Unique, Beautiful & Uplifting!

The opening montage conveys that and is a good reflection of what this drama will deliver.

If you’ve ever gone through palace dramas hoping the villains get caught earlier and wishing that the leads didn’t have to suffer so much back stabbing and plotting then this drama will answer those wishes. And if you’re tired of always seeing women playing second fiddle to men, then this drama’s focus on strong, smart women supported by their spouses will be a welcome change for you.

As for romance, this drama had a different sort of love story. In the first few episodes, their budding romance made my heart melt. Then when the ML’s first wife came into the picture, there was a little twist and it became a hide-and-seek romance with the focus shifting to sisterhood. Thankfully, the last few episodes put their romance back in focus for a lovely ending that wasn’t rushed.

I love the FL with her big expressive eyes and adorable characteristics which may appear naive at first glance but proves to be honest kindness as she supports her family and friends in her own unique way. Her acting is mostly quite natural and it was particularly heartwarming watching her scene with her grandfather. The ML is a quiet and calm person whose gaze and subtle expressions convey humour as easily as it does love. The way he supports her fully and finds his own way to help her while not crossing his father (too much) made me like him even more.

The explanation of the different Plains in Episode 1 was adorable. 9 Plains in total and you get a variety of backgrounds - some where having concubines is the norm, some where you only had one wife and some where the wife is the head of the household. Despite their different upbringing, the ladies from the different Plains became good friends without any jealousies. It was refreshing to see this strong sisterhood as they overcame adversities together, cried together and celebrated together.

The story itself was simple and filled with the usual tropes but it had some interesting twists and was tastefully done. Politics was not complicated and kept to a minimum so it was not boring during the court sessions. Little touches of humour kept the mood light and I particularly enjoyed watching the ML’s butler’s comic antics and 5th Young Master’s funny expressions.

A little too perfect at times (no quarrels whatsoever whether between the ML and FL or among the ladies) so it’s better to not binge otherwise all that perfectness will start to get annoying. A good watch when you’re in the mood for something unique, beautiful and uplifting.

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Love these snippets!

I like how the main drama had its own closure and finding out there were these snippets were a lovely bonus for me.

It was nice to see how the SML did not wallow in unrequited love and did not have to have a SFL for him to live a good life. Something dramas usually don’t cover and this one does it well. Seeing more backstory of his friendship with the ML made the scenes where he looks forward to the letters even more heartfelt. The touch of humour there when he says he doesn’t want the letters but actually treasures them made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

The scenes where the ML first interacted with the FL was a fun little extra especially the part which had the chicken. He talked to her more normally back then. You could see that this changed later on. On one hand he loved her but knew he couldn’t. On the other hand, he had to keep seeing her with another man who was using her but she didn’t know it and instead was determined to help / save / marry him. If you loved the ML in the main drama, you will swoon even more in this bonus version.

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As average as it gets

A typical tropey drama with a mix of good and bad moments.

The drama started off nicely and I enjoyed seeing them fall in love. The main couple acted well and looked good together although their chemistry was a bit lacking. There were plot holes throughout and while I managed to ignore some, others were too incredulous and I started getting disconnected from the drama.

I appreciate that the ending was not the typical rushed type and there was a sweet albeit predictable twist to tug at your heart strings.

Some plot holes towards the end of this drama that made me laugh:
1. During a confrontation on an open area, the ML and his soldiers managed to suddenly surround the bad guys in a blink of an eye without the bad guys seeing them coming… it was an open area…
2. The FL fell off a cliff and got washed to shore and looked like she hurt her leg. Next scene shows her running like she doesn’t have any injuries…
3. FL’s foster father was on a ship at sea and wondering if the FL lead survived the fall from the cliff and in walks the FL much to his joy and my confusion… the ship was at sea… how did she come on board without anyone noticing? Nope, she didn’t swim as she was not wet.
4. The ML‘s cousin is heavily pregnant and is supported by her husband when she walks but in the next moment, she joins her husband and the others in jumping and prancing around the main couple throwing petals in the air to celebrate their union :D

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But a shadow of Ten Miles of Peach Blossom

Immortals, demons, gods and nine-tail foxes are the common ingredients of this fantasy drama and Ten Miles of Peach Blossom but it falters in all aspects.

The most glaring one for me was the inconsistent CGI - some looked good while others looked childish. So important to get this right to be able to immerse yourselves in this fantasy setting. Thankfully, most of the wire work was smooth so the illusion of flying and landing and clothes flowing the right way was better than most dramas of this genre.

