- Drama Title: Melody of Golden Age
- Also Known As: 长乐曲, Chang An Tong Que Ming, Chang Le Qu
- Director: Wang Wei
- Genres: Romance, Mystery, Historical
- Cast: Ding Yu Xi, Deng En Xi, Mao Zi Jun, Xiao Yan, Song Fang Yuan
- Number of Episodes: 40
- Date of Release: August 26, 2024
- Original Network: Hunan TV, Mango TV
- Where to Watch: MGTV, Viki
- Adapted from the web novel: “Chang An Tong Que Ming” by Feng Huang Xi
Hola dear readers! I finished Melody of Golden Age a few days ago. Luckily, there have been so many good dramas these days that could help me move on from this one. Otherwise, this review wouldn’t be finished today 😆.
In this review of Melody of Golden Age drama, I would like to sing my praises as well as my rants. So, without further ado… Let’s get started. Happy reading!
Melody of Golden Age Drama Synopsis
In the Great Cang Kingdom, the emperor and the crown prince have died of illness. The imperial grandson, Xiao Qi, was still a baby when he ascended the throne. Grand Empress Dowager Zhou took over as regent. She had two loyal right-hand men, Shen Du and Lai Luo Zhi. Both are known as the White Death and the Black Rakshasa. The common people feared them and the court officials were wary of them.
Yan Xing worked in the Ministry of Justice as a small clerk. Her small and lowly position didn’t stop her from being proud of herself. Yan Xing loved her job, and she showed it with her unwavering loyalty and spirit.
Shen Du and Yan Xing crossed paths when the Grand Empress Dowager offered Shen Du and Yan Cai Wei a marriage. Unfortunately, Yan Cai Wei refused the marriage and fled. Yan Xing couldn’t bear to see her family fall into misfortune, so she offered herself as a substitute bride. She bravely entered the Shen Mansion where no one, including Shen Du, welcomed her.
When mysterious cases begin to occur in the capital, Shen Du and Yan Xing must join forces to solve them. From enemies to colleagues and then to lovers. The relationship between Shen Du and Yan Xing gradually deepened. Together they unravel the mystery behind a mysterious sect and the death of the Shen family
Melody of Golden Age Drama Review
Everyone should love themselves before they love others.
(Yan Xing, 7th episode)
For the nth time, I would like to praise Viki for the subtitles. I used to watch this drama on the MangoTV drama channel on YouTube, but then I learned that Viki was also broadcasting this drama.
So I went there and, oh boy, I was really happy with the subtitles. Not only did they translate every word spoken and written, but they also gave me some information. For example, Shen Du’s nickname is White Ghost (Viki) or White Impermanence (MangoTV).
I was a little confused about the meaning of impermanence. I looked it up in the Cambridge Dictionary and Merriam-Webster, but I still didn’t understand the meaning. It was only after I switched to Viki that I understood what White Impermanence meant. 😅
Viki used the term White Ghost, which is easy to understand. But also provides an explanation for the term White Impermanence. As I quoted from Viki, in Chinese folklore, White Impermanence is a character who guides the soul of the virtuous to hell.
Meanwhile, Lai Luo Zhi’s nickname is Black Fiend (Viki) or Black Rakshasa (MangoTV). Black Rakshasa is a Buddhist character that represents the embodiment of evil. Of course, I am also quoting it from Viki. 😁
Remarkable Storyline
Story-wise, Melody of Golden Age was really enchanting at the beginning. It reminded me of Ren Jia Lun and Tang Song Yun’s 2019 drama Under the Power (you can read this drama review at Under the Power drama review post). I was surprised to see a familiar face. Yao Yi Chen, who played Marshal Xu Xiang Ren, also appeared as Xie Xiao in Under the Power. And like Under the Power drama, Melody of Golden Age was a mix of crime-mystery-romance genre.
A good mystery in the beginning and an interesting slow-burning romance. However, after Shen Du and Yan Xing really became a couple and the case of Chen Huo’e began, I lost my interest and almost stopped watching the drama after the 28th episode. It started to feel draggy, especially on the mystery part.
Shen Du and Yan Xing were never meant to be together. However, she chose to be a substitute bride for the sake of the Yan family. The marriage between Shen Du and the daughter of the Yan family was proposed by Prime Minister Zhang, who was wary of Shen Du.
Prime Minister Zhang chose the Yan family because Academician Yan (Yan Xing and Yan Cai Wei’s father) is a weak official who could be easily threatened by him. Shen Du knew this and regarded Yan Xing as a spy from the first day of their marriage.
After a long time, this was the first time I saw Ding Yu Xi really dashing in a drama. I’m not sure if it was just the effect of the hairstyle or the clothes. Ding Yu Xi’s hairstyle is almost the same as his character in Love You Seven Times, Chu Kong. But I could feel the different aura emanating from him. He has aced the lovelorn villainous personality of Shen Du.
Lovelorn? Yes, indeed. I think Shen Du has fallen in love with Yan Xing since the first episode. He saved her twice before they got married. And when she appeared at the window of the bride’s carriage, he was surprised but not disgusted. There was also the time when he stared at her in silence.
