A must watch for any drama lover!!!
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The reason why the novel stood out is because of the balance of power between the male and female leads. They are intellectual equals, quite unlike Kdramas where the male leads tend to be more dominant, and unlike the trend of female-centric Cdramas where the female leads tend to be smarter while the male leads are really just supporting characters who wield huge power to lend a hand in times of emergency (Princess Weiyoung). I think they tried to maintain the same balance in the drama as well, and I'll give them a little bit of credit for that.
From now on, I'll talk about the divergences between the novel and the drama, and my thoughts on whether these are sound/positive modifications:
1. First up, the character conceptualisation. In the book, the Jing An - He family was executed by the Yan king because their achievements are so great that the Yan king finds it unsettling. Chu Beijie did not play a part in inciting the Yan king. He merely pushed the decision by deliberating losing the battle which made the Yan king even more uneasy. There's no talk in the novel too about Chu Beijie wanting to cease battle to protect the civilians. In fact, I remember distinctly that Chu Beijie wanted to expand the territories of Jin; he was battle-hungry. There is clearly a huge difference in the personalities of the character for the drama and the book. I can see why it was changed. It's to make Chu Beijie a more likable character who regards the welfare of the civilians above everything. Personally, I prefer a male lead who isn't this "perfect" and one-dimensional really. I don't like this, but I can see people preferring it. The biggest change in Chu Beijie is how weak he's become in the drama. He was captured and tortured three times! For his love, of course, very "romantic", but I do prefer the book where he was a lot smarter and didn't have to rely on the damsel to save him in times of distress at all. Bai Pingting also didn't need any rescuing in the novel as well. On the other hand, the drama just turned into this cycle of Chu Beijie saving Bai Pingting, then vice-versa, and rinse and repeat again.
2. Next, we have the process of falling in love. Oh god. This is probably the most annoying aspect of the drama. In the book, Bai Pingting was captured by slave traders during her escape (when the Yan king was trying to kill the He family). She was then sold to the Hua family in Jin and became attendant to the young mistress. She caught the attention of Chu Beijie while playing the zither. Chu Beijie thinks that she is Miss Hua, they fall in love, and Miss Hua makes use of Chu Beijie's affection towards "her" to cancel her previous engagement so that she can marry her beloved. Bai Pingting's servant identity was revealed, and she eventually stayed in Chu Beijie's manor. Even though the two of them are in love, they are wary of each other. Bai Pingting wants to know her young master He Xia's whereabouts whereas Chu Beijie knows that Bai Pingting isn't who she claims to be (Yang Feng). After some mutual scheming and whatnot, they separate. Isn't this a refreshing storyline? But in the drama, they chose to make the leads childhood sweethearts. If I wanted to watch childhood sweethearts, any bloody Kdrama will do. Why add in such a cliched plot device? Damn. Furthermore, Chu Beijie recognised Bai Pingting as the little girl he met, and decided that he must FORCE her to marry him. And somehow she gradually loves him back, for no rhyme or reason at all. What the hell?
3. The addition of a lot of vertices to the love polygon. Jealous, unscrupulous female character who loves the male lead, check. Another female character who falls for the male lead while the leads are separated, check. In the novel, it was just a love square and it was complicated enough already.
These are just some of the more obvious changes. And all adverse ones in my opinion. The drama honestly would've been much better if it was more streamlined and stuck to the novel like gum to the underside of the table. 62 episodes is way too many. I guess they had no choice but to extend the story with such stupid tropes to keep it going. It's obvious that the production is trying to stretch out the story to get more profit, and I'm worried that more C-dramas will turn to this trend as well.
To add on, here are some of the flaws in production:
1. A glaring one is the green screens that they used. The first episode had really well cheoreographed fight scenes with pretty natural looking scenery. From then on, it just seemed like a lot of the characters were cut and pasted onto the background. There are even scenes where the main characters are keyed onto a background with the calefares on it. That's just ridiculous! It's so awkward to watch. So much money pumped into the production and this is the result? I can understand that Angelababy was pregnant and perhaps they had to speed up filming, thus leading to this. But I can't help but feel cheated. Looking at the trailers alone, I expected a gorgeous-looking drama on or exceeding Princess Weiyoung's level. Nevertheless, the end-product was far from that. Imo, if you aren't going to tell a decent story, at least make the drama decently pretty. G&I was neither interesting nor beautiful.
