The Story of the Pearl Girl initially captivated audiences with its stunning visuals, a compelling female protagonist, and an exploration of societal constraints. However, the narrative loses its focus in the latter half, diluting the impact of what the characters had created till the western region arc.

The early episodes are a visual feast, particularly the underwater sequences that showcase the arduous life of Duan Wu, a pearl diver. Her life as a pearl diver had been difficult, but she never lose hope of having a shop of her own. Her journey allow her to met new people along the way, such as merchant Yan Zijing and Noble Zhang Jin Ran. The drama was enjoyable to watch, and there was a balance between the quest for revenge and for romance to blossom between Duan Wu and Yan Zijing.

Unfortunately, the end of the western region arc and the start of the Yangzhou arc derails the well written narrative. The excessive number of new characters and subplots introduced in the Yangzhou arc diluted what kept the story interesting in the first place. The focal point of the later part of the drama was on the FL and her Jewelry shop, and how she pit her wits against other shop owners in Yangzhou. While they try to link it back to the main plot (which involved the ML), it was quite weak and the change in focus resulted in the ML's airtime (and the romance between the FL and ML) to be reduced.

The conclusion of the drama was slightly bizarre, and there were questions unanswered, which made it disappointing.

Rosy shines as Duan Wu and Su Mu Zhe. As Duan Wu, she is a spirited and resilient woman who defies societal norms. She is someone who will do whatever it takes to protect herself and those around her, which Rosy delivered through her acting. At the latter arc, when the name change from Duan Wu to Su Mu Zhe, she delivered perfectly all the heart-wrenching scenes.

Liu Yuning also delivered a compelling performance as Yan Zijing, a complex character who sworn to revenge against those that wronged his family and later as someone who wants to protect Duan Wu/Su Mu Zhe. Yuning's emotional performance throughout the drama, particularly in the latter half (even with the reduced airtime) is impressive and was what that got me through the end of the series.

As this wasn't the first drama that Rosy and Yuning acted as a couple, I find that their chemistry was great and they were very comfortable with each other in the show. I personally do wish there were more opportunities to show their romance in the drama (especially at the latter arc), where the romance was almost non-existent.

I personally like the OSTs of this drama, particularly the song performed by Liu Yuning which further enhances the emotional depth of the drama whenever I hear it.

Despite the story plot that didn't manage to sustain its interesting level, The Story of Pearl Girl is still a great drama, which I recommend those with the time to give it a go.