More period cdramas than you can shake a sword at
1. I was hoarding Qing Shi Huang Fei, but it seems the subbers are almost done, so I've started gobbling it up and am on ep 12. Mmmmmm. Episode 10, especially, was pretty much tailor-made for every hurt/comfort kink I had. Let's see, the sequence of events was as follows:
* Imperial Mother doesn't want Ruby to marry her feckless crown prince kid and, pissed off, orders her beaten almost to death so she'd confess who snuck her into palace.
* Yan Kuan volunteers for beat-down duty because, if not, Ruby is going to get killed for real.
* Ruby is taken out and it's not sure she's going to live, so Yan Kuan spends all night standing not movinh in a torrential downpour (what is with drama heroes, and their obsession with penumonia?), then his servant shows up in the morning, and is all 'she's going to live, now pls tell me, you didn't stay out like this all night, Queen Mum might hate you but she'll still have my head if you keel over." Yan Kuan manfully says he's fine, only to promptly collapse in a heap (I was counting to it in my head).
* He gets off his sickbed to convince Ruby to leave the palace by pretending he doesn't want to use her in his plan any more. She's duly pissed.
* Then servants come to beg her help because she's healer supreme and Yan Kuan is pretty much dying because during her beatdown she only got superficial injuries which means he absorbed the inner force of the blows into himself (wtf, wuxia medicine, do you ever make sense? Oh well...I still remember Return of Condor Heroes where the protagonists spent most of the time poisoned from one thing or another). So she goes to treat him and is all "OK, fine, internal injuries I get, but why does he have a cold on top?" and servant is all "well..."
* Yan Kuan comes to and is all "go away, I hate you blah blah blah" and when Ruby points out the injuries, he snarls that if he knew it would happen he'd have killed her, and when she points out the rain stunt, he's all "I wanted to make sure you'll keel over and take my secrets with you" to which she pretty much responds "whatever, stop being a brat, shut up, and let me hand-feed you." LOLOLOLOL. That is how you do 'icy bastard melted by plucky good girl' trope, dramas!
Have a cute scene I haven't gotten to yet but soon will :)
http://youtu.be/rDjqhRrJp2Y
2. I have also checked out the first episode of War of Desire, a Tang Dynasty drama starring Zhang Han (mmmm), Zheng Shuang and Bai Bing, as three friends who get torn apart by intrigue when Bai Bing gets taken into the imperial harem.
From what I can tell, ZH starts the drama in love with Bai Bing, but ends up with Zheng Shuang, which is as it should be, as they were Mainland Domyouji and Makino. Anyway, the first episode is a good introductory one. It does not have the polish or budget of QSHF (let alone, Bu Bu Jing Xin or similar), but it seems to be a solid drama with the usual cast of creepy politicking people. The three-corner friendship is the big draw here for me, because while I like the cast, none of them are major favorites of mine as is the case with the Ruby-Yan Kuan-Wallace triumvirate of QSHF or the drama I am going to talk about next.
3. Ah, another drama I checked out - The Royal Harem with Ady An and Feng Shao Feng. I believe it's set during the Ming times. Ady is a royal maid and FSF a musician.
It has received decidedly mixed reviews, but as I am watching this solely for the gorgeous costumes and my love for Ady and FSF alone and as a combo, I was very satisfied with the first two eps. It's not exactly challenging but it's a fun fun drama. (This reminds me I need to finish Four Women. It's just I stopped at relatively happy place and am dreading going forward).
4. I looooove Minguo period sets and costumes. So another drama I checked out is currently-airing Hidden Intention - in it, a young woman is haunted by leaving her younger sister at a market years ago. All of a sudden this younger sister appears, all grown-up, and bewitches the family. But is she who she says she is? The first episode was gorgeously atmospheric and I cannot wait to find out various secrets.
Plus, Luo Jin is the male lead. Bloody finally!
