The thread is open.
@GB says this is a Cdrama.
According to mydramalist, this has 38 episodes. Whoa! The series is still on-going so just give a “spoiler” heads-up and announce the episode before analyzing/critiquing/going on a deep dive of the plot and characters.
Here’s the long summary from Viki.
Born into a family of scholars, Huang Yi Mei (Liu Yi Fei) grew up under the watchful eyes of her family. Like a hot-house flower carefully cultivated by a master, Yi Mei may have grown up sheltered from the world but she was given everything she needed to allow her talent in the arts to flourish.
A true expert in her field, Yi Mei might have been young when she entered the workforce but she thrived nonetheless. Unfortunately, her success at work didn’t carry over into the more personal aspects of her life. After falling in love with Zhuang Guo Dong (Peng Guan Ying), Yi Mei thought everything about her life would be perfect but the unexpected pressures brought on by their relationship eventually drove them apart. Despite her heartbreak, Yi Mei discovers more about herself and what she wants in life. After deciding to go back to school, Yi Mei meets Fang Xie Wen (Lin Geng Xin), a classmate who ultimately wins her heart and, after graduation, her hand in marriage. Sadly, Yi Mei’s second love was as doomed as the first and the two eventually go their separate ways.
Determined to carry on, Yi Mei decides the time is right to start her own art curation business. It’s during this new phase of her life that she meets her soulmate, Pu Jia Ming (Wallace Huo) but again, their love is not fated to last. Picking up the pieces of her broken heart, Yi Mei finds a way to work through the pain, never faltering in her quest to find a brighter future. Having endured so much already, will Yi Mei have the courage to love again when fate brings Huang Zhen Hua (Tong Da Wei) into her life?
Adapted from the novel “The Story of Rose” by Yi Shu, “The Tale of Rose” is a 2024 Chinese 2024 Chinese romance drama directed by Wang Jun.
Enjoy the show!
Thanks @pkml3!
The Viki synopsis is fuller than the MDL one but I’m puzzled by the last part, because Tong Da Wei should not be in the running as love interest unless there is a makjang twist I’m not aware of yet. Now I’m even more curious to know how this ends!
What caught me in the first few episodes was the sibling relationship, the recklessness of a ‘protected precious daughter’ and her ability to quickly and artfully get what she wanted while still appearing to be the dutiful ‘office worker’. I was surprised that show jumped into ‘bed’ very soon. Afterall, there are so many episodes.
While show concentrates on FL, I’ll be interested to also see the trajectories of side characters and get their view on/of ‘life’.
I’ll watch this with you, @GB! I may go slow slowly as I will be traveling soon. It’s on YouTube so quite accessible. The first few minutes of ep1 was interesting.
She was the FL in ”Meet Yourself” and I did not realize she was the live action Mulan. She looked different in modern setting.
I’m in this too! Only up to episode 3 so far. I loved FL from Meet Yourself and eons ago her name was a familiar ring. 18 years ago she was in a MTV with my first teen ‘idol’ Jimmy Lin.
https://youtu.be/sxJ559ci1i8?si=NMWLtrZuZd_UyuE0
Well as usual, she hasn’t changed much 18 years later. 😛 LiuYifei has some aura about her that is rather stately and elegant, even though in Tale of Rose, she exudes a playful vibe.
I’m still digesting the story and her character is one who attracts guys to her like bees to honey. I had 2 friends like that and it was really interesting (also entertaining) to be around them and watching all that attention from the guys. They have also learned the skill of rejecting, and quite smart in that way of protecting themselves. I’m so glad these 2 friends found their lifelong partner and married with lots of kids.
Hello there @Janey and @Grace! Yay!!! It will be so good to have you both joining me in this watch!
Thanks @Grace for the link to Jimmy Lin and the very young (19 yo?) Liu Yi Fei. You’re right. She seems hardly to have changed in 17-18 years since that video. Can’t believe she’s 36 now.
SPOILERS
@Janey, I liked the beginning too. The difference in the expressions between the groom and the bride was so stark. It was an unexpected way to introduce the story and our main character, through the breakup of an almost married couple. I wonder if those side characters will show up again.
I keep forgetting that the beginning is set in 2001 (13 July 2001, with 13 being an unlucky number??? LOL). The very old-style cell phones keep reminding me that we are not in the 2020s+++ yet. So, we know that this will be a slow telling of the tale of Rose through the years (decades?).
LOL the runaway groom and the bride out for blood! Then the friend of the groom also ends up wanting to kick/throttle him LOL.
