The series is a solid advertising of alcohol

The biggest advantages of this TV drama are its historical basis, the beautiful OST and Zhou Yi Wei in the male lead role, just like his character. If it wasn't for that, I would have not only lowered my rating of the series, but dropped watching it altogether.

The script is lousy, full of clichés and stamps, the plot has many holes, some events are inconsistent, many actions of the characters are illogical and bewildering. The production is even worse. Imagine a canvas that is not a whole picture, but is woven from pieces of fabrics of different lengths, quality and colour. That's what this series is.

The drama has impressive screensavers at the beginning and end of each episode, during which amazing music tracks sound. They are like hooks that “catch” the viewer, encouraging them to watch the series. I have no doubt that many people are “hooked” by these “hooks” and that's why they have decided to watch the drama. I’m among them. But I must warn you right away that only the wrapper is lovely, the inside of this “candy” has a bitter taste. Despite the great screensavers, I didn't like the way each episode ended. The end of each of them seems to be cut short, it has no proper visual design.

The costumes also disappointed me. I didn't like the main heroine's dresses, almost all of them were sewn in the same style. I especially didn't like her wedding dress. It's probably the worst wedding dress I've ever seen in an Asian drama. And what were those disgusting hangings that fell down her face?! As a result, the wedding dresses of the minor heroines in the series were much prettier than that of the protagonist. However, there was one dress in the drama that I really liked. It was the blue one she wore in the first episode of the series. Both the colour (my favourite) and the style of that dress were truly successful.

Now for the acting. In addition to the excellent opening and ending sequences as well as the songs, I was definitely attracted to the cast, especially the actors who performed roles of the main couple in the drama. And even in that, I was disappointed. While watching the TV drama, I got the impression that many actors decided to just “relax” on the show and acted as they pleased. And while some actors overacted, others, on the contrary, underacted their roles.

Zhou Yi Wei performed his character best of all, although there were some complaints about his acting, but not significant. Perhaps if the scriptwriter had written his lines better, his character would have looked better. Although his hero was not much in the series, and that was the main mistake in filming it, each of his appearances was successful and well acted. As I watched, I wanted to see more of his hero, because he was actually pulling the plot and the whole cinematic picture out of the bottom. There were moments when his character caused a wow effect with his appearance. That's why I consider that casting Zhou Yi Wei as the male lead in the drama is the best decision the producer could have made.

But my main disappointment in terms of acting was Zhang Zi Yi. First of all, I would say that she should have already acted the roles of women in her age category, instead of pretending to be a young girl. It looked unnatural and was very eye-catching. Besides, I overestimated her as an actress and her acting talent. Her character in this series is the main heroine, Wang Xuan, Princess Shang Yang, around whom all the events take place. That character got into all sorts of situations, sometimes quite dangerous, but the maids of the Princess had more emotion on their faces in those moments than her.

In my opinion, Zhang Zi Yi was the one who cheated the most in the acting aspect. She probably thought that her presence alone was enough for the series, and she didn't need to act properly. I was annoyed not only by that, but also by the fact she once again acted the woman that all the men in the series were in love with and wanted. In this regard, I have a question for her: isn't she tired of acting such characters yet?! Because I'm already tired of watching.

To be honest, who is there to fall in love with? I liked the actress Zuo Xiao Qing, who performed Xie Wan Ru, visually more. At least she has breasts. Pardon for such frankness, but I think the men who have watched the series, as well as those who have acted in it, will agree with me. I don't deny that Zhang Zi Yi is beautiful on the face, but there are problems with her figure. Really beautiful in all aspects, I consider such Chinese actresses as Gong Li, Jiang Qin Qin, Liu Tao and Fan Bing Bing. The same goes for their acting talent, which is just impossible to ignore.

It would have been better for Zhang Zi Yi to have plastic surgery on her breasts instead of her eyelids. It would have been more useful. Although I personally have always been in favour of natural beauty. That's why it seems strange to me when Asians spoil their God-given and unique facial and eye features. This is especially true in South Korea. Believe me, those actors and actresses who retain their natural beauty, even if they have slight flaws in their appearance, are much more beautiful. I have always liked such actors and actresses the most. In addition, there are now many natural products for maintaining natural beauty without plastic that are available to actors, and what can I say, not only actors, but also ordinary people.

