Novoland: Pearl Eclipse (斛珠夫人) is my first drama of the Novoland series although I understand that each title is a separate story that is unrelated to one another. So, you don’t have to watch any of the earlier dramas to understand this one. With 2 of the biggest stars being paired together, it is hard not to sit up and take notice of this production if you are a Chinese drama fan. Whether this couple and the story could weave their magic to hook viewers will be discussed in my Novoland: Pearl Eclipse review below. Suffice to say, this is a big budget drama and that alone should indicate a certain level of production quality.
My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 48
Type: Historical Romance
Aired: November 2021
Images Credit: WeTV
The Cast Of Novoland: Pearl Eclipse
- Yang Mi as Fang Hai Shi / Ye Hai Shi
- William Chan Wai Ting as Fang Zhu / Fang Jian Ming
- Xu Kai Cheng as Emperor Xu / Chu Zhong Xu
- Chen Xiao Yun as Ti Lan & Zi Zan
- Wang Sen as Zhuo Ying / Duo Luo
- Yuan Yu Xuan as Ju Zhe Liu
- Zeng Yong Ti as Ju Qi Qi
- Li Tai as General Tang Qian Zi
- Ye Xiao Wei as Prince Chu Ji Chang / Lord Chang
- Han Xiu Yi as General Su Ming
- Huang Jun Jie as Zhou You Du
- Ye Qing as Princess Chu Lin Lang
- Ma Rui Han as Prince Suo Lan
Main Characters
Fang Hai Shi / Ye Hai Shi
Hai Shi is a girl from a coastal village who becomes Fang Zhu’s disciple. She disguises herself as a boy and her real gender is only known to a select few. Hai Shi is a mischievous and smart girl. She is also candid and fearless.
Fang Zhu / Fang Jian Ming
Fang Zhu is the Commander of the Secret Force and master of the Ji Feng Pavilion. He is a reserved man but intelligent and astute. He is also a strategist and has made it his responsibility to protect Emperor Xu who is his friend. Fang Zhu has 2 disciples, Hai Shi and Zhou Ying as well as an able assistant, Shao Zi.
Emperor Xu / Chu Zhong Xu
Emperor Xu is the ruler of Dazheng. He is a bitter and depressed man with mood swings. He can be cruel and ruthless which is vastly different from how he used to be. His beloved late wife is a princess from Zhunian called Zi Zan. Fang Zhu is his right hand man and they grew up together as close friends while Eunuch Mu De Qing is his personal assistant.
Supporting Characters
Ti Lan / Consort Shu Rong
Ti Lan is a princess from Zhunian who is sent as a bride to marry Emperor Xu for political purposes. She is a patient and soft spoken lady who is resigned to her fate. Bi Zi and Bi Hong are her personal maids. Zi Zan was her elder sister who has since died. They resemble each other in terms of appearance.
Zhuo Ying
Zhuo Ying is Fang Zhu’s disciple. He also has a close sibling relationship with Hai Shi since they share the same master. He is good in martial arts and a capable subordinate to Fang Zhu. However, Zhuo Ying is a shy man when it comes to romance.
Ju Zhe Liu
Zhe Liu is a talented embroider who is roped in by her aunt to work in the palace’s Fabric Office. She is a kind and courteous young lady.
Ju Qi Qi / Madam Ju
Qi Qi is Zhe Liu’s aunt and head of the Fabric Office in the palace. She also works for the Secret Force to collect intel through her spies and reports to Fang Zhu. Qi Qi is betrothed to Fang Zhu by their parents but he has never agreed to the marriage.
General Tang Qian Zi
General Tang is Lord Chang’s personal bodyguard in Zhunian. He is later made Commander at the border camp in the north. General Tang has secret feelings for Ti Lan.
Prince Chu Ji Chang / Lord Chang
Lord Chang is Emperor’s Xu younger brother. He was a hostage prince in Zhunian since he was a kid before being sent back home. Lord Chang is a timid man who appears disinterested in the country’s affairs.
General Su Ming
General Su is the only surviving general from the last rebellion spearheaded by Prince Yi. He appears as a loyal official but has an axe to grind with Fang Zhu.
