Wonderland of Love (2023) - Final Review

Final review/rating: Wonderland of Love (2023) - A perfectly paired power couple match wits and take on the world 

This is 8/10 stars ✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮ from Pandafan🐼

Overall rating:         8 Stars Plot:                       8 Stars Acting/cast:            8.5 Stars Couple chemistry:   9 stars Music:                    8 Stars Re-watch value:      8 Stars Enjoyment factor:   8 Stars

Wonderland of Love (2023) is a delightful romance. It gives us an engaging power couple in Xu Kai's Li Ni (aka Shi Qi Lang) and Jing Tian's Cui Lin (aka A'Ying), who are perfectly matched in intellect, skill, and everything else. Honestly their sizzling chemistry light up the screen and there was so much flirtatious sweetness going on that I wondered if it was possible to get diabetes from watching a drama😅 

That said, it is not without flaws.  There are some problems with plot and characterisation, and more 'green tea' characters and machinations than I care for. In consequence, the first half is much better than the second.  However, I still enjoyed Wonderland of Love. It showcases Xu Kai's range as an actor when given the right part, and his fight scenes are outstanding!  

I think the drama probably got less love and attention from viewers because it came out at the same time as Story of Kunning Palace (2023). 

It also doesn't help that the English title of the drama Wonderland of Love sounds like a cheesy knockoff of Disneyland or a risqué establishment.  This is unfortunate as the Chinese title 《樂遊原》Le You Plains is both poetic and apt, derived from a poem of the same name regarding a place of that name. A deeper dive into the background of the place, and a commentary and my attempt at translation of the poem 👉here.  

But suffice to say that if you have been put off by the English title to date, you need not be, and that if power couples are your jam, this may be your kind of drama😊

SPOILERS AHEADS

  

Le You Plains: Some commentary on the Place and translation of the Poem of the same name by Li Shang Yin for which the Chinese title of Wonderland of Love (2023) is named

Le You Plains《樂遊原》 /《乐游原》: Some commentary on the Place and translation of the Poem of the same name by Li Shang Yin李商隱, for which the Chinese title of Wonderland of Love (2023) is named  

Sometimes I find myself baffled by the strange choice of English drama titles for Chinese dramas that have poetically evocative titles - Wonderland of Love (2023) is a case in point.  

The English title sounds discount Disney tacky, which is unfortunate, because the Chinese title, Le You Yuan, is both apt and poetic. It is the name of a place, 樂遊原/Le You Plains, as well as the title of a famous poem regarding that place by Tang dynasty poet Li Shang Yin 李商隱 (813AD - 858 AD). 

In the drama Wonderland of Love (2023), Le You Yuan is also the name of the idyllic plains where the heroine and hero can ride and romance each other free from their cares. 

Below is some background information about the place, some commentary about the poem and its author, as well as my attempt at translation of the poem Le You Yuan《樂遊原》/《乐游原》.  

  

Wonderland of Love (2023) - Synopsis

Drama info:

Title:  Wonderland of Love

Chinese title:  樂遊原 / 乐游原  (Eng translation: "You Le plains") 

Episodes: 40 

Genre: Romance, historical, political  

Original network:  Tencent 

Release date:        6 Nov 2023

Airing schedule:    6 Nov 2023 - 24 Nov 2023

Synopsis:

The Emperor's grandson, Li Ni (aka Shi Qi Lang) is a talented general who guards the border along with his loyal Zhen Xi army, eschewing the political intrigues of the court. Hiding his royal identity, he and his men spend share carefree days of comradeship at Lao Lan pass instead.  

When a military coup results in the death of the Emperor and Crown Prince, Shi Qi Lang takes on the burden of quelling the rebellion.  Along the way, Shi Qi Lang meets 'Lieutenant He' (aka A'Ying), a wily and beautiful member of the mighty Cui family army.  As the two go toe-to-toe matching wits on the battlefield and off, sparks fly, and love blossoms.