I Am Nobody

let's go, the power of friendship!

I haven't read the web comic, so I admit I was a bit overwhelmed by all the characters and their skills at first, but fortunately they kept reiterating everything for someone like me who is unfamiliar with comic. Very superhero vibes. It reminds me a little bit of Guardians (2018), which was also a Chinese series. It was a sci-fi fantasy that also had an agency that deals with people with superhuman abilities. "I Am Nobody", however, is more about the martial world. All the characters are interesting and most have their own backstories, which I liked. This series have very anime style comedy which I find very fun. Overall, very cool, very funny, and thoughtful. I loved the journey.

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● SHORT REVIEW (TLDR)
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ Seeing the jianghu adapted into the modern world is cool to see. Typically, I've only seen it in a Wuxia ancient China type setting. Also, really cool seeing the different skills and abilities of the different families and sects.

✔ The characters are all very fun and interesting with their own stories. They all feel like could be main characters of their own spinoff stories.

✔ A lot of little lessons in their about youth, identity, and growing as a person.


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ We get introduced to so many characters at once in some episodes and hard to keep track of their abilities. It can be a bit overwhelming for someone new to the world.

✖ After the tournament, there are a lot of characters we don't see again until maybe the very end. There was a lot of friendships being built and I wish we got to see that expanded on more.


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● IN-DEPTH REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

The story is very lore deep and ever-growing with a huge array of characters. And all of those characters are just as complex with their own stories, which we touch upon but don't really deep dive into aside from the main characters. At the core, this is a story about finding family and friends. Chulan's quest to find answers about his grandfather. Baobao's looking for her family and who she is. Lyu Liang looking for his sister. Along the way, comraderies are being formed as they try to seek the truth.

While our story focuses on Chulan and Baobao's adventures, so many of the characters introduced could have been the main characters as well, which I love. They are not just side characters, but the main characters of their own story. This is both a good and bad thing. It's good as it means the characters are interesting and complex. However, it's also a bad thing because it can introduces plot points that we may never see closure to in the series. Not sure about the webcomics. For example, The Feng family and the All Encompassing Guild. During the tournament, we get introduce to those characters and got some development for them but there still so many things I felt left to be explored with that family. Especially when it comes to their skill being copied and used by another family. Both Feng Shayan and Xingtong could have own things going on that could be explored it more. This is just an example of how great and interesting the characters are. They are interesting enough to make me curious and want to see more. Also Feng Shayan and Jia Zhengliang dynamic was very cute. Both have their own parental issues. Loved seeing their little fling or love story. Wang Ye and Zhuge Qing also have their blossoming bromance going on and would love to see more of as they try to figure out their role in the world.

A big theme of the series is identity. The series has some life lessons about how we react and adapt to the world, the adversities that shapes us, the complexities of youth and figuring out where you fit into the world. In an ideal world, it's only our own choices that shape who we will become. Sadly, the reality is that the choices of others have an impact on us. Lyu Liang is one example. Despite being a member of Sinister Pleasure, he never really felt like a villain to me. Like Chulan, he was also just trying to find answers about a family member. He became a member of Sinister Pleasure out of necessity and as a result of the actions of his family and Duanmu Ying. People are much more than meet the eyes, which is another theme I saw throughout. We only see what people choose to show us. Just because someone show us their weakness and flaws, it doesn't mean they lack strength. This is seen with Zhang Chulan. Shamelessness does not mean incompetence. And just because someone strive to show us perfection, it doesn't mean they have no flaws. This is seen with Zhang Lingyu and his love for Xia He of the Pleasure Sinister.

While the series is filled with lots of comedic and action-pack scenes with the occasional emotion heart-tugging moments, what I like about it is that it also makes you think. There are a lot of philosophical topic it touches upon and also questions that it poses. There is a lot to think about. How much of our memories affect about personality and behavior? At what point do we stop being us? How much can we really impact the world around us? How much of the world around us impact us? Does the pursuit of the truth and enlightenment outweigh the greater good and the consequences?