Dresses were beautiful and flowy but unfortunately too much dangly bits in the hair and some looking very plasticky. TMOPB is still tops for me to this day for this aspect.

Story was average with the usual misunderstandings to drive separation and evil thoughts. If you let yourselves use logic too much, you’ll end up raising your eyebrows at immortals using a toilet, walking or flying when they could teleport and much much more.

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Not my Wonderland

Wonderland was too fake for me to buy into their heart-to-heart talks there. And unfortunately, the tear jerker scene there just didn’t do it for me - firstly because the whole wonderland setting looked so artificial and secondly because there were too many flashback scenes. The last few episodes were too draggy.

This drama was really generous with the kissing scenes but unfortunately, some of them felt forced and out of place. Sometimes, all it takes is a hug or a loving peck on the forehead to have a more impactful, romantic atmosphere.

Parts of the story just didn’t sit well with me. A good guy turned bad just because he saw the FL in a romantic moment with the ML and he even tried to kill the man who raised him just to force the FL to be with him. Was he driven insane by his desire for the FL?

This drama likes making people go insane so it also made the FL’s father go mad and his hair turned grey overnight. And how the ML found someone who could do “magic” to cure the FL’s father took this drama away from reality.

And just when you thought the insanity cards were all played out, another character was written to go insane as well.

What I did like were their costumes and fighting scenes. The beginning storyline was interesting as well to see how the FL and ML strategised and tried to one-up the other person. Thankfully, there was a happy ending.

Random note: Is there a product placement advertising in the drama for Tang Confectionery? The way they kept talking about it and all the dried fruit and nut made it look like it was an advertisement…

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Flawed Romance Flawed Execution

My heart goes out to the ML who fell in love sincerely with the FL who had ulterior motives behind her actions of keeping him alive and safe. Is a love like that worth glorifying? In the world of drama, it is as long as the FL falls in love with him too. If you’re not a fan of this type of storyline, skip this drama as there are other flaws that can either annoy you or make you laugh:

1. Sleeping with all their hair accessories and gorgeous clothes - unrealistic especially in the mortal realm and somehow only restricted to the females as the males are seen without their headgear and with nightclothes.
2. Back and forth over and over again as the FL repeated left and easily returned to the ML. Too many times and too easily accepted by the ML made it so unrealistic.
3. FL was the most beautifully dressed up maid in all the dramas I’ve watched, complete with fancy headgear. She only wore the maid outfit once and subsequently was in fancy clothes although she was supposed to be a maid…
4. In the dream storyline, I am baffled by how the storyline forced in the sleeping together scene. So out of character for the FL to take action that way.
5. ML was a disciple in later episodes but you would never guess it from his fancy clothes and headgear particularly since his sect does have their own dress code.

A drama I expected to be flawed but I loved the actress playing the FL so watched this drama with my hand on the fast forward button as I mainly wanted to see the romance between her and the ML. And I am satisfied as these 2 actors did a beautiful job conveying all their emotions. The ML was in a class of his own making you feel all his torment and his love for the FL. I loved their interaction best when she was taking care of him when he was blind and although a common trope, my heart fluttered when his eyesight returned and he found out it was her taking care of him all along.

While this drama had a ton of misunderstandings to keep breaking up the main couple, I was glad that it reduced by the time the story moved on to when the ML became a disciple. In particular, I appreciated that there were both good and bad views from the immortals at the platform where the ML was being interrogated for causing the death of an immortal.

Above was written after watching till episode 35 which ended with a sweet moment. Then in the next episode, this drama unleashes a super huge misunderstanding that snowballs into a witch-hunt or rather devil-hunt as the last few episodes builds to a climax. Ending was a bit too short so it mainly focused on what happened next for the FL. Would have liked a few scenes on what the immortals did next or whether they ever found out about the ML’s sacrifice and regretted jumping to conclusions. No surprises or improvements in the overall story telling so my rating stays the same.

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Martial Arts to the Max!!

A story about the strong friendship bonds in the martial arts world brilliantly brought to life with a glorious variety of characters, clans and their respective special fighting moves.

The younger generation of martial artists are coming out into the world and go on various adventures while honing their skills. The older generation watches and nurtures while back stories and truths are revealed about their past. When the older generation fight, you can see even more impressive cgi!

