Chen Xiao Qian, an unknown screenwriter who's been single since birth, worked really hard and finally finished a grand drama of a heroine. It was planned to started filming, but stopped beca... Read allChen Xiao Qian, an unknown screenwriter who's been single since birth, worked really hard and finally finished a grand drama of a heroine. It was planned to started filming, but stopped because the actor Han Ming Xing questioned a lot about the script. One day, she accidentally g... Read allChen Xiao Qian, an unknown screenwriter who's been single since birth, worked really hard and finally finished a grand drama of a heroine. It was planned to started filming, but stopped because the actor Han Ming Xing questioned a lot about the script. One day, she accidentally got stuck in her own script and turned into the third princess of Huayan city, a city where... Read all
- Awards
- 12 wins & 10 nominations
Photos
Storyline
*Thorns, Duty, and claws, *What beauty it draws
*This script has no flaws, *It will bring applause
*This romance is stronger, *Their love will last longer, *In the heart it belongs there
Sorry about that:) Gotta follow the mood where it leads.
Anyway, this is a 65/35 RomCom/DramRom. It's 100% heady romance. TROTAR is about a novice screen writer whose script has been sold, but she was advised to make some changes. She's also questioned about whether she truly understands what love is. "Have you ever been in a {relationship/in love?} she's asked, while she fumes.
She then scrambles over a feverish and junk-food-fueled weekend to make 'corrections.' Exhausted, she goes to sleep (with a tissue still up one nostril) and wakes up in the world of her script. It isn't a dream: She's really there, and she's stuck there.
To her unnerving, she pieces together that she's a disposable character that gets whacked early in the show.
She decides to not risk finding out if dying in her vision equals real death. She eyes her perfectly black-hearted villain, who is to poison her in Ep3. (Nobody can tell her what episode she's in, so she has to figure that out as well.) She'll have to do some editing on the fly.
She manages to avoid being killed on schedule, but she'll have to watch that villain, while trying to set him up with the heroine, so the story can meet it's conclusion quickly. Hopefully, at that point, she can go home. As she studies him, he is not showing all the deplorable traits that she wrote into him. In fact he seems....... Ha! Not telling. Just watch it.
Typical for Chinese entertainment, the filming is next level elegant. The show mostly takes place in the city of Huayuan, which makes fireworks. The Chinese brought the gift of fireworks to the world. When they light the night, it suspiciously appears that they don't sell us their best stuff. Why are their fireworks so much more spectacular than ours? The sets are arrayed in perfect detail. The costumes are breathtaking as well. At times, I was unable to avert my gaze from the resplendent rainbow of silks. Along with the acting, writing directing, and editing, the result is a mesmerizing offering. That's to be expected given what China's capabilities forecast. The fact that they can top it off with some levity and a romance that proves 'they get it,' is where the pleasant surprise abides.
With only minor exceptions, every technical aspect of TROTAR is excellent. The show creators didn't blow up their apparently limited budget, which adds value to the action scenes (always leave them wanting more). The fighting scenes are captivating, sans the Kung Fu test. The swordwork, the dance, the exalted acrobatics, and flowing robes, all augment the actors' movements.
Luxi Zhao, as the script writer/Xiaoqian is utterly darling. She is petite and sparkling, particularly in the marvelous costumes. Her smile electrifies the screen. She is just as cute in I Hear You, a romance that is good, being both graceful and clunky. This show soars 30,000ft above IHY.
Ding Yuxi, as Han Shuo, displays phenomenal skill. He's handsome, but not the most handsome. He's fit, but slender. He has to step on a stool at one point to square off with a taller man, so he's apparently of average height. His presence, however, is Lebronish tall. He just has the goods when it comes to acting. He can appear ruthless & sinister, or the complete opposite, credibly. It's not his words that project how he feels about Xiaoqian, it's his body language, his focus, and his eyes. He has intensity.
There's a scene in which she's frightened for him; frightened about her plot, rather. At that moment he is the tiger. He stares at Xiaoqian fiercely, like he would devour her, and says: "You don't know how strong I've become." Next, he's taking everybody down. It's worthy of a 3 second swoon. Move over Rhett and Ri Jung-hyuk, Han Shuo may be the beat romantic hero ever.
Han Shuo has the most attractive form of masculinity, which is a strong and capable protector who loves his woman so much that, if necessary, he would give his life for her. Also, he would never let family or politics get in the way of their relationship. Heck, he'd help with the housework. As it's the opposite of toxic masculinity, let's call it Ultimate Masculinity. This maniless is tempered with a loving heart. Together this couple is the equilibrium that the two cities lack.
