Excellent Drama!!
one of the best wuxia drama I have ever seen. Kudos to the team of MLC. I hope there will a season 2 ( fingers crossed🤞) even though i know it is a novel adapted series and it is rare to get another season when the novel itself is finished.Dynamic trio ( Li lan hua, Fand dou bing, Dei fei shing) make the series complete. I must say the chemistry between all the characters are amazing but this trio will surpass even the word chemistry. The humor and seriousness of the drama is well balanced along with the character development. Investigation plots are well explained and like jigsaw puzzle. Some might find little plot holes in the case solving but its not that detectable. Fighting scenes (like sword fightings) are beautifully executed by all the characters in the drama.
To be honest I didnt like the ending much. its not because its open ending. li xiang yi suffered too much for others. he brought lot of people back to life while losing his inner power all the time. atleast he should have a chance to live a carefree life with his besties. since he himself missed his master and lost everything searching for his senior who at the end betrayed him, he should have consider the feelings of his disciple( fang duo bing) and besties who would do anything for him and is searching for him everywhere with a tinge of hope. it was irresponsible from his side to just leave like that without giving himself a second chance.
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This review may contain spoilers
If you enjoy crime solving murder mysteries in WuXia setting, you may enjoy this drama.
"Mysterious Lotus Casebook" is a Wuxia CSI drama that involves solving murder mysteries of various clans in a historical setting.The Synopsis: Ten years ago, Li Xiang Yi, the master of the Sigu Sect, dominated with his superior swordsmanship and was a symbol of light in the martial arts world. However, he suddenly disappeared along with Di Fei Sheng, the leader of the Jinyuan Alliance, after they arranged to battle in the East Sea. Ten years later, Li Lian Hua is a countryside doctor who travels dragging around a lotus tower. Li Lian Hua, Di Fei Sheng, and Fang Duo Bing gradually formed a deep friendship and joined hands in solving mysterious cases to uphold justice.
The acting and the kung fu in this drama were good; however, the first 30 episodes were about solving murders. I found it boring, fell asleep watching it, and even skipped around. It only got interesting from episode 32 onward, and the ending is a cliffhanger.
I don't enjoy it much, so I give it a 7.0 rating. The production quality was not good either; the background was too white.
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BEST WUXIA DRAMA WITH DETECTIVE THEME ...
i started this drama when it is airing and i have low expectations with this drama but as it passes 2-3 episode , i knows that it will break many records ..because it is perfect in cast , action scenes and dialouges and the best part of this drama that it does not have unnecessary love theme because it does not suit at all ...MLC is not the typical fast-paced drama, as it mainly focuses on solving individual mysteries that all contribute to the main storyline. While it might not be everyone's cup of tea, especially for viewers who like non-stop action and romantic entanglements, it presents a story and character-driven approach that is worth exploring.
i love to see more of cheng yi work like this and immortal samsara ...
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This review may contain spoilers
the cast is perfect
i’d say the story is pretty generic but the casting was done very well and everyone did well to tell the story so it’s really good. in my opinion i don’t see any romance in this show especially between the main 3 characters bc i think their love feels more familial.i think the ending is pretty good. it’s very sad but it’s doesn’t make it a bad ending. i like that they didn’t miraculously find a cure like how most dramas would. my interpretation of the ending is that llh was at the beach before the other two came but when they arrived he was gone (probably somewhere where he actually does die).
i think a season two isn’t necessary for this story. llh would’ve wanted it to end. however i would like the see the cast again.
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A perfect heroic tragedy wuxia
It is 10/10. Solid in every aspect of story telling. Although it follows typical successful wuxia tropes, it doesn't lose originality, novelty, and poetic quality.It follows a similar pattern we saw in dramas such as Nirvana in Fire (2015) and The Blood of Youth (2022) which focus the story on one central figure, the tragic hero, and his struggle to find the truth. Mysterious Lotus Casebook (MLC) starts from a downfall and ends with tragedy. We starts from zero and in the end, all return to zero again, creating a full complete circle. Our hero lost everything: his power, skills, fame, status/ position, and friends/ followers. He was defeated by his enemies and by his own mistake. When he was in a grave danger, a bikhu saved his life and he was reborn. He found new purpose of life and lived a humble and wiser life with new identity and changed personality. Everything is seemingly normal again, but a scar from the past forced him to return to the jianghu and involved in the conflicts. He found new friends and gain various supports to fulfill his mission. He was successful after so many hardships. He regained his former glory. However, his righteousness drove him to the path of self-sacrifice for the greater good and for the people he loved. In the end, he let go everything with a content heart. He died peacefully, and was loved by everybody.
