I posted some thoughts on tale of rose drama a few days ago. Since then I watched the full drama through WeTV express and just finished last night. Just wanted to share some updated thoughts and impressions on the drama (without mentioning any specific spoilers). After finishing all 38 episodes, I’ve found that the tone of the drama is quite sombre overall. I think the music and cinematography played a substantive part in creating this feel. It’s not the sort of sombre that is nostalgic or wonderful, it is more placid. And overall leaving me as the viewer feeling a bit “ya yi” / “yu men” and a bit oppressed. Not sure if anyone else has that feeling? I enjoyed the storytelling of Rose’s life, her career, family and romantic relationships and as mentioned previously I really enjoyed Liu Yi Fei’s acting. I think she did a great job at depicting certain emotional states at various points in her life - it felt realistic. However, in terms of the actual romantic relationships themselves, I found it hard that both her first love (zhao guodong) and second love (Fang zhiwen) had difficulty moving on from Rose after fifteen to eighteen years later. I understand sometimes when you date someone you really like or are deeply attracted to, then they may last in your memories, there is always a special place in your heart for them. But I would have thought that after fifteen to eighteen years, these men would have moved on (ok to still hold a special place for Rose in their heart as she is so beautiful and captivating) but I would have thought they may have emotionally moved on. In particular, roses first relationship with zhang guodong didn’t have much substance, they met through work relations, felt strong were deeply attracted to each other, dated for less than a year and then split. It’s quite common, particularly for decent looking young girls and guys to date in their early twenties and find each other extremely attractive, and build a bond together but due to immaturity in handling conflicts and lack of understanding to split. It seems somewhat unrealistic that zhao guodong isn’t able to fully move on after eighteen years when their relationship didn’t have a whole heap of substance to begin with, I think even years later he’s still very allured by her beauty, personality and demeanour, but that’s it, nothing that much deeper? As for Fan Zhi Wen’s character I can understand why he longs for Rose a bit more as they shared more years together with various trials and challenges and shared a martial bond. Rose did play a big part at least in his life, from helping him start up his company to having his child. I can understand his sense of loss when the marriage ended particularly as that’s the very last thing he wanted. But his insecurity, which causes him to be overly controlling, was the very thing that led to his fears playing out (aka Rose leaving him). He is a flawed character but I can somewhat understand why he still can’t move on from Rose. After Huo Zheng Hua (Rose’s third love interest) departure, I felt the whole drama’s tone became more and more placid. I think the drama did want to convey that Rose is able to live happily on her own for the next six / seven years of her life, be a successful art gallery curator / manager, raise her daughter etc but not sure whether it’s the music or acting (or both) I can’t seem to feel a sense of joy or happiness coming out of Rose in those years. Yes, she rides a motorbike, which conveys a sense of adventure seeking and independence but she seems so sad. I think her desire to study and get a pilots licence conveys a sense of boredom with her. She has a lot of time with her kid almost in middle school now, her art gallery venture is going well so to fill her time she does random things like getting a pilot licence. Instead of conveying a sense of an adventurous spirit it seems to me she is quite bored with her, and lowkey dissatisfied and not so happy and is doing these externally adventurous looking things to satisfy her cravings for excitement and freshness. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I just can’t sense her internal happiness and deep down being happy at where she is in life. I feel a sense of emptiness. This might be an odd take, but my take on Rose’s eighteen years, is that who you marry is quite important. Her and fang zhi wen are not compatible. Yes, he is controlling and coercive and she craves freedom - but I think both parties lack true fundamental respect and understanding for each other so very difficult to reach a “middle ground” in any conflict. For any one that has been married, a lot of the times conflicts are like pitching tents and through understanding and communication may need to move the tent or goal post. I think given they are not really compatible, and Rose married him that sets the scene to her not so happy or “xing fu” life after. Had she married someone more compatible and improved in her own maturity, then perhaps she could have a more long lasting and fulfilling family life AS WELL as a career in the art gallery - sort of like her best friends character who was able to do both. So I think who you marry is important. Even though Rose has sense of freedom and adventure and is able to “coordinate her own life’s trajectories” as she puts it, I do think a regret is not having that fulfilling family life with her own family due to the broken marriage. It also seems there is a void in her life in the last seven years after Wallace Huo’s characters departure and it’s not convincing that she picked herself up again. Her life, despite her incredible beauty, into her 40s seems like it will be quite the same old as in her late 30s. She does respect her “inner heart’s” desires but I feel like more understanding, willingness to forgive, tolerate and love and looking inward for self growth is required if she to have a successful relationship or marriage in the future. Otherwise, if she is still more impulsive or just following her heart, I find it hard to believe it will last long as marriage is such a long journey and without forgiveness and accepting the flaws in her future partner it’s hard to continue this long journey together. Overall, towards the end of the drama I felt her life as a single mum to be quite placid, monotonous in a sense and I do find her overall state to be quite sombre. I don’t think this is bad or anything but just saying had she made a different choice in marriage partner, and worked on accepting her respective partners’ flaws, perhaps she would have a more fulfilling family life and more enriched and happy love life too. Pretty-ness is good but depends on how you let us interact with your overall identity. Is it your whole identity? Is that where you get the entitlement to not care and just follow your heart? What is the consequence of doing so, I.e only following heart? The heart can be deceptive and fickle a lot of the times…. Cynically I think her beauty is also one of the reasons that makes her feel a sense of entitlement that whenever she doesn’t love anymore, she is willing to move on and end the relationship. However, when you think of it holistically - who is prefect? Nobody. Yes, having romantic partners / guys that are selfish, or controlling are very very bad traits. But I believe every person is susceptible to falling or exhibiting these bad traits when we are immature, insecure, damaged, or otherwise just broken. Learning to bring up these concerns and issues, talking it through, whilst respecting the other person (who may not be worthy of respect) is difficult but I think important. I’m not saying Rose should have stayed in her marriage, I just would have liked to see her examine herself and have some more inward introspection before ending each relationship, that’s all, to signify her growth. The depiction of rose and her relationship with her family is also quite precious, a part I enjoyed. After eighteen years, going to Shanghai and back to Beijing, I’m glad she still has a family by her side, making raising her daughter as a single parent far less daunting and I’m glad she has that support throughout her daughters time of growing up.
The only thing I disagree is one’s happiness depends on the marriage partner, compatible or not. Happiness/contentment comes from oneself. Otherwise your comment is pretty down to the point.
@@karenand3975sorry I meant fulfilment in family life like a life less filled with conflict with the romantic partner and more fulfilled in terms of blessed family life. I agreee happiness comes from oneself
