Arsenal Military Academy

Girl pretends to be boy, shoots lots of guns

This is the first Republican drama I watched, and I found it so interesting to see the portrayal of China in the 1910s. I know the image of the West (or at least America) during this era, and it was fascinating to see those influences in China of the time.

To be honest, I didn’t think this costume/hair/makeup styling was the most flattering for anyone, either male or female. But still interesting. And for me, seeing the costumes, sets, and culture of 1910s China was actually the highlight of this drama. I thought everything else about it was just ok.

As others have mentioned, a big portion of the story is fluff. It’s largely about Xie Xiang, the FL, navigating life in the academy as she pretends to be a boy.

Xie Xiang is sensible and likable enough, and it’s easy to root for her. It’s fun to watch a strong female lead overcome odds with hard work and tenacity. I also like that she doesn’t have some grand patriotic goal; instead, her motivation for doing this difficult thing seems to be more just being lost, confused, and sad, which is a lot more relatable.

That said, it’s completely unrealistic that she would be able to pull it off, and they get around this by just glossing over all the details. We never find out how she passes the entrance medical exam; her wardrobe/wig transitions happen lightning fast, often with no place to change; she somehow survives training by overtraining; etc. The whole thing is less impressive because it’s too fake.

As for the male leads... well, I could not stand Gu Yanzhen. He reminded me of every single annoying guy in my life, it was almost triggering. I don’t think he’s a poorly written character- he has a distinct personality rather than generic hero. He just hit too close to home for me. His self-centered, irresponsible, and/or love-brain behavior made me so angry, and the worst was when the FL actually seemed to like it. No joke, I took a year-long break near the end of this show because I found him so frustrating.

I was on Team Shen Junshan all the way, but unfortunately, I already knew from reviews who is ML and who is SML. Well, at least this character is fairly mature and not frustrating to watch, and he stays in the game for a long time.

Qu Manting is listed as a lead too, but I don’t think she's as central. This show has lots of characters like her who have their own stories, which I think is nice, because then if you don’t like one there’s always the others. Plus, real life is more like that- everyone is the star of their own story. As for Manting herself, I found her sometimes admirable but mostly annoying.

While momentous world events are happening, our leads and their friends are preoccupied by a ridiculous number of love triangles. Love triangles are not my favorite, but I found it entertaining enough. It’s at least not that stressful. The students do have some military exercises, but they are low stress due to heavy plot armor. It feels kind of like a video game, the way they mow down NPCs but nobody with a name ever gets shot.

The last 10 or so episodes are when things start to get serious. There are lots of gunshots and explosions. After being coddled by fluff for so long, I didn’t quite enjoy this. I also liked Xie Xiang a lot less near the end, partly because she’s dating a loser, but maybe also partly because she becomes less important- she just doesn’t do as much to help herself or those around her.

That said, while I was not too enamored by the plot as a whole, I did enjoy the side character friends. The other students at the academy, for instance, don’t always play huge roles, but it’s fun to watch their banter and camaraderie. My favorite, though, is probably Tan Xiaojun, Xie Xiang’s best friend. Xiaojun is not particularly special or heroic, but she’s a good friend, and that’s all most of us can strive for in our own lives.

Acting-wise, everyone is praising Xu Kai... well, I guess he did a good job, but I was too busy being annoyed by his character to notice. I thought everyone did fine.

I very much liked the background music to this show, which is heavy on piano and solo violin. It’s quite lovely and fits in with the mood and period. The actual songs aren’t used very much, which on the one hand is good because it means fewer cheesy filler scenes, but on the other hand seems like a shame- I really liked that second closing.

As a final note, I was afraid there would be lots of propaganda, since we’re seeing China on a modern-ish world stage. And there was indeed a lot of patriotic talk and nationalistic pride, especially towards the end. But mostly this is still a show that’s meant to entertain. It’s historical fiction, telling the story of a group of people as the world moves and shakes around them.

ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS





There are three hard-hitting deaths as we approach the end. Probably carefully chosen for emotional impact. Everyone else gets to keep their plot armor, including several heavily injured people who somehow escape from an exploding building.

The wrap-up only lasts maybe 5 minutes, so it’s no wonder that not everyone is covered satisfactorily. Most disappointing, our lead couple literally goes walking off into the sunset, no indication to where. Well, I didn’t like them that much anyways, I guess. At least Shen Junshan seems to turn out ok.

Read More

Best quality drama I have seen so far

This is for sure the best quality drama I have seen

<3 Actors
The main cast is brilliant. The 4 mains characters were all cast perfectly, the main girl Xie and the main guy Gu have a great chemistry and both played their roles with brio.
2nd set of main characters Shen and Qu are both excellent as well. Qu's character could have been annoying but her facial expressions and changes of mood were delicately done and she managed to make her character quite endearing.
All side characters including the main villain are also great, you get attached to so many of them and don’t get disappointed at any point by their performance

<3 Story
The story is not always simple, like most dramas it’s always problem after problems after problems! Sometimes maybe a little bit too intense especially towards the end where many side villains are introduced.
But overall it’s very interesting, I actually made a lot of researches regarding this era while watching as I thought it was really captivating (pre-World War I).
The main love story is also really endearing, and the actors and writers made a great effort at adding a lot of humour around the cheesiness of some lines which made it very believable (a lot of times I related to side characters reacting to Public Display of Affection)
There are obviously some “short cuts” but these were much less problematic than any other dramas I watched before

<3 Fa Mulan
The “Fa Mulan” classic girl/guy story was more believable than in some dramas I have watched before, though sometimes I was like: “come on”
However the main character is strong independant woman which was really refreshing. I liked that they had to save her a few times, but she also saved her friends by using both strength and intelligence (not only intelligence).
She’s got a strong will power, like a lot of main actresses in dramas but this time she doesn’t hid behind men for help, she’s solving things by herself or using her team and this is soooo good to watch

<3 Open minded show!
Even though, there is no real homosexuality happening in the drama, there are actually a lot of reference to it. The drama is quite "open minded" about it and I thought brought a pretty fresh eye by promoting a “and so what” attitude towards men couples instead of other characters just making fun or being weird about it! I thought this was also really refreshing.

<3 Costumes/set/Visual effects
Great great effort! The set is amazing, such a perfect location, the houses, the dorms, canteen, bar, houses all are really well chosen.
Costumes were really good, only thing I thought could be better was the choice of some shoes/boots. Maybe very similar to historic costumes I didn’t not look closer to this.
Visual effects were average ok, better than any drama I have seen so far.

<3 Music
Was good overall.
Towards the end when it get patriotic though it gets a bit too cheesy.

< / 3 Patrio tism
You don’t feel it too much in the first 2 third of the movie but last 5/6 episodes it gets really intense and too cheesy. This has been my only real issue with the drama. An equivalent of Avengers Captain America if you want, about saving your country, being proud to kill people, hating on some political views well intended to please the government in place in 2022… It was too much, and you feel it which takes you out of the drama story a bit as you can feel it’s been edited to please “some” people

Read More

Overall Great Characters

I found a few of the characters a little annoying, but they all have their redeeming qualities. You have the rich guys Gu Yanzhen and Shen Junshan who have opposing personalities, but believe loyalty and friendship is the most valuable commodity. And then you have Huang Song who comes from much poorer roots, but is high-achieving in his own right and aspires to be successful and support his family. At the center of it all is Xie Liangchen/Xie Xiang who disguises herself as a man to attend the academy. This lends her into ending up in a lot of peculiar situations. Even though she doesn't perform as well as her classmates at first, her bravery shines throughout the series.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this series to anyone, particularly those who love drama, action, and some comedic LOL moments.

