Completed
Chrisstina
90 people found this review helpful
Nov 30, 2014
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 5
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers
This is my first time writing a review for a Chinese drama and Scarlet Heart has an honor for it.

I don't even know from where to begin with. You know when drama leaves you spechless, with many emotions that even after finishing it you can't gather yourself and keep replaying that song that reminds you of every single moment of a drama. Yes, that's how I am right now. Here I am sitting on a chair with tears in my eyes and writing a review for this wonderful drama.
I liked everything about this drama. Literally. The story-time travel, historical, romantic one, princes and Ruoxi who had so many beautiful relationships with them. One phenomenal story that will move you to bones. Beautiful China, deep, passionate love, season changing, scenery, every single detail is done in the most professional way that you totally forgot about the time and enjoy in this magnificent piece. Cecilia is a beautiful woman, so beautiful that I couldn't take my eyes of her. They way she acts, cries, loves is the wonderful enjoyment for my eyes. Everyone did a fantastic job in their own roles just like as it is written for them.
The part that made me bound for a drama is Ruoxi's relationships that she had with all princes. With one she was a drinking buddy, the one who understands her the most, with the other she was goofy and happy, with third she felt protected and with last she was in love with. Their interactions with each other, words, gestrures, glance they shared with each other simply crawls into your skin and you become a part of it.
Another thing that fascinated me is that every character in this drama has it's faults, nobody is perfect. As the story progress you see them change eather good or bad, precisely they changed in a way which their ambition led. Nobody's perfect, we all know that, we all make mistakes and regret later, we all have that moment of glory that makes us forget how we really were before, that moment when we all want to go to the past and correct things is something we all have and this was exactly the case in this drama. Their decions, mistakes, pain, sadness, happiness are made in such a stong way that you can feel it, understand why they done that and simply connect with every character in there.

***** SPOILER ALERT!*** ( About her relationship she had with princes, so if you want to know nothing, don't read it).

13th prince was the one for me. Right from the start. Their relationship was real, they understood each other completely, for him she didn't need to say anything, he'll understood her with one single gesture she makes. She liked him as her drinking buddy, but I, I felt that that is the real relationship between man and woman. He was there in her the most hardest times, happiest times, he was always there as a loyal friend. Soulmate friend. The scene when he deeply hugged her, directing her this words: "When the grass is green next year, old friends will no longer look the same. The sea holds our closest friends and the ends of the earth are our neighbours" moved me to bones and that's why it'll be carved in my heart forever.
14th prince has a special place in my heart. Principle man, weighed down by deep sense of honor and loyalty, kind, strong, He liked Ruoxi as a friend, even married her just so he can help her and that was what I appreciated the most.
Ah, here are her two loves 8th and 4th prince. 8th prince is her first love, the man whom she experienced the meaning of a love. He is romantic, protective, she felt safe when she was with him. They both know that it is a forbidden love, love that hurts, but what do you really can go against the feelings? Rouxi and 8th loved each other, but not enough to give up on everything. Later, their love was replaced by respect towards each other.
As for 4th Prince, well he was her true love, love 'till her death. Their chemistry was breathtaking, passionate, intense. It was so stong and powerful that when they were apart, their longing makes your heart break and you can't help but cry. He is calculative, with secrets, but towards Rouxi, he's different. He can be honest with her, tells her openly that he wants the throne, he was like himself with her. And that was love. Love that can last 'till eternity even when they're not together. But, when 4th Prince became Empreror their minds and opinions changed. Like they are strangers they didn't understand each other. The more they didn't understand each other, the more their love hurt. They were so close, yet so far, under one Heaven, but like miles away. They hurt each other, wanted to hate but they couldn't, longed for each other. He didn't care for anyone, only for her. Ruoxi was her everything, his soul, heart, mind, love. I vividly remember when he told 13th prince: "She cares for other, I care only for her."That was the proof how much he loved her. I wasn't that fond of him, cause he became selfish and tyranic, but their love was truly the strong one and it will always stay with me.
*** SPOILER END***

Oh and to say that Rouxi is the one of the strongest female characters in dramaland. She is intellegent, brave, unselfish, when she loves she loves till her core. The burden she carry is big, but wasn't able to share her story. She was a true survivor after all. She smiled, cried and loved to the fullest and that makes a woman strong, that even know it hurts, you're trying to get the best out of it. And that job was done by Cecilia whom I just have a words of praise and admiration.

