Tag: Global Granary Drama Review

Story of Yanxi Palace (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)

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Chinese Drama 2018

Story of Yanxi Palace (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)

 

 

Story of Yanxi Palace poster

  • Genre: Historical, Romance, Intrigue
  • Based on a novel by Zhou Mo called Yan Xi Gong Lue
  • Date Release: 19 July 2018
  • CDrama: 70 Episodes

Cast:

  • Wu Jinyan as Wei Yingluo/Consort Lin
  • Charmaine Sheh as Hoifa-Nara Shushen, Consort Xian
  • Qin Lan as Fucha Rongyin
  • Nie Yuan as the Qianlong Emperor, Hong Li
  • Xu Kai as Fucha Fuheng
  • Tan Zhuo as Gao Ningxin
  • Wang Yuanke as Su Jinghao, Consort Chun
  • Jenny Zhang as Niohuru Chenbi, Consort Shun
  • Lian Lian as Keliyete Ayan, Consort Yu
  • Xu Baihui as Consort Yi
  • Pan Shiqi as Consort Jia
  • Li Chun’ai as Nalan Chunxue, Consort Shu
  • Li Ruoning as Lu Wanwan, Consort Qing
  • Fu Xiaoyu as Socolo Yuli, Consort Rui
  • Wang Xinhui as Consort Wan
  • Liu Lu as Consort Ying

Synopsis: Cinderella given a mystery Chinese historical treatment.

 

I have heard so much about this drama including some controversy which was reported and broadcasted by the BBC.  Apparently, the drama is shown in Vietnam ahead of the Chinese viewers.  To get to watch it online, one is asked to answer a cryptic question before he is allowed into the site.

I think the question is about the controversial Paracel Islands.  Who owns it? It is currently controlled by China but Taiwan and Vietnam lay claims toward them.

Anyway, according to the Vietnamese site, they are the true owner and Vietnam is the only correct answer.

Aside from that, which is a drama in itself, I heard that the drama is spectacularly popular and any drama of that period will sure to be eclipsed.

 

Episode 1

Wow!!!

The intro is like looking at an expensive coffee table Chinese photography book.  It is picture perfect.  Really sumptuous and you can see and feel that it had been painstakingly composed.

Anyway, it was rather busy at the Forbidden City.  Girls from noble families were queuing up to audition for a vacancy in the royal harem.

It so happens that it was a training day for new recruits of palace maids.  Because of gossiping among the maids, they lost concentration, which almost ended up in a disaster, Wei Yinglou intervened to prevent a noble against a maid disagreement’s to grow more than what it was.

Wei Yinglou showed quick mind and competence in persuading the noble girl to forgive the lowly maid.

The search for the next concubine had started with the Emperor doing his talent spotting.  He knew what he wants and told them what he did not want.  He did not like fatties, he did not like swarthy girls, he most especially did not like stupid girls.

Out of the many, there was only one who succeeded, she knew how to give reasons.

Episode 2

This episode is mostly about the new maids.

The dozen or so maids sleep together in a dormitory.  Before the first night is over, envy and jealousy are already rearing their ugly heads.

The subject of the envy and intrigue is, of course, Wei Yinglou.

But she was having none of it.  She is feisty and self-possessed.  She was no victim.

Wei Ying lou entered the Forbidden City to find out and avenge the murder of her beloved sister, who used to be a palace seamstress.

Though she is a strong and a calm girl, it was only in the outside because she gets frustrated too.

She was venting her frustration to a poor cypress tree when the Emperor happened to pass by.  She was caught in the act, punching the tree trunk.

What she did not know was that that particular cypress tree is important to the Emperor.  More important than most of the females in his life!  The cypress has a spirit that follows him to give him shade from the sun and rain.

He ordered immediately that Wei Yinglou should be punished with 30 strokes of the cane.

Episode 3

As Wei Yinglou bent over in supplication, she told the Emperor that she had a reason for her action.

The Emperor was intrigued and asked her what it was.

She told him that she had a dream the night before and the spirit of the tree came to her and told her to stroke its bark as it got an itch.  🙂 🙂 🙂

The Emperor was rather fascinated with her reply and canceled his order to have her beaten up.  He told her to go away instead.

The Emperor kept thinking about her wit and cheek that he ordered his manservant to go find her.

Episode 4

The head of the guard of the Forbidden City is an eye candy.  The palace maids would stop in their tracks to take in his utter gorgeousness whenever he passes by.

