I Am Nobody: The Showdown Between Yin & Yang

Added to my favourite comedy, suspense and action-filled fantasy drama!

I have been eagerly waiting for the second season of this series ever since I accidently discovered this Masterpiece. I'm not into anime or Chinese comics but while searching for suspenseful, fantasy, comedy and mystery packed drama, I luckily stumbled upon this gem. I absolutely love the 1st season and the 2nd season has entered my top favourite drama list. Its definitely worth the watch! Highly recommended by me.


The storyline of the drama like S1 is super engaging, passionate, cohesive, entertaining, suspenseful and thrilling. It kept me on edge through out all of the episodes. The goal of solving the mystery and capturing CD became base plot of this season. S2 ensured that the new important characters had solid back grounds build up just like in S1. The story moved along with the action, suspense and comedy packed events, while unravelling the vital and mysterious back stories of new characters.

The story also highlights the differences between Real outsiders and the ones made by the soul refining furnace. Real outsiders experts are formidable and force to be reckoned with because being outsiders they have lead lives of suffering and they had to work extremely hard to master their techniques to its full potential. Unlike last season where mostly bad or good outsiders were the focus,  this season showed the behaviour, goals and intentions of NDT express headquarters. At certain times their motives seemed well intentioned yet tinged with hidden agendas. Their is subtle power/control struggle going on between   outsider world and NDT express leaders.

This season was as fast paced as S1, so it's very important to pay close attention to the details of the events, explanations, emotions showed by characters and implicit or explicit impact of actions of all characters in the past, present or future. As always the live action kept true to executing of iconic scenes from the comics seamlessly well. The fight scenes are among many important highlights of this series. They are beautifully choreographed and are super action packed at times touched with this series signature hilarious moments.

The actors have portrayed their characters immaculately well. Through impeccable acting they have conveyed their emotions, aims, qualities, relationships, attributes and thoughts extremely well. All characters are dynamic, they have contributed very well to move the story forward, provinding powerful insights and successfully ticking our curiosity related to their behaviour. Not forgetting to mention many outsiders are effortlessly funny in their own unique ways. Each outsider character displayed their super power really well. S2 has introduced many new characters with different personalities along with new types of powers like beast tamer, armorer, divine forge technique, poison technique, close combat techniques, magical weapons, summoning god powers/divine mask etc.

The outsider characters from S1 ZCL, FBB, WY, EZ and ZQ showed old and new sides to their personalities and demonstrated further character developments. More of their intriguing and impactful back ground stories were revealed. ZCL has always been clever, witty and bold. In this season he has become more insightful and is being very strategic. Everything he does is to help his best friend FBB. He finally  harnesses the old farmer technique his Grandfather passed down to him. FBB is as funny and mysterious as ever has become more adept at using her powers effectively and have even become a beginner at crafting magic weapons. She unconditionally trusts and relies on ZCL and follows his instructions/plans. WY uses his wisdom to protect and guide his friends while using his unique immensely powerful techniques to intervene in the fates of people posing threat to the peace of the world unintentionally or intentionally. He is willing to save the world even if he has to bear the consequences by himself for changing someone's fate. ZQ faced internal conflict when tempted with one of the eight supreme technique, the divine forge. However he successfully overcame it, learned Samadhi true fire and showed talent in divine crafts and helped ZCL when his help was crucially needed. EZ has always been resourceful, clever and humorous but this time she showcased her new capabilities in dire circumstances.

The new special agent outsider characters introduced are very funny and eccentric. WZQ is my new favourite he is mischievous, cunning and playful yet he works hard to master his techniques. He learns how to use his magic mask to its full potential by understanding righteous faith. XZZ is truly frightening person yet he has found salvation despite having psychopathic tendencies and works to stop others from crossing the bottom-line. LM is very kind-hearted and thoughtful person appears to be weak and helpless but has mastered his techniques evolving them with scientific research knowledge to make them more deadly. HGE gives rough and tough man impression at first but is very caring, loyal and soft hearted person as well. CD is most tragic character I have come across this series. She is the main focus of this season's plot. She is very kind-hearted and thoughtful person despite fate being cruel to her in every way. Her tragic story is very heart wrenching yet has heartwarming side to it too. She impacted many hearts and minds along her journey. She was born in circumstances she couldn't control but with the help of friends she was able to finally make some decisions and choices for herself.