I'll for sure rewatch this drama cause it's totally worth it. Even though it is sad, I took a positive side of it and placed some hope at the end. It is truly a beautiful story about love, friendship and passion. I laughed, cried, felt happy. I simply lived with this drama.

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Completed
Crazy4You
62 people found this review helpful
Oct 20, 2011
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 7.0
My first Chinese drama ever! I just finished watching it and I still feel sad. How to begin? I was never really bored with this drama, even in parts where it started to drag a little I never skipped any parts because there was always something to pull me in and make me wanna find out more. And then the last 5 episodes happened - and made me think this drama is something brilliant.



At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to watch it. Let's face it - half balded guys aren't exactly eye candy. But I was wrong! And I'm glad I found people who were raving about it because it made me want to watch it! I got over that issue by the 5th episode - and some of the Prince's are still cute! And whatever else lacks, the story is the most important part - and it was excellent! I had mixed feelings about the princes' throughout the drama.



The acting was amazing! I've heard that Chinese dramas tend to not be acted out that well - but this one is certainly an exception! Wonderfully done - whatever the characters were feeling were clearly portrayed. They cried - I cried.



The music is beautiful! I love the soundtrack! Listening to it now, it just makes me sad - but I can't stop listening! Beautiful!



I don't think I'll rewatch this drama soon - only because there's already so many I have lined up to watch.



Overall - this drama was really worth the time. 35 episodes may seem like a lot - but the story is really done well and it made every episode worth it!



On a side note - keep in mind to expect some not so good greenscreen use and such. Actually some of it was bad enough that it made some scenes [when they're riding on a horse] look like something straight out of a video game. On the plus side - I found it comical and it added humor to a scene haha. Another thing to note that slightly bothered me - she's stuck in the past for many years: but none of them seem to age. It's not until it's almost over that they look slightly different. Because of those things I can't give this drama a full !O. I almost gave it an 8 but it's such a great story, the ending.... get some tissues ready!



Another thing - you don't have to know anything about the Qing Dynasty to follow along with this story. In a way I think it might be better if you don't. I didn't and it left surprises for me when I found out what would happen to the characters.

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Completed
Akumi
21 people found this review helpful
Jun 10, 2013
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
Stole into my heart before I even realized I wasn't bothered by the hair anymore. I really don't even think I can write a review that isn't bordering on rambling because there's just so much to say about this drama.
The story-line is absolutely hands down the best writing I've seen in a drama. The plot is well defined, the characters are so real and true to their personalities throughout, and the little nuances of individual people are always there that it took me watching it twice to fully take everything in. It has the best character growth I've seen yet also. You really get to see Ruo Xi grow up and become a much more mature, if not more defensive person (in terms of being careful of deception) and learn from her mistakes, but some of the mistakes she makes are impossible to stop because even if you're sent to the past, how do you know what you should say or shouldn't? (This always bothered me about going to the past type dramas, because there's usually that person that says "Don't do anything, or you'll change history!" but how do they know that that person isn't meant to say something to make the history they know happen?) Anyways, it was unavoidable to end up getting tangled in the prince's lives.

The bond the princes all have with Ruo Xi was such a pleasure to watch. They each have their own connection with her, from childhood friend, to soul-mate friend, to not meant to be lover, to true lover, and everything else in between. Even if they're out to get the throne, when it comes down to it, they'll do whatever they can to help her when she needs it. But don't worry, she's not a weak female lead by any means. She's strong, smart, and often comes to the princes aid even if it goes against her lover's desire. Her sense of relationship with each of the princes is so strong that she never abandons them and isn't above sacrificing herself to save their lives. (Not in the typical stupid female lead way either, but with an intelligent and thorough plan.)

