First!
Well, this is going to be a long post and one that I actually started drafting since several days ago (FYI, that's how I'm able to make such long posts!). So I finished watching The King's Woman last night and it is probably going on my top five drama list.
Photos in the post are mostly from DramaPanda, my own screencaps from YouTube, and probably other sources from the internet that I can't recall.
The drama follows the love life of Qin Shi Huang, the emperor who united China and was deeply paranoid, probably a little insane, and wanted to build a wall to keep people (or monsters - it's just such a mystery) out of his country.
Na, Trump could only wish he was a fraction as capable as Qin Shi Huang. Trump is probably more like Qin Shi Huang's derpy son that succeeded him...you know, a being a puppet and all that.
At least according to drama logic, Qin Shi Huang is a lot more attractive than Donald Trump.
Though not by that much, according to historic paintings.
Cast and Characters - brought to you by KFC
The drama stars Vin Zhang (Love 020, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms) as Ying Zheng a/k/a Qin Shi Huang. And just for clarification, Ying Zheng was (one of) the guy's names while Qin Shi Huang is the title that he gave himself, meaning - literally, Qin's First Emperor. He loved being First!
Probably the first to dive into that delicious box of fried chicken and fries! Ummmm....fried chicken.
After watching this (and Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms), I'm a huge fan of Vin Zhang since he's able to come off as pretty damn pathetic (in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms) as well as cool and ass-kicking without resorting to the standard drama male lead too-cool-for-an-expression-on-his-face acting. I was pretty afraid that the drama is going to make Ying Zheng the misunderstood, not that much of a tyrant, idol drama tyrant. But Ying Zheng is full on with his murderous rage, jealousy, and suspicion pretty much all the time. It might be my psychotic rage talking, but I'm a big fan of it. And yet (again, maybe it's my love of killing and violence speaking) I think Vin Zhang manages to make the character sympathetic without toning down on the rage and killing. I like how every couple of episodes, he's talking about/actually killing someone.
Not Lao Ai, but some poor sucker that got in his way. Though he does also kill Lao Ai in the end.
I'm also a fan of old-timey rulers (say, from the warring states period) that went to war, did their own killings, and were just generally more badass than some of the later emperors (like, most emperors from the Song Dynasty or - obviously - the later Qing Dynasty). So in short, Ying Zheng was a boss and probably a role model for anyone that just wants to kill those that wronged them.
Boss party to celebrate all that killing!
Dilraba Dilmurat (Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, Mr. Pride vs. Miss Prejudice) plays Gongsun Li, the titular King's Woman.
KFC sells flatbreads in China?
Being shallow, I initially liked Dilraba Dilmurat purely based on looks. But I also liked her a lot in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms and respect how she can play cute without being annoying. Here, she does a good job balancing cuteness with being a kick ass woman whose country was annihilated by Ying Zheng and has to put up with being his concubine.
And wear this unattractive hairstyle that aged her 20 years.
But is otherwise kick ass and gorgeous when she has better hair.
The other actors in the drama are relatively unknown to me. I recognize people here and there, but no one major. But I think they generally do a pretty good job. I tend to think older Chinese actors overact, especially in period dramas. But it looks like everyone toned it down so there's no one ever going on on a over dramatic monologue. It looks like China is starting to get behind subtle acting! Special shout-out goes to:
* Yang Tong, who plays Li Zhong, the head of palace guards that follows Ying Zheng all around the palace (probably because that's his job). He doesn't have many lines or many things to do, but I just irrationally like this guy. Out of all the people in the drama to die (almost everyone dies), I was most upset by his death since it's so unnecessary, ya know?
Way to stand there and look disapproving, bodyguard dude!
I guess I just love bodyguard characters that just silently follow their boss about (see Prince Jing's follower from Nirvana in Fire).
* Li Tai, who plays Senior Han Shen, Gongsun Li's grandfather's first disciple.
In some sort of love square, he's probably the only guy that actually truly loves and respects Gongsun Li. For her, he's willing to be a palace guard working for the State that subjugated his country. He's actually also one of the only guys to listen to Gongsun Li's wants and desires and therefore didn't assassinate Ying Zheng when he had the chance. Too bad he's forever brother-zoned since Gongsun Li would be better off had she paired off with him in the first place. In general, he just seems like a chill dude and much more superior to...
* Liu Chang's Senior Jing Ke, the second disciple.
He first chooses avenging his failed nation over Gongsun Li. Then in the end, he chooses assassinating Ying Zheng over Gongsun Li and Tian Ming's (their son) lives. For him being the hero by most historical records, Jing Ke is kind of an idiot in the drama.
But in general, I think all three guys do a good job with whatever they're given to do. I like how they're not "pretty" guys. In fact, this drama employs a lot of funny-looking dudes, like:
Woll Smith, the Prince of Zhao State
Giant triangle-head Gao Jianli
Having funny-looking people adds to realism, I guess.
And the women do a fairly good job too. There's over-eager Ge Lan:
Her acting, man.
Smirky Madam Chu, who starts off as the not-so-bright antagonist to Gongsun Li but ends up with a fairly touching storyline:
Ying Zheng's undignified mom (I'll give her the crazy pass):
And Gongsun Li's poor maid:
Pros:
Now to get to the drama's many pros.
