[Mainland Chinese Drama 2019] Under the Power 锦衣之下

[AgnesLi]

2 hours ago, angelangie said:

true to both Allen & Seven, both of them actually tune in to Under the Power both of them posted their thoughts on weibo yesterday

What do they write? 

[40somethingahjumma]

Duh... I didn't even realise that the lass that played Jin Xia was the female lead in Fox's Summer, a C rom com I did enjoy.  Dear me.. I didn't recognize her. 

 

The moment Yan Shifan passed on DLY unceremoniously to a new owner like a vase that outlived its usefulness, I knew that it would one day be his undoing. It was the height of arrogance and megalomania to believe that he could get away with something like this with no pushback. I suppose he believed he had her completely under his thumb. Perhaps he'd never heard the old adage: Hell hath known no fury like a woman scorned... 

His execution came and went almost without much fanfare. I suppose everything that happened from Day 1 was a build up to his arrest and eventual beheading. I always thought it was odd that he rationalized his dealings with the Japanese pirates as purely a business undertaking because they always seemed to be obviously treasonous. If there was anybody was undermining national security, he was it. But it's easy for intelligent people who feel that level of entitlement to rationalize any kind of wrongdoing in their own minds.

 

Now that I've seen Lu Yi's self-flagellation and imprisonment in context, it makes a lot more sense. It was his way of atoning for the heinous miscarriage of justice that the previous generation partook in so that everyone would be free of the past. For me that entire fiasco not really something he should have had to carry but at the end of the day, it was his grand gesture that demonstrated his sense strong of justice and his love for JX.  Fortunately it didn't take too much tv time and he was soon reunited with JX. The little convo at the end... was a hoot and a nice way to end it 

 

As usual I have a ton of things I want to say but I don't have a lot of time to do it. Housework and duty calls.

 

Overall this is one of the better C dramas that I've seen. The leads are fantastic (their interactions always on  point), the supporting cast decent and the storytelling good. I had had my eye on it for a while but I didn't want to start too early lest it didn't deliver towards the end. But I knew judging from the title that it was something right up my alley. I don't think it quite reaches the heights of being great because it got bogged down by romantic triangles and polygons. I didn't much like the crazy cousin bit either. It's the stuff of soap operas that diminishes the quality and gravity from a drama that wants to do serious things. The Romeo and Juliet angle wasn't objectionable or bad but I'm getting a bit tired of it. It seems to pop up in almost every C drama. And it would be nice too, if a C drama could tell a good yarn without some kind of birth secret coming into play.

(That might be asking too much...)

 

Some of the highlights for me were the shipboard case,  the defence of Hangzhou and the final takedown of YSF. As a fan of crime fiction, I found those arcs deeply satisfying. But I also really enjoyed watching the leads’ growing attraction towards each other. They did a darn good job...

 

 

[mspilgrims]

Hello to everyone!

 

I'm reading your comments for a while now and enjoying every post! Thank you for the extracts from the novel, I'd like very much to read it if one day someone of good heart is going to translate it in English.

I'm currently at episode 40/41, following the series on youtube. Unfortunately I don't read or speak Chinese.

 

What to say... I'm totally in love with the drama!!! I started to watch Under the Power after Royal Nirvana and it was really refreshing after such a tragic story. I find the two main leads acting terrific: both Jin xia and Lu Yi are well portrayed and my romantic side has been satisfied so far in a way that I couldn't imagine. Even if there is only a kiss in all the series, the viewers could feel the strong attraction between them growing episode after episode. Their interactions are often hilarious, I love how Jin Xia  upsets Lu Yi's life again and again. He doesn't even know that he's totally falling for her and she is rather oblivious of her own feelings despite she's always sticking to the Da Ren!

 

Besides, both the solving cases plot and the political one are well executed. The bad guy is an awesome actor as well and also the other characters are enjoyable and have their own depth. And what to say about the combat scenes? Really well done and not so much with the typical flying people of the wuxia genre (western people are not used to this kind of action scenes). I also like that our FL is not a damsel in distress but she joins every battle with no fear.

 

I'm dying to finally watch the other missing episodes with subs, although I've already spoiled myself the ending.