[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

The only actor that I recognized was the one who played Zhuge Qing as I've seen him as the lead in "Love Script". Other than that, I'm not sure if I have seen the others. Really big cast and I enjoyed all of them. There really isn't much to say here as I think everyone did a great job portraying their characters. I have seen the movie version or read the webcomics I don't really have reference points on how well they played the characters. There wasn't really anything that stood out to me as bad.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

I absolutely love the OST for this series. There were many tracks that caught my attention, which means they are impactful or really enhanced the scenes they were played in. Unfortunately, they're not on Spotify. At least, for my region. That makes me a little sad because I really do love a lot of the music. They are songs I would expect in like a Wuxia genre, which is very much my vibe.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

I can definitely see myself rewatching this. Like I've said, very funny and fun to watch. And there are lots of characters with an ever evolving story. With so much going on, it's hard to take everything in on the first watch, so I will probably eventually go back and see if I missed anything. At the very least, it will give me a chance to let this world sink in and get more familiar with it.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

This series kept killing/hurting our old men. At least, the good ones. Glad the Chief Celestial Taoist made it, he was very badass. Other than that, I don't really have much else to say other than I really really like this series. I will definitely be reading the webcomics at some point. I also see they will have a second season, so I am excited for that. Hopefully we revisit more of the tournament contestants and strengthen those friendships some more. In the end, maybe the Qi Apotheosis is just the friends we made along the way :P

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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The most hilarious duo aka Zhang Chu Lan and Feng Bao Bao!

I Am Nobody is a drama full of comedy and action and I have to say not a single episode was boring to me. As the story starts with Chu Lan finding out his gradfathers body was dugged out and went missing he met a girl named Feng Bao Bao on the graveyard, their meeting was comical itself, Feng Bao Bao fighting with ghosts and running like a ninja and Zhang Chu Lan just being there scared.

What I loved about this drama the most was the supernatural act and our clumsy yet funny main protagonist Zhang Chu Lan and even more funny and weird Feng Bao Bao. Their journey was full of discovering new things, fights and mysteries. On their journey they met a lot of new people, such as Wang Ye whom Zhang Chu Lan met on the Martial Arts Tournament. I loved the whole aspect of it, to see various supernatural powers other Outsiders holds. I just wish Neo Hou's character Wang Ye, had more screen time here. I also really liked the journey of Bao Bao finding who she is!

This drama was overaly so much fun to watch. The action was great and the characters were amazing as well! Can't wait for season two to come!

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An underrated masterpiece that deserves to be watched by everyone!!

I won’t promise a spoiler-free review, so read at your own risk.

To be completely honest, I didn’t understand most of it. What exactly were the 36 Thieves? Who were the 8 Supremes, and where did they even come from? Why did Zhang Chulan’s grandfather collude with the Sinister Pleasures? I have no clue. And then there’s Feng Baobao—where did she come from? I know who her father is, but how did he become the leader of the Sinister Pleasures? And why hasn’t she aged? How long has she been around? She looks exactly the same.

But despite all the confusion, this drama was an absolute masterpiece. I enjoyed every single moment. The comedy timing was chef's kiss. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, and every character was incredible. I loved it. Wang Ye was my favorite—his personality is just top-tier. I also really liked Zhang chulan, Feng Baobao , Xu Si, Xu San, and so many others that I can’t even name them all. Xiaohei was amazing too—so pretty and badass. I loved her. I loved all of it.

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Refreshingly unpredictable

This is probably the highest I've rated a drama, especially a modern one since I prefer Chinese costume dramas. I picked this up because it was widely recommended and am glad I did. I thought initially it was very shounen-anime-esque (Tournament arc, superpowers), but no it's definitely distinctly Chinese in many ways and not cliche. There are SO many surprises and very unpredictable, which I loved. I hate when I can predict how things will go, and even if you think things will fall into a trope, it always surprises you.

I won't make this a long review as there are others that go in-depth already, but overall I'd consider it nearly perfect with the exception that the I didn't particularly care for the humor of the first few episodes. After that the humor is genuinely hilarious (not cringey like the first 2 episodes), and it handles the serious aspects so well also. Storytelling, acting, music, visual effects, pacing, were all very good. Visual effects and pacing are especially impressive because Chinese dramas tend to not do as well in these aspects (no hate, I love Chinese dramas but I think even the biggest fans will agree on that).

There definitely needs to be a season 2 considering the ending (not all aspects of the main mystery are revealed). I believe the manhua it's based on is still ongoing so we'll see what a second season will bring us!

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The most anime-esque C-drama ever made!

