Zhu Lian Yu Mu (2024)

Discover the Unforgettable Journey of "Pearl Girl"

"The Story of Pearl Girl" is not just another historical drama; it’s a captivating experience that will leave you spellbound. With its unique story, fast-paced plot, and exceptional performances from an incredible casts, this series stands out as a must-watch.

From the moment DW and YZJ met, you'll be enchanted by the chemistry between the lead characters. Their connection feels genuine, drawing you deeper andd captures the essence of love and ambition against the backdrop of history.
Also " The Story Of Pearl Girl" masterfully balances joy and sorrow.

Don’t miss out on the series that everyone is talking about. Tune in today and discover why this drama is highly recommended for all lovers of exceptional storytelling!

Leia Mais

DuanWu is Superb ?

"The Story Of Pearl Girl" released in 2024's Chinese drama world with good quality.
The first thing that i got interested in this movie was because of the underwater scenes of the lead actress that went viral. I started watching the movie only because of the underwater scene of the actress without knowing the plot.
As soon as I started watching the movie, I couldn't help but admire the CGI effects and the filters that were used.
The most important thing in Chinese TV costume dramas is CGI. There are many movies that have to be thrown out because of bad CGI. This film is suitable for every scene from the use of light to the end of the filter, and the way the director portrays the speed of the film is really commendable. I was watching the ongoing, so until I finished watching, the plot was good and connected. (I hope to maintain this momentum until the end of the film).
I heard that it is an original script, so the story may be unpredictable, with various ups and downs, and plot twists.

The story is about a girl named DuanWu, who gambled her life to gain freedom from pearl slavery. There, as a pearl slave, the scenes of searching for pearls under water were filmed, which was very beautiful.
The acting ability of the lead actress ZhaoLusi is really appreciated.
In this movie, the character is Pearl's servant at first, so it seems like she didn't even wear makeup, from the make-up layout.
For a movie to be good, it must have a good plot, the leading actors must be good actors. I also noticed that every actor involved in this film fits in their place.
Watching this movie, I get the old high quality Chinese movie vibe as well as the Kdrama vibe.
It is a Chinese quality drama of 2024. Now it will stream worldwide through Netflix.
Highly recommended for drama fans who want to enjoy a good movie with heavy plots.

Leia Mais

Peak Cinema, Peak Feels: A Heartbreakingly Beautiful Masterpiece of TSOPG

here’s my review
if we look at the bigger picture, the ending is actually pretty genius and heartbreakingly realistic. Like, we’ve known from the start that YZJ was poisoned as a kid, and by the time if he get the antidote in ep 30-something, his body was already too fragile to fully recover. It was never going to be a miracle fix.

And the best part? There’s zero unnecessary misunderstandings here. They completely understand each other—it’s just that neither of them is willing to back down. She’s pushing to stay by his side, and he’s trying so hard to push her away

Since he doesn’t want her to see him at his weakest. But duanwu’s a clever girl; she doesn’t need anyone to tell her the truth. She knows, just by observing on him, that his time is running out. That moment when YZJ cries? It’s layered—he’s proud of her for how well she understands him, but also heartbroken because she’s keeping her emotions locked up for his sake. It’s mature, passionate love that’s all about knowing and caring deeply without needing to spell it out.

The ending? Let’s be real—he most likely dies while traveling through the desert. And Su Muzhe? She doesn’t want to lead the jewelry empire because, from the start, she’s all about freedom. In the end, she chooses to honor her way of life—traveling, trading, selling jewelry from one place to another.

And if only They not included that 40-years-later desert shot ambiguous for a reason. It gives us hope. If you squint, you can imagine your own happy ending.

