This is not your typical story about a pretty princess falling for her buff knight in shinning armor.
The actors in this drama are seasoned, experienced and provide us with some great performances. There is a lot happening in every episode and the supporting roles' story lines have depth and varying layers of motivation. However, I feel the series would have done itself justice if the story was limited to 40 episodes. Forty episodes would have been the perfect length for each of the main and supporting characters to fulfil all their dramatic potential, and keep the plot tight.
That being said, the cinematography in this drama is fantastic.
Every scene in every episode is well established right through to the small intricate details.
Even the costumes, props and accessories complement each other.
The budget was certainly optimized in these departments;
they really built a beautiful and believable world
from the towns, to the palaces, to the mountain ranges, to the fortresses, to the battlefields;
we remain entranced and awed all the way through.
I have been a fan of Zhang Ziyi since Memoirs of Geisha (2005) and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000) so I had to click play and watch this drama
when I recognized her on the You Tube thumbnail.
Adapted from a book called The Emperor Industry by Mei Yu zhi,
the series tells the story of a 'born beauty' Wang Xuan-'Awu',
the beloved Princess of the realm.
Awu spends her childhood running around the palace
playing with her cousins, the three princes,
and being nurtured and spoilt by her grandmother, the empress dowager and her uncle, the emperor.
The very first time we meet her, she is hopscotching across a map of the country.
Our heroine is being trained to be a future empress;
all the previous Empresses were from her Wang family
Of course as you know.... none of that goes to plan because if it
did there would be no reason for us to watch this c-drama...wink wink.
Despite all Awu's naïve attempts to choose her future husband and marry for love, she ends up forcefully betrothed to a 'low born' General of the Ningshuo Army. Xiao Qi (Zhou Yi Wei) is an orphan and successful warrior who leads a impressive army of 200,000 loyal men
that keeps Cheng's borders safe.
We learn that all the prepping for Awu to become the future 'mother of a nation' is not wasted. It helps her navigate through challenging situations, including being kidnapped by rebels and befriending their handsome leader Helan Zhen (Yuan Hong). Out of all the characters she's the most responsible and the least blinded by the power and temptation of the throne. Our 'Mary sue' heroine seems to be the only one with best interests of the Cheng citizens in her heart.
My Fave Elements in the Chinese Costume Drama
1. Awu's and Lord Yuzhang's Love
I am a sucker for good chemistry between on-screen couples
and these two are just so cuuuuuuute together!
You can totally tell when a male character is written by women.
General Xiao Qi is a strong, quietly confident, empathetic, intuitive and intelligent man.
Perfect for Awu.... the only man who doesn't try to control or use her.
A warrior husband who respects and cherishes his wife.
Also his black and grey outfits and the black armor.. very nice.
Though the marriage doesn't start well...
Our hero makes up for it in Episode 33 by recreating the night
and announcing his promise to only have one wife and no concubines.
...Like I said....You can tell when a male character is written by women....
They are a power couple, that is always a target of
uncles, cousins, family members, emperors, empresses, nobles, officials and rebels.
2. The Pretend-Mad emperor
This Emperor (Jiang Kai) who has no power.
His life is at risk at ALL times,
he can't trust anyone not even is wife or children.
After being poisoned by his brother-in-law, the Prime Minister,
he regains consciousness but pretends to have severe amnesia in order to stay alive
and secretly regain power over his royal court, government and country.
This made the drama engaging; the suspense was perfectly palpable,
the writers really drew us in to this historical power struggle.
We get a break from the usual love stories and triangles,
and can focus on the political game of ruling a nation
Two profound moments for me are when, the mentally exhausted ruler reminds Awu that he is an Uncle to her but also an Emperor of a nation. The two roles are polar opposites. Secondly when he
tells Awu that the only difference between himself and his subjects is his coffin will be bigger.
3. Prime Minister slow mutinous breakdown
"Your son is a loser." a seemingly defeated Wang Lin tells his sister the newly
appointed Empress Dowager.
He's been arrested for committing treason and is awaiting the final sentence.
Wang Lin (Yu We Wei) the Prime Minister of the country is too smart and cunning for his own good.
He is married to the Emperor's sister (Angie Chiu).
The highest raking official in the land, with spies and contacts across the Kingdom,
yet his true leadership abilities have been stifled by those around him.
His life is unbearable because he is surrounded by the
most mediocre, incapable and cowardly male leaders,
his brother in law (the emperor), his nephew (the crown princess)
and his fellow ministers in court.
His wife tries to arrange Awu's marriage without his input or consent,
his sister keeps pleading with him to secure her 'dim witted' son's succession to the throne,
His son would rather be an artist than follow in his footsteps.
While trying to manage all his many roles,
and keep the Wang family at the top of the noble class,
He damages all his family relationships.
