VelvetLady852
Land of Pristine Beaches & Friendly Folks
A unique fantasy-romance drama worth checking out
Rattan is a fantasy and romance drama about a plant-alien hybrid (Yi Zu) named Si Teng, who was resurrected by Qin Fang, a young and rich architect in present-day Shanghai. The premise is interesting and I like the mystery, so I was drawn from the first episode, and finished it 2 weeks ago.
What I like:
1) Unique/uncommon story line, good development of the plot, characters, and their relationships. Since this is a fantasy drama, some suspension of disbelief is required, and to better appreciate the mystery, it is best not to read spoilers. Kudos to the one who wrote the summary here in MyDramaList, the writer managed to keep the mystery intact.
2) Very good portrayal by Jing Tian and Vin Zhang. Jing Tian as Si Teng is charming, cool, beautiful, and sometimes aloof (even deadly), but she also has a kind and compassionate side. She looked, acted and dressed the part, like this role was made for her. Vin Zhang was able to convey the funny, serious, intelligent, emotional and devoted sides of Qin Fang. I like their chemistry; they actually make a good pair.
3) The solid supporting cast added to my enjoyment of the drama. A special mention to Zhang Yi Chi as Yan Fu Rui, the funny, loyal, kind and wise disciple of Qiu Shan and friend of Si Teng and Qin Fang. He is wise because he distinguishes between good and bad, and does not to let others’ resentment and grudges influence his actions. His character played an important part in the story.
4) The cinematography is amazing! I’m very much impressed with the on-location shoots, the outdoor sceneries and just how the scenes were shot in general.
5) Lovely costume design! I love almost all of Jing Tian's clothes here. She embodies the classic, refined and elegant look, especially in qi pao (旗袍).
Other Comments:
1) There is inconsistency in one of the timelines, i.e., there is a time gap that was supposed to be 7 years, but in some scenes, they said 9 years.
2) There were some unanswered questions, and the back stories for some of the characters were not clearly explained.
3) I was not as fully immersed in the last 5 or 6 episodes as compared to the first three-fourths of the drama, where most of the untangling of the mysteries happened. Even so, it’s still a pretty good and enjoyable watch for me.
4) This drama has an alternate ending in episode 31, giving us viewers the chance to choose which ending we prefer. This feels like a “choose your own adventure” approach, which we see in a few other dramas. Personally, I’m amenable to both endings since each has its pros and cons, but if I were to choose, I would probably go with the alternate ending.
Final Verdict: If you like fantasy with a touch of romance and are looking for something different, then go watch this drama.
What I like:
1) Unique/uncommon story line, good development of the plot, characters, and their relationships. Since this is a fantasy drama, some suspension of disbelief is required, and to better appreciate the mystery, it is best not to read spoilers. Kudos to the one who wrote the summary here in MyDramaList, the writer managed to keep the mystery intact.
2) Very good portrayal by Jing Tian and Vin Zhang. Jing Tian as Si Teng is charming, cool, beautiful, and sometimes aloof (even deadly), but she also has a kind and compassionate side. She looked, acted and dressed the part, like this role was made for her. Vin Zhang was able to convey the funny, serious, intelligent, emotional and devoted sides of Qin Fang. I like their chemistry; they actually make a good pair.
3) The solid supporting cast added to my enjoyment of the drama. A special mention to Zhang Yi Chi as Yan Fu Rui, the funny, loyal, kind and wise disciple of Qiu Shan and friend of Si Teng and Qin Fang. He is wise because he distinguishes between good and bad, and does not to let others’ resentment and grudges influence his actions. His character played an important part in the story.
4) The cinematography is amazing! I’m very much impressed with the on-location shoots, the outdoor sceneries and just how the scenes were shot in general.
5) Lovely costume design! I love almost all of Jing Tian's clothes here. She embodies the classic, refined and elegant look, especially in qi pao (旗袍).
Other Comments:
1) There is inconsistency in one of the timelines, i.e., there is a time gap that was supposed to be 7 years, but in some scenes, they said 9 years.
2) There were some unanswered questions, and the back stories for some of the characters were not clearly explained.
3) I was not as fully immersed in the last 5 or 6 episodes as compared to the first three-fourths of the drama, where most of the untangling of the mysteries happened. Even so, it’s still a pretty good and enjoyable watch for me.
4) This drama has an alternate ending in episode 31, giving us viewers the chance to choose which ending we prefer. This feels like a “choose your own adventure” approach, which we see in a few other dramas. Personally, I’m amenable to both endings since each has its pros and cons, but if I were to choose, I would probably go with the alternate ending.
Final Verdict: If you like fantasy with a touch of romance and are looking for something different, then go watch this drama.
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