3
23
1
Blizzardahm
USA, but dreaming of Sichuan
You Are My Glory: A Beautiful Romance Carrying a Jade Rabbit's Dream
Landing on the moon’s surface on December 14, 2013, the Yu Tu Rover (玉兔, Jade Rabbit) worked on the moon for a total of 31 months, far exceeding its original expected lifespan of 3 months and becoming the longest-operating rover on the moon. Part of China’s Chang’e 3 Mission, Yu Tu traveled a total of 114 meters, sending amazing data back to earth.
Yu Tu said goodbye on August 3, 2016, with a beautiful message:
“There are still many questions I would like answers to, but I’m the rabbit who has seen the most stars.”
(As a girl from a Chinese family, I knew of Yu Tu before YAMG, but this still makes me tearful T^T)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enough of story-telling. I’m sure most people were anticipating this drama for days, weeks, months...Admit it, one of the main reasons for the tiresome wait was for the gorgeous main leads. Yang Yang and Dilraba...in a rom-com? Are you kidding me? (nope!)
As soon as the drama started, I was fully immersed. The first 2 minutes, with Liu Yuning’s Fireworks and Stars (烟火星辰) was just a beautiful blessing to my eyes. The galactic palate was a job well done.
With an MDL low of 8.3 at a point when You Are My Glory (YAMG) was airing, the ratings slowly increased to a very understandable 8.7. All credits to the story goes to Gu Man, the author of the original novel- You’re My Glory (same Chinese name as the drama as well, 你是我的荣耀). Gu Man is also the screenwriter of the drama, the reason why you would realize that there is a shortage of differences between the novel and drama if you read the novel, which is a must-read if you’re craving for short but cute webnovels. And the small number of differences was a delightful surprise, as there wasn’t much in the fluffy story that needed to be changed to make the drama a success. (and it is!) As someone who rarely reads Cdrama original novels, I thoroughly enjoyed You’re My Glory as I impatiently waited for the last releases of the drama.
The story is simple but unique; the love story between a popular actress and an aerospace engineer who were high school (and middle school) classmates 10 years ago. Seems kinda cliche at first glance, doesn’t it? Haha, well, I do daresay that it isn’t! Gu Man really played around with her creative ideas. Qiao Jingjing has a month to improve her oh-pretty-bad (actually, quite bad) gaming skills to prove to everyone that she can play the game that she endorses. Who does she ask for help? The very talented Yu Tu, of course!
Before I continue with my hopeless YAMG gushing, please allow me to clarify a point: YAMG is NOT an E-sports drama. While it does involve an online game, King of Glory, no one in this drama is a professional gamer. Ok, continue reading. :)
Yu Tu (spelled, 于途, a homophone of the Jade Rabbit Yu Tu) may seem like your typical Cdrama male god - Earning full marks in high school, attending Tsinghua (the top university in China), being even a god at basketball, even looking like a god (I mean, he’s Yang Yang lol). He’s the full Male God Package!
But WAIT. What is that? He has a dilemma? Hmm...not your typical male god, perhaps? Yu Tu had more realistic problems, but that doesn’t stop him from being thoughtful and caring to his family and friends. You Are My Glory is a much more mature rom-com, with not just characters dreaming of a lovey-dovey future, but with hardships that accompany their dreams.
Let’s go back to that quote from the Jade Rabbit Rover, “I’m the rabbit who has seen the most stars.” Qiao Jingjing said a version of this beautiful quote to Yu Tu, who carried with him his inspirational aerospace dream. Supportive of Yu Tu no matter what, she was always there for him.
“You’re the rabbit who has seen the most stars.” Explains Yu Tu’s dream, which seemed unreachable at first, but he slowly neared that dream, being an inspiration to all.
Behind Actress and Superstar Qiao Jingjing is a girl with a huge heart. Her kindness is almost unparalleled; As much as she seems to be self-centered with her glamorous attire and noble air, you’ll soon discover that there is so much to see than just being in the spotlight. She also displays unwavering perseverance. If Qiao Jingjing sets her mind on something, she’ll get it done AND she’ll get it done well, from her demanding job to helping out friends. People who were talking about Jingjing’s high EQ were totally right.
Oh, and YAMG is frustration-free! No b*tchy exes nagging the leads, no annoying in-laws in opposition, no unnecessary drama in the entertainment circle, this is what I call the full Cdrama Romcom Package, with no unnecessary details and a perfectly cut diamond.
