Mysterious Lotus Casebook

A little frustrated with the ending

Interesting story about detective, mystery & martial art worlds that collide together. Not much mystery story that can be part ways from politic, but this drama although not completely part ways, you can still tell they're not really glue together like the usual way.

Really like to see Cheng Yi act outside his usual character, where he usually play cold with limit or even no expression man, here we can see more expression from Cheng Yi together with his outgoing & aloof character. Together with childish character of Joseph Zeng, they make beautiful combination of partner and more addition of Xiao Shun Yao in the end make the group complete with quite interesting character to watch.

Really interesting to see how the story evolve in the drama. How they unraveled the secret a little by little so in the end all make sense. But sometimes I must say it's also kinda uninterested to see the case seems unrelated to each other, it's like they forcing the case to be there in the first place, just to make the story about cases & they work solving the case together.

Really admire the characteristic of Li Lian Hua, how he's in the end released forgiveness for who already did him wrong, kinda let go feeling before he face his death. But still how many of us can say people from martial world have that relieved feeling to forgive all of that wronged them, usually they only talk about taking revenge...

But in the end this drama leave unsatisfied feeling in my heart about the ending. Kinda hope we have more clear about the ending,... The special episode also not much of a help. Don't know why they bothered to make the special episode... :(

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One of the best c dramas I've watched.

I'm not a fan of romantic dramas but a huge lover of fantasy genre. So I've been very picky when watching c dramas and watched this after reading a lot of reviews that recommended it. Fair to say I was not let down by the hype this how had. From the cast, to the dialogues, cinematography and the plot it'd keep you gripped onto your couch or bed ;) It has a very unique plot and an engaging story line with no lags. I binged all 40 episodes over the weekend and couldn't resist myself from falling in love with Cheng Yi. His screen presence was majestic, and he flawlessly transitions from a goofy nomad to a serious swordsman. Couldn't get over how cute Jospeh Zang was and his bickering scenes definitely make you rewatch this drama. I really loved how they didn't villainize Xiao Shun Yao, instead showed the story from his pov too.

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When Letting it go, becomes the hardest and most beautiful thing to do

It's been a while since I've come across a complex character as shrewd and layered as Mei Chang Su in Nirvana in Fire, and an actor like Hu Ge who can pull off such a portrayal convincingly well. So when I read the synopsis of Mysterious Lotus Casebook, about how a disillusioned man, Li Xiang Yi, abandons his identity, relationships and past glory in order to discover the truth about the past, my curiosity was piqued and before I knew it, I binged through 40 episodes of this period costume investigative mystery drama.

The drama is helmed by 3 male characters who come from significantly different backgrounds. Li Xiang Yi, the lead protagonist of the story, is a stray orphan with missing parents. He and his senior, Shan Gudao, another orphan, are picked up by a kind couple, who take them in and train them up in martial arts. Because of his gifted skills, Li Xiang Yi becomes crowned as Sigu sect's visionary leader despite his young age. His peer rival is Di Fei Sheng, a cold, apathetic leader of another pugilistic sect, the Jinyuan Alliance. Fang Duobing/Xiaobao, a Government official's adopted son, is born physically weak, frail and handicapped. He grows up within the sheltered and restricted confines of a wealthy powerful family that is known for manufacturing sophisticated weaponry and contraptions.

Di Fei Sheng grows up as an abandoned child enslaved by a cruel bandit who grooms slaves as personal assassins. He eventually becomes the head honcho of the Jinyuan Alliance, a rival pugilistic sect to the Sigu sect, known more for their ruthless skulduggery more than their charitable merits. Di Fei Sheng's sole aspiration in life is to is dethrone Li Xiang yi's number 1 martial arts status so that he can be recognised as the most skilled martial artist on the jianghu. Fang Duobing/Xiaobao, on the other hand, harbours his own aspirations of breaking into the pugilistic world and becoming recognised as a credible detective at the Bai Chuan Yuan agency. He has absolutely no interest in being caged into a moulded life of politics and arranged marriage, but instead has a fanatical obsession about Li Xiang Yi, his childhood idol, so much that he self-declares Li Xiang Yi to be his Shifu and himself to be Li Xiang Yi disciple.

The story starts with Li Xiang Yi fighting Di Fei Sheng out in the middle of a stormy sea, thinking he was the culprit behind the death and disappearance of his senior in the Sigu Sect, Shan Gudao. Li Xiangyi is heavily poisoned and ends up being defeated by Di Fei Sheng during this battle. His body is swept up along the sea currents and washed away on a faraway shore. His body is not found and his death is presumed to explain his 10 year disappearance.