Wujie is my favourite character, one you don’t often see in wuxias. He is goofy in an endearing way as it really shows how pure his heart it. His character is perfect in bringing attention to Xiao Se as it is humorous opposites that make their friendship so believable. I am so happy his love interest was a strong beautiful character who liked him in return. They had a nice chemistry together unlike Xiao Se and Qinglou. Thankfully, this drama is less about romance and more about brotherhood so I enjoyed the soulmate-type bond Xiao Se shared with Wuxin. Although they had to part frequently, their bond seems even stronger that the one Xiao Se shares with Wujie as they share so many similarities in their personality and intelligence.

My favourite scene would be the banquet. How he planned to bring his invited guests to it was brilliant and the twist at the end was a real surprise to me - really heartfelt and bittersweet. Other little twists in this drama could be guessed quite easily for those who’ve seen many dramas already so it is extra nice to get surprised like this.

I enjoyed how different characters were introduced into the story gradually, at a good pace so it didn’t overwhelm me and I could enjoy the respective characters personalities and martial arts.

Costumes were lavish with rich looking fabric, gorgeous embroidery and realistic looking leather accents. Fighting sequences are among the best I’ve seen in a drama with dramatic cgi. A definite must watch for wuxia lovers. Do also look for the special extra ending (links are in the “recent discussion” threads). It makes the happy ending even happier!

But if the links are not working and you do not want to pay extra to view it, below is what happened. So please stop here if you do not want to spoil the surprise extra ending.

I liked how this special extra ending flows naturally like a continuation from when they left Tianqi. The scene opens at Snowfall Villa (back to where Episode 1 started, everything comes around full circle) and you see humour as the workers are wondering if their boss will ever return and tada! The boss walks in with his friends! He treats his friends to a meal which the workers can’t believe since they know him as being very stingy. They think someone has impersonated their boss but this is soon dispelled when the boss orders plain noodles for his friends while ordering beef noodles for himself hahaha. As they eat, someone walks in and it is… Tang Lian who explains that his master took him away to recuperate as he lost all his martial arts. His death was a lie to keep him safe. A wonderful happy ending for those whose hearts were broken in the earlier episodes. The last few seconds cut to Xiao Se approaching Wuxin on a snowy mountain top and my wishes have been heard as I did want to see them both reunite. Hopefully season 2 will focus more on their friendship.

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Does he love her more than she loves him?

It was a good thing I reduced my expectations for this drama despite all the hype and positive reviews otherwise I would have been more disappointed with this drama.

Being a romantic at heart, the dramas that move me are the ones where the both the ML and FL show their love for each other after overcoming numerous pitfalls. In this drama, just when I thought the leads reached this point, the story tried to be different by continuing to portray the FL hiding her true feelings from the ML right up to the point of her demise.

Major spoiler - I had my own interpretation of why she did that at her deathbed. Perhaps she loved him so much she wanted to do the classic “hurt him so he forgets her” move which was also hinted at when one of her best friends tries to tell the ML about the FL’s love for him when she gives him the FL’s momentos.

The beginning was good particularly seeing how the ML come to terms with his growing love for the FL. I enjoyed seeing him portray a range of emotions from joy (when he overheard her telling her friends she liked him), yearning (the last time he asked her to be with him) to pain (when he was looking through her momentos).

On the other had, I didn’t connect much with the FL expressions especially her wide eyed surprised / shocked looks which started to annoy me whenever I saw it. The storyline didn’t help win any points with me either as it got tiring to see her continuously be vague about her feelings for the ML. Even the flashback scene of them with their newborn was lacking in love on her part. And the ending scene which was supposed to be sweet and romantic didn’t deliver as her expressions looked so controlled as she smiled at him. (Reminds me of how an empress needed to smile - a fake one just to show a pleasant face)

The pacing for this drama was a bit slow at times so I ended up multitasking with my iPad while watching it - not a good sign which is why this drama didn’t end up as one of my favourites.

What saved the day was the gorgeous costumes and beautiful cinematography. I loved the lighting, sets and props which gave it a very authentic feel and transported me back in time.

So, does he love her more than she loves him?

The answer for me is that they both love each other but he was more open in showing his love to her throughout. And while I understand why she hid her feelings in the beginning, the romance died down when she went back to hiding her feelings after the brief loving moment of their first night together. If only there were some scenes to show mutual genuine love after she became his consort...

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“Sherlock Holmes & Watson” wuxia style!

The rapport between the 2 male leads when solving their cases is reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and Watson and it was enhanced further when the villain ML joined them!

