My favourite character was Li Quan, I loved his fight skills. Every time I saw Lu Bu's (Godfrey Gao) Red Pom Pom on his head bouncing around I couldn't stop laughing. It was like a big clown nose. He probably felt stupid wearing it on the movie set, I'm sure they got a laugh out of it.
I read the book and wanted to see the newest 2017 remake of this series, so I marathon watched all the episodes back to back. It has some impressive attributes and the action scenes were good, but after a while it was dragging out with the antics between the two twins. It was still fun to watch!
The set designs are in perfect Zen harmony. The drama is intriguing and enjoyable on the whole, however... 'We get it already' ... the emperor is cruel, sadistic and psychotic, but they could have cut out the gross and disgusting aspects of human degradation. The focus on urination, feces in the latrine and pig swill dinners negated the fine qualities of this drama, and it wasn't even comedic, just lacking in taste. The human remains shadow puppets are macabre, totally over the top... Oh, The inhumanity of man. 作惡多端
* Get the bottle of Nair out! * ( at least wax or a razor) This is a good drama and fun to watch. Hair monster? Over half-way through the series and the only thing I don't like is the Heavy Metal music - for a period drama in the 1930's, Hard Rock seems oddly out of place, but I suppose it's meant to appeal to a younger audience. Love it so far!
I am enjoying this drama series. It really has some funny scenes - like the 'Little Ladder' and the Chili medicine given to the mother-in-law. Who hasn't had hot Sriracha lips at family Sunday dim sum! It was hilarious because I could relate to the comedy of it. There are some fantastic cinematographic scenes and camera angles that are quite good. Let's see how it unfolds in the further episodes, I'm hooked so far.
Overall this was a superior drama which was highly enjoyable.
I really wanted this to blow me away, but... I'll play the Devil's Advocate or rather the Dragon's Advocate.
I am having Déjà Vu on the ending... In NIF1 the plot was Prince Yu attacking the Spring Hunting Palace to gain the throne and in NIF2 basically a similar scenario - Prince of Laiyang rebels to take the throne and attacks the palace.
The gathering together of the Brothers in Arms was a moving scene because of their loyalty and honour, but I was very disappointed in the ending - especially the last two episodes 49 & 50. It was too contrived and I was very disheartened. When the large Changlin army was staged outside the city walls, no arrow was fired, no storming of the gates with the battering ram, the opposing rebel army just threw down the weapons and the gate was opened? The rescue army enters the city and there is no fierce resistance, just a one on one gonfu fight with Yuanqi & Feizhan, and then another one on one gongfu fight with Yuanqi & Pingjing????
Such a large build up with the Grand Changlin Army - what did they need the large army for - just to scare them into surrender?
After such a plot pinnacle - if the lack of excitement wasn't enough to disenchant you, the bathetically artificial ending of happenstance meeting to reunite lovers and ride off into the sunset was even more of a let down. I expected more and I wanted more.... Aiya!!!
At Episode 10 the suspense really picks up. I'm totally enjoying this drama expect if I hear that background music 'Umbrellas of Cherbourg' one more time I might have a conniption fit and throw something.
★ CRY ME A RIVER ★ Episode review 1 - 39: This Season Has More Jianghu Connection and Action! The actor portraying the Creepy Sorcerer did a fantastic job at embodying the psychology of this insane character, and the role of antagonist was well performed! I like this season better than the first for the action, war combat and gongfu scenes.
There are a lot of grieving, heart-wrenching scenes that are an emotional roller-coaster ride and after a while it gets to be too much of a downer. I feared that the watching audience would commit mass suicide from clinical depression. It desperately needed some comic relief to lighten it up, otherwise the viewer will go away feeling discouraged instead of entertained.
Ping Zhang's character was such a strong role, it was as though he was the cornerstone that held everyone up, supporting those who were around him. He really carried the show until the plot turned. Waiting to see what motives Yuanqi really has....
At Episode 21 it is getting more interesting to me, but I'm going to be a bad dragon here and mention something that bothers me.
In Episode 18 at 8:58 thru 10:57 in the palace - they are playing some random filler theme music in the background that doesn't fit the scene with the emperor and minister's discussion. It's so disconnected and out of place like it was a quick patch-in job that they borrowed from another movie. It's too bizarre. They usually have flute or zen-like ambient sound. What happened?
★★★★★ EPIC AND ENTHRALLING ★★★★★ This series has it all for me... Action, Magic and Intrigue with stunning scenery. The beginning did not 'hook' me in at first, but once the plot starts to develop intricacies it began to captivate me. The slow movement and stillness of the scenes provokes emotion and suspense coupled often with ethereal music that lends a timeless quality to understanding the character's motives and actions based on the causal events of the past. I find the series engaging and masterful.
Episode 40 & 41 - I love the alchemical use of the natural elements in the soundtrack, instead of background music episode 40 uses Rain and episode 41 uses Wind and of course there is the crackling of fire in the camp. So much majesty has been put into this drama, it is a work of Art, Frame by Frame.
