Zhu Lian Yu Mu (2024)

The movie was great until the ending.

The story was well written until the ending piece. The two major characters have been through so many trials and tribulations from the beginning great until the end. Why would the male character have been poisoned and be close several times for a cure to die in the end. I don't like how they did the very ending of Episode 40 when we knew he was going to die and they show a far away scenery of people traveling in a caravan which you surmise it's the major female character but she is not shown. The ending could have been better written with the two major characters that showed them up close and personal.

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Liu Yunning and Zhao Lusi- I waited for this duo since the Long Ballad

I won't go as far as declaring it a masterpiece or the perfect drama of the year. Cdrama tends to go down the drain towards the second half most of the time which was the case here as well. Story wise, the premise was really good, though it depends on your personal preference for me I found myself skipping a lot especially in the second half. In the beginning it felt quite a mix of Novoland pearl and Princess Agent. The torturous life of FL and her evolution from a slave to an independent strong woman is what reminds me of the other two shows. Plus I am a sucker for a strong female sort of storylines hence I continued watching it despite everything. ML on the other hand looked like a jerk, snobbish and a typical cdrama ML but he was more than that. The more you watch the more you understand his pov. His own experience and the way he represented a life that was not full of roses to FL made his character more grounded. He never helped her in things or showed any affection to her, never bend his harsh rules for her or showed leniency whatever may come. His reasons were simple. 'You won't find kind hearted people out there so one should be strong enough not just physically but mentally as well to deal with a world like that without expecting someone's help.' That was the biggest contrast between him and the SML, who showed her a world full of kindness and goodness shit and what not. I understand him to some extent but would not agree with his ideologies of kindness returns kindness. This only works only in some cases but rest of the time it is pretty much what happens with FL during her business ventures in the beginning.
Side cast in my opinion was not explored enough that I would find myself thinking about their characters. Except for another tomboy female (Shijie) I do not think there was anyone worth remembering. Her character though was strong and tried to portray an antagonist which people could sympathize with but she felt little extra at times and I couldn't feel much sympathy for her. Music was good and costumes were beautiful. l am Not a fan of CGI here they could have done better there but overall it was an intriguing drama. And obviously with one of my fav CPs. I wouldn't say it has much re-watch value but it is definitely a one time watch.

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IT STARTED STRONG BUT PROGRESS SLOW: EP20-ONWARD

Lu Si & Yu Ning by now knew each other pretty well so there's no hesitation and have strong familiarity in their acting. Their close friendship and the interaction is pretty comfortable so their chemistry is strong and abundance, their hugs are tighter and locking eyes without hesitant. Liu Yu Ning has gained experiences and involve in many great dramas recently, he is no longer a newbie because LuSi helped him to gain his notoriety in Long Ballad. Ep23-onwards, the big number of head-peace & trinkets start to overwhelm. What we can see are big hair and burst of colors bling ornaments/jewelries, LuSi natural beauty is replaced with cheesy show-girls beauty standard. Unfortunately, the story went down hill from there, no longer pulling interest and insignificant characters develop. Cui Shi Jui started with bravado, type A kind of girl, why are we watching her? Her choice of life is apparently miscalculated and cost her unhappiness or unfulfilled. Not feeling sorry for her though...

This time around, we can enjoy maturity of YuNing's acting as Yan Zi Jing, his misty eyes are real, passionate glances and caresses on LuSi's shoulder shown affection. Nothing is fake - all sincere. Although he's over her head tall, he manage NOT to look giant over anybody. He can be cynical or sweet as well, his facial muscle seems to know how to work it, great expression. He smiles quite a lot in this drama (than Long Ballad). His life goal is to take revenge to those people who killed his family, a high-risk businessman on the side. After injury and live at 'Clear Mind' shop, he's like a domesticated house-husband.

Tang Xiao Tian (Zhang Jin Ran) came in joining 2nd ML whose in love with Duan Mu (LuSi) at the first sight although she's only a pearl diver aka a slave under duress. As a gentleman scholar who is Prince Ying's study buddy, he has job to go around the country to investigate crimes, bribery, thefts, all wrongs in the country so he can give recommendation and/or uphold justice for the Kingdom. He's a handsome guy & rightfully a scholar. While Yan ZiJing endeavor in revenge, Jin Ran works hard to find the bad guys, he's a bit partial to Su Mu Zhe so any 'justice' he does always benefit to the duo Su Mu Zhe & Yan Zi Jing.

