It is indeed the highly acclaimed C-drama Sword and Brocade which I watched in 2022--one of the first C-dramas I ever watched.

You should look for it on Prime or Netflix. These clips are hard to string together sequentially, but watching it a 2nd time, I appreciate it more.

Everything is near perfect in this series--

The locations, interiors, exteriors, casting, acting.

It feels like you are actually in the Ming Dynasty, a woman trapped in a powerful family; a man trapped with wives and concubines he does not love; political alliances.

Also,I did not know in 2022 that Zhao Lusi was the female lead.

She has been in many movies and TV series--sometimes I feel too many. But that happens to a lot of artistic people, for instance, painters--sometimes it seems they repeat themselves--or are in competition with their former roles/books/art works.

I try to avoid that. Each piece ideally should have its own message--its own vibe. "It's own color scheme." It's own societal problems, its own struggles.

In casting, actors should not be stereotypical (typecast).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYo7KplFJv0&list=PLSixJyXvRtG6YYII-tirWZ6eRZs7J0rXz

There are still 3-4 common tropes--here.

i. Fall into his arms backwards

ii. hate changes to love

iii. food

iv. "Cinderella"

v. nasty bitches as romantic rivals and sworn enemies.

--But my failed marriage into a Sino-Burmese family was no different. It's just a matter of scale. There are still Burmese men with parallel wives or mistresse,there is no shortage of womanizers.

There's even a term for it--"keeping" for kept woman or man.

(In American English and craft terms,"keepings" are the items like necklace clasps used to make costume jewelry. I don't do metal work. I have designed items made up by Rangoon goldsmiths. I dislike gems smeared with blood.

(I don't do ceramics except paint on greenware--I don't have the space. I seldom think of Burma. I will never go there.)

Fortunately all the women except one who wanted to get into estranged husband's pants are all dead.

Estranged is in his 9th decade.

Writers/artists always win.

Usually they survive to tell the story.

I am the only one in my extended family with an earned Ph D from an Ivy League Univ.

My brother never even did a Masters--I have 2. He has an honorary doctorate from a Japanese Univ.

I didn't do it to compete with anyone.

I just wanted to be good like my name.

Kyi May Kaung

12-14-2025

Furled State Flag and National Flag--Village Center--photo--Kaung

Everything in the kitchen sink--photo Kaung.