Zhou You Du
You Du is a marquis’ son as well as a businessman. He is also Zhuo Ying’s friend and has feelings for Hai Shi.
Princess Chu Lin Lang
Princess Lin Lang is the daughter of the previous emperor and Consort Nie which makes her Emperor Xu’s half-sister. She disappeared to a neighboring state during the chaotic rebellion period before returning to the palace when Emperor Xu starts looking for lost relatives. Princess Lin Lang has feelings for Fang Zhu.
Duo Luo
Duo Luo is a prince in Hanzhou. He belongs to the Left Huku Tribe and has a thirst for war to grab control of the grassland. His uncle, Earlji, heads the Right Huku Tribe and they do not get along.
Prince Suo Lan
Prince Suo Lan is heir to the throne in Zhunian. He is Ti Lan’s younger brother. Zhunian is a weak state which is dependent on Dazheng’s generosity.
Synopsis
Hai Shi’s village was burdened with a high pearl tax ostensibly on the Emperor’s orders. These pearls are obtained from mermaids’ tears and the villagers were forced to go out to the sea to trick them into crying. Hai Shi’s father was killed on one such trip while Hai Shi was saved by a mermaid, Lang Huan, who established a connection with her. Upon returning to the village, soldiers were on a rampage after seizing Hai Shi’s haul of pearls. She bumped into Fang Zhu while trying to escape and made the choice to disguise as a boy to be his disciple. Fang Zhu is the right hand man of the Emperor with a mission to protect the latter.
Years later, Hai Shi has grown up but still harbors a mistaken grudge against the Emperor for the pearl tax. She changes her stance after learning that there is more to the story. She then joins the military and jumps up in rank which worries Fang Zhu due to safety concerns and her secret identity as a woman. This is because the kingdom is facing threats from neighboring states and there are moles within with a mastermind that Fang Zhu is finding hard to uncover.
In the meantime, Hai Shi has fallen for Fang Zhu who secretly loves her back. But he rejects her to keep her protected which becomes a barrier to their relationship.
Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Ending (Spoilers Alert!)
Novoland: Pearl Eclipse has an ambiguous ending. It is open to interpretation of how you want to see the nature of the main couple’s relationship at the end of the drama. The happy thing is Fang Zhu didn’t die. You will have to wait a minute or two into the song at the end and he will appear. Fang Zhu is wearing his mask again which makes sense because his death has been announced earlier in Episode 46 as part of the plan to allow him to lead a carefree life with Hai Shi.
Unfortunately, that loving married life with Hai Shi didn’t last long when General Tang rebelled. Prince Suo Lan tricked General Tang that Ti Lan is suffering because of Emperor Xu’s mistreatment. As General Tang secretly loved Ti Lan, he agreed to kill Emperor Xu. But the rebellion failed with the arrival of Fang Zhu and Hai Shi who came with reinforcements.
However, it was still a little too late to save Emperor Xu and the pregnant Ti Lan who went into labor and delivered a prince during the chaos. Emperor Xu was already heavily injured fighting off Prince Suo Lan and his soldiers. After giving birth, Ti Lan rushed out and used her body to shield Emperor Xu from more stabbings. The couple died in each other’s arms.
Fang Zhu’s Fate
By the time Fang Zhu arrived to kill off Prince Suo Lan, Emperor Xu was breathing his last. He asked Fang Zhu to take care of the country and his son for him before he died. As Prince Wei Yun was born premature, he was weak with a heart defect. In order to save the newborn’s life, Fang Zhu has to become the heir’s Baixi which weakens his health.
As a result, Fang Zhu no longer could lead a carefree life that he wanted to with Hai Shi. But Hai Shi supported his decision and chose to be around to help the prince together. She became the Empress Dowager and ruled over Dazheng.
5 years later, Hai Shi is talking to Prince Wei Yun about his studies. The prince tells her about his tutor, the Grand Mentor, who has weak but improving health. This indicates that Fang Zhu is the Grand Mentor and his appearance at the end confirms that he is still alive. But the couple is not seen together and there is no indication of the nature of their relationship given their respective duty and position.