Historical Fiction
I generally like the genre of historical fiction and the story of Qin Shi Huang had been fictionalized probably as soon as the Qin State went out of power (you know, spoilers for history). Obviously, the people that were subjugated by him weren't fans of his and wrote a lot to slander him (First case of Fake News?). The main one the drama uses is the story that Ying Zheng was an illegitimate son. That his mother (a dancing girl) was pregnant with merchant Lu Bu Wei's son by the time she was presented to the King of Qin to be his concubine.
Modern historians tend to be kinder towards Qin Shi Huang since, hindsight being 20/20 and not having lived through that guy killing your ass (that made no sense, but you know what I mean). They dispelled some of the rumors, such as the above illegitimacy and, hey, he didn't kill a bunch of scholars for no reason! He just killed a bunch of them because they couldn't make him immortal. But he still did a lot of horrible things, as kings and emperors did back then.
I guess you have to be a dick, if world domination is your life goal.
So I think fudging with bits of history and using a more modern eye led to a pretty compelling story about Qin Shi Huang trying to unite China and the people out to stop him because - damnit - they love their own countries! No one is an outright villain. No one is wholly sympathetic either. Things were just what they were and yet all the characters are very human in extraordinary times just trying to get by.
Intrigues and Factions
Which leads to the well-written faction fights within the Qin State. I generally don't like stories about intrigue and palace harem plotting, of which this drama actually has a good amount of. But I do find the factions interesting because, things being what they were back then, Ying Zheng had concubines from several different States as part of marriage pacts and alliances. The same went with his officials since famous strategists, generals, and scholars were just recruited by and between various different States. So you ended up with various people in the palace trying their best to influence politics for their own State. Ying Zheng also starts off being a hostage prince in Zhao State and later on has a hostage prince of his own from Yan State. I find the shifts of power and changing allegiances interesting.
Good characterization of just about everyone
What this drama has to do is to make Ying Zheng into sort of a character the audience would root for, yet at the same time not make him a total "nice guy".
Dang...I guess not a "nice guy" at all, then?
According to most historians, Ying Zheng was a tyrant suspicious of everyone around him and killed people like they were insects all in the name of uniting China. It's a good goal and all that since he set the standard for written Chinese, units of measurement, and roadways, not to mention that wall in China. But a heck of a lot of people were killed, including two of his half-brothers, because that's just the type of vengeful person he was.
Those two kids...damn, they're kind of cute. Why didn't they use these kids as Tian Ming instead of the weird looking kid they had?
Well, no wonder his mom went crazy.
Then his (half) brother betrays him after being tricked into it by Woll Smith Prince of Zhao.
Then the hostage bro that Ying Zheng thought was his good chess buddy tells him how he really felt.
Then sent assassins after him.
So I would say the drama actually is pretty successful in making Yang Zheng pathetic enough to sort of feel bad for and I can see where the rage comes from. He's like the big bully that made everyone be friends with him only to realize they actually hate him for all that bullying.
The drama also had to build a love story around him and a woman he kidnapped and forcibly married (but being the "nice guy" he was, he wouldn't bed her until she consents. Awwwww).
'Cos nothing says romance like issuing wanted posters for the woman you're looking to marry.
"Who does that, honestly!"
While I'm not sure if the love story aspect of the drama was ever not a little iffy to me, I can at least see where this guy was coming from and give him a bit of a pass for being a dick. Given how Ying Zheng was a hostage prince early in life and there had been attempts on his life even as a kid, he didn't trust many people. In comes Kid Gongsun Li who saved his life without knowing who he was and therefore a great romance was born...I guess.
Still doesn't excuse the kidnapping and forced marriage. But I suppose any crazy stalker with lots of power will use that power to stalk and procure the object of his affections. Dilraba Dilmurat and Vin Zhang also has enough chemistry to sell their iffy love story, even if it is one between a murderous control freak and a hostage.
Gongsun Li also works well as a strong female character, or, as strong as she could be with all the signs of Stockholm Syndrome. The writing gives clear motivations for why should would make the harebrained decision to surrender to Qin State (to save her boyfriend at the time, Jing Ke), why she would stay (had Jing Ke's baby, which Ying Zheng then monopolized), why she would end up loving and helping Ying Zheng (obviously, Stockholm Syndrome). And I just like Dilraba Dilmurat a lot.
Belivable Romance
I'll straight up admit that the main paring is questionable from beginning to end as the whole thing starts off with Ying Zheng forcing Gongsun Li to marry him. And throughout the rest of the drama, he holds considerable amount of power over her and her son's life and death. So, that doesn't make a very good, voluntary romance at all and smacks of Stockholm Syndrome (the First case of?) when she starts to love him back.
This scene pretty much sums up their relationship from beginning to end.
But, dammit, the drama managed to make me ship them hardcore towards the middle. They gave good reasons for Ying Zheng being the tyrant he is. They gave good reasons for Gongsun Li to see there are other facets to him other than crazy murderer and falls in love while not able to see his faults (since he ordered people not to tell her about his mass murders). And I'm a big fan of how they express their love and affection.
Drama use to have these very chaste rules about showing affection. Typically, the woman would hem and haw when asked about their feelings and sometimes straight up deny liking someone they obviously like while giggling and stamping their feet (honestly, I've seen that in drama before). I'm happy to see more recent dramas getting rid of that really annoying device. At some point, Han Shen asks Gongsun Li if she still has feelings for Ying Zheng (after he had her tortured in a jail cell and sent her out of the palace). And she just said straight up, "I love him."
