Tea, dances, yummy cakes, classy music, business management tips, and speeches that win the day – those are the ideas of Dream of Splendour; and most of the time, they work splendidly.
Here is my list of the good and bad things about this drama.
THE GOOD THINGS
Pan’er. Need I say more? Ambitious, persistent, creative, she walks out into the harsh world of men with a clear goal. She can be a know-all, cure-all Miss Perfect sometimes, but one we can root and cheer for. She is also allowed to make mistakes and be responsible for the consequences.
The dynamic between Pan’er, San-niang, and Yinzhang. A blunt woman with a broken family, a music know-it-all, and a dreamer. The drama takes time to introduce each of their skills and beliefs; so when they come together, their interactions are what drive the plot. And they are rarely boring.
The very mature relationship between Qianfan and Pan’er. These people talk and ask the right questions.
Chi Pan is quite indispensable. Half of the successful comedy in this drama is due to Chi Pan and his petty tantrums.
We have a sensible emperor. It is a drama about people who fight for equal opportunity and challenge society’s prejudice, it helps that the man at the top is open-minded.
All the side characters are entertaining — so much so that it’s hard to pick a favourite. Zhaodi, Chen Lian, Hesi, the two old scholars, and even the characters who only have a few lines.
The Golden First Couple. I might be in the minority since the emperor and empress of this drama are not much talked about among the fandom, but these two are simply adorable.
One of them carries out private investigations and manoeuvres the imperial court to keep his wife safe; the other doesn’t hesitate to throw herself out there to protect her husband from an incoming wooden post.
It’s pretty funny when you keep in mind that one small lovers’ tiff from them can result in several getting hurt.
COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
*SPOILERS ahead
Yinzhang’s romance plotline. Never mind, I take that back. We cannot label this a “romance” when it is only about a guy who wants to flirt and take advantage of her for his own gain.
While this subplot yields a stronger and more mature Yinzhang in the end, it still could have been more nuanced. Making Shen Ruzuo a downright incompetent coward makes him less interesting and undermines Yinzhang’s intelligence.
The father and son’s relationship could have been clearer. The good first half of the drama is devoted to showing the tension between Lord Xiao and Qianfan, making viewers wonder where the story will take them.
The actor who plays Lord Xiao also does an excellent job of conveying his character’s complicated feelings. He strives for a strong standing in the court, but he also loves his son. But near the end, the drama brushes this plotline under the rug and just tells us that Lord Xiao doesn’t care at all and actually just wants a political ally out of Qianfan.
And hey, guess what, Lord Xiao would prefer Pan’er dead too because her being alive is too inconvenient.
Really? You string me along for THIS? Where’s the old, lonely, yet powerful and clever father with a hint of great humanity you introduced in the beginning?
If he is to be revealed as a ruthless politician, some solid struggle is needed here. He still loves Qianfan, doesn’t he? Good gracious, the man always looks like he would sing Qianfan a bedtime lullaby if he was allowed to.
San-niang’s feminist moments can be abundant. San-niang is cool, we can all agree with that. But no one, no matter how cool, should be able to barge into a school, pull on students’ ears, and lecture the schoolteachers without being jumped on by guards.
As if that isn’t enough to get the message across, San-niang also makes a speech about her own son, breaking into tears while doing so; and somehow, this speech touches the hearts of all present and the naughty students are suddenly enlightened. Like magic.
The drama basically says here: everyone is obligated to be inspired by this woman because she has had a hard life. Hmm, no, no they are not. It isn’t that easy to inspire. And by making it so easy, the drama undermines what they have built up for these women so far.
Also, it’s true that San-niang can put up quite a fight, but I doubt a group of men would be prevented from leaving a room just because San-niang whips out her kitchen knife and blocks the door.
Ouyang’s berserk phase can be omitted. Ever since Ouyang swallows some dirt from that one guy’s flower vase, he just goes all crazy and becomes more of a plot device than a character. And even though the drama succeeds in making us hate him, it isn’t because he is a great villain, but because he’s taking up valuable screen time that could be devoted to something else instead.
Why would we want to see Ouyang sitting in his dark room making bad plans we know will fail while we could be watching Chi Pan pranking people with orange peels instead?
The angsty period between Pan’er and Qianfan is not justified. At this point in the drama, Pan’er and Qianfan are quite peaceful around each other — boat dates every other day, fake flower petals showers, so and so. Naturally, the story needs to throw in a conflict to tear them apart, otherwise, things might just get dull.
But let’s just say this “my dad killed your dad” thing isn’t really a good conflict for several reasons:
It doesn’t fit in with the tone of the drama. Dream of Splendour goes for progressive and light-hearted rather than historically accurate. Qianfan and Pan’er defy all social norms and are written in an empowering way. They build their relationship on trust, they shake hands (literally), they are each other’s emotional support, and neither of them is chained down by traditions or a grander sense of duty.
So by including this ancient Romeo-and-Juliet trope, the drama cannot avoid contradicting itself.
The make-up scene is where the contradictions become glaring.
Pan’er treats the revelation of her past like it isn’t something worth thinking about. She does not even spare one second to think about her father who… did whatever and was brought to harm by Qianfan’s father. And of course, we the audience don’t care either, we haven’t met the guy. On the other hand, Qianfan tears himself apart for this “sin” that ANOTHER GENERATION committed. It’s like watching two different writers having an argument about what should go in the final draft.
Also, the whole “hey, we’re in love” in public between Pan’er and Qianfan could be toned down. As glad as I am that this romance is straightforward, it is still important to be consistent with the time period to some degree.
This concludes my review of Dream of Splendour, which, with all its flaws, was a great ride.
You know what interrupted my enjoyment the most? The scene before the love making where this Teeth of the Nation, Killer of the Corrupt, this most Feared Man of the Punishment Dpt tells our Pan Er that he, too, is a virgin after the unbelievable revelation by her that oh, she managed to escape without losing her virginity as a performer at the brothel. Come on, I yelled. COME. ON. Dude is around, what, at least 25 to be that high an official, at a time when most already are married or with concubines and he is a nobleman and courtier. Bwahahahaha. Took me right out of that romantic let’s-do-it scene.
#endrant
I don’t remember this😂. Did Qianfan actually say that? That’s hilarious XDD
True, though, how can two people as old they they are haven’t done it even once, given their backgrounds and all.