The Baixi Bond
Ever since the founding of Dazheng, the Fang’s has been the Baixi for the Chu’s as emperor. In exchange, the Fang family was rewarded with titles and a good reputation. Basically, the Baixi is a blood bond created through a ritual. All the physical pain and ill health of the emperor will then be automatically transferred to the Fang member with whom he shared the blood bond with.
When Prince Yi rebelled, the only male heir left who could succeed the throne was Emperor Xu. Many of the royal family members and officials were killed. Fang Zhu was the only survivor of the Fang family. Hence, they were forced to give up their carefree lives for the sake of the people and country. Both men were close friends who grew up together. When Emperor Xu was heavily injured during a battle, Fang Zhu decided to create the bond and became Emperor Xu’s Baixi. This was revealed by Emperor Xu to Hai Shi in Episode 36. Besides, Fang Zhu also felt partly responsible for Zi Zan’s death during the rebellion. Zi Zan was Emperor’s Xu beloved wife.
When Did Hai Shi And Fang Zhu Get Together?
Hai Shi first kissed Fang Zhu in Episode 9 when she was struck by a poisoned weapon and fell into the water. Fang Zhu dived in to save her. She kissed him because she thought that she would die then. Fang Zhu’s reasons for his reluctance to reciprocate Hai Shi’s feelings is revealed in Episode 12.
Hai Shi kissed Fang Zhu and told him that she wants to be with him in Episode 23. But he pushed her away. He also advised her to re-assume her female identity and get married to someone in Episode 29. She rejected his suggestion. You Du, who secretly liked Hai Shi, confronted Fang Zhu in Episode 30 to tell him to consider making her happy and leaving her with beautiful memories even if he didn’t have long to live.
Fang Zhu confessed his love for Hai Shi at the end of Episode 34 and they got married in Episode 35. Before they could consummate their marriage, Emperor Xu was poisoned. Because of the blood bond, Fang Zhu was the victim instead. With only a month to live, he wanted Emperor Xu to take Hai Shi as his consort to keep her safe in Episode 36. She was bitter and disappointed as a result as she was kept in the dark about Fang Zhu’s imminent death. She became Emperor Xu’s consort in Episode 37.
Hai Shi found out about the poisoning and Fang Zhu’s love for her in Episode 43. He asked for another chance in Episode 45. They enjoyed a private life together in Episode 46 after terminating the Baixi bond and was cured of his poisoning. But their carefree days were cut short when Fang Zhu was forced to be the Baixi for Emperor Xu’s newborn son in Episode 48.
Emperor Xu And Ti Lan
Emperor Xu had a love-hate relationship with Ti Lan initially. He hated her because she reminded him of Zi Zan who was the love of his life. But he also could see Ti Lan’s positive qualities and felt guilty for mistreating her at times. He raped her in Episode 20 when she disguised as Zi Zan to get aid for Zhunian which was suffering from famine. After that, she would be fed contraceptive medication each time they had intercourse. That was why General Tang hated Emperor Xu and was easily tricked by Prince Suo Lan to rebel.
Ti Lan suffered from uterine bleeding due to the contraceptives in Episode 24. This became a turning point in their relationship after Hai Shi advised him to see Ti Lan as his second chance at love. From then on, Emperor Xu and Ti Lan became a very loving couple. He finally let go of Zi Zan in Episode 30 and had plans to make Ti Lan his Empress. Ti Lan also fell pregnant in Episode 35. Unfortunately, they died together in Episode 48 due to Prince Suo Lan’s schemes to kill Emperor Xu and rule Dazheng as a proxy through Ti Lan’s child.
Zhuo Ying’s Identity
Zhuo Ying belongs to the Huku Tribe of Hanzhou and Duo Luo is his brother. His father was the king while his mother was a Dazheng princess who got drawn into the rebellion as Prince Yi was her brother. Zhuo Ying was a kid then and was saved by Fang Zhu during a battle. This was revealed in Episode 31. When his identity was at risk of being exposed, Fang Zhu advised Zhuo Ying to return to the Huku Tribe to fulfill his mission to lift Hanzhou out of war.
Knowing that Zhe Liu would be Zhuo Ying’s weak spot, Fang Zhu arranged with her to fake her death in Episode 32. It also created a good reason for Zhuo Ying to go berserk and attack Emperor Xu before “defecting” to the Huku Tribe. But Zhuo Ying thought Zhe Liu was dead and married Tara in Episode 40 in exchange for her father’s help to take in Duo Luo. However, Tara knew he didn’t love her and it was a marriage in name only.
