A Lenda de Anle (2023)

It is the on-screen chemistry between Liu YuNing and Dilraba that shines through

There are a lot of negative reviews about this drama on mydramalist.com, which is a surprise to me. I think this period drama is underrated here. I thoroughly enjoy the drama and think that it is very well produced, although I must say there are some sub-plots that could have been better. Part of the reason I am able to accept the drama better is I have not read the original novel and do not have the loyalty baggage to the original story.

What I like about this drama:

1. The initial few episodes are hilarious as Ren Anle (Dilraba) flirts shamelessly with the Crown Prince in a bid to get his attention and to get close to him. Her boldness is really humorous.

2. The story keeps you in suspense: will the fake Ziyuan succeed in marrying the Crown Prince? Will the Ziyuan camp succeed in getting justice for the Di family? Is the enemy Qin infiltrator going to undermine the defence of the Jing? Of course, I already know some parts of the story from the trailers released. But it is more of how the story would develop and whether the good guys would be hurt before they win.

3. I am one who have been quite hardened by the emotional tricks used in dramas, as I watched too many of them and mostly the good ones. But when MingXi (Liu YuNing), the second male lead, is executed because of diverting the army to save ZiYuan (Dilraba) and violating the military order, it really rend my heart. The chemistry between Liu YuNing and Dilraba really shines through. Dilraba does marvellously well as she weeps over MingXi's death. This scene manages to stir up my rather stagnated emotions.

4. In dramas I had watched earlier of Liu are he was always acting the bad guy. But this time, he is an upright capable but sickly man holding onto what he is entrusted with. I hope this drama is going to elevate his acting career further. He wins my sympathy and this is one drama where I would have been quite happy for the lead female character to marry the second male lead instead, because he deserves it for all he has done for her.

5. The ending theme song is rhythmic and melodious and the lyrics are beautiful and Liu has a beautiful voice. It is also very apt that Liu sings the ending theme song - the lyrics seem to be singing about MingXi's dedication to ZiYuan rather than the Crown Prince's dedication to her.

6. LinLang's dancing, particularly of the initial few episodes is very well choreographed, instead of some lame duck dances I see in many dramas.

7. Seeing the emperor as a loving father (although not a terrific emperor) - is a refreshing break from the usual story of a emperor father suspicious of his crown prince son.

8. Of course, the other hygiene factors are also present: the CGI, and the costumes, and a good looking cast who acts their part well.

What I think are a bit lacklustre in this drama:

1. Gong Jun acts the Crown Prince whose character is a bit uptight, so it hinders the on-screen chemistry between him and Dilraba, the female lead. He is always playing the dodge with her. When situation like this happens, it always compromise the on-screen chemistry. But they both act their part very well.

2. I nearly stop watching the drama after the episode when ZiYuan presents the case of the Di family's innocence as it seems the climax is over. Then the start of the war when the enemy is attacking after thoroughly infiltrated the Jing's defence begins a new chapter.

3. However, from the point when Han Ye, the Crown Prince, takes over the defence pushing ZiYuan away, the story become quite stupid. As a rather meticulous and clever man, he chooses to fatalistically stand alone against the on-slaughter of the massive Qin army. He could have plan better: save the people he cares for and wins the war. And cliches after cliches happens: falling off the cliff and goes missing, becoming blind and then regain the sight. What really trips me is the hair turning white: a fashion returning this year. I call these cheap thrills - conveniently added to dramatise the story but with very little new creativity.

4. There are more insults to the intelligence of the audience: pretending to be marrying someone else to draw out the true lover - surely this is the best way to push away someone who is already keeping away; hiding away ignoring that they might be hurting the people including the father, who care about them.

5. And then there is this: keep the truth from the person they most care for, when they have done so much for them. When there is credit, claim it for goodness sake. When the credit is not yours, don't.

6. The ending trailer gives too much of the story away. So when it happens in the drama, it dampens the effects.

7. At MingXi's death amidst fireworks in the background, there could be more to stir up the emotions - opportunity missed.

But overall, it is a lovely romance and suspense story. So watch it and enjoy. I am debating whether it should be a 9 or 9.5. Well, 9.5 wins.

Leia Mais

A pretty good show that needed to be shorter

FINAL RATING: 8.35/10

NOTE: I have changed some of my initial review (which I had written after watching 25 episodes). Some of those thoughts still hold true though.

Ren Anle, a female pirate with 30,000 naval forces under her command (the show never forgets to remind us of this in almost every episode) steps into the capital with an ulterior motive. 10 years ago her entire family, as well as 80,000 troops serving her family were massacred by the ruling emperor as a result of a conspiracy. As a sole survivor of the Di family, she was sent to a mountain to spend her days in seclusion. 10 years later, she returns under a fake name and a fake identity to infiltrate the court and bring her family and troops to justice. She puts up a flirtatious facade with the crown prince Han Ye, who was betrothed to her since childhood. However, Ren Anle (or Di Ziyuan) and Han Ye slowly develop feelings for each other but are embroiled in complex relations and conspiracies from the past.