2. Also, the dubbing. Wallace's dubber is just horrible. He has this slightly unorthodox pronunciation, kind of Cantonese-like, which makes him (actually, his voice) sticks out like a sore thumb. Plus, the voice totally doesn't suit the character. You can definitely get used to it, but it took me more than 10 episodes (still don't like it).
3. Styling. I'm pretty sure Princess Yaotian looks great in real life, but her styling in the drama does nothing for her. It looks horrible! The guys' long hairstyles looked like crap on all of them except Ze Yi and Fan Lu as well. I mean, Wallace Chung and Sun Yizhou looked fantastic with the man bun I have no idea why they had to give them the long hair/dreadlocks. I know it's to differentiate between the different territories but really it's so inconsistent that it's useless.
4. Chu Beijie's deliberate act-cool moves *cringe* (dramas need to stop doing this to their male leads). Forcibly trying to make your male leads "cool" tends to achieve the exact opposite effect. Also, why does he need a mask?
Now here comes the positives. Well, the non-negatives. Some of these are not even well done but just good enough:
1. The cute loveline between Fan Lu and Zui Ju. I didn't pay much attention to this subplot in the novel itself. However, the actors portraying the two characters actually brought more appeal to this storyline in the drama compared to the novel. Zui Ju is probably the most likable character in this entire drama, despite the bad acting (so, so bad). I was worried that they were going to alter this storyline when they gave Chu Moran and Zui Ju a lot of interactions during the time Chu Beijie broke away from the Jin court. Thankfully, they didn't change it that much.
2. The acting. Angelababy gets a lot of flak for being inexpressive. I don't actually think that she is thaaat bad (that being said, she's quite bad). I'm just slightly bothered by her constant smile, which just distracts me a little when the occasion clearly does not call for it. It may also be an after effect of plastic surgery though. Imo, she improved towards the end of the drama. I also have to give her some leeway for getting an acting coach. Hey, at least she knows how awful her acting is and is trying to do something about it (alright, I'm just being sympathetic). Everyone else were just on par. I also disagree that Wallace was great in the drama like what many say. With such a bad story, you really can't judge. The duo above (Zui Ju and Fan Lu) were cute but they are obviously very green. Zui Ju, in particular, was terrible. I'm generally not picky about the acting as long as it doesn't come across as unnatural, so in this aspect the drama gets a passing mark (barely) in my book.
3. Yaotian's ending. I liked He Xia and Princess Yaotian's romance more in the novel, even though the author didn't really touch on it much. In the drama, the two had very little chemistry (actually, chemistry was virtually non-existent for both pairings). Yaotian's ending is the same, but the way it ended was slightly different. I think they didn't want to make He Xia look too bad. But I actually like how "evil" he is in the book, and how tragic this pairing became. I thought it added more flavour to the story.
4. The OST. I must say, they have some really nice songs. My favourite is the duet by William Wei and Claire Kuo, followed by Tan Jing's song. The opening and ending themes don't appeal to me though.
In summary, I think the drama definitely falls short of expectations. It had good source material, but did not make good use of it. It had a huge budget, but didn't spend enough effort trying to refine the drama. If anything, the production itself just screams unprofessional to me. I do wish that they won't rush the filming so much, and gave more time to post-production as well. It could have been at least a pretty drama to look at, but now it's just... a huge disappointment. I usually write reviews only when I really like a drama, or when I hate it (don't ask me why I watch it all even though I dislike it, it's a childish question). General and I belongs to the latter. I'll give it a 3 and that's already understating how bad it was [1].