Then when Ying Zheng and Gongsun Li gets back together, they're constantly showing physical affection for each other. I mean, believable romance? Who knew drama is capable of it?
The other parts of this love-square aren't terrible either. I particularly like forever along Han Shen and his unrequited love for Gongsun Li. It's so pathetic since everyone around him is constantly going: "don't you just want to get married instead of hanging around Gongsun Li all day?"
So sad. Forever alone.
And another, one, just to emphasize the forever alone using rain.
Surprisingly, the least convincing couple to me is Gongsun Li and Jing Ke, probably because they spend most of the drama apart (no pictures for them!).
Female Friendship in Various Forms
There are shitting things done by various characters against each other.
By many of the people in this room.
Abortion medication is slipped liberally into food and people are tortured and killed all the time. So it's nice when there are relationships out there that aren't full of hate and death:
Gongsun Li and Ge Lan - Early on, the two of them meet while wandering around the world. Ge Lan has an instant attraction to Jing Ke but backs off as soon as she saw that Gongsun Li and him are a couple. There's nothing catty about anything in their relationship. Ge Lan loves Jing Ke from the sidelines and Gongsun Li is aware of it and appreciates it. The two of them become sworn sisters and that friendship lasts throughout the whole drama, no matter what happens around them.
Gongsun Li and Ying Zheng's mom - Ying Zheng had his mom locked up all alone and no one ever goes to visit her. In comes Gongsun Li, who brings her dates and oranges (the other sponsors of this drama).
Gongsun Li and her maid, Qing - Gongsun Li obviously treats Qing really well and, in turn, Qing is incredibly loyal to her (sometimes at the risk of her own life). Even in the end reveal when Qing turned out to have been confiding to Ying Zheng the whole time, they show that she...felt really bad about it?
Gongsun Li and Madam Chu - The surprise friendship is between Gongsun Li and Madam Chu, who had been against each other previously. But once Madam Chu finally realizes that Chu State had lost and there was no point in vying for the position of Queen with Gongsun Li, who doesn't want to be Queen anyways, they become good friends.
Madam Chu and her maid - As sassy as Madam Chu started off being, she also has a very loyal maid. The end of their relationship was pretty moving.
Fight choreography
The drama does rely a bit much on slow motion in their fight scenes. But overall, I think the fight choreography is one of the best ones I've seen in recent dramas.
The choreography stay somewhat grounded within the laws of physics without making whatever moves they do seem any less amazing. They also do a good job without relying too much on closeups so that it's never confusing what the hell is going on in a fight. The camera and choreography makes it easy to follow what's going on in a fight. Sometimes, the camera even pull back enough to show some of the actors doing their own fighting.
And they do fight a lot in this drama, for which I'm very pleased!
Good looking cast, costume, and sets
Costumes are awesome, and it's another case where It's mind-boggling how much attention to detail China puts into costumes but still can't record live sound. The sets are amazing and props also to the cinematographer on making it look even better. Watching this at the same time as Princess Agents, it's clear that they share some of the same sets. But where the lighting in Princess Agents make the sets look somehow really cheap and fake, the lighting in The King's Woman makes everything look great.
CGI Restraint
This drama tones it down on the CGI and, for that, my eyes are very grateful.
But when they do use CGI, it is soooooo bad. This brings me to:
Cons:
Horseback Riding: China's New Water
It now looks as if maybe China has mastered being able to find actors that can swim and/or get wet and have started just throwing actors into water. I'm very happy about that.
But now, the new issue: horseback riding. This drama overly relies on fake shots of actors pretending to ride superimposed over a moving background. It looks SO BAD. So bad. But because this is China, they don't think so and have so many of these shots.
The worse usage of this was when the Crown Prince of Yan State sends off Jing Ke and his posse to assassinate Ying Zheng. Everything was being set up to be super dramatic and emotional because Yan Dan is basically sending them off to their deaths and just setting up the assassination attempt had seen the death of a general and a strategist super important to Yan Dan. There's no going back from this planning and it's something they need to do. And so we see Jing Ke's back as he rides off dramatically in slow motion and the scene should have just ended there.
Literally right here. Just cut and final print.
But because China, they intercut to their fake riding so they can show Jing Ke's face while riding off.
Who would ride in such a close formation at a full gallop? It's like they want to kill themselves even before they get to Qin State.
Like, that's not necessary at this point! They already had an emotional scene by the river seeing everyone off! We should know by now how Jing Ke feels without having to see a closeup of his determined/sad face while rocking his body to a fake horse against a green screen. Just, don't!
I get that not many actors can ride a horse at a gallop, so I can see how this is so very dangerous (more so than swimming) that production don't want to let actors do it for closeup shots. The solution would just be not to do these closeup shots or to do it but at a slower pace but use camera tricks to make it look fast. Or the olden time solution is to stick a stunt rider on the horse and do a far shot. Any of those would be better than the super bad horseback riding scenes in this drama.
The Ending - Inexplicable CGI and Over-dramatics
Plot-wise, I thought the ending was very good. Though, there could be no other ending since, history. Jing Ke has to die and Ying Zheng obviously goes on to live. And since Gongsun Li's true love is Jing Ke, she wouldn't end up with Ying Zheng after she sees him murdering her true love.
