Final Review - Jiu Liu Overlord (2020)
Final Review/rating - Jiu Liu Overlord (2020): Pride and Prejudice in the Tang Dynasty which begins well but sadly fizzles out
This is 6/10 stars ✮✮✮✮✮✮ from Pandafan🐼
Overall rating: 6 Stars Plot: 5 Stars Acting/cast: 7 Stars Couple chemistry: 6 stars Music: 6 Stars Re-watch value: 5 Stars Enjoyment factor: 6 Stars |
I've finally finished Jiu Liu Overlord and have mixed feelings. This started with such promise - think Pride and Prejudice in a Tang dynasty setting with a Darcy-like Li Qing Liu rethinking his prejudices and falling for the proud and carefree Lizzie-like Long Ai Yi. Unfortunately, the drama loses steam part way through and doesn't quite live up to its promising beginning. That said, if you're a fan of Bai Lu, this is still worth watching for her alone.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Long Ao Yi - what's not to love?
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| Bai Lu as Long Ao Yi |
Bai Lu stars as Long Ao Yi, a sassy, kickass gang leader. She is well loved by her gang and is warm hearted, carefree, and a bit of a wild child. She gambles, drinks like a fish, and can't quote poetry to save herself. But while she lacks the upper class polish of "ladies" like Du Xiao Xian, she undoubtedly has the x factor that draws all to her like a moth to the flame - Li Qing Liu and Prince Zhao being cases in point.
The ever gorgeous Bai Lu is perfect as Long Ao Yi - one of my favourite scenes is when the rich upper class nobles and Du Xiao Xian look down on her, thinking she won't be able to dance like a lady and she duly takes on the challenge and does the most stunning dance, clad in a custom made bright red silk dress, with all the confidence and defiant beauty of an original. Take that, snobs!
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| Lady in red...and a nosebleed from Prince Zhao |
Though I must admit, with her stylish entry into the scene in episode 1 as the young gang leader who can gamble and swagger with the best of them, I'm a little disappointed that the script didn't also make Long Ao Yi a good martial artist. That would have been more consistent with her gang leader status and also avoid many of the later scenes where she sometimes becomes a typical damsel in distress.
Jiu Liu Overlord is certainly not the worst Chinese historical drama I've watched, but it definitely isn't the best. A bit of a disappointment, especially since I was very much looking forward to Bai Lu as a kickass heroine once more (which she more than delivers on).
Li Qing Liu - Tycoon turned Prince
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| Lai Yi as Li Qing Liu |
Lai Yi's portrayal of Li Qing Liu is competent - a pity the script writer didn't give him more to work with! He is better at the outset as a silk business tycoon, aloof and somewhat snobby in his outlook and with a completely improbable allergy to all women (but let's suspend disbelief here for a bit). Li Qing Liu is irritated by the flamboyant Long Ao Yi but also attracted to her, against his will, which makes for some hilarious encounters in the first half of the drama.
The script writer does Li Qing Liu no favours in turning him from confident and slowly thawing business tycoon to a long lost Prince of the realm because thereafter, Li Qing Liu loses all his agency, becoming yet another pawn prince of the emperor, trapped in a golden cage, unable to love and live as he pleases.
Ho hum couple chemistry
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| Slow burn romance...but I'm more interested in those dishes |
I've often thought that Bai Lu can share onscreen chemistry with just about any lead, but because the drama draws out the will-they/won't they get together too long (seriously, they are still not officially together until episode 30 or so), the slow burn romance between Long Ao Yi and Li Qing Liu failed to ignite sparks for me. There were moments of sparkle here, but not enough.
Perhaps I'm too spoilt by having watched the incredible chemistry between Bai Lu and Xu Kai in their various dramas (eg The Legends) because I didn't really become truly invested in Long Ao Yi and Li Qing Liu's romance. There are times when Chinese historical drama gets slow burn romance pitch perfect (eg Under the Power), but for me, Jiu Liu Overlord didn't achieve this.
