Reviews

Good But A Classic Case of Poor Pacing

Pursuit of Jade has all the ingredients for a memorable drama: compelling leads, a strong premise, and emotional depth. But in trying to do everything, it ultimately sort of fumbles its own story.

EP 1 - 18
We open in Lin'an (a cosy little village) and before you know it, we have an arranged marriage between 2 good looking people who clearly have some tension. One who is thought to be dead and the one who saved him. A great combination.

We get to play house for a while, butcher pigs, make friends with single moms, build a found family and beat up ex fiances all while fighting off judgemental neighbours and avoiding the problems in the capital like all Marquis and their wives do.

And then slowly but surely, reality catches up to them and they face a major disaster (EP 18).

EP 18 - 27
The next few episodes we see Changyu navigating grief from the horrible massacre of her village people, the loss of her little sister, separation from her husband and the conscription of her loved ones. She perseveres through it all and even gets conscripted into the army as well.

She goes to the camp in EP 24 where she sees Zheng and her little sister and then we spend the next 3 episodes setting BACK her character development and making her look like a fool.

She becomes this reckless, almost arrogant person who somehow thinks it's okay to flout military laws and bait prisoners, and instead of Zheng to allow her to deal with the consequences of her actions, he wants to be whipped in her steed because he's low-key a masochist.

Zheng still lies to her about his identity and then he proceeds to make a bunch of other people lie to her about it as well.

She also DRUGS him before a BATTLE and miraculously kills a GENERAL with no substantial wounds to her person and what does Zheng do when he shows up? Carries her away from the battlefield of course, to go and have a lover's spat because his true identity has now been revealed.

Does she face any repercussions for DRUGGING the Marquis at such a critical time? No, because she's Mrs. Fan Changyu and the rules don't apply to her. After all she was only trying to be a good wife right?

EP 28 - 30
Prince Changxin is finally introduced in EP 28 and by EP 30 he was dead. I kid you not. Just 2 and a half episodes we spare for this guy. This is someone they hadn't even SHOWN since the beginning. This big bad character shrouded in mystery, only to be killed in 2 strikes (as Changyu so humbly likes to remind us) by a 19 yr old who has alarmingly little experience fighting wars and seasoned, battle hardened generals.

She suddenly has superhuman, Avengers type strength and prowess and the fact that Zheng left her to fight him and went after SUI YUANQING of all people only to LOSE him at the end was the cherry on top of our delusional cake.

Notice how there hasn't been much worth mentioning about Zheng well that's because he's basically a background character when he's not interacting with Changyu and even then she overshadows him. He spends a lot of his time sick/riddled with injury and his only character trait is being Changyu's malewife.

EP 30 - 40
At this point, we have 10 episodes left and then suddenly the weight of the capital and it's schemes comes crashing down.

Changyu becomes a commander, the truth about her parentage, the Li clan's alliance with Qi Min, Qi Min betraying the Sui clan, Wei Xuan's parentage, Wei Yan and his past lover, Wei Yan and the puppet Emperor, Qi Min's plans of taking the throne, the truth about Eastern palace fire that happened 17 years ago, the truth about the Chongzhou massacre that also happened 17 years ago, etc.

So many plot lines, stories to follow, truths uncovered, loose ends to wrap up and it all ends up condensed and mushed together with a mildly satisfying ending.

The first half takes its time (maybe a bit too much) building an intense, character driven story with emotional stakes and the second half loses restraint and nuance. It's a bit poorly written and things aren't given the time they deserve. I found myself skipping through the last few episodes just to get the end quickly.

Overall, Pursuit of Jade was a promising watch in the beginning and an exhausting one in the end.

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SURPRISINGLY AMAZING!!

don’t even know where to start. i don’t usually leave reviews on this app but even a day after finishing it I constantly think about it so i had to leave a review!!

i thought it would be the usual step sibling situation and whatnot (which I already enjoy watching). after watching the first few eps i felt like the FL would be quite annoying in terms of her childishness however I was fortunately proven wrong!!

i absolutely love her character. she is playful but at the same time caring, calculated and the most important (and surprising for a Chinese drama) BOLD!! she clearly displays what she wants (the ML i mean haha) and I love it!! she doesn’t wait for him to do the first step and it’s perfect due to his distant and cold nature (even though he’s very caring actually).

i also love how he’s so attentive to everything. the last few eps were genuinely so amazing i can’t even give specific details since there’s so many absolutely perfect moments which also gives you a lesson on how a relationship should work believe it or not.

overall if u like distant but caring guy and a playful but straightforward and bold girl WATCH IT IMMEDIATELY!!

