BlossomNot even gonna hide the lede: THIS IS MY FAVE CDRAMA OF THE PAST 2 YEARS. It first aired in December 2024.
The premiseThe story is abt Dou Zhao (played by Meng Ziyi). She's in her early 30s and has been married for over a decade to a guy she'd entered into an arranged marriage with. It's been a good life for the most part. The marriage isn't a passionate one, BUT Dou Zhao takes her role as wife v. seriously (including administrating the home AND some of her husband's business.) The first episode is set a year after she had a miscarriage (this is, IIRC, only mentioned in the first episode.) However, the loss affected her health to the point that she knows she's dying. (It's not explained what it is, but whenever she coughs and covers her mouth with a handkerchief, there's blood on it.)
ANYWAYS, one day, Dou Zhao finds out that her husband has been cheating on her with her OWN SISTER. It leads to a really bad confrontation (which includes an accusation from her sister to Dou Zhao abt their mother's death.) Betrayed and heartbroken (she might've not loved the guy, but she did cared abt him), Dou Zhao makes a public announcement that she's getting a divorce and leaves with her personal maid.
Because there's
an actual coup happening in the capital (where one of the princes is deposing the emperor with the help of General Song Mo ((Li Yunri), the best general in the entire army), Dou Zhao has to go to her hometown to file the divorce. Along the way, an accident happens. She's rescued by Song Mo (!!!)--who is now at odds with the rebel prince-cum-new-emperor.
A monk named Yi Jong (played Xia Zhiguang) shows up and invites Dou Zhao and everyone else to his temple cuz a snowstorm is imminent. While there, Dou Zhao and Song Mo have a conversation that goes on until daybreak. Yi Jong comments something abt how the two of them are connected (cuz he saw it in the heavens.)
In the morning, when everyone starts to get ready to leave the temple, who shows up but Wang Ge (played by Du Yiheng) who is the head eunuch AND Wei Tingyu (played by Li Xinze) who is Dou Zhao's husband. They ACCUSE HER AND SONG MO OF BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP which the new emperor says is treason. So they have to be executed. They've brought a few soldier squads with them.
Song Mo's like "Bitch, what are y'all even talking abt?" And calls his own regiments to action.
A battle begins.
In the middle of all that, Yi Jong leads Dou Zhao, her maid, and Song Mo in the the direction of a secret passage out of the temple. Along the way, Dou Zhao's maid is killed and Yi Jong is mortally wounded. Before he dies, he repeats that he'd seen how there was a huge calamity happening, but within it there was a miracle. Also that Dou Zhao and Song Mo's destinies are connected. Then he hands Dou Zhao a v. special book, telling her that the book is a key to fix everything that has gone wrong. After that, he's dunzo.
Dou Zhao and Song Mo are running away when someone shoots an arrow that's so powerful it goes
thru Song Mo AND Dou Zhao. The momentum is such that it pulls them into a chasm!
As the two of them fall and are dying, Dou Zhao thinks abt what her life had been like and wishing things had been different. She holds onto the book. Suddenly, instead of falling, she starts to float up. A drop of Song Mo's blood floats out of his body and embeds itself in the back of Dou Zhao's right ear. It becomes a red beauty mark.
She then wakes up in a new life, TWENTY YEARS IN THE PAST, with full memories of her first life AND her awareness as a 30-something year old. BUT NOW SHE'S IN HER OWN BODY WHEN SHE WAS 10 YEARS OLD!!!
Talk abt a record scratch moment! (and it's all filmed super exquisitely too.)
I first heard abt this drama toward the end of last year. The buzz was THAT strong. Fast-forward to early January this year when I decided to give it a try. IIRC, I ended watching all 34 episodes in A WEEK!!! XD
There's a TON I like abt this series. The plot, pacing, cinematography, casting, and acting were great. Motivations for the good characters AND the villains mostly made sense (there's one villain character I'll talk abt in my criticisms).
Another thing I dug abt this show was seen how Dou Zhao's meddling in her second life affected everyone else's life. Frex, some characters who had been good ppl in the first life become villains in the second one and vice versa. Because she's the viewers' touchstone in terms of this new life, it's fairly easy to side with her and, as a result, be suspicious of others' motivations. And also be shocked when a villain in Life 1 becomes an ally in Life 2.
The show has a fantastic balance of angst and humor too! Plus at least 2 extra layers of 💜
GOOD ROMANCE, Y'ALL.💜
THE CP, Y'ALL. FUCKING *
CHEF'S KISS* . Like, even before they get together, they have AN INCANDESCENT kind of chemistry. It's IMPOSSIBLE to not cheer for them. Theirs is a
FREAK4FREAKLOVER relationship (with Dou Zhao being the FREAK (affectionately) and Song Mo being v. happy as the FREAKLOVER.)