It does have some palace intrigue, and vying for the throne of course, but when it comes down to it, it's about realizing what you have and sometimes learning to let go to what's gone, instead of trying to have everything, because eventually something will be sacrificed. I cannot get over just how much I adore this drama, and the characters are still firmly in my heart. 8th prince and 13th Prince, you'll always be my favorites!!
(Part of my review got cut off, so I'll add the rest here. I probably did something silly.)

There is of course an awesome and beautiful love story throughout the entire series. From first love to deep and soul capturing love, you can feel their profound love for each other, and how they grow to know and accept each other as time passes. There's none of the "I love you right away just because" feel a lot of dramas have, they grow up together and experience life side by side. You never doubt that they absolutely love one another. Even with the romance being a main point, this drama was so much more to me. It was about the wide variety of love and relationships a person has in their lives, and how each one weighs in your heart, and how they each mold who you are.

There is also a stark reality each character has to face, and you as a viewer have to accept. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows, and someone you knew can become someone you can't recognize through time. The drama does an amazing job of showing how you change through various trials, and how greed can poison everything.

The actors and actresses really did such an amazing portraying their roles, that I was lost in the story and almost forgot it wasn't reality. There are more than a few scenes I had to stop and re-watch right away just because of how powerful they were acted. Liu Shi Shi as Ruo Xi was astounding! I've only seen her in another drama, and while I liked her in it, her acting here godsmacked me. Down to the minute details, she executed her character perfectly. I honestly love Ruo Xi. Nicky Wu as 4th prince and Kevin Cheng as 8th prince also always left me in awe of their talent. I really felt like they were their characters, and I will definitely be watching more of their dramas just to see them act.

The OST is also just wonderful! It displays the emotions of the scenes perfectly, and really sets the tone of them. Some will make you tear up just hearing them, and other make your heart race because you know something is about to happen. It's one of the first OSTs I'll be downloading just to listen to when I want those feelings back.

Sorry for this being such a long review, but this drama left such an impact on me and really made me think about my life, or life in general, as corny as that sounds. XD Just one of those stories that stays in your heart and becomes a part of you. Please give it a chance, and maybe you'll love it as much as I do, or at least enjoy the ride. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this story.

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Completed
fykimchii
25 people found this review helpful
May 12, 2012
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
This was a nice break from the usual korean drama i usually watch, highly recommended drama!

Historical drama to an extend happened in real life, people may think that, the writers are not creative thus they decide to use history. Well yes! The writers did that and it was done wonderfully! It was such a nice drama, seeing history unfolding right in front of your eyes! The romance between the princes and Rouxi was so nice, you can't decide which prince you want to ship Rouixi with.

The casts was perfect for each of the characters they played. You can't hate any of the characters even if they have done such an evil deep, you'll end up feeling sorry for them instead. The acting was great, you will find yourself, crying then laughing and crying again and the emotion is just like a roller-coaster ride. It was perfect!

An other perfect thing for this drama is that the music was beautiful, i even downloaded their theme song onto my ipod and i dont even understand chinese! That's saying some thing. It was beautiful, the melody and the music for each scene was perfect for it. Oh let me warn you, once you're done with this series and the theme song comes up. You'll feel like crying cause you miss this series so so much!

Overall i'm rating this drama a 10! Just because it's perfect and i watched this drama 4 days straight! Once i got up, i turn on my laptop and continue watching it.

Reasons to watch this drama:
- Strong female character
- Handsome and pretty actresses
- Awesome Plot
- Roller-coaster ride of emotions

If you like those this drama should make your day!

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Completed
DragonAlien
29 people found this review helpful
Nov 27, 2014
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers
First let me say that this is my first review about some Chinese drama and first review about a historical one. I have recently started to watch Chinese dramas and only watched a very few of them but after this one I'll be definitely watching more. The reason why I haven't watched before is cause of the large numbers of episodes, they're always too long. So you got to have more time for that. Anyway with historical dramas somehow time goes so fast and drama kept that interesting part all the way, not becoming boring at all. At least that was the case with Scarlet heart.

