This review may contain spoilers
An Excellent Surprise!! Exceeding expectation and Serving the Best Quality~!!
DEFINITELY A MUST WATCH!!This production proves that anyone can create an exemplery drama with minimal and limited funding.
Honestly speaking I got so used to Low-Mid Tier budget drama serving just the bare minimum, something that is created to simply catch it's viewers attention and I never felt wrong about that as it made me enjoy it even more due to the fact that I can avoid unexplainable and ridiculous plot scenes and such.
BUT, this drama is indeed a cut among the finest piece. Almost everything about this drama is well planned and is comparable to those High Budget excellent dramas. So, lemme enumerate them to the best I can.
First and Foremost is the Excellent Writing and Plot allignment. These days most of these are being overlooked and neglected just to cater to the audiences liking but this drama used it in a more favorable way by making sure that they're not only serving what's on-demand and highly sought out but also made sure that it's with 'Great Quality'.
Next, Graphics, Cinematography, Lighting, Costume and Production. It feels like the director and all the people behind this project made sure that they'll never miss a single spot unless out of coincidence and/or inevitability reasons cause the entire time I was watching it, never, even once, had I encountered any distraction and aloofness towards the drama. Instead, I was expecting for more greatness each coming episodes.
Last but not the least is the Artist/Cast. The Main Leads look so good together + their chemistry is on point. While the 2nd Lead has their own charm for being unique, comical and entertaining 99% of the time. Also, our adorable Fei Yuan whose appearances tend be on the sidelines but never failed to deliver consistency with his acting and emotions.
Story - 10, Excellent Writing. This drama really went all out with their Solving Case Scenes and executed to nearly Perfection while making sure that it won't ruin the plot and story even one bit.
Acting/Cast - 10, Spectacular set of Artist who's delivered impeccable performances and emotions. I never felt awkward watching them cause they really felt natural and in-character the whole time they're ON with their respective scenes.
Music - 9.5, Music is decent but I usually have 1 or more songs I truly like out of the all tracks in a drama BGM list yet for this production nothing really stood out the best for me. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed it and never once got bothered about it.
Rewatch Value - 10, This drama deserved more views and positive word of mouth to people around the C-drama community because it truly went above and beyond the usual expectation to most Low-Mid budget dramas.
Overall - 10, Anyone who will tell me otherwise is welcomed to fight me. I would never forgive any slander over this drama as it truly went over the 'norm' and usual general expectation. Highly Recommend~!!
If you find my review helpful please let me know.
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handsome ML
This drama is for you if you enjoy watching dramas where girls disguise themselves into a male. Overall, the drama is quite a pleasant drama to watch , the reason i watched it was because i found the ML really handsome and lets be honest but his acting in the drama was really good for a newbie. Also, the ML was really cool and swag in the drama, the drama is quite well balanced in terms of romance, mystery and friendship. Although there were many cute and sweet scenes , there were also moments where the FL just jumped to conclusion and accuse the ML which can be quite typical but that did not make the drama a bad experience. The only thing that got me really frustrated was that the girls was voice change when she was a 'male' and when she was a female as it was just very fake and cringe. Furthermore, this drama is suitable for you if you like dramas with a lot of friendship with multiple couples.Was this review helpful to you?
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Slow and tedious
Being a cynic and an unemotional person isn't a choice I made but rather it's an unconscious sensory output that seeps into many aspects of my life; consequently, I have less tolerance for things I deem illogical. Therefore, if one goes through my MDL reviews it might feel as though I'm just a hater who's never satisfied or is too proud. However, I genuinely find it impossible to process anything that calls for too many suspensions of disbelief.And therein lies my problem with Maiden Holmes. How does the writer expect me to believe this woman could have survived the very risky job of an investigator with barely any martial arts skills? For an investigator who crisscrosses dangerous terrains I would assume it would be a job requirement to know how to protect not only themselves but also their witnesses and nothing about whatshername says she has such capabilities. Yes, she is a sound detective who knows how to reach conclusions that solve cases, however, she's also the most uninquisitive person ever. Right in front of her were two people who weren't who they said they were and even with the copious numbers of obvious clues, she remained lost, unable to put two and two for four. This I found to be nonsensical and unbelievable.
Next, the FL was supposed to be pragmatic and sensible yet she lacked the wisdom needed to make her character believable as someone who could solve these cases without being constantly saved by the ML. She just bumbles into dangerous situations without forethought or any idea of how to save herself.
Thirdly, and with all due apologies, the actress playing the FL can't act. Mostly she has one expression and that is what she gives us from start to finish. She either looked depressed, downcast, or unhappy with the ML and for the most part, we got a rotation of these three with a few quick smiles thrown in.
