Jin Xin Si Yu (2021)

Excellent, mérite ses bonnes notes

Excellent plot : Mariage arrangé entre la fille d'1 concubine et 1 grand noble, nettement plus âgé, ayant déjà 1 épouse et 3 concubines.
Hormis l'évolution de cette relation, on découvre les conflits entre grandes maisons, les difficultés des cours intérieures, les relations complexes au sein du harem, les enjeux politiques de l'époque, etc.

J'adore le CL : Wallace Chung (toujours handsome et excellent) en ML, et pour la 1e fois, Seven Tian en FL sérieuse (pas délurée ou exubérante comme d'habitude). J'avoue que je ne suis pas une fan de ses personnages habituels, mais là, son talent est évident.

Ep 5 : tentative de fuite & mère assassinée.
Ep 6 : complot de mariage de la sœur découvert et mort de la 1ere épouse
Ep 7 : mariage
Ep 35 : 1er vrai skinship :) :) => pour du slow-burn, c'est du slow-burn !!

C'est un long historique - romantique de 45 épisodes, mais superbement joué et bien écrit/réalisé.

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Naître avec un vagin, c'est vraiment la daube

Après une période de pause de plusieurs mois dans les dramas, j'ai décidé de reprendre en douceur par le gentillet "General's Lady". Et crac me voilà aussitôt en manque, comme toute addict qui se respecte il suffit d'une petite bouchée pour en vouloir davantage et je me suis mise en quête d'un historique chinois un peu plus conséquent histoire d'avoir ma dose de costumes flamboyants, de relations codifiées à l'extrême, de décors somptueux et de complots diaboliques. MyDramaList me mettant sans arrêt sous les yeux la suggestion de "The Sword and the Brocade", un drama bien noté ET qui finit bien (2 conditions essentielles à mon visionnage), je me suis lancée. Et j'ai trouvé ça vachement chouette, tellement même, que j'ai commencé à regarder le vendredi midi et que je l'ai terminé le dimanche soir malgré ses 45 épisodes (oui, j'avoue, ce week-end là je n'ai fait quasiment que ça, à part prendre ma douche et boucler quelques courses en 4ème vitesse pour voir la suite).

Résumé de l'histoire : l'héroïne est (comme d'hab) la fille d'une concubine de seconde zone et d'un père transparent et lâche qui laisse à sa méchante épouse légitime (comme d'hab) le soin de gérer le foyer avec sévérité, forcée (comme d'hab) à un mariage dont elle ne veut pas avec un mec froid et strict (comme d'hab) qu'elle ne connaît presque pas, et flanquée d'une peste de soeur (comme d'hab) dont le seul but dans l'existence semble être de lui mener la vie dure. Seulement le héros est déjà marié, et il a également quelques concubines (toutes plus evil bitches les unes que les autres, comme d'hab). Notre héroïne se retrouve donc à surnager dans un bassin rempli de requins, doit sans cesse marcher sur des oeufs, déjouer les complots ourdis contre elle (comme d'hab) avec le soutien de ses servantes toutes dévouées et prêtes à se sacrifier pour elle (comme d'hab), tout en prenant soin de ne pas mettre en colère sa puissante belle-mère qui se croit intelligente et se fait bien sûr manipuler par l'apparente docilité de ses méchantes belles-filles (comme d'hab). De son côté le héros a un poste important à la cour de l'empereur et doit lui aussi contrer les attaques rusées de ses vils ennemis qui ne reculent devant aucune bassesse pour le décrédibiliser (comme d'hab). Bon jusque-là tout va bien, on est en terrain connu.

Et pourtant, malgré ces clichés déjà vus dans de nombreux historiques chinois, j'ai passé un excellent moment, tout simplement parce que l'histoire était très bien menée, très rythmée, et capable de nous accrocher par ses nombreux rebondissements (pas très originaux mais qui nous donnent néanmoins l'envie d'enchaîner sur la suite). D'autre part, j'ai trouvé qu'il y avait un message fort dans cette intrigue, à la fois sur la condition déplorable des femmes à l'époque, et sur les conséquences des règles ancestrales (tant politiques que sociétales) inadaptées, menant inévitablement à des fonctionnements malsains, parfois meurtriers, et qui ne peuvent conduire qu'au malheur de ceux conditionnés à les respecter au prétexte de l'honneur, de la respectabilité ou d'alliances politiques et/ou familiales établies par les aînés. Presque tous les personnages, aussi riches soient-ils, sont montrés comme prisonniers d'un système et de codes liberticides dans lequels, quand le collectif prime sur l'individu, le bonheur n'a pas sa place. Et les plus grandes victimes de ce système sont les femmes, programmées pour se sacrifier pour les autres, parents, beaux-parents, époux et enfants, et vendues telles du bétail sans avoir voix au chapitre, et à qui on pousse le vice de demander d'être satisfaites de leur condition. Alors je ne suis pas spécialiste des dramas chinois, et j'ai une connaissance assez pauvre de la culture asiatique, mais pour un œil occidental comme le mien, c'est le sentiment qui en est ressorti, et je n'ai pas eu l'impression que le message était autre ou que j'avais mal compris. Je ne serai pas hypocrite en disant que ça craint d'être née en Asie à cette époque, parce que c'était (et c'est encore, à des degrés divers) la même chose partout dans le monde, à quelques variantes près (ici on interdit de passer le permis de conduire et d'aller à l'école, là on pratique les excisions, même en occident on continue à violer en toute impunité et les coupables s'en sortent quand même vachement bien...) donc non, le problème n'est toujours pas réglé même si les consciences commencent - vaguement - à s'éveiller et que ça évolue à certains endroits de la planète (c'est loin d'être suffisant, mais c'est déjà ça). Bref.