And now I'll be starting to write about this magnificent piece. The review will be a little bit long because I really have to say a lot about this drama and how it has captured me forever.
I liked everything. Literally. First of all the story: history, time travell, Qing Dynasty, all those princes and the main girl who had so many different relationship with all of them. Attracted me from the start. Then Liu Shi Sh, she's such a natural beauty, such a delightful creature and amazing actress, I started because of her, the rest of the cast I haven't seen before. But they were all so fantastic and I'll be stalking some of their works for sure from now on. Every one of them portrayed their roles perfectly and without a flaw. I loved the scenery in this drama, oh so many beautiful scenes with snow, snowflakes at night, during the day, seasons changing from refreshing spring with cherry trees and so many beautiful flowers, through the warm autumn with wonderful leaves to the cold winter with white pure snow. The colours were astonishing and I was purely enjoying in that, every scene was so filled with many colours and beauty, it was such pleasure for the eyes. Not to mention the dresses, the coats, hair, make up, all that jewelry, oh I was glued to the screen all the time. ;-) I was even captured by the porcelain and all those wonderful tea cups, I imagined that I drank tea from those cups.
All these things made this drama to be for true one of the best drama ever. But what was the best part of it (still is) and what made this drama so different was the relationship she had with all the princes. It was written exceptionally and I really admire the writer for that. I loved how here we have so much more male leads and roles and less women, I always enjoy and love more when there are more guys in a drama, somehow everything is better, friendship, relationship, more intelligent minds and there aren't annoying and hysterical women who only scream and gossip around. ;-) Anyway in Scarlet heart we got to see so many various and colorful relationship between Ruo Xi and the princes, it simply crawls under your skin and you can't stop but love them all. Every one of them had so important role in a drama and in Ruo Xi life and that was the best part of it. You don't have one perfect man who, let's be honest, doesn't exist in real life, you get to see many men with all their flaws who when you take the best from them become one perfect guy.

What I found to be so fantastically done is that through the whole drama you could see how all of them change, how not everything is sunshine and rainbows, and someone you knew can become someone you can't recognize through time. The drama does an amazing job of showing how greed can poison everything and destroy your loved ones. Yes, the love is in the main focus but it's not only about love, it is a fight between the brothers over the throne, it is a constant battle who will become the Emperor, it involves a politics, some palace intrigues but most of all it keeps you so attached and captivated every moment that you literally lose time about everything and everyone else.
With the love as the center of everything, I would like to say that it was done so incredibly perfect where every characters gets their "5 minutes of glory", of course some of them more, but you really get to see the stories of all of them, how and why they loved who they loved, some loves were sad, some happy, some left with bittersweet taste, some passionate and true to the bone, some one sided and all of them were no matter of their endings, filled with hope and faith.

My heart has won from the beginning 13th prince, from the first second his interaction with Ruo Xi. He was so sweet, free, carefree, a man who will do anything for his brothers without some hidden goal. A guy who was no doubt the best material for her, it was such a pity that they haven't fall in love with each other. But then again, they had the friendship one of a kind - one in which people should envy. A friendship that is unselfish, truthful and doesn’t have ties attached to it. Because their friendship is so strong, they believe in each other no matter what or in whatever circumstances. They never questioned each other and they don’t need to know or hear a reason for anything, simply because they trust each other. He was her soulmate friend.

***** SPOILER ALERT! I will be writing about some parts her relationship with some princes so if you don't want to know nothing then don't read the next lines. *****

