TakCWAL
This review may contain spoilers
Are you too happy with your life?
Are you too happy with your life? Have you never experienced depression? If so, then the Promise of Chang'an will provide just enough depressionium for a healthy, balanced lifestyle!
Warning: Overdosing on the Promise of Chang'an will induce uncontrollable tears, insomnia, rage, and occasional suicidal thoughts. If you are experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms, please consult your physician immediately.
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This drama is set in a fictional Chinese era, which itself was heavily inspired, if not outright a remake of 2002's Xiaozhuang Epic, with a touch of 2014's Empress of China. This is a well-acted piece, with elaborate costumes and setting. Though the armors worn by characters still need some improvements as they seem ill-fitting and impractical, even if warfare is only of secondary importance in this series. The music is your standard Chinese fare and largely forgettable, and at times cringeworthy when characters are shown playing instruments when it was obvious that they were not.
The story focuses on two main characters, Helan Mingyu and Xiao Chengxu, who fell in love early on in the story and one would expect them to unite at the end of it. As this entire drama was a work of complete fiction without corresponding historical eras or characters, I had no reason to not expect a happy outcome. Except such outcome never came, and I only begin picking up the cues after one-third of the series gone by. At that point, the ending became rather clear, though I continued watching, because this series introduced a little nuisance called: hope.
Throughout this series, the main duo had ample opportunities to 'set things right', but they never acted on it. Each time, when such opportunity presented itself, the main duo decided that, for some reasons of fealty and loyalty, they should not act in their own self-interest, even if there were numerous ways to get around this myriad of palace etiquettes for their own well-being. I remember staring at the TV set with rage upon witnessing one missed opportunity after another. Near the end, when the main duo decided to finally grow a spine and rekindle their relationship, doom & gloom drops, murdering any hope of that coming into fruition. This was extremely frustrating, as the light at the end of the tunnel was never reached even after numerous hints peppered throughout the series. Despite the ending becoming obvious, producers of this series counted on hooking the audience for the duration of this series, and they succeeded to a large degree.
The end of the show left a rather bitter taste in my mouth, and no, there is no re-watch value, because I am not a masochist.
Warning: Overdosing on the Promise of Chang'an will induce uncontrollable tears, insomnia, rage, and occasional suicidal thoughts. If you are experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms, please consult your physician immediately.
- - - - -
This drama is set in a fictional Chinese era, which itself was heavily inspired, if not outright a remake of 2002's Xiaozhuang Epic, with a touch of 2014's Empress of China. This is a well-acted piece, with elaborate costumes and setting. Though the armors worn by characters still need some improvements as they seem ill-fitting and impractical, even if warfare is only of secondary importance in this series. The music is your standard Chinese fare and largely forgettable, and at times cringeworthy when characters are shown playing instruments when it was obvious that they were not.
The story focuses on two main characters, Helan Mingyu and Xiao Chengxu, who fell in love early on in the story and one would expect them to unite at the end of it. As this entire drama was a work of complete fiction without corresponding historical eras or characters, I had no reason to not expect a happy outcome. Except such outcome never came, and I only begin picking up the cues after one-third of the series gone by. At that point, the ending became rather clear, though I continued watching, because this series introduced a little nuisance called: hope.
Throughout this series, the main duo had ample opportunities to 'set things right', but they never acted on it. Each time, when such opportunity presented itself, the main duo decided that, for some reasons of fealty and loyalty, they should not act in their own self-interest, even if there were numerous ways to get around this myriad of palace etiquettes for their own well-being. I remember staring at the TV set with rage upon witnessing one missed opportunity after another. Near the end, when the main duo decided to finally grow a spine and rekindle their relationship, doom & gloom drops, murdering any hope of that coming into fruition. This was extremely frustrating, as the light at the end of the tunnel was never reached even after numerous hints peppered throughout the series. Despite the ending becoming obvious, producers of this series counted on hooking the audience for the duration of this series, and they succeeded to a large degree.
The end of the show left a rather bitter taste in my mouth, and no, there is no re-watch value, because I am not a masochist.
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