Lastly, the dialogue. Oh my god, do these people ever stop talking?!! Something that could have been said with four words would instead be done with a dozen and this directly impeded the flow of the story which sometimes meant having to try to remember what was the original question or line of thought.
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THE MOST HANDSOME MALE LEAD
I've actually finished this drama for almost a month, and now I'm just writing my little review for this drama.Honestly, I decided to start this drama when I saw the trailer for this drama and I was attracted to the male lead, although overall I don't know the actors and actresses who play in this drama, but I was quite surprised after watching it because they all performed their roles perfectly for this drama especially ZhangLingHe who debuted for the first time in this drama, almost made me can't believe this is his first acting because he looks so perfect for his first performance, his good looks are also a plus for this drama .... after drama this is me trying to find another modern drama ..
I also really like the storyline of this drama, why? because most of the ancient Chinese dramas I watch are wuxia or xianxia dramas, and this drama provides a different story about how suchi played by Sebrina solves cases one by one in order to restore the good name of her family who was sentenced to death ( one tribe) by the royal family for being accused of murdering the king, and of course she is accompanied by a prince and also very handsome young general "prince qi". Besides that, the chemistry between the two of main role in this drama is really amazing, strong and good, it really lives up to the romance of love in this drama. Besides the main character, the sweet love story between SFL and SML is also very funny. if you are looking for an extraordinary love romance drama you should never miss this one drama.
besides that I also really like the songs in this drama. Honestly, I actually find a lot of Chinese dramas with strange chanting sounds in my ears and some even sounding bad. This drama really provides a soundtrack that I like, starting from the opening song, ending song and several songs that are inserted in every scene in this drama.
I have repeated this drama for the second time and overall I like it. 9/10 for this drama ... I hope my review is useful for those who read it. Thank you.
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Detective Su is the female version of Sherlock Holmes
This drama is one of my favorites, just the plot twists and story kept me interested in watching all episodes. Sabrina Chen as Su Ci was beautiful to watch and Zhang Ling. His gentle and kind portrayal of Prince Qi was superb. I can't believe his first drama and his kissing scenes with her were swoon worthy. He should be getting more lead roles in the future. Their chemistry was tops. Well written script, beautiful ending for strong Su Ci and Ru Shuang, not rushed. I'm happy that Su Ci kept her career after the marriage unlike other dramas. For Bei Ming, glad he did not die.Was this review helpful to you?
Ancient Sherlock Holmes in female body
I love crime dramas in general, and I was drawn to the title. Honestly, I didn’t have any expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised by this drama. The main actors are unknown to me, I have never watched any of their plays, but the chemistry between them is very good. The story is catchy and keeps the viewer in suspense and anticipation of the next case, while following the love story between the main characters. The supporting actors aren’t bad either, and they add a dose of humor to the whole drama. In addition to the crime plot and love story, there is also a background story about the origins of FL, which is quite mysterious. All in all, a refreshing drama in a sea of more or less similar stories.Was this review helpful to you?
Finally a logical plot and it is a good thing!
First of all, I really enjoyed this show. Binged it easily. The good thing is that they have well defined characters and the plot is well crafted. Being largely a detective story, crimes have to be solved and that leads to clues to the bigger conspiracy as the show progressed.If you watch a lot of Chinese dramas you will know that most of them suffers from 2 problems, mid show drag and weird plot twists towards the end just so that they can introduce angst (oh how the OTP will suffer) or patch plot issues. In this case, I'm happy to report that the pacing is fine and the main plot did not take a weird detour so that we arrived at a logical conclusion.
While the story was good in general, the main plot was telegraphed fairly early on and we are just watching to see how the main characters play detectives.
The OTP and 2OTP have great chemistry and they are steadfast once they confessed their loves which is a plus. The characters thought through issues or talked it out which is quite refreshing. There was a good amount of skinship and hot kisses which were mostly well done.
It was also nice that the weight of the plot swung between the love line, light comedy and detective story fairly often and smoothly so that you are not getting bored.
The only slight negative is the acting of the ML (I believe this is his first lead role). He can be a little stiff at times but his interaction with the FL is nice. I would definitely recommend this for an easy watch with bonus romance.
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Historical rom-com love story with extremely boring investigation cases
This drama is about the female lead who joins the investigation bureau pretending to be a man in order to gain access to the secret documents related to her painful past. The male lead, who has a hidden identity, joins her in unravelling the crime cases.The first 10 episodes were engaging with a meet-cute love story and mysterious cases on the side. However, with each passing episode, the drama became more and more dull and boring. There were around 5-6 investigation cases in total. The first 2 were ok to watch but afterwards the investigations became too repetitive and predictable. The female lead would touch objects, ask a bunch of questions, walk around and bam, case is solved. I somehow managed to get to episode 24 and then I pretty much skipped 95% of each episode just to see how the story ends.
