Where to start with Minglan. I get why some people find it difficult to watch, it is a complex story with many layers and sub plots which can take 20+ episodes to resolve, there is a massive cast of characters and if you have no understanding of how the marriage/concubine system worked then it can seem overwhelming trying to understand which siblings belong to which mother.
But
It is a compelling story of the daughter of an unloved concubine who dies in childbirth, leaving Minglan alone at a young age in a toxic household of competing wives and siblings overseen by a husband who is indifferent, mediocre and only concerned with social standing.
Luckily Minglan is taken under the wing of her grandmother who has powerful links to the palace, Minglan soon learns to survive by hiding her many talents and keeping her head down, out of sight out of mind could be her motto, but although quiet she is fiercely loyal to her family. Her mother's death is one of the most harrowing scenes I have ever seen (the actress playing the young Minglan needs special praise) but her relationship with her grandmother is one of the most heartwarming. They are inseparable.
I want to keep this review short but it's hard to convey just how fantastic this peice is in a few short words. Minglan is quiet and reserved, a loyal friend, and just wants a quiet life but when provoked to protect herself or her loved ones her response is brilliant, brutal and deserved. She uses her hidden intelligence to manipulate her antagonists greed to destroy themselves. She out plots the most seasoned plotters and gets dragged into deadly political intreague after marrying a man who she knew from childhood, who is even more calculating than herself, much to her shock.
I can't recomend Minglan highly enough, if you are looking for something light then this is not it but if you want to enjoy a complex story with time invested in backstories, with a great cast, amazing cinamatography and which is going to reward the effort in spades then give Minglan 20 episodes and be rewarded by a truly outstanding drama.
But
It is a compelling story of the daughter of an unloved concubine who dies in childbirth, leaving Minglan alone at a young age in a toxic household of competing wives and siblings overseen by a husband who is indifferent, mediocre and only concerned with social standing.
Luckily Minglan is taken under the wing of her grandmother who has powerful links to the palace, Minglan soon learns to survive by hiding her many talents and keeping her head down, out of sight out of mind could be her motto, but although quiet she is fiercely loyal to her family. Her mother's death is one of the most harrowing scenes I have ever seen (the actress playing the young Minglan needs special praise) but her relationship with her grandmother is one of the most heartwarming. They are inseparable.
I want to keep this review short but it's hard to convey just how fantastic this peice is in a few short words. Minglan is quiet and reserved, a loyal friend, and just wants a quiet life but when provoked to protect herself or her loved ones her response is brilliant, brutal and deserved. She uses her hidden intelligence to manipulate her antagonists greed to destroy themselves. She out plots the most seasoned plotters and gets dragged into deadly political intreague after marrying a man who she knew from childhood, who is even more calculating than herself, much to her shock.
I can't recomend Minglan highly enough, if you are looking for something light then this is not it but if you want to enjoy a complex story with time invested in backstories, with a great cast, amazing cinamatography and which is going to reward the effort in spades then give Minglan 20 episodes and be rewarded by a truly outstanding drama.