Marvelous Women is clearly some Chinese's director's answer to the ban against hair-pulling harem infighting. So you don't want to see women fighting over the favors of one man? Let's pit two singularly stunning and capable women at odds with one another, then make them work together to save their family, their children, their livelihood, and each other.

I do appreciate Cdramas that take the drama out of royal politics and center it around other characters entirely. The setting of Marvelous Women does that just. One woman is the respected but unloved first wife, the other a childhood sweetheart turned secret lover/concubine. Either one of these character types would be ripe as a villainess, and the show just barely teeters on this edge. Neither one of them is infallible. And they're not honestly always 100% good. They are messy and they have their faults, but more than that they have their wills. When the family finds itself in danger, it's up to them to band together. And then we're giving the picture of what might happen if two potential villains actually don't decide to fight each other. Perhaps, they can learn to be even more loyal to each other than anyone ever thought.

My. brain wanders, and this drama doesn't completely stamp out the possibility that in another country... these characters could have gone in another direction entirely. A romantic one perhaps? Find yourself a still of these women holding hands and you'll see what I see. That said, what the show gave us already is more than enough.

A satisfying, rich, and lovely watch overall.