As the show progressed I started to like 14th prince, put aside that he was from the start the best looking guy and the tallest one, I meant for his character, I started to like him more and more and in the end I thought why she hasn't loved him? He was kind, strong, loyal, a little fierce, and a tad ambitious. But his defining characteristic for me was his steadfast and unwavering nature. The defining moment for this character for me was when he made a promise to come save the woman he loved if ever she needed him. She had only to send one word and he’d come. And when she called him he came running to her. He’s the type that will stay loyal until the day he dies even if some think he should give up. But he’s also not the type to restrict you and trap you if you want to be free. He was a true man for me and I fell in love with him.
As for the two men she loved, first I would tell something about the 8th prince. He’s so angelic, very gentlemen and always warm to others. It was natural for her to fall for him although she knew she wasn't supposed to. Knowing that he’s gonna have such an ending, she sympathies and pities for him. Rouxi is in a confusion state with her feelings, she doesn’t know if she really likes him or just pity him for his fate. But then she realize that she does have feelings for him. 8th Prince and Rouxi love each other, but not enough to give up everything. It’s a beautiful love story, but they’re not fated to be with one another. It’s a love worth remembering, but it’s a love that can no long be. Somehow I saw him as her protector and she was his, their love was replaced by respect and protectiveness until the end.
As for the 4th prince, that was her love to the core. Their chemistry was undeniably sizzling. Their passionate truly pure love seared through our hearts and souls that we were left heartbroken when they were apart. Their intense love and longing for each other induced us into crying fits when the magnolia flower finally fell off her grip, and when he broke down in tears as he looked at the belongings left behind by his beloved. 4th Prince is always cautious and well-hidden, but to Rouxi, he’s different. He can be honest with her, telling her he wants the throne and such It’s an adorable, yet touching and interesting romance - it’s love. It’s a love, not just worth remembering, but a love that can last a lifetime, even when they’re not together. When 4th Prince finally became Emperor, there were more obstacles standing in their way and more misunderstanding. The more they loved each other, the more they hurt each other. 4th Prince intentions to aim for the throne was so he can protect Rou Xi, but by becoming the Emperor, he needed to maintain his power, which forced him to act in such a way that he ended up hurting the people that Rouxi love and care about. Their peaceful time together was sweet, but short. Their relationship starts to break down, with differences in opinions. They never got around to fix their problems - it escalates even more. Rou Xi becomes more hurt and tired. She still love 4th Prince, but she cannot accept the other princes’ sufferings. They were fated to meet, fated to love, but not destined to be together. And that some cruel fate. But if you ask me, I didn't like this man because he was too much cruel and tyrant, I knew that he loved her but that is not enough. I remember when he said to the 13th prince:" She only cares for others, I only care for her.", you could feel all his powerful and strong love but I just didn't like him as a person and the choices he has made were to much of a cruelty and selfishness.
***** SPOILER END! *****

Character development was awesome. The strongest character and the most pitiful one was Rui Xi. The burden she carried was very big, but she wasn't able to really share her story. And that makes it even more tragic. Ruoxi wanted to love and give, but even though she was cherished in return, she was never able to truly give herself completely. She was a true survivor after all, just trying to make the best of it. She was the most admirable one, smart, strong woman with a good heart who wanted to help others and always protected and helped the princes no matter what. And they helped her, no matter what and how important was the thing they were doing they were always coming to help her and be a support. You could just watch and admire their relationship. Cecilia has done the job brilliant, she's a true great actress. And the others were so great in acting.

Even though this drama was filled with pain, it felt real and it gave you hope at the end. I could completely relate to the most of the characters and why they did certain things, after all it was all about love, passion, friendship. This drama really had such a big impact on me and I would really recommend it to everyone, at least give it a try because I think you won't be regretting. It is a wonderful piece filled with life and making the best of it as much as possible. The story of one dynasty and their princes, their relationship with one girl who came out from other time and changed everything. All of them captured me and made my previous days filled with so many emotions and happiness that I'm really thankful for that. From the bottom of my heart.

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Completed
Tiffa
16 people found this review helpful
Jan 28, 2012
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
Like so many other reviewers, BBJX was my first Chinese drama. I've tried parts of others many years ago, but promptly dropped them because of dull plots, bad acting, and atrocious CGI. This time though, I've been moved to tears by both the story and the acting. CGI was kept to a minimum, which was nice, but bothered me a little whenever it came up.

Story: T_T Beautiful and tragic. It starts fairly lighthearted and easygoing, but gets very heartbreaking. The main character maintains the mentality of a 21st century girl, and I think that's something new to time-travel dramas. She (the main character) desperately tries to protect the people she loves, but in the end can't change history, so she can only stand by and watch things play out before her.