Outre le fait que la série est claire sur le sujet et ne cherche pas à nous pipeauter avec de jolies couleurs et du romantisme pour faire passer une pilule amère, de nombreuses choses m'ont beaucoup plu dans cette histoire. Déjà, l'héroïne est bien sympathique. Elle est consciente de sa condition, sait qu'elle doit la jouer profil bas, semble servile et bien élevée, mais elle a ses propres convictions, ses motivations et ses centres d'intérêt (dont la broderie, son seul espace de liberté). Forcée à un mariage dont elle ne veut pas pour remplacer sa sœur qui vient de mourir, placée dans la position de pion par sa famille qui ne veut pas perdre son avantage au sein de la demeure de son futur époux (il faut qu'elle maintienne l'alliance entre les deux familles et protège les intérêts de son neveu, dont la place et l'héritage sont menacés par les concubines qui subissent elles aussi la pression de leurs propres familles), elle tente tout d'abord de fuir ce mariage, ce qui est déjà très courageux. Hélas sa mère est mystérieusement assassinée au moment où elle souhaite mettre son projet à exécution. Comme elle soupçonne la maisonnée de son futur époux, accepter ce mariage semble être la bonne solution pour s'introduire dans cette famille et mener son enquête. Elle ne cherche pas à se faire remarquer, bien qu'occupant la position d'épouse légitime elle ne tient pas à gérer les questions domestiques alors que c'est traditionnellement le rôle qui lui revient, car plus on lui fout la paix, plus elle peut fouiner et recueillir des indices. C'est justement parce qu'elle fait sa life de son côté et se démarque des autres concubines (et de sa défunte épouse) envers lesquelles il a toujours été indifférent, que le héros commence à s'intéresser à elle. A côté de ça, elle fait preuve de jugeotte, sait rapidement analyser une situation et les pièges qui lui sont tendus, parce que c'est une question de survie et que sa condition de fille illégitime l'y a déjà préparée dans sa propre famille. Si elle veut éviter les vagues et se montre relativement respectueuse, elle garde son indépendance d'esprit et ce n'est pas parce qu'elle finit par tomber amoureuse du héros qu'elle va faire des concessions à sa liberté pour lui plaire. C'est vraiment appréciable, pas une seule fois elle ne m'a énervée ou bien je me suis dit qu'elle aurait mieux fait d'agir autrement. Elle n'a tout simplement pas le choix dans certaines situations, et elle tire assez bien son épingle du jeu (ça tombe bien, la broderie c'est son domaine).

Je ne m'étendrai pas sur l'histoire d'amour, moi qui suis très romantique eh bien là, pour le coup, je m'en fiche un peu. Elle est sympa, c'est un ajout agréable à l'histoire et à la base, c'est la raison initiale pour laquelle j'ai regardé ce drama, je suis contente qu'ils soient heureux et tout et tout à la fin (d'autant que les scénaristes savent nous la construire à un rythme relativement lent, logique, et nous montrer l'importance de se faire confiance dans un couple) mais en définitive je me rends compte que ce n'est pas ce qui m'a le plus intéressée, et je me surprends moi-même au moment où je l'écris. Là où je suis encore plus surprise, c'est d'avoir apprécié une histoire où le héros a déjà plusieurs femmes (et un enfant avec l'une d'elles, en plus de son fils légitime). Déjà il n'a pas eu le choix, il s'agit d'alliances politiques ou commerciales, et heureusement le scénario nous le montre assez indifférent à toutes ces manigances, ce qui permet de mettre en place la romance avec l'héroïne sans trop nous mettre mal à l'aise. Bien sûr, au début il peut nous paraître antipathique justement parce que son indifférence peut avoir de graves conséquences pour elles, qui dépendent entièrement de lui pour se frayer une place dans cette maisonnée hostile, et pour lesquelles une miette de son intérêt a une importance cruciale pour leur pouvoir et les rares avantages qu'elles peuvent en tirer (un peu plus de confort, de récompenses de la part de leurs familles si celles-ci sont satisfaites, un meilleur statut au sein de la maison...). Tout cela est très bien montré, et ce que j'ai trouvé appréciable, c'est qu'au contact de l'héroïne (et après avoir vu combien cela pouvait conduire à des situations aussi dramatiques que malsaines), il finit lui-même par s'en rendre compte. Evidemment on se doute bien qu'une partie conséquente des concubines finit par disparaître du paysage comme dans les "Dix petits nègres", sinon la romance principale n'aurait pas le même goût, mais le fait qu'il propose à celle qui reste la possibilité de faire ses propres choix est déjà symbolique.