5. I saw the trailer for Beauties of the Emperor and ahahahahahhaaaaa so bad. I don't even mind any more because we are getting a proper take in Chu Han Contention, but seriously. So. Bad.
* Imperial Mother doesn't want Ruby to marry her feckless crown prince kid and, pissed off, orders her beaten almost to death so she'd confess who snuck her into palace.
* Yan Kuan volunteers for beat-down duty because, if not, Ruby is going to get killed for real.
* Ruby is taken out and it's not sure she's going to live, so Yan Kuan spends all night standing not movinh in a torrential downpour (what is with drama heroes, and their obsession with penumonia?), then his servant shows up in the morning, and is all 'she's going to live, now pls tell me, you didn't stay out like this all night, Queen Mum might hate you but she'll still have my head if you keel over." Yan Kuan manfully says he's fine, only to promptly collapse in a heap (I was counting to it in my head).
* He gets off his sickbed to convince Ruby to leave the palace by pretending he doesn't want to use her in his plan any more. She's duly pissed.
* Then servants come to beg her help because she's healer supreme and Yan Kuan is pretty much dying because during her beatdown she only got superficial injuries which means he absorbed the inner force of the blows into himself (wtf, wuxia medicine, do you ever make sense? Oh well...I still remember Return of Condor Heroes where the protagonists spent most of the time poisoned from one thing or another). So she goes to treat him and is all "OK, fine, internal injuries I get, but why does he have a cold on top?" and servant is all "well..."
* Yan Kuan comes to and is all "go away, I hate you blah blah blah" and when Ruby points out the injuries, he snarls that if he knew it would happen he'd have killed her, and when she points out the rain stunt, he's all "I wanted to make sure you'll keel over and take my secrets with you" to which she pretty much responds "whatever, stop being a brat, shut up, and let me hand-feed you." LOLOLOLOL. That is how you do 'icy bastard melted by plucky good girl' trope, dramas!
Have a cute scene I haven't gotten to yet but soon will :)
http://youtu.be/rDjqhRrJp2Y
2. I have also checked out the first episode of War of Desire, a Tang Dynasty drama starring Zhang Han (mmmm), Zheng Shuang and Bai Bing, as three friends who get torn apart by intrigue when Bai Bing gets taken into the imperial harem.
From what I can tell, ZH starts the drama in love with Bai Bing, but ends up with Zheng Shuang, which is as it should be, as they were Mainland Domyouji and Makino. Anyway, the first episode is a good introductory one. It does not have the polish or budget of QSHF (let alone, Bu Bu Jing Xin or similar), but it seems to be a solid drama with the usual cast of creepy politicking people. The three-corner friendship is the big draw here for me, because while I like the cast, none of them are major favorites of mine as is the case with the Ruby-Yan Kuan-Wallace triumvirate of QSHF or the drama I am going to talk about next.
3. Ah, another drama I checked out - The Royal Harem with Ady An and Feng Shao Feng. I believe it's set during the Ming times. Ady is a royal maid and FSF a musician.
It has received decidedly mixed reviews, but as I am watching this solely for the gorgeous costumes and my love for Ady and FSF alone and as a combo, I was very satisfied with the first two eps. It's not exactly challenging but it's a fun fun drama. (This reminds me I need to finish Four Women. It's just I stopped at relatively happy place and am dreading going forward).
4. I looooove Minguo period sets and costumes. So another drama I checked out is currently-airing Hidden Intention - in it, a young woman is haunted by leaving her younger sister at a market years ago. All of a sudden this younger sister appears, all grown-up, and bewitches the family. But is she who she says she is? The first episode was gorgeously atmospheric and I cannot wait to find out various secrets.
Plus, Luo Jin is the male lead. Bloody finally!
5. I saw the trailer for Beauties of the Emperor and ahahahahahhaaaaa so bad. I don't even mind any more because we are getting a proper take in Chu Han Contention, but seriously. So. Bad.