Jina
United States
Entertaining wild ride and one of the stronger short Republican era dramas
Two things to note about this drama:
1) This is Republican era drama, which usually means there will be a lot of deaths, angst, and tragedy. Why? The Republican Era was a very unstable time in China between 1910s-1940s. It was after the last dynasty and before the Cultural Revolution. There were a lot of corruption, a lot of warlords fighting for territories, and a lot of social issues. So, dramas set in this time period usually have a tragic tone.
2) Male lead is a walking red flag--which is also typical for Republican era dramas, but this male lead really does a lot of things that are irredeemable. So, if you don't like male leads who are super flawed and horrible, then you should probably skip this drama. (If you enjoyed "Goodbye My Princess," you will probably like this one!)
Now, with that out of the way, this drama is one of my favorite Republican era dramas! I think this drama does the best of its genre when compared to other ones like "Maid's Revenge." I think the characterization and story for "Circle of Love" were more compelling story-wise with more complex characters, which was well acted by the main cast, especially the two leads. Truly, the main leads' acting and their chemistry were a huge part of why I enjoyed this show. The actors were able to portray such conflicting, intense emotions of love and hate. Incredible performances from the two leads!
The premise: Gu Meng loses her entire family during her wedding night because of her husband Xiao Hongye. Turns out, he wanted revenge this whole time because the Gu Family destroyed his own family. In a rage, Gu Meng tries to kill him but falls into a river and disappears. That was the end of their "first" life together. When she reappears two years later, she tries to kill Xiao Hongye but is captured. In that moment, her head accidentally hits a pillar and she loses her memory. Xiao Hongye doesn't believe her and forces her to become a servant of his mansion so he can keep an eye on her. Thus, begin their "second" life, in a sense, and their lives become more entangled as they become emotionally attached to one another. Can a relationship based on lies and deceit survive?
One of my favorite things about this show is that the male lead is undoubtedly bad and the female lead doesn't forget that (well, she has amnesia, but once she remembers, she doesn't forgive him so easily). Usually, in Chinese dramas, they try to make the male lead redeemable at the last second so that you feel better about having the male lead be with the female lead. However, Xiao Hongye is very bad in this drama. He does a lot of stuff that can't be reversed or forgiven!
Essentially, this is "Goodbye My Princess" speedrun Republican era version, lol. It's tragic, it's kind of funny because of how many times she loses/gains her memories, but also really sad because she's in this horrible cycle of love and hate with the man that she wishes she could love, but could never.
Highly recommend for those interested in tragedies and knows how to enjoy a show like this. (I've seen way too many people complaining about the toxicity of the show. That's the point?! This is a fictional TV show exploring complex situations like blood feuds and karma and love and hate.)
1) This is Republican era drama, which usually means there will be a lot of deaths, angst, and tragedy. Why? The Republican Era was a very unstable time in China between 1910s-1940s. It was after the last dynasty and before the Cultural Revolution. There were a lot of corruption, a lot of warlords fighting for territories, and a lot of social issues. So, dramas set in this time period usually have a tragic tone.
2) Male lead is a walking red flag--which is also typical for Republican era dramas, but this male lead really does a lot of things that are irredeemable. So, if you don't like male leads who are super flawed and horrible, then you should probably skip this drama. (If you enjoyed "Goodbye My Princess," you will probably like this one!)
Now, with that out of the way, this drama is one of my favorite Republican era dramas! I think this drama does the best of its genre when compared to other ones like "Maid's Revenge." I think the characterization and story for "Circle of Love" were more compelling story-wise with more complex characters, which was well acted by the main cast, especially the two leads. Truly, the main leads' acting and their chemistry were a huge part of why I enjoyed this show. The actors were able to portray such conflicting, intense emotions of love and hate. Incredible performances from the two leads!
The premise: Gu Meng loses her entire family during her wedding night because of her husband Xiao Hongye. Turns out, he wanted revenge this whole time because the Gu Family destroyed his own family. In a rage, Gu Meng tries to kill him but falls into a river and disappears. That was the end of their "first" life together. When she reappears two years later, she tries to kill Xiao Hongye but is captured. In that moment, her head accidentally hits a pillar and she loses her memory. Xiao Hongye doesn't believe her and forces her to become a servant of his mansion so he can keep an eye on her. Thus, begin their "second" life, in a sense, and their lives become more entangled as they become emotionally attached to one another. Can a relationship based on lies and deceit survive?
One of my favorite things about this show is that the male lead is undoubtedly bad and the female lead doesn't forget that (well, she has amnesia, but once she remembers, she doesn't forgive him so easily). Usually, in Chinese dramas, they try to make the male lead redeemable at the last second so that you feel better about having the male lead be with the female lead. However, Xiao Hongye is very bad in this drama. He does a lot of stuff that can't be reversed or forgiven!
Essentially, this is "Goodbye My Princess" speedrun Republican era version, lol. It's tragic, it's kind of funny because of how many times she loses/gains her memories, but also really sad because she's in this horrible cycle of love and hate with the man that she wishes she could love, but could never.
Highly recommend for those interested in tragedies and knows how to enjoy a show like this. (I've seen way too many people complaining about the toxicity of the show. That's the point?! This is a fictional TV show exploring complex situations like blood feuds and karma and love and hate.)
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