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| Zhai Zi Lu as Yan Bin |
I think the side couple, the respective sidekicks Yan Bin and Xiao Qin had a much cuter courtship - the flirting and playing cupid together for their respective master and mistress is lighthearted fun.
Incidentally Zhai Zi Lu's playful Yan Bin was a scene stealer - that cheeky smirk is (in my humble opinion) much more attractive than the rather dour frown his master keeps sporting.
Prince Zhao - devoted second male lead
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| Alan Feng as Prince Zhao |
Alan Feng's devoted Prince Zhao falls for Long Ao Yi at first sight but is friend zoned right from the get go. His single minded pursuit of her has moments of hilarity (eg the nosebleed referred to above and another scene in which he pretends to be drunk to try to see if she returns his feelings) and he is touchingly devoted to her welfare.
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| Prince Zhao rescues Long Ao Yi |
Prince Zhao wants to be a carefree person, much like Long Ao Yi, but is trapped by his birth and manipulative and ambitious mother. Despite his circumstances, Prince Zhao is often there for Long Ao Yi when Li Qing Liu isn't, including when she is at death's door and he saves her at all costs.
He also ends up dying to save her and Li Qing Liu, and manages to steal an antidote that saves Li Qing Liu's life just before he dies, thus ensuring a happily ever after for the main leads.
My one dislike of Prince Zhao's character is when he (in a total aberration inconsistent with his character) forces a kiss on Long Ao Yi, when he is mad with grief at his mother's death. Not cool, script writer.
Patchy Plot
My main problem with Jiu Liu Overlord is that despite its promising beginning, after episode 22 (the big reveal that Li Qing Liu is actually a long lost Prince), things get very patchy plot wise. We are dragged through some rather tedious token palace politics, Li Qing Liu is engaged against his will by royal decree to the venomous Du Xiao Xian, and in a rather contrived twist, Long Ao Yi's master is murdered and she fakes having a pregnancy by Li Qing Liu after a "did they or didn't they" night together when both were under the influence of an aphrodisiac planted by Du Xiao Xian.
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| The wedding that wasn't |
Not that Long Ao Yi gets much investigating done while she is in the palace. Thereafter we mostly get the couple sniping at each other after petty jealous misunderstandings and refusing to come right out and confess their feelings, and then a big denouncement when (shock! horror!) Li Qing Liu discovers that Long Ao Yi isn't actually pregnant. (Physical impossibility since they didn't actually do the deed).
Du Xiao Xian rats on Long Ao Yi to the emperor, causing her to be tortured (seems extreme, but deceiving the emperor is a crime punishable by death etc), and then Li Qing Liu is forced to go through a fiasco of a wedding with Du Xiao Xian, which he runs out on by drinking poison and running off to Long Ao Yi's rescue.
In a rather rushed and chaotic ending, Lord Yuan Shang, the villain who murdered Long Ao Yi's master is revealed, nearly kills the couple (who are stealthily and sacrificially rescued by Prince Zhao) and the villain is in turn killed after Long Ao Yi and Li Qing Liu convince the baddies to put down their weapons for the sake of goodness. So far, so implausible...
The emperor also says he knew what Lord Yuan Shang was up to all along. Huh? I mean, that is all a bit too much, considering that his son Prince Zhao therefore basically dies in vain in trying to stop Lord Yuan Shang from rebellion + killing the main leads. By the time we get a fast forward to a happily ever after for Long Ao Yi and Li Qing Liu complete with a pair of adorable children, I was rolling my eyes and ready for the absurdity to end.
Final thoughts
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| Long Ao Yi rocking in red |
I think for her alone, I would watch this drama, but be prepared that despite it's bubbly and promising beginning, the drama takes a turn for the mediocre.
It's a 6 out of 10 stars ✮✮✮✮✮✮ for me.
