The Legend of Mi Yue (羋月傳, Mǐ Yuè Zhuàn) is a 2015 Chinese series starring Sun Li, Liu Tao, Alex Fong, Huang Xuan, Gao Yun Xiang and Ma Su. It's based on the novel of the same name by Jiang Sheng Nan, which in turn is very loosely based on a true story.
During the Warring States period, Mi Yue is sent to marry the King of Qin. After her husband's death Mi Yue enlists the help of the Yiqu army to put her son on the throne.
The series can be watched on YouTube
with English subtitles.
Contains examples of:
- A Minor Kidroduction: Mi Yue, Mi Shu and Huang Xie appear as children in the first episodes.
- Anime Hair: Ju Ji's◊ and Queen Wei's◊ hairstyles. (The more elaborate parts of Queen Wei's hairstyle appear to be a wig worn on top of her hair, which prevents it being an Improbable Hairstyle.)
- "Blind Idiot" Translation: The YouTube subtitles start out as just awkwardly-phrased ("with the child" instead of "with child", for example) then become incomprehensible in episode five ("after the audience with Viagra" is the most baffling and hilarious mistranslation).
- Blood from the Mouth: Shows up frequently when characters are injured.
- Child by Rape: Wei Ran was born after his father raped Xiang Shi.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Shang Yang is tied to five horses by his arms, legs and head. When the horses move he's pulled apart.
- Exact Words: Tang Mei's prophecy says King Wei's next child will become a supreme leader. He never said the leader will be a man.
- Forced Miscarriage: Queen Wei forced Ju Ji to miscarry by meddling with her medicine. She attempts to do the same to Xiang Shi, but Ju Ji intervenes in time.
- Gorgeous Period Dress: Almost all of the costumes, on both men and women.
- Historical Domain Character: Almost every named character is based on a real person, most notably Mi Yue, Ying Si, and Huang Xie.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Shang Yang is captured because of a law he himself created.
- Imperiled in Pregnancy: Queen Wei is furious when she learns Xiang Shi is pregnant, so she tells the doctor to make sure Xiang Shi's pregnancy is as difficult as possible.
- Massive Numbered Siblings:
- King Wei has five named children and at least another five unnamed ones.
- Ying Si has at least seven children.
- Named by the Adaptation: The real Queen Dowager Xuan's name has been lost to history, so the series names her Mi Yue.
- Prophecy Twist: Tang Mei predicts that King Wei's next child will become a supreme leader. No one expects a woman to be a supreme leader, so everyone expects the child will be a boy. They get a shock when Mi Yue is born.
- Related in the Adaptation: The historical Queen Dowager Xuan may have been part of the Chu royal family, but history doesn't record her parentage or how she was related to them. Here she's King Wei's daughter.
- Suck Out the Poison: Mi Yue does this when Mi Shu gets bitten by a snake.
- Unrelated in the Adaptation: Historically Huang Xie was probably the son of Mi Huai (which would make him Mi Yue's nephew). Here he's both unrelated to Mi Huai and the same age as Mi Yue.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story: Mi Yue existed and she did become the first empress dowager in Chinese history, but almost everything else about the series' version of events is fictional.
- Wanted a Son Instead: Everyone in King Wei's court expected Mi Yue would be a boy.
- Wicked Stepmother: Queen Wei hates Mi Yue and tries to have her killed before she's even born.
- Would Hurt a Child: Queen Wei tries to have Mi Yue murdered as a baby.
