Princess Wei Yang/Princess Wei Young Chinese Drama (锦绣未央): My Rant and Introduction
January 07, 2017WILL BE UPDATED CONSTANTLY... (with photos, cast list, and more rants!)
UPDATED MY THOUGHTS:
UPDATED SPOILERS AT THE VERY BOTTOM, READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION --->
January 7: Rest of the episodes
After Tuoba Jun married Li Changle, I didn't feel like watching on anymore. I skimmed through most of it since I knew the gist of the storyline from the long trailer filled with spoilers. As everyone expected, Tuoba Jun had only ten more years to live because he gave the one and only potion to Wei Yang. I actually thought the writers would make the child Li Changle's because then it would follow history more closely. So I'm surprised how this show passed through the SARFT?
The sets, the costumes, the cast were all amazing but the one spot that I personally think was lacking is the storyline. Perhaps it is because it didn't follow the novel closely so nothing is new - with all the scheming and plotting against one another, it's better to watch Legend of Zhen Huan since Zhen Huan is much more smarter and much more kick-ass than Wei Yang.
Li Changle finally realized she has been stupidly in love with someone who doesn't love her and that getting rid of Wei Yang wouldn't make him love her. So she decided to destroy him so no one can have him. Li Changru loves Tuoba Yu no matter what but she just doesn't understand that getting rid of Wei Yang won't make him love her either.
You know what, I hate how the writers make sure these two won't die off until the very last minute of the show. They are not clever at all just simply psychotic - I didn't mind watch the villains in Nirvana in Fire until the very end because they were at least smart and their motive wasn't jealousy.
Anyways, would I rewatch this, probably not. I rather read the novel and await for more dramas that actually don't portray the female leads as the damsel in distress because there is no black and white in life - everyone has their own desire. And Wei Yang lacked this after she revealed her identity and has avenged her family.
November 25: Episodes 12-23
In these past ten episodes, Wei Yang finally brought down Chi Yunruo and Changle. But since it is only halfway into the drama, Changle will definitely return and wreak more havoc. Before actually bringing them down, Wei Yang has to suffer in the hands of Changle. That part was hard to watch but Wei Yang hasn't really learned much about "an eye for an eye".
Tuoba Yu confronted Wei Yang and revealed his intentions.
My favorite scenes:
1. Wei Yang is accused of doing voodoo and Changle finds a fan that belongs to a man in Wei Yang's room. Being convinced that the fan is Wei Yang's secret lover, Changle purposely "drops" the fan in front of Tuoba Jun and tells him how Wei Yang is ruining the reputation of the Li family. The problem is Changle doesn't know that the fan is actually Tuoba Jun's. I wished this was also part of Wei Yang's plan to save herself instead of just sitting there and waiting for a miracle to happen.
2. Wei Yang plots against Chi Yunruo and successfully brings them down. I wished it was her idea to poison her father. I understand the writer didn't want to tarnish her "good-girl" reputation but her father didn't even treat her or the real Wei Yang the way every father should treat his own child. He lets Chi Yunruo kill her off since she is after all just a daughter he had with a lowly servant.
3. Wei Yang saves Tuoba Jun from the mine. Tuoba Jun gives her a peck and returns for another peck after he realized Wei Yang isn't speaking from her heart (口不对心).
Synopsis:
Princess of the fallen Northern Liang kingdom Xin'er had escaped death and was saved by the castaway daughter of a prestigious advisor, Li Weiyang. Li Weiyang is unfortunately killed by the assassin sent by her stepmother when Weiyang was summoned back to the household by her grandmother to celebrate her 80th birthday. As a result Xin'er took over her identity to avenge the deaths of her own family and her savior Weiyang. As she continues on to avenge her family, she becomes embroiled in a love pentagon with her stepsister Li Changle, cousin Li Changru, Prince Tuo Bajun, and his uncle Prince Tuo Bayu. Even though she believed it was the king of Wei who believed her father committed treason, Weiyang decides to eventually forgive and help Tuo Bajun protect the Wei kingdom after he stepped up to the throne.