I'm not satisfied with the way Zhang Zi Yi has portrayed Princess Wang Xuan on screen. This is not only the main character among all the female characters, but the main character of the whole drama. She was supposed to shine like the sun, not like a star that has faded away. There were no strong emotions, no sparks in her eyes, no passion. Instead, she was as cold as an icicle, occasionally expressing a semblance of emotion, but nothing else.

There was a moment in the drama when, after a long separation, the main heroine and her beloved met in Hulan. Zhou Yi Wei acted that scene perfectly: his eyes were both passionate and tearful with the joy of meeting his love. And what were the main heroine's emotions at that moment?! Yes, her face was as if covered with white chalk, and expressed nothing but surprise. Facepalm! In my opinion, if a less well-known and well-publicized actress, but a much prettier, more talented and younger one, had been cast as Princess Wang Xuan, she would have done better with the role.

I didn’t like Zhang Zi Yi's dances in the series. Fan Bing Bing dances better.  Even the drunk Muyun Sheng in Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophecy danced better. :) To be completely honest, one of her dances she still performed decently — that was the dance in the blue dress at the end of the first episode I mentioned above.

In addition, I would say that Zhang Zi Yi is too thin for this role. If I hadn't seen really beautiful Chinese actresses, I would have thought they were all that thin. But it is not so. However, it seems that many Chinese men, including film producers, like such thin women. They often choose them to be the female lead. Even actors like them.

Take for example the Chinese actor Huang Xuan. Each of his subsequent choices is worse than the previous one. Looking at his previous loves, I wonder where he finds them. And now he is dating the same “hanger” on which you can easily hang the clothes. A woman should look like a woman, not a barbell.

Besides, I think she doesn't need him and is just using him. I have had that opinion for a long time, but I didn't dare to write it because I thought it was none of my business. But after all, I am only expressing my humble personal opinion, which is not necessarily the truth. Only God knows the whole truth. And I guessed so, because if she really loved him, as actually he loved her, then in the three years they dated, they could not only get married, but also have children and raise them.  

You can call me old-fashioned or whatever you want, but I have never considered cohabitation without marriage to be a marriage relationship. People have just invented another way to use both men and women to their advantage, probably women more. At first glance, it seems easier to live this way: two people live together, no one is responsible for anything, they are together today and apart tomorrow. But no matter what anyone calls it, there is no hiding the true name of it, nor the true meaning. And the name is fornication. I'll let men in on a woman's secret: if a woman is normal, truly loves a man and needs him, she will do everything to marry him as soon as possible. I think the same is true for men.

Diverting from the topic of this review, I would like to say that this actor has a very interesting horoscope of compatibility according to natal charts with one woman. This woman can be called in different ways: a blue water tigress, or something else, but I think everyone can guess who it is. She is the one who is writing this review for you.

I can't resist quoting some lines from that horoscope. For example, there is such a characteristic: “Man's Moon in trine to woman's Venus. This is one of the best aspects, forming attraction, romanticism and admiration of the partners in the initial stage of dating. The man here is especially receptive to the woman's looks, mannerisms, and social success where they are together. This is probably one of the aspects when a woman can count on gifts, “going out” and attention to her other desires and needs. In marriage, this manifests itself in a particular attention to the comfort and cosiness of the home. Partners tend to treat each other with warmth and care.”

There is also this: “A woman's Moon in trine to a man's Mars. This is a successful combination of qualities, where the energy, initiative and passion of the man is complemented by the natural feminine expressions of care, attention and empathy. The traditional manifestation of roles gives the relationship harmony and stability. Together, the partners are able to cope with difficult tasks in the sphere where their material interests are involved and form a solid base for constructive activities. Other favourable synastry aspects result in a deep emotional connection and physical attraction between partners.”