As of episode 25, The Legend of Anle did not feel like a spectacular show with incredibly layered writing and characters. However, it picked up pace after that and delivered some strong emotional moments during the last quarter of the show. Initially, it felt like they were going for a Nirvana in Fire-esque approach, but of course it did not reach that mark. The palace politics and scheming on this show were not as deep and detailed and hence, it might be easier to follow for newbies to this genre. Dilraba and Gong Jun did a good job (particularly when it came to the later parts of the show where their characters have to go through some pretty traumatic events).

I think this show could have benefitted from fewer episodes. As of episode 25, it had been a rather slow buildup to something that should have happened episodes ago. The show could’ve saved itself from comparisons to NIF by simply shortening the “clearing the Di family name” arc.

The big, important moments of the show (which happen in the last quarter) were handled quite well. Supporting characters we had grown to like, such as Anning, Wen Shuo and Linglang were given their own arcs. Anning in particular had quite an emotional one and became one of the most tragic characters on the show.

As not episode 24, the logic did not flow very well and hence questions arose, such as what is the point of having a fake Di Ziyuan come down from the mountain and cause a stir in the capital? Isn’t Luo Mingxi the same age, or close in age to Anle - if so how did he amass so much influence in 10 years when he was just a child bodyguard? How does Anle have so many forces under her command in such a short amount of time and at such a young age? Why and how doesn’t the fake Di Ziyuan know about the real Di Ziyuan? Does she think she can become Crown Princess without any issues - if she’s fake, wouldn’t someone rat her out? Why do Luo Mingxi and Ren Anle let the fake Di Ziyuan just act rashly? If the Dowager Empress wants to kill Di Ziyuan in the capital, why didn’t she try to kill her before when she was living in the mountains? Sadly, these weren’t really answered.

The last two episodes seemed to be a bit more saccharine than I was expecting. I know both Di Ziyuan and Han Ye go through some rather terrible times and it’s only natural to want them to live happily at least. However, the way everything was wrapped up in the end was not too satisfying. Luo Mingxi got a farewell that should have been a bit more emotional and hard-hitting than it was. He was a main character after all.

The music is good enough - although I’ve noticed that a lot of instrumental tracks from Princess Agents are used here. It’s a bit distracting if you tend to notice these things (which I do).

Overall this is a good show and is quite entertaining. It isn’t the best in its genre but it isn’t a waste of time either.

Leia Mais

Should just have been 20-25 episodes - Dilireba pregnant during the show?

I am a big fan of Dilireba, and this drama disappointed me.

The story had a lot of potential and was supposedly the female version of Nirvana in Fire, but it had too many fillers and lacked a lot of depth in the side characters... It simply took too long.

I didn't need to binge it similar to other dramas of her.. and the costumes seemed a little weird which did make me think whether the rumours of her being pregnant in 2022 were true or not. I would be happy for her if she did have a baby in 2022 - she is 30 and has every right to be a mother. But, the way her costumes were made and some of the shots that avoided her belly towards EPS 34-39 did make me question that.

Other than the above, it was an unremarkable drama.

Leia Mais

Romance Drama Chemistry Is A Must

Unfortunately, they failed to build that chemistry between the main couple. It is mainly because of the male lead poor acting ability and performance. He also doesn’t have the look and charisma on an equal level with the female lead.
Chemistry is very important in romance drama.

This is another of those series that I was rooting where the second male lead gets the girl. LMX has that conflicted, dark but oh so sexy. The actor did a good job portraying his character and he is also quite charming.

Disregard the plot holes, it is a decent drama. OST is very nice especially the ending song.

Leia Mais

Addictive historical series thanks to its CL and the narration without length

Plot: the heiress of the Di family (the FL = Dilraba) saw her entire clan die (family, soldiers) following a conspiracy. She was only saved (but exiled) because she was engaged to the Crown Prince (the ML = Gong Jun). 10 years later, the prince is still pining. She has become Anle, the pirate at the head of 30,000 men, and returns to the capital to avenge her clan.

PROS:
+ great cast
+ fast pace
+ OSTs fitting with the scenes
+ Dilraba, great as always, with her natural and mischievous side + Gong Jun excellent with his micro-expressions
+ Credible and well-written storyline, with an interesting and logical development of the characters.

