An ambitious drama--with logic problems
Many reviewers call this drama: “incredible,” “superb,” “top notch,” “amazing,” “masterful,” “flawless,” and every other superlative you can think of.A different group says that this drama is: “confusing,” “mediocre,” “over-hyped,” “terrible,” “pretentious,” “tedious,” “disappointing,” and “a disaster.”
So which is it? I feel a like an alien from Mars trying to mediate between two warring tribes of humans. Truthfully, the praise seems waay over the top. On the other hand, a lot of the criticism seems...let’s just say –- a bit mean-spirited.
THE LENGEND OF ZANG HAI, like most dramas, has its strengths and its weaknesses.
What I liked:
1. The plot held my interest. Occasionally, I had to stop and backtrack to figure out who was doing what and for what reason. But the writers kept the complications in hand so that I never lost the overall thread.
2. And how refreshing it was to have the main guy fight with his frontal lobes and not with his fists. I loved that!
3. Some very satisfying twists and turns. For example, I liked the fact that the second son of the Marquis is introduced as a lightweight party-boy. And then, in a totally delightful scene, he turns out to be someone else entirely. Well done, writers.
4. The production quality, sets, and cinematography were outstanding. The artifacts and furnishings looked like the real deal--not like cheap schlock bought in a secondhand junk store (which has sometimes been the case with other dramas).
What could have been improved:
1. Why did everyone keep risking their lives to get their hands on the Gui Seal without any real inkling of what it was all about? Or what its drawbacks might be?
2. The FL’s role in this drama confused me. In the beginning, she was coy and childish–keeping the ML waiting for hours while she primped and fussed with her clothes and hair. Later, she arbitrarily tried to retrieve a coin she’d just given him, although this impulsive behavior endangered his life. It’s true she eventually turned into a serious partner and valuable ally. But by then, I was more than a little put off by her.
In addition, she did some unbelievable things. Would a bright, capable, well-established business woman really agree to kill a powerful, high-ranking leader in the community, even one she didn’t like, just to please some dude she’d met once or twice? She hardly knew the ML at the time. Was she already that smitten? It didn’t make sense.
3. The ML wasn’t totally logical either. For example, everything depended on his ability to keep his mouth shut regarding his true identity and motivation. Yet he blurted out the truth to one person or another. At one point, he persuaded himself that the FL was involved in the murder of his family, in spite of the fact that she was only 10 years old at the time! He explained this suspicion by declaring that “children are sometimes underestimated” by adults!
And how is it that our 20-year-old ML was an expert in so many areas: plants, astronomy, architecture, feng shui, weather, woodworking, joinery, etc.?
Things always seemed to work out for ZH. Whenever there was a person to be manipulated or a plan to be carried out, ZH showed an extraordinary ability to predict everyone’s behavior. Even Superman couldn’t have performed so well.
His incredible luck made his successes seem unearned. Too many times, some arbitrary person or event would come along and solve ZH’s problems for him–that is, keep him from being poisoned or murdered, or exposed.
I could forgive the writers using this device once or twice. But “deus ex machina” came to the rescue over and over. It was a bit much.
A few picky things:
1. Too many devastating fires in this series–or threats thereof.
2. Anachronistic subtitles. Nobody in ancient China would use the phrase “throw him under the bus.”
Was this review helpful to you?
Goes down like the Titanic....
...but at least the Titanic had a band.
MY DEMON is a series with no organizing theme. Is it about the migrating tattoo? A would-be killer on the loose? A dysfunctional family drama? What we get is a number of false starts that lead nowhere. It feels like too many writers were pulling this mess in different directions.
Hey, everybody--your homework is to read the green DEMON'S MANUAL. The rules keep changing, but it's got to be in there. Here's the question: Can demons be shot and killed--or not?
The attraction between the two leads is all about physical appearance. These generic lovers do generic things: he brings her flowers, they watch a horror movie, they ride a bike, she cooks, etc. Etc. I couldn't find any convincing individuality-or chemistry. In fact, it sure looked like Song Kang used his hand to block their first kiss.