A good break from romance dramas, this drama gives you 3 brilliant MLs who brought their characters to life not just when they interacted with each other but also in the well executed fighting scenes. I also loved the cool looking mobile house drawn by 4 horses and the life he led with his dog - the touch of humour on his cooking skills was nicely brought up throughout the drama.

The storyline was interesting in the way that the various mysteries they solved were related to each other and developed the bigger story behind the ML. I enjoyed the reveals behind each mystery. While some may prefer to be given enough clues to see if they can figure it out, I was happy enough to be spoon fed the deductions which were generally quite smart albeit a bit far fetched at times.

I am confused about the ML’s former love interest who on one hand seems to have gotten over him but on the other hand seems to show that she still cares for him… on one hand she writes him a break up letter and on the other hand she says she didn’t mean it… she even got married to someone just because that person loved her and cared for her throughout the ML’s disappearance for 10 years… no sign of love on her part and she was quick to leave him when he started getting jealous.

Some good twists in the drama especially the one with the mother bug which caught me by surprise. A good drama to watch if you’re not looking for romance and if you are ok with an open ending.

Random note - same Emperor and Empress from Destined made me do a double take as I had just finished that drama ;)

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Simple drama for a sweet romance

A good watch when you need something light and romantic. This had a nice storyline to create a fair amount heartfelt moments as you know the ML loves her although he knows he shouldn’t.

The FL had a nice amount quirky naivety mixed with a strong sense of justice so it was fun watching her expressions and her demeanour. It played off beautifully with the ML who was cool with a sharp tongue. Their bickering was natural and made me smile - one of them says “if you don’t use your mouth, you might as well give it to someone else” while the other retorts “if you don’t use your eyes, you might as well give it to someone else”.

How they transitioned from this to being a lovey dovey couple was a bit of a mystery to me and I even had to playback the episode but still didn’t catch it. Since the drama was not stingy with the kisses, they could also have made a more impactful confession for the couple instead of just suddenly having them stop arguing and start talking nicely to each other.

Good to see that the SML have his own happy ending with doesn’t involve a SFL. He had a good friendship with the ML and seeing more of it and why it happened in New Tales of Wulin Heroes was a bonus for me.

If you’re a fan of the ML, you must watch this. The hairstyle complemented him perfectly and I love seeing this more natural looking loose hair falling over his face. A big improvement from other dramas where 2 thick straight strands of hair from the temple looks so out of place.

Do also watch the New Tales of Wulin Heroes. They were short little snippets (+/- 5mins per episode) which helps to flesh out the relationship between the characters in a humorous way. Some of them between the main couple were very touching. It was nice that a few episodes were a continuation from where the drama ended. The last episode ended on a quirky note but personally, I would have preferred a sweet romantic ending.

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Beautifully written and told!

This historical drama starts off strong and ends even stronger. The title of the drama is very apt in so many ways and when you’ve finished this drama, there is a lot of positive reflection when you think about what “Under the Queen’s Umbrella” means to all the different characters.

It’s not just who she is to her sons but also to the King, her daughters-in-law, her grandchildren, the consorts, the consorts’ sons and even the deposed queen. She was their shelter and it was heartwarming to see some characters change for the better under her care.

Sets and costumes were gorgeous. Cinematography was mostly good but I wasn’t a fan of the side ways angles. The story had the usual palace drama elements but with a fresh story and some interesting twists, it was extremely entertaining.

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Touching and heartfelt

Ji Chang Wook shines once again and his portrayal of a broken person healing with people who care about him was very touching. His acting blew me away especially since this wasn’t the usual romantic persona that he embodies so well in the past.

The rest of the cast were superb as well. Seeing the person who started off looking normal then worsened as her dementia progressed brought back sad memories for me. Another standout character was the brash captain and how his character evolved from the time he started his own business to when he lost his family, realised the wrong path he took and succumbed to his illness. All nicely told in flash back format and brilliantly acted by Sung Dong Il.

You need to be in the right mood to watch this as this drama raises a lot of questions about how we should live our lives as we experience the different deaths that occur throughout this drama. Not for binging as the heart can only take much heartache.

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Slow slow slow

A testament of a good drama is one that can keep me awake into the wee hours of morning to chase down the end. Unfortunately, this one didn’t.

What was good were the sets, cinematography and good looking actors. I can’t believe how they lost an opportunity to create a wow reveal by having the synopsis state upfront that FL was the leader of Yang Shang so you already knew she was Lu Wen from episode 1.