They're also a bona fide, certified, and feared POWER COUPLE. Like, there's a moment in the story when they two of them are truly, 100% just chilling out at home…and yet some of the villains are STRESSING THE FUCK OUT cuz they're
sure that Dou Zhao and Song Mo are planning stuff to bring them down, hahah. Then the scene cuts to a sweet moment between the CP.
This isn't exactly a spoiler, BUT I'm sure there are ppl who don't want to know anything abt the CP, so I'm gonna be considerate and throw in a
SPOILER WARNING
I really, really liked how the show reversed the expectations w/r/t the roles within the relationship. Because, once they get together, Dou Zhao slides into a soft femdome role. She takes care of Song Mo (bathing him in one scene) in a way that's not subservient at all. He's a leader in his own right yet he's a total softie with his wife. She's strong for him even when there doesn't seem to be any hope in the horizon. One thing I really, really fancied abt this CP is that there's no misunderstanding OR hints of cheating or actual cheating in their romance. They hold each other's hearts thru this life, the previous one, and the many other ones to come. This show makes that v. fucking clear. One final thing I like abt this CP is that they most deffo fuck (not, like, onscreen cuz, LOL, it's a C Drama and so it had to pass censorship). However, there's a carnal aspect to the relationship that's part of their bond. Though it's technically true that Dou Zhao is a virgin in Life 2, she's playfully sensual with Song Mo (to the point of teasing him aaaalmost without meaning to, heheh) here and there.
Do I have any criticisms?The last ONE FOURTH of the drama has a character having a v. random heel turn. For which I do blame the otherwise amazing script. As I understand it, there are a lot of hints throughout the novel (this drama is based on) of the character either being morally gray (if not 100% evil.) However, in the show, the character becomes a monster for a reason that doesn't convince me at all. I get that there wasn't enough time, but there we are.
IMO, eps. 24-27 the show gets a bit weird cuz the character's heel turn occurs and you're literally like ?????. IJS
There were also two secondary couples I didn't care abt at all. However, the show focused a bit too much on them.
What's the FMC's plot armor level?Low-Medium.
Bad things DO happen to Dou Zhao, stuff she has to recover from (mainly physically). Occasionally, she does get outsmarted by the villains and, sometimes, her memories from Life 1 do mess her up in LIfe 2 (assuming a character is good or evil, frex) from time to time.
IMO, the show didn't exactly protected her (the way I saw with Fangfei in
The Double and Niaoniao in
Love Like the Galaxy.) Her knowledge and training (via the combination of her memories and the book Yi Jong gave her) explain why she's able to weasel her way out of most predicaments. Though, again, she' s not infallible either.
How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?It's fine. The bulk of the struggle kicks off around ep. 25, but the story keeps things even between that and the CP's romance. I didn't feel one way or another abt the emperor in this drama. There are both external and internal reasons why he is the way he is. Tan Kai as the emperor did a good turn in the role.
How does it address/works with the trope?IT'S ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES OF THE WOMAN SET ON REVENGE/COLD GENERAL. Hits every point from Dou Zhao's initial disinterest in Song Mo, her revenge plans, Song Mo being mesmerized by her everything, him having a strong presence and being a fierce fighter, etc.
In a scale of Somewhat Threatening (1) to Having MURDER FACE 24/7/365 (10), I'm placing Song Mo at 8, i.e. Expect A Painful Death If You Ever Cross Him. Although he softens up a ton once he and Dou Zhou are an official couple.
Do I recommend it?OFC, I DO!! It's a show that gives you action, angst, romance, and a v. entertaining journey. The HEA ending is a delight (including the quick epilogue/stinger at the end of ep. 34.) I'm giving it
a 4.7 out of 5. Watched it on YouTube at least twice now. #NoRegrets
Queerness levelIt's low. There's one (1) instance of a platonic soulmates dynamic that
could be read as queerplatonic, maybe? Though that depends a lot on whether or not one would see one half of the ship as asexual. IDK. I did read it as such, YMMV. Interestingly enough, there's another dynamic that
could be perceived as a one-sided queer crush between another character and that same male (and possibly asexual) character.
Le Trailer
This is a teaser clip from when the show was being filmed. IMO, the official trailer gives way too much away. I chose to share this video instead cuz it showcases the cinematography and overall LOVEY-DOVEY (but in an an ADULT WAY) vibes.
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