The chemistry between Xiaoqian and Han Shuo is wild. Both very talented young actors playing very believable roles. The plotline is also very unique, and the whole "stuck in her own script" discussion with fellow storytellers thing added so much fun to the story. My most hated drama trope -- where people lie to each other to be considerate of each other but end up hurting each other -- is used but also thoroughly made fun of. I also love how the fruit analogies stuck til the end and really made me laugh (you'll see what I mean).
I accidentally spoiled myself watching a Taiwanese critique of the drama before finishing the drama, so I was on the lookout for the points the YouTuber discussed -- the social commentary. It's very obvious what the scriptwriter wanted to tell us regarding gender equality in the last few episodes. And I think that the element worked very well in this drama, not only because it makes the audience think, but because it was also a point of consideration for Xiaoqian's own scriptwriting (hence served an important role in the plotline).
I would totally go rewatch all those cute scenes again. Including the ending oh my god it's the best. Looking forward to season 2.
PS: heart rate monitor best cameo.
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Heavily Recommended For A Light Watch!!!!
This show has literally EVERYTHING that you'd be looking for in a fluffy cute romcom!! I was hooked from the start and will be definitely rewatching it in the future once the second season is released :)Story; Although the plot is somewhat generic with the modern/historical mixed storyline, the writers managed to put their own twist to it which makes it both enjoyable, touching and comedic. Forget the dragging and slow-paced historical dramas that some of us are used to, this romcom is both fast-paced and direct - getting straight to the point and focusing solely on the relationship between the main leads with no unnecessary conflict nor complicated love triangles (i won't forget to mention all the kissing and affectionate scenes that were thrown in almost every episode). One thing that I LOVE about this show was that it constantly pushed the idea that women are in charge, allowing the female lead to constantly be in the spotlight with the male lead persistently supporting her the whole way with no questions asked
Acting; Honestly, there is no critique that I can think of about the acting/casting of this show; IT WAS PERFECT!! With Zhao Lusi, the boss of historical romcoms who never fails to put a smile on our faces, and Ryan Ding, who is both charming and adorably mischevious in the romance genre. These two put together combines for almost the most insane and crazy main character chemistry that I have ever witnessed. Also it's impossible to not mention how hilarious this couple are!! I don't want to go too much into it so you guys can see for yourselves :)
Overall, this has to be one of my favourite dramas now. The production quality of this show is insane, and the variety of OSTs used throughout are beautiful and sucessfully convey each and every emotion as you watch.
Anyways, time to fall into a slump for the next few days :l
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A pleasant easy to watch romcom
When I read the reviews I expected this to be kind of silly and funny with a little bit of romance. And it did start out that way in the first few episodes. But as the drama progressed it got deeper and there were more conflicts. So I was worried that this would be one of those typical cdramas that starts out as a romcom and turns into a melodrama. But I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t do that. Even though there were conflicts they weren’t overdone and didn’t last long. And the great comedy was sprinkled throughout each episode. What a pleasant surprise to have a romcom stay true to its genre right down to the end.As for the comedy, it was perfect. It was a little silly but not overly silly. And there wasn’t too much of it either. It was scattered about here and there to relieve the stress and make you giggle which I did quite often. And that’s saying a lot because it’s not easy to make me laugh and I hate goofy silly slapstick style comedy. But this comedy was perfect.
The romance was sweet with lots of skinship and several kisses and cuddles. One minute it would be cute and fluffy romance. Then the next minute it would be all sexy romance. (In one scene he sweeps everything off of the table and kisses her on it.) The romance was very nice.
The story taught a valuable lesson about equality between the sexes. It was an original storyline that was much more believable than I expected it to be. The characters had growth and depth. And I liked how they answered all of the questions and tied up the loose ends. My only complaint would be is that it gets just a little draggy in the middle of the drama. You get tired of the conflicts with the second female lead and her antics as it focuses on her a little too much. But it does get better if you hang in there. The whole equality of the sexes theme starts to kick in then it gets much more interesting.
Overall I would highly recommend this drama to those that like light sweet romantic comedies with a decent storyline and not too much angst.
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I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it.
