This drama was difficult to watch at times because of the subject matter, but the story is handled with such care by the director and cast. In the end, I was quite moved and glad I was able to watch through the whole thing. Just as the English title suggests, at the end of the drama, the broken pieces of our female's lead's life and person are slowly starting to come back together.

Still, it isn't one I would likely re-watch because it is quite heavy overall, but the message it conveys is also quite healing, hopeful and worth contemplating. If you're a fan of Toby Lee or Tiffany Hsu, this is worth checking out for their great performances, as well as that of the supporting cast.

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At 70 episodes, this drama is probably longer than it needs to be, but it remains one of my favorite guilty pleasures from 2018. Sure, some of the palace/harem shenanigans get a bit wild, but it is deliciously fun to watch Wei Yingluo navigate each attack and climb the ranks. Wu Jinyan does a convincing job of portraying Wei Yingluo's growth as she matures from lowly palace maid to Consort. My favorite performance goes to Qin Lan as Empress Fuca Rongyin.

A detailed production (I especially love the costumes) and a satisfying if bittersweet ending help make this a worthy binge watch and re-watch.

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Finding light after a long dark

The world of Dahuang can be a cruel and harsh place, as royal cousins Xiaoyao and Cang Xuan learn bitterly at a young age. Orphaned, lost, and tortured for many years, XY eventually hides herself in the small Qingshui Town working as the town healer of sorts. Also orphaned and forced to live as a hostage in a foreign kingdom, CX spends his early life fending off his murderous uncles. Fate brings him to Qingshui Town disguised as a winemaker. He and XY eventually reunite, but will they be together forever?

In that fateful town, XY meets and saves the gentle Tushan Jing, who she calls Ye Shiqi. He too has his own tale of betrayal and torture at the hands of his half-brother Hou. Nearby is the enigmatic and seemingly harsh Xiang Liu, caught in his own struggle with his past and devotion to his adoptive father. These figures are forever intertwined as they are thrust onto a high-stakes adventure of fighting for a better, kinder future while at all times fighting for their own survival.

I would have liked to see season 2 first before writing this review, but at this point it may be a while before it comes out. As it stands, however, season 1 has a clear story arc focusing on XY and CX's endeavors to win the latter the Xiyan throne, so as a standalone season, it mostly works. There are a lot of other characters and themes that will need S2 to round out their arcs fully, particularly for TSJ, who ends S1 in a bit of a miserable state. I hope to write more about TSJ after S2, as he is one of my favorites. His kindness and genuine love for XY are a bright light in this often dark tale of very complex people trying to make the best of an unkind world.

The cast bring the story to life, and the writing is satisfyingly solid throughout the whole drama. No useless fillers or characters in this tale. Music and production are memorable, with the rare bits here and there of questionable CGI. Bring on season 2!

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Bold, epic with a slight stumble to the end

There is a lot to love about this drama - it is epic in scope and dares to tell a complicated tale not only of love but also of friendship, duty to one's country and respect for your fellow man (or woman). Above all, it features many complex characters that develop throughout, notably several strong female characters including our fearless female lead, Ren Ruyi (played by Liu Shi Shi).

Ren Xin, a former deputy leader of the Scarlet Guards of the State of An, is framed for the death of Empress Zhaojie and forced to reinvent her identity as Ren Ruyi. While on her own quest to avenge the Empress, Ruyi comes across Ning Yuanzhou (Liu Yuning), himself also the former deputy leader of the State of Wu's Liudao Pavilion (a sort of spy organization not dissimilar to An's Scarlet Guards), who is busy trying to leave the world of court politics behind. They find themselves working together and join the diplomatic entourage bearing special envoy Prince Li (who is actually Princess Yang Ying in disguise) to An to rescue the Emperor of Wu.

While the story may sound complicated on paper, it is actually quite easy to follow and watch, a testament to the strength of the show's writing and performances. Particularly in the first half of the drama, with the entourage's long journey as the framework for the show, we get a terrific balance of adventure, exciting fight sequences and character development. Under Ruyi and Yuan Zhou's guidance, Yang Ying (He Lan Dou) transforms from cowardly princess to steely prince in what is to me the most satisfying and interesting arc of the entire show. Along the way, we also get to know NYZ's gang: the pretty playboy Yu Shi Shan (a hilarious Alen Fang), kind and cheerful Yuan Lu (Chen You Wei), stoic and loyal Qian Zhao (Wang Yi Zhe), and lover of all furry things Sun Lang (Li Huan).