Cast:
Tiffany Tang as Xin'er/Li Weiyang
She is the fallen princess of Liang. Having witnessed the death of her beloved ones, she vowed to avenge them. She is saved by Li Wei Yang, the illegitimate daughter of Wei advisor Li but unfortunately Wei Yang is killed by assassinators sent by her stepmother. After realizing that Li Minfeng is Wei Yang's half brother, she decided to take over Wei Yang's identity because Li Minfeng was one of the mastermind behind her kingdom's fall.
After returning to the Li residence, Chi Yunruo continues to plot against her but she survives each time and learned that she can no longer simply defend herself.
In the opening and ending themes, it is shown that she will rise and become the future empress after all the bloodshed and backstabs. She is also walking towards the throne with her son. If the drama follows history which I am 75% sure since I've done a research project on SARFT, then Wei Yang will become Empress Feng (Wei Yang's original name is Feng Xin'er) and Tuoba Jun will die young. The next emperor is actually the son of Consort Li (perhaps Li Changle?) and based on traditions, the mother of the crowned prince is forced to take poison. I really hope the child is Wei Yang and Tuoba Jun's son!
Luo Jin as Tuo Bajun
He definitely have lots of chemistry with Tang Yan. I love when he smiles and you see his dimples (so cute!). He's always there to rescue Wei Yang which I don't really like but at least there is chemistry. I do wished he's not there just to save Wei Yang and become the next emperor.
Vanness Wu as Tuo Bayu
From his hairstyle and attire, you can tell right away that he is the villain, the prince that schemes to take the throne for himself. His character is probably closest to Tuoba Zhen's character in the novel. He is not liked by his father and doesn't have any power so he is not view as a contender for the throne. But if Wei Yang married him, he believed she will be the one who will help him get the throne.
Hsin Ai Lee as Li Changle
She plays a somewhat similar character in Legend of Ban Shu but she changes to a good character in there. Here, I doubt she will change, probably change to someone stronger and much more evil. She becomes stronger after she was sent to serve as a maid by her father. After returning, she is no longer the Li Changle who freely expresses herself. Without her mother and brother by her side, she vows to take down Wei Yang.
Rachel Mao as Li Changru
The last drama I've seen (Just One Smiling Is Very Alluring) also has her in it. The drama I've been anticipating (不得不爱) has her in it too. I like her a lot because she has this sweet innocent face. But in this drama, she is someone who is 笑里藏刀 (someone who is hiding a sword behind her smiles). She seems to be the most innocent character in the Li family but she is actually the smartest one.
Her character is closest to Wei Yang's character in the novel. In the drama, she used Wei Yang to get rid of Li Changle and Chi Yunruo and she even harmed her own sister to reach her goal. She would do anything for Tuoba Yu's love and attention.
Tian Li as Chi Yunruo
She is a really pretty actress for her age. I've first seen her in My Bratty Bride (with Yang Mi) when I browsed through a few episodes. As I keep up with Princess of Lan Ling Wang, I realized she is also in it starring as Lan Ling Wang's mother.
She views Wei Yang as a threat to her daughter Changle. She sent the young Wei Yang away but she was summoned back by the grandmother. She plans anything she can to get rid of Wei Yang but no matter what she does, she ends up being the "loser". This is what we called 自食其果, eating the fruit one planted.
My Thoughts:
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November 18:
So I finally caught up and I am on episode 12. After giving the series a try, I have to say the story by itself is worth watching!
The 30-minutes long trailer shows how Tiffany Tang will become a palace maid because her true identity will eventually be discovered. But so far, I actually love her character in here. Since she has her own agenda, she doesn't really have to give a damn (mind my language) about the real Wei Yang's family. For example, when her so-called brother Li Min Feng got into trouble, her father asked her to tell him her solution so that her brother can use the idea to amend his mistakes. I like how she outright rejected and didn't even consider her father's idea for one second. This is why this was one of my favorite scenes.
Favorite Scenes So Far Up To Episode 12:
1. Wei Yang's younger brother Li Min De helps her by getting the fortune-teller convicted. Wei Yang returns to the dismay of the First Wife and even gets to enter through the master door.
