- Title: Unchained Love
- Also Known As: 浮图缘, Floating on the Edge, Forbidden Love
- Director: Wu Qiang
- Casts: Dylan Wang, Chen Yu Qi, Peter Ho, Zheng Li
- Screenwriter: Li Jing Ling
- Genres: Romance, Comedy, Historical
- Country: China
- Episodes: 36
- Original Network: iQiyi
- Where to Watch: iQiyi, WeTV
- Adapted from the web novel Fu Tu Yuan by You Si Jie
Hola Readers, this is the review drama of Unchained Love. A 36-episode of drama about the love life of Xiao Duo and Bu Yin Lou. Xiao Duo was a eunuch and Bu Yin Lou was an Emperor’s concubine. It’s a love that is against all odds. I also wrote the recap episodes of Unchained Love and Unchained Love ending explained. Come visit if you missed something in an episode and want to know the ending more detail. Happy reading!
Unchained Love Synopsis
Xiao Duo’s reputation was infamous as the leader of the Zhaoding Bureau. He was smart, decisive, and ruthless. He was the Emperor’s eyes and hands. The court officials were wary of him and the sinners would shake in fear when they heard his name.
When Xiao Duo walked down the street with his famous swagger stick and the luxurious uniform of Zhaoding Bureau, people would avoid him. Even a child would cry immediately in his presence. Everybody feared him. Well… almost everybody.
Bu Yin Lou entered the palace to be the old Emperor’s concubine. She was schemed by Madam Bu, her father’s legitimate wife. She wanted Bu Yin Lou to replace her daughter, Bu Yin Ge because the Emperor was old and there was no chance for Bu Yin Ge to be an empress. In the palace, Bu Yin Lou lived as a small concubine with no power and did not get the chance to meet the Emperor much less served him before he passed away.
After the Emperor died, Bu Yin Lou and other childless concubines must become Tribute Lady. They were an unfortunate concubines and maidservants who had to die to follow the late Emperor to the underworld. However, the Palace did not slight them. The family of Tribute Ladies would enjoy the glory that was paid with their daughter’s life.
Bu Yin Lou did not want to die, but she was helpless. Because Madam Bu tried every mean to make her a Tribute Lady. She wanted the glory for the Bu family. If Bu Yin Lou died as a Tribute Lady, her half-brother could immediately enter the officialdom. But somebody secretly helped Bu Yin Lou to get away from death.
Murong Gao Gong was the late Emperor’s brother. He was an idle and cowardly prince. He never stepped into officialdom or become a court official. When he heard that Bu Yin Lou would be sacrificed as a Tribute Lady, he asked for help from Xiao Duo. On behalf of Murong Gao Gong, Xiao Duo saved Bu Yin Lou when she was hanging on white silk.
Bu Yin Lou knew that Xiao Duo was her chance to survive. If she could attach herself to him, she would have a backup and her life would be better. Meanwhile, Xiao Duo also used Bu Yin Lou to control Murong Gao Gong and palace politics.
Bu Yin Lou and Xiao Duo started their relationship as a confidante. But later the feelings grew into love when both of them were attracted to each other’s characters.
The saying two’s company, three’s a crowd seemed fit to describe Bu Yin Lou, Xiao Duo, and Murong Gao Gong’s relationship. Bu Yin Lou and Xiao Duo must face the mighty power of an Emperor if they want to be together.
Unchained Love Review
I’ve been anticipating this drama since I knew the main leads. Only by the title, I am sure that this drama would be more than just entertainment to pass the time. I should really pay more attention when it comes to writing the review. And here I am, carefully watching every episode while holding my notebook. 😆😆😆
This drama was full of surprises. When you think that the story would just be so-so, suddenly it blew your mind. There were many plot twists that I could never guess the ending. The lineup of actors was impressive and the chemistry was great.
The Casts and Crew
The first main lead was Dylan Wang. What can I say about him? Love Between The Fairy and Devil drama’s popularism was not to be forgotten. Everybody praised him in that drama, and even I was stunned by him. Chen Yu Qi used to play in See You Again drama as Jin A Yin alongside Hu Yitian. And her acting was good in that drama. But as Bu Yin Lou, she was on another level. I have never felt more annoyed yet interested like how I feel about Bu Yin Lou.
Peter Ho, played a hypocrite and treacherous person in The Side Story of Fox Volant drama. As a veteran actor, screenwriter, and director, what can I say about him? To be able to exist as the person in front of the camera and behind the camera as well, you should not be asking about his acting quality. I really hate him in the Side Story of Fox Volant. And I could never think that I would hate his character more in this drama.
And last but not least was Zheng Li. She played Cheng Shao Shang’s mother in Love like The Galaxy drama. She used to be a very strict mother but now she acted as a cruel empress who only cared about her life and her son. I really could not wait to see her acting when I saw the lineup artist for Unchained Love.
