New Life Begins Full Review: A Comedic Case Study of Feudal Society
Updated: Sep 20
A surprisingly chill case study on gender equality packaged in a light hearted romantic comedy in which a foodie forced into marriage must square up against the patriarchy with the help of her girl squad, her farming know how, and her sickly husband. It's like the Barbie (2023) movie, but set in a Feudal Society.
Title: | New Life Begins (2022) |
Platform: | Viki, Prime, Youtube (Free) |
Episode Count: | 40 |
Genre: | Period Idol Romance/ Comedy |
MDL Rating: | |
Douban Rating (out of 10) | 7.2 |
Parental Guidance Rating: | PG-13 Minor violence and blood, domestic violence |
Starring:  | Bai Jing Ting as Ying Zheng/6th Prince (ML) (Reset) Tian Xi Wei as Li Wei (FL) (Pursuit of Jade) Chen Xiao Yun as Hao Jia (Brocade Odyssey) Liu Guan Lin as Yin An/3rd Prince (My Heroic Husband) Liu Ling Zi as Yuan Ying (Blossoms of Power) Edward Zhang as Ying Song/2nd Prince (Rise of the Phoenixes) Chang Long as Yin Qi/5th Prince (Yummy Yummy Yummy) Fan Shuai Qi as Shangguan Jing (Blossoms of Power)) Liu Mei Han as Song Wu (Dancing With the Tide) Liu Meng Meng as Dong Hai Tang (Generation to Generation) Ji Xiao Fei as Yin Jun/4th Prince (The Frist Jasmine) |
Cast From Left To Right: #TianXiWei, #ChenXiaoyun, #FanShuaiQi, #LiuMeiHan, #LiuLingZi
Cast From Left to Right: #BaiJingTing, #ChangLong, #LiuGuanLin, #EdwardZhang, #JiXiaoFei
Synopsis: Li Wei, a country bumpkin foodie from an egalitarian kingdom, is summoned to the capital for marriage selection, where girls from each of the nine kingdoms are chosen to marry the Emperor's sons to cement political ties. To her surprise (and dismay), she is chosen to marry the sickly 6th Prince, Yin Zheng. But all is not lost, as she overhears the blessed news that this willowy man is on death's door, reigniting Li Wei's hopes of returning home. However, Li Wei soon finds herself conflicted in what she truly wants as her friendships with her fellow consorts blossom and she gains confidence in the royal household and in business, but even more so as she begins to explore budding feeling for her picky husband.
Non Spoiler Thoughts:
New Life Begins is the satirical, slice of feudal kingdom life that I didn’t know I needed.
It is truly the chillest story to such an extent, that I was falsely accusing everyone of future crimes like Oprah giving out a car, in anticipation of shenanigans that never came to be.This drama is a leisurely boat that floats down the river of Li Wei’s life as she is forced to marry the Prince of the ruling kingdom, inevitably falling in love while finding friendship and purpose along the way. There are ripples in our girl's pond on occasion, but I kept waiting for a big splash that never came, and I’m the happier for it. Not every drama needs to soak the viewer in angst and devious big brain politics, and in New Life Begins we are just there to admire the view and reflect on the gender roles and hypocrisies found in a society that treats women as lesser, and uses marriage as a tool.
Before your Sophia Amoruso alarm bells go off, do not fret. This is not a girl boss or man hating show that raises up women at the expense of the men, but rather an introspective and somewhat silly case study that uses humor and wholesome relationships to emphasize that the patriarchal structure is the true villain. It’s shown early on that Li Wei’s new husband, Ying Zheng, is actually a great guy, but even as a remarkable person he was forced to make concessions throughout the series that hurt both him and Li Wei. He’s clever, capable, and had in some ways benefited from the system, but even then, he still suffered losses that outweighed the gains.
New life Begins has a sweet romance, but that’s not the central plot of the show. The drama boasts an ensemble cast of ladies who are forced to marry princes during the marriage selection and the drama spends time on all of their relationships. But the heart of the series (at least for me) was the bond of love between the gals. They were all so supportive of each other, and it felt incredibly refreshing to see their interactions, and heart wrenching to watch their struggles.