If I didn't know any better and if the actors do not speak Chinese, I would think that I Am Nobody is a Japanese live action drama adapted from a popular shonen manga. From the get-go, it's quite obvious that it has the DNA of an anime series with its quirky characters, anime-ish plot, over-the-top acting, and all around weirdness. In fact, this should be the standard that anyone looking to create live action adaptations must try to equal or surpass. I really enjoyed this drama. It has an interesting enough plot, characters that you will feel invested in, great comedy, moving emotional beats, awesome visual effects, cool music, and top-notch fight choreography. It has all the elements needed to make a very good drama and it is, it is a gem even among C-dramas I've seen thus far. It doesn't have the usual vibe of a C-drama because as I've said, it feels more like a Japanese creation. True enough, the original comic book from which it was based on was adapted into a Japanese anime called Hitori No Shita, which I plan to check out when I have the time.

The story revolves around people with special powers called Outsiders. Think mutants in X-Men but meaner and more obsessed with gaining powers and immortality, which is a trope in wuxia stories. These clans of powerful beings are all fighting to get their hands on the Eight Supremes, which are the most coveted powers invented by eight geniuses of their kind. Zhang Chulan is right smack in the middle of this conflict as everybody is after the enigmatic powers that his grandfather supposedly bestowed on him.

I initially watched this for Hou Minghao. And I'm happy to find out that he plays the best character in the series. Albeit his Wang Ye is only a supporting character to Peng Yuchang's Zhang Chulan, it is Wang Ye's laidback and lazy genius charm that grabbed my attention from the start. Zhang Chulan has his moments, but he is basically the typical shonen MC very much in the same mold as Naruto, Goku, Yusuke, Recca, and many others. He's a bit of a dumbass, pervy, and downright gross sometimes. Wang Ye, on the other hand, is more like Nara Shikamaru, who is my favorite Naruto character. Feng Bao Bao played by Wang Yinglu is another interesting character in the world of the Outsiders. She's like the Wolverine of this world. Her character's history is one of the highlights of this series. The other characters start out uninteresting but they become endearing as the drama progresses. Again, this is the advantage of having 20-something episodes to flesh out these characters and make them relevant no matter how small their roles are. It also gives the writers time to develop the story and properly adapt the source material. This is something that I wish the Japanese entertainment industry would consider as they have a wealth of material from their manga and light novels to work with. It's just too bad that they do not see the potential soft power they can attain if they consciously make dramas and movies that they can export as well and not just focus on their local market.

I Am Nobody is a highly entertaining series. It doesn't matter whether you're an anime enthusiast or not. But I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys anime. My only complaint is that it's too short! Yes, 27 episodes are not enough! But a season 2 is underway. I heard that it's just going to be 12 episodes so that's a bummer!

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Why did I not watch this sooner?!!

WHAT I LIKE-

Everything about this drama is amazing. Writing, Casting, acting, visual effects, martial arts, superpowers, friendships, suspense, comedy.
What more can someone want to watch? It is truly a remarkable drama with no flaws. Though I haven't watched the anime or read the Manhwa.
The way this series integrates modern technology, humour, ancient fantasy themes, fashion, serious talks and fights is amazing.
Every character is great but I want to review my favourites-

Wang Ye-
I don't know why but I love these kinds of characters. Lazy but super smart like Shikamaru from Naruto. He got the power of one of the eight Supremes very smartly. He was strong-minded. And learning that technique he knew he would have so much responsibility but he never ran and never became greedy. He accepted what was given to him. He wanted Chulan to never discover the truth but also gave him the freedom to choose. His friendships with Baobao, Chulan and Zhuge Qing are so pure even if he knew Qing had ulterior motives to approach him but never said anything. Wang Ye’s character was meant for Neo Hou. For me, I can't see anyone playing this character better than him.

Feng Baobao-
What a cutie she is. I just fell in love with this character. How amazing it would be if I had a friend like her. So innocent and pure cannot even lie. You have to be patient to know the stories of the characters. They will show you bit by bit. Her story for me was so touching. I felt so bad for her when I came to know about the memories and other stuff. The way she didn't move and got shot by the arrow because Chulan told her to stand there. No words will be enough for this character. It’s like I have got attached to this character now and whatever wrong comes to her it affects my emotions.

Zhang Chulan-
He is smart and cunning. In the beginning, he might seem stupid but that is just a mask he wears to fool people. I wanted to see more of his powers but I think his true powers will come in upcoming seasons. He collects friends like Pokemon. Another favourite character of mine. The comedic timing is so good. His chemistry with Baobao is so good from being a slave to being her protector. He came a long way. The journey is beautiful.

Liang-
Villains are not born they are made. Lyu Liang’s grandfather's greed made his whole clan like that. They deserved everything that happened to them. His grandfather was a horrible person and his older brother was as well. Just because he knew the secret of Double Quan Palm technique he cut off his limbs. I mean how can a family do that? The techniques they were using were someone else’s to begin with. I felt so bad for Liang.