The story is fully fleshed out, with not just the main character, but the side characters getting their own development too. No one is there just to make the FL look good. Take the lady huan or songstress, for example-they have their own story, not just existing to serve SMZ's arc. The FL in Pearl Girl doesn't get everything handed to her on a silver platter. She has to grind, learn the ropes, and make sense of every decision. It's a slow build, but that's what makes it real. If she became a CEO overnight, it would feel fake, cringe and rushed
And let’s talk about the cinematography for a second. Every frame is like a painting. Especially The desert shots are breathtakingly poetic. It feels like time itself slows down, letting you absorb every ounce of grief and beauty.

Then there’s the acting. Lusi is just on another level here—her microexpressions, the way her eyes carry every unsaid word, and the subtle shifts in her body language? Genius. She perfectly captures Su Muzhe’s cleverness, determination, and heartbreak without overdoing it. And LYN? My god. He has this quiet, devastating intensity that pulls you right into YZJ’s internal struggle. Every glance, every tear feels so real it hurts.

And don’t even get me started on the OST. The music ties everything together—those hauntingly beautiful melodies that play in the background of their most emotional moments? Goosebumps. The way the OST swells during YZJ’s sad moments and transitions into silence? It’s like the music is crying for us.

Leia Mais

Bittersweet yet captivating

A poignant and captivating tale, this beautiful drama is an emotional and gut-wrenching experience.
Well-written dramas require viewer identification with the character to be truly engrossing. Without emotional investment in the character, the audience is lost. Thankfully Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning's performances are captivating and convincing, boasting one of the best on-screen chemistries. They should capitalize on this chemistry and collaborate again, this time on a modern drama.
However, some series parts drag on, such as the second couple's love story and the Zheng family drama. The close friendship between Duan Wu and Cui Shi Jiu seems unrealistic, and the male lead character's ending is lazily written. Despite inconsistencies due to external factors, which led to a focus on Chloe Xie's character, I highly recommend this series and give it the highest ratings. The cast, especially in the first half of the series, delivers well-written and acted performances, with exceptional music scores and cinematography.
One of the best this year!

Leia Mais

Bittersweet.

If you like fluffy endings and rom-coms, this drama is not it. From beginning to end, the characters and plot are all complex and deep. The story is fast-paced yet riveting. Just like the ocean, its vast and the cinematography is so beautiful. But what made me love this drama are the characters. They all real people just going through life.

I know that some people will hate the ending because they want HE. However, it made sense for YZJ to die. I do think that when SMZ told him to stay, I think he really stayed and lived his last days with her, symbolizing the ring on her hand at the jewel auction. She did outlive him, but she lived his dreams of traveling the world.
I cried so much 💔💔. So poignant.
They got everything they wanted, but there is always a price to pay.
but just like the purple stars, they will meet and be together forever! 🥹❤️😭

Leia Mais

Pearls of Destiny: Emotions and Unexpected Twists in an Unforgettable Drama

Everything about this drama flows so naturally, and it is utterly captivating. The main heroine is pearl hunter Duan Wu, portrayed by the experienced actress Zhao Lusi, who searches day after day for ways to survive and fulfill the promise to her deceased mother. Her performance is stellar, simply fantastic. So far, dramatic emotions prevail, but occasionally there are glimpses of humorous scenes so typical for her.

The main male protagonist is jewelry merchant Yan Zi Jing (played by Liu Yu Ning), as he is currently presented. He appears to be the villain of the entire story, and in certain moments he is. However, his coldness and sometimes even harsh behavior towards Duan Wu offer those moments that the viewer wants to see—how she has to fight for her life. These are the scenes where Zhao Lusi shines in her extremely demanding emotional moments. It should be noted that his childhood was not happy, and he likely went through tough times after losing his parents, which influences his view of Duan Wu. Here I see the life motto: "Life doesn't coddle anyone; if you want to survive..."

If Yan Zi Jing is the black character, then the other male protagonist is the opposite—the white one; they are complete opposites. Zhang Jin Ran (played by Tang Xiao Tian) portrays a scholar in the story and treats Duan Wu with absolute sincerity and support. It seems that there are glimpses of sympathy towards this girl.