MXH is a pitiful character too. He is caring and kind-hearted but stubborn, arrogant and ambitious person. He has good intentions but he is misguided and used by QT, who has altered his memories and is manipulating him to hatch an evil plan that could possible destroy the world. Just like FBB and CD has some parallels, ZCL and MXH has parallels too discovered by WY. Both are good people but their fates are influenced by someone, very deeply and dangerously.

The OSTs, CGI, cenimatrography and FX are mind blowing. They are placed appropriately in the drama suitable to the needs of the events. The sets and the environments shows a lot of effort put in to anhance its suitability, usefulness and impact to the related scenes. The scenes have their own unique features and design requirement. The costume styling is well throughout that adds details to characters, highlighting their unique personal attributes. Their clothing was not just about appearance but eminated their spiritual resemblance too. They have used more sophisticated equipments to enhance lighting and shadows and Cinematography of special moves the characters use. For example, WY's chaotic time shift technique was filmed in slow mo but this time MOCO was used to capture it perfectly. Even subtle conveyance of eye contact and micro-expressions were considered thoroughly to bring the characters to life, these expressions are unique to live action dramas. Also about actors deliverance of their martial arts styles and signature moves it really showed that they have practiced very hard to deliver them perfectly.

Finally, S2 has successfully built up the foundation story for the S3 leaving me deeply curious about what are ZCL's next moves and how will MXH break free of QT's control. What does QT intends to do and why? And it seems S3 will finally reveal FBB's complete past. Only bad point about S2 is that I wanted more episodes. Hopefully, S3 will have sufficient number of episodes. I will be waiting for S3, hopefully the original perfect cast will remain the same or it will be terrible tragedy to recast them all. 

I hope people watching it give it a fair chance and watch it till the end.

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It's mediocre as compared to season 1

I don't care about other reviews but for me this is not good as frist one some of the main reasons are as follow :
new zhuge qing character is not good as the frist season.
Wang ye screentime is less I know some said that it's according to manga he appear less but makers knows that people like him very much so they should give him more screentime .
thing I like about this season:
Zhang chulan and fbb chemistry remain same .
I enjoy this season some said it's total disappointment but for me the village arc story is interesting but I didn't enjoy this as frist season.
things I miss : red shoes old man , Zhang lingu character and many other season one characters .
I wish they continue series from the end of season one and I wish they give Wang ye more screentime.

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The long awaited sequel. Did it live up to the expectations ?

Directly after the events from season 1, Zhang Chu Lan and Feng Bao Bao continue to work for NDT. One day, NDT's headquarters gathers a group of special agents of which Feng Bao Bao is part of. The mission : Track down a former special agent on the run after the assassinate of her superior.


What I like :
The choice of the cast. I always thought this drama had such an eye to choose the right actor for the right character in season 1. They didn't disappoint me in this season either. I loved all the new added characters. Big up for the temporary workers team. They are such a funny and attaching bunch of lunatics. I really hope to see them together again in the next season.

Chen Duo's heartbreaking story. Her story made me cry so much. I really hoped an another ending for her but I understand why she choose this ending. It's my first time seeing Chen Wen Qi (Vicky Chen) and I can only say I'm impressed by her performance. She's hypnotic in the drama and has such a calming voice.

Great CGI and fights scenes. Very engaging fight scenes especially Chen Duo vs Feng Bao Bao and Zhang Chu Lan. I just wished they were more fight scenes. It wasn't enough !


What I didn't like/could be better :
Zhu Ge Qing is a total miscast. With the sudden change of actor, his relationship with other characters is off especially the one with Wang Ye. They appear like two strangers with some inserted memories. His relationship with Fu Rong is all of the place too. Their relationship is unnecessary and it adds nothing to the story.
His performance is not great either. Maybe it's because Wanyan Luo Rong (ZGQ from season 1) did such an amazing job so I'm harsher to the new one. But I still found his performance boring so it was quite hard to be invested in his story. I would have preferred they had reduced his screentime in favor of other characters like Chen Duo or Zhang Chu Lan and the team.