Tara subsequently died to protect Zhuo Ying during an attack by Duo Luo. But Zhuo Ying managed to defeat Duo Luo eventually and unified Hanzhou into a peaceful country. He became the ruler and seek peace with Dazheng during Hai Shi’s rule as Empress Dowager in Episode 48. He also found Zhe Liu again to have a happy ending with her.
What Happened To Lord Chang?
Lord Chang was not Emperor Xu’s brother. He was an impostor. The real prince had died long ago in a drowning accident while in Zhunian. Another boy was taken in to replace him. The impostor was sold to the palace as his family was poor.
Prince Suo Lan reported this to Emperor Xu in Episode 45. By then, the impostor had been jailed for trying to rebel. The real mastermind behind the impostor was Prince Suo Lan and his father. When the imposter was caught, Prince Suo Lan wanted him dead so that he didn’t have the chance to spill the beans. Hence, when Emperor Xu was told of the impostor’s identity, he was made to drink poisoned wine.
Other Key Events
- General Tang killed himself after learning that he had been tricked into rebelling which caused Ti Lan’s death in Episode 48.
- Princess Lin Lang was caught for rebelling with General Su and killed herself in Episode 30. She was not the real princess but her cousin. Her purpose was to avenge her father’s death who was killed by Emperor Xu and Fang Zhu during the rebellion.
- General Su was killed by Fang Zhu in Episode 29 when his rebellion failed.
- Hai Shi’s mother died when she was abducted by Lord Chang’s men to force Hai Shi to hand over the mermaid to them in Episode 44. The mermaid was needed to placate the neighboring states’ envoys to avert a war with Dazheng.
- Bi Hong killed herself after trying to poison Emperor Xu in Episode 35.
- Qi Qi and the whole Fabric Office workers were poisoned to death in Episode 17. Only Zhe Liu survived but she became blind as a result. Qi Qi was colluding with General Su and the Huku Tribe out of jealousy over Hai Shi who has Fang Zhu’s affections. She was silenced when her betrayal was exposed.
- Qi Qi found out Hai Shi is a woman in Episode 9 when she saw Fang Zhu sucking poison from Hai Shi’s shoulder.
- General Fu told Lord Chang about Hai Shi’s gender in Episode 33. He found it out from a physician who was treating an injured Hai Shi.
- Hai Shi’s gender was publicly exposed by Fang Zhu in Episode 35 to pre-empt Lord Chang’s plan and set the stage for her to be Emperor Xu’s consort.
- Secretary Shi is revealed to be a mole in Episode 32. His ultimate master is Prince Suo Lan as he is from Zhunian. He was killed by Fang Zhu in Episode 48.
Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Review
It is clear that Novoland: Pearl Eclipse is a big budget production with elaborate costumes, great cinematography, and top stars as the leads. So, you can be assured that this would have a certain quality to make it watchable. Having said that, I think it still falls a little short compared to other top rated Chinese dramas in the past such as Nirvana In Fire and The Untamed. This is mainly because the story isn’t as riveting with the way it is told and edited.
As you watch, it is quite obvious that certain scenes have been cut that the story flow becomes disjointed. For instance, the leads are shown falling off a cliff in one episode but we are not told what happened thereafter. Then, they just reappeared a little while later with no explanation offered. Simply put, the editing is not perfectly done in this drama.
Apart from that, the story is not told in a straightforward manner. You are given bits of what happened in the past between the 2 male leads every now and then through flashbacks as well as dialogues. So, it takes time to piece everything together. Similarly, the protagonist’s plots are never fully revealed upfront. You will only be shown half of it initially with his actions becoming questionable, only for it to take a different turn later on. The way Fang Zhu handled Zhe Liu is one example of this slow reveal kind of storytelling with a twist.
Perhaps this is a way to get viewers hooked to the drama but it does become a little overdone to me after a few times. The plot also doesn’t have enough excitement to pull this off successfully especially when those twists to the story tend to fall flat.