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Dragged down by cliches and weak plots towards the ed
Romance of Tiger and Rose started out strong but towards the last few episodes, the weak plot and the cliches thrown in really pulled down what could have been a really fantastic story. In the end, it felt as if the series was 4 to 6 episodes too long (in the middle between episodes 15 to 20) and the screenwriters had to pad those episodes with a sheer abundance of crap and utter nonsense.1. Characters and acting
The main leads started out strong and really had a lot of chemistry with one another. I loved the idea of Rosy Zhao as Xiao Qian / Qian Qian, the screenwriter who travels into her own story and had to navigate the plotline that she created and the chaos that she inevitably creates by interfering. Her romance with Han Shuo (played by Ryan Ding) was great and there were scenes at the beginning that moved me to tears. But, in towards the end, the extremely prevalent and recurring trope of the spunky, clueless but adorable female lead really began to grate. I questioned the incredibly silly plans that she made which I felt was incredibly brainless and so typical of all that really tiresome Chinese female lead stereotype that seems to lurk in every single Chinese rom-com. Her indignation when Han Shuo gets upset with her a certain times really irks me no end. Could we please stop with the typical silly, brainless Chinese female lead?
Ryan Ding, however, was fantastic. He played the black-bellied, ruthless male lead, tinged with that gentle, adorable side when he interacted with QQ was just great. A great juxtaposition of two extremes. My favorite character in every single way. Cool when he needed to be cool, cute at the right times and just, overall, so good-looking and so great!
Most of the supporting roles were so unlikeable, i felt. Pei Heng (played by Sheng Ying Hao) was such a hypocrite that I really hated the scenes where he was on. Zhou Zi Xin (as Chu Chu) was so one-dimensional and predictable that I was rolling my eyes at every instance. The really side characters such as the three storytellers, Bai Ji (Han Shuo's manservant) and Zi Rui (QQ's manservant) were hilarious though. So kudos to that.
2. Storyline
The pivot about the gender inequality was interesting at the beginning but again, that got tiresome towards the end. It became silly and the fact that Qian Qian really relied so much on Han Shuo for everything sort of threw that whole "women are the equal of men" out the window -- how can you talk about equality when QQ uses all these "weak female" ruses to get Han Shuo to listen to her? When she throws tantrums and cries to get her way? When she justifies everything by saying that she is following the plot? Ugh. Like I said, the few episodes towards the latter half (ep 15 to 20) was such a chore for me to get through ... It gets better in the end but oh, wat a pain to get there.
Suffice to say, the parts you will love the most are the sweet moments between HS and QQ. You will absolutely hate the conflicts and plot twists due to how artificial they are and how most twists just don't make sense at all. Just grit your teeth and get through those sections until you hit the sweet parts again.
3. Production
I loved the sets and the costumes that they used throughout the show. A friend was remarking that this was a "low budget" show and I really couldn't feel it. The special effects (like fireworks) didn't look bad and everything seemed polished and nice. Perhaps my only complaint was that he hair pieces did seem a bit fake, looking very much like wigs. And I can't get past the fact that Han Shuo's eyebrows are this weird brown colour but his hair is completely black.
4. Music
Generally, the music was light and very rom-com. Suited the scenes at certain parts but I did get bored of the opening theme which is surprising since I generally like most opening and closing themes.
5. Conclusion
Watch this if you want to watch something light and nonsensical but don't expect superb quality in the storyline. If you are discerning in any way, the one-dimensional villainess, the plot holes (like how does QQ as a scriptwriter manage to fool so many people when she is supposed to be this clueless, silly girl) and the tiresome tropes will get you down. So give it one watch and hope that Season 2 will be much better and that they will finally get everything (plot, QQ's character and the like) right.
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Super fun
I haven't laughed this hard at a drama in a long time — and it came at such the right time because I was getting so sick of slapstick humor. All the characters (the main leaders, and especially Zi Rui) had the most amazing comedic timing.This has my favorite type of female lead — you don't have to be the best at everything and physical fighting to be smart and make good decisions, and of course, it has my favorite type of male lead that's lowkey a badass but goes soft for her.
The chemistry between the main leads was so good and I just love the relationship that the two of them had together. The sidekicks were hilarious as well and worked so well with our main characters and with each other. And it really felt like all the characters had their own personalities no matter how small their roles were.
I do think I enjoyed the first half a little better when it was our main character trying to navigate the new world and all the subplots that were going awry. I felt like some of the magic was lost a little near the end (especially after the goddamn noble idiocy!) because it was reduced to the main plot around government control. It also seemed to reduce a lot of characters to their cliches, and I had loved that they subverted the tropes in the beginning.
