Jin Fen Shi Jia (The Story of a Noble Family)


Reviewed by: redfirefly124

April 09, 2007

Rating: three-point-five

Jin Fen Shi Jia
aka Story of a Noble Family/ Yesterday’s Glitter

Genre: 1900s tragic family story

Main Cast
Chen Kun...........Jin Yan Xi
Dong Jie............Leng Qing Qiu
Liu Yi Fei............Bai Xiu Zhu

This was my first drama, so I’ve decided to write my first review on it! But I DID NOT completely watch it, to tell you the truth, since I got a bit obsessed with Dae Jang Geum....but I only missed a few episodes, maybe something like episodes 33-38.
*WARNING! Spoilers!
**I try to be picky and mark hardly. My rating scale:
1-Horrible.
2-Pretty bad.
3-Adequate; marginal.
4-Pretty good.
5-Amazing.

Plot-3/5
I wouldn’t know if it followed the novel by Zhang Heng Shui or not, but the plot was okay. It was a bit draggy sometimes, like when they had these huge please-can-I-borrow-money issues. Those were just annoying and boring. Anyways, my favorite scene had to be when Leng Qing Qiu poured the bucket of water on Jin Yan Xi. That was kinda funny, cause I HATED Jin Yan Xi!

Cast-3.75/5
Generally good cast. In detail:

Chen Kun-Jin Yan Xi-8/10-A good performance overall.

Facial Expressions-1.5/2-I think he did a good job with the facial expressions! Especially when he was flirting with Leng Qing Qiu, lol! And his but-I’m-innocent face was good too! But sometimes his face was still rather neutral, with no apparent expression.
Body Movement-1.25/2-Chen Kun’s body language was pretty good too, especially when he was with Leng Qing Qiu. But it wasn't anything particularly awesome, so I give him 1.25/2.
Voice-1.5/2-Chen Kun's voice was okay, but nothing special. It had adequate emotion and stuff, and it didn't particularly grab my attention.
Chemistry-1.75/2-Chen Kun has excellent chemistry with all the actors and actresses in Jin Fen Shi Jia! His relationship with Leng Qing Qiu and Bai Xiu Zhu was very nicely done, but I have to say he had the funniest relationship with his servant Jin Rong!
Look-2/2-Personally I think Chen Kun has the perfect look for a spoiled son who lavishly spends money!

Dong Jie-Leng Qing Qiu-8.5/10-She was the best out of the 3 main leads!

Facial Expressions-1.5/2-She was awesome! Especially with her cold expressions toward Jin Yan Xi at first! But like Chen Kun, her face sometimes had a rather neutral look, with no apparent expression.
Body Movement-1.25/2-Pretty good, but nothing particularly special, so 1.25/2.
Voice-2/2-Awesome! Perfect voice for a smart brainy girl! Plus, she had the coldness in her voice toward Jin Yan Xi, and the kind of sad, helpless voice towards the end!
Chemistry-1.75/2-Very good! We could tell she started to liked Jin Yan Xi, but was also kind of attached to her teacher....and her love towards her mother was very touching!
Look-2/2-Dong Jie does have the scholar girl look down! And she fits the description of "very beautiful" by Jin Yan Xi, especially in the beginning and the end. ^^

Liu Yi Fei-Bai Xiu Zhu-7.5/10-A good performance for a beginner.

Facial Expressions-1.25/2-Good. I loved her snotty look, and her condescending-ness towards Leng Qing Qiu. She did pretty good in this area. However, her face was kinda blank sometimes, like she didn't know what to do with it. But that might of been because this was her first series...?
Body Movement-1.5/2-Pretty good, but again nothing particularly special, so 1.5/2.
Voice-1/2-It was okay, I guess, but not particularly good, and plus, kinda annoying at times.
Chemistry-1.75/2-I thought it was good. You could see her relationship with her sister-in-law, brother, and Jin Yan Xi very clearly. Oh, and her cousin, the third wife in the Jin family as well!
Look-2/2-Liu Yi Fei definitely has the "Da Xiao Jie" look.
*Side Note: When I saw this I had NO CLUE who LYF was, so my opinion is pretty neutral. Also, I just wanted to say that I think she did EXCELLENT when she had to reject Jin Yan Xi's proposal.

Other Cast
The rest of the cast did a pretty good job as well. In particular:
-Leng Qing Qiu's mom
-Leng Qing Qiu's servant lady
-Jin Rong, Jin Yan Xi's servant
.....did very very well. Special mention to Shu Chang, who played the eighth sister in the Jin family! (I think her name was Mei Li?) She was my fav out of all the cast, and her character was also my favorite! ^^

Music-3.5/5
The tunes were fairly catchy and nice. I especially liked the ending theme. The beginning theme was nice as well. All the music in between was rather nice, but after awhile it got a bit annoying and repetitive.

Scenery-3/5
It was okay. The main house was very grand and spectacular. The dandelion field was also very nice. But it didn't totally catch my eyes, or make me go, "WOW!"

Costumes-4.25/5
Very appropriate to the era. I especially liked Leng Qing Qiu's schoolgirl outfit. Bai Xiu Zhu's hair and outfits had a sort of "Da Xiao Jie" air, which was good. Very appropriate and nice overall.

Atmosphere/Feeling-3.75/5
This didn't really have a particular feel to it for me. BUT, it did seem like a sort of 1900s time period, which was good.

Overall-3.5/5
So...to watch or not to watch? Well, it all depends on your personal interests. I felt it dragged a bit sometimes, but overall it was a very nicely done tragic family tale. Quite depressing in the end, actually, but I won't ruin it for you. But a pretty average drama compared to some of the others I've seen. So this isn't a MUST-WATCH, but a pretty good drama overall. I'd watch it if you have nothing else left that you want to watch.


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