-- Footnotes --
[1] The drama has a rating of 3.6 on Douban as of the time this review is written which is far closer to my personal grade but MDL just has biased ratings. You can see it. Candle in the Tomb, a fantastic drama, is rated 8.3 on MDL and 8.2 on Douban. G&I, an awful drama in comparison, is still rated 8.0 on MDL but only 3.6 on Douban. Therefore, if you are a longtime Cdrama watcher, 3.6 is probably fair and what you should take into account when deciding whether to watch or not.
EDIT: MDL update screwed up formatting.
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The story is simple and cliché: two very intelligent war mastermind adversaries, one a general, nicknamed the God of War, the other a female strategist. Pitting against one another they’re formidable opponents: mind versus matter, prediction versus adaptability. Together they’re unstoppable. That’s the reason everyone wants to keep them apart. It’s not that they’re weaker separately, but rather unbeatable together. Chu Bei Jie is the general of the kingdom of Jin, related to the king by blood. Bai Ping Ting is a childhood friend of the Prince He Xia, a sworn enemy of Chu Bei Jie. Chu Bei Jie and Bai Ping Ting fall in love but their love is an obstacle to the wishes of the king of Jin, the Royal Consort, the Chancellor and to He Xia. Through tick and conniving plots, Bei Jie and Ping Ting are separated. After years of turmoil in the land, they reunite again for their love towards one another to fight against He Xia and unite the land under one empire, bringing peace to the people and stability to the land they so dearly love. This is the story in a nutshell but the drama is so much more than that, is the sacrifices one makes for the loved ones, the sacrifices one makes for family, for country, for honour, the battles one faces not to conquer to dominate but to conquer to maintain peace and to fight for the ideals of a better world and at opposite ends for everything antagonistic to that. For that reason the story is a 10 out of 10 without another thought.
The main catalyst characters: Chu Bei Jie, Bai Ping Ting & He Xia
Chu Bei Jie performed by veteran Hong Kong actor Wallace Chung and embodies the personification of Mars, the mythological God of War in every sense. He’s strong, determined and wrecks havoc amongst those foolish enough to get in his way. He’s smart and a brilliant strategist, able to adapt to local circumstances like no other. He’s also fiercely loyal to his king and to the woman he loves, never doubting her, never losing faith in her. He’s also not afraid to show his emotions to her, to hold her, to comfort her, to cry in her presence. Wallace Chung performs Chu Bei Jin brilliantly. He is Chu Bei Jin. For a man in his early 40’s to perform Chu Bei Jin, a character that is over 10 years his junior, to perform the stunts that he performs in the drama with the agility of a man half his age is a feat not accomplished by many and Wallace Chung does it effortlessly.
Bai Ping Ting is performed by Chinese A-List Angelababy. She took time to get used to on screen. Initially it was a struggle to see Bai Ping Ting. She appeared to passive when the character is anything but. Every scene seemed to drag with Angelababy’s performance. Is not that she was bad, rather she wasn’t good either. She was just flat and continued to be flat. Her emotions were so utterly standardized it was hard to empathize with Bai Ping Ting, despite liking the character so much on paper. It seemed that she was despondent of life and just existed. It was sad to watch. However as the episodes moved on, her performance grew more convincing, perhaps due Wallace Chung and Sean Sun’s performances who elevated the drama and by consequence perhaps made her elevate her performance as well. Bai Ping Ting is a character with more spunk than what was portrayed but saying that Angelababy’s performance was nice to watch with Wallace Chung and Sean Sun.
He Xia is performed by Sean Sun and what a remarkable performance that was as well. He’s younger than Wallace Chung yet on screen their prowess’s are evenly matched. He Xia is despicable and vindictive and a pain in everyone’s side. He marries for power then when he loses the woman he didn’t know he loved is too late. He could’ve been happy but he chose to pursue vengeance and in the end vengeance took over him and he lost himself. Sean Sun is phenomenal performing He Xia. He’s unreadable. His face demonstrates nothing, his actions demonstrate everything.