Read More

Amazing Chinese Drama

I really really love this drama! The actors are excellent and the story as well. Whenever someone ask me about what's best chinese drama, I always recommend this Arsenal Military Academy. Not just about romance, but also drama, action, and patriotism. This drama also makes me cry. The friendship role of the actors are natural, I really really recommend this for everyone to watch. I love Bai Lu, Xu Kai, Wang Yi Zhe and Toby Lee. As well as Huang Song. What makes this drama amazing is their history with the Japanese, how eager military student to fight for their country

Read More

A great drama!

I'm 2 years late but this is one of the best cdramas I have ever watched, might be the best one yet. At first, I was hesitated to watch this as it has 48 episodes and it would be my longest drama that I have watched so far. Despite that, I'm still watching because of Xukai and Bailu starring in this one. If you're asking whether this drama is worth the episodes they had. YES. The plot, casts and ost are excellent. Both main and side characters delivered their roles well. The chemistry is always off the chart. The romance is still there but the drama is more thriller and action focused. The friendship of the squad in the academy is one of my favourites. Also, the comedy got me rolling on the floor not gonna lie. AMA is absolutely amazing. Very recommended. 10/10.

Read More

Not My Usual Genre, But Bai Lu Made Arsenal Military Academy Worth the Watch

Let me start this review by saying that dramas set in military settings are not usually my cup of tea, especially the ones set in the 1900s to 1940s. So why did I watch Arsenal Military Academy?

For Bai Lu, of course! Ever since I washed her in Till The End of The Moon, I wanted to see more of her works. So I did some research and I found that AMA was one of her more notable works.

And she did not disappoint! By now I’ve watched four of her dramas and regardless of their quality, I can say for sure that she is a versatile actress and she puts in the work required for her roles.

In AMA she plays Xie Xiang, a woman who dresses up as a boy to enter the Arsenal Military Academy to fulfill the dream of her deceased older brother. The drama is set in 1910s and during world war I. Japan is an invading force and has significant military and commercial power in China and the Chinese government is not strong enough to repel them in this period (I don't have much historical information on this period in China, so I don't know if there is any truth to it). So in this setting Xie Xiang pretends to be a boy in the academy and there, he meets several students who later become her close friends and allies, including Gu Yanzhen (the first male lead and romantic interest) and Shen Junshan (2nd lead and rival to Gu Yanzhen).

This is the overall premise. Now, let's get to the actual review. I'll start with the positives:

Great production quality: If I can say the strongest aspect of this drama, it would be sets, costumes, makeup and the overall production. And honestly, I shouldn't be surprised. In every C-drama I watched, production quality has always been their strongest point and in AMA it is no different .The sets, the costumes, hairstyles of different characters in different settings along with the grayish and muted color palette of the picture truly transports you to the depressive and grim atmosphere of that era. So, 10/10 for overall production and sets.

Songs and OSTs: AMA doesn't have many OSTs or original songs. There are perhaps two songs, but they're used effectively during parts of the story and manage to convey the feelings well.

Casting: Very good; All the main and secondary cast played their parts very well, which is another strong aspect of C-dramas. Even if the script is subpar, you can count on the performance to carry the drama;

Editing: Even though it's 48 episodes long, I didn't feel that it dragged or was boring.

Okay now let's go to the negatives, which unfortunately are mostly about the script and some narrative choices.

The plot and premise of AMA is pretty straightforward and isn't complex. Sure, there are scheming characters and antagonists within the story who try to enact their evil plans, but there's really no complicated storylines that require you to remember something of past episodes. AMA mostly focuses on Xie Xiang and her friends in the academy and follows their story from their registration to their graduation. So, all in all, it was a fun and easy watch except for a few things:.

There were too many convenient encounters between characters that logically shouldn't have been at the right time and place and it seems that the writers just wanted events A, B, C, … to happen regardless of their logic.

Some characters are killed more because of the melodrama rather than the logical and natural plot progression.

There's no strong villain in AMA; actually there is one that could be called “the main villain” of the drama, but when it comes down to making effective decisions, she’s just incompetent and is not a strong villain.