Au final, la situation desdites concubines est ce qui m'a le plus intéressée, parce que j'ai trouvé qu'ils avaient traité le sujet de manière juste. L'une d'elles est évidemment plus evil bitch que les autres, c'est celle qui pose le plus de problèmes à l'héroïne au cours de l'histoire, mais du début à la fin, même si j'avais très envie qu'elle périsse dans d'atroces souffrances, je ne pouvais m'empêcher d'avoir énormément de compassion pour elle. A aucun moment je n'ai senti que les scénaristes avaient bâclé son personnage. Dès l'instant où elle apparaît, on comprend qu'elle est, elle aussi, victime d'une société qui n'a aucune pitié envers les femmes. C'est une adolescente éperdument amoureuse, qui certes, n'a cessé de faire de mauvais choix, mais honnêtement, que peut-on attendre d'une jeune fille à qui on a appris dès la naissance que le mariage était le but ultime de son existence et qui, par sa condition bien née, aurait dû devenir l'épouse de l'amour de sa vie ? A cause des cruels calculs de la sœur de l'héroïne, qui destine cette dernière à la remplacer après sa mort, cette gamine se retrouve simple concubine et humiliée dès son arrivée. Alors oui, comme je l'ai dit plus haut, certains de ses agissements sont très discutables et contrairement à l'héroïne, elle n'a pas eu l'intelligence de faire les bons choix. En même temps, si les coups bas sont la condition nécessaire à la survie et qu'on place les jeunes filles en situation de compétition dès leur arrivée dans ce bas-monde, faut pas venir se plaindre après qu'elles ne soient pas aussi pures et dociles qu'on le voudrait.

Et ça m'amène à rebondir sur le personnage de la belle-mère qui, à mon sens, n'était pas aussi bien rendu qu'il aurait pu l'être. C'est un peu le seul bémol que je soulignerai, je n'ai pas bien compris pourquoi les scénaristes l'avaient montrée aussi... disons stupide ? Elle n'est pas née de la dernière pluie, elle occupe une position puissante qui plus est, en tant que matriarche à la tête d'une famille composée de nombreuses femmes on va dire que depuis le temps, elle connaît la vie, et je ne comprends pas pourquoi elle s'imagine encore que les concubines peuvent / doivent être douces, obéissantes et dévouées aux autres comme si c'était naturel (ni qu'elle soit aussi déçue en se rendant compte de ses erreurs). Qu'un homme puisse se "laisser avoir" parce que cet aveuglement, volontaire ou non, est trèèès confortable, à la rigueur, ça passe, mais elle est elle-même née femme, elle sait ce que c'est que de devoir naviguer dans ce monde qui n'est pas fait pour son sexe (et elle a sans doute dû mettre de côté pas mal d'aspirations dans sa jeunesse elle aussi), et j'ai du mal à croire qu'elle se soit laissée abuser comme ça, surtout qu'elle est relativement fine sur d'autres questions liées aux relations de pouvoir. Après, il est vrai que son personnage sert à appuyer le propos de l'histoire, en ouvrant enfin les yeux sur les dommages qui découlent des traditions rigides et de ces mariages imposés (et sert aussi à valoriser le héros, quand il s'impose enfin face à elle en refusant tout net de prendre une nouvelle concubine). Bref, son personnage n'était pas tout à fait crédible mais on va dire que son attitude rigide a aussi son utilité dans la progression de l'intrigue, donc ce n'est pas bien grave. Alors bien sûr, on pourrait arguer que les hommes aussi se retrouvent coincés par le poids de ces traditions, mais étant donné que ce sont eux qui ont mis en place ces règles et qu'ils ne sont pas les plus désavantagés (ne serait-ce que parce qu'eux, au moins, ils ont la chance de pouvoir aller et venir à leur guise, et qu'ils ont des meufs à foison à leur service et dans leur lit), je préfère réserver ma compassion aux plus mal loties.

Pour finir sur la condition des femmes, le cas d'une autre sœur de l'héroïne, mariée à un homme violent, permet de montrer un autre aspect des difficultés auxquelles elles sont confrontées. Bien sûr ce n'est pas la première fois que cette situation nous est présentée dans un drama chinois, loin de là, mais c'était intéressant de continuer son intrigue sur le choix qu'elle doit faire après le décès de son époux : adopter un enfant qui n'est pas le sien, ou perdre son influence au sein de la famille de son mari. En somme, même quand certaines ont la chance de se retrouver veuves, leur vie n'en est pas plus simple pour autant... Quant au conflit qui oppose l'épouse légitime du père de l'héroïne et une concubine (encore une), il nous démontre de manière cruelle que peu importe la situation, le statut ou le pouvoir qu'une femme exerce au sein de la maisonnée, aucune n'en sort gagnante. Finalement, celle qui s'en sort le mieux, c'est la professeure de broderie qui a eu le bon sens de ne jamais se marier !

Enfin, ce qui m'a également semblé appréciable, c'est que les intrigues de cour auxquelles le héros doit faire face sont relativement limitées : il y a un trio de grands méchants facilement indentifiables (le père, son fils et sa belle-fille), et tout tourne autour du conflit entre la famille du héros et celle de l'ennemi, ainsi que de l'abolition ou non d'une loi ancestrale concernant une interdiction maritime ayant des conséquences sur le piratage et les conditions de vie des populations côtières durant la dynastie Ming. Cet unique fil conducteur aux questions politiques fait qu'on n'est pas perdu, on ne passe pas des heures à se demander qui soutient qui et qui manigance quoi dans quel but, le nombre de conseillers qui discutent entre eux est restreint, à tel point qu'on ne verra jamais la figure de l'empereur, qui n'est finalement pas très important dans l'histoire sauf pour le pouvoir qu'il représente.