For example, when Shen Du saw Yan Xing reading an essay to an elderly lady, or when he saw her reading at home. Shen Du also became soft with her. The time when he was cruel to Yan Xing has decreased significantly. And should I mention when Shen Du was super jealous of Xu Xiang Ren and Pan Chi?
In my opinion, this slow-burning romance is the most interesting part of the drama. 😍
Meanwhile, Yan Xing had a fondness and admiration for Shen Du since she was a little girl. Whenever Yan Xing saw Shen Du, her eyes would light up. Until the day she was involved in Lai Luo Zhi’s attempted murder case, and her life was on the brink thanks to Shen Du. Things got even worse after she married him.
But Yan Xing seemed to be able to see the good side of Shen Du. That was why she was very tolerant of him. However, there was a time when I felt that Yan Xing started to lose interest in Shen Du. She began to see him as a colleague and roommate. And that was the time when Shen Du’s feelings for her deepened. A classic “bad timing to fall in love” trope.
A Good Chemistry
The chemistry between Ding Yu Xi and Deng En Xi was so good that you would forget that there was a 10-year gap in their real age. They acted very naturally and you could feel the emotions whenever Shen Du and Yan Xing were together.
Besides Shen Du and Yan Xing, there were other couples in this drama. The first was Xu Xiang Ren and Yun Que. And the second was Lu Chui Chui and her admirers. Xu Xiang Ren is one of my favorite characters. He is kind, handsome, smart and calm. On the other hand, Lu Chui Chui’s relationship is the reason why I called her character childish and naive.
Actually, I want to call her stupid, but her character is too sweet for that… 😆.
Lu Chui Chui had a relationship with a guy she met at the cemetery. This part is another of Cdramaland’s perplexing ideas. Can you imagine meeting a mysterious person wearing a mask in a dark graveyard at night? And instead of running away, you decide to make friends with him. When I saw this scene, my jaw dropped. I could hardly understand what was going on in Lu Chui Chui’s mind. Baby girl, did you leave your brain at home?
Her idea of making friends is so scary if it happened today. 😅
Melody of Golden Age was adapted from a novel titled Chang An Tong Que Ming by author Feng Huang Xi. I was really curious to know whether the novel was written more about Jiang Chen Yu or Yun Que. After the Jiang family case ended, Jiang Chen Yu disappeared from the screen. Although he had an important role as Shen Du’s good friend.
Meanwhile, Yun Que suddenly appeared, and I thought she was the bad girl. However, her role in the case was a bit vague and it feels like she was just a filler to the actual plot. It didn’t do her justice as her character ended tragically.
The villain of the drama is Lai Luo Zhi. From the very beginning, he exuded a villainous aura. Combined with the rivalry atmosphere between him and Shen Du, I was sooo sure that he was the biggest villain in this drama. But sometime in the middle, I wished that he would turn into a good person, but my wish was in vain. Once an ambitious villain is always a villain.
A Feast for the Eyes
It was interesting to see Shen Du at home. He, the one many feared, turned out to be someone obsessed with cleanliness. He didn’t like to be touched. He didn’t like people sleeping on his bed. He wanted everything in his house to be in order and arranged according to his aesthetic.
And that led to my favourite part of the drama. The sets. Everything was arranged in a detailed and breathtaking way. Especially Shen Du’s house. There weren’t many areas shown in the Shen mansion. Most of the activity took place in the bedroom and the dining room. Sometimes Yan Xing went into the kitchen, and we could always see the alley.
Shen Du didn’t like the dark. So his stewardess always made sure the house and office were well lit. There were lanterns and candles everywhere. Literally everywhere. I count that in his bedroom there are at least 16 huge lanterns. 16!! And don’t forget the dining room. There were at least 16 small lanterns and 10 huge lanterns. The whole house seemed like a lighting store. 😂😂
And don’t forget the men carrying huge lanterns on their backs. Can you imagine walking around with those things hanging over your head? I send my love to them through this post. Thank you for being part of the artistic set. 😍
I found some interesting things in the second episode. When Ding Yu Xi intercepted Deng An Xi’s carriage and opened the curtain with his swords, his hand was a bit shaky. On the face of it, it matches Shen Du’s surprise that the bride was Yan Xing. However, from this scene, I learned that this drama’s budget was quite expensive, as they used high-quality props. The sword must be heavy for Ding Yu Xi. 😆
The cinematography of this drama is worthy of praise. The lighting was very good. Bright, but not too much like in the drama Are You the One. There were a lot of close up shots in this drama, which I enjoyed very much because I could see Ding Yu Xi’s expressive eyes very clearly.
Unfortunately, in addition to seeing beautiful details in their clothes, I could see the thick make-up on the actors’ faces as well. But I think this arrangement is better than using too many filters on the face, which sometimes make the actors’ faces look two-dimensional.