There is even such a characteristic: “Trine Sun — Pluto. Positive aspect: It's love-at-first-sight, the great passion: they will be drawn to each other like two magnets, they will always have to see and touch each other. Very good sexual understanding, typically very passionate. It must be said that this type of relationship may not last forever, it may not develop into a quiet and tender love. If they part, it is close to impossible to stay friends because of the constant reminder of the passion that once has existed. It's all or nothing with them. If they part, one will suffer when the passion of the other dies, it will be a very difficult time to live through. However, if they stay together, there is strength to gain from each other.”

And also this: “Women's Mercury in trine to men's Jupiter. If both are practical and intelligent, this aspect can lead to spiritual growth for both partners. When light combines with intelligence, rebirth begins.” The last phrase sounds very familiar, doesn't it?..

Their numerology compatibility is also interesting and corresponds to the number 2: “You have a peaceful and serene relationship with each other. You're both reserved and cooperative by nature. When your partner wants to stay in your company, you will gladly respond to his desire, because you both are not attracted to the glitz and bustle of the high life. Mastering the occult, metaphysics and philosophy will be a real pleasure for both of you, because you both have an interest in these subjects. You are both comfortable together, and your dreams are as quiet and transparent as a river on a clear day.” Sounds like poetry, doesn't it?

This is not all, but the most memorable and quickest to find. There is much more to their horoscope. It's a good thing that this actor didn't see this woman in real life, because then he would have confessed his love to her not seven, but seventy-seven times, and she would have had to save herself from his attention, as well as from him by escape :):):) She is even lucky in some ways, no matter how strange it may sound, because her country is at war and it's not easy to get there (although those who really need to get there do).

However, her horoscope shows the possibility of marriage not with this actor, but with another, guess with whom! But I have my doubts about this, because that “deer” also has missed his chance. And the horoscope of their compatibility says that the woman in this relationship will get the worst end and he is likely to deceive her, seduce, and then abandon her. Well, and who needs such a man?! To top it all off, he's also a slob. He eats like a pig, shoots it on camera and posts it online. I couldn't watch it all for long. :)

The Chinese actor Sun Jian is very suited to Céline Dion's song All By Myself. It is written primarily for a woman, but it also about him. He needs to listen to this song attentively and read the words. Because if he continues to lead such a lonely life, he will live to see himself die alone without family or children, and there will be no one to bury him after his death.

You know, I used to not believe in all these horoscopes, natal charts, numerology and so on. But when I read my natal chart, I saw that most of what was written there was true. And later I have learned that in fact the zodiac signs, like the constellations, contain the whole story of Jesus Christ's coming to earth and His redemptive sacrifice. Before God gave us the Holy Scriptures, people read that story from the stars. Adam was the first to teach his children how to read that story through the heavenly bodies. After all, God created them all as signs showing the whole story of mankind from the beginning of the world to the second coming of Jesus Christ. But I still think that horoscopes don't come true one hundred percent, because everyone can change his or her life for the better or, conversely, for the worse .

Returning to the topic of the review, I would like to point out that in addition to Zhou Yi Wei's performance, I liked the performance of Yuan Hong, who acted as Helan Zhen. I believed his character and it was interesting to watch him, no matter what he was like. As for Liu Duan Duan as Song Huai En, I was disappointed. But maybe he's learned to act since then, because he was better in Feng Qi Luo Yang. Among the actresses, I liked the most the performances of Sun Jia Lu (Gu Cai Wei), Drolma Suijun (Yu Xiu) and Hai Ling (Hu Yao).

And finally, I would like to elaborate on the plot of the series, its characters and express my opinion on the series as a whole. Don't wonder why I have chosen such a title for my review. It justifies itself, because almost everyone in this drama drinks, and almost the most — the main heroine Wang Xuan. Alcohol, as well as the actual process of drinking it, was shown so many times that I lost count. Moreover, the two stupid “hens” even thought of giving alcohol to a baby! The drinking of alcohol in the drama really felt like an advertisement for it, and that's what I didn't like the most.

There is only one character in the series who doesn't drink — the main hero Xiao Qi, or rather, almost doesn't drink, because he has made exceptions in the course of the plot. This is the main mistake of the script regarding this character. He was given such a good trait, and almost immediately it was levelled off. This shows his lack of principle. Because if he doesn't drink, it should always be like that. Otherwise, once one makes an exception, the second time, and then the exception becomes the rule. The drama didn't even reveal the reason why he avoided alcohol. The viewers were shown that just as a fact, without explanation, even without a hint.