Episode 47 - the soundtrack is amazing, the music itself takes you on a journey - it's an acoustical odyssey. Cherchez La Femme - it's interesting that they are using women each time as catalysts to ignite a reaction that triggers a turn of events or should it be Cherchez Le Sorcier? The cinematography throughout this drama is pure visual poetry, enchanting the viewer with the connection to nature; even in Ep. 66 the background noise of crickets chirping adds a layer of subtlety. Ep. 71-74: There are a lot of fragmented flashbacks that seemed like a Bohemian Rhapsody: 'Is this the Real Life or is this just Fantasy, caught in a landslide, no escape from Reality. Open your eyes look up to the skies and See...' The costume, set designs and use of colour were also aesthetically pleasing. This should be the Flagship model that will hopefully lead the industry as an example for new dramas in the future. It's refreshing to view a mature series with such depth instead of the shallow young adult dramas with sappy dialogue and dysfunctional relationships that we have been over-saturated with for years. I will wait in anticipation for the next season to see what the artists conjure up next!
This is a good drama and fun to watch. Hair monster? Over half-way through the series and the only thing I don't like is the Heavy Metal music - for a period drama in the 1930's, Hard Rock seems oddly out of place, but I suppose it's meant to appeal to a younger audience. Love it so far!
I really wanted this to blow me away, but... I'll play the Devil's Advocate or rather the Dragon's Advocate.
I am having Déjà Vu on the ending... In NIF1 the plot was Prince Yu attacking the Spring Hunting Palace to gain the throne and in NIF2 basically a similar scenario - Prince of Laiyang rebels to take the throne and attacks the palace.
The gathering together of the Brothers in Arms was a moving scene because of their loyalty and honour, but I was very disappointed in the ending - especially the last two episodes 49 & 50. It was too contrived and I was very disheartened. When the large Changlin army was staged outside the city walls, no arrow was fired, no storming of the gates with the battering ram, the opposing rebel army just threw down the weapons and the gate was opened? The rescue army enters the city and there is no fierce resistance, just a one on one gonfu fight with Yuanqi & Feizhan, and then another one on one gongfu fight with Yuanqi & Pingjing????
Such a large build up with the Grand Changlin Army - what did they need the large army for - just to scare them into surrender?
After such a plot pinnacle - if the lack of excitement wasn't enough to disenchant you, the bathetically artificial ending of happenstance meeting to reunite lovers and ride off into the sunset was even more of a let down. I expected more and I wanted more.... Aiya!!!
There are a lot of grieving, heart-wrenching scenes that are an emotional roller-coaster ride and after a while it gets to be too much of a downer. I feared that the watching audience would commit mass suicide from clinical depression. It desperately needed some comic relief to lighten it up, otherwise the viewer will go away feeling discouraged instead of entertained.
Ping Zhang's character was such a strong role, it was as though he was the cornerstone that held everyone up, supporting those who were around him. He really carried the show until the plot turned. Waiting to see what motives Yuanqi really has....
In Episode 18 at 8:58 thru 10:57 in the palace - they are playing some random filler theme music in the background that doesn't fit the scene with the emperor and minister's discussion. It's so disconnected and out of place like it was a quick patch-in job that they borrowed from another movie. It's too bizarre. They usually have flute or zen-like ambient sound. What happened?
This series has it all for me... Action, Magic and Intrigue with stunning scenery. The beginning did not 'hook' me in at first, but once the plot starts to develop intricacies it began to captivate me. The slow movement and stillness of the scenes provokes emotion and suspense coupled often with ethereal music that lends a timeless quality to understanding the character's motives and actions based on the causal events of the past. I find the series engaging and masterful.
Episode 40 & 41 - I love the alchemical use of the natural elements in the soundtrack, instead of background music episode 40 uses Rain and episode 41 uses Wind and of course there is the crackling of fire in the camp. So much majesty has been put into this drama, it is a work of Art, Frame by Frame.
Episode 47 - the soundtrack is amazing, the music itself takes you on a journey - it's an acoustical odyssey. Cherchez La Femme - it's interesting that they are using women each time as catalysts to ignite a reaction that triggers a turn of events or should it be Cherchez Le Sorcier? The cinematography throughout this drama is pure visual poetry, enchanting the viewer with the connection to nature; even in Ep. 66 the background noise of crickets chirping adds a layer of subtlety. Ep. 71-74: There are a lot of fragmented flashbacks that seemed like a Bohemian Rhapsody: 'Is this the Real Life or is this just Fantasy, caught in a landslide, no escape from Reality. Open your eyes look up to the skies and See...' The costume, set designs and use of colour were also aesthetically pleasing. This should be the Flagship model that will hopefully lead the industry as an example for new dramas in the future. It's refreshing to view a mature series with such depth instead of the shallow young adult dramas with sappy dialogue and dysfunctional relationships that we have been over-saturated with for years. I will wait in anticipation for the next season to see what the artists conjure up next!