At midway, the drama sags a bit when Li Tong Guang (relative newcomer Chang Hua Sen) meets up with the rest of the cast as his character devolves into an injured puppy in what is probably the least desirable arc of the show - his obsession over his former master Ren Xin. I would not have minded a few episodes of this, as I understand what the writer was probably going for. Having suffered a difficult childhood and losing his mother and master during his youth, I can see why he would latch onto his master at their reunion, but 10 episodes of this is overwrought and threatens to undermine his character's development from boy to man and from general to de facto leader of a nation. Fortunately, LTG's scenes with Yang Ying towards the end of the drama somewhat salvage things for me. But it is a bit too little too late.

Then we have the final 6 episodes or so, which zoom by at a more frenzied pace, making one wish perhaps less time spent on obsessive LTG would have translated to a smoother build to the climax and a more satisfying conclusion. And while I enjoy Chu Yue's (and Chen Hao Yu's performance) scenes with Yu Shi Shan, from a writing standpoint the story did not really need her character in there to work. Personally, I would have liked the ending scene to have included YY and LTG instead. Looking at the narrative and characters, these two are the most affected by our main leads, and lacking a conclusion (or at least some kind of denouement) to their story is a disappointment.

Ultimately, however, the many merits of this drama outweigh the downsides, and this is one you do not want to miss for this year if only for the truly great creation of many strong, multifaceted female characters (including villains). If I had watched this before Story of Kunning Palace (to which I gave a 9), I probably would have rated Kunning lower, as this is by far the superior of the two recent costume dramas in terms of story, characters, performances and music.

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I enjoyed this one a lot when it came out in 2021. It's a great slow-burn romance, which might be frustrating to some because the leads do make mistakes initially. Their missteps threaten to undo their relationship altogether, but it's a journey worth watching as they learn to trust and love one another wholeheartedly. Additionally, great chemistry and acting from the leads, bolstered by a wonderful supporting cast and memorable soundtrack, help move the story along.

It's not all about romance - life for a woman in the Ming dynasty is hard. The opening shot of the 1st episode lays out one of these main issues/themes: the difference between the legal wife/children and the "illegitimate". This plays out throughout the whole drama, with some to tragic ends and others with heartwarming journeys of redemption and reconciliation. Highly recommend, also a great one to rewatch.

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Nirvana not to be found in this lifetime

Enemies to friends to lovers - a simple way to think of this story, but there is much more to enjoy about this drama than the two leads falling for each other. In fact, there are truly three leads in this story - and the interconnectedness of their lives and fates really drives this story forward as they learn to love and fight for what is right in a world of deceit in the quest for power.

The story sags a bit towards the end - I feel the whole war with the state of Wei was unnecessary. There is no build up with the king/emperor of Wei, and I would have rather the story focused on the complicated emperor of Liang instead. And while I would have liked for a better end for Wei Zhao, there was probably no feasible way for him to be alive after what he does to the emperor.

Be warned: the first 10 or so episodes have some hard-to-watch moments as the male and female leads go at each other while being enemies - some of it is downright torture. It's a testament to the pacing and development of their relationship and the actors' performances to make their romance eventually believable with some palpable chemistry.

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There is a running theme about putting on a show in this drama, and for much of the first half, it is certainly an entertaining one. Xue Fangfei is cruelly betrayed by her husband Shen Yurong, who buries her alive at the behest of psychotic Princess Wanning. From there, we follow Fangfei as she is rescued by the noble Jiang Li, who faces an unjust, untimely death and whose identity Fangfei assumes on her quest for revenge for the both of them. Along the way, she crosses paths with the powerful and intimidating Xiao Heng, who is on his own mission to clear the imperial court of corrupt officials and to seek justice for his father's wrongful death.

This drama has a lot of similar beats and characteristics as The Story of Kunning Palace, and had I watched this one first, I may have rated it higher. Unfortunately, it is too much of the same thing and nothing much profound is developed. Expect a lot of juicy plot and not much on the side of multi-dimensional characters or logical world building. The problem for me with these types of dramas is that without spending the time to build a story, themes and characters, the end product tends to fall flat at the climax because it is ultimately "just a show" without much substance. For example, the final conflict with Prince Cheng feels unearned. More build up with his character and his collusion with the other antagonists (Shen Yurong and Wanning had so much more potential for something truly interesting) may have helped to make that storyline work.