Master-Disciple Romance Plot
Novoland: Pearl Eclipse is really about master and disciple romance amidst a plot to overthrow the Emperor and the effort to flush out the moles within the palace. This is a slow burn romance as feelings have to be hidden due to the male lead’s blood bond with the Emperor. But he loved her immensely and was always thinking of her safety with enemies lurking around. He would often hide things from her to the extent of hurting her feelings in the name of protecting her from danger.
Therefore, you will get plenty of those torment on the girl’s part because she is always kept in the dark and thought that her master didn’t really love her. I guess if you like this kind of painful love and feel that hiding things to keep the girl safe is romantic, then Novoland: Pearl Eclipse will succeed in evoking those deep emotions within you. But if you are the type who prefers upright honesty from the hero rather than pushing her away in the name of love, then this will be a let down.
As for the power struggle, it is a collection of subplots that are not effectively fleshed out. It is not convoluted like the Legend Of Fei but it lacks depth with a few villains rather than one big bad guy. Basically, these villains are there to drive the romance of the main couple forward as their schemes would put the heroine in danger.
Leads’ Chemistry
Personally, I don’t see sizzling chemistry between Yang Mi and Willian Chan. In fact, I think Yang Mi has much better chemistry with Mark Chao in Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms. Perhaps that is because Hai Shi and Fang Zhu’s romance is kind of forbidden and he is always hiding his feelings. Fang Zhu is also a very complex character with emotions being deeply buried in his heart. Hence, I feel that William Chan failed to flesh out the different layers of the character effectively. Most of the time, he just appears as icy and stiff but I think there is more to Fang Zhu than that as he is a tormented man who also has desire, guilt, and frustrations in him.
I think Xu Kai Cheng did a better job with his character and I much prefer his acting here than the one in A Female Student Arrives At The Imperial College. At the very least, he could portray the dark and lonely side of Emperor Xu rather convincingly. In fact, I get the feeling that William Chan seems to have better chemistry with him than with Yang Mi in the drama.
As for Yang Mi, she still could play a girlish character well despite her age. I guess this is nothing new to her as she was also playing a cross-dresser with a mischievous personality in the first part of Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms. Being a seasoned actress, she could switch effortlessly from being girlish to being regal and back again as the story requires. It is just a pity that her chemistry with William Chan feels a little muted. Otherwise, this would be a much more memorable drama.
The Imperfect Ending (Spoilers Alert!)
For me, the ending is merely okay. It is realistic because it is Fang Zhu’s fate to be tied to the emperor of the day as the Fang clan has been for centuries. But at the same time, it lacks that finality that viewers crave for regarding Fang Zhu and Hai Shi’s relationship. While I’m not hard up for a happily ever after, I would have preferred for the screenwriters to give us some indication as to the nature of their relationship at the end.
As it is, it is really up to you how you want to see the couple and imagine their future. Personally, the ending has a bittersweet tinge to it with both of them still alive but sacrificing their carefree lives together for the sake of their friends’ young son.
My Verdict – Good To Watch!
While Novoland: Pearl Eclipse has its flaws, it is still a highly watchable drama. It could have been more highly rated if the editing is better and scenes are not cut out unnecessarily so much so that the third couple becomes an afterthought towards the end. But I guess the positive consequence from it is that the drama becomes less dragged out. The story flows pretty fast at times which minimizes boredom.
This is also not a fluffy kind of romance drama but neither is it as tormenting as One And Only. But it is certainly far from sweet like your typical rom-coms. The main couple has lots of interactions but few loving scenes in the entire 48 episodes. Maybe that could make some viewers feel the love more deeply as every one of these rare moments naturally becomes precious. There are a few kissing scenes but nothing too steamy either. It is not that kind of romance drama that relies on passion to drive the story but rather unexpressed love and devotion.
For this Novoland: Pearl Eclipse review, the score I would give is 7.5/10. It lacks that riveting feel to me unlike The Long Ballad because the story relies too much on pushing-the-girl-away-to-protect-her trope to drive it. Nevertheless, this is not a bad production overall. Despite the weaknesses, you will still be drawn to the story because you will want to know what will happen to the 3 couples and the moles’ identity. It is not a gripping saga but has enough anticipation and twists to make you sit through to the end.
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