2. Wei Yang is staying at the temple to pray and Tuo Bajun decides to pray too. I love the scene where he first knocks on door of the temple.
3. The whole Li Changle stealing her "plan to resolve problems caused by the flood" was a whole roller coaster ride but after the ride ended, everything is worth it. Wei Yang outsmarted the siblings and even got them punished by purposely angering the emperor hinting that the Chi Yun family fought the empire so they are bold enough to not fear the emperor himself.
4. Wei Yang gets recognized and tells her father that she wants Zhi Yan to live a peaceful life as the reward for her idea. The grandmother speaks up and while walking out, she shouts to the First Wife that this is after all the Li Family's residence.
5. The whole deal with Zhi Yan and how Wei Yang planned everything out to avenge for Zhi Yan's tragic death.
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November 14:
This is currently the new it-drama in Chinese drama-land. Having just aired only a few days, it has instigated a large amount of discussion due to its highly anticipated plot line, a star-studded cast (who wouldn't watch a drama with Tiffany Tang, Luo Jin, Vanness Wu, Rachel Mao, and Hsin Ai Lee? I would since I like all the actors and actresses!), and the beautiful costumes.
I caught the first three episodes and like others, I am very impressed with the pacing of the drama. It is very fast-paced to the point that Tiffany Tang has taken over the identity of Wei Yang at the end of episode 2 and there are more than 50 episodes to go. The only problem here is that the drama which has the same title as the novel it supposedly adapted the plot line from but only speculatively kept less than 20% of the details. The reason I am furious is that Wei Yang is supposed to be clever and manipulative after her rebirth because everyone basically mistreated her in her previous life. The scriptwriter can omit the rebirth part to satisfy the SARFT but can't you keep the characterization???
- Tiffany's acting here is different from her previous works but I am upset that the original characterization of the lead was not kept because it would definitely challenge her acting skills more. She would be the female equivalent of Mei Changsu in Nirvana in Fire.
- Why does it always have to be the guy comes in to save the day? I don't want anymore Mary-Sue or damsel-in-distress characters. The dramas that I can think of on top of my head that doesn't have these typical Mary-Sue are Legend of Zhen Huan and Legend of Ban Shu.
- Anyways, I saw a super long low-quality trailer and it revealed a lot of spoilers! My expectations just dropped from a high 80 to a low 50...
- Here's the video if you understand Chinese (first 30-minutes):
- Wei Yang finally reveals the Chi family's plan of taking power but at the same time revealed her identity as the fallen princess of the Liang kingdom.
- Chi Yunnan is sent away but in actuality the emperor wanted him dead so he sent assassins to kill him. The assassins were worthless --- why hire a whole group of assassins when you can JUST hire Jun Tao (Weiyang's personal maid)???
- Wei Yang is accused of killing Tuoba Jun's mother but it is actually Changle who got her mother's servant Hong Luo to help her impersonate Wei Yang and killed the crowned princess. Tuoba Jun initially believed his mother and thought Wei Yang was the murderer.
- To save Wei Yang, Tuoba Jun seeks his uncle Tuoba Yu for help. Yu wants Jun to marry Changle and Jun accepts the condition. Wei Yang is forced to serve as a maid in the palace and has to witness Changle and Tuoba Jun's marriage.
- Changru murders Bai Zhi since the latter finds out that Changru is actually evil. Changru also supposedly kills Princess Anle (but in actuality, a maid who was impersonating the princess was killed instead) and tries to frame Weiyang. However, this time Weiyang outsmarted Changru (Finally!). She returns to the Li family and tells them she can't save Changru for all the things she've done. (Thank you for not being a goody-two-shoes here!)
- Changru sees Wei Yang getting close to Tuoba Jun so she deliberately tells Changle about Wei Yang and Tuoba Jun. Changle sets the room on fire after knocking Wei Yang out but Tuoba Jun arrives just in time to save Wei Yang.
- Wei Yang and Tuoba Jun discovers that it was Tuoba Yu who framed/killed the former crowned prince (Tuoba Jun's father). After the emperor knows about this, they lure Tuoba Yu into the palace as a trap but to their surprise, he came prepared. The emperor got killed and Tuoba Jun was captured.
