Butterflied Lover (Mini Drama): Spoiler-Free Mini Review
Updated: Sep 19
Title: | Butterflied Lover (2023) 风月变 |
Platform: | Viki, Youtube (free) |
MDL & Douban Rating: | 8.1 & 7.0 |
Genre: | Period Idol Romance/ Mystery/Fantasy |
Episode Count: | 22 (each episode is around 16 minutes) |
Parental Guidance Rating: | PG-13: Violence, Blood, A Fade to Black Scene. There are some exposed shoulders-- look out! |
Starring: | Lv Xia Yu (Shadow Love) Zhao Yi Qin (Glory) Deng Kai (Pursuit of Jade) Wu Ri Li Ge (Ancient Love Poetry) |
RBTS Rating: | 7.4/10 Stars: A top notch mini with immaculate vibes, a cohesive story, and adorable couples.  |
Cast From Left to Right: #LvXiaoYu, #ZhaoYiQin, #DengKai, #WuRiLiGe
Synopsis:
Inspired by the romance of Liang Shang Bo and Zhu Ying Tai, the story revolves around two lovers who will overcome all obstacles to remain together. Ling Chang Feng is an honourable general and has been in a passionate marriage with his wife for the past 3 years. However, a strange disturbance hits their city on their third anniversary, and "madmen" run wild in the town, attacking innocent citizens violently. Ling Chang Feng leaves his wife behind to protect the people, but when he returns, finds that his wife has been infected by this phenomenon. He refuses to reveal this, as he knows that anyone who turns mad will be killed. He keeps her by his side in secret while trying to solve the cause of this frightful phenomenon. @MDL
Spoiler-Free Mini Review:
Butterflied Lover is a gorgeous "mini drama" that far and away exceeds the usual standards of the format. The drama is one of Zeng Qing Jie's (The Director) early works, and you can see the groundwork being laid for his future full length dramas: Blossom and Pursuit of Jade. The man is meticulous when it comes to cinematography and this is no exception. The astethic was eye candy and added an extra layer of visual narrative to the show.
Another fun layer to Zeng Qing Jie's mini dramas that they all are set in a shared universe, so keep your eyes peeled for references and cameos from The Killer is Also a Romantic and A Familiar Stranger.
Butterflied Lover is not without its faults: It doesn't have a high budget, the crew only had a few weeks to film, the transitions are off (not as bad as the usual mini though), and there are many plot holes where the audience has to use imagination to fill in the blanks. The acting also isn't great as the actors were in a rush on top of being relatively new to the industry at the time. Also, the 2ML was not the nicest guy. ZQJ really does love making Deng Kai a bright red flag. He also really loves his hot tubs.
Butterflied Lover is loosely inspired by the famous Tang Dynasty myth called "The Butterfly Lovers", which is also known as the Chinese Romeo and Juliet. Written in the Tang Dynasty, the myth follows Zhu Yingtai who disguises herself as a man to attend school where she meets Liang Shanbo, who doesn't see past her disguise. The two become friends, but before long Yingtai is called back home for an arranged marriage. Shanbo realizes his friend's true identity after she leaves, but is unable to marry her as she is already betrothed, causing him to sicken and he eventually passes away. On the way to her wedding, Yingtai passes his grave and sees his name on the tombstone. As she weeps at the tomb, the ground cracks open and she yeets herself in to be buried with him. Two butterflies then rise up from the tomb and Yingtai is honored as being a righteous woman. Of course, there are different versions and films about the myth, but the core take away for the purposes of this drama is butterflies and that it's hard to be in love lol.
If you want a shorter drama with stunning visuals and a mysterious romance, Butterflied Lover fits the bill.
Story=3.5, Acting=3.5, Production Quality=4 (camera work was great), Rewatch Value=4, Ending=3.5, Enjoyability= 3.75
Trailer:
(not alot of dialogue, but it's so pretty!)
(has dialouge)
Director: #ZengQingJie (Blossom, Pursuit of Jade, A Familiar Stranger)
Screenwriter: #ZhaoLin (Hard to Find, Seeds of Scarlet Longing, A Familiar Stranger)
*Disclaimer: I do not own any of the images used on this blog. All images belong to their respective copyright holders and are used for commentary and review purposes. All reviews, opinions, and statements expressed on this blog are my own and are intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. They reflect my personal thoughts and interpretations and should not be considered as factual or professional advice.
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