The story is not your usual fast paced, plot driven idol fare. It has a message to send and it takes its sweet time doing it. And the time really felt sweet. As I watched, I couldn’t help but think of the famous Goodreads review of Pride and Prejudice (shown below). I fear some viewers may be at risk to have these sentiments. It's definitely not for everyone.
The drama is by no means perfect with its Anthropology dressing room lighting (if you know, you know) that made all the sets appear very plastic, the optical illusion outfits, the whisper speak of the ML, the lack of romance in the second half, and the Dan Princess’s violent tendencies, but the story quality absolutely trumps the flaws. New Life Begins is a universal tale that sadly has relevance to our modern day. The clothing is a mashup of different dynasties, with each persons style of dress differing in era in representation of the timelessness of the story. It’s not confined to a specific period and its themes of gender equality and autonomy truly transcend. And though heavier themes are woven in, the drama never felt weighed down by grand aspirations. It remained lighthearted and comedic throughout.
____________Beware Mateys: There be Spoilers ahead!_______________
Once Upon a Time in a Fuedal kingdom Not So Far Away...
"Patriarchal feudalism could be described as a set of implicit exchanges in which the subordinated parties (whether serfs, women, or children) received protection and security in return for working long hours in the service of their superiors—relations between lords and serfs have been described in these amicable terms. But these exchanges were enforced by threat of violence as well as weight of political and military power. A variety of collective interests were at work: lords benefited from the extraction of labor dues from serfs; men benefited from a division of labor that assigned women the least remunerative forms of work; and parents benefited from their children’s labor and support. None of these relationships left much scope for individual choice." @Source Here, OUP BLOG.
New Life Begins is set in a fictional realm made up of nine independent kingdoms with Ying Zheng’s (ML) kingdom, Xinchuan, being the current ruling power. This kingdom is patriarchal and places women in homebound roles, and it's central for setting the tone of the drama. Though other kingdoms like Dan and Ji are more supportive of women, the fact that the ruling kingdom doesn't roll like that gives us the understanding that its Male-Centric outlook is the default, and brings to mind the famous MLK quote: “Injustice anywhere, is injustice everywhere”. Even though those two nations believe a woman’s role should be hers to choose, they still have to bow down to Xinchuan and offer up a potential bride. Their views are not what makes the rules in the empire.
Throughout the drama, the narrative cleverly portrays the Feudal Patriarchal System in a way that showcases how it indiscriminately hurts literally everyone: From the Emperor, to his sons, to his wives, to their wives, and their children. I loved how it depicted that while the system can produce many types of men and personal accountability does play a role in actions, all are ultimately stung by it. When it rains, everyone gets wet: The remarkable ML, the silly Yin Qi (5th Prince), the lustful Yin An (3rd Prince), and the abusive nut job Yin Song (2nd Prince). None of these characters are without nuance and complexity, nor faults. I thought I was going to hate the 3rd prince for the way he treated the solar ladies, but I’m glad the drama gave him a chance to be redeemed when he came into contact with new ideas and information. None of these people wanted to be bad or had the intention to treat women badly (excepting the 2nd prince for the latter), and even in their misogyny they were just ordinary (again, minus 2nd) in a time when equality was extraordinary. The system created the villains and even the villains suffered. It hurt women the worst, but truly benefited no one. It was so fun to watch the ladies dismantle the statsus quo from within, and I’m glad it wasn’t done with an your face "I HAVE A MESSAGE", but as a quiet, obvious next step in the narrative.
Sister, Sister: Girl Bossing Done Right
The absolute charm of this drama is found in the sisterhood of the ladies chosen in the marriage selection. I kept waiting for one of these girlie pops to stab someone in the back (with a hair pin) or get down to some sneaky scheming, but the drama treated all its female characters with dignity and respect. Some disagreements are inevitable, and they certainly weren’t perfect, but the women had mutual empathy for each other and let that lead all their actions. Their camaraderie was heartwarming and wins the award for the best love story of the drama!
Lie Wei: Let Them Eat Cake!