The secondary characters: the King, the chancellor, the Queen Consort, the Princess, Lady 13…what is interesting about them is that their role in the drama doesn’t drag. Once their purpose is finished they no longer appear in the drama. Normally secondary characters tend to stay in a drama from beginning to end but here, they don’t which is different but good. Once they no longer contribute to the story, bye bye and another character appears to take their place with the exceptions of the King of Yin and Princess Bai Lan. Acting/Cast, I would give it a 7. Not all characters are convincing but that mishap I gladly overlooked as I really enjoyed the drama.
The OST is nice, it’s not outstanding but it’s nice and it matches the drama well. In a scale of 0 – 10, it’s a 6.
Re-watch value: 10 out of 10. I loved Chu Bei Jie, loved, loved, loved the character and Wallace Chung! Bai Ping Ting matched him in every way possible. They’re a couple made in drama heaven, the Ying and the Yang, complements! Their battles against one another were phenomenal and when they put their heads together to fight their enemies was amazing! The drama remained solid and consistent if, dragging at times but that didn't compromise the story, building up to the reunion which ought to be watched again and again and again!
Overall General and I is as perfect a drama as they get even with its imperfections and flaws. As everything in life is anything but perfect the drama is a pure example of it, a story that is utterly perfect despite how unperfect and challenging it was along the way!
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I was a bit apprehensive before starting this series because some of the reviews are not good. But in the end I’m thankful that I started this. I actually read the novel first before watching the series. They have their similarities and differences but each has their own merits.The story is about loving and trusting someone amidst the differences, the odds and the trials. The storyline is common but the execution is great so you will enjoy the series.
The fighting scenes are one of the best that I’ve seen so far.
The actors were able to portray their role well, especially the both the lead actors. They have chemistry and good in what they do so they were able to relay the characters love, loyalty to their belief and angst to it and the outside interference.
The only thing that I don’t like about this series is that they shoot most of the scene in the studio, or the lighting is off so the actor and the background scene doesn’t blend well especially during the night scenes but aside from that the series is great.
Additional info: the difference between the novel and series are listed below. I won’t list all of it, only the important one… well, what is important in my point of view anyway… ;-)
Some of it may be considered a spoiler but maybe not, although I will focus my comment on the novel. :-)
1. In the novel since the beginning it was already known that chu bei jie is the brother of the king of Jin state.
2. There is no noble consort zhang in the novel, so the one that plot against ping ting is the queen.
3. In the novel chu bei jie just went into seclusion after he found out that ping ting died and he left his other sword with yang feng. Although I love what they did to the drama…
4. In the novel, bei jie first believe that ping ting betray him so he punished her by being indifferent for a few months.
5. The most important difference between the two is the final chapter or maybe it wasn’t just fully explained in the series. In the novel when all the other army rally against He Xia, they ask Chu Bei Jie what will be the name of the army, would they call it prince of zhenbei’s army. He didn’t agree with it because he said he will be like He Xia that wants to conquer the world. He named it Tings Army (from Ping Ting’s name) because it represents that they are fighting for their love ones. To free their love ones from oppression because he promised ping ting a peaceful world. And in the end they united the four state and rename it Tings country because nobody conquered anyone so no state is above the other. Isn’t he sweet? Imagine naming the whole country for Ping Ting! ;-)
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1. In my opinion all the actors did a fantastic job even angela baby ( a lot of people either don't like her acting or are just pure haters). Though this is my first drama where angela played a role in my opinion she played it so well. And It was just powerful. I am nit saying anything about wallace chung because obviously he is fantastic.
2. Music was amazing.
3. The storyline was also great.
4. Male lead and female lead chemistry was stunning.
5. You will learn a lot about love, honor, country, loyalty, sacrifice and family.
6. I am glad the show was different from the novel, though I have not read the novel and I don't think I will. Because, from what I have heard I don't like the novel. Because, CBJ.. male lead in the novel is different from that of the drama. I like the lead from the drama.
7. I like the parts in the movie where the female lead saves the male lead. The reason is mostly it is the male saving the female but, here it is both of them saving each other. Which was satisfying.
What I didn't like from this show..........