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Much better than Season 1

PLOT: A recap (in 4 episodes) of Season 1, continuing the Wayu/Phana relationship (complicated by Pring's persistence and the new love rival, Park), and Ming's attempts to win over Kit. Forth has a one-night stand with Beam (his friend) and decides to win him over.

+++ We see the return of Earth, Ben, Joong, Nine, and Dome. The actors are more convincing than in Season 1, and above all, Pavel lights up the series. It's his first drama, but we can already see his full potential ♡╰(ﾟxﾟ​)╯♡
+++ More dynamic direction (but a jarring edit in the finale)

### I'm still annoyed by Wayu's character; she's childish and indecisive.

=> A pretty good series in the college BL genre. The ending has a cliffhanger.
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Bien meilleur que le S1

PLOT: reprise (en 4 épisodes) de la S1 et suite de la relat° Wayu/Phana (compliquée avec la persistance de Pring et le nouveau love rival, Park), celle de Ming qui tente de conquérir Kit. Forth a une one-night-stand avec Beam (son pote) et décide de le conquérir.

+++ On retrouve Earth, Ben, Joong, Nine et Dome. Les acteurs sont plus convaincants que ds la S1 et surtt, Pavel illumine la série. C'est son 1e drama, mais on voit déjà tout son potentiel ♡╰(ﾟxﾟ​)╯♡
+++ Réalis° plus dynamique (mais un montage brusque ds le final)

### Je suis tjs agacée par le personnage de Wayu, enfantin et qui manque de décision.

=> Assez bonne série dans le genre BL universitaire. The ending has a cliffhanger.

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Not for me

First series of this mega project.

I really liked the telenovela and lakorn vibe it clearly shows on screen. The budget is there, and you can feel that the series is well-crafted, well-acted, and thoughtfully produced. The main couple has good chemistry and works well together.

However, I don’t think this series is really for me. I found it quite slow and sometimes boring. The only moments I truly enjoyed were the ones with the cousins.

I also feel like Rose and Din’s personalities are too bland and a bit too polished there’s a lack of passion or conflict, which is something I was hoping for.

Hopefully, The Water will do better.

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Underrated charm

Some series with over-the-top humor fail easily because of a lack of balance. This particular one is not a slapstick funny but a thoughtful kind of funny that also succeeds in being unpredictable. The majority of the humor hits you right at the first few episodes before it evolves into a more serious tone with an underlying main story - the kind of mix I really enjoy.

The ML and FL really did a great job in their roles and the chemistry was easily felt between the two. The other casts also did an amazing job in bring their characters to life. What's interesting is that the blunt silliness actually brings out much more realism than other series in this genre, such as the bickering between the couples and the "humorous" but confrontational conversations. I initially was about to write the main FL off because her spoiled character was just on the brink of becoming irritating but surprisingly, she had one of the more in-depth character growths I've come across even when compared to other melodramas. In addition, there are many complex characters that I really appreciate that aren't the usual die-hard loyalty kind. They highlight the thin lines of friendship, betrayal, and self-reflection as well as who we become when we live by how others deem our worth.

This series deserves a higher score and the only reason I've personally deducted some points is that there was some slight drag across some of the episodes. I also wished the FL nodded a bit more to how fortunate she was to have the family she did and that she put some more effort into her martial arts skills instead of just on that extreme boost from her curse/gift. It was also disappointing to not have seen more of our ML's skills as well despite his reputation. I think this could have been amazing if they included a bit more history/flashbacks and delved just a bit deeper. But overall, it is easily one of the better historical dramas I've seen that has this level of comedy incorporated into it.

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Good but a little dragged out

Overall, the plot and the characters were really good. I liked the drama quite a bit, but the last few episode dragged on a little too much. There is an upper limit, to how many times I need the leads to get a full flashback of all the times they have looked romantically into each others eyes. Especially when we are at climax of the plot. Let the plot unfold. This was however, a minor issue, thst only started in the last episodes. Overall the show was enjoyable, just a little too long IMO.

The acting was great and the casting was amazing. Every character felt fully compatible with the actor behind.

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It was disgusting.