I actually thought the whole assassination scene was very well done. Even knowing what happens, it's gripping and exciting and everything was done well. Jing Ke and his derp partner (not sure why they ever recruited that derp...but he's there because it's historically accurate) enter the palace and Ying Zheng is sitting there like a giant bird of prey.
Jing Ke and his derp friend present General Fan's head and a map of the Yan State territories that are being given to Qin and Ying Zheng is smirking this whole time because he knew about the assassination plot already and had already set his own trap.
The two of them finally meet after all that has happened.
And then they fight it out, which I'm going to stop screencapping because I got tired. But the fight is great. There's no way that Ying Zheng was going to beat Jing Ke in a fair fight but it's good that Ying Zheng doesn't fight fair. He already had Qing (Gongsun Li's trusted maid) slip poison into Jing Ke's food the night before.
But then came the bad. Ying Zheng obviously didn't want Gongsun Li to walk in on him killing Jing Ke. So he had palace guards stationed all the way from her bedroom to the palace hall to stop her.
Ying Zheng had ordered his guards not to harm her so she had free pass to kick their asses. Except it also showed her using her little knife, killing some of these poor suckers just trying to do their jobs. This, after she goes off on Ying Zheng for killing innocent people. And the scenes of her killing all these people just went on for so long! I think one or two scenes would have been sufficient to make the point that she was trying everything to save Jing Ke. But after the fifth or sixth scene, it became really eye-roll educing.
Then they killed Li Zhong, of all people they can kill. Boo-urns! From there on out, everything became terrible.
"Durrr....I appreciate the loyalty, but why didn't you use that sword you're always carrying to block instead of using your whole body?"
Jing Ke obviously then goes on to die, because poisoned and stabbed several times already. Gongsun Li finally makes it to the palace after decimating the palace guards. Then she tries to kill Ying Zheng. The only good part of it was how willing Ying Zheng was to kill Gongsun Li while she flipped her blade at the last minute.
I really like that characterization, where despite all his talk of her being his one love in this world, he'd still kill her. Whereas Gongsun Li goes on about how he could now finally learn empathy (he doesn't) having lost someone he loves (was she not around for the earlier parts of the drama where his parents and various bros betrayed him?).
Then I think the director quit at this point, thinking that the drama was all wrapped and done and a mad monkey took over. So we get Ying Zheng talking to a dying Gongsun Li under a spotlight. It looks so bad and cheesy.
Come on! His super long sword which had gone through her stomach doesn't even come out the other side and Gongsun Li is not a fat chick!
She finally dies and Ying Zheng walks out of the hall in a daze. He's truly alone (even Li Zhong died! Loyal, trusty, quiet Li Zhong!) even though he has all these subjects that fear him and this giant ass palace.
And, again, they should just end it right here. But nope! They still have five minutes to fill. So they conjured up a bad CGI bird.
Even worse when it is in motion, because Chinese CGI has no idea how animals move.
All this so they can segue into kid Jing Ke, Gongsun Li, and Ying Zheng wishing on the moon.
Then after kid Ying Zheng wishes for everyone in the world to fear him, he turns into adult Ying Zheng.
Kid Jing Ke and Gongsun Li disappears because they're dead, get it? And Ying Zheng's childhood wish came true. You know, just in case the audience hadn't paid attention to the last 47 episodes of this drama.
So, good plot in the end but super bad execution!
Boom and Zoom
Want to make your audience pay attention and realize something important was being said/had happened but not sure if the actors can sell it? *Boom* goes the sound effect and fast zoom on the actors! I wish I made a drinking game out of this because it happens every other scene. A concubine said something catty? Boom and Zoom on the poor concubine on the receiving end of cattiness! Ying Zheng just ordered someone killed (which happened all the time)? Boom and Zoom on his victim(s)'s face(s) because being dead sucks!
I mean, gee, thanks, production. I'm not a complete idiot. And I actually think this is one drama where all the actors sell their reactions very well so such cheap tricks aren't necessary at all to convey that Something Important had happened. It's gotten so bad that I can pretty much predict when these *Boom* and Zoom effects are going to happen. So distracting in an otherwise good drama!
Dubbing, oh the dubbing!
Maybe Chinese actors don't memorize their scripts and production don't own boom mikes?
Except they clearly do?!? What the hell?
The Nice Guy
This isn't a con so much as just LOLs. I mean, it's a con in that it makes Ying Zheng a terrible person, but I don't think anyone is trying to argue that this guy isn't kind of a dick. On top of being the First Emperor of China, Ying Zheng was the First Nice Guy.
To win Gongsun Li trust and love, Ying Zheng gives her a present in the form of a short sword...that he ordered to be forcibly taken from her when she first entered his palace. Nothing says love like gifting a woman with something you robbed from her in the first place!
"See what a romantic I am? I'm giving you a present...that used to belong to you!"
But I guess at least she's happy about it.
Ying Zheng is also the First Cool Drama Male Lead in which he's a super dick to the female lead and a general asshole. But the female lead still inexplicably falls for his charms! Awwwww.
But after this drama, I'm super excited for next year's The Flame's Daughter, which features Dilraba Dilmurat in a love square with Vin Zhang, Vic Chou, and some other random guy. Three actors I like a lot in one drama! How can it go wrong?
Until that comes out, I would probably watch Pretty Li Hui Zhen in which the drama tries to convince the audience that Dilraba Dilmurat is unattractive and stars her, Peter Sheng (the robot from Go Princess Go!) and Vin Zhang. Three people I generally like, how can it go wrong?