Overall, I really liked this second season even if it wasn't as action focused as season 1. I think a lot of watchers won't like this season as much as season 1 because of that but I still believe this season is must for a potential next season.
Main focus in this season :
- Deeper understanding of NDT company through the story of special agent Chen Duo.
- Set up for the next season's big villain.

The season 3 is not confirmed but I heard Tencent took the copyrights for season 3 and not Youku. Actually, I don't really care which company is producing the next season but I really hope they won't change the actual producing team and any of the actors 🙏🏻

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Which Season Did I Like Better?

(First review of a 2025 show) Creepy, crawly, great CGI, and performances. I was interested in season 2 to see the continuation of Season 1 but that didn't really happen. Other than the backgrounds and names of characters we had already met and more or less a conducive original story, these could have been 2 totally different shows. Which season did I like better? I liked them equally the same.

The most fascinating character this season was Chen Dou; it's a shame we really didn't get a deeper dive into her but kept trying to capture the MXH guy. They really didn't go too deeply into his storyline either. And why did WY say that he and WCL were similar? I was hoping they'd go deeper into the mystery of FBB's past but that wasn't done. The entire show was about great fighting, some humor, nice CGI; a leg up from season one. I did like when they did show CD's storyline come full circle that she made the right choice for herself. That was her dream after all; was to have the freedom to make a choice.

I'm glad WCL matured a lot here and was more strategic as opposed to just out of control; FBB was also acting more human though still her quirky self. Definitely wish WY had more screen time but with only 13 episodes, things were bound not to go the way we wanted. The new people in the group were definitely an interesting bunch and I feel like the organization they work for needs new leadership as they're shady AF. I do hope if there's another season eventually, it'll be longer and started explaining things not just adding layer upon layer of questions. We have very little answers now after 2 seasons. I could say this second season just scratched the surface of a story that started in season one. Plus, not having a lot of the same characters from season one made it slightly confusing and added a lot of plot holes.

Would I recommend it? For those who are fans of the comic or want to see some growth in the characters from season 1, then sure. It was a cool watch for sure.

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Amazing visuals, Funny moments

Warning: major spoilers!

The visual effects and camera work this season were stunning—everything looked so much better than the first season! The puppet scene was truly epic, and the new characters managed to outshine even the first season’s lineup.

Even with the actor change for Zhuge Qing, the chemistry between him and Wang Ye remained electric. Their fire scene was unforgettable! Some of the dialogue this season was deeply impactful:

"Stop trying to change others' fate. You don’t have the right to."

"Powerful? You mean like this?" (world shatters after kicking the floor—such an incredible illusion scene!)


Chen Junyan was absolutely adorable throughout, and his friendship with Chen Duo was so heartwarming. Episode 6 was particularly emotional—their bond was portrayed beautifully. Lines like "But no matter where I go, we'll always be friends, right?" and "Chen Duo, don’t forget me," had me tearing up. TT

The comedic timing in the show was top-notch. The conversation between Zhuge Qing and Zhang Chulan about heroes and heroines was hilarious! "With that acting, how did you even stay in the crew?" had me in stitches. The "fight" between Zhuge Qing and Wang Ye in Episode 9 was just as funny.

The supporting characters shone just as brightly. Mr. Liao and Chen Duo’s story was heartbreaking, while Bao Bao and Chen Duo's adorable moments were impossible not to love. Erzhuang as Ruhua creating a new body (and possibly breaking the sky?!) was a wild ride. Meanwhile, Qiu, Hei Guan Er, and Zi Zai stood out in their roles, especially in Episode 10.

Speaking of Episode 10... not him being pregnant?! The baby rescue scene was hilarious! The comedy, paired with the show’s epic fight scenes, made for a fantastic balance. And let’s not forget the OST—it was the perfect backdrop for every scene.

Overall, this season exceeded all expectations. It brought comedy, action, emotional depth, and unforgettable moments. I enjoyed it so much!