CONS:
- CGI of very average quality and somewhat poor scenery (exteriors, cave, cardboard decorations and green backgrounds too obvious) => low budget?
- elderly dowager empress (60 years old), with gray hair, but not a wrinkle and had baby skin. Seriously ?
- no kiss (except 1 on the forehead). I know that the time was rather modest, but for lovers who stake their lives at every moment, it lacks passion!

=> It was a pleasure to watch it and i'll probably rewatch it sometimes !
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Plot : l'héritière de la famille Di (la FL = Dilraba) a vu tout son clan mourir (famille, soldats) à la suite d'une conspiration. Elle n'a été sauvée (mais exilée) que parce qu'elle était fiancée au Prince héritier (le ML = Gong Jun). 10 ans plus, le prince se languit toujours. Elle est devenue Anle, la pirate à la tête de 30000 hommes, et revient dans la capitale, venger son clan.
PROS:
+ super cast
+ rythme rapide
+ OST qui collent à l'action
+ Dilraba, géniale comme toujours avec son côté naturel et malicieux + Gong Jun excellent avec ses micro-expressions
+ Storyline crédible et bien écrite, avec une évolution intéressante et logique des personnages.

CONS:
- CGI de qualité très moyenne et décors un peu pauvres (extérieurs, grotte, décors de carton-pâte et fonds vert trop évidents) => low budget ?
- impératrice douairière âgée (60 ans), avec cheveux gris, mais pas une ride et une peau de bébé.
- aucun kiss (sauf 1 sur le front). Je sais que l'époque était plutôt pudique, mais pour des lovers qui jouent leur vie à chaque instant, ça manque de passion !

=> Série addictive grâce à son CL et la narration sans longueur.

Leia Mais

A must rewatch drama!

The acting is top-notch mostly like they were born to play the characters. Actors deliver outstanding performances. Playing complex emotions while maintaining consistency of the character's primary trait is hard. But they do a brilliant job at that.
The plot is engaging as it becomes clear why every character is the way they are after some time. One of the few things that keeps you engaged to the drama is the complicated interaction between the characters. Each character has a side that they hide until the climax appears. The characters express powerful emotions in a mature manner. The drama has one of the best female characters that we can see in Chinese historical dramas. They are simply too good. They are willing to sacrifice their life for peace and justice of the people. Though the drama celebrates the heroine Anle, it also has short but sweet romance between the leads.
I have already rewatched the drama twice. Each time it seemed sweeter than before. The drama also has the sweetest special episodes. Don’t miss them under any circumstances.
A drama that makes you smile!?

Leia Mais

Not exactly “legendary” but not bad, either.

Using my personal rating system of "loved," "liked," "meh," & "nah," this is a “liked”/ cheerful “meh”.

The deets*:

Noble family gets framed and betrayed, tons of folks die leaving only a daughter to avenge them. The only thing that saved the daughter was her engagement to the crown prince who, despite being an preteen, apparently had already met the love of his life and couldn’t bear to see her killed. Daughter gets banished to a temple, crown prince grows up and declares he won’t marry anyone but our female lead (the daughter of the framed/destroyed family). Jump forward many years and a brash, outspoken pirate shows up on the scene and declares her undying love for the crown prince. Crown prince tries desperately to be faithful to his lost love, but finds himself falling for the pirate instead. A woman claiming to be the long-lost daughter of the framed family shows up, but she is so incredibly different from what our male lead remembers that he mourns the fact that he must marry her (due to his promise) and not the pirate who reminds him so much of his childhood sweetheart. Hijinks ensue…

*I know it says not to do this, but how else is someone who doesn’t know if they want to watch this understand the rest of the review?—those descriptions on the main page aren’t always accurate.

What I liked:
At first, I was put off by the trailers. I’ll freely admit that I have some implicit bias against pushy female leads (for example, the female lead in “The Legends”) but I force myself to put it aside because I realize that just that: implicit bias. But in reality, the story is much more complex, and the female lead is far less shallow than she seems. There is some decent depth to the plot, the leads are all nice to look at (I think our SML is actually 6’2” if my metric-to-imperial conversion is correct!?), and there were some impactful scenes (like when the FL exposes the royal family’s treachery against her own family). The leads’ chemistry was believable, and their relationship did not set of any red flags of toxicity. It has a happy ending which, if I’m wasting all those hours of my life on a drama instead of what I should be doing (my dissertation), a happy ending alleviates my guilt somewhat. Lol.