At the end of the day, it was still an entertaining watch, especially if you are in the need to see the good guys win and trounce all the evil guys and gals out there.

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To be continued

While this is an entertaining follow up to season 1 of Joy of Life, the story and themes do not resonant as well this time around. There are simply too many threads and characters to follow that much of the season can feel like going from one plot point to another. The set up from the end of the first season is that the main antagonist for this season should be the Second Prince. And while the schemes and back and forth between Li Chengze and our lead Fan Xian can be interesting to watch, ultimately it all feels somewhat inconsequential since not enough time is spent on fleshing out our antagonist's character. He simply begins and ends this season the same person, and the audience does not learn any more about his motivations or see his struggles (if he has any). He, like the Eldest Princess, is simply crazy bad. Other characters are sorely underused such as Yan Bingyun or woefully underdeveloped (and unfortunately miscast) such as Ye Ling'er.

The more interesting character is that of the Emperor of Qing, Fan Xian's true biological father. I suspect (as I have never read the very lengthy novel) that he will be the main antagonist in the final chapter. Chen Daoming as usual gives a masterful performance of the very complex character who keeps his true intentions close to himself.

This is all not to say I did not enjoy season 2 - I certainly did. Some of my favorite episodes involve the Spring Exam and the downfall of Prime Minister Lin and the scenes Fan Xian shares with the emperor. The middle chapter of any story can be challenging to adapt. There is no real beginning or end, and I feel that lack of narrative focus when I watch this. Everything deeper was already said quite well in season 1, and I was hoping for its own story to tell in this season. I get the sense that this season is more of a set up for the final one to come, and hopefully we all get a satisfying conclusion.

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This is a great story of female friendship with an inauspicious beginning - between Lin Shuang our female lead and Jiang Xi. Two women from very different backgrounds find common ground and nurture a restorative and empowering relationship that carries the whole drama. The story could have had better flow and dramatic tension if it were shorter; honestly, half the number of episodes probably would have still worked. We know pretty soon on what a deadbeat jerk Wei Ming is, so dragging his dark deeds out was a bit tiresome to me. Acting overall was great. and the workplace scenarios were more realistic - still probably not completely realistic in areas - than many a workplace Chinese drama I have seen in recent years.

If you like modern workplace dramas with strong female characters, this is worth checking out.

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If I were more of a stickler for historical facts in my dramas, I probably would have rated this much lower as this drama takes quite a bit of artistic license with historical figures of the Ming dynasty. As a drama of itself, I found it quite entertaining and moving in parts with a terrific, experienced cast and overall great production values.

The first 2/3 of this drama is pretty near perfect for me - the story and character arcs make sense. The last 1/3 (after Zhu Zhanji dies) is a bit of a mess - I've nearly blocked out all of it in rating this drama. The ending nearly obliterates the journey Zhu Zhanji and Sun Ruowei take together, and the head-scratching ending with the background music out of nowhere just seems like a weird fan MV to me.

In my mind, this could have been split into 2 dramas and would have worked better for each story being told (the first part being Ruowei and Zhanji's story and second being Ruowei and her son's story). In any case, if you are a fan of historical dramas, this is worth checking out (at least the first 2/3).

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Uplifting legal drama with so much heart

I found this little gem while scrolling through Netflix. It's a heartwarming tale of two unlikely partners who find the courage to fight for the "weaker" ones in society and for what they want in life.

Ishida Shoko is a paralegal who works at her father's small law firm. Though a graduate from a prominent university, she has failed to bass the bar exam multiple times. Haneoka Yoshio, on the other hand, passes the bar easily due to his photographic memory despite finishing only high school. The two find themselves immediately at odds with each other when Haneoka is hired to join the firm. Through the course of the 10 episodes, they learn how to support one another and overcome their respective traumas and inner struggles.

There are plenty of darker, serious-toned dramas involving the legal process. This is not one of them. If you need something to lift you up and give you hope again in humanity, this is a nice, short one to enjoy. The cases are easy to follow and are interwoven with the characters' own stories as they progress throughout the drama. Arimura Kasumi and Nakamura Tomoya have excellent onscreen chemistry as our leads - it is almost a shame the drama did not make most of that and push their relationship together further. Shoko's fledgling romantic storyline with our second male lead, Oba Ao, really does not go anywhere. Akaso Eiji does a fine job in his role, but I just did not buy Oba's relationship with Ishida.

