- Drama Title: The Story of Pearl Girl
- Also Known As: 珠帘玉幕, The Legend of Jewelry , Pearl Curtain and Jade Curtain , Zhu Lian Yu Mu
- Director: Xie Ze
- Screenwriter: Ma Sha Sha
- Genres: Romance, Historical
- Cast: Zhao Lu Si, Liu Yu Ning, Tang Xiao Tian
- Number of Episodes: 40
- Date of Release: November 1, 2024
- Original Network: Youku
- Where to Watch: Youku, Netflix
- Adapted from the novel: “Kun Shan Yu Qian Zhuan” by Tan Tian Yin
Dear readers, how are you? I hope that life finds you well. My husband and I decided to remodel our front yard. For years we’ve struggled with weeds that have outgrown our lawn. This time we finally had enough and decided to cover most of our front garden in bricks. This is working well. But now we are looking for potted plants to decorate the front yard and I hope it has not taken too much time to decide which plants will work well in our tropical climate.
Well, that’s a bit of my life lately. Now let’s get on with The Story of Pearl Girl Drama Review, it is one of the Chinese dramas released in November 2024. Happy reading!
The Story of Pearl Girl Drama Synopsis
Story of Pearl Girl is Chinese romance drama, with 40 episodes. Duan Wu is a pearl diver from the Cui family pearl farm in Hepu. Living a hellish life as a lowly slave, Duan Wu longs to free herself. She risked her life to obtain the largest pearl in the deepest ocean in exchange for freedom.
The pearl led her to meet two important men in her later life. Yan Zi Jing, a cruel and cunning businessman from Xiyu who held a grudge against the Cui family, and Zhang Jin Ran, a humble gentleman with a soft heart and a strong sense of justice. Each of them helped her escape from the pearl farm.
After gaining her freedom, Duan Wu joined Yan’s business convoy and embarked on a new journey full of struggles. She met new friends, discovered the secrets of her past, and became involved in Yan Zi Jing’s vengeance. Duan Wu experienced the loss of a close relative and the betrayal of her lover.
To start over, Duan Wu changed her name to Su Mu Zhe. She bravely ventures to Yangzhou to open her own shop while searching for the truth. To settle the old case of injustice, Duan Wu joins forces with Zhang Jin Ran.
Meanwhile, Yan Zi Jing has made peace with his past and joined their team. After the storm subsides, Su Mu Zhe reaches the pinnacle of jewelry artistry at the Jewelry Competition Fair. She inspires women to take control of their destinies.
The Story of Pearl Girl Drama Review
Okay, this November reminded me of the year 2022, when Zhao Lu Si’s Love Like the Galaxy drama was released a month before Esther Yu’s Love Between Fairy and Devil. That was the busiest month for me because I had to write the recap for both Love Like the Galaxy and Love Between Fairy and Devil. It was pretty darn hectic for me.
This time, Esther Yu’s Love Game in Eastern Fantasy drama was released on the same day as Zhao Lu Si’s The Story of Pearl Girl. Love Game in Eastern Fantasy ended earlier because it has only 32 episodes, while The Story of Pearl Girl has 40 episodes. Both dramas were fighting for the first place. Well, sadly, in my opinion, Love Game in Eastern Fantasy won. But I won’t talk about it now, you can read my review in Love Game in Eastern Fantasy Drama Review.
From the day I read the synopsis, I knew that The Story of Pearl Girl would be a serious drama that needed special attention. And yes, it did. The story was pretty heavy and complex. The business guild scenes in The Story of Pearl Girl reminded me of the drama Are You the One. They have a similar situation.
The strongest company with the most capital would be the guild leader, and the weaker company could only be ordinary members. It feels like watching a gang meeting instead of a business meeting.
The Story of Pearl Girl really shows Zhao Lu Si’s epic acting skills. Every time she shed a few tears, I couldn’t hold back mine. Especially in episode 18. For me, this episode is the most difficult to watch.
Zhao Lu Si made me feel how hard it was to live as Duan Wu. She lost her family and had to live a horrible life on the pearl farm. When she gained her freedom, life still treated her harshly.
Duan Wu also has her happiness surrounded by good people, but it doesn’t last long. She has to go through another painful episode of her life. Zhao Lu Si’s portrayal of Duan Wu drained my energy and made me feel like I was on a roller coaster ride.
Liu Yu Ning also showed good acting skills. Yan Zi Jing is a complicated character. He is a good person who values family and friendship. However, he was driven by hatred, and that sharpened Yan Zi Jing’s cruel nature. But after he falls in love with Duan Wu, we can see a glimpse of him being shy, desperate, helpless as well as happy and longing for her. The pain he hides between his rude remarks and ruthless actions can be seen in his expressive eyes. I could never see Yan Zi Jing played by anyone else but Liu Yu Ning.