Throughout the entire work, Cui Shi Jiu and Zheng Zhi Heng appear as the main antagonists, their relationship beginning as a tangled game of mutual exploitation and ambition. However, as the plot progresses, especially at the moment of Zheng's death, the true depth of their feelings becomes evident. This tragic event reveals the genuine love that had developed between them. In the end, Cui Shi Jiu finds her path alongside Su Mu Zhe, and the two build a respectful friendship that reflects their personal growth and ability to overcome the past.

In conclusion, this drama is truly remarkable work that combines strong acting performances, a deep storyline, and unforgettable characters. Every scene is meticulously crafted and keeps the viewer in suspense from beginning to end. If you're looking for a series that will emotionally move you and offer an intense experience, this is the one. I highly recommend it to all lovers of dramas filled with emotions and unexpected twists.

Leia Mais

A masterpiece!

One of the best historical C dramas! The cinematography, the story plot, the costumes, props, and of course the acting!! All were amazing! This series I can say is a masterpiece. TSOPG indeed has depth and substance showing combination of romance, drama and also the cultural practice being done during the ancient times (pearl harboring and selling). Been looking for a really good series the past months, I am so glad this was released.

Also, good job to Zhao Lusi for her performance. She was able to portray her character flawlessly. i love her acting, very natural but the emotions are screaming. love it!

Leia Mais

Live Each Day to Its Fullest, Don't Take Anything or Anyone For Granted & Be Mindful of UFOs

What a beautiful, multilayered journey with very complicated characters! I was watching this for LYN and I can say despite what I think is an OE/SE for his character and those that loved him, it is his best acting to date. Obviously the reunion with ZLS after TLB was something special to see, but this drama was about the realism of life, business and revenge more than romance. It reminded one to live life to the fullest, not to take anything for granted, & always be mindful of UFOs.

Pros: Favorite character for me was LYN as YZJ; each drama of his that comes out is such an improvement over the last and I'm so proud of just how much he gave to this character. Starting out living only for revenge as a morally grey merchant of the west. You really didn't know what his motives were at beginning other than he had a deep grudge against a ruthless bandit leader named LK, his gang of thugs, and two families the Cui's and Zheng's. He was super intelligent, filthy rich, and his plans always included contingencies. It was only when he met DW played exceptionally well by ZLS who herself was struggling just to live a moment at a time as a slave pearl diver (btw though it looked beautiful underwater, free diving is hard as hell and without proper equipment it's even more difficult, so serious props to ZLS for doing all of those scenes herself. Though for safety reasons, they should have hired a professional certified free diver) in some beyond deplorable conditions and her bargaining her life over a pearl just to get herself free and sneaking herself and a little boy named "shrimp" onto YZJ's boat that the seemingly ruthless merchant, started teaching her everything he knew about the pearl and jewelry business as a whole. He didn't just take her in slave and whatnot, but because the woman she thought was always torturing her in the cave was actually her mother (YZJ’s mom’s maid and best friend since childhood) and she taught her accounting and was particularly strict with her because she wanted her to live and her something priceless in her possession that with her dying breath she gave to DW; a blood-pearl that became an essential piece of this entire story. Turned out that the pearl made YZJ recognize DW as the daughter of his family's chief jade carver and who was slaughtered along with his own family when he was a boy as he watched them murdered by the bandits sent by the Cui and Zheng families and three (Xu, LK, & PY) other sinister and powerful figures behind them so they could take the entire jewelry business in different places over as well build the mastermind's power. Meanwhile, YZJ was imprisoned, tortured, and poisoned for 8 years until he escaped with another young boy KJ who later became his best friend and most trusted aid/guard.