10 years later, Li Xiang yi re-emerges as Li Lian Hua. Using this new name and persona, Li Lian Hua makes his living as a quack doctor capable of "curing" people from disease and death while he roams around freely with a pet dog in his triple-storeyed mobile caravan, growing and cooking his own vegetables. On the surface, he pretends to be a carefree hippie living in some kind of Howl's moving castle, occupied with the simple sustainable farm-to-table life. Under this cover, he lies low to stealthily gather clues about his senior's death while deliberately keeping a strategic distance from his Sigu sect members and girlfriend lover, all remnants of his former glory and past. He wants no interference during his own investigation because he is absolutely focused on finding his missing senior's remains and hellbent on tracking down the murderer behind his senior's death.

The trio's paths converge when Fang Duobing latches onto Li Lianhua to borrow his brain to help him crack unexplainable murder mystery cases happening across the city and Di Fei sheng realises that Li Xiangyi is actually Li Lian Hua. Each of the guys start out with their own motives and unexpectedly, form a bromance over their shared experiences of cracking several murder mystery cases as a team.

Each of the guys also start out in the dark, being woefully ignorant about different things. Fang Duobing has no idea that he is actually an adopted son and that Li Lian Hua is actually his childhood idol Li Xiang Yi in disguise. Li Xiang Yi has no idea who actually poisoned him and does not realise his senior Shan Gudao is actually still alive. Di Fei Sheng has no idea that the only reason why he defeated Li Xiang Yi out at sea was because Li Xiang Yi was already heavily poisoned before their epic showdown and his own Jinyuan alliance key members had already bought over by Shan Gudao. At the end of the story, they each come to their own revelation about the truths surrounding their biological lineage and backstory. More beautifully, each of the 3 male characters grow to accept each other as loyal comrades and trusted partners, as they each struggle to reconcile with the uncomfortable truths from their past and look past each others differences and prejudices.

This drama was highly enjoyable to watch as it has unexpectedly comedic moments whenever a misunderstanding arose between the 3 male leads. But most importantly, the script was coherent and sufficient clues were dropped during the earlier murder mysteries to help the viewers connect the dots as the overarching conspiracy surrounding Shan Gudao's disappearance following his death unfolds towards the end of the drama.

Sizzling romance and couple chemistry does not form the main appeal of this drama, which is quite refreshing for a change. Quite the contrary, we see plenty of unrequited romance from the 3 male leads. Li Xiangyi smothers the romantic longings of his former longtime girlfriend and his frenzy of girl fans in waiting, Fang Duo bing happily breaks off an engagement with a palace princess, Di Fei Sheng shirks off and eventually finishes off a his crazy sadistic female subordinate. The 3 main lead characters seem more interested in their accomplishing their own agendas and protecting the loyalty around their bromance. Thankfully, there are no tropey love triangles or wallflowers to defocus the drama from it's main storyline.

Li Xiang Yi/Li Lian Hua has become one of my favourite fictional characters amongst the Chinese costume period dramas because what truIy sets him apart from other wuxia heroes is his ability to deny himself of his ego, past grudges, ambitions and personal desires for the sake of others and let it all go to face a future full of unknowns. I feel like the show has ended in an incomplete way and I really hope there will be a season 2 in the making!

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Mysterious Lotus Casebook - When Wisdom Outlives Power

Mysterious Lotus Casebook is a rare wuxia mystery drama that chooses intelligence over spectacle, human insight over heroic excess, and restraint over noise. Rather than building its appeal on escalating power levels or dramatic revenge, the drama quietly asks a deeper question: what remains when strength fades, ambition dissolves, and the world moves on without you?

A Protagonist Defined by Letting Go

Li Lianhua is not a conventional male lead. He does not seek victory, validation, or redemption. Having already reached the peak of fame and power in his past, he now moves through the world with detachment, humor, and quiet compassion.
This makes him profoundly different from typical wuxia heroes. His intelligence is not sharp-edged arrogance but lived wisdom. His morality is not rigid righteousness but understanding shaped by loss. The drama’s emotional core lies not in what he fights for, but in what he has learned to release.

Cases as Mirrors of Humanity

Each mystery in Mysterious Lotus Casebook is less about solving crimes and more about uncovering human motives—greed, love, resentment, fear, loyalty. The cases function as mirrors reflecting different ways people cope with desire and regret.
The show avoids exaggerated twists for shock value. Instead, it relies on logical progression and emotional coherence, allowing revelations to feel earned rather than engineered.