The Director Wu Qiang was a veteran director with a long list of dramas. Li Jing Jing, the screenwriter, was one of my favorite screenwriters who had written The Blue Whisper drama and The Rebel Princess drama. If you see her name on the crew list, you better check on her work of art. It was always worth it.
The Cinematography
There was nothing to complain about this drama’s cinematography. I like the colorful scenes and the detailed sets. My favorite one was the Mengyun Pavilion and the Imperial Mausoleum. Yes… The Imperial Mausoleum. Every set was filled with greenery. There were always trees, shrubs, and colorful flowers worth to be praised.
The lighting was good and you can feel the mood, especially in Xiao Duo’s scenes. He often sat alone to contemplate his life and every time I could feel his loneliness and helplessness. And in Bu Yin Lou’s scenes, there was always a happy atmosphere present. And you could feel that the atmosphere turned more gloomy after Bu Yin Lou returned to the capital from the West Shu.
Usually, I was more attracted to female costumes in a historical dramas, especially imperial people. But this time, I was interested in Xiao Duo’s costumes. The design was masculine with sharp cutting, but you could see sometimes he used transparent gauze. However, I did not like his blue robe with gold embroidery on the chest. Unfortunately, Xiao Duo chose it when he planned to visit Bu Yin Lou at the Imperial Mausoleum.
Bu Yin Lou’s costumes were in pastel colors. The design and colors hide Bu Yin Lou’s mischievous and bold character well. She looked more feminine and sweet until you see her smirking and sneering at Xiao Duo…🤣
The Story
Unchained Love mostly tells us the love journey of Bu Yin Lou and Xiao Duo. Murong Gao Gong was the third wheel who forced his way in and wanted to destroy the sweet relationship between Xiao Duo and Bu Yin Lou.
But if you see it from another angle, it was Xiao Duo who snatched Bu Yin Lou away from Murong Gao Gong. Previously, Bu Yin Lou saved Murong Gao Gong from bullying. And Murong Gao Gong also saved her from death. However, because he asked for help from Xiao Duo, everything went in the wrong direction.
Xiao Duo was the one who dragged them into a power struggle. Xiao Duo used Murong Gao Gong to hide Prince Rong, the rightful heir to the throne. He did it to prevent Empress Rong’an and The Prince of Nanyuan from collaborating to usurp the throne. Xiao Duo also used Bu Yin Lou to control Murong Gao Gong when he became an Emperor.
But no matter how much I wanted to blame Xiao Duo, he was too handsome to be blamed and he treated Bu Yin Lou nicely. Meanwhile, Murong Gao Gong was not a husband material much less a ruler. 🤷♀️
I enjoyed this drama as a sweet and light triangle love story between a concubine, an emperor, and a eunuch. But I was baffled after the 20th episode. The story became intense and the atmosphere turned dark and gloomy. Of course, there was still some cute and sweet romance happening here and there, but the comedy lessen drastically and the characters started to show their ugly sides.
Bu Yin Lou and Xiao Duo’s love journey was fun to watch. The invincible Xiao Duo turned silly when he had to face Bu Yin Lou and her aggressive manners. There was a scene when Bu Yin Lou wanted to make shoes for Xiao Duo. She entered his room and only said one word, “take it off”. Xiao Duo’s eyes bulged and his face was stiff. He stood up and started to take off his belt and clothes. He did not even ask her anything. There was no trace of the cunning and ruthless Xiao Duo back then. Just a silly man who (seemed to) have a dirty mind..😅
Although Unchained Love’s background was the palace and the people inside this story could be considered as palace people, Bu Yin Lou and Xiao Duo’s backgrounds were pitiful. Both of them were used to living by themselves without anyone to rely on.
Xiao Duo came from an impoverished family, his parents died and left him and his brother to take care of each other. They entered the capital as beggars. Xiao Duo and Ah Duo were twins, Ah Duo was his younger brother and his body was weak. Xiao Duo tried his best to take care of Ah Duo because he was the only family he had. And when Ah Duo died, Xiao Duo was consumed by guilt because he failed him.
That was the reason why Xiao Duo spent six years investigating the death of Ah Duo and searched the murderer. And after he got the murderer’s identity, he worked hard to create a chance for revenge. A tooth for a tooth and a life for a life. For Ah Duo, Xiao Duo was bent on killing the murderer.
Bu Yin Lou’s family was intact and she came from a prominent family. Bu Yu Lu was the Imperial Tutor who taught the princes of Great Ye, including Murong Gao Gong. Yet, her mother was only a concubine and Bu Yin Lou’s status was an illegitimate daughter. Therefore her life was harsh.
Bu Yin Lou had to take care of and protect her ailing mother, while her father did not care that Madam Bu bullied them. They had to suffer from cold winter because they did not have enough money to buy coals or food. Bu Yin Lou and her mother used to make shoes, purses, and other things for pocket money because they did not want to use Bu Yu Lu’s money.