I won't go into the entire story because then what would be the point of watching? But that's the essential original connection between YZJ and DW. SML or ZJR traveled undercover and had initially fallen for DW but because of their totally different worlds, he had no chance with her and instead opted to become the best friend and fellow investigator alongside the other two later on. What struck me was that ZJR, Xu, and PY had the same Shifu and were brother disciples but only ZJR was upright and just while the other two were corrupt and murderous. The three of them (YZJ, DW, ZJR) made for a great team. YZJ was the one who relentlessly taught DW how to stop being easily trusting and naive and how to be ruthless when need be. He also taught her the basics of martial arts and how to use a short sword. He saw her passion, will to live and taught her how to stand on her own two feet and rely only on herself which became essential in many situations. In the meantime, she taught him to open his heart and learn to love. She wasn't afraid to call him out on his bullshit and that was new to him. She was warm and caring and stood up for anyone that was being bullied but unlike him who hid that deep within himself, she wore it on her sleeve towards the people she cared for like ZJR, shrimp, Loud, accountant Wei, Yunxia, and the others she met both on the convoy and off of it (like Lady Wu who was her sister for life, though after their stop in Guangzhou, other then through letters, they never saw each other again). Because of that, he started to open up more to her and care/be protective of her. He recognized that they were kindred spirits in a sense.

Their love developed gradually; there were several occasions that she saved him and that's when he told her about being poisoned and that it was almost impossible to cure even more so when the only witch doctor that could cure it was killed by LK when she was also kidnapped but everything was put to the ultimate test during the ambush of the convoy when just about everyone was murdered as those bandits infiltrated the convoy so you couldn't tell who was good and who wasn't. All of it was done by someone YZJ considered to be a brother but all he wanted was the blood pearl. DW went through her lowest period because she lost everyone (with shrimp dying in her arms) and thought YZJ had tried to kill her when in reality he had shot the poisoned arrow that was aimed at her out of the way but his arrow did hit her which all things considered wasn't bad. She also didn't know that it was KJ that arranged for her to be saved by the migrating tribes.

Them reuniting in Yangzhou, the last place they would be together for this series and just how many emotions went into that. The betrayal she felt, the pain at knowing the truth but going the noble idiocy arc route that he decided to shoulder everything himself. Everything was so raw and beautiful; whether you laughed or cried. It was in Yangzhou where YZJ brought the last of the original male Cui family down with his own work. Bringing down the Zheng family proved to be more difficult and dangerous as more evil figures started to pop up as well as the original instigators of the first and second massacre; and this is where YZJ, DW, ZJR (who the entire time was conducting his own investigation with the occasional secret help of both YZJ and the emperor) plus their guards and employees came together.

CSJ started as a morally grey snob who because though she didn't have it easy, her life wasn't impossible compared to what DW went through, so I didn't pity her and wished she had less screen time though they were determined to show her for a while like that before she finally started going through really hard life threatening things that towards the end made her realize just how misguided and wrong her behavior her entire life had been and she finally came together with DW on several occasions especially towards the end to bring down Zheng big bad himself.

The emotions displayed by our leads especially during their best or absolutely worst times really made this storyline whole. The real antagonist here was YCWY aka LK (played very well by his actor); an absolutely rotten to the core human being ruthless beyond measure; even though Prince Ying (PY) was the mastermind; he was just a loud mouse in comparison. And the absolute heartbreak of the ML when in episode 39 he found out the truth, was hard to describe. Though most of us had guessed around the time the ambush happened at the sanctuary as how would bandits perfectly disguise themselves as convoy guards just as YZJ was to set out to meet ZJR and together they'd eradicate the bandits. YC knew of this plan as the master of the sanctuary; he killed the witch doctor, kidnapped DW, then set up the ambush just to get the blood pearl. And many people in the comments didn't understand how someone as smart as YZJ couldn't put two and two together. But when you go back and think about it, he was shot himself by at least three arrows, also sliced with a blade and that pesky poison, the man was barely alive. After which he was scared for DW and when he made it to Yangzhou he had to get back to work with what to do next. He couldn't just put all of that aside and think. So when that reveal happened, he was dumbstruck. He considered this man his brother because YC had done everything in his power to gain his trust and support him including financially but this was the same monster that imprisoned, tortured, and poisoned him for 8 years. I do wish they had lingered longer on his emotions upon reveal; because of just how raw they were. For once he realized how devastating this revelation was both for himself and DW. But he was just a kid when they met again and LK had reinvented himself as YCWY a sanctuary owner for merchants "hiding from the bandits." Which was brilliant for the antagonist.