And Do-Hee isn't the brightest cookie in the jar. It takes until Episode 14 for her to show the slightest curiosity about her husband's day job. She's horrified, of course, but she sure gets over it quickly. "Oh, you take the souls of desperate people who are then tortured forever? And one of them’s my dad? No problemo."
And I'm sorry--because I really like him-Song Kang is totally miscast as a demon. For most of the series he's sweet and loving or having a fashion moment. He's just not the baddy the audience deserves. I blame the writers because Song Kang can ACT when he's got a good script (see Navillera).
The secondary characters engage in a lot of silliness that never adds up to a single genuinely funny moment. As for God, s/he just bloviates about all the things she can't do. No help there, though I have a feeling she'll come through in the end.
Later: I finished the series, and while a lot of the silly stuff was wrapped up, I can't see that anything important was resolved. A minor character is going to be damned for all eternity--someone who absolutely didn't deserve it. But no one in this series has a moral compass, so no one cares--as long as the big romance is saved. A lot of filler in the last two episodes. I was so ready for this one to end.
Was this review helpful to you?
Entertaining and fast-moving
This drama held my interest and entertained me, but didn't impress me deeply as much as the last three Chinese dramas I’ve watched---GUI DUI aka THE LONG WAY BACK, THIS THRIVING LAND, and TWELVE LETTERS. They were all impressive.FATED HEARTS moved along briskly, with little or no dithering---a rarity in Chinese and Korean dramas. At times the story went off the rails and didn't make sense---the emperor trying to goad his favorite son into killing him, for example. Or when two people were pierced by swords--- swords that not only penetrated their bodies, but came out the other side--and they both lived to tell the tale. (I guess they were only flesh wounds?) And, last but not least, TWO cases of amnesia.
I've complained in previous reviews about Chinese dramas infantalizing women. But this drama reverses that trend. The women out-fight, out-argue, and out-maneuver the men. Whenever love is on the horizon, the woman involved declares her feelings first. Whenever two men are at each other's throats (or one of them is acting like a spoiled brat) the designated woman will jump in, speak the truth, and often solve the problem.
The main FL is one tough cookie. At first, she's grim and tense, even with her kids---whom she's always scolding. When we meet her, she's battling threats from every direction. But couldn't the writers have given her a few moments of peace or playfulness? As it is, she's a fairly rigid, one-note character---until she finally begins to loosen up, about ten or twelve episodes into the series.
At that point, she, takes charge and gives wise counsel to the sensitive and somewhat traumatized First Prince. I don't mean to imply that First Prince can't hold his own---he definitely can---and he does whenever challenged.
The First Prince's mother, we find out in a flashback, was another outspoken, early feminist---until someone ran her through with a sword (and, with no magical medicine available, she died). His sister is also a strong woman, although it takes awhile for us to see that side of her.
Most of the male characters in this series are either physically incapacitated (poisoned, crippled), weaklings (Second Prince), or dealing with past trauma (First Prince, plus his so-called best friend). Man up, guys! The women are way ahead of you.
The platform I watched this on kept intermingling the words of the background songs with the subtitles, so I had to work hard to follow the dialogue, especially during intimate moments. Someone needs to fix this.
Was this review helpful to you?
A breath of fresh air
An intelligent, well-conceived K-drama. It’s so nice to see a FL depicted as a mature, no-nonsense professional. Even though she has a few quirks and a lighter side, the FL maintains her integrity and dignity throughout.The ML, has a messier life. But he, too, comes across as a fully formed human being.
As for the acting, both leads display a range of emotions through subtle expressions and body language that add depth and nuance to their characters.
