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A Dream of Splendor / Meng Hua Lu 梦华录 [2022]


NiteWalker

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I'm only up to Episode 12. Once I got past episode 6, things started to hum a little. I've had a really busy last two weeks but I wanted to persevere with this one because it is obviously a quality production. I know it is a good drama, all the elements are there -- I love the Song dynasty, there's a wealth of historical information, capable female characters and a shrewd male lead -- but the storytelling bothers me: there's far more exposition in this than is needed and with the cast of thousands, it often leaves me wondering how important most of them are in the scheme of things. It saddens me somewhat that they have to turn Ouyang Xu into a villain because he made bad choices under duress and because he doesn't have much of a spine. It's early days for me but for a show that looks sophisticated and classy, the storytelling is surprisingly prosaic. It's really not that hard to see where things are headed especially if you're a seasoned drama viewer. Everything feels... familiar.

 

Chen Xiao really needs to smile more. That mopey look is such a downer. I feel depressed just looking at him.

 

 

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Currently Watching: Queen of Tears, In Blossom

 

"Love is not an affectionate feeling but a steady wish for the loved person's good as far as it can be obtained." -- CS Lewis.

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So I’m done watching the series and I have to say while the ending was satisfactory, it certainly wasn’t splendid. @IpohBanana

 

The pacing of the show wasn’t even - I agree with the view that past episode 30 thereabouts, everything started to drag. Worst of it was Ouyang Xu’s character. It seemed out of character how he changed, even if it was that he had developed some personality disorder or became deranged because of the lack of oxygen on his trek up the mountain. Whatever the cause of his sudden non-diabolical diabolicalness. For a supposedly smart man, he wasn’t very smart. 

 

And the punishment for wanting to get to a hearing - first of all, I’m surprised ZPE was able to walk again. With spinal injuries of that sort, I would think you’d become paralysed for life in those times. Likewise the bell torture - his cochlear wasn’t damaged. Really? I’m certain more than a few hair cells died then. Dramatic licence for sure. 

 

The wrap up seemed too quick and easy for the way things were building up politically. What happened to Qi Mu? And Daddy Xiao? And they all made it seem as if the Emperor would be dying soon hence the race for the appointment of a crown prince and regents. But Emperor looked absolutely fine and it didn’t seem like he was going to croak anytime soon. So what exactly was going on there? And the Emperor didn’t want to name a crown prince because he knew his consort wanted power? hurh?

 

Maybe that’s how dreams are - snippets of disconnected life episodes that somehow get mashed together with reasonable logic such that it kinda makes sense though it doesn’t, but nevermind cos you’ve woken up already and it’s time to get started on real life. 

Edited by gilaswan
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14 hours ago, gilaswan said:

And the punishment for wanting to get to a hearing - first of all, I’m surprised ZPE was able to walk again. With spinal injuries of that sort, I would think you’d become paralysed for life in those times. Likewise the bell torture - his cochlear wasn’t damaged. Really? I’m certain more than a few hair cells died then. Dramatic licence for sure. 

 

Haha, if we're going to quibble about that, then DoS would have to join a long list of unrealistic drama scenarios.    :laugh:

 

14 hours ago, gilaswan said:

And they all made it seem as if the Emperor would be dying soon hence the race for the appointment of a crown prince and regents. But Emperor looked absolutely fine and it didn’t seem like he was going to croak anytime soon. So what exactly was going on there? And the Emperor didn’t want to name a crown prince because he knew his consort wanted power? hurh?

 

I mentioned a few posts back that the DoS Emperor appears to have been based on Emperor Zhenzong who ruled his later years in illness and often with the help of his third wife, Empress Liu.  By the end, she was essentially running things behind the scenes as his illness had completely incapacitated him.  I assume that's what the story was trying to depict (although clearly, we hadn't gotten to his sickest periods yet).  Similar to the drama, Empress Liu didn't have a child of her own but adopted the son of one of the other consorts.  It makes sense - whether in real life or in the drama - that there would be a power struggle under those conditions.  As for Emperor not naming a crown prince in the drama, as mentioned the empress didn't have a child of her own, so her ability to retain power would be reliant upon who ruled next.  His thus not naming a crown prince protects her in the sense that everyone doesn't stand behind the crown prince while leaving her by herself.  As for why one would want power?  Well, we've watched enough historical dramas to know, power equals survival.  As the empress mentioned in one scene, right now, she's doing okay because she has the emperor's love and protection, but one day when he's gone, with her background and being childless, who will stand up for her?  