I find that although Yi Mei or Rose didn’t really do something to lead on the men, she was still quite a tease because she was too polite to say ‘no’ to attentions directly, or as a young girl before a mentor, she was somewhat carefree and careless in how easy-going she was. At her young age, she couldn’t see that she did anything wrong, but from an objective point of view and with experience, we can see that her actions or lack of refusing from the start, plus her ‘sweet disposition’ would lead to misunderstandings.
I don’t know how far I will watch, but the first 10 minutes had me laughing!! Thanks for the recommendation @GB
@Good Twin, I’m always thrilled if any recommendation of mine gave anyone some good laughs or enjoyment.
I am wondering if Rose is supposed to be the image of the new, modern Chinese female grad. Compared to the scholarly girl her brother likes, she’s one hot potato and reckless!!
I’ve watched up to Episode 10, and I like Yi Mei’s brother and his story. He’s something of a dork but quite lovable. I knew with whom I wanted him paired.
As for our heroine ma ma mia!
Hi Ladies,
I stayed up way too late last night binge watching and will probably finish what’s available tonight. I am enjoying this but not looking forward to her heartbreak. I hope it ends on an upnote to make it worthwhile.
Hi @Kelley CC, welcome to our thread.
There’s more heartbreak to come, so brace yourself. I felt that Yi Mei’s behaviour so far is quite realistic for an artistically temperamental 22 yo who’s been quite entitled/centre of male attention, except for the rather OTT tantrum(s). However I feel that her troubles were worse than they could have been because of her impulsiveness, recklessness and willfulness. So I’m just neutral where YM is concerned.
Boyfriend 1 is another of those males who are rather careless / indifferent in their attitude towards women. He was not as forthcoming as he should have been and expected the woman to put up with it, but YM’s quick temper didn’t help. She made communication too difficult. I feel that she has been given more than 1 pass in how badly she dealt with confronting and communicating over their differences. Still, the grace in being able to have a decent conversation, without overheating might come to some only after many years.
We might juxtapose her against the stolid Bai Xiao He whom brother Zhen Hua liked, to get the full impact of how much of a scene maker and scene stealer YM is.
I’ve been waiting for someone to call out Boyfriend 1 for his grabbing and holding on to YM even though she said ‘No’ and for his forced kisses. I don’t like him.
I haven’t yet begun this, but have to say that if she leaves Wallace Huo as the summary says, I will take it personally. 😜😍😊
Hi @Fern! I’m not sure how to interpret it but I think Wallace Huo’s character dies so probably he leaves her, so to speak. I’m guessing that FL’s Mary Sue-type character will have her being saintly and watching over him in his last days, if he lets her.
I only ever watched Wallace Huo in ‘Love Me If You Dare’ and I was mesmerised. 🙂
I’m only at Ep.7
So far, what was memorable is the contrast of Yimei’s and her brother, ZhenHua’s romance. So stark in terms of stepping into the relationship. So different in the outcome as well.
Looking forward to the episodes!
How many people did she get involved in?
I saw a clip where her character was with the actor LinYi (the guy from Everybody Loves Me that I just finished).
I was curious about the author of this novel the Tale of Rose. Sharing a part of the kind of novels she writes that I believe this show will bring out.
Reading the translated version of the Baidu (china’s wiki) of the author of this drama:
“This is the greatest charm of Yi Shu’s novels: teaching you how to be a strong independent woman with an independent personality.
The superficial subject matter of Yi Shu’s novels is romance, but the underlying themes go deep into many propositions such as human nature and gender.
The ideological tendencies, realistic depth, and life philosophy all surpass ordinary romance novels. Yi Shu exposes the alienation and destruction of love life by the industrial and commercial society, and the life principle of money worship that has caused many marriage tragedies.
…
An important theme of YiShu’s novels is the discussion of women’s destiny and independent value. Yi Shu takes a sympathetic stance towards the fate of the urban middle-class women she writes about, and truly expresses the deep complex emotions of middle-class women and the tragedy of human nature.”
~Baidu Encyclopedia.
@Grace, thanks for the info. I gather from the synopsis that she was involved in at least 3 relationships.
A friend of mine who bothered to look up what people are saying about the character of Rose informed me: “Original novel Rose was a pretty airhead heiress who neither understood her true self nor others.” I feel that she is self-centered, spoiled and entitled, and in the original novel setting it makes sense.
In the novel, “she was financially independent, and so could afford jumping from one bad relationship to another searching for “true love”. (She never found it.) However, the drama turned Rose’s character setup into an independent free thinker from a well-off intellectual family” but still needing an allowance, “while it kept the novel’s Rose’s essence. Thus, the character’s actions and behaviour feel off or even contradictory.”