Ah si, j'oubliais, il y a quand même un autre point qui m'a (légèrement) agacée : pourquoi faut-il toujours qu'à un moment crucial où un perso se fait injustement accuser, celui-ci soit incapable de se dépêcher de balancer la phrase qui pourrait tout arranger et qui prend à peine 5 secondes à prononcer très vite, alors même que l'accusateur lui laisse largement le temps de s'expliquer avant de répondre "tais-toi, je ne veux pas entendre tes explications !". C'est dingue, on nous refait le coup à chaque fois, et ça dure, et on se dit que là ça y est, l'accusé va pouvoir se justifier, et rebelote, on lui laisse encore du temps, et paf ! un nouveau silence inutile... Du coup ça prend encore un épisode pour rien avant que la situation se règle, alors oui je sais que ça permet de faire durer le suspense et de mettre en place d'autres éléments qui font avancer l'intrigue, mais bon c'est rageant quoi... Mais sinon, on va dire que tout le reste de la série rattrape ce moment frustrant. Je suis partiale, j'assume.

En conclusion, c'est une histoire que j'ai vraiment aimée, qui brosse un portrait relativement juste de la condition des femmes et des ravages causés par le maintien de certains codes ou de traditions qui ne sont pas toujours adaptées et certainement pas propices au bonheur, doublée de deux romances plutôt sympathiques (oui parce qu'une des servantes de l'héroïne - comme d'hab - se prend d'affection pour le second du héros, c'est peut-être convenu mais toujours agréable). Les coups bas et les complots sont légions, toutefois ils s'enchaînent à un rythme qui ne nous laisse pas le temps de nous ennuyer. Alors pour être tout à fait honnête, si l'actrice principale incarne un personnage courageux, indépendant et attachant, qui ne m'a jamais fait grincer des dents, en revanche Wallace Chung était quand même plus charismatique dans "General and I" (bon à sa décharge son rôle était un peu fade, la faute aux scénaristes ? C'est peut-être pour ça que leur romance ne m'a pas fait vibrer plus que ça...). Au final, ce drama ne se distingue pas forcément d'un autre par son originalité, parce que de nombreux éléments de l'intrigue sont loin d'être nouveaux pour les habitués des historiques chinois, mais son point fort à mes yeux repose surtout sur la manière dont le sujet a été traité. Et si on cherche une histoire pleine de couleurs qui nous dépayse le temps d'une quarantaine d'épisodes, autant opter pour celle-ci, elle a le mérite d'être intelligemment construite.

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Survivor: The Mother-in-Law Obstacles.

Xu Lingyi, marquis Yongping is all that a mother could ask for: a patriotic high ranking court official, ethical, cultured, responsible and a shining example of Confucian filial piety who asks not if he is happy with his wives, it is enough that his mother is. When his official wife dies, he takes her younger half-sister Luo Shiyi, a lowly concubine's daughter as his official wife, thus preserving the marriage ties between the Luo and Xu family. But Shiyi is a talented and resourceful woman ahead of her times and values her freedom and independence over making such an excellent match. She has her own agenda and unlike his fawning concubines, is quite happy to be neglected by Lingyi and left to her own devices. Her attitude bemuses and intrigues Lingyi out of his indifference and he finds to his dismay that he is increasingly attracted to her.

The best part of this drama is how the romance blossoms at a realistic pace between Lingyi and Shiyi, leisurely exploring important phases from distrust, to mild annoyance, to intrigue and blossoming attraction, to collaboration with some conflict and a healthy dose of jealousy thrown in. Neither character is perfect - Lingyi is a workaholic, neglects his harem, is aloof, overly strict with his children and his brother and just generally comes across as no fun at all. Except for the flashes of subtle humour that emerges when he deals with impertinence from his close aides or criticism from his family. Wallace Chung really delivers a very nuanced portrayal as a lonely and kind nobleman beneath a strict and unapproachable exterior. I really enjoy watching him come out of his shell and become a more complete person as he discovers happiness with Shiyi. Shiyi grows from a rather headstrong and defiant young wife into the caring, responsible and capable mistress of Yongping manor. This is a very different kind of role for Tan Songyun and although I feel her interpretation of the role is not that inspired, her Shiyi is likeable and pleasant to watch. Both leads are consummate actors with very solid chemistry, delivering many sweet and thrilling romantic moments as they fall in love and grow together as a couple.

Even though I don't expect much from the plot when it comes to character dramas, I have to say that the writing overall leaves a lot to be desired. It actually starts out fairly well even though it is incredibly tropey from the beginning. That is because there is a satirical approach to the writing, with subtle humour nicely woven neatly into the dialogue that had me grinning away. And some of the characters, especially the hateful concubine Qiao and Erniang were such parodies and so well acted that I got many chuckles and base enjoyment out of their setbacks and defeats. That fizzles out after the Qiao arc and at that point the mystery and defeat of the mastermind should have just been quickly wrapped out instead of dragged into repetitive plot lines and themes. The writer with a sense of humour must also have bowed out at that point because it wasn't funny anymore.

