A worthwhile series to watch in 2023

This series was just so fantastic, I couldn't do the usual (and lazy thing) and not leave a review. It had such a humorous first ten episodes, and middle 20 episodes developed into something more romantic and politically serious. The last ten episodes were slightly less tense, with things definitely easing up five episodes to the end. It was slow-paced at times, but I never felt like any of the episodes were filler. Every single one had something to contribute to the overall story arc.

New Life Begins was so much more than just a slow burn romance. It had everything from complicated imperial family dynamics, reconciliation between estranged family members, relationship development between brothers who really didn't know each other, the slow development of women's rights, women supporting women, and men stepping up and changing their minds about women.

I really enjoyed the serious political situations and the feminism. Admittedly, the feminism was quite heavy-handed but as a woman of the post-feminist world, I can't say that it bothered me. The political machinations of the court weren't over the top, like some that is found in other dramas. There were no attempted poisonings, coups, or other crazy historical-ish shenanigans often portrayed in Chinese costume dramas. However, the way the brothers vied for the Crown Prince position was interesting without being too brutal. Compared to many other palace dramas, I would've said that their competition was more elegant and a whole lot less ridiculous.

If you were fooled by the very lighthearted beginning of this series and thought that this would be a fun and easy series, think again. There were things that happened in this series that made me so angry and I thought that I could never forgive that character or find it my heart to like him/her again. But by the end of the series, the writers and directors managed to change my mind more than once. They redeemed characters in a natural and very believable way, which had me in my desk chair applauding. Really, the storytelling was masterful, and I predict that this will be my favourite Chinese costume drama of 2023. The bar might be too high for anything else to surpass it.

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