1. Sometimes the plot or the storyline gets confusing. The motivation of the characters to do things or to take action sometimes is illogical or absolutely nonsense but, I guess it might be the same in life too lol
2. Unnecessary and long separation between the main Lovers CBJ and BPT.
3. The ending is good but, it could have been better. It just need an additional 10 minutes. We needed an awesome ending since, we will suffer a lot of heart breaks even though there are satisfying moments the ending isn't as satisfying lol
Overall, this show gets a 9.5 even though some things were disappointing. But, I am glad it is different from the novel even though many people like the novel. But, I don't like the cbj from the novel lol
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To be completely honest, I think the premise of this show is quite exciting and I bet the novel it's based on would be something spectacular. I will even admit that I really liked the idea behind the General's and Ping Ting's character. They were supposed to be strong and witty people in their own right and that was essentially what lured me in. But by God, that's not what this drama really ended up being.
Matters were made worse by the horrible acting. There is a lot of negative stigma attached with AngelaBaby but I did my best to keep an open mind and not be influenced by all the drama. Unfortunately, it was a wasted effort because she literally cannot act. Half of the time she's a blank board and in the other half she looks like a psychopath with her crazy eyes and creepy smile. I liked what her character was supposed to be but she destroyed it quite effectively.
Wallace Chung is a good actor but all the edgy scenes really didn't make him cool, instead, Chu Bei Jie mostly just comes off as an asshole who's trying and failing to assert his dominance over everybody.
The overdramatization makes everything more unbearable. With all that flying in the air, jumping over mountains and exaggerated facial expressions, General and I can't possibly expect the viewers to take its bullshit seriously. I watch Asian Dramas for their sincerity and poignancy, not whatever this superficial serialization was offering. So fucking disappointed.
It didn't help that I started watching it in between episodes of Eternal Love, which is why its flaws were even more noticeable than they would've been if an incredible show was not there for comparison. I really tried to give it a lot of chances but by the nth chance, I thought it better for my sanity to skip most parts.
This is an unpopular opinion and if you are someone who has diligently watched all of its episodes and have arrived on a different conclusion, then good for you. Boos should always do their yous.
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So, i saw the first episode on youtube after "Princess WeiYoung" and back then my expectations for any drama were pretty high because, i mean just watch "Princess WeiYoung" and then you understand. It is pretty similar i must say but the *storyline* in this drama is better, that's for sure. Though some may think that too many countries and anything in life is complicating the relationship between those two but i mean... life is like that. So many people care about things that they have to do something. Even if it means some couples unhappiness. So far I am at episode 43 and still loving it (though hate what is happening right now...)
The *cast* is lovely, who would have thought that Wallace Chung could act so good as the God of War and as a loving and doting lover. Angelababy is doing her part very well too. She does the act of the genius strategist very well. Some people sad their chemistry isn't as good as the one with Tiffany Tang and Luo Jin. But I mean come on! They are a real couple and the other couple is acting it (both also have S.O.s in their life, so... although some people are gonna say "It's their job, etc" but i don't think chemistry can be acted. In the future, currently watched the trailer for ep 54, their chemistry is gonna get hotter and hotter ;)
Sean Sun and Gan Ting Ting are a lovely and sweet couple, can't complain. (SPOILER ALERT: Except for their fate TT^TT)
*Music* is good even though it's sometimes a bit misplaced but nothing so serious. Love the theme song even if it makes me cry every damn time!
I would *rewatch* it just to rewatch it just to see the relationship between CBJ and BPT to develop. HUSBAND GOALS: Chu Bei Jie. It's just so sweet to watch a man who will love you no matter what happens and who believes and trusts you.
UPDATE 3.02.17:
i forgot to mention the one thing i really don't like in this drama is the thing that CGs and some acting, like turning 7000 times from one hit, a bit too much. But as long as you can laugh about this stuff i guess you will love it XD
Another thing that i "dislike" is that our OTP are separated for, *%"*ç 20 EPISODES!!! I stopped at 37 and i am gonna wait until everything is subbed and then binge watch (and probably cry) until they reunite. Can't wait!!
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Prince Chu Bei Jie, Man of the Year
The best thing about this drama is that the 62 episodes were translated in seven weeks on the DF site. I watched all the episodes, but started skipping the Bai Lan State scenes, due to lack of interest in their melodrama.SStory:
A love story/epic battle costume historical drama.
