Gu Jinzhao (Ren Min) ,who has come of age, returns to her father’s family after being banished to her maternal grandmother’s as a baby. Denounced as a “jinx” and snatched from her mother’s embrace as a nursing babe, Jinzhao grows up under the tutelage of her maternal grandmother, matriarch of the merchant Ji family outside the capital in Tongzhou. It’s probably just as well that she was spared the horrors of living with her stepmother and half sister when one considers her long suffering sickly mother enduring a useless incompetent husband who is trying to have a bet each way. Rather hypocritically he scorns his wife’s background despite relying heavily on her family’s coffers to defray the expenses of his spendthrift family. It’s 95% of all micro drama set-ups and those of us with more than a few dramas under our belts pretty much know what’s coming round the bend.
Unlike many Cinderellas, Jinzhao is no pushover. Her youthful appearance belies savvy and wisdom beyond her years. While her half sister, Gu Lan was being pampered by her concubine mother and servants, Jinzhao learned the ropes of navigating recalcitrant relatives from hands on experience in the Ji business empire. The Ji family however wealthy and influential are still only of the merchant class. Supporting them is Chen Yanyun (Ci Sha), the youngest holder of high office in the land of Dayan with a radical reformist land distribution agenda that could potentially shake the foundations of the nation. The show leaves little doubt that Chen Yanyun (style name: Jiuheng) ‘s plaudits and current position are earned rather than just bestowed as the third son of a longstanding prominent family or for the fact that he is the favoured pupil of the chief minister of the court, Fu Hailian (Wu Gang).
Despite the title, the romantic subplot of A Splendid Match is largely driven by a reverse harem vehicle. Jinzhao with her can-do attitude and pluck attracts the attention of Chen Xuanqing (adopted nephew of Chen Yanyun), the ne’er-do-well heir apparent Ye Xian (of a military marquisate) and eventually the older Chen Yanyun himself. Though banal, it is accurate to say that the men in her life all love her for various reasons. Chen Xuanqing is flattered by her obvious interest in him and soon reciprocates only to reject her soon after for the usual pragmatic reasons. Bad boy Ye Xian (Winwin) falls for her because she doesn’t suffer time-wasting playboys gladly. He’s affronted initially (how dare she stand up to him) but soon sees the error of his ways. When first we meet him, Ye Xian is a spoilt brat with a large chip on his shoulder. We’re meant to pity him of course. The lad has a heart condition much to war hero dad’s disappointment that his only son can’t follow in his footsteps into the battlefield. He’s the stereotypical male lead of many K dramas and manga stories in days gone by — a kind of hothead underdog figure that’s dragged into a hero’s journey with much kicking and screaming. The fact that this drama doesn’t make him the primary male lead is something worth noting. The stakes are very high. Furthermore it’s never really in much doubt who the male lead is, even when Jinzhao is not in love with Chen Yanyun.
Chen Yanyun is undoubtedly the most important reason why A Splendid Match shines for me when so many shows of this kind tend to feel like deteriorated facsimiles of one another. Ci Sha’s nuanced performance helps a great deal. The sagacious restraint and faint expressions of amusement are absolutely right on the money for this character while exuding a gentle stoicism that veils deep hidden passions. Chen Yanyun is arguably the best written male lead that I’ve seen in a romance-centred drama for the longest time. These days most C dramas seem averse to… or even terrified of a strong male lead lest he (God forbid) overshadow the female lead. These days most male leads have some kind of trauma or hang up so it’s a breath of fresh air to have someone at the helm of a narrative who is already a fully functioning responsible adult and doesn’t need the female lead to make him a better man although in this case, she does draw out the warmer parts of his personality.
It should also be said that A Splendid Match presents a strong Austen strain. By that I don’t necessarily mean Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility or Emma per se. The domestic drama contains aspects of Austen characters and scenarios that have become universal romance tropes. Jinzhao has to navigate not only her immediate family but her extended one too. Politics is everywhere in this narrative and it begins right at home especially in polygamous situations when the head of the household mismanages with extreme prejudice. Literally. The fourth son of the Gu family aka Jinzhao’s unreliable father by his choices becomes the architect of a tragic family opera that brings about unwarranted angst.
It helps too that this is the kind of marriage of drama I can root for unreservedly: two people who complement and share a life together which mostly means keeping those communication channels open. Husband and wife move as a team except for that one time. Chen Yanyun has no secrets that his new bride doesn’t know about. The problem with most hidden identity stories is that the lack of transparency inevitably leads to perpetual unease and eventually… unnecessary strife. Of course the hidden identity trope is meant to elicit laughs. However a joke that is repeated often will quickly be as delectable as a stale one-week-old bread.
Thematically what pulls everything together is desire. Desire for family, desire for status, desire to better oneself, desire to do good and the desire for love. Make one bad decision and desire degenerates into an uncontrollable fire that leads to the bowels of hades. The villains of the piece are a case in point. None of them begin by wanting to inflict pain and suffering. The chief villain regrets very little. His only mistake, as he sees it, is impatience. An overeagerness to succeed. An oversight in the scheme of things. Eagerness may be a contributing factor but it isn’t the only failing that leads him down the path of ultimate self-destruction. His desire for absolute power held only by the sovereign sees him to turning a blind eye to unscrupulous activities in his backyard. He can’t tolerate dissent and fears it like every good despot. He cannot tolerate murmurs even within his own circle because no one can be allowed to stand in his way of achieving his goal. As a result much evil is done in the name of good.
The leads are good together and separately. Ci Sha is a pleasant surprise adding another layer to the character of Chen Yanyun with his martial arts background. In the romance department, their chemistry is quite organic. In fact Ren Min’s chemistry with all her suitors are equally good. It’s more a case of character and circumstance — as one might expect — rather than visuals that possibilities become impossibilities. I spent the first half the drama wanting to give Ye Xian a black eye or a good kick in the rear end. Winwin as Ye Xian is adequate in his comfort zone when playing brats (cf. Perfect Match) but when he’s trying to maintain a serious demeanour, out pops what becomes a signature glazed look that’s neither here nor there. Among my favourites is the young emperor who is not as confused as he looks. Considering his age, the monarch’s a sharp lad who definitely has a finger on the pulse of his court.
There’s been some criticism regarding the finale that may be perceived as a mark against the show. C dramas have a perennial problem coming up with good endings for some reason — I suppose it has something to do with the consequence of keeping audiences on the edge of their seats right to the end without having the skill to pull it off. This one ends with some unanswered questions but it’s not the worse one I’ve seen (Looking at you The Princess’ Gambit) and it makes some sense considering the human disaster that comes from the villain’s machinations.
I forgive the show the less than satisfying finale because overall it is one of the better romance-centred historical dramas I’ve seen in the last few years. A) It doesn’t curtail the role of the male lead to elevate the female lead or the so-called second male lead and B) it doesn’t play fast and loose with implausibilities.
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Spot on! The shows with such satisfying male leads are few: a dream of splendor and rebel princess come to mind, because the hero has such a good foil with their heroines. The Austen streak, the communication, and organic chemistry-yes!