So, I stumbled upon this "masterpiece of cinema" by accident. I've been watching it ongoing since the first episode. At first, it was very cringe-worthy and absurd, which made me laugh awkwardly but by the third episode it started to "melt" me. Everything was repetitive and boring and all the dialogues were just there to ensure that the main characters would end up "fucking" mindlessly. Until the ninth episode there was absolutely no drama, which is why it was unbearably boring to watch. Every time I opened a new episode I would scream, shout, and curse at everything that was happening in this stupid series but I kept watching to see where it would go. The last episode I watched now had absolutely no meaning and it was a copy of all the previous episodes (except for the ninth episode, which had a little bit of a plot). There was no original music (which was a good thing because I would have been annoyed by it appearing in every sex scene) but the tracks were generally well-chosen. That's the only positive aspect. Now, let's talk about the more specific negatives. I didn't like the acting. I won't say anything bad about the actors themselves but it's entirely the fault of the script, which I don't know how people could write. Their acting was solely focused on creating a "sexy" look and then having sex. That's all. It was unpleasant to watch. Another negative aspect is the second love story. It was completely unexplored and in the last episode the characters were only shown for half a minute. While the main characters didn't have any significant events, the secondary characters were stuck in a loop: In comes - flirting - kissing - sex - In comes... (where’s In in cast???) There was also almost no change of location, which made everything seem forced, plastic, and wrong. It was fake and boring. The disgusting sexualization of food (the peach in the opening sequence dripping with "something white") was particularly off-putting. In every episode there was a story about the peach accompanied by AI images with a sexual or romantic undertone. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT??? And most importantly there was the scene with the fried eggs. Writers, THIS is the highest degree of disgust. I can't imagine how it was possible to write and film this. In conclusion, everything is disgusting. I didn't like anything and I watched every episode without pleasure with a miserable expression on my face. Draw your own conclusions based on my review but I wouldn't recommend anyone to watch this.

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Goddammit! They made me (sit through &) enjoy fluff

I go into every fluffy drama with a dramatic side eye. IDK what it is about them, but more often than not, the acting is usually average at best, the comedy is overdone (or doesn't land), the pacing is horrendous, or the story is overly simplistic or nonsensical. And if I'm particularly unlucky, I am assaulted with the deadly combination of 3 or all the above factors.

If you cannot tell, I do not generally enjoy fluff shows - I mean, my favourite BL stories include "My Beautiful Man", "Love Mechanics", "My Stand-In", "The End of the World with You", "KinnPorsche", "Moonlight Chicken", and most recently "Revenged Love". Clearly, I have a flair for the dramatic. I like a complicated story with characters who live in the grey areas of life, rather than in clear-cut blacks and whites. Fluff doesn't cut it in my house. Which is why my enjoyment of this drama comes as such a surprise to me.

Despite liking FirstKhao's acting chops, I was convinced I'd hate it. But week after week, I found myself coming back. The plot is simple but not nonsensical. It has heart, specifically in regards to Khaotung's character dealing with his mom's death (the guilt and regrets surrounding that), the aftermath and picking up the pieces, as well as learning to open himself up to love. The comedy also wasn't overdone. All in all, it was a good, low-stress way to pass the time on a Tuesday night.

Now, would I rewatch this? Honestly, no. Just because I like FirstKhao as an acting ship doesn't suddenly make me a changed woman. I am set in my ways. I am more likely to rewatch their scenes in Only Friends or The Heart Killers than I am this. I think I was able to enjoy this as much as I did because I only had to watch one episode a week. Everything was spaced out. If I had to binge it, I'd have likely dropped it. Or it'd have taken me a lot longer to complete it. But for those who love fluffy shows and like this ship, yeah, I believe your rewatch value/likelihood will be much higher than mine

PS. High school BLs (with age-appropriate actors) are the only exception to my dramatic side eye. They are 1000% allowed to be fluffy and cute. I will eat the shit up every time.

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OMG! this was a so nice drama

I actually saw this drama on Netflix coincidently, I was first like didn't wanted to watch it cause I didn't know the drama and I had no hopes. But after just watching the first episode I knew this is gonna be a nice drama. I can't understand why it's so underrated. This drama is such a hidden gem. The casting was good, the story line was soo good. I finished the drama in 2 days. The slow romance burn between Xue Li and Xiao Heng is uufff!!!!,tbh the ending kinda had me a little doubtful but it's not a major one. I would recommend this drama to anyone and I'm so glad that I watched this. Nice drama you must watch

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