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A Flawless Continuation of the Magic of S1

As an avid enjoyer of season one, I've been waiting for this season since finishing the first one, and it totally surpassed my expectations. If you weren't sure if you should watch season two, hopefully this review can convince you to give it a try because I have nothing but good things to say.

Disclaimer, I haven't read much of the manga or watched the donghua, so I can't speak to how well it might have adapted certain things. This is also my first time writing a review haha.

Season two picks up some time after the end of season one (it's not specifically stated, but from context I assume it was few months), with a new conflict that immediately draws viewers in. Like season one, the show balances humor, action, and emotional cues. One of my highlights from watching season one was how it made me laugh like crazy, but also never failed to absolutely hit hard at unexpected moments. I think season two carried over the same storytelling, and there was very few, if any, dull moments. Season two is a more contained plotline (I believe it adapts just one arc from the original manga), but each episode felt worthwhile. My only caveat was there was a point midway through the show (eps 4-7 if I recall) where we went into flashback episodes. I don't mind these, and I actually enjoy going into side stories, so to speak, but after around three, I felt vaguely annoyed that we hadn't at least cut back and forth with the main team.

Like season one, season two also features a lot of action scenes, which were one of my favorite parts. The fight against Ma Xianhong was epic (you have to watch it to know it), and the new powers were also cool. I found it all super flawless to watch, and very satisfying. While the action features a lot of power ups and such, the show is character driven as much as it is plot driven, and each action scene also reveals a lot about the inner workings of the characters, which I appreciate.

The worldbuilding in season two was fascinating. I loved the introduction of the Divine Forge and the different types of Outsiders we were introduced to, especially all of the temporary workers, as well as the Bunker. Season two reveals a deeper understanding of the internal organization of the NDT and how it operates, as well as how different people might respond to it. There was an underlying eeriness, and a very layered feel to this season, which I think is an extension of season one as well. As someone who loved season one because of how fresh it felt in terms of setting in the cdrama world, season two continues to incorporate the modern wuxia feel.

Several familiar characters return in this season, but several new ones are also introduced. Zhang Chulan and Feng BaoBao return as a glorious team, but this time their roles are switched, with Chulan fulfilling his promise to be Baobao's protector this season. I loved the interior look into Chulan's mind, which we got glimpses of last season; he definitely comes across as more mature and very analytical. Baobao was as perfect as ever; at the start, she has somewhat of a lesser presence as the show revolves more around how Chulan views her, but her interactions with Chen Duo show another side of her. Unlike season one, she doesn't have any big emotional moments (that made us feel so much for her), and her memories weren't really addressed, but there is still an obvious tease/build up to the future.

The temporary workers were all unique and interesting. We didn't really get a glimpse into their own backstories beyond the occasional glimpse, but they all stood out, ability and personality wise. The dialogue early on between them really established them as characters, and even if they might have had a lesser presence, they all played their part well, and no one felt forgotten by the plot.

The standouts for me were Ma Xianhong (played by Yin Fang) and Chen Duo (played by Vicky Chen). Both characters doomed from the start, enacting out their own tragic arcs. I have a lot of feelings about them that I won't go into because that's a whole other meta analysis post, but their characters really compelled me, and they should win awards.

Of course, I can't forget to mention Wang Ye, my season one favorite. Although his screentime might not have been a lot, it wasn't as little as you think. Hou Minghao perfectly recreates his season one Wang Ye (down to the few aesthetic loose hairs, eye bags, and slouchy stance), and brings the same attitude too. Wang Ye as a character and narrative device had a not small impact in this drama, and I loved seeing the Fenghou Qimen again. I know some people will be disappointed about the change for the Zhuge Qing actor, and while I was too, Luo Zheng holds up well, if not completely the same, and I thought the scenes between Zhuge Qing and Wang Ye still felt canonical.

A lot of people complained this season felt filler, but I disagree. Chen Duo's story very clearly reflects Feng Baobao's predicament, while Ma Xiaonhong's struggle is a cautionary tale for both Zhang Chulan and Wang Ye.

