ALEXANDRIA

It's true, I think since sometime back on 2018 or 19, C dramas can't be more than 50 episodes. If you'd noticed, a lot of C dramas are around 30 to maximum 45 episodes only.
It's because of certain entertainment industry regulations.
When a drama is planning to film, it's like a 'project'. The production company will have to selects who are the casts for each roles, and all the casts the production company need to be carefully selected, making sure none of anyone are was from blacklisted, besides this, they also need to understands each casts has no previous conflicts with one and another. Then comes to each casts their managing agencies, on what price they quoted for the cast to the production company, if the price is acceptable for their agencies, the production company will sign a contract with these cast's their agencies. And also many more subjects are included, it's kinda complicated in a way. After everything are signed and agreed, the production company will need to summit the drama (the project) total costings for the authorities to approved. This whole plannings usually took about a year before they can start filming. The entire project's cost are included casts (actors and actress cost paying), costumes, makeup artists, rented scenes for filming side, accommodation, transportations, meals, medical for all the casts and workers. That's why it's a 'project' for those that are producing the whole drama. And we as audience, many didn't know actually what was the background of the drama, we only knows just watching it.
Actually, in this entertainment industry, there are many dangerous / tricky / dirty background that we didn't knows. That's why had you noticed there are many familiar faces why they'd faded away after a few dramas. They certainly knew something that isn't quite right and rather not get involved or prefered just dropped off othe invitations.
Just like last year on 11/9, why actor Yu Meng Long was been brutally murdered. Coz he'd found dirty evidence and was tortured and murdered to be silenced off forever. And the same agency that managed Yu MengLong, EE Media or better known as Tian Yu Media not only they'd silenced off Yu MengLong, dated back to 9 years ago, they silenced off (murdered) Kimi Qiao / Qiao RenLiang too. Back then, we thought Kimi Qiao was dead by suicide, in actual he wasn't, he too was been murdered and staged to looked like suicide. And the very same agency EE Media / Tian Yu Media, it's not the first time they had silenced off someone. Under the agency, there was 9 actors / actress they had murdered.
Dated back to 2006, actress Tan Bei Xi died of mysterious / unusual car crash, on 2011, actor Shang Yu Bo mysteriously fell from a roof top building, on 2015 actor and TV host Bian Ce mysteriously fell from his apartment, on 2016, singer Ben Xi or Chinese native mane Ma Xiao Chen mysteriously fell from her apartment, on 2017, actress Jiao Ren mysteriously fell from a hotel roof top while drunk, on 2019, actres Lu Jia Rong mysteriously went missing, her disappearances was unexplained with mysterious, her case remains with little to no official information released regarding her whereabouts or confirmed death, on 2020, actor Cai Chong died suddenly and mysteriously. If you don't believe, watch this YouTube link : https://youtube.com/shorts/jNx1KCz7jN0?si=B3g8j_F8ViUqQSAt Title of the YouTube short video is "The Agency With 9 Dead Stars : Yu Menglong's Death Shocks Fans !" Or in another way, use Google Search, key in these dead actors and actress's names, it's all documented in Google.
That's the reason why many actors or actress they just faded away from screen, coz in entertainment industry there are many dirty secrets behind and dark dangers, same as South Korea's entertainment industry too, there are quite a lot of young rising stars or popular actors / actress why they just suddenly gone suicide by hanging or inhale carbon monoxide.

Better than the Legend Of Zang Hai. Thou both are this year's dramas.

And also a perfect ending, not like others just ends hastily.

Overall, thou China's crime dramas are interesting, but this Taiwanese drama is the first best crime drama ever produced. I mean based on the storyline, not so much on the actors and the way they are heavy smokers and alcoholics. The way the smoke and the vulgar Mandarin words spoke, it kinda reminds me like 90's Hong Kong police drama.
Back to the cases and storyline, I'm not surprised at all these types of crimes. Phycopathics that dismemberment body parts, BDSM over played and gone psycho, human trafficking and black market organs trading, dirty corrupted cops involved with criminals.
It's highly true these types of scary crimes really happened.
There are tourists found dead at public, the corpse found missing a heart or some found waking up in an unknown motel's bathtub covered with ice but missing a kidney. Tourist rented a highrise home stay condominium and invited friends over to party with drugs, ended been pushed down from balcony dropped dead naked, corpse found cocaine in blood and had been sexually assaulted.
We'd heard these crimes before, but a lot of young people just take it for granted.
This world at all society in every corners, there are hidden evils waiting for their next victim.

Agreed. Highly could be based on real crimes. Human trafficking, black market organs trading.

There's an app call Shazam. Go to your Google Playstore search it then download it.
Next you'll need another phone, 1 phone you'll play the ending theme song and another phone with the Shazam app, turn it on. Then play the theme song and let Shazam app capture the song's music or rhythm or lyrics. The app automatically will find the result of the song with it's title and artist show it for you. This Shazam app don't need to pay a single fee, it's all free.

Quite good for a Taiwanese crime drama, interesting but gruesome and disgusting. Especially the first case of the drama. Just a kind reminding, Don't eat anything while watching.

Yes there are. You may try Burning, a 2020's drama, Or, you may try Danger Zone, a 2021's drama with season 1 and 2. But just a kind remiding, Danger Zone the drama's content are with gruesome scenes or parts. Example, they didn't censor the dead victim's parts. Don't eat anything while watching it. And if you find it's too mind disturbing, just stop watching. But the story gets you excited and wanna knows what's next to happen. For me, I finds until at certain episodes, it kinda sickened me. Oh and this drama is not produced by China mainland, it's a Taiwanese's production, but the original language is still Mandarin / Chinese, coz China and Taiwan speek the same Mandarin except the accent is a little different, but if you can't understand Mandarin, select your subtile.

I think this is the last and final series of Ultimate Notes (Dao Mu Bi Zi).
It all started from The Mystic Nine years ago.
But the series are a little confusing and choppy as some should be earlier and some should be later.
Comparing to Candle In The Tomb's series, it's much more "organized".
And also unsure will The Mystic Nine season 2 (The Treasured Baijia Book) confirm will be air.
Another fact, I'm quite confused with the "Zhang" family clans ... In the sense, who is much elderly. Zhang Qi Shan (Mystic Nine "Fo Ye"), Zhang Ri Shan (Mystic Nine "Fo Ye" assistant) or Zhang Qi Ling (Ultimate Note "Xiao Ge") ?
The "Zhang" family clans seems to have longevity, but Zhang Qi Shan "Fo Ye" in The Mystic Nine had passed away, I guess perhaps he died during WWII sometime in the late 30's at Chang Sha. But why his assistant Zhang Ri Shan had survived ?
And also in this Behind The Bronze Door's somewhere in the few last episodes, it shown that the Mystic Nine's family people had found Zhang Qi Ling and asked his help to guard or finish up something bad or evil behind those bronze doors ...
That should have mean that Zhang Qi Shan "Fo Ye" must had knew Zhang Qi Ling. So, what are their relations ? Cousins ? Or just someone from the same clan ... And why Zhang Qi Shan ask Zhang Qi Ling to guard and finish up whatever that is inside those bronze doors ? Why don't he ask other Zhang family people to do the mission ? His assistant Zhang Ri Shan also from the Zhang family clan and still survive, so why not him instead of Zhang Qi Ling ?
Also another fact is quite confusing. Zhang Qi Shan, Zhang Ri Shan and Zhang Qi Ling, who belongs to the inner clans and outer clans of Zhang family ? What differences they have ... If comparing these three, I think they should be around the same age, somewhere over a hundred years old, except Zhang Qi Shan "Fo Ye" that had passed away due to war. Besides these three, there are still other Zhang family members that are equally had longevity, so why not others be selected for the duty of guarding and finishing up stuffs behind those bronze doors. Confusing.
Lastly ... We only know that, from Zhang Qi Ling "Xiao Ge" blurry memories, his mother is / was Bai Ma. But Bai Ma doesn't looks like from the Zhang family's clan, so, who is she ? What tribes she was from ? And who is Xiao Ge's father ? Got to be someone from the Zhang family clans and why there's no mentioned ? It just seems like Xiao Ge he was an orphan since young and someone must had returned him back to the Zhang family clans. His identity is really a huge mystery and also a pathetic one, if he didn't had met and befriended Wu Xie and Wang Pang Zi (Fatty Wang), what such a miserable life will be.
At the finale, they three retired and settled at a small peaceful village, but when Xiao Ge came out from the bronze door, his first words to Wu Xie was "You look aged". If that is so, then Xiao Ge will have to face one day Wu Xie and Wang Pang Zi's deaths. 'Cause both them are normal humans unlike Zhang family's members that have longevity.

Agreed .. The list of the linear series all are correct, it all started way back from The Mystic Nine to understand who are they and their ancestory.

You'd mentioned : "I thought this type of madness would stay in our past."

True and not fully correct.
In that era, the Japanese had done all sorts of crazy stuffs or acts, because they believed it's an ultimate sacrifice to their country.

Then you mentioned again :
"Madness is bread by leaders speaking madness to generate chaos."

This is true and right. But not only during that era WWII. There was so many wars after WWII, the Somali Civil War (1988 - 1991), Battle Of Mogadishu also known as the Black Hawk Down incident (1993), Afghanistan War, part of the Global War of terrorism and conflict (2001 - 2021), Russia - Ukraine war, Isreal Hamas war ...etc.
Isn't all these wars are bread by mad leaders ? So, yea, madness had never actually stopped.

Lastly you mentioned : "Where thinking people recognize that no Presidential candidate should be praising the life of a fictional psychotic killer who ate his enemies for dinner, there's an entire population that embrace madness -- because it reminds them of their inner madness."

This is damp right ! The real issue is "These psychos their Inner Madness".

And lastly, I'd saw "Bocai" his / her comments that I wrote on my above comment about this drama.
Yes, when I wrote the word "Japs", I meant it was during that era of WWII.
I don't mean it now, and the last thing, I wasn't asking for troubles with the Japanese.
Imagine calling a group of Japanese tourist the "Japs" or during visiting Japan and call them the "Japs". Then it will be real "awful" in returns. LOL !
And thanks for explained it clearly for me, what you'd mentioned to "Bocai" was what I wanted to say. But you'd make a clearer explanations. Thanks John.

And about that movie Pearl Harbour, I didn't quite like or impressed by it. It turns out to be not what I was expecting, a tragic triangle love story but not more to war scene movie.

Only a few facts were accurate,
1)The date the Japs bombed Pearl Harbour and destroyed the war ships and carriers,
2)President Roosevelt declared war with Japs,
3)Atomic bombs 'Fat Man' and 'Little Boy',
4)The brave crew volunteered in this suicide mission,
5)Nuke off 'Nagasaki' and 'Hiroshima'.

I actually don't feel sorry when these atomic bombs "vaporized" Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
'Cause what the Jap's troops had done to the entire Asia / Asia Pacific was equally cruel and brutal. And had to thanked these two bombs that finally forced the Japs to surrendered.

The films / movies that impressed me are :
1)Air Strike
2)Mid Way (based on true even of Battle Of The Midway)
3)U-571
4)Kursk
5)Behind Enemy Lines
6)Enemy Lines
7)Greyhound
8)The Last Full Measure
9)Black Hawk Down
10)1917
11)Hacksaw Ridge
12)Fury
13)The Outpost
14)Hyena Road
15)The Hornet's Nest
16)American Sniper
17)Good Kill
18)The Kill Team
19)The Arctic Convoy
20)The Pacific

Emmm ... I think there's a little misunderstanding here.
I wasn't referring to that movie Pearl Harbour on the reason why didn't the Chinese ally with the Americans.

I just mentioned it 'cause in actual fact, indeed was the psycho Japs invaded Pearl Harbour while the same time America was too busied handling the lost.
And it didn't mean the American did not aid China.
Yes, they had.
They'd send lots of medicines (at then they called it the imported medicines) to aid the injured, also there are American doctors and nurses volunteered to China.

On above I'd mentioned Shanghai back then was devided into 4 territories, I'd used the wrong word, not "territories".
It's known as "concessions".
There are 4 concessions divided in the entire Shanghai area.

The French Concession, the English Concession, the America Concession, and the Japanese Concession.

When I mentioned the westerners misused their authorities, don't misunderstood me.
I'm not saying every westerners at then at there was doing bad. Certainly there are some really loved Shanghai, they even had settled down there and married the chinese.

And it's not the chinese didn't like the westerners or welcome them, in the very beginning it was harmoniously. But as years passed, especially the high ranked officers, they was so used to been bribed by those rich chinese businessmans. Either for the sake of a "green past" so their cargo goods can be avoided inspections by the customs and easily load up to the merchant ships to other cities. Or so to say, whatever they did, it will be no problems, 'cause they are been granted the free permissions. And these cargos inside it may contained prohibited or smuggled items such like opium, guns, antiques which was supposed to be national's treasures and also human trafficking (childrens and young ladies) for sale as child beggars or ladies as prostitute.

Behind the stunning prosperous Shanghai, there are many hideous scenes at then. Thou opium had banned and was illegal, but there are still many "underground secret" operated smoking house owned by the local gangs. There was still many opium addicts.
And these, partially was secretly granted by the westerners officers, it's like "close one eye" and let the gangs operate their businesses and earned money. When it's due date, these gangs will pay a fee like summiting a tax to these officers, equally as bringing.

If should a murdered case happened there, regardless who was the murderer, it can be the local gangsters, or some rich filthy businessman, as long the westerners officers had received the bribes, it can be easily case closed and evidence wipe up.
Unless somebody that lived inside these westerners concession area, and without "summiting the tax" (bribing), the "treatment" will be different. They can be a scapegoat for someone and was decided by these westerners officers.
Summarize it, it all can be more than "double treatments" depending who bribes the most. It was totally lawless and presumptuous.

That's why after many years of toleration, the chinese especially the "blue - collar" plebeians had suffered enough bullied and as coolie to these westerners, they protested numerous times demanded the westerners to get out of the concession or Shanghai. So, it's not (pardon me to say) the chinese dislike or racist against the westerners. There are reasons behind and many more unfair issues.

Not just the Americans, same as the French and British. There were a lots of hidden filthy issues behind all those years that happened.
That's all I knew from my great great grand ancestors through generations pass down. Further more at that era, my great grand ancestors wasn't at Shanghai, the entire family clan was at GuangDong, a province at South China.
I hope I'd explain clear to you, and don't misunderstand as dislike the westerners, unwelcoming them or racist.
If my great grand ancestors was racist, they wouldn't had chose to migrated to Canada at final. Isn't Canadian westerners too ?

"If it's not personal, where did they move to? Just curious. Or where are you now?"

First escape, from China to Hong Kong.
Then gone through WWII.

Several was killed, most had survived, some was born there.
It was horrified, stressed. Had to hide very tightly from the Jap's troops and avoiding air strikes bombings.

After 1945, war had slowed down.
Second escape, from Hong Kong to South East Asia, some landed at Singapore, Malaya (Malaysia), Siam (Thailand),
Indonesia.

1952, my direct ancestor line decided to migrate from Singapore to Canada Toronto. And settled down there permanently.

1960, my parents met at London while pursuing further educations, later married and settled down.
70's, I was born.
Currently I'm at south west of London, Clapham.

Yea ... Agreed. I rated it 9. The storyline is interesting, yet the 4 main casts had double identities.

This drama is so much better than "In The Name Of The Brother". That was just about the Nationalist party at Har Erl Bing capturing Communists.
In this drama, there are few facts are based on real even happened.
It was true that the Japs did created "Plague Infected Fleas Dropped Bombs" or known as Chemical Bombs. Besides this, they also captured the Chinese people to conduct chemical weapon test to frostbite experiments to amputations without anesthesia. This vicious idea was based from "Unit 731" human experiments lab.
The perpetrator of this vicious experiment was a Jap's bacteriologist Ishii Shiro.
And coincidentally in this drama, Da Qiao He Ye played this role.
Second fact, certainly in this drama they can't show to audience the actual type or types of bacterias developed by the Japs, so, simply it just called as "KW30".
But in actual, it could be "Cholera", "Beri - Beri", "Dysentery", "Shiga Bacillus". These are once at that era's most deadliest pathogens. And are real information if google search key words "Unit 731".
Third fact, in this drama Da Qiao He Ye's plan the "Luo Ying" plan and "Luo Ying" mean Blossom Drop", it's another true fact.
Except it's not as the same as the drama showed. The real Blossom Drop plan in actual was a "kamikaze" act volunteered by Jap's pilots. It was also known as "Yokosuka MYX-7 Ohka" or better known as "Ohka", a secret weapon that the Japs hope will changed the course of the war.
The Ohka was an atomic bomb, designed similarly like a torpedo and was carried by the "Betty" bomber planes on it's bowels. The volunteered "kamikaze" pilots then will sit in the cockpit of the Ohka, a torpedo alike bomb build with a small cockpit with control "joystick". Then the bomber plane will dropped the Ohka down from it's bowel to the sea and the pilot controlled the Ohka bomb with the joystick targeting American warships or carriers. That's the purpose of the Ohka, to strike precisely by these "kamikaze" pilots on the Amercan's warships.
One was done successfully by Lieutenant Saburo Dohi. His Ohka strike the American warship destroyer "Mannert L. Abele", causing it to split into half and sank.
To know more about Ohka or the "Blossom Drop" plan, may refer to the book "Blossoms From The Sky" by Dan King.

Besides developed chemical bombs and human experimentings till used it to killed several hundred thousands of Chinese victims, the Japs was also well known in all sorts of the most cruel tortures, amputating their victim's limbs, fingers, toes, drowned in formalin. (Formalin can caused death from throat swelling and as chemical burns to lungs, skin, eyes and gastrointestinal track).
With all these unbearable tortures, I don't blame there are still many Chinese up to today still hated the Japanese. Even thou it had past almost a century. And not just the mainland China's Chinese, the entire Asia Pacific and South East Asia there are still many that hated the Japs. Regarless emperor Akihito had apologized for his country's brutal actions during WWII.
This isn't racist, it's something unforgivable especially many of us our ancestors was either murdered by the Japs or killed by them during the war.
My comments about this drama isn't that I'm emotional, but is certain parts that reminded me their brutality and no doubts, this drama so far resembling to the most reality that actually had happened.

If you're interested to further understands more about that era in China, here are a few (I think) good dramas maybe you should watch.
1)Battle Of Chang Sha
2)Brave Heart
3)Brave Heart 2
4)War Of Faith
5)In The Name Of The Brother

Some information(s) was from my great grandfather / mother, grandfather / mother. Others are from several dramas and English movies, certainly, I can't trust everything from dramas and movies are real, but gathered useful information. And some are via googling. That's how like pieces of puzzles patched up the history idea.

About myself, I'm the 7th generation of Chinese descendant from my ancestors.
It was some time during in the late 1870's - 1900's, very near to the fall of Qing Dynasty, my great great grand ancestors was sort of rich merchant of rice, grains, charcoal, tungsten, timber, herbal medicines, cloth and gold merchant at GuangDong.
And sensing the political directions with knowing the war was coming, yet the Nationalist party are the local's threat, they quickly resale and wrapped off all their businesses, exchanging into gold bars. Then gathering the entire family clan get ready to migrate, or so to say escaping.
Somewhere before 1920's, the last batch of family clan managed to escaped out of China by ship and was almost caught by Nationalist party and the Japs.
That's how I knew in actual reality during that era, it was true that how cruel and lawless in China. Fortunately my ancestors managed to escaped, and fortunately I wasn't born at China and not a mainland Chinese nationality.

Second part, US, Britain and France joined force only on air force to fight off German's air force. China did not joined 'cause at then they still haven't got their war plane yet.

About Russia, Russia was ally with Germany. Japan attacked Russia at Port Arthur which leads to the Russo Japanese war.

Before the war was fully erupted, yes, the Chinese was sort of disliked the westerners. Especially at Shanghai, the city was devided into 4 territories (if I'm not wrong ...), this you can google up 'cause I only knew what the territories are called in Mandarin, in English I'm not too sure what was it called.
And these westerners at their appointed territories, they are given high ranked government positions, such like the chief police, high judge, customs officers, port officers. And the Chinese people worked under them. Because of these not "suppose authorities", these westerners misused their authorities, they received bribings, unlawful acts, bullied the Chinese and raped any ladies as they liked. The Chinese was coolie to them. That was the main reason after many years the Chinese been bullied by the westerners, then later was forced out of Shanghai.
But these unlawful authorities wasn't granted by the Communism party, it was granted by the Nationalist party, because they too are equally filthy.

About the fight or differences between Nationalist party with Communism party are, Nationalist party's members are totally corrupted, from top to below ranks. You can understand them as, blood suckers, corruptors, murderers. Under them, numerous of Communist members was brutally tortured and murdered by them in their secret torture chamber and jail.
Whereas the Communism party their believing or faith or desires are, creating a better China, equalism, no rich and poor difference standards between the people of the country, everyone is equal, no bribings, no corruptions, no crimes, no illegal deeds ...etc.
These made the Nationalist party's members hated the Communism, 'cause these Nationalist party's members had been habituated receiving bribed money and living luxuriously.

Hope these little information had provides you some insight history. Pardon me if any parts I'd made mistake.