In my perfect world, there would be a special or second season to see our legal duo continue their bickering, common folk-helping ways. Alas, I will most likely have to settle for what we have here and rewatch their scenes together whenever I need a pick-me-up. Their quiet moments together are pure gold. Arimura and Nakamura seamlessly move between comedy and drama and ultimately move our hearts.

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The future is a long past

Having not read the novel, I had no idea what I was in for in this first installment of the Joy of Life series. And honestly, it took me about 12 episodes before I really settled into the drama. The anachronistic elements and humor were not landing for me yet, and Fan Xian's love-at-first-sight for Lin Wan'er was not at all interesting. Once his friend Teng Zijing is killed, the drama finally finds its footing and a better balance between its heavy drama and lighter moments. As Fan Xian becomes mired in the cesspool of political and palace power struggles, the audience too is drawn in - and things do not let up until the very last shot of episode 46 when you are left with a most frustrating cliffhanger.

The characters are deliciously multi-dimensional, even as some ooze pure evil (Princess Royal Li Yunrui is a standout) as they endeavor to manipulate people and events to their own benefit. Even our determined male lead Fan Xian behind his confident exterior carries a lot of pain and loneliness. My favorite scenes are those where we get a glimpse of his true inner state - the quieter moments (such as Xiao En's final moments, the last scene with Zhuang Mohan, and just chatting in Haitang Duoduo's garden).

Without getting too much into things, this story is apparently a period drama, but it is actually set in the very distant future (I know, is this story sci-fi? Historical? Have to wait and see in season 2 if this gets explained further). As such, it makes the story all the more poignant. Many years from now, what will mankind have to show for itself? Have we been able to overcome our greed, hatred and distrust of others? When will we stop hurting or killing each other? Can centuries of literature, poetry and history truly make us better? These are timeless questions, all the more pertinent in today's conflict-ridden world. I think this story, which has yet to finish, will ultimately take an optimistic stance because we all want to believe in Fan Xian - the seemingly powerless one who can stand up and continue in the endless fight for good.

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Something is rotten in the state of Liang

Nirvana in Fire 1 is a masterfully paced tale of revenge and a fight for the throne in a quest for truth and justice. Its story is mostly linear and thus builds satisfyingly to its climax near the end with a fittingly bittersweet denouement. NIF 2 is a different kind of story. More complex in its character construction and narrative, the second installment gets off to a slower start and because of its story structure, may encounter some bumps along the way for some viewers.

There are essentially 2 major parts to this story, the first part ending with Xiao Pingzhang's death, and the second culminating in Xiao Yuanqi's revolt. As such, although you may consider Xiao Pingjing to be the main character, he has to share screen time with his brother in the first part of the story. At other points in the story, he is either in a coma or hanging out on Langya Mountain, while the plot is moved along by some of the supporting cast. What is more, he comes off as somewhat of a callow youth in the beginning of the drama, although he is very intelligent and quick on his toes.

Once viewed as a whole, however, NIF 2 becomes an epic tale of the frailty and courage of human nature - a timeless tale reminding us that as much as we aspire to be our better selves, we may just as easily fall prey to our vices. There is always a sense of unease when watching this, whether it is watching the creepily Rasputin-like Puyang Ying achieve his devious goals or the pitiful Yuanqi fall further and further to his inevitable defeat. We see the bonds of brotherhood and family tested as the balance of power between the Imperial court and the military hangs forever in a delicate balance. Pingjing's coming-of-age story is interwoven throughout, and I found myself very much moved as he struggles to deal with the deaths of his brother and father and his identity as the son of the Old Prince of Chang Lin.

The older cast definitely elevate this drama with their performances, but the younger cast do a fine job in their roles. The grounded production and stirring music round out this excellent drama worth watching and re-watching.

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Forest of secrets indeed

This show got me back into K dramas after a long hiatus after college. I was tired of watching the usual romcoms and found this one a refreshing departure from what I had been used to seeing. From the outset, the story seems to be a straightforward murder mystery, but as you keep watching, you realize soon that the web being spun if far more complicated. I found myself delightfully second guessing characters and trying to figure out who everything was connected right up until the thrilling climax.

The talented cast give as a whole grounded and nuanced performances, fittingly restrained (for the most part) for the darker tone of the series overall. But it's not a downer of a story; throughout the whole drama, you can't help but root for Hwang Si-Mok, as he charges ahead in search of the truth.

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