Performance: Calm, Controlled, and Deeply Human

Cheng Yi’s performance is built almost entirely on subtlety. His Li Lianhua is gentle, ironic, observant, and quietly melancholic. The character’s physical weakness contrasts sharply with his mental clarity, creating a compelling tension between fragility and strength.

What stands out is the absence of performance bravado. Emotions are suggested rather than announced. Humor is understated. Pain is present but never exploited. This restraint gives the character a lasting emotional resonance.

Relationships Without Sentimentality
Friendship in Mysterious Lotus Casebook is portrayed with maturity and restraint. Bonds are formed not through dramatic declarations, but through shared journeys, mutual respect, and unspoken understanding.

The drama resists romantic excess, choosing instead to focus on companionship, trust, and quiet loyalty. This choice strengthens the narrative rather than limiting it.

Themes That Linger

At its heart, Mysterious Lotus Casebook is about:
- the impermanence of power,
- the cost of obsession,
- and the peace that comes from acceptance.

It suggests that true strength lies not in winning, but in knowing when to step aside; not in being remembered, but in leaving the world gentler than you found it.

Conclusion

Mysterious Lotus Casebook does not demand attention—it earns it. Through measured storytelling, thoughtful mysteries, and a deeply restrained central performance, it offers a rare kind of wuxia experience: one that values wisdom over dominance and humanity over legend.
It is a drama that stays with you not because it shouts, but because it understands silence.

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Excellent drama with one flaw

THE STORY:
I started this thinking that we'd get to see detective stories, where I could solve cases together with the heroes. The cases were, although interesting, not of that sort. They all made sense, but the audience often only got to see the clues at the time Li Lianhua or Fang Duobing revealed them to their co-characters. The cases themselves were overshadowed by the overarching plot relatively early, so for me, they did not have too much merit by themselves, and only served as a vehicle to move the story forward.
The overarching story wasn't that complicated, we got to guess the main villain quite early, and some of the plot twists weren't that twisty for me.
(Also, the main plot point -- evil people from a defeated foreign country try to overthrow the mighty and just and overall better [China] and fail -- is typical Chinese nationalist fare.)
What makes the story interesting, is the journey of Li Lianhua, both in the past, which is revealed to us in increments, and in the present -- Li Lianhua, who is terminally ill and is pulled into the Jianhu after ten years of solitude, whose journey is one of finding closure, of forgiving or avenging, of finding meaning in life and death.

A plus, for me, is also that the series has little romance -- most of it finds it conclusion within three episodes or so around episode 20 (they decide their romance will stay in the past only). Unfortunately, most female characters' motivation still circles around love, more on that see below.

The story unfolds over 36 episodes, which never drag or feel rushed. The series kept my interest throughout -- the pacing was always just right.

THE CHARACTERS:
Li Lianhua is a wonderfully human character. He is flawed, he lies, he deceives but still seems to be a person who has his values he lives by. He is a miracle doctor and a horrible cook. He is someone who pushes others away, and it's never quite clear if it's to protect the other person or himself. He is selfish in his last decision, and at the same time sacrifices his life (essence) for others over and over again. Li Lianhua is world-weary but can still find solace in the little joys in life and seems to believe that most people are ultimately good.
Li Xiangyi was young and inexperienced. He trusted wholeheartedly -- but also judged hard. He thought he was the most important person in the sect -- and died because of it.

I also loved the other two main characters -- loved their banter, of course. They both had their distinct personalities and unique goals. Fang Doubing and Di Feisheng had good character development -- more time to show their personalities and their inner life would have been even better.

The one thing that irked me for the most part of the series was the portrayal of the female characters. Their motivations mainly circled around "love" (or a version thereof), and usually, they had no agency without a man. Let's look at the four most prominent women:
Jiao Li Qiao: Her motivation for anything is to get Di Feisheng as her husband. That's it.
Qiao Wan Mian: She is important as the past love interest of Li Xiangyi, who waited for ten years for him. Later, she gets a bit more agency, but it remains half-hearted. Has she left Zijin or not? Why does she take his Sect leader token but does not take on the role herself? (He is obviously still the sect leader later.)
Master He (Fang doubig's mother): She's the only woman without an interest in pursuing another man; the only one who is shown with significant skills who can contribute to the fight. She is also the only married woman, and the only middle-aged woman, so it's probably just that she's "too old" to be a potential love interest who can be heroically disregarded.
The princess: Her interest in marrying Fang Doubing is somewhat understandable -- as a princess she lives a highly regulated life, and probably knows that the only chance to get a bit of freedom is as a married woman. (Of course, her interest has to take a backseat next to her fiancé's desires.)
There's also the young girl who we first meet when she disguises herself as a man -- she could have easily been a cunning woman with a network of informants or a vast library. But no! She always gets her information from her grandfather and she is allowed to bring Li Lianhua to her brother for treatment.