What I did not like so much:
It kinda bogged down in the middle. I think the “truth” was revealed a bit too early and the show kind of lost steam afterwards. The CGI was wretched, especially during the sea battles. There were some pretty unbelievable parts like, for example, a female lead who has the unswerving loyalty of 40,000 troops yet never actually spends any time with them and the trope of falling off a cliff and surviving (seriously, if someone falls off a cliff in ANY Chinese or Korean drama its almost a guarantee of survival. Note: if you ever find yourself in a fictional universe and your life is threatened, go jump off a cliff. You’ll be fine). The whole enemy prince and princess ark turned about to be pointless because they didn’t exploit it like they could have and in the end the prince just sort of turned himself in (dude, if you’ve just been threatened with being heinously tortured to death, don’t just walk off calmly with the guards, fight to the death!—at least that would be a better end!). That could have been a great cruel romance, but they failed to take advantage of that plot line.

Should you watch this?
I started this at the same time I started season 1 of “Lost You Forever” and it kept me from gobbling down all of those episodes at once. It never pissed me off so badly that I had to stay away or drop it. I guess it depends on your level of tolerance—my standards are relatively low for period/costume dramas that are not placed in any historical reality.

Leia Mais

incredible cast and engaging storyline

A captivating Chinese drama that stands out for its incredible cast and engaging storyline. The actors' performances are truly awe-inspiring, breathing life into the characters and making them relatable. Their emotive portrayals add depth to the narrative, keeping the viewers thoroughly invested throughout.

Spanning 39 episodes, the drama maintains a fast-paced rhythm that keeps the audience hooked. However, it's worth mentioning that the final two episodes feel a bit rushed, leaving some loose ends untied. Despite this, the overall experience remains enthralling, leaving viewers eagerly awaiting the resolution of the intriguing plot twists.

One of the highlights of the series is its ability to create a deep emotional connection with the audience. It's a testament to the show's storytelling prowess that viewers find it difficult to tear themselves away until the very end. The well-crafted costumes and meticulously selected soundtrack also contribute to the immersive experience, transporting viewers to the historical setting and enhancing the overall ambiance of the drama.

This is a must-watch for anyone seeking a blend of remarkable performances, an engrossing plot, and an evocative portrayal of historical China. While the pacing falters slightly in the final episodes, the series excels in many aspects that make it a truly unforgettable watch.

Leia Mais

So much potential

If you are looking for a rom-com series you will like the story's beginning... A jolly/flirty female pirate who was trying to win the heart of a virtuous and selfless Crowned Prince. Anle has bad motives (revenge) but she truly falls in love with the prince. While solving cases/problems together... they both fall in love. But their mission and purpose in life are much more important than their feelings.... so the boring part will start... I think the whole story can fit in 20 episodes (or less).
They only think for other people/nations/fallen heroes/family, they set aside their love for each other.
The worst part... they became 'official' lovers only in the last episode... I mean their boyfriend-girlfriend relationship starts at the last 20mins of the last episode. I don't understand why the prince is trying to move away from Anle. His reasons are shallow...

Leia Mais

REUNITE IS A MUST FOR THE MAIN LEADS!

I FELT ROBBED WE DIDN'T GET ANY LIPS ON LIPS SCENE AT ALL?! imagine they're high nose nakedly touch each other gently! ISTG i'm gonna k word youku!

such a pity for the main leads chemistry bcs gj & rb brings out super duper top-notch chemistry. i fear :(

and i remembered ALZ started with a very very ugly cgi (again — blaming youku so hard for this one) i MEAN ALZ is a drama with an A list actor & actress as the main leads and all of us waited for 2 years and we got this shit?

oh yeah! the screentime for the fake di ziyuan is too much lol i have to speeded up everytime she's on my screen ? didn't dare to skip it, in case i miss some details of the story.

di ziyuan characteristic makes me dizzy at the latest episodes! the way she's blaming han ye for what happened to LMX? like girl you are a fcking smart-intelligent woman and you didn't understood at all?

WHERE'S THE ROMANCE? WHERE'S THE KISS SCENE? after all of the angsty-romance things happened i've got nothing?

however, dilraba acting is quite phenomenal and i think it's safe to say : her acting saved the show!

for gong jun, i knew it he could do better than this i love you a lot junjun <3

so the conclusion in is i swear reba & gongjun must reunite in romance genre with so much kisses & cuddles scene bcs i'm so desperate ? of course with 1000000x better production and no more youku ?? ahahaha jk youku seems did such a good job for modern-romance lately tho ? cdrama god make it happen please!

Leia Mais

I’m not really sure what I expected from this drama. to begin with the drama was sort of fast moving. The plot was fast and straightforward: the Di family was framed and Di Ziyuan only wanted to seek justice for her family so she took an identity and used it to reach her goal. Honestly this drama could have been way shorter. We really didn’t need the last 10 episodes. After she exposes the fact she is Di Ziyuan, and her family gets justice then the drama could have just needed. But instead they kept going in and bringing more unnecessary plots and scenes such as linlang and anning dying along with Han ye going blind. These are important key factors to the main plot of the story. And what’s up with her hair turning white, that’s physically not possible

Leia Mais