Song in the Clouds First Impressions

Song in the Clouds also known as Yun Ge from the Desert is a novel adaptation currently airing. Not sure how I feel about it after the major changes made due to SARFT since I only just finished the first two episodes. So far, the drama adaptation seems to be very different. Other than some of the main character names, the plot also seems quite different.

Their first meeting before the sandstorm. He wakes up and calls her "mom".

To start, Yun Ge was not actively searching for the male lead's group that was lost in the desert. After she stumbled upon them, they get caught in a sandstorm where she tells them that they need to hold hands to be safe (not sure if this is what one should do in a sandstorm, but alright).

Even evil lady is surprised that Yun Ge calls her "Fairy Sister"

After that she and male lead go drink at an oasis and meet an evil looking lady who invites them to her village in the middle of the desert after her minions try to kill them. If that's not a red flag, when they get to the village Yun Ge sees multiple clay people who happen to be the same two husband and wife pairing throughout the village in different houses.

There are even the same two clay people in all the houses--does 

this not scream horror film?

Maybe the character is written differently in the drama, but the male lead Liu Ling (the name he gave to female lead Yun Ge) seems so innocent. Sure he had a nightmare showing his father killing his mother so he can become king one day, but he just seems to sunny and innocent to be the brooding male lead who has not had anything happy happen to him.

"Yun as in clouds, Ge as in song" explains Liu Ling to evil lady.

Here, Liu Ling cooperates, smiles, and even offers information to evil lady which is totally out of character when compared to his much more serious outlook on life shown in the book.

I can't tell if it's the acting or the directing that has made this drama kind of cheesy for the first two episodes. On the bright side, the colors are saturated and the drama is overall easy on the eyes.

This is how I feel about the rest of the drama. 

Not sure if I will finish all of the episodes but from the quality so far, I will check to see if the adult actors make the story more interesting. The set and editing seem normal for a Chinese drama production. I was actually a pretty big fan of the novel back when it first came out so hopefully the plot can help with the rest of this drama.