YAMG provides plenty of cute scenes, as well as ‘omg DAMN’ ones, and hilariously funny situations. There were several times where I was telling my friends (who didn’t understand Mandarin) to not watch the episodes without subs because the scenes were THAT funny. What else is there to ask of a cute and funny rom-com?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I won’t gush about eye-candy, but I’m sure you already know what I’m talking about. (*wink*) Yang Yang and Dilraba can both be considered veteran actors and are very popular, both on MDL and around the world (including mainland China), thus the high number of users with YAMG on their PTW lists. As for acting, Yang Yang and Dilraba have witnessed both praises and insults, but they really shone here, wonderfully embodying their characters, both their lovable traits, and their hard times as they faced their challenges. The acting was not at all forced and had a very natural air from beginning to end.
I could name a few actresses that Yang Yang had great chemistry with and a few actors that Dilraba looked great with, but wow, these two can really act as a pair! This is what ‘off the charts’ chemistry is really like, my friends!
YAMG doesn’t have a second couple, but with Jingjing and Yu Tu’s sweetness, another couple wasn’t necessary at all. Besides, we got Jingjing’s Pei Pei and Sister Ling, who supported her no matter what, and Yu Tu’s Zhai Liang and Guan Zai, accompanying him through both happy and lonely times.
One more surprise- Janice Wu and Gina Jin are guest roles here! Although they didn’t have much screen time, it was just delightful seeing them in a drama again, and like always, they did amazing. :D
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You Are My Glory’s OST is short but delightful. There was one song that stood out to me- Fireworks and Stars sung by Liu Yuning. The other songs were lovely and nice, but they weren’t extraordinarily outstanding. In fact, there was one song with a nice start but started to feel a little nagging in the middle. Maybe it’s just me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But background music was chosen very nicely and always gave off a light and airy feeling.
The production is also very deserving of two high thumbs up. Jingjing’s outfits were always very beautiful, but they never were over-the-top fancy or anything of the sort. And don’t even get me started with Yu Tu, I could go on for hours about Yang Yang’s outfits and his GLASSES. Lighting and camera angles were very pleasing to the eyes, especially the camera angles during intimate scenes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All in all, the looong wait for YAMG ended with no disappointment. In fact, I think You Are My Glory has exceeded many of our expectations. Of course, it doesn’t suit everyone, but if you’re in need of a light and cute rom-com, give You Are My Glory a try! Maybe you’ll be like many of us, falling in love with the drama and its wonderful story.
~
If you would like to know the Jade Rabbits story (the rabbit, not the rover), here’s a quick read for you: https://www.waiyeehong.com/oriental-culture/jade-rabbit-yutu/
Yu Tu said goodbye on August 3, 2016, with a beautiful message:
“There are still many questions I would like answers to, but I’m the rabbit who has seen the most stars.”
(As a girl from a Chinese family, I knew of Yu Tu before YAMG, but this still makes me tearful T^T)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enough of story-telling. I’m sure most people were anticipating this drama for days, weeks, months...Admit it, one of the main reasons for the tiresome wait was for the gorgeous main leads. Yang Yang and Dilraba...in a rom-com? Are you kidding me? (nope!)
As soon as the drama started, I was fully immersed. The first 2 minutes, with Liu Yuning’s Fireworks and Stars (烟火星辰) was just a beautiful blessing to my eyes. The galactic palate was a job well done.
With an MDL low of 8.3 at a point when You Are My Glory (YAMG) was airing, the ratings slowly increased to a very understandable 8.7. All credits to the story goes to Gu Man, the author of the original novel- You’re My Glory (same Chinese name as the drama as well, 你是我的荣耀). Gu Man is also the screenwriter of the drama, the reason why you would realize that there is a shortage of differences between the novel and drama if you read the novel, which is a must-read if you’re craving for short but cute webnovels. And the small number of differences was a delightful surprise, as there wasn’t much in the fluffy story that needed to be changed to make the drama a success. (and it is!) As someone who rarely reads Cdrama original novels, I thoroughly enjoyed You’re My Glory as I impatiently waited for the last releases of the drama.
The story is simple but unique; the love story between a popular actress and an aerospace engineer who were high school (and middle school) classmates 10 years ago. Seems kinda cliche at first glance, doesn’t it? Haha, well, I do daresay that it isn’t! Gu Man really played around with her creative ideas. Qiao Jingjing has a month to improve her oh-pretty-bad (actually, quite bad) gaming skills to prove to everyone that she can play the game that she endorses. Who does she ask for help? The very talented Yu Tu, of course!