Despite that, the fact he hardly ever drank was the thing I liked most about him, although not only that. For me, he is the only decent man in the series. Here's a description I can give him: tall, strong, handsome, not a big talker, always serious, thoughtful and responsible. Like a real man, he does more than he says. But if he does speak, it is exactly when it's needed.

He was a general of a large army who had won many battles, and for one of those victories, despite his low class background, the Emperor gave him the greatest title in the country after the title of emperor, which was held only by princes. It was the title of wang. After that, the turmoil began. There was a lot of nagging on the part of the nobility, like “who are we then, if such titles are given to all sorts of vagrants”. 

Xiao Qi, also called Lord Yuzhang or Yuzhang Wang, was the only normal man (not counting few his subordinates), almost all the other characters in the show turned against him. And that’s only because he was an honest and decent person who hated lies, intrigues, lawlessness and injustice. In that he was principled, besides he had an army of many thousands, for which he was hated the most. Whoever tried to destroy him. Some others wanted to use him for their own benefit, such as the main heroine's father. 

It won't be a big spoiler if I say he has forced his daughter to marry Xiao Qi. Even from the synopsis to the drama you find out about it. And that was at the time when she loved someone else. But her father had no idea how well he had chosen a husband for his daughter, taking care of his own interests.

This story reminds me of a similar story from a Mexican telenovela called Amor real, which I have watched a long time ago, but still cannot forget. The main heroine in that series was also forced to marry an unloved man, but then the story took a completely different, interesting direction.

The main female role in that telenovela was acted by the famous at that time and very beautiful, as well as very talented Mexican actress Adela Noriega. She performed her heroine Matilde Peñalver y Beristáin so well that after that series, I watched many other telenovelas with her participation and did not regret it. What could I say, at one time I wanted to dye my hair red because of her, but then changed my mind. However, the husband of her heroine in thе drama reminds me of one Chinese actor, he is too passionate and jealous, a real Mexican “Othello” (or Chinese :). 

Although that telenovela has been filmed a long time ago, I recommend you to find and watch it. I think you will not regret it. Adela Noriega is such a talented actress that many Hollywood actresses with Oscars under their belts still grow and grow to her talent. It's a pity that she hasn't been acting for a long time. Their couple with Fernando Colunga, in my opinion, is one of the best on-screen couples on television.

I'll also dwell on the male character with whom Princess Shang Yang was originally in love. Do you know who I think he is? He's a weak-willed and indecisive snot. I've always hated men like that, because with such slobbers, a women should always take the initiative.

I keep being convinced that God is fair and gives everyone a chance to be happy, but not everyone uses the given chance. This is how it’s in real life, and it is also shown in the series. That man had the opportunity to be happy with the woman he loved and who loved him. She waited for him all night in the rain, soaking wet, but he didn't come. Then, having lost his chance because of his own fault, he turned into a cunning snake who tried to break up the family. So it turned out in the drama that almost all the men, except the main hero, were either bastards and scoundrels or cowards and intriguers. 

The first love of the Princess needed to listen to the words of the well-known song of  already deceased Whitney Houston called I Will Always Love You. I think many people have listened to this song and also have watched the film The Bodyguard from 1992, to which it’s the soundtrack. But I don't think many people have read the lyrics in detail. I recently read it attentively. That man had to do what Whitney Houston sang about in that song — just step back loving her.

Now let me tell you about the female characters I have liked. It's easy to guess who they are, because I also liked the acting of the actresses who portrayed them. These are such heroines as Gu Cai Wei, Yu Xiu and Hu Yao. The first two, especially Gu Cai Wei, reminded me of me in childhood and youth. I was the same then: modest, well-mannered, correct, and tried to be an excellent in everything. I haven't changed much since then, except that I've become older, more experienced, stronger, braver, and hopefully smarter and wiser.