- It was Changle who betrayed Tuoba Jun. To save Tuoba Jun, Wei Yang agrees to marry Tuoba Yu and become his empress.
- As Yu and Wei Yang are getting married, Jun charges in with his sword.
7 comments
I totally have to agree with you that there are a number of flaws with this drama. (And right? I strongly dislike it when the trailer literally tells the entire story to the viewers. Sigh.) For me, because I hadn't read the original novel prior to watching, I really liked how Weiyoung was presented through the series. My biggest concerns were more of the jarring plot holes. By the end there were just so many that it felt like the writers got lazy. They were so hard to ignore. However, overall, I was pretty entertained and loved this one! The relationships between the cast of characters and the pacing were probably my favorite parts (I was so surprised that the revenge plot was already set up by episode 2). Not to mention the gorgeous costume designs.
ReplyDeleteAlso, finding out that Luo Jin and Tang Yan are dating in real life while this aired was nice as well. They're so cute together. XD
- Summer @ Xingsings
I think this drama was definitely overhyped. I followed the drama until episode 30-something and then just skimmed through the remaining as they aired. And as expected, everything from the 30-minutes long trailer was correct. I wished Tang Yan's character stayed true to the novel's character because then it would be much more fun to watch. Because now, we see how Rachel Mao's Li Changru is actually the clever one, which makes her character the most similar to Wei Yang's in the novel.
DeleteThey look so cute together in real life so I really hope they will get married and everything. :)
So much expectation and ended up watching Saving Princess Weiyoung instead of the infamous Concubine Daughter is Poisonous.
ReplyDeleteI was deeply impressed by all 54 episodes of the C-drama “The Princess Wei Young”. Impressed by the script. Impressed by “the actors”. Impressed by the entire “achievement” of “shooting” for small screens. Actress Mao Xiaotong has exhausted herself giving life “character” Li Changru, the woman who in the name of love – a toxic love, in my opinion, as revealed the dark side of the character – and the fact that she has always been oppressed by her cousin Li Chang, chose the path of revenge not only against that which humiliated her but Princess Wei Young who tried to keep the relationship with Li Chang and to put in value whenever she was offered the opportunity, under the guise of gentleness and innocence. And I say that the actress has exhausted herself in interpretation since it went so well in character – gave a “mask” so truthful to the innocence and gentleness – that he managed to get “fool” me – although generally fail in the first episodes of a series to realize which characters are negatives and which are positivea – and I did not realize until very late the paltry character of the heroine. Although Wikipedia is mentioned that this series is an “historical fiction drama” script was so well written that gave me the distinct impression of authentic reflection of historical reality. He caught my attention from the first scene and made me watch every episode carefully focused on “action” and characters. If I had more time available I could write many comments ample about each episode. But as time’s relentless with us yet people I stick to what I wrote. Maybe I’ll come back when I will find a “window” in my very limited spare time.
ReplyDeleteI had watched the drama before seeing the novel. Took me several days and nights to complete it. Quite addictive, you'd get hooked you never want to stray a second from your TV screen. At the end of the series LiChangru gave birth to a son for ToabaYu and tried protecting ToabaYu but ToabaYu took the hit for WeiYang while LiChangru killed herself with the edge of the sword claiming to love even in death and accompany ToabaYu. ToabaJun gave the only antidote of the poison to WeiYang. They both had a son and promised to live every moment of the 10years in bliss. WeiYang emerged as the Empress Dowager
ReplyDeleteArrrhh the villians in this drama are so horrible they make my blood boil. The way this drama shows evil people being glorified and the good being treated like trash pisses me off so much. Arrrrhh, Excuse my language, but it is really hard to watch people so reprehensible like Chiyun Rou and Li Minfeng. I'm on episode 9 now, and poor Xi'ner/Wei-young gets treated worser than the maids.
ReplyDeleteI saw this drama show up on my netflix several times and thought I'd check it out after coming across it a few times and watching the trailer. I was really hoping for something uplifting and funny, at least after the dark moments, but this drama is going to hurt me if I watch it all!
ReplyDelete