Before I continue with my hopeless YAMG gushing, please allow me to clarify a point: YAMG is NOT an E-sports drama. While it does involve an online game, King of Glory, no one in this drama is a professional gamer. Ok, continue reading. :)
Yu Tu (spelled, 于途, a homophone of the Jade Rabbit Yu Tu) may seem like your typical Cdrama male god - Earning full marks in high school, attending Tsinghua (the top university in China), being even a god at basketball, even looking like a god (I mean, he’s Yang Yang lol). He’s the full Male God Package!
But WAIT. What is that? He has a dilemma? Hmm...not your typical male god, perhaps? Yu Tu had more realistic problems, but that doesn’t stop him from being thoughtful and caring to his family and friends. You Are My Glory is a much more mature rom-com, with not just characters dreaming of a lovey-dovey future, but with hardships that accompany their dreams.
Let’s go back to that quote from the Jade Rabbit Rover, “I’m the rabbit who has seen the most stars.” Qiao Jingjing said a version of this beautiful quote to Yu Tu, who carried with him his inspirational aerospace dream. Supportive of Yu Tu no matter what, she was always there for him.
“You’re the rabbit who has seen the most stars.” Explains Yu Tu’s dream, which seemed unreachable at first, but he slowly neared that dream, being an inspiration to all.
Behind Actress and Superstar Qiao Jingjing is a girl with a huge heart. Her kindness is almost unparalleled; As much as she seems to be self-centered with her glamorous attire and noble air, you’ll soon discover that there is so much to see than just being in the spotlight. She also displays unwavering perseverance. If Qiao Jingjing sets her mind on something, she’ll get it done AND she’ll get it done well, from her demanding job to helping out friends. People who were talking about Jingjing’s high EQ were totally right.
Oh, and YAMG is frustration-free! No b*tchy exes nagging the leads, no annoying in-laws in opposition, no unnecessary drama in the entertainment circle, this is what I call the full Cdrama Romcom Package, with no unnecessary details and a perfectly cut diamond.
YAMG provides plenty of cute scenes, as well as ‘omg DAMN’ ones, and hilariously funny situations. There were several times where I was telling my friends (who didn’t understand Mandarin) to not watch the episodes without subs because the scenes were THAT funny. What else is there to ask of a cute and funny rom-com?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I won’t gush about eye-candy, but I’m sure you already know what I’m talking about. (*wink*) Yang Yang and Dilraba can both be considered veteran actors and are very popular, both on MDL and around the world (including mainland China), thus the high number of users with YAMG on their PTW lists. As for acting, Yang Yang and Dilraba have witnessed both praises and insults, but they really shone here, wonderfully embodying their characters, both their lovable traits, and their hard times as they faced their challenges. The acting was not at all forced and had a very natural air from beginning to end.
I could name a few actresses that Yang Yang had great chemistry with and a few actors that Dilraba looked great with, but wow, these two can really act as a pair! This is what ‘off the charts’ chemistry is really like, my friends!
YAMG doesn’t have a second couple, but with Jingjing and Yu Tu’s sweetness, another couple wasn’t necessary at all. Besides, we got Jingjing’s Pei Pei and Sister Ling, who supported her no matter what, and Yu Tu’s Zhai Liang and Guan Zai, accompanying him through both happy and lonely times.
One more surprise- Janice Wu and Gina Jin are guest roles here! Although they didn’t have much screen time, it was just delightful seeing them in a drama again, and like always, they did amazing. :D
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You Are My Glory’s OST is short but delightful. There was one song that stood out to me- Fireworks and Stars sung by Liu Yuning. The other songs were lovely and nice, but they weren’t extraordinarily outstanding. In fact, there was one song with a nice start but started to feel a little nagging in the middle. Maybe it’s just me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But background music was chosen very nicely and always gave off a light and airy feeling.
The production is also very deserving of two high thumbs up. Jingjing’s outfits were always very beautiful, but they never were over-the-top fancy or anything of the sort. And don’t even get me started with Yu Tu, I could go on for hours about Yang Yang’s outfits and his GLASSES. Lighting and camera angles were very pleasing to the eyes, especially the camera angles during intimate scenes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All in all, the looong wait for YAMG ended with no disappointment. In fact, I think You Are My Glory has exceeded many of our expectations. Of course, it doesn’t suit everyone, but if you’re in need of a light and cute rom-com, give You Are My Glory a try! Maybe you’ll be like many of us, falling in love with the drama and its wonderful story.
~
If you would like to know the Jade Rabbits story (the rabbit, not the rover), here’s a quick read for you: https://www.waiyeehong.com/oriental-culture/jade-rabbit-yutu/
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