Only the best actors can keep this up without missing a beat. These two pull it off with skill and consistency. Luckily, they’re helped along by a well-written, polished script and excellent camera work. Really liked it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Awesome
MOVING is just as good as the most of the reviews say it is. It’s basically an entertaining thriller, and almost every episode ends in a cliff hanger. Each character is a complete individual--even the villains aren’t totally evil. Everyone’s more or less a victim of their particular circumstances. While certain characters have powers, their abilities often create as many problems as the solve.The story manages to be surprising in spite of the overworked theme. Unlike some other Korean and Chinese dramas, this one never once made me feel that the writers were making it up as they went along. The story was well-crafted, tightly woven, and believable within a fantasy framework.
The back story was parceled out a bit at a time, and sometimes the writers would circle back and fill in the details of a previous scene adding texture to the plot or more dialog to a previous conversation. The visual effects and ost during the final credits for each episode enhanced and deepened the atmosphere.
Because the plot, characterization, and logical development were so well-done, I have very few criticisms. I’ll just mention a couple. It bothered me that Mr. Electric, who went AWOL twice with disastrous effects to the company’s property, was allowed to keep his job as a bus driver. A few weeks before the school year ends, practically the entire school collapses in rubble and ruin, and yet during the graduation ceremony, a few weeks later, everything looks as good as new.
But I’m being a bit picky--it's really quite good.
Was this review helpful to you?
Cartoon cliches
Series writers, directors, and other such craftsmen are masters of misdirection. In THE TRAUMA CODE, we’re encouraged to focus, indeed obsess, about Baek Kang-hyeok, the series’ enigmatic, superman doctor, while all manner of insanity is swept under the rug.What kind of insanity? The buffoonish behavior of a certain hysterical hospital administrator who screams, yells, and bloviates while bodies are piling up in the corridors. The fact that said hospital has such a skeletal staff that minimally trained people are recruited to do serious surgery whenever the head dude isn’t around. The constant catastrophizing as our hero theatrically attends to one patient after another–once under a hail of bullets, once while clinging precariously to the side of a cliff. Each time the viewers are assured that the patient’s chances are slim to none–but somehow they all pull through. (Well, almost all.)
I know. This is standard fare for a medical drama, especially one based on a webtoon. And, I have to admit, it’s done smoothly and almost (but not quite) convincingly here.
Was this review helpful to you?
Extraordinary Drama
This amazing Chinese drama---one of the best of 2025---stars Hu Jun in the role of a platoon leader in the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army during the 14-year Second Sino-Japanese War.After his team is scattered, Hu Jun, as Lu Chang Shan, searches for each of them–-bringing them back together, one by one to continue their mission to defeat the Japanese and reclaim their land.
I’m usually not a fan of war movies, but this drama is exceptional. It’s never boring, and never repetitive---showing how individual human beings dealt with the challenges of food shortages, prison camps, cruelty, deprivation, and loss.
While there’s plenty of suffering, this drama is not a downer. It’s human, entertaining, and sprinkled throughout with good-natured banter. In fact, it’s mostly uplifting, depicting the best of human nature, as well as the worst. The camera work, the OST, and especially the acting is immensely moving and poignant.
Americans, as a whole, unfortunately, have almost no knowledge of the degree to which China suffered, but ultimately prevailed, in World War II. Even this drama barely scratches the surface. (For a more granular and depressing account of the unmitigated horrors of this conflict read The Rape Of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust Of World War II by Iris Chang.)
I can’t say enough good things about Hu Jun, who plays the heroic, but extremely kind and compassionate, Lu Chang Shan, a man who nurtures each member of his team as needed, and is also wiley and shrewd when necessary. Other actors who deserve respect for their portrayals are too numerous to mention–really, almost all of them.
I don’t often give praise like this. But this series is a triumph of Chinese cinema. Don’t miss it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Best drama series of 2026--so far
I’m not quick to give 10 stars to just any drama. But LOVE STORY IN THE 1970S earned each and every one of them. This beautifully rendered production reminded me, once again, of what’s special about Chinese drama at its best. A well-directed, well-acted series such as this one can be heartfelt, and unpretentious in a way that Hollywood concoctions seldom are.I so appreciate the performance of the two leads, but especially Arthur Chen. What a treat to see him play a real, multi-layered human being, using the total arsenal of his craft. And even nicer to see him give up filters and other visual enhancements to fully inhabit the role of Muyang Fang, muting the audience projections that are usually his burden to bear.