In one such instance, Wei Yilong was left standing alone when everyone runs to watch the passing guard, Fucha.  She went to get a colleague so they can finish their task.  She was telling her off for running after men, who are not worth the effort, etc.

Her colleague left in a huff but she was surprised by the appearance of Fucha, who told her to stop bad-mouthing men.  So cute, instant chemistry.

Anyway, Fucha was on his way to his sister, the Empress, who had been weak and ailing.  she had continued to grieve over her dead only son.  She had completely lost her joie de vivre.

Fucha told the Empress that she had turned into a sad and pathetic human being and had allowed the harem to run riot.  It was her fault for her Aison Gioro, whatever that means. 🙂 🙂

Meanwhile, another jealous maid dropped Wei Yinglou into another palace drama.  She told the maid of the senior harem consort that Yinglou had advised concubine Yi that the herb she was given can be poisonous.

Yinglou was frogmarched into the palace of the consort.  Quick-witted as ever, Yinglou pretended that she was not quite right in the mind.

Episode 5

Yinglou had started investigating the murder of her sister and she started with the strict head servant as she found out that she has got her sister’s jade ornament.

She noticed that it would be difficult to serve the head servant’s room so she started plotting to get the head servant expelled from her room.

Yinglou begun acting as if she was in the early stage of pregnancy.  She pretended that she was having morning sickness, she padded her tummy to have a thicker waits and even flirting with a guard.

The head servant called the eunuch to investigated Yinglou for immorality.

In the end the eunuch punished the head servant and a servant colluding with her.  Yinglou went to see the head servant who was now utterly broken.  She told Yinglou where the rest of sister’s property is hidden.

Episode 6

13 December 2018) Did you know? The most googled drama of 2018 is The Legend of YanXi Palace.

Love & π (Taiwanese Drama Review)

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Drama

Love & π (Taiwanese Drama Review)

Love & π poster

  • AKA: Love & Pi, 3.14159
  • Genre: Romance, Coming of Age, Youth
  • Date Release: July 2018
  • TwDrama: 15 Episodes

 

Cast:

  • Wu Ben as Zhao Wu Xian
  • Shao Ivy as Zhao Yuan Man
  • Chen Daniel as Hou Zi Cheng
  • Lee Jenny as Zhang Ruo Yun
  • Lin Mike as Sun Zhi Hao
  • Yang Candy as Lin Mei Xin
  • Kerr Shu as Xu Shi Ming
  • Blue Lan as Liang Yi Qing

 

This is the second drama I have seen Shao Ivy in a matter of months.  I last saw her in the recently concluded Sweet Combat, starring the real-life sweethearts Lu Han and Guan Xiaotong.

Anyway, this drama started well.

Wu Xian and Yuan Man both grew up in an orphanage, with their identity unknown.  The dean of the orphanage then gave them his name and bestowed to them the same date of birth.

Wu Xian is the feistier of the two, she was always allowed her to get what she wants, thus she was spoiled and full of pride.

Even at a young age, she dreamt of going to Taipei to earn money.  When she was ten, she convinced Wu Xian, Zi Cheng and some other young kids to run away to Taipei.  But the kindly dean found them and brought them back.

He promised them that when they have grown up he will help them get to Taipei.

When they turned 18, the time that they need to leave the orphanage, the Dean sent them off on their way to Taipei. Wu Xian and Yuan Man to study and Zi Cheng to look for a job.

The three friends pooled their money together to rent a small place for them.  A place for Wu Xian and Yuan Yuan to come home to during the weekend when they both leave their dorm.  Unfortunately, they gave their money to a swindler.

Episode 2

Zi Cheng was in trouble when he found the swindler all bloodied.

Any Wu Xian and Yuan Yuan began to settle into a life as university students.  Both started to make friends but they started to realise that they may be attracted to one another. This also meant that they felt jealousy whenever the other has a more meaningful friendship with the opposite sex.

Wu Xian has a rather well-off girl who seems to be after him which hurt Yuan Yuan.

That weekend, there was a scooter rally in which Wu Xian decided to participate in.  He made an agreement with Yuan Yuan to partner with him. He will tie a red ribbon to the key ring and expects Yuan Yuan to pick it up to ensure that they will be fellow riders in his scooter.  But Yuan Yuan saw beforehand that Wu Xian seems to be rather friendly with the well-off girl.

Yuan Yuan chose another key ring instead which confused Wu Xian.

Episode 3

Yuan Yuan and Wu Xian suddenly learned that the world is big and wider than just the two of them.  There are just so much to see and experience which challenged their closed friendship.