Which brings me to the mother-in-law from hell. This MIL is a real piece of work - she picks all of her sons wives, she is snobbish, biased, hypocritical, is completely illogical and plays the matriarch card all the time to get her way. This character turned the drama into some bizarre edition of Survivor where the contestants are parachuted into Ming Dynasty where they need to survive the mother-in-law of all obstacles and win the heart of the dude. Shiyi and all of Lingyi's wives are pitted against this troll who thinks that the ultimate reward is marriage to her son. The most unbelievable part of the story is that none of these rather ruthless and resentful bitches took the initiative to poison her. It would have made for an excellent Murder on the Orient Express kind of murder mystery if they all did it. As for Shiyi, her winning strategy is to kill everyone from her MIL to her love rivals with kindness. This took so long and we have to endure so many ridiculous, lazily written and repetitive arcs that I couldn't help but think poison would work so much faster.

The two main takeaways from this drama is it really sucked to be a woman during Ming Dynasty and bad shit happens when your mother picks your wives. Overall an ok watch to pass time but nothing to write home about. 7.5/8.0 overall, maybe 8.0 for just the first ~half.

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From Belittled Concubine's Daughter to Respected Marquis's Wife

As a historical Cdrama lover, The Sword and the Brocade was certainly a delightful watch, giving an insight and story that is both informational and enjoyable. Set in the Ming Dynasty, viewers follow the journey of Luo Shiyi Niang, as she gains respect from the people around her as she rises from a concubine's daughter to the wife of a powerful marquis. As a 45 episode drama with 45 minutes per episode, I thoroughly enjoyed most of the drama, especially the progression and improvement of many characters' personalities.

This is definitely not a low-budget drama, with colorful and intricate clothing, realistic Ming dynasty props, and nice sets. Shiyi Niang's clothing showed off her sunshiney personality and simplicity, showing off pastel colors of many shades to viewers. And rather than clothing that looked too royal and fancy, Shiyi Niang's clothing fit her personality perfectly.

Story-8.5:
If you enjoyed The Story of Minglan, you will most likely love this drama as well. The drama doesn't have a very spectacular plotline, but rather shows how the many characters in the drama changed as they experienced more of life, and the very inspirational outcomes from various circumstances.

Born in the rather influential Luo family, Luo Shiyi Niang (Luo= last name, Shiyi= 11, Niang= character given to all Luo girls) is not given upmost care from the family, with the exception of her concubine-ranked mother. In ancient China, children born of the main wife were considered the legitimate children, while concubine-born children were illegitimate. As a young girl, Shiyi Niang only experienced true familial love from her mother, who later dies in a tragic and mysterious way. Determined to find the murderer and avenge her mother, Shiyi Niang can only marry Xu Lingyi, the powerful marquis of the Xu manor, who was the husband of her eldest sister, Yuan Niang, before she died.

Shiyi Niang and Xu Lingyi's marriage is a perfect example of a normal marriage in ancient China, where parents would decide the spouse of their children. This couple started out without any love at all, but through various circumstances, romance started to bloom. The drama explores love from family, lovers and friends, as well as life in ancient China.

It should also be noted that a harem of a few concubines and children was perfectly normal in ancient China. Some viewers may be uncomfortable with this significant detail, but this picture of an influential official's harem frames ancient Chinese polygamy quite well. (I'm not implying that this is acceptable now, just that it was normal in ancient China, and we can also learn some history from it.)

My story rating dropped from a 9.5 to an eventual 8.5 after a few parts of the drama. Some parts were rather unnecessary, while other parts would have been much better off with more explanation (especially the ending, which felt very rushed). I have to admit that I started to get bored at times, but fortunately, the plot managed to keep the drama rolling.

Acting/Cast-9.0:

First, please allow me to say that the main reason I gave this drama such a high rating overall (9.0) is being of the character development. The Sword and the Brocade has one of the best character developments I have seen in dramas. Shiyi Niang is such an influential and motivational figure. Although she is concubine-born, she managed to win over the hearts of the entire Xu family, who were all cold and distant to her at first. Adding on to this trait, she also displays kindness and care towards her family, friends and anyone in need, and is willing to sacrifice if necessary. She is definitely not the whiny female lead, or a woman in ancient China who has to depend on her powerful husband to live well. She starts a, we'll call it an embroidery educational system, and she is quite good at teaching the young girls embroidery, being amazing at embroidery herself. (which is an essential talent for women in ancient China) As always, Tan Songyun slayed her role, perfectly pulling off this headstrong but caring female lead, who used her wits and kindness to gain the affection of her husband and respect of her new family members.

Wallace Chung did not disappoint as well. He kept the image of a powerful and intelligent marquis throughout the drama, one traumatized by the death of a few of his family members when he was quite young. This event also changed him to the cold man seen in the beginning of the drama, who only cared about filial-piety and protecting the nation. After Shiyi Niang's arrival, though, his change was clear and evident. He began displaying signs of affection towards not only her, but other family members as well. He began to understand the hardships of others, and also the importance of family (which, Shiyi Niang saw importance in as well).