 

After watching all the episodes subbed, I've concluded that the unevenness in the scriptwriting has to do with the fact that the first part of the drama focused on the story-building and narrative whereas the the purpose of the second half was not to build a story for us to lose ourselves in, but rather to deliver a message.  Hence, the heavy-handed feeling, and also the sense that some story lines never really went anywhere.  It's unfortunate because the first half of the drama was so, so beautiful... still, it's hard to begrudge the second half because the lessons it teaches are important ones.  Female independence, not judging people for their backgrounds (especially when it's out of their control), and holding all persons as equal... these are all powerful notions and relevant even in our modern times (maybe more so).

 

In any event, while the second half of DoS may not have been as strong as the first, there are still things that I really liked.  

Spoiler

- SYZ.  She drove us all nuts with her immaturity throughout the drama, and especially after she ran way a second time with Shen Ru Zuo, but if there was one person who grew the most in this drama, it was probably her.  By the end of the drama, she was no longer that weak, meek little girl that people could take advantage of.  She took care of the restaurant in ZPE's absence, came up with new ideas on her own, and even stood up to the restaurant guild when framed.  But what stood out to me the most was when the king offered her one wish, instead of asking for her pariah status to be removed, she asked that the common people be guaranteed a path to air their grievances and seek justice.  Such a selfless act, and so huge!

 

- SN.  I really wanted a wedding at the end of this drama.  I really wanted ZPE and GQF's wedding.  But it's hard to begrudge the fact that though we got a wedding, it was SN's because there is no one who deserves happiness more than her.  From start to end, she was a wonderful character.  Honest, supportive, and always so understanding.  I'll never forget the one scene where she saw ZPE and GQF being so in love together.  You could see how happy she was for her friend, but you could also see how she wanted that for herself too and she was envious.  But that envy, it wasn't that evil, malicious sort of envy where it make a person take a turn for the worse.  Rather, it was just that honest raw emotion that all of us feel at one time or another because we're human.  I give kudos to the actress for delivering those multi-layered emotions in such an empathetic way.

 

- ZPE.  Sometimes fate intervenes for a reason and while it was really rough having to watch her suffer one setback after another, I have to say, maybe it wasn't the worst thing in the world that she missed out on GQF's check.  After all if she hadn't, she never would have partnered with Chi Ya Nei and built this wonderful and successful restaurant.  In terms of the romance, I also liked one line that she said towards the end.... something about having learned that when you love someone, it's not about what you will receive from the other person, but what you can do to help the other person.  Don't remember the words exactly, just the sentiment.  :)

 

- GQF.  Someone commented that he needed to look less mopey, but up until meeting ZPE, he really didn't have a lot of happiness in his life.  His maternal grandfather sounded like a tyrant.  And his own father didn't sound much better, given that he only came around whenever he needed something from his son.  It's no wonder that GQF tried to disavow that familiar bond, and yet, we know from his admission to the empress, there's a part of him that still loves his father whether that love is deserved or not.  It's a terrible life he's had to live.  All along I've wanted us (and him) to be wrong about his father because by the end of this drama, I really wanted him to have something of his own (beyond ZPE).  Now that I've watched all the eps, what I can say is, it made me really happy to see him get his swing.  Just feels symbolic somehow!  

 

I could keep going down the list, but in the interest of time, I'll just say that for Zhao Di, Chen Lian, and Chi Ya Nei, they were wonderful side characters.  And maybe one day Chi Ya Nei and his Pipa Siren will make a pairing after all.  ;)

 

 

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Descendants of the Sun • A Love So Beautiful • Le Coupe de Foudre • Gank Your Heart • Go Ahead • Legend of Fei

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