Photos in the post are mostly from DramaPanda, my own screencaps from YouTube, and probably other sources from the internet that I can't recall.
The drama follows the love life of Qin Shi Huang, the emperor who united China and was deeply paranoid, probably a little insane, and wanted to build a wall to keep people (or monsters - it's just such a mystery) out of his country.
Na, Trump could only wish he was a fraction as capable as Qin Shi Huang. Trump is probably more like Qin Shi Huang's derpy son that succeeded him...you know, a being a puppet and all that.
At least according to drama logic, Qin Shi Huang is a lot more attractive than Donald Trump.
Though not by that much, according to historic paintings.
Cast and Characters - brought to you by KFC
The drama stars Vin Zhang (Love 020, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms) as Ying Zheng a/k/a Qin Shi Huang. And just for clarification, Ying Zheng was (one of) the guy's names while Qin Shi Huang is the title that he gave himself, meaning - literally, Qin's First Emperor. He loved being First!
Probably the first to dive into that delicious box of fried chicken and fries! Ummmm....fried chicken.
After watching this (and Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms), I'm a huge fan of Vin Zhang since he's able to come off as pretty damn pathetic (in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms) as well as cool and ass-kicking without resorting to the standard drama male lead too-cool-for-an-expression-on-his-face acting. I was pretty afraid that the drama is going to make Ying Zheng the misunderstood, not that much of a tyrant, idol drama tyrant. But Ying Zheng is full on with his murderous rage, jealousy, and suspicion pretty much all the time. It might be my psychotic rage talking, but I'm a big fan of it. And yet (again, maybe it's my love of killing and violence speaking) I think Vin Zhang manages to make the character sympathetic without toning down on the rage and killing. I like how every couple of episodes, he's talking about/actually killing someone.
Not Lao Ai, but some poor sucker that got in his way. Though he does also kill Lao Ai in the end.
I'm also a fan of old-timey rulers (say, from the warring states period) that went to war, did their own killings, and were just generally more badass than some of the later emperors (like, most emperors from the Song Dynasty or - obviously - the later Qing Dynasty). So in short, Ying Zheng was a boss and probably a role model for anyone that just wants to kill those that wronged them.
Boss party to celebrate all that killing!
Dilraba Dilmurat (Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, Mr. Pride vs. Miss Prejudice) plays Gongsun Li, the titular King's Woman.
KFC sells flatbreads in China?
Being shallow, I initially liked Dilraba Dilmurat purely based on looks. But I also liked her a lot in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms and respect how she can play cute without being annoying. Here, she does a good job balancing cuteness with being a kick ass woman whose country was annihilated by Ying Zheng and has to put up with being his concubine.
And wear this unattractive hairstyle that aged her 20 years.
But is otherwise kick ass and gorgeous when she has better hair.
The other actors in the drama are relatively unknown to me. I recognize people here and there, but no one major. But I think they generally do a pretty good job. I tend to think older Chinese actors overact, especially in period dramas. But it looks like everyone toned it down so there's no one ever going on on a over dramatic monologue. It looks like China is starting to get behind subtle acting! Special shout-out goes to:
* Yang Tong, who plays Li Zhong, the head of palace guards that follows Ying Zheng all around the palace (probably because that's his job). He doesn't have many lines or many things to do, but I just irrationally like this guy. Out of all the people in the drama to die (almost everyone dies), I was most upset by his death since it's so unnecessary, ya know?
Way to stand there and look disapproving, bodyguard dude!
I guess I just love bodyguard characters that just silently follow their boss about (see Prince Jing's follower from Nirvana in Fire).
* Li Tai, who plays Senior Han Shen, Gongsun Li's grandfather's first disciple.
In some sort of love square, he's probably the only guy that actually truly loves and respects Gongsun Li. For her, he's willing to be a palace guard working for the State that subjugated his country. He's actually also one of the only guys to listen to Gongsun Li's wants and desires and therefore didn't assassinate Ying Zheng when he had the chance. Too bad he's forever brother-zoned since Gongsun Li would be better off had she paired off with him in the first place. In general, he just seems like a chill dude and much more superior to...
* Liu Chang's Senior Jing Ke, the second disciple.
He first chooses avenging his failed nation over Gongsun Li. Then in the end, he chooses assassinating Ying Zheng over Gongsun Li and Tian Ming's (their son) lives. For him being the hero by most historical records, Jing Ke is kind of an idiot in the drama.
But in general, I think all three guys do a good job with whatever they're given to do. I like how they're not "pretty" guys. In fact, this drama employs a lot of funny-looking dudes, like:
Woll Smith, the Prince of Zhao State
Giant triangle-head Gao Jianli
Having funny-looking people adds to realism, I guess.
And the women do a fairly good job too. There's over-eager Ge Lan:
Her acting, man.
Smirky Madam Chu, who starts off as the not-so-bright antagonist to Gongsun Li but ends up with a fairly touching storyline:
Ying Zheng's undignified mom (I'll give her the crazy pass):
And Gongsun Li's poor maid:
Pros:
Now to get to the drama's many pros.
