The Glory (雁回时)

I started watching the show without any expectations and barely any idea of what it was about, just because it had Chen Duling as main lead (I was watching Fangs of Fortune and just really liked her face... shallow I know).

However, what a show!! I am not very good at reviews, nor I have a way with words that will fully allow me to convey my feelings about this series (apologies in advance for it), but I do need to share just how magnificent I felt parts of it were.

For me The Glory is all about the female characters, the women who live and die in a society that doesn't protect them, but values virtue and nobility.

It's about women. Women rights, women relationships, women struggles. Sorority and empathy.

Hanyan actions might have ulterior and selfish motives but she still understood what it was to be a woman and what it meant to her to be a noble lady: a woman who is brave and fights for herself and justice.

Its about her relationship with her friend (who saves and is saved by her), with her mother, her stepmother, her sister, the Consort, the daughters of officials... all the women she meets more than the men she fights.

This is what made me love the show. These relationships and this focus on women (even with mention of actual chinese women who made a difference: physician Tan Yunxian and Princess Pingyang), their struggles and how they overcome them.

I really recommend this series.

Pros:

• great cinematography. There are wonderful scenes, where the characters are either made the focus or made to look small in comparison with the surrounding.

• Chen Duling. I know its not consensual but I really enjoyed her portrayal of Hanyan. in fact, I really enjoyed a lot of the actresses (the two beauties... the mother and the Consort. Omg what good roles they played!).

• the female characters and the actresses that play them! Not one miss in this casting.

• The slow burn of the relationship. It made sense that the admiration both had for how cunning the other was turned to love. My red flag couple (loved when they worked together), so perfect for each other and so in sync while plotting mayhem and chaos. The little touches and how they protected each other was superb.

• the plot. For the most part I enjoyed how the plot worked, even if we need to suspend reality at times to accept how lucky they got.

• acceptable happy ending >!even if we know he will die sooner due to the poison, it wouldn't make sense for a miracle recovery. Not only zhuang shiyang was unreliable, but Fu Yunxi had the poison in his system for so long. They still get to live days happy!<

Cons

• even if I liked the main couple a lot, it was a bit lacking in the passion area, just a bit because I still loved them >!their relationship evolved well and realistically but I wish we got a bit more of them being passionate or openly loving. Also we got one attempted kiss and one brush of lips where Chen Duling didn't move or properly hug, just stood there. I'd rather no kiss and just a hug, then whatever was that in the last episode!<

• Zhuang Shiyang was not portrayed well. I really disliked the dubbing (?) and overall how the character was played >!I understand He is supposed to be pretending to be weak and simple minded, but when he was alone or plotting we should have seen his real side. Only when he sends Yushan back do the Duke house do we see a glimpse of this duality, but that was it. The character was mostly flat, like his voice, and that is quite a big flaw since he is the main villain!<

Apart from these, the minor things I disliked I can live well with and just appreciate the story. It was a binge watch and I don't regret a second of it!!!