First impressions of Vic Zhou's Beauties in the Closet or Gui Zhong Mei Ren

-

The Chinese online video streaming platform YouKu recently released the first seven episodes of Beauties in the Closet or Gui Zhong Mei Ren starring Vic Zhou, Hu Bingqing and Chen Yao. This drama is slated to be a weekly web drama with  a seven-episode released every Thursday for VIP members. Beauties in the Closet is a historical fusion drama that doesn't take traditional Chinese code of conduct and court etiquette very seriously. 


I recently finished watching Nirvana in Fire 2, which paid minute details to the historical context and court etiquette. While Nirvana in Fire 2 had a professional master of etiquette to be onset to ensure that the actors had proper body language to show the social hierarchy and relationships of that era, I felt the actors in Beauties in the Closet just adorned some pretty costumes and acted like they live in a democratic society.

Beauties in the Closet definitely tested my patience in terms of lacking the historical feel and social etiquette that that period dramas should have. And it doesn't help that the dialogue is also very cheesy. In spite of the many cringe-worthy scenes, I am gradually warming up to the main pairing of the series, the Tang Dynasty Emperor Li Han and his weasel spirit concubine, Huang Qingfeng.


Vic Zhou plays the Tang Dynasty Emperor Wen Zong, personal name Li Han. Although this drama is destined to have multiple love triangles, Li Han's true pairing is Hu Bingqing's weasel spirit character, Huang Qingfeng, not her more beautiful best friend the nine-tailed fox spirit, Hu Feiluan. As a low-born and unattractive weasel spirit, Huang Qingfeng tries to elevate her status by stealing the magical fruit of the nine-tailed fox clan to beautify herself. Unfortunately, she ate sour half of the magical fruit, which means she is destined to suffer from unrequited love and taste the only the sourness of love. In contrast, Hu Feiluan consumed the sweet half of the fruit and she is gifted with the ability to attract the emperor without much effort. But Hu Feiluan only has eyes for the second male character, Li Yuxi, and holds no interest toward the emperor.  It will be interesting to see how Li Han breaks away from the spell of the magical fruit on his own free will and break the spell of the magical fruit. By Episode 6, Li Han and Huang Qingfeng has already consummated and established their relationship. After throwing my penchant for historical details out the window,  I really enjoy watching Li Han doting on Huang Qingfeng. But Huang Qingfeng is constantly defeated and hurt by Li Han's involuntary attraction toward Hu Feiluan and  her conflict between her mission to assassinate him and her feelings. 


Opening Credits Theme Song 

Full MV of the Opening Theme Song

Popular Posts

Understanding the final episode of Sealed with a Kiss

-
Image
Are you unsatisfied and frustrated with the final episode? Expected a happily ever after? Apparently, the scriptwriter succeeded in getting us all hooked onto this series for 28 episodes and suddenly bombarded us with a really CRAPPY open ending. My reaction when I first finished watching the final shot of Mo Shaoqian  walking lonely toward the police station was like this...   I so expected the last scene to be the novel's ending where Tong Xue cried at the airport, and not Shaoqian at the police station!  At minimum, I think they should have put Shaoqian's police station scene before Tong Xue's airport scene. Then show us Shaoqian at the airport watching Tong Xue's cries from a distance, as described in the epilogue. To cure my poorly frustrated mood, I rushed to reread the dreamily happy epilogue that the author wrote for Sealed with a Kiss novel. After reading various analyses by different viewers online and the scriptwriter's comments about the endin...
Read more

Character Guide to Nirvana in Fire 2: Wind Blows in Changlin

-
Image
Like Nirvana in Fire I, Nirvana in Fire 2: Winds Blow in Changlin has a plethora of characters that are not strictly good or evil. In terms of story execution, the sequel can be split into three phases, each driven by one of the three leading male characters. The central figure of the first phase is Huang Xiaoming's Xiao Xiaozhang whose intelligence and political shrewdness are well exhibited from Episode 1 to 25. The second phase is led by Liu Haorang's Xiao Pingjing. Although Xiao Pingjing also figures prominently in the first phase, his moment to shine is actually from Episode 28 onward. The focal character of the last phase is undoubtedly the antihero, Wu Haochen's Xiao Yuanqi. His slow progression into darkness and moral conflict bring the story into a new climate. This drama is officially being subtitled by DramaFever and Viki. You should go check out the series if you want to watch something that is not cheesy and has substance. Xiao Pingjing 萧平旌 - Second Yo...
Read more

Nirvana in Fire Character Profiles

-
Image
The political plotting and myrid of characters in Nirvana in Fire or Lang Ya Bang may get a little overwhelming for non-Chinese speakers. When I was first exposed to the story, I got drowned in the many names and relationships of the characters. I hope the character profiles will give you a better understanding of the story as well as the trailer. 
Read more

Ru Yi: The drama that brought Hawick Lau and Yang Mi together

-
Image
I'm sure many of you have heard the surprised announcement on January 8th about Yang Mi and Hawick Lau admitting to their romantic relationship on Sina weibo.  Personally, I always wanted Yang Mi to hook up with her Gong co-star, Feng Shaofeng, but that's wishful thinking. Real life is totally different from onscreen pairing. Trivia : Yang Mi was actually the producers' first choice to play Tong Xue in Sealed with a Kiss. I think she was offered the role, but she turned it down to accept another project, Beijing Love Story. I remember during the casting phase, the casting decision for Tong Xue was announced last while it was publicized pretty early that Hawick Lau would play Mo Shaoqian. Thus, many fans speculated for a long time that Yang Mi was cast as Tong Xue. Before Sealed with a Kiss ever started shooting, fans actually created a MV with Hawick as Mo Shaoqian and Yang Mi as Tong Xue, using previous existing materials from their individual series. Now I come to think...
Read more

✿ Chinese Drama ✿ Sealed with a Kiss Miniseries Sequel

-
Image
Title: Sealed with a Kiss Miniseries Sequel / Qian Shan Mu Xue / 千山暮雪续集 # Episode : 7 (~10 minute each) Release Date : 2/14/2012 Broadcasting Company : Sohu TV Cast :　Hawick Lau as Mo Shaoqian, Ying'er as Tong Xue, Li Zhinan as Song Yi, Zheng Zhenglong as Wen Hao, Wen Mengyang as Liu Yueying, Liu Kenan as Zhao Gaoxiang, Angelina Ma Wei as Lisa
Read more