Zhao LuSi (Duan Mu/Su Mu Zhe) Her dance is seductively mesmerizing, her dive is what divers do, her terrified look on the abuse, tears that break heart. Her tiny figure seems the cutest besides tall LYN & TXT, she doesn't have muscle so when she did manual labor scenes she appears tiny fragile. I want details, if Duan Mu go through so much painful experience and ocean-diving - her appearance doesn't show that. She still has flawless skin, healthy hair, cherry smiles. Dry crack darker skin, dry rough shorter hair should be from frequent diving in to salty sea water. Because of the hardness of reality, she changed personality to pursue harsh business endeavor. One thing she needs to do better is she needs to take vocalization lesson, she's great when doing cutesy scenes otherwise she sound like misplaced. After ep 25 she's patronizing and becoming a 'mentor motherly-figure', a sober personality like she's 40-50yo woman (supposedly she's on early 20th).

I am pretty sure besides these 3 actors (& Kang Ju guy) the rest aren't worth mentioning. The story on the middle are pretty dragging, about business competition or jealousy (I want to slap Bai Niao, Zheng Si & Qin Mu guy the acting are so S***ty bad) This drama can actually be shorten in to 28-30 episodes instead of 40. What's wrong with this drama in the latest episodes:
1. Too much fillers, unnecessary scenes/plots
2. The Extras and supporting actors are terrible in acting, seems like they've recruited randomly without audition.
3. Main actors change characters/personality -change direction of mind-set.
I think because of these three main causes, this drama lost audience and getting lower score as it progress.

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No esta mal....

La serie no esta mal, pero lamentablemente.... no me resulto entretenida.

Los primeros 10 capítulos son bastante lentos y un poco aburridos al menos para mi, eso de ver como se es sometido por los supuestos giros del destino, que están esperando para quitarle el camino hacia la libertad, cuando no es mas que la voluntad de personas egoístas y oportunistas, me suele molestar mucho en los guiones... Pues ese tipo argumentación ya esta bastante desgastado al menos para mi...

Del capitulo 11 al 16, ver como la trama comienza a enredarlos y acercarlos tan fluidamente, estaba dando indicios que algo como un giro inesperado ocurriría, porque en los dramas la armonía no dura para siempre... ademas de una cuestión de números ya que la serie es de 40 capítulos y aquí llegamos casi a la mitad de ellos....

Del17 en adelante no es mas que la biografiá del crecimiento personal del personaje Su Mu Zhe, el cual no me muy pareció entretenido ni perspicaz, sino mas bien de un tono intrigante y para sus adentros...
Las partes del desarrollo y desenlace de las familias Cui y Zheng, fueron bastante repetitivas en cuanto a estrategias y tomo mas tiempo de pantalla del que debería, podrían haber dedicado ese tiempo al desarrollo final de la serie, ya que no aportaban nada nuevo ver lo mismo 2 veces. O a mostrar realmente el arte de la fabricación de joyas, en el cual siento que se podría haber ahondado mas y culturalmente hablando hubiera sido mas enriquecedor.

El vestuario es acorde, nada que destacar.
La música nada memorable.

Me ha gustado mas la actuación de Zhao Lu Si en las series de The Last Immortal y Who Rules the World. Quizas es porque siento que se adapto mejor a ese tipo de personajes.

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Unveiling Emotions: The Story of Pearl Girl Hooks You from the Start!

I’ve been eagerly anticipating The Story of Pearl Girl, and it was absolutely worth the wait! From the very first episodes, the show delivers phenomenal scenes that are both gripping and beautifully crafted. Zhao Lusi’s performance is remarkable—her emotional intensity in the scene where she flees with Shrimp had me in tears. The entire cast is doing a fantastic job, and each character is interesting and well-developed.

Initially, I planned to wait until all episodes were released to binge-watch it in one go, but the storyline was too captivating to resist starting early. Duan Wu’s character, in particular, stands out as incredibly inspiring, and I’m excited to see how her journey continues. I’ll be adding another review once the story is complete, but for now, I’m eagerly looking forward to each new episode!

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High potential to No potential

After the back to back hits, Lusi has emerged to be an all rounder actress. Yes I admire how she can pull off any role, while I'm also aware that this couldn't have been possible without choosing the right scripts that showcased her talent. At first I was really excited for this drama and was curious to see what she was bringing this time but only to be disappointed soon.