The script reflects Xiaoqian's frustration over the disparity between the sexes. She created two adjacent cities. Xuanhu is ruled by men, which is the case in most (all?) of our collective history on this planet. The women are to serve the men and manage the home. In Huayuan, however, the situation is the exact opposite. Women are the army, government, teachers... Women do everything, and those worthless men manage the home and serve their wives.
The actors were tasked to embody a male-female roll reversal as citizens of Huayuan City. They did an amazing job. Women are boorish and contemptuous of men. The male actors are mind blowing. Every muscle in their bodies mirrors a woman that is gentle, doting, and subservient. It's worth a rewatch just to focus their performances.
She created the script, with its flaws that manifest themselves in front of her. She created the characters. She gave them their disabilities, problems, and deficiencies, only to now work tirelessly trying to fix (undo) everything and everybody that she constructed. That's seriously entertaining.
Her only advantage is that she knows the story, as well as each character's background and motivations. It shouldn't be too difficult, right? To her dismay, the changes she makes start to change the story and, thus, the characters' reactions, which alter their trajectories. She, herself, is tragically misunderstood at every turn. Xiaoqian is just trying to preserve her life, but the rewrites, push the first Mahjong tile, and now they are all ting, ting, tinging to the floor, albeit in a beautiful pattern.
She must get help! She runs to 3 story writers- who else?! Every time she has a crisis they all meet together. She only gives them the barest info, though. She grabs some fruit and presents the main characters: Miss Apple, Miss Orange, and Mr. Banana. Yep, they went there.
The fruit sets up a collection of silly, but quite amusing metaphors. As her character is the Miss Orange, when offered one she exclaims: "PEEL the orange? That's bad luck." Given that at that moment she's angry with Han Shuo, her next statement is: "Peel the banana." Not so much later, after saying: "I don't want to see you anymore," she slips on the banana peel and goes airbourne, but of course, he catches her in his eager arms.
She's charged to eliminate the threat of bandits along the trade route. The whole trip is delightful. At one point she gets caught up in some excitement and seems to have completely forgotten her mission. Sorry, no details are permitted. In a spoiler free review. Expect to laugh.
There's another hilarious scene where characters meet at a restaurant/playhouse to have a discussion, meaning an argument. There's a stretch were the characters say nothing. They just stare at each other as the actors in the play voice exactly what each is thinking. The scene is high flown comedy.
As almost every line seems to carry significance, there is foreshadowing, metaphors, excellent (superb!) editing, skillful juxtaposition and other devices utilized, TROTAR is a production of the highest quality. It could hardly be improved on.
The show has so few deficiencies that the minor ones stand out a little more. While on the runaway horse in the show opening, close-ups of Xiaoqian are out of sync with the moving background. They overplayed the cute, but kitschy, theme song. Otherwise, the soundtrack is lovely. In the last couple scenes Xiaoqian's makeup looks ghastly pale and uneven. In addition, they have a bad habit of not putting makeup on the back half of the actors' necks, so they appear red and sickly on screen. Finally, I think the last line in the show should be: "Are we married?"
There's some truth in TROTAR as well. The commentary on men and women's relationships is true. The romance is true. It's tragic that the out-of-control battle of the sexes has thrust the sword through romance and made so many relationships miserable. What would the winner get anyway? It's a zero-sum contest.
All the complaining in the show by some parties is the same. While we absolutely should always speak out about wrongs and defend the downtrodden, we should not get caught up with complaining. It's a fast replictating and highly contagious virus. People that get infected will become angry, and then bitter, and then miserable.
Han Shuo suffers some nasty disrespect in Huayuan due to prejudice. Regardless of gender, etc, it's not amusing when it happens to someone we care about, like him. Perhaps trying to give a little, to choose happiness and contentment, to choose patience, forgiveness, and honesty, will usher in peace.
That's enough of the deep thoughts. The show is truly funny, with tears in the mix. It's also a top-level love story. You don't have to be a romance junkie to enjoy TROTAR, but most romantics will be swept away by this series.
Sweet dreams!
Quote: Pain is unavoidable.
Great sorrow comes from great joy. Tragedy and comedy have always shared the same root.
IMHO... 🎬10 🎭9 🤔7⚡8 🎨10 🎵9 Age 11+.
I also did a spoiler review
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- 50fiftillidideeBrain
- Oct 31, 2021
- How many seasons does The Romance of Tiger and Rose have?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
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- Also known as
- Trần Thiên Thiên Trong Lời Đồn
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime45 minutes
- Color