Poor Zi Cheng became a victim of a scammer.  He was tasked to swindle an elderly person of his life savings.

Yuan Yuan, feeling that she was being left behind by Wu Xian was beguiled by Sun Zhi Hao.

Wu Xian was upset by this turn of event because he does like Yuan Yuan and questions why she did not pick him.

Zhang Ruo Yun confessed to Wu Xian, telling him that she likes him and would wait for his reply.

Episode 4

Episode 5

Yuan Yuan broke up with her boyfriend.

Wu Xian changed courses, from design to medical school.

But poor Zi Cheng ended up in prison.

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Episode 9

Episode 10

Episode 11

Wu Xian and Yuan Yuan broke up.

Wu Xian flew to Denmark as an exchange student.

Three years later, Liang Yi Qing was meeting Yuan at the airport.

Yuan Yuan is now a successful executive.

Episode 12

Zhang Ruo Yun finally got her claws on Wu Xian and they work at the same hospital where Wu Xian is a doctor while Ruo Yun is in management.

The YuanYuan gang as the friends like themselves to call had a dinner reunion which went well.  This dinner also initiated the return to the friendship between Wu Xian and Zi Cheng, which became fragmented because of jealousy and perceived betrayal.

There was still that undeniable chemistry between Wu Xian and Yuan Yuan but at this point, both are resigned that their past love affair was all water under the bridge.

Shi Ming and Mei Xin are still going strong as a pair, very successful in their business but there is a little bit of intrigue that might rock their marriage.  Their waitress Yi Qing is slowly seducing him.  Shi Ming has been begging Mei Xin to start a family but Mei Xin wants to grow their business more and dreams of starting a few branches over the city.

Episode 13

Yuan Yuan is having a stressful time at work.  Her manager below her, who is related to the president of the company (Yuan Yuan was just appointed as Vice President) is sabotaging all her innovation for the company.  The president was of course siding with his niece, who was bitter because she had worked for the company for a number of years and expected to get the vice presidency but found out that her once underling, Yuan Yuan, got it instead.

One of the repercussions of the sabotage was unemployment for some staff, who included Yuan Yuan’s best friend from university, who had become a member of the Yuan Yuan Gang over the years.

Fortunately, the CEO of the company who is also Yuan Yuan’s sponsor and mentor helped her out and revealed the sabotage.

Also in the middle of that stressful time for Yuan Yuan, Wu Xian took her to a nursing home where he introduced her to a woman who was almost in a vegetative state.  Wu Xian then broached the subject that the woman could possibly be Yuan Yuan’s mother, who abandoned her in a train station.  Good one Wu Xian! 🙁  🙁  Is that some sort of Freudian revenge?!!!

Episode 14

Episode 15

Ruo Yun’s father had a talk with Wu Xian about this relationship with his daughter.  He intimated that his daughter truly loves Wu Xian and had waited long enough to be a bride.  The father then produces a diamond ring he wishes Wu Xian would give to Ruo Yun and ties the knot.

The engagement ring was left sitting on his cupboard until Ruo Yun found it while putting away Wu Xian’s washed clothes.

She then presented the ring to Wu Xian under the eagle eyes of staff at the hospital and also Yuan Yuan.  They chanted to put the ring on Ruo Yun’s finger which rather forced Wu Xian to make the engagement official.

Episode 16

This is a very sad episode.

Mei Xin and Shi Ming are about to divorce.

Yuan Yuan had a change of heart and confessed that she regrets letting go of Wu Xian.

Wu Xian had a heart to heart with Ruo Yun.

He then went to Yuan Yuan and told her to ask what she meant with the confession she made which he and Ruo Yun overheard.  But at the last minute, he chickened out in asking her outright.

And the final and saddest scene was the death of Zi Cheng.

Episode 17

Zi Cheng from the grave helped Yuan Yuan and Wu Xian reconcile.

The confession from Yuan Yuan seemed to wake up all the emotions and feeling Wu Xian had in him for her.

He tried to break up with Ruo Yun but she was making excuses not to talk with him.

In the end, she cannot escape the inevitable and accepted that she was not really meant for Wu Xian.  With dignity, she let him go.

And he went quickly to Yuan Yuan.  The poor girl was so shocked to have wu Xian hugging her from out of the blue.

He courted her promised to look after her forever.

Mei Xin and Shi Ming did not divorce because they both realised that they can’t live without each other.  When Mei Xin told him that she knew he was going to get together with one of their waitress, Shi Ming was so shocked,  He said it never entered his mind to be together with anyone other than Mei Xin.

