Apple Eye
This review may contain spoilers
Love is All You Need
Here's another example of Chinese tv series that are 100% light and binge-watch worthy, Lovely Swords Girl. I've completed all episodes in one day without using the fast forward mode, it's that good.
Summary:
The story is centered around the love life of Sheng You, only daughter of the leader of a medical sect that possesses a code that can conquer death. She is allowed to choose a husband from three sons of the distinguished Gong family, because her father cured their father, but also to create a strong alliance in the pugilistic world.
The moment the Gong brothers present themselves to her, Sheng You recognizes the eldest as her savior from an accident in the streets. Gong Yuanxiu is a real champion fighter, and beautiful to boot, so she eagerly vows to marry him. At the wedding night however Sheng You discovers she has been tricked into marriage with a total idiot. Gong Yuanxiu seems to have lost his wits due to a strong love potion from a lady suitor.
At first Sheng You wants to annul the marriage that hasn't been consummated by the childish Yuanxiu, but her witty mother-in-law convinces her to try him out for two years. She's confident her eldest son will win his wife over, because he's so different from his arrogant, aloof brothers, and he has only eyes for Sheng You. It's not difficult to appreciate Sheng You as well. Soon the "lovely swords girl" has a lot of fans and two other suitors that are aiming for her heart. Each one of them has his own merits, and a different kind of love. Also there's a difference in their own need of love. Main question is which man will she choose, especially with dangerous times ahead.
The cast:
I appreciated the choice of the cast, all new, unknown actors who did a good job. They made it easy to follow the story. I liked the female lead Jiang Zhen Yu and the actress playing her mother-in-law, Vila Fan. Both played a support role in Hello Debate Opponent (2019) so I've put that series on my Plan To Watch list. Support actor Xu Kai Xin (Mengfei Comes Across) not only played second brother, but also outplayed his first brother here, delivering sound vibes of second lead syndrome. I hope he'll get the chance to play a lead role in future series.
The good and the bad:
Beside the actors I appreciated the well mixed feelings of joy and pain in this series. I could relate to all the characters with all their mistakes and different choices to cope with life, and love. It almost made me forget the bad editing and poor choice of cliches that seem to be chronic in c drama. Really... how many times do I have to see the emphasis on bodyfat, make-overs, memory loss, and evil characters that are wearing a mask.
Overall:
Still this series has some unique qualities. The characters are fleshed out, their dialogues, interactions, and inherent contradictions, make them more real and endearing. The story shows that love has many faces, more than other series I know. Not only is there a love triangle that isn't cliche at all, but also there are love stories of side characters that pulled at my heart strings. So, if you are a sucker for romance and a fan of the harem-in-reverse theme, this is for you.
Summary:
The story is centered around the love life of Sheng You, only daughter of the leader of a medical sect that possesses a code that can conquer death. She is allowed to choose a husband from three sons of the distinguished Gong family, because her father cured their father, but also to create a strong alliance in the pugilistic world.
The moment the Gong brothers present themselves to her, Sheng You recognizes the eldest as her savior from an accident in the streets. Gong Yuanxiu is a real champion fighter, and beautiful to boot, so she eagerly vows to marry him. At the wedding night however Sheng You discovers she has been tricked into marriage with a total idiot. Gong Yuanxiu seems to have lost his wits due to a strong love potion from a lady suitor.
At first Sheng You wants to annul the marriage that hasn't been consummated by the childish Yuanxiu, but her witty mother-in-law convinces her to try him out for two years. She's confident her eldest son will win his wife over, because he's so different from his arrogant, aloof brothers, and he has only eyes for Sheng You. It's not difficult to appreciate Sheng You as well. Soon the "lovely swords girl" has a lot of fans and two other suitors that are aiming for her heart. Each one of them has his own merits, and a different kind of love. Also there's a difference in their own need of love. Main question is which man will she choose, especially with dangerous times ahead.
The cast:
I appreciated the choice of the cast, all new, unknown actors who did a good job. They made it easy to follow the story. I liked the female lead Jiang Zhen Yu and the actress playing her mother-in-law, Vila Fan. Both played a support role in Hello Debate Opponent (2019) so I've put that series on my Plan To Watch list. Support actor Xu Kai Xin (Mengfei Comes Across) not only played second brother, but also outplayed his first brother here, delivering sound vibes of second lead syndrome. I hope he'll get the chance to play a lead role in future series.
The good and the bad:
Beside the actors I appreciated the well mixed feelings of joy and pain in this series. I could relate to all the characters with all their mistakes and different choices to cope with life, and love. It almost made me forget the bad editing and poor choice of cliches that seem to be chronic in c drama. Really... how many times do I have to see the emphasis on bodyfat, make-overs, memory loss, and evil characters that are wearing a mask.
Overall:
Still this series has some unique qualities. The characters are fleshed out, their dialogues, interactions, and inherent contradictions, make them more real and endearing. The story shows that love has many faces, more than other series I know. Not only is there a love triangle that isn't cliche at all, but also there are love stories of side characters that pulled at my heart strings. So, if you are a sucker for romance and a fan of the harem-in-reverse theme, this is for you.
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