The OSTS were also amazing. Chen Duo's OST (not sure the title) had me close to tears, while the intro had me jamming out.

In conclusion, 100/10 would rewatch (but I need to rewatch season one first)!

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I was expecting more

This story might be good on its own ..but as a continuation to its season 1 .. the plot turned into a big disappointment. core cast is totally ignored their character are left untouched with no apparent development. The whole season is circling around a girl who sweats ..vomits and even poops poison .. ( and yeah the furnace boy with GOD COMPLEX) .. I understand this all was part of the comic/book plot but watching this one directional plot after a long wait of one to one and a half year feels disappointing .. I was really looking forward to a rigid development... .

I missed wang ye (Neo huo to be exact) wish he had longer screen time ( can't help it's the book plot 😭😭😭)

Moving forward, the pace of the plot is not very impressive either, which was the case with the previous season as well but that was compensated by the pinch of entertainment provided by the martial art tournament. Unfortunately this season doesn't have any such element just too blend and tasteless.

Though this factor doesn't make much of a difference but ost in this season didn't create the magic as the one in the previous season did ... Honestly if you ask me this ost sounds like a chaotic concoction of sounds ,very displeasing.. (can be skipped anyway)

It might be good on its own but the previous season set such high standards that just good wasn't enough. Anyways we are still left with 4 episodes Who knows a surprise is awaiting us.

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Expanding the World, Unravelling the Mysteries

Season 2 takes everything that made the first season interesting and expands it into a much bigger, more complex story. The pace is noticeably faster, the worldbuilding goes deeper, and we are introduced to several new characters who I suspect will play important roles in future seasons. While I did miss some of the familiar faces from Season 1, I actually enjoyed seeing the story move beyond its original group of characters. After all, this is an ongoing story, and with the incoming calamity that could potentially threaten the entire world, Zhang Chulan is obviously going to need more people around him. I really don't understand why some viewers were so upset about the introduction of new characters or the reduced presence of familiar ones. Expanding the cast feels like a natural progression of the story rather than a distraction.

The murder of an NDT supervisor sets the events of this season in motion, with the prime suspect turning out to be none other than his own temporary worker, Chen Duo, also known as the Poison Saint. This incident puts the temporary workers from the other six regions under scrutiny because of their mysterious backgrounds and the potential danger they pose to Feng Baobao's identity. Initially, the higher management considers confining these operatives indefinitely, but eventually decides to send them after Chen Duo instead. For the first time, temporary workers from different regions are expected to cooperate as a team.

Naturally, this creates tension, particularly for Zhang Chulan, who is increasingly concerned about Feng Baobao's identity being exposed. None of the workers is particularly enthusiastic about cooperating, and nobody initially takes the initiative to organise the group. However, as they get closer to Chen Duo, circumstances gradually force them to work together. I enjoyed watching their interactions and how they eventually reach an understanding, even if it wasn't exactly part of anyone's original plan. Meanwhile, Zhang Chulan begins calculating his next moves to ensure Feng Baobao remains protected.

One of my favourite developments this season was Zhang Chulan himself. He has become considerably more calculating and analytical, and we get a much better look into how his mind works. He is increasingly aware of how important Feng Baobao is, and almost everything he does revolves around ensuring her safety and protecting her identity. I particularly enjoyed seeing this side of him because it shows how much he has matured since the first season.

His relationship with Feng Baobao is still a far cry from a conventional romantic pairing. With Zhang Chulan constantly calling her Erjie and Feng Baobao potentially being close to a hundred years old, I have always viewed them more as siblings and complementary partners than lovers. I genuinely don't understand why some viewers keep debating their romantic chemistry. I don't think they are necessarily supposed to be a romantic couple. Their chemistry as partners is already off the charts, and I absolutely love this duo. That said, I wouldn't necessarily mind if the story eventually took them in a different direction.

Feng Baobao is an interesting character in her own right, and Wang Yinglu's performance is simply chef's kiss. What I particularly appreciate is how the story doesn't always make the male lead the centre of its universe. In many ways, Feng Baobao feels like the more significant piece of the larger mystery, while Zhang Chulan's journey increasingly revolves around understanding and protecting her. I would have liked to see more of her personal memories explored this season, but her interactions with Chen Duo still offered some interesting glimpses of another side of her.

