Sunbath12

Based on a Japanese novel series, The Legend of Rosy Clouds seems great on paper but has had a fitful journey to make its way on screen. Apparently set back with copyright issues, complying with censorship (I'm sure it was a bear trying to readapt this story to fit better with Chinese culture), and numerous edits, the final product is largely a convoluted mess but still with its charms.

Filmed 3 years ago, the main cast have since grown in the industry and moved on to better projects. Still, it is fun to see them here in a mostly lighthearted show. The supporting cast in particular bring a lot of humor and warmth, including some veteran actors who are simply hilarious and fun to see in a different light.

Ultimately, even without cutting out some of the backstory and forgiving all the edits, this drama suffers mostly from its incoherent writing, lacking in organic development of character arcs and plot lines. In adapting the original source material, critical things were changed that should ultimately change the trajectory of certain key characters and thus reshape the overall plot, but it seems that the writers still wanted to hold onto original beats without clearly thinking through the logic. Also lacking is the development of key themes: the oppression/liberation of women, the philosophies of government, and other themes could have been more thoroughly explored. And don't get me started on the romance writing - it is borderline insulting to anyone who has actually been in a romantic relationship.

Highlights are Zheng Shi and his grandfather's scenes and certain aspects of the Zheng family/Jing City arc. The music is actually very enjoyable, with my favorite songs being the opening titles song and Liu Yuning's angsty one.

Take a chance on this one if you need something to make you laugh (at least the first half of the show) or if you a fan of the cast. But there are many better dramas out them that better represent what the cast is capable of.