Who rules the World (2022) - Final review

Final review/rating:  Who rules the World (2022) - The ultimate power couple take on jianghu and politics 

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

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

Who rules the World (2022) was marketed as a wuxia, but is really primarily a political drama with some jianghu elements thrown in. It is an ambitious top tier (S+) production and it shows in the glitz and glamour, sophisticated CGI, and the gorgeous no expenses spared production quality.  Alas the production quality is not matched by an equally good script.

Although the power couple of Yang Yang's Hei Feng Xi and Zhao Lu Si's Bai Feng Xi are an absolute joy to watch, the script is at best mediocre and spends too much time and energy on the tediously predictable power struggles within Youngzhou.  It really could have been called "Who rules Youngzhou" instead...  

SPOILERS AHEADS

  

Who rules the World (2022) - Synopsis

Drama info:

Title:  Who rules the World 

Chinese title: 且试天下

Episodes: 40

Genre: Wuxia, political, romance, historical

Original network: Tencent

Release date:        18 April 2022

Airing schedule:    18 April - 17 May 2022

Synopsis:

The Da Dong empire consists of six States, each ruled by a king swearing allegiance to Da Dong's emperor.  But when the imperial token is lost, unrest ripples across the political world because the token will lend legitimacy to any claim to be the next emperor, and the respective rulers of the six States do not lack ambition.  At the same time, an ancient evil sect long thought to be defeated resurfaces in jianghu, threatening to unleash destruction.    

Amidst this backdrop, jianghu's most powerful duo, the handsome and elegant Hei Feng Xi and the beautiful and carefree Bai Feng Xi join hands to uncover the conspiracy.  Both have hidden identities and must stay three steps ahead of their enemies, as they seek to unmask the hidden hand that is drawing all into a chaotic and bloody power struggle.  

But can Hei Feng Xi and Bai Feng Xi prevail against the odds? And who will ultimately rule the world? 

  

The Long Ballad (2021) - Final Review

Final review/rating: The Long Ballad (2021) - A binge-worthy epic journey of love, loss, and growth that does justice to the source manhua

This is 9/10 stars ✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮ from Pandafan🐼

Overall rating:         9 Stars Plot:                       9 Stars Acting/cast:            9 Stars Couple chemistry:   9 stars Music:                    10 Stars Re-watch value:      9 Stars Enjoyment factor:   9 Stars

The Long Ballad (2021) is as epic as I thought it would be when I first picked up the drama. It has been a while since I finished watching this one, but I wanted to give a final review that would do the drama justice.  As I explained in my spoiler-free synopsis (👉here), for once, this is a historical Chinese drama that has an aptly translated English title, because our titular heroine Chang Ge's Chinese name means a long song or ballad. 

So the Chinese title is《長歌行》(literally "Chang Ge's journey") and the drama is her song or her ballad, a retelling of her adventures, so to speak. 

And what a gorgeous song of a drama this is... Love, loss, growth, sacrifice, redemption set against a colourful historical background.  An addictively good, binge-worthy drama indeed with a young and talented cast, which does justice to the manhua on which it is based.  

SPOILERS AHEADS

  

A translation of "One Love as Always" - subtheme song from The Long Ballad (2021)

A translation of one of The Long Ballad's subtheme songs: "One Love as Always" 一愛如故

Those who have watched The Long Ballad (2021) may, like me, have fallen for the Haoyan CP - the second lead couple, Imperial guard Hao Du, played by Liu Yu Ning and Princess Li Le Yan, played by Zhao Lu Si. The slow burn romance between the (not so) cold-blooded big bad wolf and the innocent fluffy bunny is unabashedly romantic.    

I've written about why I love them so much in my final review 👉here, but I love their romantic subtheme song so much that I wanted to try and provide a translation of "One Love as Always" 一愛如故, which remains a regular on my playlist.  You can find a clip of the song here. 