The director and producer of The Story of Pearl Girl also did a good job in choosing Tang Xiao Tian to play Zhang Jin Ran. His calm and friendly demeanor fits the kind-hearted Zhang Jin Ran perfectly. I like to see Zhang Jin Ran joking with Yan Zi Jing. It was quite funny to see two grown and tall men fighting for Duan Wu’s attention.
But in my opinion, no one can outshine Zhao Lu Si. She is the star of the show.
I am not fond of Cui Shi Jiu’s character. She is undoubtedly a strong and determined person. Unfortunately, I didn’t think that Xie Ke Yin’s acting was natural. In my opinion, she tried so hard that it was impossible to ignore. If she could just do it a little bit more naturally, then I wouldn’t find this character so annoying.
My favorite part of this drama is the chemistry between the actors. Especially between Duan Wu and his brother, Shrimp/Xiao Xia Mi. Fu Bo Han was only 12 years old. But his filmography is impressive. He acted in The Sword and the Brocade drama with Tang Song Yun and Wallace Chung, Ancient Love Poetry with Zhou Dong Yu and Xu Kai, Novoland: Pearl Eclipse, My Sassy Princess, Love Between Fairy and Devil, I Am Nobody, and many more.
Fu Bo Han also plays the younger brother of Zhao Lu Si in Who Rules the World. That’s why his chemistry with Zhao Lu Si is very good. Fu Bo Han’s acting is natural and flawless. I am sure he will have a bright career in the future.
I also loved seeing Zhang Xi Wei return to play the younger version of Zhao Lu Si. I suddenly felt nostalgic and remembered the drama Hidden Love where she also played the young Sang Zhi. But I should have also remembered their first drama together, Who Rules the World. These are good dramas. If you haven’t watched them, I highly recommend it.
A Fascinating Story
The Story of Pearl Girl drama was not just about Duan Wu’s fight for freedom. There was more to it. It is also a story of friendship, loyalty, and betrayal. A friend becomes an enemy. And the enemy becomes a friend.
This drama is 40 episodes long, but it feels longer. The story was intricate and complex. With the jewelry business as the story background, there were inevitably many characters and many places involved. If you’re not careful, you can easily get lost in the middle. Believe me, because that is what happened to me.
When The Story of Pearl Girl was released, Love Game in Eastern Fantasy was also released. And being the greedy person that I am, I watched them both one after the other. While I could still remember the story of Love Game in Eastern Fantasy very well, I got lost in this one. I can’t remember the name and the place. And some episodes have to be watched again before I can go on to the next one. Totally wastes my time.
I stopped watching The Story of Pearl Girl for a while. I finished Love Game in Eastern Fantasy before I re-watched all the episodes. This time I only watch one drama. And it works! I got a better understanding of the story and I remembered the names and places. So, the first advice I would give you, dear readers, is to focus only on The Story of Pearl Girl. The other drama can wait until you finish this one.
As I said before, the story of The Story of Pearl Girl was about love, friendship, and betrayal. The atmosphere of angst was thick and emotionally intense. Be prepared for it. Those who rarely watch this kind of drama genre would feel uncomfortable and you might want to skip all the annoying parts. But please don’t, or there won’t be much left for you to see.
The love for family becomes the main part of the story. Duan Wu wanted to gain freedom so that she could protect Shrimp. Yan Zi Jing’s main goal was to avenge the death of his family. Cui Shi Jiu wanted to kill Yan Zi Jing and Duan Wu because they had destroyed her Cui family. Her love for her relatives created a strong force that helped her overcome every hurdle and pain.
The first episode was enough to shake my emotions to the core. The brutal portrayal of slavery in the Cui family’s pearl farm broke my heart. The story also wasn’t afraid to reveal Yan Zi Jing’s cruelty towards his enemy, even towards Duan Wu at the beginning of the drama. And it didn’t end there.
The business families in this drama were all of the worst kind. The parents only thought of their children as pawns in their hands to gain more success and wealth. Really sad to see. Although I didn’t like their characters, I felt sorry for Cui Shi Jiu and Zheng Zhi Heng.
But the part about friendship is the best aspect of the story.
Yan Zi Jing’s relationship with Kang Ju is more than just master and subordinate. They treat and respect each other as friends and family members. I loved seeing Kang Ju, whose appearance was enough to make a child cry, throwing out a lot of relationship advice to Yan Zi Jing. Besides Duan Wu, he was the one who could read Yan Zi Jing thoroughly. There was also a wonderful friendship between the members of Yan’s business convoy and the members of Clear Mind jewelry shop.
The character development was well written. Duan Wu used to be an impulsive young girl. But after many hardships, she became a wiser and more cautious person. She planned her actions carefully for fear of hurting another soul around her.
Yan Zi Jing and Cui Shi Jiu start out as cruel people, but end up as people who value love. The only one who was able to maintain his righteous nature from the beginning to the end is Zhang Jin Ran. He is a man of stable character who stands by his principles.
Although the main plot was interesting, I felt that the story behind the blood-stained pearl was too much and just an addition to the main plot. I understand that it had to be there, otherwise we wouldn’t have a reason for the main villain of the story to exist. But I don’t think it worked the way it was supposed to.
