In a time when honor, courage, and power are determined on the battlefield, there’s no place for fairytales or love stories. However, when two wretched souls, wounded by treason and betrayal, meet in the most fateful way in a second chance to set their lives straight, a legend is born. This is the story that costume C-drama “Legend of the Female General,” starring Zhou Ye and Ryan Cheng, brings this summer to us!
Warning: spoilers ahead!
The story seems pretty familiar in the classical way: a young woman disguised as a man enters the army in order to prove her value and honor in the war, defying discrimination, prejudices, and social conventions. However, with several twists and a more complex plot, this historical drama includes power struggles, bits of action, and just a tiny point of comedy that takes the “Mulan” common folk-tale and turns it into an enthralling and epic show!
For starters, rather than choosing by herself to sacrifice for her loved ones, our heroine, He Yan (Zhou Ye) is groomed and forced by her step-family to take on the place of the elder son, He Ru Fei, when he falls bedridden. Hiding her identity from an early childhood, she is subjected to a harsh and cruel upbringing, enduring her step-father’s abuses and covers with a mask not only her true appearance but also her pain, her loneliness, and suffering. However, when she joins the army, she ends up finding a sense of belonging and even becomes an admired general, only for her family to take everything away from her when the real He Ru Fei (Bai Shu) returns to take his place.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Not only is she poisoned and nearly murdered, but she is also powerless and unable to do anything to help her master, General Xiao Zhong Wu (Tan Kai), who ends up entangled in her family’s political conspiracy and is considered a traitor. Some period dramas can quickly become too draggy or overly complicated when it comes to political elements, but not this one. From this point, the plot moves forward easily from these moments without creating evident gaps between key points, making it easy to understand where each character is standing within the story.
But He Yan isn’t the only one who falls victim to the He family’s skims. After losing his family honor and seeing his father being disgraced, Xiao Jue (Ryan Cheng), Xiao Zhong Wu’s son, lives only to redeem his father’s name and take his revenge on He Ru Fei. This makes his life turn into a living hell, a place of constant pain, remorse, and hatred, which turns his heart stone cold. When given the chance to train a new battalion to recover the lost lands during the campaign in which his father died, he is determined to see his plans through, even if he has to kill or die to achieve his goal.
What he couldn’t have predicted, however, is that the same person who seemingly betrayed his father would be the same one who joins his forces and help him to defeat his enemies. As he meets He Yan, this time as his commander, we can imagine a pretty boy could never melt away the heart of a ruthless soldier, but the fiery spirit of a female warrior, who just so happens to be equally beautiful, just might do the trick. And who doesn’t love to watch an aloof and distant man slowly open up and fall for a cheeky yet brilliant woman? Whether it is fate or bad luck, they get drawn to each other right from the beginning, and you can feel the sparks between them right through the screen.
Being a woman in disguise is not an easy thing, especially when you are in the army. But to He Yan, it isn’t that much of a deal, after spending all her life pretending to be a man. Nonetheless, it is easy for the commander to see behind her facade. His sharp intuition tells him she is deceiving him, although he can’t understand exactly what she is hiding. The cross-dressing element in the show also serves as a way to create some silly yet entertaining moments between the leads, and sure enough, it is Xiao Jue who ultimately discovers her. From then on, you can feel the building tension between them, which leads them to a closer and more special relationship.
Although the blazing chemistry between the leads is reason enough to get hooked onto this C-drama, there are many other reasons as well. For example, the strong-willed and fiercely driven female lead is as skilled and strong as the male lead. In that sense, they are a perfectly balanced team. While she is still going up-hill in her attempt to recover her honor and position as a general, he uses strength and determination to bring justice to his family and his name.
With a story this powerful and well-portrayed, filled with chemistry and talent from every character, and a great production that goes from the action elements to the scenery, you cannot miss the chance to be amazed with every episode of “Legend of the Female General”!
Binge-watch “Legend of the Female General” here:
Those in Southeast Asia can watch here!
Hey Soompiers! Have you watched this C-drama? What are your thoughts on it? Let us know in the comments!
Andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, Red Velvet, and BOL4.
Currently watching: “My Troublesome Star” “Legend of the Female General“
Plans to watch: “A Hundred Memories”