Nevertheless, I really like how this show's plot turned to a darker tone without ever really losing its style of humor. Sadly I can't really say if it surprised me — I'm still mad at myself for obsessively watching clips on YouTube before I decided to binge it in a day — because I knew the scenes already. But overall the plot is still really clever.
Overall, I still had a really fun time watching this — I cannot wait for season 2 even though I have to wait an entire year!
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Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
TROTAR is like eating zucchini brownies - it has that additional health benefit but still tastes as good as a regular brownie. This drama manages to provide some 'food for thought' (cough) while staying as fluffy and sweet as typical romcom, if not more so. Story/Acting: I really can't talk about the story or acting separately in this drama because both (with the production) have this nice synergistic effect that makes the drama extremely binge-worthy. At 24 episodes, the plot is not dragged out at all and story arcs finish relatively fast. It's genuinely really funny and the humor feels more original compared to other dramas. This is in part to both the well-done script writing and the actor's comedic timing and the sound effect choices. It's actually brilliant how they make serious plot points into complete jokes (in a good way). The romance was also so, so dreamy with the perfect combination of silly, sweet and serious. I particularly loved how the male lead could switch from a complete puppy to a tiger (err, the Xuanha definition of it) while remaining so devoted to the female lead. Of course, this wouldn't be possible without the actors' chemistry, which was on fire. Take out the good writing and the chemistry between these two already puts this drama on the better-than-average rating. The only points I would take off would be a somewhat weird tone shift in the last third and a little rushed pacing at the end.
Going back the the insightful commentary part, I agree what a lot of others have said about the gender equality themes. I also liked what the drama had to about character depth. What makes a strong character? One that can overcome obstacles. Are the characters we see in dramas given real obstacles or is it paper thin writing just there to make the main leads seem better? The main lead is the main lead because the story is written to make sure they come out on top. But what if is wasn't written that way? Makes me think of all the dramas I watched if those characters really strong enough to overcome their obstacles or if they even had obstacles in the first place.
Music: Loved the beginning and ending OSTs, definitely added to that fun, zippy feel
Rewatch value: Don't usually rewatch dramas but will most likely replay clips on YT
Overall: Recommend without hesitation!
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THE BEST CHEMISTRY!
I love the flow of the story and very satisfied with the sweetness. I felt like the Actress and Actor was really great to handle their acting that made the viewers believed it was really true in reality. I love the main lead and the support role, they had amazing acting and chemistry was great. The set up is very satisfactory. If you are tired and would like to cheer up this is the best story to watch. It give me energy and really want to go home early so i can continue to watch it again.I wish they will make another season 2 that it will show more cuteness and sweetness of both actor and actress. Believed me you will laugh and feel in love with this. Thumps up for all the cast!!!
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The story was well written. i can say it did set itself apart from other dramas , especially with the view on feminism and the equality of men of women, the romance especially, the main character fell in love with a character she created but didn't bring to life through her writing until she considered real feelings. That was something different and i loved it. The only thing i didn't like is i feel it ended too quickly but at the same time i wouldn't want some bad writing to be thrown in just to make the drama longer, so im satisfied.
The acting was really good as well in my opinion. you will get emotionally invested into the characters, and that's what i look for when it comes to acting, can they make me feel what they are portraying? I feel you will feel a roller coaster of emotions ,you will smile, laugh, cry, feel annoyed when something happens to the characters good or bad, i liked all of the characters. They were phenomenal.
I'll finish this review by saying i feel that i will be rewatching this again and it will be even better if there is a season 2.
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Disclaimer, I've never done a review before, like I've given some thought and I just end up saying 'nah why bother'. So thanks if you're taking some time considering my thoughts as to why; why did this drama, made me write. Go watch it now. Lol. Okay I'll just give reasons why I couldn't get over with this without expressing my gratitude.
First off, it's not the kind of drama that has higher kind of production, okay. It's a chill type, romantic-comedy, so the props and the settings aren't heavily equipped like those in high production kind. So don't watch this with too much expectations in that department.
But
#1: the acting skills were great.
From the supporting main leads to supporting roles. Like Zhao Xin, Chen Chuchu, Su Zi Ying, and Lin Xi to be specific, they had it in them to convince you that what their angst, fear, or yeah, what they deemed valuable really has value, though with so much thought in the modern times these are petty things (I mean this the nicest way) so what I mean is, their acting skills managed to snatched me out from the present time. Next, a very important point, the chemistry between Chen QianQian and Han Shuo (I hope I spelled these character names correctly) was so palpable, they got me reeling for their next interaction and got me feeling hurt when they're apart. Without the chemistry between the two, the whole drama would simply fall apart, like i would've not followed through to the 'a bit vague story line' if it weren't because of them; plus they also acted well, individually--apart from the whole romance thing. And personally, the characters Bai Ji and Zi rui are my favorite, please find out why by paying attention to these actors' (whatever their real names are) on point comical acting skills. I just thought without these 8 people, the drama wouldn't be as fascinating as it was.
#2: the plot.
oh, here we go, the topic I so wanted to discuss. There were some points in the plot that got me saying 'oh so it's gonna be like the other drama I've watched', and then it did, but then it also did not. I think that's the most enjoyable part for me, when I wasn't able to guess what's going to happen next. It was kinda shaky, to be honest there were parts that I was like "oh that escalated quickly", "what the heck is going on?" But it's because it tried to go beyond the normal in the 'safe zone' kind of story telling we're all used to. But trust me, it'll make sense. I love how it all turned out.
#3: FEMINISM
Feminism is the main point of this drama, and as a feminist it conquered a very big part of my being, especially when they expressed (not through words but the whole story says) that "feminism is not about women being superior to men, but it's about equality, meaning giving the same chances and RIGHTS to both men and women" like how it must be. I just wanna give a 90° kind of bow to the writer/s.
#4: Humour
The humour of this drama is aligned with mine, and I think to most people too, since I laugh easily, ( tho I think it'd be so much better with better sound effects). But yeah up to the very end, it's witty and hilarious that despite being sad that it's gonna end, I was still smiling, they just give you this fun vibe.
#5: Concept (Writer-character relationship)
Gosh, this opened up my mind to so many aspects (as a low-key novelist) as to how to treat your characters. Really I appreciate the lesson a lot. I can't explain more, otherwise I'd spoil it. But to anyone reading this (I hope there are), try watching this, I know you must've watched a lot of dramas with the same genre, but every story has its own uniqueness, and importance. Just try (in a soft voice) watching this, and JUST TRY (yeah in a loud-imma-scream-if-you-dont voice) I've watched it thrice already! ☺️
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Entertaining and fun drama!
A historical drama with a twist: it imagines ancient China as a matriarchal society. The Romance of Tiger and Rose is set in the fictional city of Huayuan, where women rule, command armies and hold public office. They even pass their family names on to their children. On the other hand, male characters aren’t allowed to pursue their studies or careers; instead, they’re to be obedient and virtuous, and dream of meeting a woman who will sweep them off their feet and into a life of domestic bliss.Meanwhile, the neighbor and rival city, remains a patriarchal society where women are to study decorum, stay silent, do what husband’s tell them, take care of the house, children and parents. As a result, the problems that arise in this city sound familiar: young people prefer to stay single or ask for a divorce within a year after getting married, and birth rates drop. Their government even debates, at on point, a marriage law and if citizens don’t comply then they would get fined or even go to jail.
The drama is clearly trying to get through a point and it’s not surprise that gender issues, which are being largely talked about and challenged in contemporary China, are showing up in Dramaland.
An interesting premise but the drama does not analyze this matters, preferring exposition and gender bender hilarity to make a point about equality between men and women. Still, the issue is right there staring at you and impossible to ignore since it makes all the difference about the lives and interactions of the leads, which are -of course- each from one of these cities.
Since this is about a screenwriter getting trapped in the drama she wrote, the story also gets meta at times. Right down with leading lady calling the most prestigious storytellers of the city to a “writer’s room” where they talk about how to change the story and they end up debating all the usual drama troupes, ship wars and more. It was definitely my favorite running joke in the show.
Still, I had a great time with this absolutely charming and lighthearted drama. Kudos to Zhao Lu Si and Ding Yu Xi for their work as leads, their chemistry was fun, sweet and off the charts. The secondary cast does an amazing job, particularly Wu Yijian and Liu Shuyuan, who played the respective loyal right hands of each lead and were hilarious at it.
I recommend it!
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One of the best romcoms I have seen!