There is a rather significant age gap between both the actors (Actress Tan Songyun and actor Zhong Hanliang) and the main leads in the drama, the gaps being 16 years and most likely 10 years respectively. I have noticed a disturbance in viewers after this discovery, but this gap did not bother me from enjoying the drama at all. Seven Tan and Wallace Chung had acceptable chemistry. Shiyi Niang and Xu Lingyi are a cute couple. Not so-cute-I-could-look-at-them-at-day cute, but they were a nice couple. There were a few intimate scenes, which were conducted fairly well.

Some of the other characters who won me over were Shiyi Niang's sisters, her Fifth Sister-in-Law, Hu Po, and so many others. Almost of all of the characters had amazing character development (excluding the antagonists, of course). It was normal for sisters to fight over the most trivial things, as the atmosphere in families were highly competitive, but Shiyi Niang stayed back, while her other concubine-born sisters gained more of the main wife's favor. One of her sisters was most deserving of my scorn, but I took the hate back as the drama started to near the end. Most of these actors and actresses did a wonderful job playing the roles of people living in ancient China, managing to make everyone's stories and goals realistic but also pretty relatable. The antagonists were fine, wanting to gain from greed and influence from others.

How did Shiyi Niang even manage to gain the respect of so many people and also establish such successful and stable relationships? These results can be attributed to a tiny bit of luck, but mostly her high EQ and patience that helped her in the long run. Even Xu Lingyi's mother, who disliked her greatly at first, eventually took to her as her own daughter. Shiyi Niang's personality is one that all of us can learn and benefit from.

Music-8.0:
The Sword and Brocade does not have a very memorable soundtrack, but it had nice songs nonetheless. I especially enjoyed he song sung by Seven Tan. Who knew that she has such a sweet and gentle voice! Fortunately though, my ears did not receive any complaints of the bgm or OSTs not matching with what was going on eith the drama, making the music a nice add-in.

Overall-8.5:
Overall, a great drama, and a great perception of Ming Dynasty life as well! Not only was the story intriguing, but the character developments are so rare and motivational, showing us how patience and kindness will pay off in the end. Greed will get us nowhere, and the antagonists got what they deserved in the end. From a girl who no one took much importance in to an influential wife of a powerful marquis, Shiyi Niang managed to achieve many things she never thought she would achieve, as well as help many people in the nation.

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How to survive as a woman in an aristocratic household

The first reaction for most viewers is, “So many wives and concubines!” Many simply cannot tolerate such polygamous relationship and drop the drama. This is rather unfortunate because in real life, polygamy was the norm in ancient Chinese society. Therefore, this story has realistically portrayed life in wealthy and aristocratic households, and captured the suppression, and relentless in-fighting and conniving among wives and concubines in the harem, and interfamily feuds among various clans.

My alternative title could have been "How to survive Confucianism as a woman". As Confucianism was widely practiced during the Ming Dynasty when this story is set, self-restraint was valued highly as individuals endured all things, good or bad, thrown at them without retaliating. It’s indeed hard for modern viewers to empathize with such value which was then considered as virtue. Women were suppressed, and were born to serve the men – fathers when they were unmarried, husbands when married, and sons when they became mothers.

When Luo Shi Yi Niang (Tan Song Yun aka Seven Tan) is forced into an arranged marriage to Xu Ling Yi (Chung Hon Leung aka Wallace Chung) to "replace" her deceased older sister, she has attempted to run away. Circumstances prevent her from doing so. As she thinks she would never fall in love with a man who has multiple spouses, she falls in love with him because indeed he’s a very decent man who treats her well and loves her above everything else.

Tan Song Yun is one of my favorite actors. She can be a very convincing teenager and I love most of her other dramas. I like her too in this drama, but somehow, I have a hard time in fitting her into the story, either because of her aura or something else. Perhaps for me, I can’t see her playing a meek role here, submitting to her fate; I have always seen her playing characters that don’t conform and always hit back when pushed.

Xu Ling Yi is a good government official bound by tradition and duty, and has a heavy burden on his shoulder in holding up his large household as well as performing his duties as an upright incorruptible bureaucrat who loves his country and loyal to the Emperor. Chung Hon Leung has a natural stiff upper lip and fits well into the filial pious Xu Ling Yi character who speaks few words and never shows his emotions. His portrayal is good and convincing. Filial piety as virtuous as it is, can also quickly become an impediment to progress, critical and rational thinking. And here, he’s made to take in multiple concubines by his mother, the Matriarch, in order to propagate, only to add on more heartaches and hatred within the household.

As much as the story wants to portray a suppressed society, it also tries to placate viewers who would have preferred a more just world with love and retribution, hence here we are given a true love, one-man-one-woman story for an ending which may feel a bit banal.

My Verdict
Overall this is quite a realistic story - no love at first sight, no firework romance, both the ML & FL are intelligent and mature with same family values built on love and trust. There is fighting but no wuxia, a lot of conflicts in almost every household (realistic aristocratic family portrayal of the era) and in politics (true historical event of banning of sea trade that had led to hardship and piracy), strong Confucius values and philosophy permeate daily life. The actual story (plot) is nothing to be excited about, but the portrayal of life during the Ming Dynasty under Confucianism, the shooting (camera work), screen writing, costumes and editing are quite good, hence my 9/10 rating. I have rather enjoyed this drama.

