Pupusa
Terra Firma
This review may contain spoilers
I love sappy, idealized romance as much as the next girl. My standard for these types of series isn’t high. I only ask for likeable characters that I can root for. Too bad this show can’t deliver on that.
The leading lady, Xiaoyanzi, is immature and obnoxious. When she doesn’t get her way, she yells, stomps, and throws tantrums. The men, pushover as they are, go out of their way to wheedle and plead for her forgiveness over every tiny little thing. It’s supposed to be cute and funny, but it's just ugly to watch. Her life choice is questionable, too. She grew up an orphan and genuinely longs for a father figure. But somehow, she’s perfectly ok with an arrangement that involves separating a baby from his father, possibly forever. Xiaoyanzi is so unpleasant that it’s hard to fairly judge Li Sheng’s acting.
Hai Lu has the opposite problem. She is given a very nice role of Ziwei, who is pretty much a saint. Yet her acting is one note, in that she looks perpetually sad. Even when smiling she looks on the verge of tears. Ziwei is just one depressed-looking girl from beginning to end.
Zhao Li Ying as Qing Er is absolutely charming, until they ruin her character. She’s a favorite of the Empress Dowager, as they share a special bond. Yet she runs off with Xiao Jian without even a backward glance. She doesn’t seem to miss this lonely elderly lady who worries about her and misses her dearly. When asked to come back to the palace and say goodbye, Qing Er says something like she doesn’t need to because the Empress Dowager has other grandchildren to keep her company. That’s a heartless thing to say about someone who loves you as her own granddaughter. Qing Er comes off as boy crazy at best, and cold-hearted at worst.
Most of the men aren't too bad. I give them props for delivering the cheesiest lines with the greatest of convictions (and a straight face.) I like the addition of Benjamin, just because it portrays a Caucasian guy as a real person and not some western stereotype for once. The worst has to be Zhang Rui as Wu A Ge. His acting is hammy and he has this skulking expression whenever he gets jealous. Wu A Ge does some really dumb things and wins both awards for Worst Father of the Year and Worst Son of the Year.
The series has a lot of good things going for it: beautiful people, idyllic sceneries, lovely costumes, and plenty of romantic scenes so sweet they will make your teeth ache. I don’t mind the anachronisms and the overuse of kissing scenes. But without good characters and story, this just feels empty.
The leading lady, Xiaoyanzi, is immature and obnoxious. When she doesn’t get her way, she yells, stomps, and throws tantrums. The men, pushover as they are, go out of their way to wheedle and plead for her forgiveness over every tiny little thing. It’s supposed to be cute and funny, but it's just ugly to watch. Her life choice is questionable, too. She grew up an orphan and genuinely longs for a father figure. But somehow, she’s perfectly ok with an arrangement that involves separating a baby from his father, possibly forever. Xiaoyanzi is so unpleasant that it’s hard to fairly judge Li Sheng’s acting.
Hai Lu has the opposite problem. She is given a very nice role of Ziwei, who is pretty much a saint. Yet her acting is one note, in that she looks perpetually sad. Even when smiling she looks on the verge of tears. Ziwei is just one depressed-looking girl from beginning to end.
Zhao Li Ying as Qing Er is absolutely charming, until they ruin her character. She’s a favorite of the Empress Dowager, as they share a special bond. Yet she runs off with Xiao Jian without even a backward glance. She doesn’t seem to miss this lonely elderly lady who worries about her and misses her dearly. When asked to come back to the palace and say goodbye, Qing Er says something like she doesn’t need to because the Empress Dowager has other grandchildren to keep her company. That’s a heartless thing to say about someone who loves you as her own granddaughter. Qing Er comes off as boy crazy at best, and cold-hearted at worst.
Most of the men aren't too bad. I give them props for delivering the cheesiest lines with the greatest of convictions (and a straight face.) I like the addition of Benjamin, just because it portrays a Caucasian guy as a real person and not some western stereotype for once. The worst has to be Zhang Rui as Wu A Ge. His acting is hammy and he has this skulking expression whenever he gets jealous. Wu A Ge does some really dumb things and wins both awards for Worst Father of the Year and Worst Son of the Year.
The series has a lot of good things going for it: beautiful people, idyllic sceneries, lovely costumes, and plenty of romantic scenes so sweet they will make your teeth ache. I don’t mind the anachronisms and the overuse of kissing scenes. But without good characters and story, this just feels empty.
Was this review helpful to you?