Speaking of Chen Duo, her story is arguably the emotional heart of this season. The entire adaptation revolves around her origins, upbringing, intentions, and, most importantly, what she actually wants. Initially, I thought this would simply be another character arc introducing a potential ally. However, her story turned out to have much greater significance for the overall narrative. Her journey was one of the most compelling aspects of this adaptation, and while the larger mysteries remain unresolved, her personal story receives a rather appropriate resolution.

Ma Xianhong was another particularly interesting character. He is intelligent, powerful, and genuinely believes in his vision of creating equality. However, his idea of achieving a greater good is fundamentally flawed. You cannot claim to be kind while bringing chaos and destruction into the world for the sake of your ideals. I found him manipulative at his core, despite his intentions. Even with one of the Eight Supreme Skills at his disposal, he often seemed inferior in his confrontations because of the way he chose to use his power.

We also get glimpses of his recovered memories, and I honestly hope his story doesn't end here. I particularly want him to discover the truth about his so-called sister, who seems to have manipulated him from the beginning. I would love to see him turn against her and finally seek revenge for his grandfather. There is still so much potential in his character, and I would hate to see his story end here.

Among the newly introduced temporary workers, Xiao and Qi were particularly memorable. Xiao initially comes across as rather merciless, but underneath that exterior is a surprisingly soft-hearted person. He reminded me of a coconut: hard on the outside but soft within. His emotional reaction while listening to Chen Duo's story was genuinely touching. He had that protective, big-brother quality, and I found myself growing quite fond of him. He wouldn't hurt an innocent person, although the person he personally targeted certainly deserved what came his way.

Qi, on the other hand, was an absolute delight whenever he transformed. His abilities were probably my favourite among the new characters. He played the role perfectly, and that little sly smile whenever he performed the Man Love spell was such a sight!

The temporary workers as a whole were a wonderful addition. Each had a distinct personality, fighting style, and approach to the situations they encountered. I would have loved to learn more about their individual backgrounds, but even with limited screen time, they managed to leave an impression. I hope future seasons give us more opportunities to explore them.

And can we talk about the casting? The casting director is a genius! I especially loved the casting for Wang Zhen Qiu. The recasting of Zhu Ge Qing was definitely disappointing, though. I suppose I can survive it because the replacement actor was actually the actor from my very first C-drama, so it was nice to see him again. Still, I really missed the original Zhu Ge Qing from Season 1.

As for the action, this season absolutely delivers. The fight against Ma Xianhong was particularly epic, and the choreography, power-ups, and introduction of new abilities made the action sequences incredibly satisfying to watch. The comedy has been toned down compared to Season 1, although there are still enough entertaining moments to keep things enjoyable. Personally, I didn't mind the change because the story had much more serious matters to explore.

What fascinated me most, however, was the expanding worldbuilding. The introduction of the Divine Forge, the different types of Outsiders, the Bunker, and the temporary workers gave us a much deeper understanding of the world these characters inhabit. We also learn more about the internal organisation of NDT, how it operates, and how different individuals respond to its rules and authority. There is an underlying eeriness to the entire setting, which I particularly enjoyed. The modern wuxia atmosphere that made the first season feel so refreshing continues here, but with an increasingly layered and complex narrative.

The philosophical conflict between Ma Xianhong's desire for equality and the NDT operatives' belief that power must be rightfully earned was also interesting food for thought. It adds another dimension to what could otherwise have been a straightforward conflict between opposing factions. I appreciate that the drama doesn't rely on action alone. The confrontations also reveal the characters' motivations, beliefs, and the way they perceive the world around them.

Of course, while Chen Duo's personal story receives a resolution, the larger narrative is far from complete. Who are the people manipulating events from behind the scenes? What exactly is their connection to Feng Baobao? What is the real purpose behind the Eight Supreme Skills? Is Wu Gensheng still alive, and where is he now? And what exactly is the greater calamity that seems to be approaching?