The strongest aspects of MCL is first, the characterization of the main character, Li Lianhua. His development is so clear and flows naturally. We easily understand why he become or does this and that. He is a very positive and mature person who learns from mistakes and gains wisdom. The past is not turning him into a person with psychological issues. He is without emotional baggage so that he is able to stay firm when confronting people from his pasts. When he was confronted by his past lover, Qiao Wanmian, his sadness is there, but he stayed level headed. When watching this particular scene, I was so afraid that the story would follow the romance tropes where the male cannot resist his feeling and rebuild the romantic relationship. Or, during the marriage scene, the male usually is burnt with jealousy, and use the only chance to cure the female, to show romantic gestures. Gratefully, it is not. Other thing is the consistency from the start to the end, not only for Li Lianhua, but also for the other male main characters. Their personalities are different to each other, but their relationship is so harmonious, thus enjoyable to watch. They don't make stupid moves and every act is effective.
Second, the amazing plot twists. MCL is the drama that should be watched patiently with open and clear mind. Don't rush to know the ending of each case and of the overall story. Protect your viewing experience from spoilers, because it definitely will ruined the twists and thrills. The first part of MCL (episode 1 to 20-30) are basically detective story. They are solving mysteries by following clues and leads. Not knowing or understanding many things in the beginning to the mid part of the case are normal to bear, and in the end we will certainty get the explanation. Just wait and see. The drama is very skillful at when to close and disclose important information for the viewers. We, viewers, are "cheated", believing false truth, and by the time everything is finally revealed, it feels shockingly great. It is really not like most dramas that place viewers as know-all-things so that we are becoming impatient watching clueless characters in screen. The drama is very careful at telling the past events and the flashbacks are contained in character perception or memory. So, we understand the story from the character's interpretation of that event. Meanwhile, the past facts are told through dialogue between characters, documents, and relics.
Third, the mixed genre is so good. It is a wuxia that is laden with action and sword plays. It is a tragedy, but full of comedy. However, it is also a mystery story with a suspense, horror, and gore. When they are exploring a tomb, a cave, underground facilities, or a body of deceased, with minimal lights, it is so scary. When they meet the zombie, ghosts, and the beast, my heart beats so fast. This drama has balance day and night scenes. When it should be scary, it is set at night. When it should by funny, it is on broad day light. It has romance (mature love), brotherhood, family, and companionship. It has moment of togetherness and adventure as well as a moment of solitude and self-reflection. The evil people are evil without white washing them with "good" humane motive. The jealous person is jealous. The greedy is greed. The crazy is crazy. No excuse. No feeling sorry. We don't mix the good and the bad. The previously evil or bad person becomes good in our eyes after they experience certain events in the story, not because of the subjective experience or pitiful past that begs our sympathy. It is good for us not knowing about the royal story behind why Jiao Liqiao is crazy, why Shan Gu Dao is jealous and cruel, etc. It is on their character, not circumstances. They are bound to received punishment as their retribution/ karma.
Those are things that make this drama stands out, IMO. I don't find any serious weakness. Of course, sometimes the CGI is not perfect, the performance is somewhat a bit lacking, the mobile house is weird (look small from the outside, but spacious inside), etc. We can overlook those and enjoy the story itself. It is so good, lets watch and re-watch!
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A pleasant surprise in this summer！
MLC is a wonderful TV series surprise in this summer. The series presents high quality of custom, settings, storyline, martial arts and actings to the audiences, together all of those elements created a exceptional TV series with beautiful cinematography.All actors contribute amazing performances， especially Cheng Yi, a great actor who I first noticed in XianXia romance drama L&R. So before MLC, I already knew that he’s a talented young actor. But in this series, not only did he prove his strength on tragedy scence once again, he also brought new surprises to the audience and showing us that he can do comedy and exceptional on fight sequences. O also want to bravo to him for using his own voice this time. In my opinion, actors using their own voices in period drama can really help on increasing the quality of the TV series. Cheng Yi as an actor just keeps bringing new surprises and showing his unlimited acting skills, so really looking forward to his future works.
Btw, the background music is very on poin. It follows the storyline very close, making a perfect combination.
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Extraordinary
I dont know what happened to the low rating, but this drama is amazing, impressive, and incredible! ChengYi is talented and he shows great prowess at acting. His acting makes me believe he's actually going through whatever his character is going through. The storyline of this drama is novel and full of quirky detail. A spiteful low rating review is disgraceful. I dont know what happened to the low rating, but this drama is amazing, impressive, and incredible! ChengYi is talented and he shows great prowess at acting. His acting makes me believe he's actually going through whatever his character is going through. The storyline of this drama is novel and full of quirky detail. A spiteful low rating review is disgraceful.Was this review helpful to you?