I liked the story of Gu Cai Wei. There were moments in the series that I did liked, and that was one of them. A harsh fate was chosen for that girl, but she meekly, like a lamb to the slaughter, went to meet it. And how wonderful God turned her destiny in a completely different direction! This proves once again that God loves the humble and chastises the proud. It was a cool moment in the drama. It contains worldly wisdom that teaches a lot. If you compare this girl with the other one, who for several episodes in a row has been yelling that she doesn't want to, she won't, it's like heaven and earth. The other one got exactly what she deserved.

I also liked Yu Xiu very much. But in the end, she made a terrible mistake. Her husband is a real scumbag. He went from dirt to almost prince, but the dirt didn't come out of him.

Hu Yao was different from those girls, but I liked her just as much as them. There was a scene in the series when she had to do a very difficult but necessary thing at that moment. To be honest, I don't know who else could have done it being in her shoes. She was incredibly strong in spirit, and Hai Ling portrayed it perfectly on screen.

Now, a few words about the protagonist Wang Xuan. According to the plot, she was supposed to be, as I imagined: smart, strong, fair, decent, loyal to her country and her family. I saw some of that in the drama, but Zhang Zi Yi didn't take the role seriously and didn't act it the way it should have been acted. She ruined a great character with her bad performance. I didn't see the emotions from her that I expected to see at the beginning of the watching.

It's a pity, but what can be done. Maybe someone liked her performance, but I didn't. I had a different vision of Princess Shang Yang. Instead, I saw a “porcelain doll” that showed only  few scant emotions throughout the TV drama. Perhaps Zhang Zi Yi can only perform such “dolls”. But Wang Xuan was definitely not supposed to be like that.

What else can I say, the idea of the series is not bad, but its realisation is terrible. Some of the questions raised in the series were not answered. Some scenes are cut short. Despite the gorgeous soundtracks for the drama, sometimes they sounded where they shouldn’t, and all because of bad production and post-production. Maybe it would have been better to name the series Yuzhang Wang, make Xiao Qi the protagonist and film about him. Perhaps it would be more useful. 

Nevertheless, I would like to recommend you a few songs that suit the main couple of the series, especially the main hero Xiao Qi. These are the following songs: Filipa Sousa — Vida Minha; Céline Dion — Because You Loved Me. The second song is especially suitable for him. I wish all women to have a man to whom they could say the words of this song.

I don't have a man like that, but I can address all these words to God. I am who I am because of Him. He saved and protected me so many times in my life, I just didn't know it or didn't notice. The trials He sent me throughout my life were to make me understand a simple but very important thing: no one loved me more than He did.

Last year has become a culmination for me, as well as this one. I got disappointed in everyone I loved. War does reveals the real essence of every person, because all the “swamp” of the soul begins to come out. Those I loved, helped or stood up for “taught me life” the most.

The truth is said by wise people that it is better to be in the hands of God than in the hands of people, because people are like wild beasts sitting in a dark forest and gnawing each other. Add to this disappointment the war in my country and the loss of the job, and you will roughly understand how I have felt.

But I understand that many Ukrainians are even worse than me, and many of them are no longer alive. You need to appreciate what you have and enjoy life every minute. The opportunity for me to express my opinion about the series and write you a feedback on it is an outlet that helps me to live and move on.

God has revealed a lot to me lately. For example, at the end of last year I had a dream where putin looked like a ghoul. Perhaps God sees him in reality as he has appeared in my dream: bald, shrivelled, in an old grey suit, and with fangs. :)

I can give you another example. The Apocalypse of John the Theologian mentions the Nicolaitan heresy, which God hates. For more than two thousand years, people have been wondering what kind of heresy it is. Different points of view have been put forward, but no one knows exactly what it is.

However, relatively recently, literally at one point, the thought seemed to dawn on me. Personally, I think it's a cult of monasticism. In some Christian churches, and not only, it is considered a greater feat than marriage, giving birth and raising children. 

But the Lord Jesus Christ didn't bless monasticism, rather said that only a few would be able to live that way, those who would be given it from God. And He blessed marriage by turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. He did it not to show people they should drink (on the contrary, it’s better not to drink at all), but to show us all the great value of marriage in God's eyes.