Chief Celestial Taoist-
Why is he so cute? His red sneakers have become a statement. The way he took revenge for his best friend( Master Tian) is so good to watch. I never expected that he would actually kill Gong Qing. And his powers and fights were amazing. Just watch the series.

Fights which I liked-
1. ZGQ vs WY: As I mentioned earlier Wang Ye is smart and the actual powers of his eight Supremes came to light in this fight. He just wanted to stop Chulan and for that, he had to win Zhuge Qing. If ZGQ was fighting any other person he could easily win because he is powerful on his own. The way things turned out in this match was unexpected.
2. Chulan and Baobao- There was nothing but everything in this match. Pure comedy and friendship. I laughed so hard in this episode.
3. Chulan and Lingyu- To lingyu the fight was to win because he couldn’t accept the fact that he could not use yang energy but to Chulan it was the way to the truth for him and Baobao. Most people think it is unfair to lingyu that his master drugged him(though I think he lied so that Lingyu wouldn’t take the failure to heart)but in fact, he did that to help him. He has been practicing all his life while Chulan only came out to the outside world a month ago. And remind you the power is still sealed and despite that he won is amazing. Because of him, Lingyu has finally accepted his yin energy and basically his true self which he was too ashamed to accept.

You have to keep watching it to understand everything. I was amazed at how things came to light little by little. We can only put theories while watching episodes but the real thing will be far from expected. This drama was full of twists, the twists which only made sense when the series ended. Little pieces made the truth so unexpected.

WHAT I DON’T LIKE-
Nothing. Everything about this drama is perfect. Just go for it.

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Really unique show! Please look out for Wang Yinglu!

PROS:
- Acting stood out to me immensely. I think a lot of young actors/actresses "over-act" or act in ways that are unrealistic for specific scenes/situations. I did not experience that problem here and was totally shocked to know that Wang Yinglu was 22-23(?) at the time of filming this drama. She brought her character Feng BaoBao to life, and I'd argue she's the BEST young actress on the C-drama scheme right now. I'll be looking for more of her work after this drama. Peng Yuchang is not your typical idol/pretty-boy actor either and really embodies the role of Zhang Chulan impeccably.

- Interesting characters. Every character had distinct personalities and motivations, and the character building is pretty top-notch. I think the characters Lv Liang, Zhang Chulan, and Wang Ye were developed particularly well.

- Fight scenes were unconventional but brilliant. Many fights took place with Feng Bao Bao trying to bury people alive or comical (and shameless) Zhang Chulan tactics. They really keep you engaged and make you laugh. Scriptwriting for the humor throughout the drama is pretty consistently great. I'd put it on par with Falling Into Your Smile (surprisingly very very funny) and Fangs of Fortune (I go back to scenes just because they're entertaining).

- Successful and "un-flimsy" merging of contemporary society and Wuxia. The storyline was generally very well-done in terms of keeping consistent plots, though you have to pay attention to the little "time-skip descriptions" and whatnot. A lot of the events are pretty supernatural and need some explaining, so it's easier to watch this drama while paying attention.''

- Really wonderful OST. I enjoy Zhou Shen's song and the collaboration between Hou Minghao and Wang Tianruo (really impressive rhythmic control from Hou Minghao in the beginning). This is probably my favorite OST because it's not only beautiful (like many dramas) but daring/unique. I'd put it on par with Love Between Fairy and Devil, Lighter and Princess, Fangs of Fortune, and the Untamed.

CONS:
- Pacing of the story is a little slow for the first twenty episodes. It sets up what it needs to and is entertaining to watch nevertheless. Most of the important content happens in the last seven episodes. While it doesn't feel rushed, the end feels much more intense than the beginning and required more attention to understand it.

- Some plots felt slightly unfinished and were finished using the descriptions during 'time skips.' I think better pacing would've allowed for more complete feeling plot ends. The ending felt a little bit anticlimactic since the main antagonist was introduced so late (similar lateness as in Fangs of Fortune) and Feng Bao Bao's story never feels fully resolved (though I understand the intention of doing so, the entire drama was kind of building up to that.... this is based on a manhua though, so I don't know how much room for alteration the live action had).

- Generally focused drama, but I think maybe more content could have been fit in. That could make for a more intense/memorable watch (though this was already pretty memorable). I generally think that thrillers are the best-paced of dramas so that's probably why I hold this opinion.

