Yong An Dream (2024) - Final Review

Final review/rating: Yong An Dream (2024) - A sweet adaptation that eschews the darkness of the source novel in favour of light fluffiness 

This is 7/10 stars ✮✮✮✮✮✮✮ from Pandafan🐼

Overall rating:         7 Stars Plot:                       7 Stars Acting/cast:            7 Stars Couple chemistry:   6 stars Music:                    6 Stars Re-watch value:      6 Stars Enjoyment factor:   7 Stars

Jeremy Tsui/Xu Zheng Xi as Lu Shi Yan

So I watched Yong An Dream (2024) after Jeremy Tsui/Xu Zheng Xi's recent 15 March 2024 announcement on Weibo that he was retiring from acting. 

I've always wanted a magnum opus from Xu Zheng Xi - a drama that showcases the full extent of his considerable abilities. The man has a gravelly low voice (criminally under used alas!), the ability to swing from high comedy to tormented angst, and the acting chops to carry off nuanced morally grey anti-heroes. Sadly, he has not had much luck with the scripts that have come his way and more often than not, he has been paired with much younger actresses who are not in his league acting wise, and/or he is casted in some generic idol romcom. 

Yong An Dream (2024) is more of the same, rather than magnum opus material. Notably, the source novel《長安第一美人》Chang'an's First Beauty goes down some very dark Stockholm-syndrome-on-steroids pathways and was a did-not-finish for me, but the drama adaptation sanitises this in favour of light fluffiness. 

SPOILERS AHEAD

  

Yong An Dream (2024) - Synopsis

Drama info:

Title:                      Young An Dream

Chinese title:         永安夢/ 永安梦 

Episodes:               24

Genre:                    Romance, mystery

Original network:  Tencent

Release date:        28 Feb 2024

Airing schedule:    28 Feb 2024 - 7 Mar 2024

Synopsis:

When the West Canal of Yong An City collapses causing death and destruction, Shen Wen Qi, the Minister of Works is thrown into prison.  His two daughters, Shen Ran and Shen Zhen, find themselves in desperate straits as they try to vindicate their father.   

  

The Legend of Anle (2023) - Final Review

Final review/rating: The Legend of Anle (2023) - A decidedly average half-way house adaptation only made watchable by its cast 

This is 7.5/10 stars ✮✮✮✮✮✮✮ from Pandafan🐼

Overall rating:         7.5 Stars Plot:                       7 Stars Acting/cast:            8 Stars Couple chemistry:   8 stars Music:                    7 Stars Re-watch value:      6 Stars Enjoyment factor:   7.5 Stars

The Legend of Anle (2023) could have been so much better than it was given that it is adapted from a fantastic source novel. I wanted to see the machinations of a brilliantly intelligent but morally grey (anti)-heroine as she schemes to avenge the unjust annihilation of her family and soldiers.  I wanted to see her playing a dangerous game of the heart with the equally intelligent hero who loves her, but whose family is responsible for the death of hers.  I wanted to see love, hate, angst, and if logically possible, redemption...

But rather than giving us a Nirvana in Fire-esque thrilling battle of wits, the drama seemed unable to decide whether it was going for serious epic darkness or bubblegum pink romcom, and halved the difference with questionable results. I blame the scriptwriters and directors.  They gave us watered down leads whom we are told are intelligent, a messy and at times boring script, too many filler scenes from an annoying imposter, and logic defying plot holes that require some serious suspension of belief. I know it is not entirely fair to compare this drama with one of the best C-dramas of all time and to find it wanting, but given the similar starting premise it's hard not to. And Nirvana in Fire this most definitely is not.  

To be fair, it's not bad.  It's just not very good.  And despite its flaws, The Legend of Anle (2023) remains watchable due to committed performances from the gorgeous main leads who managed to wring emotion and entertainment from the tired script. I have such mixed feelings because while I wanted a gritty dark drama, it was also enjoyable watching a flirtatious Dilraba playing the femme fatale to a flustered Gong Jun and on one or two memorable occasions seeing him give as good as he gets...

SPOILERS AHEADS

  

Legend of Anle (2023) - Synopsis

Drama info: 

Title:  The Legend of Anle

Chinese title:  安乐传 /  安樂傳 (Eng translation: "Anle's tale") 

Episodes: 39 + 4 short extra episodes

Genre: Revenge, palace, political, historical

Original network:  Youku

Release date:        12 Jul 2023

Airing schedule:    12 Jul 2023 - 6 Aug 2023

Synopsis: 

The State of Jing was established after Emperor Han Zi An joined hands with the head of the Di family, Lady Di Sheng Tian, to secure the borders of a peaceful and prosperous nation. 

But when the Di family are unjustly accused of treason, they and their 80,000 strong troops are annihilated leaving only a sole survivor in the young Di Zi Yuan.  Her life is saved by Crown Prince Han Ye who claims her as his Crown Princess, but she is exiled on Mountain Dai.   

Ten years later, Han Ye meets the beautiful sea bandit Ren An Le, who claims to want nothing more than a place at his side as the Crown Princess in exchange for her dowry of 30,000 naval troops (or at the very least, an official position in court).  But there is more than meets the eye to Ren An Le - she is actually Di Zi Yuan, and her mission is to clear her family's name and seek justice for the dead.