Rebirth for You (2021) - Final Review

Final review/rating: Rebirth for You (2021) - An exercise in exasperation

This is 4/10 stars ✮✮✮✮ from Pandafan🐼

Overall rating:         4 Stars Plot:                       3 Stars Acting/cast:            5 Stars Couple chemistry:   7 stars Music:                    7 Stars Re-watch value:      0 Stars Enjoyment factor:   3 Stars

Rebirth for You (2021) is, to put it mildly, an exercise in exasperation.  

It's a complete waste of potential, given what they had to work with in terms of the source material and two attractive and charming leads in Ju Jing Yi and Zeng Shun Xi.  Only for die hard fans of the leads, and even then, I would recommend judicious use of the fast forward button or perhaps skipping everything after episode 12 and resuming at episode 39.  Or episode 40.  Or not at all. 

*Sigh 😩

SPOILERS AHEADS

How to ruin a good plot and exasperate your viewers 

Mu Nan Zhi

Rebirth for You (2021) should have been good.  

It is based on the novel Mu Nan Zhi (慕南枝) by Zhi Zhi 吱吱, in which reincarnation and imperial/political intrigue features heavily. But due to censorship, the reincarnation element was completely cut from the drama. The English title remains (confusingly) Rebirth for You but there's no rebirth of any kind. And when I say the drama is based on the novel, I should probably clarify that it is very loosely based on the novel. That is probably one of the main reasons why it turned into a not-so-hot mess.

The drama started strong, with plenty of plot potential: an investigation into the cold case murder of the hero's mother; the mysterious origins of a powerful secret weapon; palace intrigue and political conspiracies.

Ju Jing Yi as Bo Ning

And of course, there is the cute pairing of Princess Jiang Bo Ning (played by Ju Jing Yi) and the comparatively lowly imperial guard Li Qian (played by Zeng Shun Xi), as they navigate the bitter sweetness of falling in love with someone who is their equal in every way aside from social strata. 

Ju Jing Yi's Bo Ning is mischievous and clever (very similar to her previous roles in Legend of Yunxi and The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion) and quite watchable. Her costumes and headpieces are rather OTT, but she is pretty enough to carry it all off.  

Zeng Shun Xi as Li Qian

Zeng Shun Xi's Li Qian is also a feast for the eyes and he is rather endearing as the devoted and somewhat mischievous and flirtatious swain, who is good at just about everything (martial arts, strategy, flirting, basically being invincible despite sustaining numerous would-be-fatal-to-anyone-else injuries).

A sweet OTP

In short, Bo Ning and Li Qian make a cute couple and provide sweetness aplenty. (I though his penchant for entering her bedroom through the window was particularly cute). They get married in episode 12, and all is sweetness and light and interesting adventures up until that point...   

Lord Zhao Xiao

HOWEVER, despite a promising beginning, after episode 12 the plot quickly descends into an unrelenting (and maddening) focus on the tedious and increasingly deranged machinations of the hero and heroine's spurned admirers.  And there are many of them.  Emperor Zhao Yi and Lord Zhao Xiao are obsessively in love with Bao Ning and neither will take no for an answer even after she is married.  The former dies and relieves us of his presence at episode 30, but the latter continues to be particularly annoying as he combines his obsession with an unhealthy dose of entitlement right up to the very end of the drama, despite being told repeatedly to back off.  

Gao Miao Rong - Arghhhh!

Then there is Gao Mia Rong, childhood friend of Li Qian, who is obsessively in love with him and who maliciously plots non-stop for some 30 episodes to win his heart. There is just nothing to which she will not stoop (including causing the death of young children) and it is all so tediously and unrelentingly delusional and toxic that it will have you tearing out your hair in exasperation. Just when you think her story arc is over, she crops up again to join forces with Empress Han Tong Xin (who hates Bao Ning for being the love of Emperor Zhao Yi's life) and there is more crazy.        

The ending is rushed and anti-climatic, and then the drama provides unconvincing and undeserved redemption arcs for most of the villains (yes, including Zhao Xiao and Gao Miao Rong). Bah! 

Final thoughts: for die hard fans only 

Yes, we were praying for it to end too

Rebirth for You is strictly for die-hard fans of Ju Jing Yi and Zeng Shun Xi. They are adorable in this together, but everything after episode 12 will likely leave you exasperated as the plot is hijacked by delusional jealous people.  

There's only so much angsty jealous stupidity one can tolerate in a 40 episode drama, especially when it is the sole focus to the exclusion of the plot (which had the potential to been really interesting).  

4/10 stars ✮✮✮✮