 

I wish a good day to you all!

 

 

[HopelesslyHooked]

Hello fellow Under the Power viewers.

I too enjoy this drama so much. The story, the acting, the costumes, the music, everything is just excellent.
It is a pity that that I can not speak nor read Chinese, but thanks to all the subbers, I can understand the story.

I have just finished watching episode 40. There is a part where Lu Daren received a letter from Jinxia, containing only 3 letters. What does the letter say?

 

I am looking forward to the next episodes, and reading the comments in this forum as well.

[AppleBanana]

24 minutes ago, HopelesslyHooked said:

Hello fellow Under the Power viewers.

I too enjoy this drama so much. The story, the acting, the costumes, the music, everything is just excellent.
It is a pity that that I can not speak nor read Chinese, but thanks to all the subbers, I can understand the story.

I have just finished watching episode 40. There is a part where Lu Daren received a letter from Jinxia, containing only 3 letters. What does the letter say?

 

I am looking forward to the next episodes, and reading the comments in this forum as well.

I think it said “I’ll wait for you”.

[HopelesslyHooked]

Thank you @AppleBanana ! I've guessed as much, just want to be sure.

This drama is really one of the few that give me butterflies.

[mspilgrims]

Hello!

I have a question: is Ren Allen dubbed in this series? That doesn't seem his voice at all... While I think Tan Songyun is not dubbed.

Thanks in advance, just a curiosity!

[rose_loves_ice]

@HopelesslyHooked Yep, it says, “我等你，” which says, “I’ll wait for you.”  

 

1 hour ago, mspilgrims said:

Hello!

I have a question: is Ren Allen dubbed in this series? That doesn't seem his voice at all... While I think Tan Songyun is not dubbed.

Thanks in advance, just a curiosity!

I’m positive both were dubbed. TSY’s real voice sounds different than the one in the drama. 

[AgnesLi]

14 hours ago, angelangie said:

 

Seven introduce herself as Yuan JinXia in the first paragraph of the of the post where she said she bump into the brocade robe officer LuYi while on the cases and from then on their path is always cross overs, she also mention she really love money however she love her protector more whom is LuYi  

 

then the 2nd paragraph she talk about her feeling of the film and how she really like it....

 

for Allen he wrote a pretty long long post that i havent really read it all yet ahahahhaa....and then he said he will love to portray as Brocade Officer again if given a chance...

Thank u for translate it  well I am happy to see Jialun and SongYun again as FL and ML 

 

Same with U Guys. I am still lingering on around the drama. Kinda miss Yixia 

[AgnesLi]

1 hour ago, rose_loves_ice said:

@HopelesslyHooked Yep, it says, “我等你，” which says, “I’ll wait for you.”  

 

I feel that this tree words have deeper meaning than "I love u"

 

6 minutes ago, angelangie said:

 

i guess we can always pick and nit pick some of the scenes and spazz over them after all  

Lots of OTP FMV in youtube but still the original trailer is the best. 

[yueyyo]

On 2/11/2020 at 1:02 AM, AgnesLi said:

I see in the books luyi is quite bolder

Yup in the book, he's sure got bolder after he has revealed his feeling to her and she returned his feeling and want to be married to him.  He figured they were going to be married so he kind of treated her like she's going to be his wife in the future.  I just read the chapter where she came into his room while he was changing his clothes (how many times did she do that I lost count).  She said he shouldn't change his clothes in front of her and he suggested she can do the same in front of him to make it even.

 

 

[mspilgrims]

3 hours ago, rose_loves_ice said:

@HopelesslyHooked Yep, it says, “我等你，” which says, “I’ll wait for you.”  

 

I’m positive both were dubbed. TSY’s real voice sounds different than the one in the drama. 

Why is that? They don't have terrible voices after all. We lose a little in my opinion, even if the male voice is astonishing beautiful. 

 

Changing subject, I forgot to say how cute Jin Xia is when she starts to look intently at Lu Da Ren and says, more than once, how handsome and imposing he is (and she's damn right, by the way!). I giggled every time! I think it's when he realizes she's head over heels for him. The way he returns her gaze let me speechless... Allen Ren is a very good actor!