Historical Fiction
I generally like the genre of historical fiction and the story of Qin Shi Huang had been fictionalized probably as soon as the Qin State went out of power (you know, spoilers for history). Obviously, the people that were subjugated by him weren't fans of his and wrote a lot to slander him (First case of Fake News?). The main one the drama uses is the story that Ying Zheng was an illegitimate son. That his mother (a dancing girl) was pregnant with merchant Lu Bu Wei's son by the time she was presented to the King of Qin to be his concubine.
Modern historians tend to be kinder towards Qin Shi Huang since, hindsight being 20/20 and not having lived through that guy killing your ass (that made no sense, but you know what I mean). They dispelled some of the rumors, such as the above illegitimacy and, hey, he didn't kill a bunch of scholars for no reason! He just killed a bunch of them because they couldn't make him immortal. But he still did a lot of horrible things, as kings and emperors did back then.
I guess you have to be a dick, if world domination is your life goal.
So I think fudging with bits of history and using a more modern eye led to a pretty compelling story about Qin Shi Huang trying to unite China and the people out to stop him because - damnit - they love their own countries! No one is an outright villain. No one is wholly sympathetic either. Things were just what they were and yet all the characters are very human in extraordinary times just trying to get by.
Intrigues and Factions
Which leads to the well-written faction fights within the Qin State. I generally don't like stories about intrigue and palace harem plotting, of which this drama actually has a good amount of. But I do find the factions interesting because, things being what they were back then, Ying Zheng had concubines from several different States as part of marriage pacts and alliances. The same went with his officials since famous strategists, generals, and scholars were just recruited by and between various different States. So you ended up with various people in the palace trying their best to influence politics for their own State. Ying Zheng also starts off being a hostage prince in Zhao State and later on has a hostage prince of his own from Yan State. I find the shifts of power and changing allegiances interesting.
Good characterization of just about everyone
What this drama has to do is to make Ying Zheng into sort of a character the audience would root for, yet at the same time not make him a total "nice guy".
Dang...I guess not a "nice guy" at all, then?
According to most historians, Ying Zheng was a tyrant suspicious of everyone around him and killed people like they were insects all in the name of uniting China. It's a good goal and all that since he set the standard for written Chinese, units of measurement, and roadways, not to mention that wall in China. But a heck of a lot of people were killed, including two of his half-brothers, because that's just the type of vengeful person he was.
Those two kids...damn, they're kind of cute. Why didn't they use these kids as Tian Ming instead of the weird looking kid they had?
Well, no wonder his mom went crazy.
Then his (half) brother betrays him after being tricked into it by Woll Smith Prince of Zhao.
Then the hostage bro that Ying Zheng thought was his good chess buddy tells him how he really felt.
Then sent assassins after him.
So I would say the drama actually is pretty successful in making Yang Zheng pathetic enough to sort of feel bad for and I can see where the rage comes from. He's like the big bully that made everyone be friends with him only to realize they actually hate him for all that bullying.
The drama also had to build a love story around him and a woman he kidnapped and forcibly married (but being the "nice guy" he was, he wouldn't bed her until she consents. Awwwww).
'Cos nothing says romance like issuing wanted posters for the woman you're looking to marry.
"Who does that, honestly!"
While I'm not sure if the love story aspect of the drama was ever not a little iffy to me, I can at least see where this guy was coming from and give him a bit of a pass for being a dick. Given how Ying Zheng was a hostage prince early in life and there had been attempts on his life even as a kid, he didn't trust many people. In comes Kid Gongsun Li who saved his life without knowing who he was and therefore a great romance was born...I guess.
Still doesn't excuse the kidnapping and forced marriage. But I suppose any crazy stalker with lots of power will use that power to stalk and procure the object of his affections. Dilraba Dilmurat and Vin Zhang also has enough chemistry to sell their iffy love story, even if it is one between a murderous control freak and a hostage.
Gongsun Li also works well as a strong female character, or, as strong as she could be with all the signs of Stockholm Syndrome. The writing gives clear motivations for why should would make the harebrained decision to surrender to Qin State (to save her boyfriend at the time, Jing Ke), why she would stay (had Jing Ke's baby, which Ying Zheng then monopolized), why she would end up loving and helping Ying Zheng (obviously, Stockholm Syndrome). And I just like Dilraba Dilmurat a lot.
Belivable Romance
I'll straight up admit that the main paring is questionable from beginning to end as the whole thing starts off with Ying Zheng forcing Gongsun Li to marry him. And throughout the rest of the drama, he holds considerable amount of power over her and her son's life and death. So, that doesn't make a very good, voluntary romance at all and smacks of Stockholm Syndrome (the First case of?) when she starts to love him back.
This scene pretty much sums up their relationship from beginning to end.
But, dammit, the drama managed to make me ship them hardcore towards the middle. They gave good reasons for Ying Zheng being the tyrant he is. They gave good reasons for Gongsun Li to see there are other facets to him other than crazy murderer and falls in love while not able to see his faults (since he ordered people not to tell her about his mass murders). And I'm a big fan of how they express their love and affection.
Drama use to have these very chaste rules about showing affection. Typically, the woman would hem and haw when asked about their feelings and sometimes straight up deny liking someone they obviously like while giggling and stamping their feet (honestly, I've seen that in drama before). I'm happy to see more recent dramas getting rid of that really annoying device. At some point, Han Shen asks Gongsun Li if she still has feelings for Ying Zheng (after he had her tortured in a jail cell and sent her out of the palace). And she just said straight up, "I love him."