1. Initial episodes were good and brought a lot of curiosity about what's gonna happen next. The suffering was hard to watch so I was expecting the revenge would be a lot more cruel.. this is where the disappointment started.

2. I'm a big fan of LYN, love his voice. Was expecting a lot from him but his role is just very pale and ok. I mean there's no charm in any of the characters..

3. The script itself is quite boring...too many unnecessary things are included with little to no comedy. It feels very dull and depressing somehow! There's nothing eye-catching or anything that you would be looking forward to..

To summarize, it started off well but failed to keep me constantly hooked, I might just watch it for the sake of completing it.

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freedom

i'm totally hooked on this drama! the plot twists in the first few episodes were unexpected and the story just keeps getting better and better.

for the acting, Lusi has consistently proven her talent in previous works, so i have no doubt about her abilities. however, the scene where her character was dragged and assaulted was deeply disturbing. i couldn’t bring myself to watch that part. not only Lusi but also the other main actors have demonstrated why they are well-suited for their roles.

the opening song is nice, but i usually skip it 'cause i'm too excited to see what happens next. the production quality is top-notch. the underwater scenes were just chef's kiss.

we're taking a break from the cute and happy Lusi and welcoming back the
dramatic Lusi (my favorite genre of her). i can't wait to see what happens in the next episodes!

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The Journey of Growth: Forged by Fires, Nurtured by Wisdom

Watching Story of the Pear Girl is an inspiring and thought-provoking experience, one that resonates deeply with me because of the heartfelt journey of its female lead and the profound mentorship that shapes her path. The drama beautifully depicts her evolution from a lowly slave to a smart trader through the guidance of two contrasting mentors, each embodying a distinct approach to nurturing her growth.

One mentor (first male lead) embodies the belief that true strength comes from facing fires and life’s challenges directly, allowing her to stumble, experience pain, and learn through her own trials and failures. This “sink or swim” approach, though tough and sometimes unforgiving, empowers her to develop courage, independence, resilience, and a resourceful spirit that only hard-earned experiences can forge. It speaks to the notion that growth often comes from stepping into the unknown, and embracing mistakes and failures, no matter how daunting.

In contrast, her other mentor (second male lead) embraces a gentler, more protective approach, stepping in to shield her from potential dangers and pitfalls. This approach may creates a safety net, ensuring she feels secure and supported. However, it raises questions about whether sheltering someone too much can keep them from self-discovery, fully realizing their potential, and strength. It could also stifling independence and resilience that is only forged through struggle.

The interplay between these two approaches weaves a powerful narrative that goes beyond simple storyline. It delves into the essence of personal growth—how the paths we take and the guidance we receive can shape not only who we are but who we become. It is a mirror to our own lives and choices, reminding us that growth can be found in both the storms we brave and the hands that hold us steady, and how both are essential in the journey of becoming one’s best self.

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I don't know where this drama was going.

The first few episodes of “the story of Pearl girl” were legitimate and well-directed, but after that it was completely lackluster. Drama has its strengths and weaknesses, but there are few to no hooks to keep viewers on their toes. Pros include the concept of escaping from slavery and discovering a new life, which is a good story, great costumes, actors' performances, makeup techniques, and screen appeal due to the dark color palette. On the other hand, the drawbacks are that the first storyline drags for about 10 episodes, there is no second male protagonist syndrome, and there are no supporting characters. In addition, the male protagonist is an unlikable character in the beginning, (he's rude to female lead). Yet, he knows a great deal about her family and the girl herself; but falls for her head over heels later. The sudden development of his feelings is felt to be of C-grade drama logic. Given these factors, my evaluation suggests that other viewers like me may stop watching the drama halfway through.

(more specific ranting cons below)

CONS: -initial story dragged from 1-9. Episode 10 is where they finally sailed to a new land. 11 is where FL questions her dad's identity.
-no 2nd male lead syndrome in this one. He is just there to be a connection to the prince
-the Cui family's daughter/and Cui people plot felt like it went on too long
-11 episodes in and you haven't met the king/princes, or any big players yet.
-The support characters not interesting, or don't even exist. Who is there besides the little boy and noble woman?

I feel like the most EGREGIOUS thing is that Male lead was a dick for most of the beginning, but then he somehow knows all her family history, and then falls for her? Like the way their relationship developed is bad c-drama logic on display.

This drama could honestly finish on episode 17 when they kissed in the town. She's traveling with his trading caravan, and he fell for her. I forgot to watch it for several days, so at this point I've dropped it.

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