Acting/Cast: Perfect casting? It's definitely fairly close to a perfect casting, honestly. Liu Shi Shi (the main actress) starts off fairly weak, since this is her first starring role, but she soon gains the depth and emotional connection with her character that she needed to bring her character to life. The other characters, all of them, were great as well!! The staff and cast all had great chemistry on set, and it shows through on the screen.

Music: Completely heartbreaking songs, once you hear the lyrics. As for the instrumental tracks, I've always had a thing for traditional Asian music, so perhaps my bias is showing.

Rewatch Value: Things get sad, things get long. Well-developed characters make any story far more interesting, so I would actually really enjoy watching it again. In fact, feel like it DESERVES or NEEDS a rewatch, so that I can actually understand where each character is coming from. Maybe after my heart recovers...

Overall: Beautiful, complex story--you can't see what's going to happen next. For those who like to ship couples, you'll find yourself jumping ship at LEAST once. If you've never watched a Chinese drama, this is where you ought to start. Please forgive the CGI. ;-;

Also, can I just say, GORGEOUS COSTUMES, SCENERY, PEOPLE.

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Completed
Totoro
11 people found this review helpful
Apr 12, 2013
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers
***** SPOILER ALERT!
Even though I won't be revealing exact details, I did write down some parts of the story line. If you want to watch it without having any hint about the plot development, you should not read this review. *****



I'm not much of a Chinese drama viewer. I watched a few and I liked them, but I skip most of them. However, I'm a sucker for time travel and romance stories. When I saw the drama description and the good grade it got, I decided to give it a chance.

And before I know it I watched everything in one go. The story was so fluent.. I just couldn't stop watching. Like Ruoxi, I feel like I've been flashed back in time and lived a whole lifetime there.

I did never get completely used to the haircuts and clothing. I do understand it is because of historical context, but it still was an eyesore.
The hairstyles of the men where just plain ugly. And the hairstyles of the women reminded me a lot of times of Minnie Mouse. The women's clothing was also not to my liking. I absolutely adore the old Korean clothing, but these Chinese clothing just freaks me out. Throughout the drama I was thinking: how could people dress themselves this way? But don't let it keep you away from the actual story. It does say something that I had problems with digesting the fashion sense of this drama, but still was loving the characters.

The story is like a journey that sweeps you away. It is just in one word: complete. The acting is superb. I wouldn't rewatch it, at least not for some years, because I would not be able to watch the beginning with as much happiness as before.

Character development was awesome.
Every 'new year' you could feel de maturing, but at the same time darkening of the Ruoxi and the princes. There are a lot of big time jumps, but it works for the story. To be honest, I think it made it even better. The passing of time is a topic much mentioned in this series. Time passes so quick and with the jumps it feels even more so.

The burden Ruoxi caries is very big, but she isn't able to really share her story -even though she mentions it one time to 13 and also one time to 4-. And that makes it even more tragic. Ruoxi wanted to love and give, but even though she was cherished in return, she was never able to truly give herself completely. And in the end she was blaming herself for everything. Not to mention: all this time she had no idea if her real body was still alive, if she would return one day, what happened to the original Ruoxi, ...

There are no real bad guys in this drama. Even Ruoxi isn't always a nice heroine. Though overall she means well, she does willingly make some decisions that hurt others a lot. But that is the feel of the whole story. Everyone means well, wants to do good.. but that doesn't mean they make good decisions, or that everything turns out the way they meant it to be.

I did wish for Ruoxi and the princes that it all would have turned out different. But love is not rational. And Ruoxi is just too damn smart and caring for her own good. If she would have been dumb, she would have loved another man, married him and probably lived quite a pleasant live (for at least some time). But how can you blame her decisions when you know her feelings, sense and knowledge... and the struggle she is having with them. She comes from a society where she can take care of herself, but soon realizes that she now is within strict limits. Going away would have meant hard labour or no food. Fate won't let her die: and to be honest, it is not easy to kill yourself when you cling to life so dearly. She is a true survivor after all, just trying to make the best of it.

