Survival & empowerment within the husband's harem and politics.

• Contains spoilers, read at your own risk. You can skip to the bullet points if you want a more general review. •

The Sword and The Brocade was nothing like what I expected it to be. When I first heard about this drama, I was a bit skeptical and a bit excited because I wasn't sure how I felt about a concubine's daughter marrying into Marquis Yongping's manor (meaning she'd probably be manipulated and schemed against a lot which came true but less than I thought) but I was excited that it was a Ming Dynasty based drama as they are usually uncommon so it was nice to see something different for a change. Shi Yi Niang proved herself to be quite an independent as well as intelligent woman throughout the entire drama. She married into Marquis Yongping's manor with a motive of investigating her mother's death and ended up catching Xu Lingyi's (Marquis Yongping) attention in the process. She fought through his entire harem (3 concubines) and made them believe that they succeeded in scheming against her when in reality she was the real successful one. She went through constant disapproval of her concubine's daughter status from her mother-in-law as well as her sister-in-law without complaining once about how they were treating her and instead earned their respect from everything she did. She defied the ethics of being a married woman back then when she got involved with Xianling Pavilion with her husband's support rather than approval. I absolutely loved her character because it shows so much female empowerment. It proves that it's not only every successful man has a supportive woman behind him but it shows that it could be vice versa even in ancient times when things like what she was doing were seen as shameful. Most of the drama was focused on family importance, the development of our ML & FL's romance, our FL's intelligent and politics in regards to the sea ban. Some parts of politics were interesting when the scheming was happening but all in all, I try to avoid those as much as possible lol. I would recommend this drama to someone who usually enjoys a slight mix of politics and the scheming tricks of a harem (with an intelligent FL).

To sum it up in bullet points:
• Mix of politics and harem schemes.
• Ming dynasty based drama which is uncommon so it was exciting to see all the different costumes.
• FL is very intelligent and independent which she proves throughout the drama.
• Small but interesting harem schemes.
• Defied societal standards of women in ancient times with her involvement in Xianling Pavilion.
• Message of female empowerment.
• Gained respect from mother-in-law and sister-in-law despite her concubine's daughter status.
• Would recommend to someone who enjoys a bit of politics and harem/family schemes.

OST: Personally I didn't find anything catchy about the OSTs in the drama but I thought they were very suitable to the drama. I have yet to find a drama where the OST doesn't match the development of the drama. It gives calm but slight powerful tunes. I mainly remember the ending song because the beginning of it was the catchiest to me.

Acting: I had actually never watched Wallace Chung in a drama before this one and I can safely say, he was worth the watch lol. I personally think he was a bit too emotionless and could've fixed his facial expressions better when he was upset but overall he did pretty well in his role. I loved Seven Tan's acting in this. She played her young lady role amazingly and her body language/expressions were outstanding. The one thing I think that wasn't that believable was her at the end when she had become an more developed woman (after she had a kid). I think that is due to her sort of baby face though so that may be why.

Ending: It was a happy ending. It fulfilled what the drama wanted to fulfill throughout and it showed one big happy family together. I do wish that Shi Yi Niang had more children with Xu Lingyi because I believe they could've but for the purpose of protecting the eldest son's importance, I think the screenwriter/direction settled with just giving them one child. Overall it was cute though seeing how everyone was happy and the scheming was over.

Rewatch Value: I would definitely rewatch but I don't see it in the near future. I think I'll find myself coming back to this drama when I need a less intense drama to watch that still includes politics and scheming.

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True intelligence is knowing when to hide it and when to use it.

• Contains spoilers, read at your own risk. You can skip to the bullet points if you want a more general review. •

The Story of Ming Lan is a pretty well done drama but truthfully it is not worth the hype that everyone is putting towards it. When it first came out in 2018, I had tried to watch it twice and both times, I ended up dropping it for how dragged out it was. I still stick to that despite finally finishing it. I believe the drama would've been just as successful as a 40-50 episode drama rather than a 78 episode drama. Some scenes were just not needed but I did enjoy the story this time around despite that. The atmosphere in this drama was quite interesting. It's different from most dramas similar to this. It gave a more dark and calm atmosphere as opposed to other dramas with similar scheming plots where a lively and intense atmosphere is displayed. Gives me a Royal Nirvana kind of vibe lol. Unfortunately for me, I feel like while this is trying to highlight the era and storyline for the drama, I found it to be uncomfortable and in scenes where power was intended to be shown, the atmosphere took away from the feeling of empowerment. An example being when Minglan threw her chopsticks at the table when Molan suggested something about her mother, I couldn't feel Minglan's "power" that she was supposedly displaying in that scene. I did find all the scheming to be incredibly well done from Minglan's mother's death to Manniang's entire plan to get to live a wealthy life. It was fascinating to see how they displayed Minglan's clear intelligence as a child but after the scheme against her mother in her early childhood, she had to be cautious with how she used her intelligence even after marrying Tingye. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her use her intelligence in schemes against her and Tingye AND then going back to Sheng Family to kick ass there. One of the biggest things I do have to knock this drama for and many users for would have to be the chemistry between ZLY and FSF. I understand that this was probably the drama where their romance started which led to them having a real life relationship but no matter what, I could not see the chemistry between our two leads. No matter what romantic scenes were shown between them, their chemistry just seemed uncomfortable and I still don't quite understand how their romance developed to the point where he was only serious about her and no one else. Overall the drama was just a bit too dragged out for my liking but still, I do believe the storywriters did an incredible job with the direction they wanted to take the drama. I do seeing someone who enjoys longer dramas with schemes and intelligent clever female leads to be interested in this.