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Surprisingly Addictive !

Personally, I find The Sword And The Brocade to be addictive. I kept watching one episode after another and completed the whole drama within 3 to 4 days. What made me hooked is the way the story is told and the smart female character. It is a bit like Word Of Honor whereby the story execution could make or break a drama. In this case, it is a romance drama and the relationship between the male and female lead follows a slow but smooth progress. It is different from a lot of romance dramas whereby the leads just fall in love at first sight or after a short period of bickering like Overlord and The Wolf Princess.

Therefore, I find that The Sword And The Brocade has a unique charm because the romance is kind of gentle and gradually persuasive. It has a very different flavor from the usual to make it a compelling watch for me. However, I also understand why some people can’t relate to this drama as the male character is written to be cold especially towards his concubines.

A Cold Male Lead
The main male character, Ling Yi, has a few concubines besides an official wife. So, this is a drama that features a lot of schemings by revengeful and jealous concubines. It does have that element of stereotyping. This is not helped by a mother-in-law who practices favoritism. If you are not into this kind of set-up, this drama may appear unattractive. That was what I thought too but the female character saved the day for me which I will elaborate later.

Basically, a cold male lead is not new. Legend Of Yun Xi and Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms also start off with an aloof male lead. But because Ling Yi has a few concubines, some viewers may have issue with the way he treats them. In the drama, Ling Yi simply has no affections for them. So, he tends to neglect his concubines especially after the female lead comes into the picture. You can say that he is pretty unfair when it comes to the amount of attention he lavishes on his wife versus the rest of his women.
Personally, I’m fine with it because I can relate to his situation as the head of a very traditional family and why he ended up having to marry them. He is also repulsed by their schemes and over-eagerness to curry favor with him because he is just not that type who would fall for their wily behavior. If you look at it this way, then Ling Yi will become a more palatable male lead.

An Astute Female Lead
Shi Yi Niang’s ability to read the situation and seize it to her advantage is what makes her character interesting to me. So, yes, it is a typical concubine and mother-in-law historical drama whereby they try to make things hard for the female lead. But Shi Yi Niang is not that poor woman in need of her man’s help. She is smart and astute to know how to turn the tables on them. In a way, the female lead carried the show for me. Rather than a sob story with a pitiful female character, she blazes the trail with her independence and courage to take risk.

Hence, if you like watching strong and smart female characters in your dramas, The Sword And The Brocade will certainly qualify as one of them.

A Sweet And Gentle Romance
The plot starts off with Shi Yi Niang wanting to investigate her mother’s death. As the drama progresses, it switches to the relationship between Shi Yi Niang and Ling Yi with the investigation remaining relevant as a sub-plot. I think some might find the romance unrealistic that Ling Yi seems to tread on eggshells around his new wife when he is an experienced married man. I guess it is needed to slowly build up the romance. So, you will find him remaining respectful and a gentleman when it comes to romancing and sleeping with Shi Yi Niang.

Thus, if you want to enjoy this romance drama, you will need to put aside a dose of realism. But that is how it is with most dramas out there anyway. For me, the romance is the slow burn type but charming nonetheless because Shi Yi Niang doesn’t fawn over Ling Yi like he expected her to. She beguiles him and after getting to know her better, he ends up adoring her. Hence, it is gentle progress as they build a foundation of trust after various experiences and start to admire each other’s good qualities. It has a positive feel in a way that is both sweet and satisfying.

My Verdict
I know many people are watching The Sword And The Brocade because of the leads. Seven Tan is a talented actress who tends to have great chemistry with her co-stars. She did well in Under The Power as well as Go Ahead whereby she is paired with someone younger than her. As for Wallace Chung, he has been around for a long time and is a highly experienced actor.

Both of them did manage to generate enough chemistry in The Sword And The Brocade for me. I guess it really depends on whether you find them to be a matching pair appearance-wise as there is a big age gap between them. If you don’t, then the chemistry will feel forced just like the pairing in Dating In The Kitchen and the drama will lose its shine altogether.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend a watch with a score of 8/10 for this The Sword And The Brocade review. Perhaps it could have been shortened rather than stretched to 45 episodes as the women’s schemings can get tiring. But the plot keeps it going as the investigative element and feud with the Ou family offer more variety to the story while remaining closely tied to the romance. That is why I find it to be an addictive drama overall. Watch it if you want a different feel to a romance rather than the usual. Also, the OSTs of the drama are really beautiful to listen to especially the one by Zhou Shen which fits the drama to a tee!

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Best Cdrama in a long time, best acting by Seven todate

I was initially skeptical about this sort of costume dramas but as I watched the story line got better. I specially liked the acting capabilities of both the lead actor and actors. I feel that this is probably the best effort by Seven todate. She seem to have matured a lot in her acting abilities.

This is a serious and typical drama with not much comedy. I liked the twist and turns of the story line. Many a times the lead actress seemed caught in the many conspiracies but we get surprises at how smart both the leads were able to jointly overcome their enemies.

For once, we get a good and smart leading actress and it is portraited well here. The story just got better with the episodes and it is worth a rewatch.

I must also comment that the English subs were well done, generally good english used. Thanks to this, I was able to follow the story and enjoyed the show.