A lot of drama's have sad endings that leave me angry and frustrated. The persons separate or die because of certain decisions they made, but the decisions and hardship feels forced or unnecessary.
Even though this drama was filled with pain and suffering, it felt real. I could completely relate to why characters did certain things, even though I would sometimes have done it differently myself. And in the end it was just all about true love, friendship and passion.

Please like my review. Reviewers need love too! For more reviews: http://reviewasianseries.com/

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Completed
IceStorm
13 people found this review helpful
May 6, 2014
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
This drama is simply AMAZING. For someone who has not been big on watching historical dramas, this drama manages to be engaging and ultimately become one of my favorites. The funny part is that I actually did not start this drama with the intent of watching it. After randomly clicking on the first episode and watching for a few minutes, I found myself drawn into the world of Maertai Ruo Xi, unable to stop watching.

So what is this drama and what makes it so good?

It is a beautifully told love story filled with emotions. It is heartwarming. It is tragic. It is an engaging story, from beginning to end, with a wonderful cast that made these characters real. It was nice to see the relationships that develop amongst the characters, whether it was romance or friendships. To top it off, the OST was perfect and even now, I still enjoy listening to the songs.

But what really amazes me was the time flow of this drama. By the end of the series, many years have passed by and so much has happened. However, the story is told in a way in which time seems to gradually pass by without you really realizing it. Both the time and story manage to flow very smoothly throughout, allowing for a pleasant storytelling.

I say give this drama a chance and hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

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Completed
Palindrome
10 people found this review helpful
Sep 27, 2012
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
Okay so here's how this goes. As a somewhat Asian drama virgin I found this drama absolutely amazing. It is about the second drama i had seen and it left me wanting more. Now usually I wouldn't be pegged as the type to watch a drama with time travel but this one was totally worth it. The cast is amazing they bring the show to life. This drama was shot really well and there are more than a few stunning scenes that are utterly breathtaking. And the music. Well what can i say. You know how when you watch something you're like well lets skip the intro 'give me the good stuff.' I can truthfully say that i never once wanted to do that. The introducing song fits Bu Bu Jing Xin to a tee. In fact the drama as a whole is so worth watching. You may be apprehensive about watching this drama because, YES, i do realize 35 episodes is a lot. However, if you do watch this it will be completely worthwhile! In fact i have just started watching it again =)! And Yes, i do realize i only gave this drama an 8 for re-watch value. But, that was only because of the length of the drama. If your up for a bit of a marathon by all means join the rest of us and re-watch it because i can guarantee it's great.

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Completed
Grumpy Witch
16 people found this review helpful
Oct 16, 2011
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
I have had a history of trial and error with Chinese dramas, mostly because of the acting. So, when I saw the first episodes of this drama I was instantly enthralled with the story.

But towards the middle of the drama, the story seems to drag. I knew a lot was happening, but at the same time it seemed like nothing was and I tend to have the attention span of a five year old.

Another problem I had was with the production team (I guess). The transitions both from scene to scene and the lapses in time seemed chaotic and I was often confused as to why they didn't make these smoother.

Having said that, I did love the story. I would have been able to enjoy it more if they had managed to piece the scenes together better than they did. I also loved the gorgeous costumes. And this drama has some of the best employed flashback scenes I have seen.

It's not the worst drama I have ever seen since I managed to fully complete it, but it's not the best one out there either.

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Completed
Aryael
10 people found this review helpful
Oct 17, 2011
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
Story: A perfect telling of a love (fated and unfated) that transcends time. What will you do if the man you love was too ambitious that he was willing to give you up for his ambitions? What will you do when the man you hated loved you instead? What will you do if the man you treated as a good friend wanted you as well? What will you do when the man you loved and respected as friend and brother was betrayed not by others but by yourself? What will you do if you have no choice but to marry the man that was chosen for you? The main female lead tackles all of these questions and more. There are a lot happening in this drama that there is never a boring moment. You'll find yourself "chasing" after the episodes because you'll want to know what she will do next and what the ppl around her will do next. Despite so many challenges in the female lead's life, the story was told at a nice pace and each matter addressed adequately that you'll never feel as if you were left high and dry after being shown a tasty morsel. What's more... you'll even get to see how the female lead matures as the story progresses. A full rounder! Beautifully told and executed!



