While out on a wedding dinner, a colleague asked if I've watched Story of Yanxi Palace 延禧攻略 Yán Xǐ Gōng Lüè currently playing on TV. That's the most viewed Chinese language drama of 2018 from China. Being not a very avid fan of Chinese series from mainland China, about the only face I'm familiar with regarding the series is HK TVB Star Charmaine Sheh. Then, I heard again about the series from Mau Wei and decided to give it a try. Not bad, the series; very good indeed. In fact, the cinematography, sets, costumes are excellent and it's a breath of fresh air to see the main star , Wu Jinyan, a lessor known actress, I heard, tackling the role of feisty Wei Yingluo who fights against the odds to solve her sister's murder and work her way up the ladder to become the emperor's consort. I suppose at the moment, I'm not ready to watch a demure heroine but really, while watching the seventh episode online, my other niece commented that she doesn't like dark tales like this where everyone is trying to backstab everyone else to achieve a target. Everyone else seems to like that though ; seeing cruelty and violence in action that I'm beginning to see a Mara entity in us besides our Buddha Nature. Of course Mara and Buddha Nature are broad terms but here, I was just thinking there is both goodness and badness in us that we ought to be mindful lest the bad takes over the good.
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