That's enough of a rant for this review. Let's close with another excellent aspect:

THE ACTING:
I did not find one actor unsatisfying. The minor characters were all right throughout.
All three main characters were portrayed incredibly well. Especially Chen Yi (Li Lianhua) who needed to show his multi-layered personality without words had excellent micro-expressions. Di Feisheng is probably more interesting than the script itself has provided because Xiao Xun Yao manages to hint for underlying emotions of his character from the first second we get to see him on screen.
And a special mention has to go to Rain Wang (Jiao Li Qiao), who, despite her single-trait character, shows how chillingly deranged Jiao Li Qiao has become over the course of the series.

OVERALL:
This is, despite the one flaw, a series that tells a story about friendship, betrayal and revenge -- and a man who just wants to have a quiet death.
Recommended!

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The greatest! The best!

Mysterious Lotus Casebook is the kind of drama I can rewatch again and again, and it never gets boring.

The trio—Li Lianhua, Fang Duobing, and Di Feisheng—is absolutely hilarious. Their chemistry is fantastic, and their contrasting personalities make the story even more entertaining to watch.

I love everything about this drama: the story, the production quality, and the amazing performances. Cheng Yi is brilliant as Li Lianhua and truly brings the character to life.

I laughed, I cried, and by the time I finished the last episode, I felt completely satisfied.

10000000/10❤️

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My favourite Cheng Yi's drama yet

I was usually not a fan of Cheng Yi - insofar, the dramas I watched of his are mostly of him portraying depressive characters. This was the first time I see him in a character that was somewhat playful, wickedly humourous and cleverly cunning - a lot more interesting, and I think he did very well. Of course the second lead Joseph Zeng also did very well as his naive side kick.

Overall, I rated this drama very highly although I hated the ending. An excellent cast, good looking actors/resses, interesting story, realistic costume and backdrop, good cinematography - it scored well on all the important factors. But like a lot of Chinese drama, it had a bitter sweet ending.

Li Xiang Yi (Cheng Yi) was an outstanding swordsman with a very strong sense of justice and righteousness. Di Fei Sheng, head of the JinYuan sect challenged him to a fight for the top rank in the martial world. Secretly poisoned by Jiao Li Qiao, a psychopath, before the fight, he fell into the river after destroying the ship of the JinYuan sect and was missing.

Ten years later, Di Fei Sheng recovered from his injuries and emerged once again in the martial world. Around this time, someone who earned the title of a miracle doctor known as Li LianHua was travelling around the world in a tower horse carriage. He met Fang DuoBing, a young passionate swordsman who claimed to be the disciple of the missing Li XiangYi. Both had identities that they were either hiding or were ignorant of.

The story was interesting as DuoBing and an unwilling LianHua worked together to uncover a huge conspiracy involving a vanquished kingdom and the bloodline of the current Xi dynasty. It was one of the best detective dramas that I had watched.

Strongly recommend this drama but I must say, you better not be suffering from a depression as the ending was melancholic.

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Quiet Wisdom in a Noisy World

Mysterious Lotus Casebook is a quiet and thoughtful wuxia mystery drama. Instead of focusing on martial arts power or dramatic revenge, it tells its story through cases, journeys, and human emotions.

Li Lianhua is a very different kind of male lead. He is gentle, intelligent, and calm, with a past full of glory that he no longer clings to. As he solves cases, he observes people more than he judges them, and his kindness often leaves a deeper impression than his skills.

The mysteries are clear and engaging without being overly complicated. Each case reveals something about human nature—greed, love, regret, or loyalty—making the story feel grounded and meaningful.

Cheng Yi’s performance is natural and restrained. He does not rely on exaggerated expressions, but instead uses subtle movements and tone to show the character’s depth. This makes Li Lianhua feel very real and relatable.

Overall, Mysterious Lotus Casebook is a warm and steady drama. It may not be loud or flashy, but it stays with you because of its wisdom, humanity, and quiet emotional strength.

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