Enemies are dumb and most of the time there is plot armor for our heroes; the enemies bullets can't hit them 97% of the time.

And these are my major gripes with AMA. But other than these, there are other things that make AMA a one-time watch for me, but they are purely a matter of taste.

One of them is that I don't like period dramas set in 1900’s to 1940s. I don't know if it's because of world war I, the tight and short hairstyles and the grey tone the films set in this era or just the oppressive and the bleak overall feel it gives; I just don't like it.

But it doesn't mean that it's not well made and acted. So if you like to see Bai Lu play in a different role and pretending to be a boy soldier, definitely give AMA a try. But for me, there's no rewatch for this one.

Read More

An absolute favourite

If you are doubting whether to watch this or not don't WATCH IT NOW!!! I wasn't much impressed with the first episode because the male lead seemed like a man child and a jerk at first. Give it another 2 or 3 episodes. He is going to grow on you. Never have I ever seen such character development in any character. From doubting his integrity to becoming my most favourite male lead. Xu kai has done a phenomenal job in portraying Gu yan zhen. He was so expressive and genuine in his portrayal that I was rooting for him to have a happy ending. And the chemistry between Xu Kai and BaiLu is so strong that even with the lack of romantic scenes I could feel their bond and care for each other. I would love to watch these two pair up again. This drama had a strong supporting cast and none of them were annoying. I enjoyed the deep friendship and comradry between the characters and they had amazing chemistry as well. The casting of the drama is on point and well done. I love it so much. I can watch it anytime. This became one of my all time favourite. So good. I hope you do too. Won't regret binging again.

Read More

I still miss them

When I started this drama, I was on a Bai Lu drama marathon. I had just finished watching The Legends with Bai Lu and XuKai as well. I started it and I was so hooked. I welcomed the new year alone while watching this one, no regrets.

Plot:
The whole story was very very unique and interesting. It is a period drama, taking place in the 1920s as Western culture was crossing over into the traditional Chinese culture. FL joins the Arsenal Military Academy disguised as a man, under the name of her brother who had once gone there as well but had already passed away. At the academy, she meets a group of guys who sort of became her cohorts. This includes the two MLs, and their friends, as well as a very bright guy who everyone loves. It follows their story and they go through things and eventually become a tight-knit group of friends and brothers. The characters ger very involved with the Japanese mafia and government, especially in this time period. FL keeps her identity hidden the majority of the show, only her best friend and the ML knows. There is a war going on so its a lot of government and military talk. It's not a pure romance drama. There is no kiss. It's very funny at the beginning and light-hearted but as you go on, it gets more and more intense. I cried a lot. If you've been watching dramas for a while and understand the way the writers think, you can kind of guess the outcomes of some of the characters. I guessed it and it still hurt when it happened.

Cast:
I loved the cast. Everyone was so perfect for their roles and did their part so well. BaiLu and XuKai have incredible chemistry. The second male lead was also really good. For the majority of the drama, I couldn't choose who I liked more and who I shipped. One of my favorite characters is the Qu ManTing. She seems like a spoiled actress and rich girl but she stands up for herself and will fight you if you do something to her or her friends. The main villain is played so so well. She makes you hate her so much.

Read More

Good but not good enough

I watched for xu kai. He played this character so well and was so handsome but the female lead who plays a dude is like half the size of everyone else in the military and supposedly no one notices its a girl??? Come on man 🤣 also they had many useless side stories in this show and every other scene was filled with japanese dressed in all black getting shot. I mean is there just an unlimited amount of them in the area? And somehow even though they always get killed,the next time they dont send more to make sure they win the fight they still just send a handful of them 🤣 and having everyone fall in love with the female lead is so unrealistic,to be honest she looked better as a dude yet they had like 4 guys fall in love with her 🤣🤣🤣 HAHAHA anyway i really loved xu kai in this and the supporting male lead was cool too but if i ever hear this chick say "may-sure" one more time in that voice i will self destruct 🤣🤣

Read More