Simplicity is the secret that makes this drama a winner. No silly tantrums. No jealousy or manufactured mis-communication. Just real people trying to solve real problems in an authentically rendered historical context.
Nor is the FL drop-dead gorgeous. Instead she’s emotionally alive, radiant, and devoid of superficial flash. The actress who plays the repressed, robotic Mujing Fang is also noteworthy, communicating a world of feeling with the tiniest gesture or change of expression. And I especially enjoyed watching the hilariously clueless Ye Feng.
There’s injustice in this drama, but it’s everyday injustice that most of us have to face from time to time. Not a single narcissistic psychopath to be found.
This is the best drama of 2026–so far.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Lighthearted and playful
Fun and enjoyable. But I agree with others who say the plot was awkward and contrived. For example, quite a coincidence that Go Da-rim’s sister informed Da-rim about an emergency at the exact moment she and the ML were going to make love. Quite a coincidence that both team mothers who had been selected to flog the company’s baby product on television couldn’t do it (each because of a problem with her face) right before the show was to go on. And speaking of mothers–quite the coincidence that the two mothers of the two leads just happened to meet and become such good friends that they move in together.It’s not funny when a male boss bullies a female employee by making her do something over and over out of pure vindictiveness. I wasn’t laughing.
Reviewers have been extremely critical of the Ahn Eun-jin in this drama. I think most of that criticism should be directed at the writers who produced an inferior script, a script that Ahn Eun-jin was simply following. Personally, I loved her so much in MY DEAREST (one of my all-time favorites), I can forgive her for not being perfect here.
Was this review helpful to you?
Poignant and engrossing
LOVE IN THE CLOUDS is the third fantasy in a row, starring Hou Ming Hao, that I’ve watched.In each of the other two dramas, Hou Ming Hao played a demon of sorts, but neither of those characters was as dark, nor as multidimensional, as Ji Bozai. Both those dramas, while entertaining, had moments of gauzy meaninglessness.
The plot of this drama was solid and believable in a way the other two weren’t. Hou Ming Hao seemed more relaxed, more compelling, and altogether more likable as a human being in LOVE IN THE CLOUDS. The plot never deteriorated into terminal silliness, and the secondary characters were appealing and impressive.
I had a particular soft spot for Situ Ling, the FL’s rejected lover/villain–who pulled at my heartstrings, even as he descended into evil. (How did I know he was evil? His irises turned red, of course.)
The writers and director seemed to have a clear vision of where they wanted this story to go–and they took it there.
As usual, this wasn’t a perfect drama. Yes, it dragged a bit in places. And I found the FL’s lies and deceptions tiresome and not too convincing. The OST consisted of one particular melody, played over and over and OVER again. While it was a lovely piece of music, the repetition was annoying and tedious. Still, overall, a strong production.
Was this review helpful to you?
One of the best
I’ve sometimes been critical of certain popular Korean or Chinese dramas. But I’m having a hard time finding anything negative to say about GO AHEAD, a 40-episode Chinese family drama made in 2020. It’s certainly not a perfect production. Still, it’s entertaining, interesting, and touching. And it dodges so many of the common traps that these kinds of series fall into, that all I can say is: Bravo!Most of the actors were impressive, especially the three male leads: Weilong Song who plays the older brother (and also the young actor who plays him as a child), Steven Zhang/ Zhang Xin Cheng who plays the younger brother, and especially Tu Song Yan the Dad, the owner of the noodle restaurant, where so much of the action takes place.
Whenever one of these three incredible actors was on screen, I was totally immersed in the drama, and emotionally convinced that I was watching a slice of reality and not a fictional work. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention Yi Sun who plays the best friend of the FL. She’s convincing as a kind, generous, but inhibited young woman who’s oppressed by her overly-dominant mother.