Mei Xin then rewarded him with news that she was pregnant.  Shi Ming was in ecstasy.

Now what is love and Pi?

Pi is that never-ending series of circles whose value is to infinity.  So if that love is meant to happen to you, it will happen and surmount anything, anyone, anyhow – somehow!

The End

Bloody Romance (Chinese Drama Review)

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Chinese Drama 2018

Bloody Romance (Chinese Drama Review)

Bloody Romance poster

  • Genre: Historical, Romance, Thriller, Action, Martial Arts
  • Period: Tang Dynasty
  • Date Released: July 2018
  • CDrama: 32 Episodes
  • Based on the novel, Mei Zhe Wu Jiang, by Ban Ming Ban Mei

Cast:

 

As stated above this drama is apparently based on a rather mature in nature of a novel called Mei Zhe Wu Jiang.  The lead girl, Chang An, was sold by her father to a brothel and forced to work as a prostitute.  She was used by four different men before she was rescued from the abuse.

She was then recruited and trained to be an assassin.

Sounds really rather interesting.

Episode 1 & 2

This started very excitingly and has a feel of a movie.  Qi Xue comes from a dirt poor family.  She does everything to make money, including burying the dead.

One of these deads was a woman who was holding an amber-like ball.  Q i Xue was entranced with the ball that she kept it.

When Qi Xue got home, she found her father cooking porridge for once while her young brother looked on.  She was not allowed to even taste the hot dish.  Instead, her father sent her on an errand to deliver a package of herbs to a nearby inn.

She found out later that the package was nothing but dried straw.  She had been sold to the brothel by her cold-hearted father.

Though she looked malnourished, she has a pretty face and being a virgin, she was a fine commodity.

Qi Xue would not submit without a fight but she was overpowered by the brothel owner.  She woke up with her wrist cut up and blood was being collected from her.  Apparently, virgin blood is quite something.

With all her might, she hit the owner’s head with a vase and then she runs off onto the stage without thinking.  There a blood-thirsty commander was choosing the girl for his night.  Seeing that she looks innocent and unwilling he instructed his men to tie her up.

She was just a few minutes away from being abused when a beautiful woman with an umbrella materialised.

She killed the commander and untied Qi Xue.  The woman was Liu Guang.  She told Qi Xue that she would take her to Gua Hua City if she managed to arrive at a location before the sun sets.  She then vanished quickly as she appeared.

Qi Xue was more resourceful than she looks.  She wore the commander’s armour and went out, but along the way, she fainted from the amount of blood taken from her malnourished body.  Liu Guang, who was waiting for her was rather disappointed that Qi Xue was a no show.

Qi Xue woke up from the rain and stumbled upon a massacre between ninjas and someone from a covered cart.

The man, seemed like a blind man.  He instructed his female assistance that if the weakened girl, Qi Xue, survived the night, she can be brought to Gua Hua City.

There Qi Xue woke up in a strange place with billowing curtains.  She was finding it hard to find where the male voice was coming from.

The voice was of Chang An, who was her guard/protector.  Gua Hua City is a place where female assassins are trained.  Each assassin is given a choice to pick their own male butler/assistant/guard/protector.  Qi Xue immediately choice Chang An as her permanent assistant.

Qi Xue was brought in to meet the Leader of the female assassins, Cha Luo, who seemed to have taken a dislike to her.

She made Qi Xue sit on her throne.  Thankfully Chang An was a quick thinker and on bended knees asked Cha Luo to forgive the naivety of Qi Xue.  Qi Xue was further helped by Cha Ru, who was the Prince, the blind man, assistant.

Qi Xue is mentored by Chang An how Gua Hua City is run.  Each assassin starts from the bottom.  The assassins are a beautiful female who heavily relies on their looks rather than Kung Fu.  It is when they progress to the top that they can opt to learn Kung Fu and by doing so they get more freedom and privileges.

Qi Xue finally realised that Chang An and herself have to rely on each other for survival.

 

 

 

Witch’s Love (KDrama Review & Summary)

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Drama

Witch’s Love (KDrama Review & Summary)

Witch’s Love poster

  • Genre: Romance, Supernatural, mystery
  • Date Released: July 2018
  • KDrama: 12 Episodes

Cast:

  • Yoon So-Hee as Kang Cho-Hong
  • Hyun Woo as Ma Sung-Tae
  • Lee Hong-Bin as Hwang Jae-Wook
  • Kim Young-Ok as Maeng Ye-Soon
  • Go Soo-Hee as Jo Aeng-Doo

This is quite a cute classic drama of a love triangle between a rich man, a poor girl and equally poor man, who’s got potential.