To sum it up in bullet points:
• Dark and intense atmosphere; different atmosphere from other dramas with similar plots.
• Some scenes were not necessary and the drama was a bit too dragged out.
• Atmosphere overshadowing the scenes where power was intended to be displayed.
• Schemes were well done and enjoyable.
• FL's intelligence and how she used it was basically the highlight of the drama.
• Really didn't see the chemistry between our two leads.
• Storywriters did an incredible job with the direction they wanted to take the drama.
• Would recommend to someone who enjoys longer dramas with schemes & an intelligent FL.

OST: All I really remember is the opening theme and I thought that it was suitable for the drama.

Acting: Most of the acting was incredibly well done however the acting in some scenes seemed too unnatural. I think ZLY was chosen well for the role of Minglan however it seemed like she still struggled to make her scenes feel natural and emotional. FSF was an ok choice for the role of Tingye but I do believe it also could've been someone different because FSF's acting in this came off to me as forced and unable to blend into the scene.

Ending: The ending was overall what it should've been and I'm glad it was a happy ending. It was really nice being able to see everyone be happy together and finally away from all the negativity that has plagued their entire lives.

Rewatch Value: I do believe it was worth the watch but I don't know if I have any plans to revisit it in the near future because it was quite a long drama and too dragged for my liking. It unfortunately also took me almost 4 years after it was released to finally get into it and finish it so.. maybe it'll stay in the archives until the far future.

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If you're looking for a sign to stop hesitating to watch this drama, this is your sign.

• Contains spoilers, read at your own risk. You can skip to the bullet points if you want a more general review. •

Love and Redemption has an amazing cast as well as an amazing storyline. I usually don't watch dramas like this because they're never able to catch my attention but this drama was so captivating that I couldn't resist watching. From beginning to end, there was always some element of surprise or conflict that kept your curiosity going. I'd find myself watching one episode after another even at 3 in the morning. Despite it having a fascinating storyline, I could only give it a 9.5/10 because there were parts in there that I wished would progress a little faster or that I thought were an unnecessary contribution to the storyline. It also took awhile for Xuanji and Sifeng to get the happy ending they deserved after many misunderstandings between them. I also do wish that we got to see more of their future rather than just seeing the last 5 minutes of the drama be their happy ending. I also really liked the side couple of Linglong and Minyan. It was so touching how he followed her through thick and thin and never gave up on her even when she wanted to give up on herself. One other huge element that I loved about this drama was that our God of War was a woman rather than a male which they usually are in most dramas. Kind of a powerful feminism element in this. This drama also contained a message to the public that I think us as humans should always keep in mind (I like to read deeper into things lol). In some ways it told us that we should never look at what's just at the surface of things as depicted by Xuanji and Sifeng's misunderstandings and there's a root of good in even the most evil (with exceptions) shown through the Star of Mosha's friendship with Bailing and when he saved Sifeng at the end. Also that sometimes even when we believe we're doing what's good for humanity, we're actually causing more harm than helping (shown through Bailing's actions). Honestly it surprised me what amazing chemistry the FL and ML had on screen. The kisses that they shared on screen were so realistic that I could believe that they had something going on in real life haha (they weren't like those emotionless kisses that usually happen in dramas). They were picked perfectly for their roles and I would not have it any other way. I highly recommend this drama everyone even if you're usually not into these categories of the drama; it's worth giving it a shot.

To sum it up in bullet points:
• Storyline was well written and always included some element that kept your curiosity at its peak.
• Some parts were unnecessary to progression but not too many so that's good.
• Xuanji and Sifeng's happy ending took awhile to get to.
• Wish it showed more of Xuanji and Sifeng's happy ending but still cute.
• Linglong and Minyan made a cute side couple.
• Really liked that our God of War was a woman instead of male like usual (small powerful gesture of feminism).
• Contains messages that we should all remember (if you want to read deeper into things).
• Chemistry between FL and ML was absolutely amazing.
• Highly recommend that everyone gives it a shot.

OST: The OST wasn't the most catchy but I really enjoyed the song in the beginning. It went especially well with scenes where Xuanji showed her God of War personality to protect Sifeng and her loved ones. Overall though, the OST was suitable to the drama and the scenes that they were paired with. Powerful song with powerful scene and loving song with loving scene.

Acting: As stated before, FL and ML chemistry were amazing. Their on screen kisses showed so much chemistry/emotion that it seemed so realistic unlike those monotone kiss scenes in most dramas. Their acting was phenomenal and they played their roles so well. This was actually the first time I saw a drama with our ML in it and while he isn't the most handsome hunk, he was perfectly chosen for this role. Quiet and sentimental yet powerful. I've seen our FL in one other drama so I was iffy about her but she surprised me so much in this drama. Her naive and cute personality in the beginning but how she was able to also transform into the powerful God of War when she needed to while retaining her cute personality was absolutely captivating. She had amazing facial expressions whether she was acting cute and naive or powerful. I look forward to seeing them both more in future dramas.

