Schemes of a Beauty (2010)

Schemes of a Beauty follows the life of Empress Dou Yifang (Ruby Lin) of Han, who founded a peaceful and flourishing era of Han rule in Chinese history along with her husband Emperor Wen (Sammul Chan). The lot of the tale however, is there is more to a beautiful woman than meets the eye in the world of ancient politics.

There's quite a lot to like about Schemes of a Beauty, yet many instances where things could be greatly improved, given the premise and star-studded cast. And like most Chinese dramas, it is guilty of dragging issues and inconsistency in writing, as well as poor execution in certain parts. Having said that, I can forgive the dragginess for its necessity to the development of the plot rather than trying to be something it is not.

Acting: The main leads Sammul and Ruby as the Emperor and Empress, are decent. I would not say they carried the drama, as it is a story that involves contributions of many characters and actors, but they delivered. They had good chemistry, and were convincing as a young married royal pair who always placed their obligations to their country first, yet remained devoted to one another over the years though not without conflicts. Neither were standouts but Ruby did steal a few major scenes when needed. The strange thing about Ruby Lin is she is no outstanding actress, but seems to have great chemistry with whoever she works with - both actors AND actresses (aside from Sammul, she also worked really well with Yang Mi and Luo Jin), and in every drama, there is bound to be a scene or two (usually the pivotal moments too) where she completely steals it.

But Sammul and Ruby are hardly the only stars, in fact the real dealbreaker lies in the strong supporting cast rounded out by Yang Mi, Mickey He, Luo Jin, Wang Likun and guest stars Feng Shao Feng and Myolie Wu. Dare to say most touching and heartfelt performances came from the secondary cast, and the veteran actresses were spectacular.

Story & Characters: The characters are some of the most multi-faceted and balanced I've seen. But perhaps the greatest thing about the story is that none of the secondary characters are robbed of a great storyline either. Overall I like how nothing was ever truly predictable, there were even instances where Dou Yifang who we all know to be super intelligent has outdone herself. Also great is how the story plays out over the years and follows the lives of multiple characters not just the main ones, and how they are all intertwine.

Parts of the drama can be draggy, and overall tone and content is heavy. A solid drama, especially the very strong start to the drama, with very well developed characters and relationships.

Leia Mais

As an avid Ruby Lin fan (from her days as Princess Jianning NOT 'Princess Pearl'), I was first drawn to this drama by her involvement. Then they rolled out the publicity for the elaborate costumes and red carpet list of high profile actors, and my heart was lost completely.

Romanticism aside, the drama itself turned out to be a little less than I expected, but still very, very good.
The twists are not necessarily riveting, but they're complicated enough to keep you interested.

STORY:
The backstory for Dou Yi Fang is actually a little ridiculous and features (as usual) Ruby playing first, the mother of the protagonist, and then the protagonist herself. It's your typical tragic orphan story, turned cinderella.
It isn't until Dou Yi Fang enters the palace as a maid, reuinited with her childhood friend Shen'er, does the story get interesting as palace politics and intrigues take over. Her intelligence is a little exaggerated here, with the extent of her intelligence being displayed by little tricks, and convenient politics. (Watch and you'll know what I mean).
It's is Shen'er's story that ends up being far more interesting, which is strange, considering the actress, Wang Li Kun, is far less well known.

ACTORS:
Ruby and Sammul are well known for their acting prowess, but it is Yang Mi, Wang Li Kun, Luo Jin and Mickey He that take the screen by storm.
Wang Li Kun as Shen'er is the epitome of a scheming beauty, while Luo Jin strikes us as the tragic Emperor, caught in a web of lies and murder. Yang Mi proves to the world that she can be a wonderful femme fatale (literally in this case), with a heart of pure gold, while Mickey He is perfect as the hot-headed, well-meaning General of Liu Heng's empire.
Dai Chunrong and Bai Shan, both veterans of the acting world, are stunning as Emperess Dowagers. I could rave on and on, but if you've heard of them, expect nothing less than their best. If you haven't, then you haven't quite experienced life yet and you need to watch them.

As good as the leads are, I think in this case, their supporting actors totally stole the show.

MUSIC:
Typical, nothing outstanding.

REWATCH VALUE:
I see no reason to really re-watch it or otherwise. It tends to be somewhat overwhelming, personally.

OVERALL:
A good drama to watch and definitely above average compared to its peers. If you enjoy historical dramas, a bit of eye candy, and a dash of romance; then this is definitely for you.

Leia Mais

I loved it, Ruby fan.

It was one of the Chinese ancient drama that exceeded my expectations, no regrets spending time to watch.

It was very exciting & addicting.

The on screen couple acting never been better. Costumes nice & trendy to see. Plot is what I want. Hope to rewatch this again.

I do recommend this drama to everyone, don’t think it will get boring anytime.

I really like it that she switch sides to her husband in the end, I really like the idea & suspense in this drama, as if you do not know the next steps in this drama, how carefully planned.

Leia Mais

What drew me to this series was because Ruby Lin was the main actress. I've always loved the stuff that she's in and this was the same as well.  The story was intriguing and so good to watch. Ruby's portrayal was brilliantly done all the way through. From being a young princess with the older dowager queen.  It was an amazing inspiration watching her overcome all the hardships through her life. There was such motivation in what she's done for herself and her family and watching it come to life was an amazing experience. Of course, I absolutely loved the costume designs as well. There was such rich fabrics and designs.

Leia Mais

OMG it is so irritating to watch this series! I had to drop it! The main leads are so NOT fit for the roles ! The king looks weak and indecisive. The main female lead, her look is so dramatic . She does not look smart to play that role.

The story Line is so poorly written. I just hate it with a passion where misunderstandings arise when people fail to explain The obvious IMPORTANT thing. I don’t understand why the main female lead has to be angry at all he general?! Thing happened that made him misunderstood her, instead of explaining to him she goes “there’s no need for me to explain, you can think of me however you want”!!
And when the maid got raped in her wedding day, no body care to explain to the groom that she got poisoned by the other chick. Also I don’t know understand why They didn’t get married but wait till Concubine Qi suggested.
There are so many damn maids I. The palace and no one bother to watch the kids so they people keep harming them.

All in all...it is just SO IRRITATING to watch this...especially after watching Story of Yanxi Palace!

I just can’t stand main lead faces!!! Both of them are not very attractive. Looks like they got bad plastic surgery or something. Yang mi and Claudia yang are way better looking and acting

Don’t waste your time on this tittle. Watch Story of Yangxi Palace! It is so so so satisfying to watch!!!!!

Leia Mais