Anyway, the girl is a witch who lived in an old building with her two grandmothers.

Cho Hong delivers the take-out order from their rice-soup restaurant, which is highly patronised by the rich and the not quite so well off.  There is always a queue when the restaurant is opened for business.

If you are not aware of their situation, you would think that they are raking in the money.  An ambitious bank clerk thought so too and seduced Cho Hong into going out with him.  But he found out that it was, in fact, the opposite,  The witches needed the money to pay rent for their restaurant as a trusted employee stole the deeds to their house/restaurant and sold it own before his death.  The ultimate buyer was Sun Tae, a CEO in a large company.

He has a history with the house, 25 years ago, he was kidnapped and taken to the house, but over the years his memory of the even was no longer clear, although he continuously having nightmares in relation to it.

Cho Hong wanted to know what happened to the money and her grandmothers asked her if she hadn’t noticed that they dine like kings and queens with only the best gourmet food washed down by Dom Perignon.

They never had a need for money before as they thought they ‘owned’ the house/restaurant.

Cho Hong had a traumatic experience when she found out that her boyfriend was sleeping with another woman.  Her distress resulted in her losing her witch power.  Without out her time is limited and she will lose her looks.

She went to another witch who practices black magic.  She was told that she can reverse what happened to her and get her power if she meets a man who loves her truly, her fated man.

Almost at the same instance, she met the CEO who moved in into the house/restaurant as they can’t pay the rent.

She also has gotten to know more of the customer who always orders a larger than normal portion but not too big.  He was a webtoon writer and he told her that he knew her way back from school.  She used to help him out with the bullies and told she was an angel.

Now to get her power back she has to have a kiss with her fated,  She is now officially dating the CEO, who she kissed a number of times.  She later found out that the effect of the kiss from your fated should be instantaneous.

When she finally got her power again she was elated but then became worried because she found out that the Webtoon man gave her a mouth to mouth resuscitation when she collapsed and her heart stopped beating.

Who is her fated?

This is an interesting drama, it is very well acted by a very engaging cast.  The love triangle is cute but I was always rooting for the one she ended with in the end.

It has a very satisfying and traditional ending where love conquers all despite the course of true love never did run smooth.

 

 

 

 

Martial Universe (Chinese Drama Review)

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Martial Universe (Chinese Drama Review)

Martial Universe poster

  • Genre: Martial Arts, Historical, Fantasy, Romance
  • Origin: based on a novel called Wu Dong Qian Kun by Tiancai Dudou.
  • Date Released: 2 August 2018
  • CDrama: 40 episodes (Season 1) & 20 episodes (Season 2)

Cast:

Episode 1

When the universe was begun, there was a dimensional gate separating the mortal realm from the alternate dominion.

Over time the dimension gate was opened up allowing the demonic creatures called yimo from the alternate realm to invade the mortal realm.

There was a guardian to the mortal realm and he was the Emblem Ancestor.  He used all his power the aid of the Ancestral Emblem to seal off the demonic yimos.  And to close off the dimensional gate, the price was his death.

As years passed by the demonic force of yimos was gathering strength once again.  They have been searching for the mythical ancestral emblem to unseal the dimension gate once again.

The Yuan Gate’s Three Mentors had a committee meeting with the agenda of finding the reincarnation of the Emblem Ancestor and also to find the Ancestral emblem.

While this was going on,  Lin Dong was entertaining a gambling crowd with his gladiatorial prowess.  He needed to earn money to buy medicine for his ailing father, who’s a martial art expert.

Lin Dong defeated a 20 stone man, who was dragged into the spoliarium.  This gave him confidence and accepted another challenge which would yield him four times the prize.

But his next opponent which really scared him was a ferocious looking Fire Phyton Tiger.  Despite all the odds, he was victorious.

He went home happy but shunned by his Lin clan.

As you can see, I stopped watching this long drama almost from the start.  Don’t get me wrong it was a pretty exciting first episode but it was the small details that really grabs you.   When I saw gorgeous Yang Yang wearing brand new boots as if he just came out of Primark and he was so squeakily clean, this was after he had been fighting to the death and had been traveling back home mostly on foot, this niggled me for its lack of attention to details.

I supposed when all the historical dramas have dried out a bit, I shall go back watching Martial Universe only for gorgeous Yang Yang.