Li Wei’s character was hilarious. She was at times too petulant and naive, and she took way too long to come around to Yin Zheng, but I really liked her character. (The actress did a fantastic job!) I also understood where her reluctance to accept Yin Zheng came from-- deciding to stay in the palace with him would mean giving up the life she always thought she’d have to enter one where she would need to be constantly cautious and restricted, with limited access to her family. Even though she won the lottery of the marriage selection with a compatible boo, it could turn on her just as easily, and it’s the fact that she really didn’t have a choice in the matter of her marriage. It made sense that she couldn’t embrace him until she had gained confidence and footing in the household, and felt like she had the room to really make a choice, fully understanding the life she would be agreeing to. There is a good message embedded in there: It's good to embrace love, but make sure to protect yourself.
Li Wei stood out in her compassion for others and grew so much throughout the series. I legit squeaked out a few tears when she met the Ji candidate at the end. Although Li Wei took longer to learn and still retained her rustic charms shall we say, she felt like the right choice to be the Empress. While Yuan Ying was more sophisticated and an excellent choice on paper, Li Wei is the one with the heart of an empress who can both balance out and emotionally aid the pragmatic Yin Zheng. They had a true marriage of equality, complementing each other by making up for one other’s short comings. Her creativity, openness, and life experience brought another perspective to Yin Zheng, and while he still might have become the Crown Prince without her, he wouldn’t have had his whole family beside him.
Hao Jia: A Girls Girl in Scheming Concubines Clothing
Girl, I was accusing you and rooting for you the whole time. I was just waiting for some Real Housewives plotting to go down as a concubine is wont to do, but I unjustly suspected her. What a wonderful and nuanced character. Hao Jia, unlike Li Wei and Shanggguan Jing, is no stranger to the patriarchy's aftermath, and early on in the story, tries to reclaim some of her agency by making a proactive choice and gunning for Satan.. sorry, the 2nd Prince. She is distinct from the other ladies in that she was born of a concubine and had no one to rely on, understanding first hand how harsh the world could be. It’s easy to judge her in the beginning, but her gentle mannerisms and love for Li Wei brought me around. But I was still on sharp alert for some Empresses in the Palace scheming. My Hǎo dà de dǎn zi Spidey senses were tingling for naught. Sorry, queen.
Hao Jia's story is the most important (in my opinion) character of the drama as she tackles the philosophy, “If you can’t beat them, join them”, only to prove that even the winners lose in this system. No exceptions. Her character is an exploration of the argument that some woman can succeed this rat race. But here's the thing: If it’s not set up for the men to live a happy life in a pro-male schema, women have even less of a chance. Her “choice” was an illusion, as ultimately she had no say in who would pick her as a consort, nor did she have ability to leave, and it was heartbreaking to see her will and hope slowly fade away. Watching her friends rally around her was so heartwarming-- they never abandoned her because to abandon her would be to abandon themselves. And shout out to Zhao Fang Ru. I am also guilty of unjustly indicting her of being a plotter. But she was a real one. Both of these women would have been villains in any other drama, which is why New Life Begins is so special. It has brief antagonists for intrigue, but never lets that take the focus off the real big bad: The patriarchy.
Shangguan (Shenanigan) Jing: Girl, You Need to Calm Down
Shangguan was my least favorite “wife” in the series as she is the less extreme flip side of the 2nd Prince. But her role was necessary. Her Rhonda Rohsey behavior was hypocritical and annoying, and that was the point. It emphasized the concept that equality is feminism, and that if you are raised in a system that operates like patriarchy, raising one group above another, one would naturally lean into it, and many of the same issues from patriarchy would roll over, even in a matriarchy. She did soften throughout the drama, though it took WAY too long. And it took her FOREVER to accept the 5th Prince.
Solar Term Ladies
Loved these Queens. They were a good representation of the of how patriarchal society claims to save women, when if anything, they need to be saved from it. It creates victims and then tries to come in on a white horse to reframe the narritive. But these besties didn't need no man. The damsel in distress was only a fiction imagined by the 3rd Princes beliefs about the world and women. I think he was so resistant to letting them go because to do so would mean that women could hold their own, which challenged his framing of the order of the world and his place in it.
