The Legend of Mi Yue

The Legend of Mi Yue
Traditional	羋月傳
Simplified	芈月传
Mandarin	Mǐ Yuè Zhuàn
Genre	Historical fiction
Based on	Miyue Zhuan by Jiang Shenghuntnan
Written by	Jiang Shengnan Wang Xiaoping
Directed by	Zheng Xiaolong
Starring	Sun Li Liu Tao Alex Fong Huang Xuan Gao Yunxiang Ma Su
Opening theme	Full Moon by Chen Sisi
Ending theme	Beauty is a Dream by Henry Huo West Wind by Alu Azhuo
Country of origin	China
Original language(s)	Mandarin
No. of episodes	81
Production
Executive producer(s)	Cao Ping
Production location(s)	Inner Mongolia Zhuzhou Beijing Expo Park Xiangshan Hengdian World Studios
Production company(s)	Dongyang Flowers Film and Television Culture Co. , LTD. Ruyi Xinxin Pictures Xianggela Film and Television Culture Dissemination Co. , LTD.
Release
Original network	Dragon TV Beijing TV
First shown in	China
Original release	30 November 2015 (2015-11-30) – 9 January 2016 (2016-01-09)

The Legend of Mi Yue (Chinese: 羋月傳; pinyin: Mǐ Yuè Zhuàn; Wade–Giles: Mi³ Yüeh⁴ Chuan⁴) is a 2015 Chinese television series directed by Zheng Xiaolong and based on Jiang Shengnan's eponymous historical novel. It stars Sun Li in the title role of Mi Yue. The series aired 2 episodes daily on Beijing TV and Dragon TV from 30 November 2015 to 9 January 2016.^[1]

Synopsis

The story of Mi Yue (Queen Dowager Xuan), the first stateswoman in the history of China. Mi Yue was a young princess who lived in the Kingdom of Chu during the Warring States period. She was sent to Qin as a concubine and part of her sister Mi Shu's dowry, separating her from first love Huang Xie. King Ying Si passes away while his sons are still battling for the throne, and ultimately, Ying Dang comes out as the successor. Mi Yue is banished to Yan with her son Ying Ji. However, Ying Dang suddenly dies, leaving Qin in a state of chaos. Mi Yue enlists the help of the "barbarian" Yiqu army, successfully returning to Qin, suppressing political revolts and instates her son Ying Ji on the throne. Mi Yue goes on to become the first Empress Dowager (Empress Mother) in China’s history.

Cast

Production

Filming started on September 6, 2014 and ended on 29 January 2015.^[2] The television series took place in Inner Mongolia, Zhuzhou, Beijing Expo Park, Xiangshan, and Hengdian World Studios.^[3]

Soundtrack

• Full Moon (《满月》) by Chen Sisi
• Beauty Is a Dream (《伊人如梦》) by Henry Huo
• West Wind (《西风》) by Alu Azhuo

Reception

The series initially attracted attention due to its predecessor, The Legend of Zhen Huan which is also directed by Zheng Xiaolong and stars Sun Li. During its broadcast, it attained high ratings and over 20 billion views online. However, the series did not receive the same critical acclaim and only has a Douban score of 5.5/10. Viewers feel that the plot of Mi Yue, which involves court intrigue between queens and concubines, was no longer fresh. The series has also been criticized for historical inaccuracies, plot (inconsistency and slow pace) and production quality.^[4][5]

Awards and nominations

Controversy

The production team of the series sued Jiang Shengnan, a scriptwriter on the show, for violating her contract. Jiang had published her novel, a 7,000-character section of The Legend of Mi Yue, online in August 2015 before the series aired. Jiang was dissatisfied with the production team for not recognizing her contributions to the show. The Beijing Chaoyang District Court ruled in favor of the production team. This sparked a discussion about authors writing scripts for adaptations on screen in China.^[10]

Broadcast

International broadcast

See also

• The Legend of Zhen Huan (2011)
• Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (2017)

References

External links

• 芈月传 – Legend of Mi Yue