Review of "The Sword and the Brocade"

I feel like I'm still learning what I like and dislike about cdramas. Historicals, fantasy, rom coms, wuxia. More often than not I find that they start strong and then fizzle mainly due to the length and needless filler. I wasn't sure how the Sword and the Brocade would go. I really like the lead actress but was that going to be enough to keep me there for 45 episodes. The answer was yes.

This wasn't a flashy drama. In fact, I would describe it a slow burn romance with more often than not the story was told with looks between characters. The plot wasn't particularly novel but it was told in such a way that interested me. The romance being secondary. There was always something going on. It was my first drama with the male lead having concubines and children and that was a bit of adjustment for me. The good thing is that most of them were either evil or a non-factor and it made it easy to dislike them and by the end they all got what they deserved.

The romance between the main couple was the epitome of slow. It was not a love match but the falling in love was really nicely done. Sure there were a lot of struggles and mistrust but in the end it all came back to the love they had for each other. Seven Tan played a very smart and calm person, one very different from her Under the Power character. She was the backbone of this drama. Wallace Chung was good but I felt he was such a stoic character that didn't really allow for him to really display range. There were a few scenes that he emoted so well in. One that stands out is the jail scene at the end. Wish we had more of that throughout the series.

There was a very small romance subplot of the maid and General that I felt needed a bit more. They were really cute together. The rest of the characters were mainly there to revolve around Shiyi and His Lordship. I will say the Great Madam was particularly frustrating for someone who is supposed to lead the family she truly had terrible judge of character and was willing to blame everyone but herself for that poor judgment. She came around in the end but I was over her at that point.

In the end, I still can't believe I got through all 45 episodes which is my longest drama yet. I recommend it for Seven Tan, for family drama and for slow burn romance if you like that sort of thing. Happy ending.

I give it a B+.