Very touching, no fast forward
A story about a long farewell of Li Lian Hua who used to be the No.1's Swordsman to his past & friends"It was good then, it's good now"
This is one of the 2 c-dramas which I highly recommend for 2023. Viewers will be touched by the effort spent on producing this drama. Every component just makes sense.
There is no need to fast forward as plot is fast-paced (kudos to screenwriter), the acting skills of all actors are online, scenes are well shot, settings & props are very well prepared, OSTs and BGMs are very suitable.
-Plot
Screenwriter has done a really good job. The rhythm is very fast. This is the only drama I don't fast forward. In fact, sometimes I need to pause for fear of missing some clues.
The author Teng Ping and Screenwriter Liu Fang also interpret respect to women very well through Li Lian Hua's character, which I really appreciate.
-Update based on ep20: Kudos to screenwriter
The screenwriter is really good. Now that we are at episode 20, I realise that the previous cases, such as Yipin Tomb & Li Xiang Yi's flashback to his return to Sigu Sect have had brief introductions to future cases. As a viewer, I just did not realise the significance. Not only do I not fast forward, I need to go back to prior episodes to find clues. I really love this drama.
-Acting skills
Very good acting skills, especially Cheng Yi, this is his best role yet. It's really not easy to potray Li Lian Hua's letting go. He used to be best swordsman and he's now living an ordinary life, with poor health.
Li Lian Hua is not an easy character to potray. Li Lian Hua is sickly, but tries his best to live happily to the best of his ability. He has a chivalrous spirit, but at the same time, a bit gossipy, like to talk nonsense. There is also no filter in this drama, so you can see the up & downs of his appearance very clearly. In short, there is no character buff.
FDB & DFS interactions are very fun.
-Martial Arts Scenes
There are many good martial arts scenes.
The first 10mins of the Battle of The East China Sea is really excellent. There are many more we haven't seen yet as we are only halfway through the drama.
-Cases
Focusing on human nature's worst vices. I won't give any spoiler, so please watch and try to guess the culprit.
We now have up to 8 episodes free on IQIYI. Some people who are used to suspense/detective may find ep1-3 a bit slow, so I recommend going directly to ep 6 Yipin Tomb. The cases got more complicated as we go. If you like ep 6-8, go back to watch ep1
-OSTs
There are only 4 OSTs for this drama.
The first love OST, a pot of lotus wine is fast-paced, but now I cry when hearing this song. Li Lian Hua & Qiao Wan Yu's farewell in ep 17-18 are just too emotional. How can a martial arts/suspense drama have one of the best BE asthetics?
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Refreshing piece amongst the masses of low quality dramas out there
At first one might think this drama is all about solving mysteries which all unlock pieces to the final puzzle at the end and everyone goes home happy. This is not that drama. It's so much more than that. MLC is ultimately a heartfelt drama where the writers gently invite us to go on an emotional journey with the main character Li Lian Hua aka Li Xiang Yi where he ends up being confronted by his past, the reality of his past self, and his reconciliation with all that he was during the height of his renowned fame and reputation.As many here have mentioned, it is a story that evokes a lot of emotion because it's centred around the themes of letting go, forgiveness, the chance to change, and that we are all but mere human beings, capable of mistakes, guilty of having a past that we might not be proud of, and appreciating the simplest things in life.
While the mysteries weren't executed in a way that allows the audience to delve into the stories and use our own deductions to solve the cases, the undeniable chemistry between the three leads, the brilliant and engimatic acting of Cheng Yi, the natural ease with which Joseph and Aero assumed their roles, and the concise and beautiful storytelling that is consistent with driving the plot forward all make MLC a profound viewing experience.
I think viewers would love to see more of this kind of theme-centred and mature narrative with strong character development in a sea of disappointing cdrama productions that has been saturated with use of vulgar clickbait videos or contrived romantic storylines with pretty faces as a means of garnering attention to an otherwise empty storyline.
MLC stands out amongst the rest because the writers and the production team seem to care about what they are doing and have put a lot of effort into delivering quality and consistency to its viewers, proving that China can produce noteworthy pieces that don't compromise on the authenticity of the narrative as a result of relying on cheap plot devices for the sake of guaranteed viewership ratings.
Watch MLC if you want something different to all that other stuff going on in subpar cdrama productions.
P.s. I absolutely loved the ending! (Unlike most!)