I did have some problems with Songyun Tan, an actress in her 30s who plays the FL, Li Jianjian. For half the series this character is supposed to be sixteen years old. When playing a teenager, the actress seemed to be working too hard to make the character spunky, cute, and childlike. She came across as childishly petulant and performative way too much of the time. Also (as is often the case in older Chinese productions) she seemed more like a twelve-year-old than a sixteen-year-old, throwing whiny tantrums and hitting her brothers in fits of pique.
But I really can’t blame the actress. Because this is such a common problem in older Chinese dramas, I suspect it’s due to other considerations. Perhaps she was given instructions to play it that way from the director.
In the second half, when the same character is in her late twenties, Songun Tan is much more appropriate and believable in the role–more relaxed and also more likable–although still a fun-loving, cheerful tease.
The series got a little too sentimental for me in the end. “Emotions aren’t like a faucet where you can turn them on and off at will.” Too many bromides along with the schmaltzy music...but by and large the skillful acting sold it–so it was OK.
A winner.
Was this review helpful to you?
A few problems
I’m not sure exactly what’s wrong with WHEN DESTINY BRINGS THE DEMON, but this drama just didn’t land for me–partly because it’s so simpleminded. For example, when the demon army invades the Grandmaster’s stronghold in ep. 20, the demon fighters are all dressed in black. The good guys are dressed in white. Pretty convenient.There are many parallels in this story with LOVE BETWEEN FAIRY AND DEVIL. There’s a dragon buddy in one, a snake buddy in the other. Fairies and demons fight each other in the first. Immortals and demons are at war in the second.
The female leads in each series are different. While Orchid is sometimes irritating in LBFAD, she’s also lovable, funny, and appealing, and she grows into a strong, impressive woman.
But the writers of WHEN DESTINY BRINGS THE DEMON infantilize Tingyan. She pouts and simpers and makes eyes at Jiao. Her goal is life is to eat, drink, and try on pretty clothes. It doesn’t hit home with her until about halfway through the series that her boy is a serial killer. Also, who is this woman? Is she a demon? a reincarnated human? or a fish?
What’s motivating the ML? Power? Revenge? The attainment of higher cultivation levels? Personal animus? The villains seem like a bunch of feckless, bungling clowns. It’s hard to take them seriously. Mostly they seem like a swarm of annoying insects buzzing around Jiao’s head. Every once in awhile he brushes them all away.
Arthur Chen as Sima Jiao is disarmingly handsome, but that’s not always an advantage for someone wanting to be taken seriously as an actor. His looks make him subject to everyone’s projections. Sima Jiao, is a pit of hatred, negativity and despair– in other words, a damaged soul.
The writers need to show us how someone who’s never known a kind word, can reach into his heart and find a boatload of self-sacrificing love for Liao Tingyan, a well-meaning, not-too-bright klutz. But character motivation is missing throughout. They don’t give Chen enough to work with, I’m sorry to say–so Sima Jiao’s transformation into Mr. Wonderful isn’t convincing. Or at least it wasn’t to me.
The comedy scenes in WDBTD are repetitious and not very funny. It’s cute that Liao Tingyan keeps using 21st century lingo and 9-to-5 work metaphors in her “employment” with her “boss,” but after the third or fourth time this device gets a little old.
The characters in this drama are always telling the viewers what’s happening: “Why isn’t the Grandmaster here? Looks like he’s figured out our plan.” Or, “If I can win the Grandmaster’s favor, perhaps I can help Mother through this crisis.” Weak writing.
The special effects and CG make many scenes seem low-budget.
My greatest wish for Arthur Chen is that he can find a substantial role that truly inspires him--maybe some kind of an eccentric character–a role that he can individualize and make his own. This drama doesn’t give him that.
Was this review helpful to you?
