Both of these shows are based on same characters of same historical time of Emperor Qianlong of Qing dynasty. They are about the dynamics of Emperor and his harem politics. However, they differ in certain points like the main protagonist-antagonist are swapped in these two shows. So, which one is better in terms of plot, character development, and emotional payoff?
This was such an interesting find for me, a beautiful and soulful slice of life mini drama set in China's Kashghar located in Xinjiang province. The drama is a heart warming and healing journey of three childhood friends who are hit by choices of adulthood. The culture, food, art, music, musical instruments, scenery of Kashghar are so unique and it is presented well. And the plus point is it is presented in unpolished way whenever is possible. Therefore the drama retains the authenticity of the culture.
Has anyone watched it? If yes, who were your favorite characters?
I really liked Grandma the most followed by Laili and disliked Minawar.
The douban score for Key to the Phoenix Heart has supposedly increased to 6.9 from 6.7 (from last time I checked)...very well deserved according to me..as for idol dramas it indicates pretty solid performance.
I have watched 16 episodes of this drama and I must say it is really good. It has both the story and aesthetics, well balanced indeed. From the very start, the story naturally flows (the story itself is different than usual), becomes quite unputdownable after episode 4/5. The supporting casts are amazing, especially the actors portraying negative characters doing it so well that I find them despicable (I mean their acting is that good!!!).
The leads' chemistry is so organic and develops in a way, that I did not even realize that they have fallen in love. Their love feels so natural!! I can't pin point the moment they fell in love but they did!! And so devotedly they fell.
Epsiode 16 of course stole my heart. >!The way he wanted to win the game and after that the way she came running down the stairs, did the knee slide and hugged him..OMG!! The whole scene and after that, the kiss scene was weaved so well together. Her "What kind of couple are we? Are we in love?" And him giving her the answer with a kiss, was beautiful! !<Simply beautiful!!! ❤️❤️
P.S. - I chose these pictures because I love these scenes. It's so gorgeous like a painting on screen. The yellow dessert poplar trees looking so pretty 💛. I so wanted to enroll in her school under that poplar tree 😌..
This year marks Hou Minghao's ten year anniversary in industry. So, I was thinking about the characters he has played so far. I have seen many of his dramas and here I am listing some of my favorite characters from his dramas. which character is your favorite?
From 2017-2026 in ascending order:
First, I would like to clarify that this post is neither to disrespect others' opinions nor to encourage anyone to watch the drama who is not comfortable with it.
This particular scene in today's episodes (at the end of episode 19) overwhelmed me with its emotional depth, and that is why I am just sharing my opinion. And it will be brief.
The context of the scene:
Xiao Wuyi and Xie Jiayu are punished (getting flogged) for deceiving the empress dowager (good that they did!!) by manipulating the phoenix tokens. Xiao Wuyi takes both his and Jiayu's punishment. Therefore, he is severely injured. Not to mention, he is already heavily injured from the previous battle and dying...
Xie Jiayu is tending to his wounds. And she slowly confesses her affection and love towards him; That she knows he willingly plays the role of villain in others' eyes while suffering in silence and protecting others. She asks him to start thinking about himself. She wants to be the wife of a hero that he actually is. She knows that he will always save her and will not let her walk the dark paths that he has to walk when necessary. However, she wants to walk side by side with him until the end, meaning not only during happy times but also when things get worse. She wants to be his strongest support. And insists that from now on do not unnecessarily play a villain role...
At this very moment, Xiao Wuyi felt like a burden is leaving his shoulders (here I am in awe with HMH's acting, he is brilliant with his facial expressions..simply brilliant!! He can speak thousands with his eyes)..and he clutches to her (his head was at her hand) like he has finally found a companion who will stand with him through think and thin..and tells her that now that she has chosen her path, he will never let her go..
For me, it was a brilliant, emotionally charged, poetic scene. It overwhelmed me and also made me cry a bit for them. Without a doubt, one of my favorite scenes in recent times..
P.S. - I have praised HMH, but I have to praise AiMi here too. She is excellent and exceeded my expectations. I never expected her to be this good. Both HMH and AiMi have brought life to their characters..
I just saw this on MDL that Yunhe has added this drama to their S+ list. Now as far as I know, this rating is different than channel ratings. And post air S+ means it has done very well in terms of performance and audience engagement.
The OSTs of this drama are really nice. Each song is beautifully woven to match the tone of the drama setting. Before the drama aired, I heard the ones HMH sang. But only recently, I listened to all of the songs, and I loved all of them. If I have to pick an order, then for me,
Scorching Light
FullFill
A promise becomes River
Karma
Compassion
Know Me
So, I would like to know what others thought of these songs and what their favorites are.
Well unlike popular opinion, I liked the show. The show was slow burn no matter how rushed first few episodes were. It was exactly like the game of Go where you slowly but steadily build your foundation surrounding enemy territory. Here the main enemy was the power imbalance in the court, orchestrated by the Xie head. Xiao father-son duo were supposedly acting in the light as villain but it was mostly Xie Yanfang who was pulling the strings from the shadows. Even Deng Yi was at times transperant but Xie Yanfang's actions were hard to decipher. His and Deng Yi 's back and forth mind games were absolute treat to watch. Their dialogues were nuanced and important to understand those games.
I liked Xie Yanfang the most. Towards the end, I was waiting for his scenes more than the leads'. What a layered and complex character he was. Calm exterior with extremely manipulative, shrewd, and cruel mind. Manipulation so brilliant that even in his evil doings he deserved praise.
He later understood that Chu Zhao was capable of sitting at this game of Go as his opponent and he enjoyed that. He appreciated that. He admired her intellect. And in doing so fell for her. It was intense to be honest. His interactions with the FL in the last episodes were sizzling. Messed up but still sizzling. He did not want to hurt her if she gave him the power to control her. When she did not, he was not afraid to eliminate her every ally in order to make her run towards the dead end and that was him. His desire to control politics was so deep rooted that he was unhinged to even bait her life to gain power. Truly malicious but in a splendid way. Maybe because of the actor's portrayal of the character in such a refined way.
Xie Yanfang is etched in mind. And seems it will stay for sometime.
I started the show after all episodes were aired, and unlike the circulating reviews, I actually liked the show. I came for Xie Yanlai but got completely swept away by the elder Xie sibling.
This show was less about romance and much more about politics (loved the leads' yearning and devotion though). And I loved the politics, especially in the last quarter of the show when Chu Zhao returned to the capital.
The court politics felt indeed like a game of Go/Weiqi. The dynamic between Deng Yi and Xi Yanfang was brilliant. Their push-pull strategies kept me hooked. I had to pay a lot of attention to their dialogues. It was elegant.
Xie Yanfang owned the last part. His scheming and plotting absolutely peaked in that arc. Whenever he was on screen, I was hooked. He was ruthless, shrewd, and an outright devil carefully wrapped under a calm and cool exterior (maybe that's why he needed that fan 😅).
However, I LOVED when his initial admiration for Chu Zhao's intellect turned into unspoken but intense affection. I low-key started shipping Xie Yanfang and Chu Zhao. Their intellectual romance, even when they were plotting against each other, was such a treat to watch. The irony is that the master strategist could not predict that he would fall for her. In the last 3-4 episodes, his unrequited passion was overflowing through his eyes and small gestures. The scene in episode 22 when he knelt and put the shoes on her feet, it was silent but profound. She was an obstacle in his way of power and ultimate fame, but it seemed that he had a desire to not exactly eliminate but possess both her and the politics.
His end is deserved, nonetheless tragic and unforgettable.
