This is the fastest release of a teaser I have ever seen, and it actually looks really good. Daylight Ent deserves brownie points for using on-site recording (I’m hoping it stays in the final product, since most of the line reading is excellent) and a muted colour palette.
The Story of Minglan focuses on Sheng Minglan (Zhao Liying) and the family drama that occurs in the Sheng household, and later her husband Gu Tingye’s (Feng Shaofeng) household. Being the unfavoured daughter of a concubine, Minglan has to deal with her father’s wife and other concubines, as well as jealous half-siblings. Thankfully she’ll have the protection of her grandmother (Cao Cuifen), who helps her navigate the complex relationships in the inner courtyard (where all the wives and concubines live).
Gu Tingye is quite unlikable in the beginning, and I extend my applause to screenwriters Zeng Lu and Wu Tong (Battle of Changsha) for actually keeping his original personality intact. Qi Heng (Zhu Yilong) is the son of a powerful noble and Sheng Minglan’s first love, though the pressure that came from a difference in status meant their relationship simply couldn’t come to fruition, which is a pity, because I was totally rooting for him in the novel.
Directed by Zhang Kaizhou (Ode to Joy 2), the 70 episode drama has locked in a late 2018 timeslot on Hunan TV.
I actually don’t like the look at all. Many of the women’s clothes look like cheap satin costumes, and the rooms are way, way too clean. It looks like a stage production with bad lighting.
I’m glad the visual aspect of the drama is nuanced & balanced. I have high expectations for this since we’ve got 2 very capable leads and what looks like a good source material. But late 2018??? a whole year away…I hope my patience can sustain the wait.
How nice to be able to say that a drama looks and sounds good! I wish they’d take the time and trouble to have more natural audio in dramas. While I’m “used to” this, it always takes me out of the moment just that little bit.