Entertaining
1. Of all the women our brilliant alien friend met in 400 years, a shallow, scatterbrained, selfish, vain narcissist was the ONE? Well, OK. She was a babe, no doubt about it. It would be nice if there was some explanation for it–other than hormones.2. Why do they keep talking about this dude’s original home as a“star”? Unless he can withstand temperatures of one million degrees F (or more)--to say nothing of the crushing gravity--my guess is that he comes from a planet, not a star.
3. In one episode Do Min-jun points to a bright point in the sky, obviously a “star,”and tells his startled Joseon acquaintance, “That’s where I come from.” Later, he tells Song-Yi who wants to know the same thing, “You can’t see it from here.” Which is it?
In one of the first episodes we hear that he comes from “another galaxy.” But any other galaxy, especially Andromeda our largest neighbor which is 2.5 million light years away, would look like a smudge in the sky, not a star.
4. Not to go all nerdy here, but there are some other problems too. Hey, Korean movie makers, get a science advisor.
5. Dangling plot points. What did the young girl who looked like Song-Yi, the one he met when he first came to Earth, have to do with anything? She’s totally irrelevant to the plot.
What I liked:
1. I thought this series was very funny in places. Often the humor in Korean Dramas doesn’t work for Americans. This series was an exception.
2. I came to like Song-Yi much, much more toward the end. She showed some really likeable characteristics. Loved her honesty and sensitivity.
3. I’ve seen reviews that were critical of Kim Soo-hyun’s acting in this drama–but I thought he was absolutely great. It’s true he was poker faced in most scenes, but he somehow communicated deceit, tenderness, anger, confusion, disdain, and a host of other emotions. And he did it all with an almost imperceptible change of expression.
4. The compositions of the various settings and the wardrobe choices were exquisitely done. That library in Do Min-joon’s house was to die for.
Was this review helpful to you?
Best Chinese Drama I’ve seen in 2025
I give high ratings to dramas that:1. Entertain me.
2. Teach me something.
3. Or have heart – the rarest.
This is a No. 3.
I can’t say this is a perfect production, but I couldn’t help but fall in love with the two leads (and also with many of the minor characters). This was a MUCH more appropriate role for Yinglu Wang, than her role in WHEN DESTINY BRINGS THE DEMON. She plays a strong woman with sensitivity and nuance. As for Yiran Zhou, he commanded every scene he was in.
Attention to detail really boosted the quality of this drama. The cinematography, the ost, the editing--all were outstanding. I usually don’t like an ending that doesn’t wrap things up neatly -- but, for me, this one worked perfectly. We see all the different sacrifices various characters make for love – and at the end, the most rigid character, makes the ultimate sacrifice. (Although maybe not..?)
Speaking of attention to detail, I read that FOUR orange cats were used in the making of this drama. Cats being cats, that helped ensure that at least one of them would always be in the right mood. Another endearing detail–a woman who’s nine months pregnant is the action hero who saves the day.
Loved it!
Was this review helpful to you?
No connection between leads
Some positives and some negatives. The story held my interest.Most of the energy in the script centered on the main conflict and the FL’s various problems. But the script just didn’t give the secondary characters, who were apparently supposed to be a group of lovable eccentrics, any good material to work with. The over-acting of the semi-hysterical principal, the scatterbrained dancer, the guy who was supposedly possessed by spirits, as well as some of others was painful to watch.
The male lead seemed warm and likeable, but the female lead was a bit cold and imperious. I didn’t feel much connection between the two of them. Couldn’t she have at least put her arms around him when they finally kissed? She acted as if she could barely stand to touch the poor guy.
By the way, teachers who specialize in early child education (kindergarten and pre-school) are committed, trained professionals, although no viewer would get that from this drama. A kindergarten teacher would never leave children unsupervised or allow random people to wander into the classroom. It would have been nice if we could have seen the FL actually teaching something (yep, there’s actually a curriculum) or doing something other than reading a picture book to the class–which any parent could do.
Not my favorite K-drama of the year.
Was this review helpful to you?
