1
Beautiful show and learned about ink, feel-good story is just ok
The Heir follows a familiar story pattern that is not new, but is as feel-good as ever. A cheerful, hardworking, fearless, [insert more positive adjectives] young woman of prodigal genius overcomes various obstacles to bring happiness to herself and everyone around her. Her protagonist halo glows so brightly that there isn’t much suspense; the show is mostly about cheering her on and feeling good when she succeeds.
I think this show’s high point is its production. You can tell a lot of effort was made to bring this time period (Ming Dynasty) and place (Huizhou) to life. Its portrayal is vivid and detailed, with beautiful settings and a lot of atmosphere. The streets teem with extras, the food looks delicious, the costumes get dirty, old people have freckles, the FL’s fingernails always have ink, etc. There are also so many little details surrounding the daily life, like all the little tasks they do, it creates a nice slice-of-life feel.
We also get to learn all about ink-making. Shows that focus on a single industry will really play it up and put it on a pedestal, which I never found that relatable (sorry, I just don’t share the passion for ink!). But we can still admire the devotion of the characters, and it’s a fun way to learn about a new topic and the culture embedded within it.
As for the story... Li Zhen, the FL, is both capable and likable, so it’s fun to watch her underdog successes. As she makes her way up the career ladder, she faces off against scheming competitors, mean-spirited family members, natural disasters, and the like. She sometimes gets discouraged and shows real emotions, which makes her relatable and adds some humanity to an otherwise overpowered character.
The ML is also likable and good support for her, but he definitely seems secondary. He is also just on his own mission separate from hers. The romance between them is a good level for people who want just a hint of romance but nothing too played up. The FL and ML don’t even interact that much for the first half of the show, which I didn’t mind and barely noticed. Their relationship grows naturally and subtly as they work together and develop a solid friendship. Later there is some noble idiocy on his part, but luckily she is the kind of brave FL who stays true to herself.
I was happy with the growing relationship, but it’s only one part of Li Zhen’s life. Of the scenes that really left an impression on me, most were Li Zhen with her mom or her grandfather, rather than anything with the ML. At one point when Li Zhen is struggling in the rain, I thought the ML would magically arrive like every other show, but instead it was her mom- made me tear up. (As a side note on the mother-daughter idea, the story arc with the Princess and her mother is also quite sweet).
Female empowerment is not an outright theme- except for occasionally throwing sexism at Li Zhen- but it’s still a show where the writers seem to like women. I especially like that the female side characters are generally well-written, having varying roles and degrees of power as well as different relationships with each other (often positive). Li Zhen herself also just overshadows the ML, often being the one to save him, and she handles without him what I think is the biggest conflict of the story.
Those are the things I liked. Unfortunately, I just also didn’t find the show that interesting.
The thing is, the plot is kind of repetitive and the conflicts do not feel meaningful. The FL has so much plot armor, there isn’t actually any REAL question about whether or not she will triumph. And the villains are rather one-dimensional and uninteresting, just cartoonishly bad people. Normally I like bad villains because it’s less emotional load, but these were just too excessive. Fourth Aunt, for example- poorly written but rather well acted- spews nonsense that makes no sense and nobody ever argues logic with her. And the most prominent villain simply gets more and more unhinged as the show goes on.
I just honestly did not find it that interesting to see over and over, villains acting super evil and Li Zhen coming up with ways to squash them, or win over hearts when she can. Even among the side characters, many are likable (“good people”), but there are only a few that I actually found interesting- and one is already gone within 6 episodes.
The entire foundation of the show is also weak, since the tragedy that anchors the show (the Tribute Ink scandal) is full of holes. Ink does not spontaneously combust; why did nobody look into who set the fire? Every time somebody directed more misplaced vitriol at Li Zhen, I could understand it as a plot device, but I still had to roll my eyes.
So in general, the show is not too stressful (not too many deaths either, beyond the first few episodes), but also not that interesting or meaningful. I watched most of it at 1.25X or 1.5X speed. I just don’t really need to spend THAT much time watching people curse the villain or praise Li Zhen.
For the acting, I think it’s really good. Both Yang Mi and Elvis Han had some great expressions and captured the right vibe. This show also has a lot of older characters, and I love watching older actors because they’re generally more experienced and quite good.
The production, as mentioned previously, is excellent, really bringing the show to life, as befitting a show that wants to educate its audience. The styling is nice and not over-done. I also really liked the music, especially the BGM which is used well for effect. I especially appreciate the playful BGM which let me know when I can take it easy, and the uplifting one that plays when good things are going to happen. The OST is also nice but is not over-used, probably because this show didn’t overdo it with the dramatic scenes.
Overall, although the show does many things well, it unfortunately suffers a fatal error of not having meaningful conflicts or just being that interesting overall. It seems mostly good for soaking in the setting and getting to know a time and place and industry. I’d give the story a 6 or so (somewhere between “not that into it” and “entertained but not masterpiece”), but +0.5 for great portrayal of female characters. And then the production is so good that I’ll rate the overall show higher than the story. ...I also happened to watch this when I was home sick, and discovered that it’s perfect for a dazed binge when you’re not feeling too good or thinking that clearly and just need something external to make you feel better.
ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS
The ending is... hm, I thought it was happy. How could it not be? Nobody who just spent 42 episodes watching an invincible protagonist win all her battles wants anything less than Happily Ever After... surely the scriptwriters know that.
The strange thing is, everything is working out and then with 5 minutes to go, the ML is suddenly sent off to battle. With one minute left he comes back, walking across a field towards the FL. Textover tells us that Li Zhen essentially retires after all this, no mention of the ML. It was so odd and unnecessary that I googled it, and it seems many people consider this an open ending a la The Double (ie the vision is implied to be an illusion because he died).