The story is becoming increasingly complex, with hints of mysteries and forces extending beyond what we initially understood about the world. There are so many questions, and I am genuinely curious to see where everything leads. I wouldn't call these unanswered questions plot holes because the story is clearly designed to continue across multiple adaptations. However, knowing that it might take several seasons to unravel everything is a little frustrating!

The ending is somewhat open, with Chen Duo's arc and the immediate purpose of gathering the temporary workers reaching their respective conclusions, while the larger conflict remains unresolved. So, although this season gives us some satisfying closure, it also leaves plenty of unfinished business.

Overall, I found Season 2 just as intriguing as the first, if not more ambitious in terms of storytelling and worldbuilding. It expands the universe, introduces a fascinating group of characters, develops Zhang Chulan further, and gives us Chen Duo's emotionally compelling story. What I appreciate most is that the drama manages to be character-driven while simultaneously pushing a much bigger overarching narrative forward.

It is the kind of story that makes you curious about what comes next. In fact, I enjoyed it enough that I am seriously tempted to check out the original source material because I simply don't want to wait for the next adaptation to find out what happens.

Now, can we please have the next season? I have far too many questions left unanswered!

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A NDBT (哪都不通) storyline

‒Short Review‒

Season 2 returns the main cast in Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao and perhaps even ups the ante in terms of visuals, CGI, action choreography. However, the magic of S1‒seamlessly blending humor, action, and heart into a story with intrigue and great characters‒was missing. Instead, the show often felt like a frustrating, disjointed mess that struggled to blend together multiple stories, angles, and new characters. Only in the beginning and the very last episode did the show feel like S1, where the narrative was able to pull together into a coherent story. Given how this season was somehow higher rated on Douban compared to S1, I suspect much of the narrative issues may be due to a creative team that had to balance the expectations of the manhua and donghua fans, rather than crafting a ground-up adaptation of the story that was shown.

As a TV-only enjoyer, there seems to be several different themes and story lines for this season. There's the Chen Duo storyline of who she is, what happened between her and Liao Shu, and also the the effort to capture her. There's Ma Xianhong's village, his special cauldron, and the effort to bring him under NDT jurisdiction. There's mystery to the other NDT temps. And also, there's the tension with NDT HQ. In addition, there's a small arc about ZGQ. Either the show needed to prune some of the story lines or use a different narrative structure to main the focus and cohesion that's needed. Instead, we got a story that struggled to build tension and focus, much less maintain it. In contrast, S1 worked so well partly due to the core story about ZCL, and later on FBB. I rewatched a bit of S1 again for comparison, and the humor and story difference is just night and day.

What I Liked
- Production value, decent CGI
- Action sequences
- The returning characters from S1, and the new ZGQ
- Vicky Chen's Chen Duo

What I Didn't Like
- The storytelling
- New character casting/acting (I suspect too much emphasis was placed on visual resemblance, rather than acting and behavior that's most organic to the story)
- New character story (the little backstory we got for them was shallow and awkward, difficult to care about them)
- Humor (forced and disrupting to the mood/tensions of the story, and the humor just wasn't as sharp)

‒Category Ratings‒

- Overall - 7 (generous 7)
- Plot - 6.5
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 7.5
- Acting - 7.5
- Visuals - 8
- Audio / Music - 8
- Rewatch - 7
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 8
- Subtitle quality - 8

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A long filler episode which gets better and better!!!

These are just my opinions. I haven't seen the anime that this live-action is based on, and I haven't read the Manhwa. So please, no harsh judgments.

I read reviews that this season is not as good as season 1. To some extent it is true but if you watch it as a long filler episode, it will be fun to watch at least I did that and liked it. This season was important to be this detailed so that the viewers could relate to upcoming seasons better.
Sure this season started slow and the comedy is nowhere compared to season one but I still liked this season. They introduced us to new amazing characters. It was more on the serious side because now the enemies are strong.