The song is sung by Liu Yu Ning himself (Prince of Chinese OSTs!), which makes it even more romantic, encapsulating as it does, Hao Du's perspective - a yearning, hopeless and selfless devotion.  

The song's Chinese title 一愛如故 is a play on words, the literal translation means "One Love as Always" or "One Love as in the Past", but it evokes another Chinese idiom 一見如故, which describes friendship at first sight, that is, familiarity on sight, as if you have known one another for ages (as of old/as always).  In changing "sight"見 to "love"愛, the meaning of the title evokes love at fist sight. Rather Shakespearian really - "Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?"      

Anyway, my attempt at translation below.  I have opted mostly to translate for meaning, rather than a direct literal translation (so, for eg. 'One Love as Always" 一愛如故 in the lyrics is translated as "Love at first sight").  There are also some brief footnotes for when I want to explain gaps in translation.  

All errors my own, of course!💕

  

A Female Student arrives at the Imperial College (2021) - Final Review

Final review/rating: A Female Student arrives at the Imperial College (2021) - Hilarious, light-hearted, and lightweight 

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

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

A Female Student arrives at the Imperial College (2021) is hilarious, light hearted, but undoubtedly lightweight.  If you are expecting a serious drama on female empowerment, you will be disappointed because there is only a tokenistic nod to this despite the promising premise.  

But if you want laugh-out-loud if somewhat cliched romcom hilarity, you're in the right place. The first half delivers this in spades - after all, it is the Queen of Romcom, Zhao Lu Si at the helm!  

The second half takes a marked turn for melodrama and angst, wrapping up with an entirely predictable ending.  But overall, an enjoyable and very funny watch for fans of Zhao Lu Si. I'm also now a decided fan of Ao Rui Peng, who played Yan Yan with commendable comic flair.   

  

SPOILERS AHEAD

  

A Female Student arrives at the Imperial College (2021) - Synopsis

Drama info:

Title:  A Female Student arrives at the Imperial College

Chinese title: 國子監來了個女弟子

Episodes:  30

Genre: Romcom, historical, school, mystery

Original network: Youku

Release date:      22 Sept 2021

Airing schedule:  22 Sept 2021 - 14 Oct 2021

Synopsis:

Sang Qi wants to become the first female student at the male only Imperial College to fulfil her older brother's final wish.  As the only daughter of the Grand Marshal, she manages to wrangle her father into seeking leave from the Emperor for her to enroll at the Imperial College.  

However, prior to classes beginning, she makes a bet with the arrogant Lady Song Jia Yin that she will be able to get Yan Yun Zhi, the aloof no 1 young master of the capital, to accept her embroidered purse by the time of the Lantern Festival or be forced to perform on stage during the festivities.  

Sang Qi only realises after the bet that the gifting of an embroidered purse is considered a love token and Yan Yun Zhi is steadfast in refusing her purse despite the many hilarious antics Sang Qi tries to get him to do so.  When she arrives at the Imperial College, she finds, to her dismay that Yan Yun Zhi is the Dean (司業).  Opposites attract, sparks fly, and love blossoms, but Sang Qi's fellow student and childhood friend Zhou Wen Yuan is also determined to win her affections.  

  

The Long Ballad (2021) - Synopsis

Drama info:

Title:  The Long Ballad

Chinese title: 長歌行 (Translation: "Chang Ge's journey")

Episodes:  49

Genre: Historical, Action, Romance

Original network: Tencent 

Release date:      31 March 2021

Airing schedule:  31 March 2021 - 3 May 2021

Synopsis:

The Tang Dynasty, in the year 626 AD...  Princess Li Chang Ge's entire family is slaughtered after the infamous Xuanwu Gate Incident - a palace coup in which her mentor and uncle Prince Li Shi Min successfully wrests control of power and becomes the Crown Prince, and later, Emperor Tai Zong.     

Vowing vengeance, Chang Ge flees Chang'an city to muster an army powerful enough to overthrow the new emperor.