TV that changed my life - Part 2b of 2 (Almost There!!)

So...it's obviously been awhile. I can make up a thousand excuses (and trust me, there are just about enough), the fact of the matter is I got super duper lazy. Thoughts like these takes time to synthesise and directed onto pen and site ya know!

Anyway, someone politely prompted me today to ask to update my blog, and so I shall. This is for you, and you know who you are :).

5. Plum Blossom Trilogy: The Plum Blossom Tattoo (1995)

I know what everyone is probably thinking - what the f**k show is this?

To be honest, it's been THAT long ago that it took me a while to remember the proper name of the show, and I spent a good half an hour on google just find enough info to write this entry. While I vaguely remember the complete storyline, what was significant about this TV series was the impression and the indelible mark it made on my personal perception on the illusive concept of love.

Yes, lo and behold, it's a love story! Written as an epic, eponymous to a Greek tragedy, the story unfolds in an ancient Chinese dynasty, whereby the royal queen, fighting for her place in a palace of concubines concocts a plan in order to clinch to her royal title. Trading her daughter in for a son to impress the king, the queen marks her baby girl with a Plum Blossom tattoo before sending her down a river. 

As fate would have it, as adults, the girl falls in love with the prince that took her rightful place as heir to the throne. The story has its various twists and turns, and truth be told, I don't actually remember the ending but if memory serves, it was a tragic one. The love between the two main characters, which began with fate, and continued with determination was the lynchpin of the story, which echoed through my 7-year old thoughts.


When: 1995-1996, when I watched what my parents were watching. And to improve on my Mandarin..
Why: The bloody cliffhangers at the end of each episode
What I learnt: While love does not always conquer all, it is damn well worth fighting for
Who:  Don't bother. 

Notwithstanding the sub-par acting (I could only assume in hindsight as I can no longer bear watching any TVB series), the story struck a chord as it left a very impressionable 7-year old self with a grand perception of love - that it is encompassing, serendipitous, and ineffable. Seventeen years later, while I daresay I have learnt enough about love to know that it is wholly, partly and sometimes none of the those things, I admit at the very bottom of my heart, I still search for that poignant love story that hopefully, has a happy ending.

P.S - What was great about this TV series was the AMAZING soundtrack that came with it. While it wasn't my first introduction to Chinese music then, the melodies and lyrics from this series still stick with me till today. The haunting sounds resonate with the tragic unfolding of the story, which was apt. Take a listen below: