Good enough crime drama
I can't remember S1 anymore since it was so not memorable. S2 is an independent drama with all different characters.Nothing about this drama is amazing but if you enjoy crime dramas, this is a decent watch. The cases are standard, but I like the pacing, about 4 episodes per mini case while there is one big case. You won't grow emotionally attached to the characters or cases, but the characters are likeable enough. ML cop & ML's sister are both interesting characters as well as the mysterious informant Bai Zhe. The best scenes are the interaction between the ML's sister and the mysterious Bai Zhe. I wished they had more screen time.
Mini cases:
1. Not very strong, I would've dropped it if there weren't a bigger mystery with Bai Zhe.
2. Standard but better than the first one.
3. Case of the upcoming actress. I liked the twists in this one, so far the strongest mini case.
4. School case, straight forward
What's not so great:
Young female cop acts too naive to be a cop.
Unplausible super cop speed on saving people...
Not the greatest sets/stunts, prob low budget
Shaky hand camara shots, really doesn't work
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Memorable characters
It's been a while since I enjoyed a law drama. Most tend to start interesting t hen drops off after 3 episodes. This one I wish I didn't start until all the episodes came out because it feels like a LONG wait for every episode.Positives:
Strong characters setup from supporting characters to the leads.
ML: cold but not overly cold. This to me is hard to do as over doing it could cause the character to be bland
FL: Perfect mixture of Sassy, Honesty, Clumsy & Loveable. She's not overly perfect but definitely outstanding.
Supporting character: Heo Min Jeong. She's divorced, overcoming her low self-esteem ex fat self to this highly competent lawyer. I absolutely love this supporting character.
Supporting character: Lee Jin U, the younger male lawyer who likes the older Heo Min Jeong. This is a great pairing IMO. Compliments make a fun relationship in dramas.
Cases: Fast pacing for cases so you get the instant gratification of justice in every episode.
Acting: From minor characters to lead characters, the acting's great!
Slow burn building relationships: Mature relationships (maybe not for everyone)
Not for everyone:
Some may feel like the cases a bit too fast. If you like more unfolding every episode like onion layers then... yeah this is not it.
Romance lacking: 7 Episodes in, no kissing with only hint of romance with supporting characters. I personally like this because this is a law drama focused. Subtle romance is nice imo.
Hope the series finish strong!
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Overhyped but Watchable for some Dumb Comedy
Not to piss off Dylan Wang Fans but if you want to use your own voice in a costume drama, work on your accent + line delivery. Success of Love Between Fairy and Devil (which I did enjoy) was partially contributed by the right choice of voice dubbing (Sound, Accent, Line Delivery). Of course, I would love it if more actors can use their own voices but that's under the condition if they can do it properly. It's the same concept where European/Australian actors that play American characters with the correct accent. I am sure it's hard work but it's part of acting.From acting, many of his expressions are the same--that wrinkle between the eyebrow Look. Not comparable to the strong supporting cast. So many good actors can deliver those micro expressions.
Story wise ... kind of makes no sense how fast he solves the 1st case in 3 min. Lots of talking w/o actually going through the process of solving the murder. If you enjoy well written murder solving dramas like Imperial Coroner or Ancient Detective, then this is not it.
What's "Watchable"
Supporting Cast. There are so many familiar faces that can do these dumb humor roles very well. Although this kind of humor may not hit for everyone. 80% didn't hit for me. I much enjoyed "Go East" with Tan Jian Ci or The Happy Seven in Chang'an. Both are silly comedies that hit more for me.
I'll emphasize that these are just my personal opinion. I am not a super fan of any idol actors, but I am a fan of character portrayal and good story telling disregarding popularity.
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Poorly executed storyline
I am surprised at the high ratings??I love Zhai Zi Lu (Mu Chuan) and pretty much stuck through the drama because of him. The story plot isn't bad, but it was poorly executed.
The not so great:
-FL cried & cried... it was like a crying fest for many episodes, but it just doesn't connect. I think she's better in contemporary dramas.
-The love story is sweet, but I didn't feel the leads had any chemistry.
-Jing Chao as Mu Ze: I've seen him as the bad guy in one too many dramas. It was hard to sympathize with his character. No fault to his acting but the storytelling wasn't compelling.
-Low budget background: It was like .... poster fake.
-OST - very few and overly repetitive.
The good:
-Zhai Zi Lu - Hope he picks better scripts
-Actual story - It isn't a bad story
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Can't compare to the first one
Maybe it's watchable if you never watched Fight Break Sphere (2018)If you did then you might feel that it's hard to continue when your benchmark is Leo Wu + Jelly Lin. Then there's a stellar supporting cast Xiao Zhan, Li Qin, Li Zi Feng, and other veterans.
Now the ML is He Luo Luo with a lot less acting experience. FL Ding Xiao Ying is also not a good paring with the ML. He has a baby face, so she ends up looking a lot older even if she's not. Supporting actress Lu Yu Xiao would've been better.
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Doesn't live up to the hype
A MASSIVE dump of characters where no story is told in depth. Surface level of events paired & lightning speed of couple pairing. Did the drama just decide to collect as many drama actors as possible hoping it will succeed? Looking at the cast, there are 13 Main leads!ML Ci sha, he did pretty good as supporting roles in prior dramas, but I don't think he holds up here. Maybe it's the script too but there's a lack of convincing expressions fitting his character.
I was looking forward to some better choreographed fight scenes but classic kung fu in dramas is mostly dead these days replaced by overuse of wires and frozen poses blasting massive wind into people's faces. Sure, the dancer background or the Chinese Opera background actors tend to do better but I haven't seen anything amazing past 8 episodes.
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