Acting/Cast: General Prince Chu Bei Jie wins the Man of the Year award. Throughout the story, he was steadfast in his ethics and integrity. Bai Ping Ting was an adequate military strategist but she was also an expert waffler. She waffled between Chu Bei Jie and He Xia. He Xia started out as the underdog prince, but his royal ambition and the callous manipulation of the needy Princess Yao Tian, made me grimace.
Music:
The BGM kept the drama moving to its conclusion.
Rewatch value:
Not likely to rewatch this drama, due to the lengthy drama and the lengthy filler.
Overall:
Chu Bei Jie, Fan Lu and Ze Yin saved the day, and the drama.
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Wallace Chung, you gave it your all Bravo! AngelaBaby you were awesome!
Wallace Chung, you gave it your all Bravo! AngelaBaby you were awesome!Another fantastic drama series. Wallace Chung, my first time viewing this actor and now he will be added to my Top 10 list. The chemistry between Wallace and AngelaBaby was on point. I believed their storyline romance. Again, the true meaning of what "Agape Love" is all about. This is the 4th drama that shows the definition of what Love is really about. The more I watch it, OMG my heart just melts. Legend of Fuyao and General and I are tied for first place in the Romance! Those kiss scenes, WOW just wow! Whoever said that AngelaBaby did not reciprocate those kisses... um tell me if your REAL husband was in the studio while these kisses were going on... would you reciprocate back? I think NOT. The actress, AngelaBaby, made up for it when Bie Ji lifted her up and kissed her in Episode 54.
Moving on... The visuals on this piece were awesome. I didn't see any flaws because I was too focused on the storyline. The other cast members also did a fantastic job. Thank you to the team of Producers, Writers, Visual, Music, Lighting, Scene Location, all of it! The music score "A Familiar Scenery" and "The Lone Flower" was the best! Again, Wallace Chung and AngelaBaby WOW! Thank you to the other couples that also did great. Sun Yizhou was also believable, their tears got me! Zou Yang, I just love you, you added that spice to some of the scenes you played in. The only problem I had with this is when Ping Ting met with Bie Jie's friend on a hill saying "We will meet again" in the last episode... um excuse me writers but you could have left that out! Why is it that screenwriters always have to put a second female into the mix? My goodness, Bie Jie only has a love for Ping Ting leave it alone! He is a ONE woman man! Thank you very much! Okay now moving on... so I rated the storyline at a 9 for that reason alone.
#1 NOTE: Wallace Chung, I must say puts himself into the character he plays especially in this drama project. I have been viewing his song list and interviews he does with various outlets in China... He is definitely a different person outside of the characters he played. But, I tell you what... When Wallace Chung looks at a woman romantically, I'm done! That's what an actor is all about... I would like to know how many times he has to go through one scene to get it right. That would be interesting.
#2 NOTE: I have a question why did AngelaBaby's real-life husband Huang Xiaoming want to be present during the kissing scenes? It seems like a message was given That just ruined it for me. It didn't ruin the storyline romance but ruined me from ever watching HX in a drama series. I know... I know... it's her husband... but husbands are supposed to have trust. BUT... I feel sorry for all the husbands whose wife co-stars as the #1 Main lead with Wallace Chung.
#3 NOTE: The hard work the cast members had to endure in the HEAT just to make this great movie, I thank all of you because you went through it because of your passion for acting and you did it for your fans. I commend and applaud you. AND those mosquitos uggh.
Overall, I can't get this movie out of my head... lol I'm on my 8th rewatch. Those who don't rate it a 10... umm... well... now, who would rate this a low rating of 4 or lower? Going to watch more of the BTS on youtube. Jealousy is on-screen and off-screen... wow. a 1-point rating seriously (husband maybe)!!!! I never witnessed a review that demeans one of the actors on set like she/he knew this actor personally. I was raised with my grandmother stating... if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all. It shows the type of person who demeans. smh. that's a low blow!
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