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Love within marriage

I think if you are wondering whether or not to watch this drama you need to know the following:

- This is an historical drama, with the laws and values of the bygone era
- It takes place in a harem. The ML has a lot of wives and children from different women.
- Although it is a historical drama, there is a fictional license used to tell the story.
- It's a slow romance. To some too slow and not enough.
- It's not an action drama, don't expect a lot of kung fu fighting scenes
- There is a big age difference between the leads

I say this because if you already know you don't enjoy these kinds of things, then you probably won't like the drama even if you do like the actors.

Overall I enjoyed the series. The Sword and Brocade was a beautiful production. The costumes and sets were well done. And I loved the music.

Seven and Wallace had a nice chemistry. Were they on fire? No, instead this is a love filled with patience, trust, respect and good humour. This is a story about finding love within an arranged marriage.

I think the story was nice, but there were a few repetitive tropes that I think they should have done differently. It's easy to get very frustrated with the antagonist, and some of the ML family members. I wished writer was better at scheming. I think it was one of the weak points of the story.

Shiyi was a lovely leading lady. She isn't Seven's usual character. She was mature, calm and more restrained. I was glad to see Seven play a more adult character.

Houye was a very dashing leading man. His character on the surface seems like a saint but by the end you can see that there was flawed husband whose pride and neglect often times hurt the women who served him. Wallace is good at playing sensitive romantics. I very much feel he was staying in type here.

I won't breakdown all the characters, but I will say I was very disappointed with Madame Xu's character. She was very bias, and stubborn in her character. For 40ish episodes I didn't see much character growth in her character. She made me feel grateful for my own Mother-in-law. I really hated her character.

The Sword and Brocade was a sweet slow romance and that provide some insight into the life of married women of those times.

In fact, I think it's the harem dynamics that is the best part of the story. They did do a good job at showing us challenges, heartbreak, and general unfairness of women of that time.

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An uncomplicated Ming Dynasty tale

Are you tired of the toxicity of Harem dramas? Perhaps, you've grown too old to tolerate a dunce female lead? If yes, then this drama is for you. The talented Tan Song Yun portrays Luo Shi Yi as my female lead wet dream. She's not annoying and is often logical with her decisions. Does she ever fall into the enemies' traps? Why, yes of course. Because we won't reach 45 episodes if she consistently can outmaneuver her opponents, and evil machinations are the favorite pastime of the ancient people apparently. Anyway, this girl is great, she's near 9 in terms of likability for a strong heroine. Oh, and Wallace Chung is great too.

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Sometimes after finished watch this ancient kind drama, I'm thanking GOD i've been born at this time not at that time. Because of course, as we also can seen in this drama, born as a women at that time never been easy. Especially in aristocratic household like house of XU & LUO.

At first i kinda frustrated with how they love so slow to develop. But at the end i really happy because of it. Yeah Luo Shi Yi Niang (SY) and Xu Ling Yi (LY) love is not the kind of love at the first sight, but their love build based on mutual trust. Really like to see from the awkward moment to sweet moment in the end and also how they support each other to fight against every plot that come around. After they have mutual love & trust, we can see how soft & warm LY when he see SY & how happy SY when she saw LY

Really like how SY develop the trust from LY & his family. We witnessed how the child of a concubine who was underestimated when she entered the household until she got everyone support & trust. We also witnessed the sacrifice that SY did for XU family & support that LY given to her since the begining.

We really can't judge by the cover. At the end i really never expected the one that became spy for the OU family is someone that we see so calm & kind at the begining. But yeah hatred really can make us do anything.

Sometimes this drama also remind me of Ming Lan (ML), more precisely of Gu Ting Ye (TY). Sometimes LY though when he search for women who just can understand & accept him as himself not as marquis, really remind me of TY, how happy he is when ML angry with him.

Overall this really a good drama, everyone play they part beautifully. Re-watch...? Yeah i think i'll gonna re-watch some episode.

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One of the best Chinese dramas

The Sword and the Brocade is a compelling story about concubine-born Luo Shiyi who marries Xu Lingyi, Marquis Yongping to honor a dying sister's wish. Seven Tan and Wallace Chung are outstanding in their roles, the former as the smart, diligent and kind Shiyi, the latter as the cold, strict and upright Lingyi. The sweet, heart-fluttering slow-burn romance between Shiyi and Lingyi develops in a charged setting laden with scheming concubines and political rivals.

When the leads fall in love, their devotion to each other is so heartwarming you'd just want to keep watching how an intelligent and sensible couple who truly love, respect and trust each other overcomes one scheme after another, outmaneuvering enemies together.

My main gripes about Cdramas are their length and tendency to drag. But this is so good, with hardly any draggy parts, I just wanted it to keep going. The music is stirring, the cinematography is stunning and the story flows smoothly. The ending is one of the most satisfying endings in Cdramas I've watched.

This got a lot of flak for featuring the concubine system, which, for me, is tantamount to saying that all shows featuring war and crime are bad. In fact, far from supporting the concubine system, this drama shows how evil it is, causing much grief to everyone involved, from the husband to the wives, concubines and children. In the end, the male lead and his brother both abandon the practice. Thus, the flak this drama got was unfair and undeserved.

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