Then when Ying Zheng and Gongsun Li gets back together, they're constantly showing physical affection for each other. I mean, believable romance? Who knew drama is capable of it?
The other parts of this love-square aren't terrible either. I particularly like forever along Han Shen and his unrequited love for Gongsun Li. It's so pathetic since everyone around him is constantly going: "don't you just want to get married instead of hanging around Gongsun Li all day?"
So sad. Forever alone.
And another, one, just to emphasize the forever alone using rain.
Surprisingly, the least convincing couple to me is Gongsun Li and Jing Ke, probably because they spend most of the drama apart (no pictures for them!).
Female Friendship in Various Forms
There are shitting things done by various characters against each other.
By many of the people in this room.
Abortion medication is slipped liberally into food and people are tortured and killed all the time. So it's nice when there are relationships out there that aren't full of hate and death:
Gongsun Li and Ge Lan - Early on, the two of them meet while wandering around the world. Ge Lan has an instant attraction to Jing Ke but backs off as soon as she saw that Gongsun Li and him are a couple. There's nothing catty about anything in their relationship. Ge Lan loves Jing Ke from the sidelines and Gongsun Li is aware of it and appreciates it. The two of them become sworn sisters and that friendship lasts throughout the whole drama, no matter what happens around them.
Gongsun Li and Ying Zheng's mom - Ying Zheng had his mom locked up all alone and no one ever goes to visit her. In comes Gongsun Li, who brings her dates and oranges (the other sponsors of this drama).
Gongsun Li and her maid, Qing - Gongsun Li obviously treats Qing really well and, in turn, Qing is incredibly loyal to her (sometimes at the risk of her own life). Even in the end reveal when Qing turned out to have been confiding to Ying Zheng the whole time, they show that she...felt really bad about it?
Gongsun Li and Madam Chu - The surprise friendship is between Gongsun Li and Madam Chu, who had been against each other previously. But once Madam Chu finally realizes that Chu State had lost and there was no point in vying for the position of Queen with Gongsun Li, who doesn't want to be Queen anyways, they become good friends.
Madam Chu and her maid - As sassy as Madam Chu started off being, she also has a very loyal maid. The end of their relationship was pretty moving.
Fight choreography
The drama does rely a bit much on slow motion in their fight scenes. But overall, I think the fight choreography is one of the best ones I've seen in recent dramas.
The choreography stay somewhat grounded within the laws of physics without making whatever moves they do seem any less amazing. They also do a good job without relying too much on closeups so that it's never confusing what the hell is going on in a fight. The camera and choreography makes it easy to follow what's going on in a fight. Sometimes, the camera even pull back enough to show some of the actors doing their own fighting.
And they do fight a lot in this drama, for which I'm very pleased!
Good looking cast, costume, and sets
Costumes are awesome, and it's another case where It's mind-boggling how much attention to detail China puts into costumes but still can't record live sound. The sets are amazing and props also to the cinematographer on making it look even better. Watching this at the same time as Princess Agents, it's clear that they share some of the same sets. But where the lighting in Princess Agents make the sets look somehow really cheap and fake, the lighting in The King's Woman makes everything look great.
CGI Restraint
This drama tones it down on the CGI and, for that, my eyes are very grateful.
But when they do use CGI, it is soooooo bad. This brings me to:
Cons:
Horseback Riding: China's New Water
It now looks as if maybe China has mastered being able to find actors that can swim and/or get wet and have started just throwing actors into water. I'm very happy about that.
But now, the new issue: horseback riding. This drama overly relies on fake shots of actors pretending to ride superimposed over a moving background. It looks SO BAD. So bad. But because this is China, they don't think so and have so many of these shots.
The worse usage of this was when the Crown Prince of Yan State sends off Jing Ke and his posse to assassinate Ying Zheng. Everything was being set up to be super dramatic and emotional because Yan Dan is basically sending them off to their deaths and just setting up the assassination attempt had seen the death of a general and a strategist super important to Yan Dan. There's no going back from this planning and it's something they need to do. And so we see Jing Ke's back as he rides off dramatically in slow motion and the scene should have just ended there.
Literally right here. Just cut and final print.
But because China, they intercut to their fake riding so they can show Jing Ke's face while riding off.
Who would ride in such a close formation at a full gallop? It's like they want to kill themselves even before they get to Qin State.
Like, that's not necessary at this point! They already had an emotional scene by the river seeing everyone off! We should know by now how Jing Ke feels without having to see a closeup of his determined/sad face while rocking his body to a fake horse against a green screen. Just, don't!
I get that not many actors can ride a horse at a gallop, so I can see how this is so very dangerous (more so than swimming) that production don't want to let actors do it for closeup shots. The solution would just be not to do these closeup shots or to do it but at a slower pace but use camera tricks to make it look fast. Or the olden time solution is to stick a stunt rider on the horse and do a far shot. Any of those would be better than the super bad horseback riding scenes in this drama.
The Ending - Inexplicable CGI and Over-dramatics
Plot-wise, I thought the ending was very good. Though, there could be no other ending since, history. Jing Ke has to die and Ying Zheng obviously goes on to live. And since Gongsun Li's true love is Jing Ke, she wouldn't end up with Ying Zheng after she sees him murdering her true love.
I actually thought the whole assassination scene was very well done. Even knowing what happens, it's gripping and exciting and everything was done well. Jing Ke and his derp partner (not sure why they ever recruited that derp...but he's there because it's historically accurate) enter the palace and Ying Zheng is sitting there like a giant bird of prey.