I like the meaning behind the crab roe rice and how it pops up in various parts of the drama. I like how the FL didn’t cling to the ML and she was her own strong person. I like how she spotted the people around her that were planted by the ML. I am confused by the 2 waterfall scenes that seem to pop up in the drama without revealing how they got to that place. The first one was more out of place as it suddenly talked about her not wanting to hear the truth from the ML…

Too much slow motion to create romantic moments especially during the episodes when he was at war. Also during this time, the FL became uncharacteristically less intuitive. How can a first timer soldier have access to a horse to break away from the main marching unit, just to ride back and meet up with the FL who was following them?

What was a nice surprise was the Empress - loved seeing her as a foodie and how tactful she was in conveying her point of view to the Emperor. The double meaning behind gifting a bird to the Empress Dowager was very nicely done. I am happy to see her and the Emperor have their happy ending as well.

If I didn’t think too much, I could have enjoyed this more but since the pacing was slow, I found it draggy instead. The last episode took me more than an hour to finish as I had to keep rewinding it as I fell asleep many times. And it wasn’t even very late into the night, just barely past midnight. An interesting drama can keep me going till 3am.

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A journey that started well, took a detour and ended with…

… rain and a mirage.

Despite knowing that the last few episodes will be rushed and unexpected, I wanted to watch this as many have raved about how good the first 3/4 of the drama is. With each episode I enjoyed, my heart filled with dread to think how bad it could get towards the end… Thank goodness, it wasn’t as bad as I had expected.

The first 20 episodes were promising - good story which was beautifully shot, nicely paced and well edited. Then in the last quarter, the story unfolded very quickly with many things happening without much explanation so you were forced to accept things as they were (when the story revolved around the betrayal in Wu).

A romance that is realistic and grown up from the way they are attracted to each other to the way they express it to each other and sadly, to the way they contemplate if their different needs will make them happy to be together. Kisses are few but so much more meaningful than Wonderland of Love. The romance atmosphere sizzles instead with beautifully captured looks and embraces. Past the halfway mark, the romantic moments got a bit draggy and forced.

Humour done right with just enough to lighten the atmosphere and not over the top like My Journey To You. It is woven into the story naturally and does not just focus on one character being the court jester of the drama. While most of it comes from the self proclaimed expert on women which he plays very well, I also laughed out loud when the princess went from suicidal to talking about sweet and sour flavoured poison. I also loved the humorous sign language moments which are not usually found in dramas.

Acting was top notch. Both the ML and FL were good together and their chemistry in the beginning episodes were more touching. What I unexpectedly enjoyed were the sparks of love of the other 2 “couples” - very heartfelt and touching. 2 characters which I particularly like are the Princess and the Casanova. Seeing the princess transform realistically from playful and naive to independent and smart was a joy especially how she tried to save herself when she was “left behind” after her brother was rescued. My heart was constantly tugged with the complex Casanova character - the actor brilliantly portrayed his carefree attitude which hid so much deeper emotions within.

The fighting scenes were well choreographed and I enjoyed it despite it being super hero level martial arts as they also showed the leads sustaining injuries from the fight.

I accept what happened to the ML and FL in the end as it flowed well within the story. But the flash forward sequence (more than 10 years later) which vaguely alluded to children that could have been theirs and a dreamlike sequence which happened with a character that doesn't have a strong bond with them did not sit well with me. I would rather see how the princess turned out in the future and let her be the one to reminisce about the heroes.

Random notes:
1. Episode 10 - Crimson Guard received a secret message from a pigeon in the usual 2 inch length cylinder vessel. Next scene shows her unscrolling the message 5 inches long from top to bottom and 7 inches wide…
2. Not sure why all the romantic scenes were ok then for the one at night in the cave, there was the dreaded giant spotlight shining from behind the couples face… and the light came from the cave…

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Ordinary in the most extraordinary way

A male lead that is ordinary in appearance but extraordinary in his analysis
A county that is ordinary on the surface but hides an extraordinary history
Officials which are ordinary but hides so much extraordinary pain and suffering

An intriguing drama that weaves a compelling tale of how nothing is as it seems as truth after truth is revealed. Leaving you with the ultimate question - who is the villain? People who are intelligent and helpful turn out to be murderers and not just one or two! Victim of circumstances? Fate?

Beautifully shot and told, it made you feel like you were transported back in time with its realistic costumes and props. Actors were all great and I was glad to have a male lead that was more ordinary looking than his 2 sidekicks!

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