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Compelling tragic hero story weakened by uninspired direction
For me, it was one of those dramas you continue watching because you want to know how the story ends and what happens to the characters you like but not necessarily enjoy the road to get there. I felt disengaged from the individual cases because there was very little space given to get emotionally involved or get your brain gears turning as a viewer. Everything was quickly introduced and quickly resolved, with not much tension or nuance in the storytelling. There was more talking about investigating than actual investigation being shown on screen. I cannot stress this enough, this drama involves hours of people standing around discussing stuff... My fellow suspense junkies, do not approach! On the other hand, the martial arts scenes were nicely filmed and quite exciting.Cheng Yi excelled in his role as Li Lianhua. He is the soul and heart of this drama. A rare compulsive liar protagonist who completely won me over. Once a hopeful, audacious hero now cynical and disillusioned with the world. The wall he built around him gets dismantled brick by brick, first by an offer of friendship from an eager and idealistic young detective, then being forced to deal with unresolved past issues. Watching him shamelessly toy with young Fang Xiaobao was a pleasure. I wish the reluctant friendship with his erstwhile enemy, Di Feisheng, was given more screentime though. It was way more interesting to me than the more common master and apprentice bond.
I think Di Feisheng’s story arc dealing with his past was criminally underdeveloped. His lifelong struggle to break free from the confines of his brutal past was given a 5-minute resolution before the drama galloped on. That was a major disappointment for me. He was such an interesting, layered character and yet he was absent from almost half of the episodes. In general, secondary characters weren't fleshed out very well and only a few got closure. No one was particularly memorable or original. The villains were rather boring, shallow Wuxia clichés too.
Honestly, if it weren't for Li Lianhua being such a compelling tragic hero, I would've dropped it early on. I guess I'm happy I didn't. I still found a lot to enjoy, once I got through the slow start.
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Pure brotherhood and martial arts drama
lately, i’ve been wathcing xianxia drama revolved a lot of women and loveBut not for this drama
till the start of the drama till the end it was all about brotherhood and the value of person at the martial world
it would like to believe that xianyi is tired with the fame that he getting since young and that why he makes choice to not return back to the martial world and create his own world
he only come back because of her swords brothers
eventhough some say its has open ending but I think this ending is the great
He is the real master that only think about her clan till the end, even if he powerful but cant protect some of its member that why he do not want to come back to martial worlds
its the same with the real world even when you have everything but the most valuable thing is the peace of mind, that why when the plant that he planted bloomed he cry because its make his happy and he doesnt want to be sect leader again because the position make he arrogant eventhough he not feels its
after he die, he realised he realized that he hurting so many people in his life.
Cheng yi’s acting is become better then his last drama
in this drama his acting is consistent
i actually looking forward in his next project because he really suited the xianxia type of drama
for the male lead, i think if there any other option could be better but the Joseph actually good in this character
its kind of like the untamed brotherhood but more deep in their relationship
I would like to give round applause to the plotline
Before i watch this movie i thought this drama just like other detective drama BUT its not
all the cases that they solved in quite unpreditable, so it give like mysterios type
and i never thougth the enemy would be like his bestfriend at the end
all happen because of misunderstand between clan that the real enemy planted for them to fight
and i never thought the one that the evil is his Swords Brother that he really cared and loved
i cry at the scene he cry because of the betrayal of the brother
and Di sheifeng character is actually cute because he only cared to fight with Li XIANGYI
he doesnt care to have fight with other clan as long they do not disturbe his clan
and there is episode where he come back to his old hometown and avenged and released for all the pupil at the di mansion , its shown that actually he is really kind .
please watch this drama u will not dissapointed
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Great for bromance lovers, a story about friendship.
Mysterious Lotus Casebook is usually a drama I don't watch. I'm a romance buff so bromance dramas are kind of low on my list. There were a lot of high and praising reviews on this drama, so I decided to give it a go.Overall, the drama was pretty decent. I really like the story-telling and world building. I like that it was a detective kind of show, where about every 2-3 episodes there was a new and unique case to be solved. It really kept up the momentum. The win of the show was casting. I wasn't really sure on the dynamic duo of Cheng Yi and Joseph Zeng but they make a good pair. They each brought in their own personality and really gave life to the characters.
You can't forget the third bro, Xiao Shun Yao which basically rounded off the cast nicely. As for the romance aspect of the show, I wouldn't say there is any form of romance, except for a romance story / excerpt. I did find that brief part somewhat entertaining since it was different from the other stories I have been told.
This drama isn't for everyone, as in, I did find it a little boring at times and I was just waiting for some additional movement, but I think if you watch it like me, a few episodes here and there, then you can appreciate the overall drama. I like that it was low in angst and high on story telling. I really appreciate the character growth and loyalty. It truly will make you appreciate your friendships more.
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