People might think that as a daughter of the Bu family, Bu Yin Lou lived a good life. But in reality, her life was worse than a servant’s. That was the reason why Bu Yin Lou loved money very much. She did not want to return to the harsh life that she had before.
Although Bu Yu Lu was a terrible father who used his daughter as a pawn, Bu Yin Lou still had affection for her father. She could not just close her eyes when his life was at stake. Bu Yin Lou was caught in a dilemma when she had to choose between her father and Xiao Duo.
There was one thing that made me frown. Xiao Duo and Bu Yin Lou were married before she was conferred as Murong Gao Gong’s concubine. They kept their relationship a secret because they could not defy the Emperor. However, they continued the relationship between them. Therefore it seemed that Bu Yin Lou had married two men or she had committed adultery with one of them…😱
I hate Murong Gao Gong for his incompetence. His character was lacking and he did not fit to be an emperor. Even in a dire situation Murong Wan Wan or Princess Hede and Bu Yin Lou were more reliable than him. Murong Gao Gong knew that he was incompetent, therefore, he was always suspicious of others. His jealousy of Xiao Duo and his obsession with Bu Yin Lou had driven him mad and in the end, he was the source of the country’s downfall.
The conflict between Xiao Duo-Empress Rong’an started from unrequited love. Empress Rong’an needed Xiao Duo’s assistance to control the Inner court. It was a common plot where the boss fall in love with the assistant. But in this drama, the assistant hated the boss. Xiao Duo used Empress Rong’an as his back up and Empress Rong’an thought that his attention was sincere. Therefore, she was brokenhearted when she learned that Xiao Duo fell in love with Bu Yin Lou.
Both Murong Gao Gong and Empress Rong’an were obsessed with love, and it made them lose their common sense. They were the perfect example that the one who sat in the highest place was the loneliest. They had all the power and money but they fell because of love.
Unchained Love also had other stories worth watching. The relationship between Tong Yun (He Nan) and Cao Chun’ang (Wang Li Xin) was cute and funny. Both of them were kind, loyal, and simple. They were perfect for each other and their relationship was pure.
Murong Wan Wan (Guan Chang) was Murong Gao Gong’s sister while Yuwen Liang Xu (Han Hao Tian) was from the Yuwen family of West Shu. They should not be together since the Emperor was wary of Yuwen Liang Shi. And Yuwen Liang Shi also plotted a rebellion against Murong Gao Gong. The political tension between their family did not hinder them from falling in love with each other.
From both of the side stories, I was more interested in Murong Wan Wan and Yuwen Liang Xu’s stories. Murong Wan Wan was more talented and smarter than Yuwen Liang Xu. But Murong Wan Wan needed Yuwen Liang Xu to support her.
The Character
Bu Yin Lou / Zhuo Ying
Bu Yin Lou was a smart, sensible, and mischievous young woman. Her mother, Bu Chen Shi, was schemed by her father, Bu Yu Lu. He wanted Bu Chen Shi to be his concubine. But then he left the mother-daughter pair in the West Shu for years before he took them to the capital.
As a concubine and an illegitimate daughter, their life in the Bu residence was hard. Bu Yin Lou and her mother were suppressed and bullied by Madam Bu and Bu Yin Ge, the legitimate daughter of the Bu family. When the Bu family must send their daughter to the Palace, Bu Yin Lou was forced to replace Bu Yin Ge because Madam Bu promised Bu Yin Lou that she would take care of her ailing mother.
In the palace, Bu Yin Lou lived only with a maid, Tong Yun. They were close and she considered Tong Yun as her family. Yet, the naïve Tong Yun never understood why her mistress never seeked glory or favor and only wanted to live an idle life. She spent her days playing cards with other concubines to make some money. Although she came from a prominent family, Bu Yin Lou never had enough money in her life. Therefore, money was an important thing for her.
Bu Yin Lou tended to hide her cleverness. She pretended to be stupid but in reality, she was a quick-witted and calculative person. She was willing to get close to Xiao Duo, no matter how scary he was because Bu Yin Lou knew that to survive in the palace, she had to have a backup. And the most powerful eunuch in the Palace was Xiao Duo. Bu Yin Lou could not miss the chance, could she?
Their relationship shifted slowly from confidante into lovers. Bu Yin Lou never fell in love, therefore she was a bit clueless about her feelings. She was sure that Xiao Duo liked her and she wanted to prove it to Tong Yun. But then she was the one who fell in love with him. And after she realized her feelings, Bu Yin Lou was not shy to show it and tried everything to make him hers. The happiest time that Bu Yin Lou had was when she was with Xiao Duo. Her eyes were twinkling and she never stopped smiling.