In the end even the dynamic brother and sister duo of Empress
and Prime Minister turn on each other in the name of power....
4. Empress Experiences Royal Burnout from too much Scheming.
The empress (Coco Shi) is always scheming and plotting....
Plotting for Awu to marry her son,
Plotting for Awu to marry the Lord Yuzhang,
Plotting for her son to succeed the throne,
Plotting for her husband, the Emperor's death,
Plotting to break up Awu's marriage,
Plotting to kill her brother.
Plotting for her son to marry concubines from the Wang family,
Plotting for her daughter in law's death,
and finally plotting to rule as the regent of her grandson.
Naturally she burns herself out....
5. Second Prince, the Uncover Villain & Everyone's Thirst for the Throne
No-one notices Second Prince (Purba Rgyal) building his alliances and armies
in a bid to takeover the throne.
His mother died when he was baby,
so he grows up neglected and underestimated.
The essential circumstances for creating the series' first major antagonist.
Another favorite moment for me, his evil muhahahaha laugh in his make-believe throne room
hidden in the basement of a countryside manor.
Everybody at some point is vying for control in this drama.
It pushes the story forward and the thrill-of-it-all keeps us watching.
6. Awu's Silly- brattish cousin Wang Qian'er
"She looks very smart and sensible,
but in fact is an idiot." says Empress
Dowager talking about her niece Qian'er.
Retrieved from the village,
Qian'er is a distant cousin of the Wang Family
brought to the palace to become a possible noble consort
for the newly crowned Emperor.
The minute I saw this face, I should have known
the character would live up to ALL my expectations
Zeng Yi Xuan played her role so well in Ruyi's Royal Love Palace,
that I was excited to see her, and once again her antics kept me glued to screen.
Cousin Qian'er and her obnoxious mother did not disappoint!
7. Everyone has a Small Private Ninja Army
Lord Yuzhang gives Awu maid-bodyguards to protect her.
Awu's Uncle sends her Pang Gui (Neil cao)
Second Prince has his too, as he attempts to become an Emperor
Even the exiled prime minster has his loyal few.
They mostly dress in black,
and effortlessly jump over walls and across roofs,
wearing masks like they live in a pandemic,
using animal whistle signals
and carved jade stones for identification.
9. Attempted Poisoning of Counselor Wen, the Empress's Childhood Sweetheart
The end of episode 22 had me laughing at 4.00am in the morning.
The way the Empress comes rushing, almost tripping in
her long royal robs to save her teenage lover...
You need to watch to understand.
10. Prince Helan of Hulan's Return
His best scenes are in the second half of the the series.
We get to understand him more as a man and we spend some time in his world.
The one-handed-Prince returns to cause utter chaos in Cheng,
making alliances with everyone that wants Lord Yuzhang dead.
However, in betraying Lord Yuzhang,
the ruling family make themselves and their nation more vulnerable.
Nobody thought these power moves through properly,
But that's why we watch ... I guess....
My Not-So-Favorite Elements
1.Older Actors and Actresses Playing Teenagers
In the very first episodes the characters of Awu, Wanru Xie, Su Wang, Zilu Ma, Zilong Ma, Zitan Ma, and Su Jin'er should have been played by much younger actors and actresses. #JustMyHumbleOpinion. While the main actors and actresses are good, they don't come across youthful enough to play such young ages. This may have deterred people from watching the series to the end, which is a shame because it's a really good drama! AvenueX explains this well in her review.
2. Zitans's Character Arc !?
Having watched quite a few c-dramas, I am now accustomed to seeing
the heartbroken male character who spends the majority of
the series crying over his lost love.
But for Zitan(Tony Yang)...
I am confused. I just have soooooo many questions.
Zitan was the favorite son of his father, the Emperor.
Why did he have no visible talent?
He wasn't nurtured to be a great fighter. He wasn't nurtured to be a great state official.
He wasn't married off to a noble daughter of a great family,
or used to create an alliance with another nation.
He just mopped about playing his flute, pining over Awu.
He does the mopping so badly that he fails her,
then she also gets tired of him and tells him to basically grow up and get a life!
Emperor and Nobel Consort Gui (Kara Hui) really had no plans for their favorite son?
He was just supposed to grow up in bliss?
Like how... when all the noble families are playing power chess with each other!?!?
Because it's not clear who Zitan is, aside from being in love with Awu,
from episode 46 onwards the writers get away with sooooo
much....actually tooooo much.
.
As I said earlier this drama could have been shorter,
but its still very enjoyable!
It is actually a must watch.
You can watch the full series on the China Zone -English You tube channel here
and also on the Rakuten Viki app here.
Tell me about your favorite moments or elements from the drama
in the comments below. Can't wait to hear from you!
All screenshots from the China Zone You Tube channel
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