Emperor Hong Hei

Although the Taiwanese series "Emperor Hong Hei" was released at about the same time as "Princess Pearl," its length and highly political content did not capture the wide audiences that the crowd-pleaser "Princess" did. Nonetheless, it is a masterful series in its own right.

Set in the Ch'ing dynasty, the plot follows the life of the famed Emperor who ascended the throne at the age of eight, defeated the tyrannical regent Hu Pai and crafty General Wu San Gui, and unified China under his regime. Rich in historical detail, this series was notable in not only showing Hong Hei's rise to power, but in also giving a real picture of what it was like to govern ancient China. To maintain a powerful and prosperous nation, one must sacrifice oneself, one's love, and the ability to live a life independent from the state. Emperor Hong Hei was the state and his greatness came at an immense price. For the man behind the king suffered alone and hid his emotions, as in the themesong, "I suppress a single tear that no one sees."

Neglected by his father, Hong Hei was raised instead by his grandmother and the Fourth Princess, the adopted daughter of the aged Empress. Through time, he develops a deep love for the Princess, who had cared for him as a child and became his most trusted advisor. In his travels, Hong Hei also befriends two scholars: one who will guide him and one who later becomes a corrupt official. Yet Hong Hei is ultimately lonely, as he sacrifices his love for political causes. His friends either travel far from him or abuse his favor. His government was rife with factions while his fourteen sons battle one another for the throne. In the end, however, the general impression left is rather optimistic and leads one to question whether the complexities of power could be resolved through goodness and wisdom.

Deric Wan Su Lun plays three roles here: Hong Hei's weak father who entered the monastery mourning the death of his favorite concubine, the lead Hong Hei, and Hong Hei's fourth son, the future Qian Long. As Hong Hei, Deric was superb in portraying the various stages of the Emperor's development, from precocious teenager to a wise, compassionate ruler. He was also convincing as Hong Hei's father, a passionate man whose love of a Han woman jeopardized the palace order.

This is Grace Yu Siu Fan's best performance since Wan Jun (Taiwanese romance series by author Qiong Yao). She was very versatile in the double roles of the Fourth Princess and her identical martial-arts sister. Although both possessed the same beauty, the Fourth Princess was calm, introverted, and extraordinarily intelligent. Her martial-arts sister was more vivacious and quick-witted, prone to laughter and jokes. Both were kungfu students of the former Ming princess who sought revenge for her fallen dynasty.

Filled with dynastic politics and strategy, Hong Hei often assumes too much knowledge on part of the viewer and could be hard to follow. There was much analysis on the plans and schemes associated with governance. The transitions in time were also sometimes abrupt, leaving the viewer temporarily confused as to when things were happening. Overall, though, this series was well-directed, well-acted, and the historical events were deftly intermingled with many subplots of love, revenge, nationalism, and humanitarianism. I strongly recommend it for those who want a thought-provoking historical drama.

Images courtesy of Deric Wan Internet Fan Club