The ending of The Story of Pearl Girl seemed a bit rushed to me. No doubt, I was hoping for a good and happy ending for everyone. But that was just wishful thinking. The author didn’t give me what I wanted. I can only curl up on the couch in tears at the sad ending of this story.
The Stunning Cinematography
Since the beginning of the drama, the visuals have amazed me. The cinematography, sets, and costumes were the second best part of this show after the acting. The elaborate sets showed how much money this drama has to spend. Duan Wu’s journey begins in Hepu.
Everything was arranged in detail, from the dark and wet cave to the big ship, from the vast desert to the bustling city of Yangzhou. If you take a closer look, you will be amazed at the amount of detail in each set. It is certainly a feast for the eyes.
I didn’t pay much attention to the costumes in this drama. However, the jewelry is pretty, especially because I am attracted to colorful gems. That’s why the scenes in Yangzhou were my favorite. The ladies wore many beautiful ornaments and flowers in their hair. I couldn’t stop myself from pausing the drama just to look at their jewelry.
Another thing to praise is that the soundtrack and music of this drama are excellent. The opening song of The Story of Pearl Girl is haunting. I couldn’t get it out of my head. And now it lives in my head rent-free.
The Character
Duan Wu / Su Mu Zhe
Duan Wu (played by Zhao Lu Si) is one of the strongest characters I have ever seen, both mentally and physically. Her life has been hard and bitter. Yet she remains tenacious, resilient, and refuses to give in to fate.
Duan Wu is smart, fierce, cautious, very brave and protective of her loved ones. She’s outspoken and unafraid to tell the truth. During her stay in Yan’s business convoy, Yan Zi Jing tried hard to hone her character and business instinct.
Although she seemed like an unshakable mountain, Duan Wu still had a fragile side. Her love and care for Shrimp showed it. For him, Duan Wu would do anything and was not afraid to face anything. But you could see the pain and helplessness on her face when she saw Shrimp being badly beaten by some greedy people.
Yan Zi Jin
Yan Zi Jing (played by Liu Yu Ning) was born into a harmonious family, but everything he had was taken from him by force. He also lived a hard life, but managed to get back on his feet. Yan Zi Jing has only one thing on his mind, to avenge the death of his loved ones. He is willing to go to any lengths, even if it means breaking the law.
There is no right or wrong in the pursuit of revenge. When it comes to his goal, Yan Zi Jing is focused and won’t let anyone or anything get in his way. He is a very smart person with strong business instincts and determination.
Yan Zi Jing was famous for being a cold master, but his subordinates were loyal to him. He is a protective person and would do anything to protect Duan Wu, even if it cost him love. Throughout the years, Yan Zi Jing has appeared ruthless, but he still remains soft-hearted. He used to be driven by hatred, but in the end, he was conquered by love.
Zhang Jin Ran
In this drama, he is the most upright character. Zhang Jin Ran (played by Tang Xiao Tian) is a respectable gentleman through and through. His heart was gentle and poetic. As a member of the minority who won the lottery of life, Zhang Jin Ran never knew that the world was cruel and bitter for many people.
Zhang Jin Ran was born into a prominent family. He is intelligent, rich, optimistic and pure. It was only after he met Duan Wu that he learned the hard truth.
Throughout his journey to uphold justice, Zhang Jin Ran’s righteous heart never wavered. He didn’t care about fame or wealth. The emperor was lucky to have such a loyal subordinate.
Zhang Jin Ran fell in love with Duan Wu when they met in Hepu. He didn’t like other wealthy characters in period dramas who like to force others to be theirs. He thoroughly understood Duan Wu and respected all her decisions.
My heart really goes out to him…😍
Cui Shi Jiu / Cui Zhuo Hua
The only daughter of the Cui family, Cui Shi Jiu (played by Xie Ke Yin) had a knack for business. She often dressed as a man and ran the family business. Although she did it better than her brothers, her father never acknowledged her ability.
Cui Shi Jiu is a smart and cunning person. She is fierce, ruthless and stubborn. No one could move her heart until she met someone who was willing to brave the world to be with her.
The Conclusion
The Story of Pearl Girl is a drama that will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. The atmosphere of angst is thick and the ending is sad. The cast’s strong and natural acting and excellent chemistry made me cry a bucket of tears.
Even after it ended, I still sat on the couch and mourned for them. I am not sure if I will watch this drama in the near future. Maybe after my heart has healed a bit, I would definitely put it on my re-watch list.
However, if you enjoy this kind of drama and are willing to shed a lot of tears, go for it. Watch it as many times as you want. Just don’t forget to put ice on your eyes, otherwise your eyes will be swollen and you’ll be the laughing stock of the office/school.
Well dear readers, that’s all for today. I hope this review was helpful. Don’t forget to write your opinion about The Story of Pearl Girl drama. I’d really like to read your comments in the comment box below. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll see you in another drama review post. Ciao!
