The Legendary Life of Queen Lau

This made me laugh right out loud, almost to the point of crying. The lead may be called plain, but she's beautiful inside out, and the young emperor learns what it's like to see someone for who they are and not for what they look like.

The funny bits are truly funny.

I was mesmerized by the performance of the female lead. She made me laugh and wish I knew her character personally!

Watching the young emperor fall in love with her was more than worth its weight in gold. When he finally got it, I liked him better, but it made me laugh because he was like so many other men. Highly recommended.

"THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF QUEEN LAU" is fun, cute, inspiring...and also has tads of romance and suspense! JACKIE LI solidly nails the role of Liu Jin Feng and LI HONG YI is the perfect...yes perfect...male lead for this CCD because it's all about HIM getting who HE NEEDS...not who he wants.

Not pretty enough? Not skinny enough? Not classy enough? Not wealthy enough? Welp...just when you think you're not "enough" for the world, there is that one person who you are just right for. However, he/she might not know it. Actually, he/she might want just the opposite of who you are. Yet, no worries, because if he/she is wise enough, he'll/she'll realize that you might not be what he/she WANTS, but you're absolutely the person (i.e., spouse) that he NEEDS.

The phenomenal performance by Jackie Li in "THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF QUEEN LAU" where wit, charisma, integrity, intelligence, ingenuity, confidence, and genuine kindness far outweigh the superficial elements of a person. Liu Jin Feng wows and dazzles Emperor Duan Yun Zhang to the point where the tables are turned, and his mental light bulb turns on, and he realizes he needs her and he actually winds up pursuing her.

The storyline is solid, I loved the wardrobe, and the supporting cast were all well-suited for their roles. I love when producers build out the supporting cast members roles. WELL DONE production team!

The one missing element from THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF QUEEN LAU is I should have watched it with a group of friends. The relatable-ness and messages of focusing on someone's internal worth is so needed in daily life for depth of discussion, self-reflection and greater understanding about relationships. This program is SPOT-ON! Sooooo watch TLLOQL...you'll love it and perhaps even gain some nuggets of relationship wisdom too!

I really wanted to love it and I had high expectations but I don't think the high ratings are justified.

Its a lighthearted show but quite predictable, simple plots and the characters are flat and basic.

I was expecting a more complex script but the writing is just not there.

I feel like this story if it was made like a normal drama instead a comedy would have had a lot of potential, but I feel like they used every cliché plot in the book to make a likeable relatable storyline work, and it just didn't do it for me, I couldn't feel any spark or chemistry between the leads.

Editing is a bit messy as well with hole scenes completely wiped out from episodes, an only the aftermath is discussed in later scenes.

Overall I if you want to pass your time without something simple and lighthearted with a weak plot, this is for you.

Not only do the actors justify their characters, but the acting is fun to watch; the timing of the actors in romantic comedies needs to be absolutely on point for the viewers to enjoy the rhythm and intention of the storyline being relayed. The acting is adorable, and despite the story seemingly predictable on the surface, it does have an opening and denouement: the plot is not as it initially appears, the characters develop throughout the story, and the dialogues are believable despite the drama being period. It is a light-hearted rom-com questioning the debatable beauty standards and expectations of people in society, irrespective of place, culture, and time period.

Going through Li Hong Yi's playlist I stumbled upon The Legendary Life of Queen Lau. What a find! This is so much more than a story about a country bumpkin girl meeting a preppy flower boy.

Summary

Liu Jin Feng (Jackie Li) is living a simple country life with her mother until she's summoned by her father, the Grand Chancellor Liu Xie (Wang Dong) who lives at the imperial court as guardian of the late emperor's son, Duan Yun Zhang (Li Hong Yi) He forces a marriage between his daughter and the young heir apparent, and Yun Zang plays along under the motto Keep Your Friends Close, Keep Your Enemies Closer.

As he meets his bride on the wedding day Yun Zhang is surprised by her appearance. Liu Jin Feng turns out to be a small but sturdy country girl, courageous, spontaneous, easily fooled by the courtiers. It beats him why Liu Xie chose this unrefined girl, Liu's lovechild, in stead of Liu's official daughter who's famed for her finesse. The Grand Chancellor claims it was the dying wish of Yun Zang's royal father. So Yun Zhang decides to share his sleep quarters with his wife meanwhile observing her and testing her loyalty towards him and her father.

Jin Feng is oblivious to all of this, and completely swept off her feet by her husband's looks. She's putting all her energy and focus in meeting his standards, and she's stubbornly blind to his passive aggressiveness. Wreaking havoc with all her good intentions she angers Yun Zang in such a way that he spills the ugly truth. Heart broken Jin Feng leaves him alone and demands a legal separation. Now that she's gone Yun Zang begins to miss her. Can he re-evaluate his priorities, and will he finally win the power struggle for the throne without losing his wife in the process?

Acting/cast

The strongest point of this production is the cast. The role of Yun Zhang fits Li Hong Yi like a glove; I like his Soft Ice look in contrast to the Powder-Your-Face-With-Sunshine, Jackie Li. I hope she sets a trend with stars like Wang Peng. They are the shining examples of authentic looks that may become mainstream. A breath of spring in the land of mass plastic surgery where faces scare the hell out of me, or become indiscernible at best. Take Li Hong Yi's face f.e. Compared to Wang Yibo's. That brings me to the subject of The Untamed and two actors who play in this series as well. Guo Cheng (Lan Lingyi) is the crown prince's brother who's interested in the other Liu sister, and Qi Pei Xin (Jin Ling) is guest starring as the imperial physician. Kudos for Wang Dong as Grand Chancellor Liu Xie who maintains a believable balance between the dark and good sides of his character.

The Bad

Although the cast performs well, I see some flaws in the production. F.e. There are too many storylines, repetitions, slowing the flow of the story and leaving loop holes in the plot; there's a misbalance between romance, slapstick, and sentimental scenes; serious dialogues are abruptly followed by odd social media sounds that are somehow deemed appropriate for romcoms. Also the emphasis is on looks and appearances, in stead of character traits and inner growth.

The Good

Still, the emphasis on authenticity vs duplicity is a very good one, especially in the character writing of the leading couple. It gives this light romcom a deeper layer and some food for thought. Yun Zhang and Jin Feng get some real life lessons along their way.

Overall

So, if you like romcom combined with a coming of age story, this is for you. Enjoy the legendary life of the cinderella queen and her prince, searching for a heart of gold.