I loved the male lead. I watched the drama for Zhang Linghe and he did not disappoint me. I love that his character felt unique as he had eye sight problems. At times he reminded me of the cool Daredevil superhero when he was fighting while blindfolded.
The romance was cute and at times felt like a rom-com with many funny moments. It had a strong start but quickly fizzled out. The male lead is a green flag and a feminist who fights for women’s equal rights which was nice to see. But the plot of the drama was all about the investigation cases which were boring and irritated me too much.
POSITIVE:
- Intelligent female lead.
- Green flag male lead who fights for women’s rights.
- Hot kisses between the leads (not a lot but those that were shown were good).
- Sweet romance.
- No love triangles or side characters obsessed with the main leads and trying to break them apart.
- Mix of investigation, romance and comedy.
NEGATIVE:
- Boring, repetitive and predictable investigation cases. Since the plot was all about the cases it made the drama extremely difficult to watch.
- Not enough angst. Plot was boring. Side characters were boring. Love story had a strong start but quickly fizzled out.
- Second couple was ok but nothing special. The drama would have been the same without them.
OVERALL:
This drama was not my cup of tea but it doesn’t mean it was bad. If you like investigation cases with lighthearted romance you might enjoy this more than I did. However if you want to watch an older drama of ZLH, I'd suggest you see Love Crossed instead.
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Mediocre storyline but great romance and comedy
If the storyline and plot were not so cliche and predictable this could have rated much higher. The romance was well done and very sweet with multiple couples. And the comedy was just perfect. But with the name “Holmes” the audience is going to expect a thrilling Sherlock Holmes style murder mystery drama that’s deep and unpredictable. Instead we get a predictable drama that reveals the bad guy right away. All of the mystery and suspense then disappears. Some of the cases they solve are interesting but not enough to save the plot. And then very cliche typical political power struggles we see in every drama nowadays were added. It’s too bad because this drama had so much potential. It’s not bad, I liked it and I’m glad I watched it. But with such great chemistry between the leads and super funny comedy, it could have been so much better if the crime solving part was done right.What really works for this drama is the lead couples chemistry. Their romance and the romance of the secondary couple are what really makes this drama worth watching. That and the comedy which is sprinkled throughout at just the right moment when there’s too much angst or sorrow. I also like that even though there are some sad or upsetting parts to the story, they never go on for too long making you feel like you’re watching a melodrama.
What really hurts this drama is that it tries to be a witty crime and mystery drama but most of the cases were predictable and too easy to solve. Then it tries to capture your interest with political intrigue and with the main leads having lost loved ones due to betrayal. But it’s hard to get invested in these plot lines because we see this same basic storyline over and over again in almost every historical dramas involving politics. Because of these things it starts to feel a little draggy towards the middle.
But if you hang in there the action picks up and it gets better towards the end. It may not be the best ever drama but it’s truly worth watching just for the cuteness of the romances and the well paced comedy.
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Disappointing
This series was not what i had expected.Although it had a good FL with strong character, and the crime solving was on point, it was just a kinda boring series, that dragged on and the endless dialogue. the ML lead was okay, not much can be said about him, as i felt he didn't have much of strong character and relied on the FL.
This is the drama version of the perfect trashy romance, It is not overly ambitious in terms of plot and will not satisfy hard core fans of the detective genre but overall it is an unpretentious hidden gem that will bring you on a delightful romantic journey. At times I found myself fast forwarding episodes just to finish it. this is one series you can walk away do what needs to be done and come back and you will be able to pick up where you left off.
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This review may contain spoilers
The Perfect Husband
I enjoyed every second of this drama.The ML is gorgeous and perfect in all aspects. He respects the FL, protects her and doesn't give up on her even when she kinda loses it and lashes at him ( dont get me wrong, i dont blame her because her family was slaughtered when she was a kid and for a second she thought the ML had something to do with it. Today you could call this scene as a sign of PTSD). The flow of the story is very natural.
I also enjoyed the fact that they solve the mysteries as a team and the credit doesnt go to the main couple alone.
The music is great and suits the drama very well.
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Fun to watch drama (drama without the drama !!!)
Overall - 9 out of 10Fun to watch drama (drama without the drama !!!)
PLOT - 5 stars: Well written and directed, very interesting investigations leading to the main plot
CAST - 5 stars: Great chemistry between main couple as well as the supporting cast
(-1) for better dialogs/conversation (Script writer)
I really like the 5 of them sitting at dining table & discussing the investigation. Each of them may come from a dis-functional family but together, they create friendship and trust. They support one another, provide a helping hand when needed and build their relationship from the family meal. There are mis-understanding and obstacles but they use love and trust to resolve instead of hatred or jealousy.
Best kissing scenes in all Cdrama !!!
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