Well, I chose to take the ending literally, like he actually returned. But it is a strange bite-sized chunk of story that is easy to ignore if you prefer that method instead.
I think this show’s high point is its production. You can tell a lot of effort was made to bring this time period (Ming Dynasty) and place (Huizhou) to life. Its portrayal is vivid and detailed, with beautiful settings and a lot of atmosphere. The streets teem with extras, the food looks delicious, the costumes get dirty, old people have freckles, the FL’s fingernails always have ink, etc. There are also so many little details surrounding the daily life, like all the little tasks they do, it creates a nice slice-of-life feel.
We also get to learn all about ink-making. Shows that focus on a single industry will really play it up and put it on a pedestal, which I never found that relatable (sorry, I just don’t share the passion for ink!). But we can still admire the devotion of the characters, and it’s a fun way to learn about a new topic and the culture embedded within it.
As for the story... Li Zhen, the FL, is both capable and likable, so it’s fun to watch her underdog successes. As she makes her way up the career ladder, she faces off against scheming competitors, mean-spirited family members, natural disasters, and the like. She sometimes gets discouraged and shows real emotions, which makes her relatable and adds some humanity to an otherwise overpowered character.
The ML is also likable and good support for her, but he definitely seems secondary. He is also just on his own mission separate from hers. The romance between them is a good level for people who want just a hint of romance but nothing too played up. The FL and ML don’t even interact that much for the first half of the show, which I didn’t mind and barely noticed. Their relationship grows naturally and subtly as they work together and develop a solid friendship. Later there is some noble idiocy on his part, but luckily she is the kind of brave FL who stays true to herself.
I was happy with the growing relationship, but it’s only one part of Li Zhen’s life. Of the scenes that really left an impression on me, most were Li Zhen with her mom or her grandfather, rather than anything with the ML. At one point when Li Zhen is struggling in the rain, I thought the ML would magically arrive like every other show, but instead it was her mom- made me tear up. (As a side note on the mother-daughter idea, the story arc with the Princess and her mother is also quite sweet).
Female empowerment is not an outright theme- except for occasionally throwing sexism at Li Zhen- but it’s still a show where the writers seem to like women. I especially like that the female side characters are generally well-written, having varying roles and degrees of power as well as different relationships with each other (often positive). Li Zhen herself also just overshadows the ML, often being the one to save him, and she handles without him what I think is the biggest conflict of the story.
Those are the things I liked. Unfortunately, I just also didn’t find the show that interesting.
The thing is, the plot is kind of repetitive and the conflicts do not feel meaningful. The FL has so much plot armor, there isn’t actually any REAL question about whether or not she will triumph. And the villains are rather one-dimensional and uninteresting, just cartoonishly bad people. Normally I like bad villains because it’s less emotional load, but these were just too excessive. Fourth Aunt, for example- poorly written but rather well acted- spews nonsense that makes no sense and nobody ever argues logic with her. And the most prominent villain simply gets more and more unhinged as the show goes on.
I just honestly did not find it that interesting to see over and over, villains acting super evil and Li Zhen coming up with ways to squash them, or win over hearts when she can. Even among the side characters, many are likable (“good people”), but there are only a few that I actually found interesting- and one is already gone within 6 episodes.
The entire foundation of the show is also weak, since the tragedy that anchors the show (the Tribute Ink scandal) is full of holes. Ink does not spontaneously combust; why did nobody look into who set the fire? Every time somebody directed more misplaced vitriol at Li Zhen, I could understand it as a plot device, but I still had to roll my eyes.
So in general, the show is not too stressful (not too many deaths either, beyond the first few episodes), but also not that interesting or meaningful. I watched most of it at 1.25X or 1.5X speed. I just don’t really need to spend THAT much time watching people curse the villain or praise Li Zhen.
For the acting, I think it’s really good. Both Yang Mi and Elvis Han had some great expressions and captured the right vibe. This show also has a lot of older characters, and I love watching older actors because they’re generally more experienced and quite good.
The production, as mentioned previously, is excellent, really bringing the show to life, as befitting a show that wants to educate its audience. The styling is nice and not over-done. I also really liked the music, especially the BGM which is used well for effect. I especially appreciate the playful BGM which let me know when I can take it easy, and the uplifting one that plays when good things are going to happen. The OST is also nice but is not over-used, probably because this show didn’t overdo it with the dramatic scenes.
Overall, although the show does many things well, it unfortunately suffers a fatal error of not having meaningful conflicts or just being that interesting overall. It seems mostly good for soaking in the setting and getting to know a time and place and industry. I’d give the story a 6 or so (somewhere between “not that into it” and “entertained but not masterpiece”), but +0.5 for great portrayal of female characters. And then the production is so good that I’ll rate the overall show higher than the story. ...I also happened to watch this when I was home sick, and discovered that it’s perfect for a dazed binge when you’re not feeling too good or thinking that clearly and just need something external to make you feel better.
ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS
The ending is... hm, I thought it was happy. How could it not be? Nobody who just spent 42 episodes watching an invincible protagonist win all her battles wants anything less than Happily Ever After... surely the scriptwriters know that.
The strange thing is, everything is working out and then with 5 minutes to go, the ML is suddenly sent off to battle. With one minute left he comes back, walking across a field towards the FL. Textover tells us that Li Zhen essentially retires after all this, no mention of the ML. It was so odd and unnecessary that I googled it, and it seems many people consider this an open ending a la The Double (ie the vision is implied to be an illusion because he died).
Well, I chose to take the ending literally, like he actually returned. But it is a strange bite-sized chunk of story that is easy to ignore if you prefer that method instead.
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