters are originally dwellers of an edenic plane where he is a precious jade stone - from there his name 'Yu' meaning 'Jade'; and where she is a beautiful flower by his side, and they are in love. For some reason, the jade stone wants to experience earthly life as an incarnated human, and his flower follows him. So when they first meet as human persons, they have this feeling of 'deja vu' and fall in love instantaneously. But life on earth is not as simple as their edenic realm, and the rest is their story, ending up very philosophically and happily ... ever after.