Jing Ke and his derp friend present General Fan's head and a map of the Yan State territories that are being given to Qin and Ying Zheng is smirking this whole time because he knew about the assassination plot already and had already set his own trap.
The two of them finally meet after all that has happened.
And then they fight it out, which I'm going to stop screencapping because I got tired. But the fight is great. There's no way that Ying Zheng was going to beat Jing Ke in a fair fight but it's good that Ying Zheng doesn't fight fair. He already had Qing (Gongsun Li's trusted maid) slip poison into Jing Ke's food the night before.
But then came the bad. Ying Zheng obviously didn't want Gongsun Li to walk in on him killing Jing Ke. So he had palace guards stationed all the way from her bedroom to the palace hall to stop her.
Ying Zheng had ordered his guards not to harm her so she had free pass to kick their asses. Except it also showed her using her little knife, killing some of these poor suckers just trying to do their jobs. This, after she goes off on Ying Zheng for killing innocent people. And the scenes of her killing all these people just went on for so long! I think one or two scenes would have been sufficient to make the point that she was trying everything to save Jing Ke. But after the fifth or sixth scene, it became really eye-roll educing.
Then they killed Li Zhong, of all people they can kill. Boo-urns! From there on out, everything became terrible.
"Durrr....I appreciate the loyalty, but why didn't you use that sword you're always carrying to block instead of using your whole body?"
Jing Ke obviously then goes on to die, because poisoned and stabbed several times already. Gongsun Li finally makes it to the palace after decimating the palace guards. Then she tries to kill Ying Zheng. The only good part of it was how willing Ying Zheng was to kill Gongsun Li while she flipped her blade at the last minute.
I really like that characterization, where despite all his talk of her being his one love in this world, he'd still kill her. Whereas Gongsun Li goes on about how he could now finally learn empathy (he doesn't) having lost someone he loves (was she not around for the earlier parts of the drama where his parents and various bros betrayed him?).
Then I think the director quit at this point, thinking that the drama was all wrapped and done and a mad monkey took over. So we get Ying Zheng talking to a dying Gongsun Li under a spotlight. It looks so bad and cheesy.
Come on! His super long sword which had gone through her stomach doesn't even come out the other side and Gongsun Li is not a fat chick!
She finally dies and Ying Zheng walks out of the hall in a daze. He's truly alone (even Li Zhong died! Loyal, trusty, quiet Li Zhong!) even though he has all these subjects that fear him and this giant ass palace.
And, again, they should just end it right here. But nope! They still have five minutes to fill. So they conjured up a bad CGI bird.
Even worse when it is in motion, because Chinese CGI has no idea how animals move.
All this so they can segue into kid Jing Ke, Gongsun Li, and Ying Zheng wishing on the moon.
Then after kid Ying Zheng wishes for everyone in the world to fear him, he turns into adult Ying Zheng.
Kid Jing Ke and Gongsun Li disappears because they're dead, get it? And Ying Zheng's childhood wish came true. You know, just in case the audience hadn't paid attention to the last 47 episodes of this drama.
So, good plot in the end but super bad execution!
Boom and Zoom
Want to make your audience pay attention and realize something important was being said/had happened but not sure if the actors can sell it? *Boom* goes the sound effect and fast zoom on the actors! I wish I made a drinking game out of this because it happens every other scene. A concubine said something catty? Boom and Zoom on the poor concubine on the receiving end of cattiness! Ying Zheng just ordered someone killed (which happened all the time)? Boom and Zoom on his victim(s)'s face(s) because being dead sucks!
I mean, gee, thanks, production. I'm not a complete idiot. And I actually think this is one drama where all the actors sell their reactions very well so such cheap tricks aren't necessary at all to convey that Something Important had happened. It's gotten so bad that I can pretty much predict when these *Boom* and Zoom effects are going to happen. So distracting in an otherwise good drama!
Dubbing, oh the dubbing!
Maybe Chinese actors don't memorize their scripts and production don't own boom mikes?
Except they clearly do?!? What the hell?
The Nice Guy
This isn't a con so much as just LOLs. I mean, it's a con in that it makes Ying Zheng a terrible person, but I don't think anyone is trying to argue that this guy isn't kind of a dick. On top of being the First Emperor of China, Ying Zheng was the First Nice Guy.
To win Gongsun Li trust and love, Ying Zheng gives her a present in the form of a short sword...that he ordered to be forcibly taken from her when she first entered his palace. Nothing says love like gifting a woman with something you robbed from her in the first place!
"See what a romantic I am? I'm giving you a present...that used to belong to you!"
But I guess at least she's happy about it.
Ying Zheng is also the First Cool Drama Male Lead in which he's a super dick to the female lead and a general asshole. But the female lead still inexplicably falls for his charms! Awwwww.
But after this drama, I'm super excited for next year's The Flame's Daughter, which features Dilraba Dilmurat in a love square with Vin Zhang, Vic Chou, and some other random guy. Three actors I like a lot in one drama! How can it go wrong?
Until that comes out, I would probably watch Pretty Li Hui Zhen in which the drama tries to convince the audience that Dilraba Dilmurat is unattractive and stars her, Peter Sheng (the robot from Go Princess Go!) and Vin Zhang. Three people I generally like, how can it go wrong?