Ok let's talk about that ending as it goes both in the pros and cons for me. YZJ and especially DW had exhausted all avenues in search for an antidote, his body was breaking down day by day, we saw it. LYN played a man dying of a slow acting poison brilliantly. YZJ had decided to leave and KJ had made all of the preparations for his passing and for all of his money to go to DW. That last scene he was officially in as DW was begging him not to go was heart wrenching; you could tell in his eyes that he was fighting with himself about that decision because he couldn't bear to leave her. After that scene we saw a shooting star (LYN's UFO came to get YZJ) and then next scene DW (who's wearing YZJ's ring and is visibly upset as she talks about not sharing moments with people who couldn't be with them) wins the competition and is appointed Guild head but turns it down and gives it to CSJ who's more appropriate for the position. DW then spends the next 40 years traveling the desert as a merchant as she wanted though we never see her face.

My thoughts on it is that he did leave after giving her the ring which was something he never took off even when he was held captive in the first arc and she rescued him; so it had very special meaning to him and by giving it to the most important person in his life was his way of letting her know that they belonged to each other. But the competition was only 2 or 3 days after we saw him last so he couldn't have passed away so quickly. I think after the competition, she left and met up with him and they spent some time together before he indeed passed away and KJ joined her in the traveling caravan. So to me it's an OE/SE. If he had died immediately, KJ wouldn't have left at all so that wouldn't have made sense as YZJ was his whole life and DW was I guess his sister in law so he would spend the remainder of his days guarding her no matter what. But in this situation, I have no problem with the ending at all.

Everything else was beautiful; costumes (though could've done without the Rapunzel braid for DW), sets, CGI on point, great OSTs & BGMs, and awesome fight scenes.

Cons: After that larger than life pros section, this section is small because my biggest issues were with editing and writing ie production. The second arc had the most problems as it seemed scenes were cut into something and you would get a whiplash. I really wish the noble idiocy arc didn't last for 10 episodes though their paths crossed all the time and almost right away he was secretly helping her. KJ should have stepped up sooner as he was the best wingman ever. But there were many inconsistencies like where did YZJ and KJ find such a luxurious horse and carriage in the middle of the desert after the ambush that had them hiding in caves and with traveling caravans? There was never any recording of time passing especially when you had multiple people walking around a grand desert alone all Willy-Nilly like they were in their own backyard; that legitimately looked absurd. Then the absolutely ridiculous part of first a kidnapped Yunxia, then DW, and then maybe 5 minutes after the first two escaped, ZJR coming to the same inn in the middle of nowhere woods. And he's back hot on their trail to find them yet in an actual town, they miss each other by literal steps. Suspense of disbelief deployed.

Towards the end when they were running the glass business there were times when you weren't sure whether you were looking at a flashback or real time because of the way the shots kept jumping back and forth. I was very confused. The ending, I wish they rounded all of the important people out better not just left them hanging and had actually shown YZJ leaving and how much time passed between that and the competition where everyone was pretty much just left there. Even DW who supposedly traveled on a merchant caravan for 40 years wasn't shown but just a bunch of people covered in black garb on horses and camels with goods looking like Ringwraiths in the desert with an older woman's voiceover being the old DW. This way, that same UFO returned and picked up DW too! It was a bit sloppy. It should have been much tighter and satisfying, even if did become an SE. I'm fine with those, just tighten up the writing and editing.

Would I recommend it? Regardless of some sloppy and loose writing here and there, I absolutely would. This was a realistic live every moment to it's fullest and don't take life or those you love for granted story and it was rich, layered, lush, complex, and absolutely beautiful. Don't pass it by just because it has an OE/SE. It deserves the praise.

Leia Mais