I was surprised that she barely knew the first guy and jumped into bed with him with abandon. In a sense it was hardly surprising that he didn’t want to introduce her to his mother. In any case, her behaviour seems strange if she was brought up by strict intellectual parents.
I was trying to reason it out as she’s the emotionally overwrought arty type, given to impulsiveness and tantrums. However, I don’t think that means she should get a free pass for her rather careless attitude and reckless behaviour. I do not as yet see that it reflects well as to being independent … perhaps this is the beginning, and she begins more like a brat who will grow into some maturity by Episode 38. 🤞
I far prefer her brother character and hope he has a nice arc of his own. I’m still wondering what the synopsis above from Viki means by “fate brings (her brother) Huang Zhen Hua into her life” at the end. I imagine he’s always in her life and not as a lover!
The First Boyfriend
Zhang Guo Dong was the fortunate guy who got a response from Yi Mei after attempting (poorly) to pursue her. I find his attitude cavalier. He is/was another one of those guys who were pursued by many females, and so was pretty complacent in his attitude towards women.
Yi Mei’s tantrums include thrashing her lover’s home and getting away with it. Strangely her red flag behaviour does not keep lover at bay.
SPOILERS after Episode 7 (ie spoilers below if you’ve watched up to Ep 7 only)
SPOILERS after Episode 7
I like that Yi Mei repeatedly gave it to GD for not being as honest, sincere and forthcoming as she had naturally expected him to be. I do not like that he refused to take her ‘No’ for an answer and forced kisses and physical attentions upon her.
(I expected that viewers would be complaining about his behaviour but I’ve not heard anything yet!) Sadly, a young audience may mistakenly think it romantic to be kissed into submission (it has been a trope often enough used that it has brainwashed us!).
I also do not like that YM gave in with only a short fight and never called him out for his disrespect and for his taking advantage of her, and this happened more than once. So many red flags.
It was going to be an unhealthy relationship, obviously, but they went ahead with it. I’m glad it never came to marriage.
Needless to say, I did not like BF1.
@GB I feel the same as you about how quick she was to start the relationship with ZGD, BF1. For a moment I was wondering if I missed any scenes or any steps that got them on the bed so fast.
Then again, the author may be depicting a kind of romance that is passionate and free. Yet it is unlike a one night stand because YM does expect a commitment that is like how traditional relationships go.
I didn’t like how emotional YM is, though I liked how LiuYiFei acted her wildness and her emotional hurt when she discovered that BF1 accepted the Paris job without discussing with her.
I haven’t seen the other r/s yet but I sense this r/s is full of emotions, strong ones. And that other than the passion they have, their values are different and thus causes many conflicts between them.
YM probably deep down really wanted to be loved, there is a neediness in there esp since it’s her first r/s. So her resolve to give in despite his forcefulness on her was low, she did push BF1 away when he came back from his work trip after their breakup. That said, being a green horn in the r/s, she accepted his taking advantage of her also because I think she didn’t know better.
I’m glad they didn’t last!
@Grace, yup relationship with BF1 was full of ups and downs. You’re right about the different values they have. They did not communicate on the important parts of who they were in terms of their values and what they had as their aims or dreams.
I believe that Show wants YM to start off with flaws so that she can have a growth arc. Since the novel had her as a pampered, entitled type, she’s likely being played that way for the Show, although it looks incongruous with her family background.
I must say that the ‘outside home’ female wardrobe is mostly stunning, although surprisingly, so many pieces of clothing are rather sexy, even for work! I feel, at times, that I’m watching a fashion show or a vehicle for the appreciation of Liu Yi Fei’s looks.
Speaking of clothing, I find that we are given images of her as a yellow rose quite often. IE, she’s shown as dressed in yellow quite a bit in the earlier episodes. I wonder if there is a significance here. From the Western point of view, yellow roses denote friendship (not romantic love) and for the Chinese, yellow is the colour of royalty and good luck. Perhaps for YM, the Western interpretation applies more because her romances may not work out well.
Ad Hoc Thought
One of the things I like is that adversity is treated like an opportunity in this Show. This puts a new spin on lots of things that any of us may be facing. Loss of loved ones, job, an argument, etc … can be opportunities for realisation of what needs to be changed and how one can grow.
I find that I like brother Zhen Hua’s story more and more and the sibling relationship. That balances out Rose’s tale.
I’m glad she also moves on from being a brat.
You have me at Wallace Huo. I wasn’t thinking of watching this but with WH, I’m in. It’s fan girl time!