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Well Done

Started this series with the expectations of dropping it in the first couple of episodes due to expecting a Wuxia theme, only to realize the setting is actually within the modernized world. But before I knew it, each episode had me hooked to looking forward to the next. Here are some key points that makes this series unique for me:

- The blending of a historical essence with modern times was actually done really well and is far more believable than what other series with similar settings try to achieve.
- The action, costuming, and CG work (though I'm not an expert of any sort) was fantastic actually. This aspect is usually one of the main reasons why I drop series. Typically dislike things like "colored hair" that's utilized in historical settings (because it makes no damn sense) but because this is within the modern world, it works.
- Although not all of the acting was done well, there was enough great actors/actresses to make up for it on a whole.
- The humor-injected drama can throw you off every so often but it was also equally refreshing (with just a few scenes that were a bit excessive). The layer of humor is key as well to overlooking any potential loophole with the superhuman powers involved.

What brings the score down for me would mostly be around the plot. Although the story wasn't bad, it felt rushed within the latter half of the series. They did a great job in the beginning with character introductions and did a pretty good job in delving into their personalities but it wasn't very complete. In order for them to finally get to the ending of this first "arc", they left too many holes around the details behind the whole mystery and the characters involved. There were also some sections where I did find myself fast-forwarding a tad because it felt just slightly long-winded and unnecessary. However, I'm very pleasantly surprised at how well they did overall and it was a very enjoyable watch.

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'I'm Nobody'. We watch a modern Wuxia.
I liked its comedy, the old men of the story had their own charm. 😁
The storytelling and character development in the series were very good.
The actors' performances were excellent, and the girls in the story were very attractive. 🔥
We get to know the most beautiful Taoist in the world. 🤌

If I had to point out a flaw in this series, it would be that Wang Ye had a small role. 😢

If they asked me which part of these 27 episodes I liked the most,
I would say 21 and 22, they were beautiful and eye-catching. 😋🔥

Even Babao had a crush on Wang Ye. 😂🤌

After episode 22, Wang Ye had very little presence, I fast-forwarded and felt depressed. 💔🥲

I really liked the competitions, they were exciting.

The competition between Babao and Chang Chulan was extremely exciting. 😂😭🤌

It had an acceptable ending and didn't leave the viewer waiting for the second season. 👌
The end. 💖"

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I just want to go to the end of my life in peace, no matter whether I have a purpose in life.

This more like a babble than a revies, I just happened to see this, and luckily I ran out of the series. and what's surprising is that this drama is actually good (now im on chapter 120), I'm a bit unsure when the main character looks like a mob, I hate characters who suddenly become op. Yes, although in the end it was shown that ZCL was a strong figure from the start, but because of his grandfather's orders he became like a mob. so I tolerate it. I also liked how the author described ZCL's anger at the world and his grandfather, he was strong but had to pretend to be weak, and when he wanted to live a normal life like his grandfather wanted, the world turned to take the most important part in his life. how the story goes, I'm interested in WY, with him who looks like he's favored by heaven. he has the choice not to interfere with ZCL's fate. but finally he went down the mountain and took part in the race. change his destiny. or rather their story line. What I like about this series is that every character is made as realistic as possible, how angry ZZW is at chasing "sinister pleasure", because no matter how high a human being is as a heavenly creature, his lifelong friend dies under his own hand, who knows what his biggest regret will be. and ZLY's love life is against the life of a Taoist, especially since his love is from the enemy's camp. and ofc, we cant fogert FBB, she's the one who always watch ZCL from a far. No one but stranger to her, she can't even remember her past life, but for a, technically not a stranger, old man, she willingly take care of ZCL.

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Enjoyable mix between Fantasy, Martial Arts and Humor

The mixture of Fantasy, Humor martial Arts and action make this drama one of a kind. I came upon this drama by accident and I am glad I did. The mixture of Live and Animation worked very well.

This will be a short review. If you are not into fantasy lore rooted in heritage, this drama is not for you.

I did not know anything about the Comics of this drama, but the storyline made me understand on what was going on. The ML and FL had a great repour and the chemistry among the cast members was great. The action in the drama was through the roof. Fighting sequences were unblemished coupled with animation, had you on the edge of your seats. Humor throughout the drama is great and there were some spots where you will get sad on. The graphics are outstanding.

The only thing I did not like was the ending. They could of given it about another 2-3 episodes. Zhang Chu Lan and Feng Bao Bao together and did they have a happy life? Will there be a part 2? I wish I knew he whole story. I will watch this again. It is very interesting.

I really recommend this Drama.

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