Ending: The ending was happy but it was a bit short so I wish we got to see more of Xuanji and Sifeng's future as well as Linglong and Minyan's. It was cute what we got to saw and it proceeds to have the happy ending that many of us hoped for. I do believe that there is a S2 in making for Love & Redemption that is set in modern times but I personally believe that this drama doesn't need a S2. I think I like Xuanji and Sifeng's romance in historical timing better but it's hard to say without seeing S2.

Rewatch Value: I would and will definitely be revisiting this drama in the future. I really enjoyed everything about it and I hope to see more dramas like this in the future.

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Great for when you need something to pass time.

• Contains spoilers, read at your own risk. You can skip to bullet points if you want a more general review. •

In my opinion, this drama was just okay. The drama was essentially just a small movie divided into 1 minute episodes. I originally watched the anime version of this and it was pretty good which is why I decided to give this web series a shot. The plot was actually interesting to watch but after continuous episodes of our ML plotting against the FL with little development in their relationship until about the very end, it gets to feel like it's just a drag. It follows the anime closely and I don't think we'll see much development in their relationship until S2 (I hope). You could also kind of tell that the drama was low production but the FL's acting made up for that just a tad bit. I didn't like how the ML was constantly trying to sound tough/emotionless and didn't even show a slight bit of care for our FL until the last couple episodes. There was this one scene where our ML literally told our FL that she couldn't be seen soaked in water by anyone else but him then he immediately goes to protecting Nan Qingwan as soon as he found out she fainted. So cringe and annoying. Also wasn't a really big fan of the girl who played Nan Qingwan; kind of cringe on her weak act. I'd highly recommend the anime version if anyone wants to watch a more well-done version.

To sum it up in bullet points:
• Plot was interesting to watch.
• ML was constantly plotting against FL; little development in their relationship
• ML tried to sound tough and emotionless too much.
• Low production drama; FL made up for it a tad bit
• Only slight romance in the last couple episodes.
• Actress for Nan Qingwan; her acting was cringe.
• Highly recommend anime version first.

OST: Almost nonexistent. Didn't really have any full songs but I think it took the anime's theme song and used it somewhere in there. Kind of odd for the drama and not really suitable in my opinion.

Acting: FL did pretty decent. ML could've been better if he didn't sound like he had something in his throat all the time. Nan Qingwan was annoying to watch with her cringe weak act. Oh, the actress who played the scheming concubine to the Prince did pretty decent too honestly.

Ending: It paved the path for S2 so I can't really say much about the ending yet because it's not really over lol.

Rewatch Value: Well this was only an hour long because 52 episodes with 1 minute each. I would probably only rewatch this for fun when I need something to kill for an hour or if I want a short story with an interesting plot but otherwise no real reason to rewatch.

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Overall good drama but could've been better.

• Contains spoilers, read at your own risk. You can skip to bullet points if you want a more general review. •

Honestly the drama started off pretty decent with a scene that caught your attention almost right away but about 10-15 episodes in, the drama kind of took a nosedive. First, it took Feng Wu the entire drama to get back what she lost in the beginning and even then, she didn't even end up doing anything that incredible with it so honestly that was kind of disappointing. They didn't really make Feng Wu out to be as powerful as she could've been. Second, Feng Wu's romance with Jun Linyuan was essentially almost non-existent because he fell for her so quickly and it wasn't really clear as to why he did lol. It seemed like he fell for her purely over the competition of winning her from Yu Mingye. I also feel bad for Yu Mingye because what he got in the end wasn't even close to what he deserved. Also, Zhao Ge was a pretty adorable character but I wish we got to see more of her romance with Xuan Yi and I wish she fought back for herself more than she actually did. Lastly, the ending.. boy that was the biggest disappointment of all. Not only was it not a happy ending but I don't really understand what happened and why it was significant enough to end the entire drama.

To sum it up in bullet points:
• Feng Wu's power in the end was disappointing.
• Feng Wu & Jun Linyuan's romance was small and fast-paced.
• Yu Mingye didn't deserve the ending he got.
• Zhao Ge was adorable but didn't stick up for herself enough.
• Not enough romance between Zhao Ge and Xuan Yi.
• The ending was not a happy ending and it was confusing.

OST: The OST was decent. There's catchier OSTs out there but this was suitable to the drama and its theme.

Acting: All the actors/actresses did decently well; enough for the drama to not feel like one of those low production dramas. Personally I think the FL & ML could've used improvement on showing their expressions in the bigger scenes but overall they were suitable to their roles.

Ending: Definitely the biggest thing that needs to be fixed. Lacked enough significance to end the drama and I'm not sure what it was supposed to show. It wasn't really the happy ending we were looking for.

Rewatch Value: Would rewatch it because there were interesting parts and I enjoyed the storyline but It'll probably be in my archives for awhile so nowhere in the near future.

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