If you are looking for a romcom full of heart-racing cute scenes, hilarious jokes, and a great story, you are at the right place. The Romance of Tiger and Rose (RTR) will not disappoint to provide all types of audiences an enjoyable viewing experience.Let me start what I love about this drama:
♡ The creative world setting:
With so many costumes dramas get produced these days, time-travels are not new. However, the female lead Chen Qian Qian will have to survive in a city in which the role of male and female are reversed (the rose city). Imagining that this world exists in an ancient environment builds up the curiosity about how she will survive there. This provides a novel touch to the drama. I would almost watch a story just about this city itself. I appreciate that despite a comical and foolish nature of a romcom, the makers use a world setting to indirectly criticize the inbalance and biases existing in historical and even in the present world. Coming from a Chinese costume drama that is usually scrutinized by various types of censorships, this gives me hope in the future of the Chinese drama world.
♡ The pacing and hilarious jokes:
I cannot remember the last time to be this entertained by a drama. Next to the time-travel aspect, there is also the fact that the female protagonist knows she is stuck in her own script. Thus, the 4th wall between viewers and characters is continually being broken - a brand new way that feels refreshed. Then there are these a bit stupid but hilarious supporting characters such as the two close footmen of the main leads or the mountain bandit leader. Even when the plot became more serious towards the end, they manage to pull off a very amusing scene between the lords of the two cities.
The pacing of this drama is swift (e.g., it took the female lead about 5 min to realize she is stuck in her own script), and 24 episodes are quick to absorb. The turns in events are not expected but still very logical. The makers use the right storytelling methods to build suspense and release anxiety quickly enough (e.g., by clarifying misunderstandings between the leads).
♡ The switch in roles between male and female leads; their chemistry:
I have never watched a Zhao Luo Si-led drama though I have heard great things about her (and that she has had a bite of the cutest actors nowadays, including my favorite Xu Kai.. arrg). After watching RTR, I finally got to know why she is this popular. She has a cute round face that does not appear to be sculptured or perfect. There is no idol aura in her acting, and she does not refrain from pulling off all kinds of facial expressions. This makes her acting very natural. ZLS is well-known for her dorky, adorable, slight foolish but pure-hearted characters. One can see that CQQ's personality assembles ZLS in real life, so you cannot help but like her.
However, I was most surprised by the performance of the young actor Ding Yu Xi playing Han Shuo. At the start, I found his acting a bit stiff, but he soon showed his other sides: cold and determined, kind and sweet, funny and dorky, strong and protective. The makers purposely switched the script between the female and male leads, letting Han Shuo chase the female lead for the most of the drama and show this cute and dorky part of his personality. And this is so irresistible! My heart soon was taken away by Han Shuo and his sweetness. I think I have not experienced this kind of heart racing and pain for a long time. His and CQQ's chemistry is top, so that some drama reviewers believed DYX really fell in love with ZLS. I started to rewatch the drama even before the final episodes were out just to watch these two lovebirds. I sincerely hope DYX becomes more popular from this drama, so he gets to try out various roles as I see endless possibilities for this 25 years old actor.
Now I few words why I did not give the drama a 10 (I really wanted to...!):
❤ ︎Plot holes in the world setting:
Despite my liking for the world setup, there are few plot bugs to this arrangement that could have been more thought through. For example, militarism is considered the main symbol of power, even in the rose city does not make sense. I agree that women can be equally talented and passionate about militarism, but retain this concept for a female-led society is a bit shallow thinking.
Also, why would the musical concubines behave this feministic? Why do they play music in the first place (which is the same art as female concubines in ancient times)? Why can't they perform arts that are "more masculine" and appreciated by women? I wished there could have been more creativity to some of the details given the stage was all set.
❤ ︎Losing the grip towards the end:
Though this drama does not have a lousy tail, it did disappoint me a bit towards the end. The story continued to pace very fast from one surprise to the other without the full logic. The behaviors of lead and supporting characters became less rational so that I even became confused at the end what QCC really wanted to achieve. Also, the ending is up for interpretation of the viewers. It can either be read as a happy end and that there has been a bug in the character setup of Han Shuo or that there is no problem in the character setup. It can also be read as a mixed ending. The fact that there are so many somewhat different interpretations of the ending deducts a few points for me.
Overall, I would recommend this drama to anyone who loves romcom but cannot stand draggyness or sudden change of theme from comedy to tragedy. Once again, it has also proven to us that it's not about the budget as this drama clearly did not have a big one... Do not hesitate and let the world of Tiger and Romance take you away.
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