[yueyyo]

5 hours ago, angelangie said:

actually this is the first times when i watch a drama i dont hate the bad guy infact i kinda like him

Me too and I am sure we are among the many in that boat.  Many were fond of him because he threw our favorite pair together in solving all his intrigues and trouble makings.  I also liked him because they didn't try to justify him being the way he is.  He was just the way he was.  His screen time was just the right amount.  Sometimes they give the bad guy way too much screen time.  It doesn't hurt that the actor plays his role so well. 

I noticed from the pics you post of the bad guy versus the good guy while being captured for their wrongdoings.  The bad guy gets his hair all uncombed while the good guy only gets a few bang pieces out of place.   Some fans were joking that Luyi was very well fed in prison and looked all glowing and healthy.  I guess prison retreat gave him some time off from duty and other worries.  All he needed to know was his JinXia was waiting for him.

[yueyyo]

7 minutes ago, mspilgrims said:

Why is that? They don't have terrible voices after all. We lose a little in my opinion, even if the male voice is astonishing beautiful. 

I am not 100% sure but I think it's partly because the sound may not be as clearly recorded while filming and dubbing would make it more clear.  Another reason maybe because different actor's regional accents may be evident in speaking the lines and they want to standardize it.

She praised his looks a few times but he never praised her look, just what she does.  I am okay with that since the way he looks at her speaks volumes about how she looks to him.

[HopelesslyHooked]

18 minutes ago, mspilgrims said:

Why is that? They don't have terrible voices after all. We lose a little in my opinion, even if the male voice is astonishing beautiful. 

 

Changing subject, I forgot to say how cute Jin Xia is when she starts to look intently at Lu Da Ren and says, more than once, how handsome and imposing he is (and she's damn right, by the way!). I giggled every time! I think it's when he realizes she's head over heels for him. The way he returns her gaze let me speechless... Allen Ren is a very good actor!

Tell me about it! His deep, steady, gentle eyes whenever he looks at her!

Need to remind my self every time that this kind of gaze ONLY happens in dramas

[SC2019]

I agree with you all that Allen Ren communicates a lot of emotions through his stare. With Seven though, because her eyes are really big, I couldn't quite tell what she was trying to emote during certain scenes when she was staring back at Lu Yi. Then I realised from what has been posted in this forum that she didn't realise or was somewhat skeptical initially that Lu Yi liked her - so it was a look of confusion.

She was trying to portray "I can't believe it" or "Is this for real". Thanks for adding insights into those scenes!  

 

And for those who said they didn't dislike the villain, actually I thought he was quite handsome (LOL), in spite of having one eye with contact lenses on. I wouldn't mind watching him in another show as a lead actor, another time.

[AgnesLi]

Well looks like Yan shi fan in OTP will be the first favorite enemy for drama Fans  for the one who will execute his face still quite handsome no misery at all and the wink before beheaded now going viral 

[penelop3]

Hi All, 
First post in this thread. Loving the series so far, I have put it on my TBW list but since the subbing takes a while and have been busy with work, just manage to watch first eps on Sunday and cant seem to stop!

Loving the couple.. their chemistry is amazing. 

 

Just wondering: for the novel, is there an English translation yet? I tried to find but it doesnt seem there is an English translation. Appreciate if anyone can share the info. Thaanks! 

[SC2019]

1 minute ago, penelop3 said:

Hi All, 
First post in this thread. Loving the series so far, I have put it on my TBW list but since the subbing takes a while and have been busy with work, just manage to watch first eps on Sunday and cant seem to stop!

Loving the couple.. their chemistry is amazing. 

 

Just wondering: for the novel, is there an English translation yet? I tried to find but it doesnt seem there is an English translation. Appreciate if anyone can share the info. Thaanks! 

I would be in 7th heaven if there were an English translation but not that I can find. Have been making do with Google translate so far LOL

[jacquelinetan]

Han Dong in Xi Die Yuan Yang (2013). He played Shi Wu Hen and his romantic interest was actually his long lost betrothal, who had disguised herself as a male and was also in the police force. Furthermore,  he was the only one who saw though her disguise. The drama starts off with the older brother Shi Wu Ji's romance first followed by the two younger brothers in the later episodes.