From the beginning, I predicted that the ending would be a happy one. It was proved to be so. But unlike the story, which flowed at a slow pace, the ending was short and abrupt. The last three episodes were intense and suddenly everything ended. I was a bit disappointed with the ending of Shen Du and Yan Xing’s relationship, but I’ll tell you about it later in the Ending Explained post. If I said it now, it would spoil everything. 😁
Melody of Golden Age Drama Characters
Shen Du
Shen Du (played by Ding Yu Xi), or White Ghost, is the Grand Chief of the Imperial Guard. He reports directly to the Grand Empress Dowager. He is the one who did all the dirty work for the Grand Empress Dowager and proved himself to be loyal to her despite being from a criminal family.
The Shen family suffered a tragedy when Shen Du was a teenager. To avert the disaster, Shen Du’s mother forced him to report his father’s misdeeds to the emperor. The Shen family was beheaded, but Shen Du was saved. However, Shen Du realised that his father was not a sinner. He entered officialdom with one goal in mind: to clear his father’s name and avenge his family’s death.
Shen Du is clever but ruthless. He was a shrewd man and had his own calculations about everything. No one could guess his deep and unfathomable mind. However, Shen Du was not a cruel boss. His subordinates were loyal to him. And Jing Lin, his closest aide, was afraid when Shen Du said he would send him to serve Lai Luo Zhi. 😅
Yan Xing was not the only one who had been arranged to be Shen Du’s bride. There had been several. But Shen Du and Jing Lin managed to chase the women away before the wedding began. Yan Xing was the only one who managed to get into Shen Du’s mansion and eventually into his heart.
Yan Xing
Yang Xing (played by Deng En Xi) or Yan Liu Niang (meaning the sixth lady of the Yan family) is quick-witted, kind-hearted and righteous. Her bravery was followed by stubbornness and sometimes impatience. Yan Xing was born to a concubine mother, unlike her older sister Yan Cai Wei, who was born to Academician Yan’s legitimate wife. Yan Xing’s relationship with Yan Cai Wei was good. So she was willing to be Yan Cai Wei’s substitute.
As a clerk, Yan Xing’s salary is meagre and she has no official rank, but she’s passionate about her work. Yan Xin has a sense of justice and good investigative skills. And thanks to her good master, Yan Xing also excels at her job as a coroner. Although she was good at examining the corpse, she was bad at caring for a patient. Her ability to bandage wounds was very poor. 😂
Lai Luo Zhi
Vice-Minister Lai Luo Zhi (played by Mao Zi Jun) set up the Imperial Inspectorate to torture prisoners. Although his speciality was torturing others, you wouldn’t know it from his appearance. Lai Luo Zhi is clever, cunning, ruthless and cold. People called him the Black Devil, but he always appeared in a white robe. Lai Luo Zhi dressed like a noble young master and often appeared with a slight smile at the corner of his lips.
Lai Luo Zhi and Shen Du were like two opposing sides. Both of them were smart and aggressive when they faced each other. However, Lai Luo Zhi seemed to have a deeper grudge against Shen Du. Just like Shen Du, Lai Luo Zhi also had a painful childhood that made him who he is today.
Lu Chui Chui
The vivacious Lu Chui Chui (played by Xiao Yan) also worked in the Ministry of Justice as an imperial secretary. She and Yan Xin seemed to be the only female employees in her office. Lu Chui Chui came from a rich merchant family and loved nothing more than gold bars. Her father runs a pawnshop and they have enough money for her extravagant lifestyle.
Lu Chui Chui could be described as childish and naive. She seemed to live in a beautiful world where everyone was friendly and kind. Lu Chui Chui’s gullible nature and soft heart were contradicted by her job at the Ministry of Justice, where she collects case files. I really wondered if she’d ever read one, because she didn’t like anyone whose job involved criminals. 🤔
Pan Chi
Pan Chi (played by Sun Ze Yuan) is Yan Xing’s friend from a humble background. He has excellent investigative skills and a sharp mind. Enough to call him a talented detective. It was clear to everyone except Yan Xing that Pan Chi had feelings for her.
But Pan Chi also realised that the one Yan Xing admired was her husband, Shen Du. This poor boy kept his feelings for Yan Xing very deep. However, whether intentionally or not, Pan Chi often made Shen Du jealous.
The Conclusion
Melody of a Golden Age was a good drama that you need to consider putting on your watch list. As for me, I need to consider watching it again and maybe I could see things differently. This drama did a good job in the main focus: romance. However, you have to be more patient when it comes to the mystery part.
Although I said that I lost my interest halfway through. This drama was worth your time because of its visuals. Everything you see in this drama was beautiful. The director and the production team did a good job with the sets, the clothes, the props, and the cinematography. And don’t forget Ding Yu Xi’s brave mien and Deng En Xi’s cute girlish appearance, They are truly an eye candy.
So, have you decided to watch this drama, dear readers? Please take my Melody of Golden Age drama review with a grain of salt. And maybe you can see things better than I did and enjoy this drama to the fullest. I’ll see you in another post. Thanks for stopping by. Ciao!
