NOVOLAND: PEARL ECLIPSE

I first saw Yang Mi in the Eternal Love series. After watching several dramas she starred in, I can honestly say this actress is in a league of her own. Her beauty shines like a fairy and even a woman like me can't help but acknowledge and admire her ethereal, otherworldly presence. This 2021 drama she is leading with William Chan is no different. She is shining like a pearl only eclipsed by the equally charming master.

William Chan on the other hand is truly a master of his craft. He has the kind of looks that only gets better the more you look at him. I first noticed this actor in 2017's Lost Love in Times. In both his character then as a king and in Pearl Eclipse as the emperor's main support, best friend and leader of the elite military group, he exuded exemplary acting prowess. As his character demanded, he looks exactly like a dependable, admirable person. Someone you can always depend on to protect you and to do whatever is required of him at all cost.

Their love story- that of a master and his disciple might not be very ideal but it showed that anything is possible when it comes to love. Not the age gap, nor the station in life should matter. It will remind viewers never to say never because no amount of planning can withstand the force of affection. Love will always find a way to manifest itself and to bind two hearts, albeit reluctant, into one.

I noticed that this series has several love stories interwoven but I especially rooted for the King and Consort Shurong, the second male and female leads. Theirs is not conventional nor easy. It is fraught with challenges and biases that seem to be unfair from the onset. Despite all the odds though, it is evident they are destined to be together- in life and death. This is not to say I agree with how these two ended. No matter what, being alive in this lifetime together will be entirely different even if they will meet each other again in the next. Plus the fact that they have left a newly born child alone. Being raised by another, however well it turns out, will never compensate for the absence of loving parents.

Setting those regrets aside, I especially love the fantasy element of this story. The friendship between the mermaid and our female lead is heartwarming and the portrayal of the merfolk's character as generous, protective and compassionate towards the weak is really something inspiring. There were other supernatural elements subsumed throughout this series and they make the story more entertaining and magical.

In retrospect, I would have preferred our three love teams here to live happily ever after together in this lifetime but the writers apparently thought otherwise. However, our male lead is obviously alive, just suffering on behalf of the child emperor, and our female lead as Regent is breathtaking so I would still highly recommend this series to drama lovers. Yes, there are three couples in this story and I will leave the third one for you guys to discover and enjoy.