Acting/Cast: Lovely cast and most of them are experienced actors and actresses, hence excellent acting. I must also mention the costumes, props and sceneries in this drama as well. They sure invested a lot on them! Definitely worth watching! I personally, fell in love with the costumes!!!



Music: Endearing, sad, beautiful, melodic, longing, love....they are all gorgeously portrayed through the OSTs. This drama boasts a wonderful array of excellent OSTs that will bring a sigh, smile and tear to your heart. A worthy collection!



Rewatch value: I am personally not a big fan of re-watching dramas as I am very time poor. However, I'd purchase the DVDs, downloaded the mp4 versions and the OSTs of this drama. This says a lot about this drama and its songs! I'd since re-watched selected episodes of my favourite scenes. Due to my time and work commitments, I have yet been able to re-watch the entire drama but the thought is very tempting.



Overall: A beautiful drama that will remain in your memories long after the last song was sung and the curtains are drawn. This is one drama that will always be at the back of my mind as recommendation for others who are looking for a good historical chinese drama. Well done to all the casts, director and writer!


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Completed
MiissBlahBlah
11 people found this review helpful
Jun 18, 2013
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
After finishing this drama in just 4 days I feel really regretful. Not because I thought this drama is a waste of time...NO! Of couse not! It's because this drama is the best chinsese historical drama I've seen 'till now. I really regret that I finished it so fast and didn't enjoyed it more slowly.

But it can't be helped that this drama is so great! The plot is very interesting and never gets boring. Normally in this kind of drama the plot is roughly always the same but not here. The story here is concetrated on love but the fight for the throne is just as important. It sounds like just all the other chinese historical dramas but the huge different is what happens in the process of this drama. The two main topics were balanced brilliantly. There was always love but at the same time the political topic never disappeared it was also always there so you could never get sick of too much love or too much politic.
The lovestory in this drama is very very good, over the whole drama it progesses without stopping so there is no dissappointment in the development!
It is also the most heart-breaking and yearning lovestory I know, even after watching it I still feel the longing that the lovers had for each other.

The cast for the main characters are superb! I could never have imagined that their chemestry where so good.
Normally I'd prefer eyecandies as actors (no offense) 'cause I symphatize faster with them when I don't know them but here I realized that I appreciate the characters even more when I don't symphatize with their actors at the very beginnging because then I can learn to love them with every episode.
Just as I wrote, I didn't think that the actors where eyecandies but after the second sight I thought they where really handsome and now I just love them. And I love them even more because thier acting are top! Both leadactors ware very passionate in thier acting and it was so intense that you just got carried away by it.
The actress didn't lost to her collegagues 'cause she didn't put less skill and passion into her acting. I often think that the leadactresses are not really convincing in thier acting but Lui Cecilia did a more than a convincing and beautiful job.
I also really respect Lui because in this drama it looks like she barely put any make-up on her face and still looks so good. Especially in the scenes when she cries it looks like she's really crying with a red face and running nose.

The music in this drama is great. The songs have good lyrics and also a nice melody and made me cry like hell at the end but the instumental irritates me a little bit because in a actually sad scene there sometimes are happy tones.

What I didn't like was the simulation. I was in a bad quality and looked like you just put a real person in a comic world.
It also really bothered me that in ca. 30 years they all still look the same and they didn't even make the effort to make them look a little bit older. Except a few strand of white hair or a whiskers. But Yuoxi didn't get any older!:o

Overall I really love this drama because there are so many ups and downs and the story captured me over the last 4 days.

I'd also rewatch it if I had the patience.

PS: Pls don't pay attention to my grammar mistakes :)
PPS: Wacht this drama, watch it! Now go and watch it. *brainwash you* ;)

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