Chen Duo-
My favorite character this season is Chen Duo. She went from being a villain in the first episode to the cutest, most innocent person ever. This season truly focused on her, making her the center of the story. I didn't want her to die like that. Throughout her life, she never had choices, and the only choice she made was to end her life. That was heartbreaking for me, but it also brought her happiness because she was finally free. I loved how she perished in beautiful colors instead of just black; it added a deep meaning. Although she seemed innocent, she learned quickly about language and emotions. This quick learning set her apart from Baobao. I thought this season would not be good as compared to season 1 but it gets better and better. The whole 12th episode was beautiful for me.

Zhang Chulan-
Zhang Chulan in this season was way too smart. Temporary workers were all following his plans and the irony is they thought they were moving on their own. I just loved him being all strategised. He had to be ruthless, smart and cunning for Baobao because now he has to save her from the world like an entire outsiders. There are so many outsiders who are more powerful and experienced than him. He doesn't want another Jiashen calamity that's why he had to take charge not only for himself but for Baobao as well.

Baobao-
She took a backseat this season. But her comedic timing is still perfect. We are forgetting that Baobao has lost her memories again even though Chulan has told her about the past but the experience when she came from nowhere to that end valley scene is quite big like almost more than 40 years. So how can we expect her to be smart? But she still amazed me. I am excited to see what happens to her character in the upcoming season.

Wang Ye-
Even if he came for a few moments the impact was quite big whether it was for Zhuge Qing or Ma Xianhong. That few minutes of the fight, when he came to break the magic weapon, was so good. My reaction was the same as other temporary workers. Just amazed. Neo Hou never ceases to amaze me.

Zhuge Qing-
I am a little disappointed that they changed the actor. In the beginning, I couldn't connect to him, like in emotions or his reasons for doing certain things. His inferiority increased this season and MXH took advantage of that. But in the end, he came around. It would be a headache if he truly sided with Ma Xianhong.

OTHER TEMPORARY WORKERS-
My favourites were Xiao and Qi-
Xiao might seem very merciless but he is a softie at heart. He was like a coconut. He got so emotional while listening to Chen Duo's story. How could you not love this character? He was like a big brother who wanted to protect the other members. He will not kill any innocent but that person which he called dibs on deserved everything that happened to him.
Qi- When he transformed was so fire. I liked his powers the most. He played the role perfectly. That little sly smile when he performs that Man love spell is a sight to see.

Ma Xianhong-
He was intelligent but his purpose for the greater good was wrong. You cannot be called kind if you want to bring chaos to the world. For me, he was manipulative to the core. He was powerful, he had one of the powers of eight Supremes but still felt inferior to others in the fights because he was using the power for the wrong purpose. We saw him recovering important information of his memories and I so wish that he change sides because the sister of his is not his real one but a manipulative bitch whole only used him from the start. I want him to take revenge for his grandfather.

‘Favourite scenes from the drama’-
1. Erzhuang becoming the puppet and breaking the village’s barrier.
2. Chulan’s Old Farmer technique
3. Wang Ye breaking Ma Xianhong’s weapon.
4. WY and ZGQ fight with MXH’s minions.

This is my first time not skipping intros in Cdramas. The OSTs of both seasons are amazing but I particularly liked the intro song of season two.

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Good follow up from the first season, but feels more like a prequel to something bigger coming next

What I love:
- The acting!!! Very solid cast who really bring the characters alive
- Chen Duo being the key character here with her whole story made me cry till my eyes hurt
- The introduction of all the 临时工 (Not sure what the translation calls them since I watched this in Chinese, but I supposed the 'part-timers'?) from the different regions of 哪都通 is super cool, I love the team
- Same as season 1, impressive fight scenes and CGI effects
- Eclectic opening song brings across the whole vibe well, I almost never skip
- Other OSTs are enjoyable and fit the scenes well too

The not-so-good:
- Progression of the story feels a bit slow and even boring at times, but they made it up with the better parts
- We got a little bit closer to the "truth" but it feels a little bit like a filler arc to introduce some characters than proper progression (hence my headline on how this season feels more like a prequel to something bigger coming next)
- Idk, it just feels like Wang Ye is loitering and going wherever now, his appearances are kinda random here haha (but I still love him!!!)

Conclusion: I need a season 3 now!!

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