You should agree that it's a small feat to live a selfish life alone and not care about anyone. I'll tell you more and I think the doctors will agree with me that if a person doesn't live long a normal sexual life, sooner or later it will lead to various kinds of perversions (this is especially true for men).

Protestants believe that each person is given the right by God to interpret and preach the Bible as he or she understands it. In this regard, I have decided to share with you my opinion on the issues I have told above.

Coming to the end of my review of the Shang Yang Fu drama, I would like to recommend you another two songs that suit the main pair of the drama. Perhaps some of you have heard about the noble and brave hero Zorro. If you haven't, you can watch an old film about him called The Mask of Zorro from 1998, starring Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It has a lovely soundtrack, Marc Anthony and Tina Arena — I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You.

But there's another Latin American telenovela on the subject called El Zorro: la espada y la rosa, starring Christian Meier and Marlene Favela. There is a wonderful song for that series: Beyoncé and Alejandro Fernández — Amor Gitano. The words of this song can be fully understood by watching the telenovela. But they are great even on their own, just like the song itself. If you decide to watch the telenovela, please be patient because it has many episodes.

By the way, Adela Noriega and Marlene Favela are both Mexican actresses and even look similar to each other. Their heroines in the telenovelas I have listed are not loved by all the men in the series, but they were really possible for all men to fall in love with. They were  incredibly beautiful, brave, courageous and somewhat rebellious, just like Wang Xuan was supposed to be. Zhang Zi Yi should look at the acting of those actresses to understand how she needs to act.

While watching the series about Princess Shang Yang, I remembered one more song. It may not be the right song for this drama, but it's very nice and gentle. This is the next song: Barbra Streisand and Bryan Adams — I Finally Found Someone. You can also watch the film to which it is the soundtrack. That is a film called The Mirror Has Two Faces from 1996. In short, it's a story about there are no ugly women, only men-jerks, thank God, not everybody. :) It could also be called a story about two theories of love. In any case, that movie deserves to be watched.

You know, that year I have watched one Chinese drama, which I have dropped after the fifteenth episode. But there was one interesting moment in that episode. There was a man in a hat dancing in the evening on yellow and blue swings. His flatmates were so surprised that one of them even shot it with his phone camera. And the man in the hat was happy because his beloved woman had given him a one percent chance of being together.

There were not only yellow and blue swings in that series. Those colours made my eyes dazzle, because there were so many of them. But it have made me feel great, because these are the colours of my country's flag.

The actor who has acted that man has these colours in almost every one of his dramas, and not only. In one advert with his participation, I liked the most the blue and yellow sofa and the cat. The cat acted better than the actor. I didn't know how it was made to flick through the pages of a smartphone with its paw (probably special effects), but it was cool. The cat's voice acting is even better. That is the best advert I've ever seen in my entire life.

To the actor who performed the man in the hat, one woman in real life, who was better than the one on screen in all aspects (because the one on screen was more like a Chinese version of Godzilla :), gave one hundred percent. He lost them all. He didn't appreciate her reviews of his dramas, so he lost them, and not only he.

I don't know whether I'll finish watching that series once upon a time or not, life will tell. All I can say for sure is after watching the drama about Princess Wang Xuan, starring Zhang Zi Yi, I don't want to watch anything else with her in it. But I wouldn't mind watching some works with the participation of Zhou Yi Wei. And needless to say, I'm in love with him. Not at all. He is a married man. For me, he's just a strong Chinese actor who knows how to act, and his acting hasn't disappointed me... so far.

And lastly. Someone on Weibo is very worried that the blue water tigress has confessed her love to the wrong man and may end up in the wrong bed. He shouldn't worry, because he's been in the wrong bed all his life. She will only end up in the bed of her husband. If someone does roll out his lip, planning to deceive or seduce the tigress, it's time to roll it back in. I can even lend a lip-rolling machine :):):)

You've probably noticed that my reviews have become a little tougher. It's just I try to be as honest as possible in expressing my opinion. And I'm no longer looking for justice where there shouldn't be... because God is just.

To complete my review, I'll mention one more beautiful song: Céline Dion — A New Day Has Come. Although it is not written specifically for me, but it’s definitely about me… about me and thousands like me.

Thank you for your attention. Good luck to all!

To be continued…