Song Wu
Yeah, that 31 year old woman is not a young teenager. We have eyes that can see. But what a U-turn of a character. She drove me nuts in the beginning, but I missed her when she got married.
Bros before Sexist Undertones
The relationship of the brothers had such great development. The drama begins with Yin Zheng being pitied and met with condescension by his siblings, which is a great starting metaphor, as he was the least sexist, and off the bat didn't conform to their standards of how a man should be, as he was weak and sickly. But by the end, he was not only the number one guy in the group (RIP and good riddance Vanderpumps Rules) after successfully making changes, but he pulled his brothers up with him.
Though the Princes should have benefited from the marriage selection system and the feudal patriarchal kingdom design the most, they were still the victims of it. The Emperor, a product of this framework, set them up for failure as siblings as the dogma of individual domination doesn’t allow for much love and kinship between parents, spouses, and children. He had his heirs compete against each other to make the 2nd Prince into the “best” man he could be according to the criteria of their beliefs, but it resulted in making him the worst. In a system that encourages men to trample on their wives, it’s no surprise squashing down a few children would be on the table. Once you label someone as "less than", everyone is in danger. The Emperors wives also suffered and were treated like vessels to produce children who became products within the machine. That merchants are looked down on in this society is a great irony, as the Emperor was the biggest merchant of all.
The consorts, children, and even the Emperor all suffered under the patriarchal standard that overlooked the individual, and only cared about the traits. It doesn’t allow for feelings to outweigh appearance or duty. Everything is about the collective, but the collective is the ideological structure, not the people themselves. Even in the best possible conditions with the most wealth and status in the land, the framework still fails. Each person in the drama must constantly work to gain control over the system; be it by abusing it, destroying it, running away from it, or trying to make it work for them. Li Wei and Co. were the fresh water exposure to the stagnant cess pool of outdated traditions needed, and once the bros had a taste, for most of them, it wasn’t a hard sell. Because treating people like people makes for a better business model and empire.. and makes for even better people.
A New Life Begins And Our Story Ends
I was confused as to why the drama didn't end on episode 39 as the story had essentially wrapped up, but in the final minutes of episode 40, I understood. . The drama leaves us where we began, but all the characters are in a much better place, and they've even made the world an even better place for those who will come after them. The pregnant Li Wei is given the chance reflect on how she has changed the fate of her child, and of future children across all kingdoms. A new life is truly about to begin. The marriage selection is gone, and the official selection is on. When the girls see themselves in the newbies, I choked up. It really was the perfect ending.
New Life Begins as a whole wasn't perfect. I didn't love the shift to throne hijinks and business as it overtook the romance, and speaking of which, I wanted more romance even in the first half... from everyone. Li Wei and Yin Zheng lost their spark the moment they both confessed. The drama was also shamelessly on the nose about its themes (lol), but still managed to be gentle about it. It didn't slap me in the face like In the Name of Blossom and I appreciate that. If you are in the mood for a Jane Austen-esque journey of dismantling feudal toxic masculinity and "going to each other's house's", New Life Begins is equal to the task.
RBTS Overall Rating: 8.4/10 Stars- I Recommend! | ||
Story: | 10 | This is a slice of life format, but it didn't feel slow to me. It's more a journey about changing people's perceptions, than getting to plot point destinations. Loved the comedy, but the romance could have been amped up. |
Acting: | 8.5 | No Complaints but why were the men whispering? |
Production Quality: | 4.5 | The lighting made everything look cheap. Some of the men's outfits gave me a headache |
Ending: | 9.5 | The drama really ended on episode 39, but I did tear up on the actual last episode. Again, my predictions were wrong lol |
Enjoyability: | 9.5 | Not really a binge watch, but one to dip your toe in when the feeling hits. It left quite an impression and made me cry mutliple times. |
Trailer:
Director: #ZhaoQiChen (My Heroic Husband, Go East, The Company)
Screenwriter: #DingLu (My Heroic Husband, Love in the Clouds, Yummy Yummy Yummy), #JiSangRou
*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.
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