Bu Yin Lou never loved Murong Gao Gong. She wanted to stay away from him, but Murong Gao Gong was already obsessed with her. Bu Yin Lou pitied him, but Murong Gao Gong’s crazy obsession was too much to bear.
Xiao Duo / Fang Jiang
As the head of the Zhaoding Bureau, Xiao Duo was infamous for being a ruthless person. He had no fear, was smart, and the Emperor was his backup. Therefore, everybody feared him.
Xiao Duo’s younger brother was Ah Duo. He was tricked into entering the Palace and becoming a eunuch. But then Ah Duo died unjustly and the murderer was unknown. Xiao Duo had to find a way to avenge him, therefore he took Ah Duo’s identity and entered the Palace as a fake eunuch. He never before thought that living in the palace was harsh. He was beaten and bullied by others. The only way to survive in the Palace was to become the strongest. And the only way for a eunuch was through the Zhaoding Bureau.
Xiao Duo worked his way to enter the bureau. He had talent in martial arts and his smart brain brought him to the highest position as the head of the Zhaoding Bureau. The most powerful eunuch inside and outside the palace.
Xiao Duo used Zhaoding Bureau as a tool to investigate Ah Duo’s murderer. When he found out his identity, he used all means to kill him. He devoted himself for years only for revenge. But he never considered that a mischievous girl named Bu Yin Lou would make him fall head over heels.
After he realized he fell in love with her, we could see some changes in his character. The normally detached Xiao Duo would turn stiff and stupid when he faced Bu Yin Lou. And after they became an item, he turned out to be a clingy boyfriend. 😅
But the most favorable traits of Xiao Duo were his attentiveness and protectiveness. He took care of Bu Yin Lou, looked out for her, and always tried to be there every time she needed him. And although he was all-powerful, he was never shy to admit that Bu Yin Lou had him wrapped around her finger.
Murong Gao Gong / The Emperor
Murong Gao Gong was the late Emperor’s brother. He used to be a weak person. Because his mother was a lowly concubine, other princes always bullied him. Everybody thought he was useless therefore while other princes died in a power struggle, he was able to survive.
When he was a teenager, Murong Gao Gong met Bu Yin Lou at the Bu’s residence where he studied as Bu Yu Lu’s disciple. Some princes bullied him and locked him up in a dark storage room. Murong Gao Gong was terrified until Bu Yin Lou appeared with a lantern in her hand and saved him from the dark room. Ever since that day, Murong Gao Gong has fallen in love with her and was obsessed with lanterns.
After he became the Emperor, the only thing that mattered to him was to make Bu Yin Lou his consort. He did not care about her feeling at all and believed that Bu Yin Lou would fall in love with him in the end. But whatever he did, could not make Bu Yin Lou like him. Instead, she wanted to run away as far as she could from the Imperial City. When Murong Gao Gong realized that Bu Yin Lou never loved him, he got mad.
Murong Gao Gong was not fit to be a ruler. His character was weak and he never received an education as a future emperor. Therefore, he could not govern and became a selfish ruler who did everything without any consideration.
Empress Rong’an
Empress Rong’an was the legal wife of the late emperor. She held the highest power in the Inner Court even though Noble Consort Shu was the one who was most doted on by the Emperor. As an empress, she led the inner court ruthlessly. Empress Rong’an soft spot was the one and only, Xiao Duo.
Empress Rong’an knew that she should not be infatuated with Xiao Duo, yet she did anyway. Xiao Duo’s handsomeness and power made her obsessed with him. Xiao Duo treated her kindly but kept his distance from her. He smiled at her but he despised her. Every time Empress Rong’an touched him, he would wipe it afterward.
As a daughter from an aristocratic family who became the Empress of the world, she was proud of herself, arrogant, and selfish. Since she was a little girl she learned that if she wanted something, she must vie for it. If she wanted a peaceful life, she must fight for it. And if she wanted power, she must grab it. Therefore, she was not afraid to collude with the Prince of Nanyuan. Yet she felt that she had failed Xiao Duo. Deep inside her heart, the only thing that Empress Rong’an yearned for was love.
The Conclusion
All in all, Unchained Love was a good experience. I was content with the story and the actors. The chemistry between Bu Yin Lou and Xiao Duo was great and cute. And I was impressed by Peter Ho. His villain character was impeccable. He always made me have the urge to smash my iPad again and again.
If you asked me whether I would rewatch this marvelous drama, I would say Yes. But, I need some time to calm down my mood because the story was intense after the 20th episode. The light atmosphere was gone and it became dark and gloomy all the way to the end.
If you like to watch an intense love story, then this one is your cup of tea. And if you could not handle it, you should stop after the 20th episode, just imagine that the story ended after Bu Yin Lou and Xiao Duo were married. It would save you from heartache.😉
So dear readers, are you ready for a roller coaster ride? 😁
