I enjoy idol costumed #Cdramas. But I get a little sad, sometimes exasperated, that international viewers think that's the standard for Chinese historical dramas. Lordie these are the Gossip Girl version of historical dramas. They have their value but it would be very sad if people think they are the ceiling of historical dramas 🥲
China does have those "Merchant Ivory" quality Cdramas, but they are often not available to international viewers. Why? I guess maybe they don't think it'll sell as well with international viewers. (Honestly, I think they are right, as the dramas often can only be appreciated by Chinese audiences who have the right cultural and historical knowledge.)
Swords into Ploughshares (太平年) is set in an era that's not often filmed - Five Dynasties, Ten Kingdoms, which happened at the tail end and finally, fall of the great Tang Dynasty. A lot of what's happening in this drama would probably whoosh over most international folks' head. I believe it's a drama purely geared towards Chinese audiences who would understand the basics of this part of history.
So, yea, understandable that it may not appeal to Netflix etc, I suppose.
Still, I am very glad it's available on YouTube and Viki, so I hope you give it a chance. I promise you it's good, and a true blue historical drama.
It's a delight to savour a drama with a solid script, good cinematography, high quality acting, historically accurate mannerisms and for once, good line delivery omg
