Half-time check in--plus final assessment
Having now watched all episodes of PURSUIT OF JADE, I have to agree that–although in places this story is unbelievable, and certainly brutal--it’s one of the most entertaining and original Chinese dramas of the year.What I like:
1. There are certain cliches that pop up in Asian dramas again and again. This series has fewer of those than almost any drama I’ve seen up to this point. The slight, skinny FL is no helpless victim. If anything, she’s almost unbelievably strong and assertive. I said “almost” because, well, I questioned a couple of her physical feats. But I suspended my disbelief for the sake of the overall narrative, which never flags.
2. Speaking of the plot, it’s unusual for me to be so engrossed in the action that I have a problem turning off the TV when my own life is calling. That’s how this drama affected me–it’s utterly absorbing.
3. The originality of the plot, the physical details of the house and yard, plus other visuals frame the story in a way that adds authenticity. For example, the uneven and ramshackle fences that encircle the Fan house looked altogether real (I looked them up–and, yes, rural fences do sometimes look like that).
4. The way the impoverished villagers help each other out, the malicious gossip, even the slaughtering of the pigs–all contributed to the overall credibility. The main characters, and many of the minor ones, are appealing and likeable. The plot is succinct. If there’s any filler in the first 23 episodes, I couldn’t find it.
5. Some of the visuals are clever–others are downright stunning–for example the scene where the camera follows the white hawk as it soars through the clouds. (AI generated, of course.) Still, it’s breathtaking.
6. Delightful little touches like the ML sneezing when his wife and teacher each sing his praises without either realizing that they’re talking about the same dude. (In East Asian cultures, many believe that sneezing indicates that someone is talking about you behind your back.)
A few difficulties--
1. Suffice it to say that this story is brutal in places. You probably shouldn’t watch it with young children. There are a few graphic sequences where a pig is slaughtered, or at least seems to go unconscious before its killed–although we’re told that “no animals were harmed in this episode.” In another scene, a young child is psychologically tormented.
2. The political machinations were too convoluted, and culture specific, for me to follow. Luckily viewers don’t need to understand the details to understand who the villains are–and who’s trying to off whom.
3. I counted four times in the first 23 episodes that the ML was out of commission because of injuries sustained in a fight–and I might have missed a few. Too repetitious for a drama that mostly avoids this kind of overkill.
4. It’s usually a good idea not to confuse the actor with the character he plays. Linghe Zhang has been criticized--I’d say unfairly--as being a bit subdued and tepid in his role as the ML. That’s how the character is written, folks. Zheng Xie is supposed to be a serious man with heavy responsibilities.
If you want to see the same actor’s wild, zany side, watch his performance as Changheng in LOVE BETWEEN FAIRY AND DEVIL, especially the sequence where he’s been reincarnated as a fun-loving mortal.
LATER–I’ve now seen all episodes. We spend much of the second half of this drama in the company of people who are basically trying to shiv one another. Also, the English subtitles were sometimes a bit muddled and incoherent.
If I were a foot soldier putting my life on the line for the Marquis of Wu'an, I might be a tad annoyed that he spends so much energy on the vicissitudes of his love life--instead of figuring out how he’s going to defeat the bad guys. At one point, he even recruits his underlings to create a performance to trick the FL...
Villains in C-dramas seldom get their due. So I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the magnetic, sultry presence of Deng Kai who plays the role of Qi Min, in a way that makes the character both compelling and horrific.
NOTE to those still watching PURSUIT OF JADE–or are about to begin it:
If you want to promote quality cinema in China please boycott pirated versions. The people responsible for this fine production deserve to profit from it. Each decision, each costume, the ost, and everything about this drama shows the care and artistry that were poured into it. Any discerning viewer can see it. Please make sure you’re viewing it through legitimate outlets, so that the original director and producers can recoup their considerable investment. (Just to be clear--I have no connection with the company who made PURSUIT OF JADE.)
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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.”
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Slow as a molasses factory run by sloths
It was a struggle to get to the end of this tepid series. The first few episodes showcased the slooooooww build up of the lethargic romance between the two leads. He looks at her. She glances at him. He looks at her again. He blinks. They’re alone in the office. He falls asleep and she touches his nose. She’s had too much to drink and she leans in, but will they kiss? No. Big nothing burger. The director thinks it’s an amazing scene, so they show it twice. Then the two leads experience the least exciting date I’ve ever seen in a Korean drama–a piano recital!Lots of shots of the deserted office at night with one or the other leads or both of them working diligently. They enjoy lots of meals/snacks together, and product placement proliferates. A certain Korean candy bar takes center stage three times. It’s name is forever burned into my psyche.
At Episode Seven, the writers wake up and realize that there’s not much emotional tension in this series, so they throw in a contrived complication. She weeps. He holds her. Will this non-tragedy drive our two lovers apart?
Nope. Back to business as usual. Meanwhile, the insipid dialogue deserves an award for pointlessness: “What’s your favorite weather?” “Did you ever day-drink before?” Another couple exclaim over the fact that they’re both wearing the same style of shoes.
Finally, toward the end, the evil villain makes a move. Now there’s actually a conflict of sorts. But it’s too late. The audience (well, some of us anyway) has been bored into oblivion.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 character, 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, a normal, good-hearted human being.
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.
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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.
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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.
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This review may contain spoilers
Cotton candy with a Buddhist veneer
I was in the mood for a dreamy fantasy, and the first episode of THE UNCLOUDED SOUL looked like it might do the trick. But by episode 2, I began to realize it had turned into a children’s flic with cute little pixies, a demon school for newbies, and a menagerie of talking animals and plants. The meanie demons (not the nice ones) were always dressed in black–so you could tell who the bad guys were. The decor reminded me of Snow White, Cinderella, Peter Pan or even the Wizard of Oz with a dash of Harry Potter thrown in.At first, Demonland ( Valley of Ten Thousand Demons) had a feel-good glow. As for the plot–there were enough contradictions to confuse a quantum physicist. When the FL accidentally tied the match-making red thread around her own wrist and that of the ML, he told her that from now on the two of them would never be separated. They would forever have to stay thisclose to each other. Two scenes later, the FL is back in class with the other kids (her demon besties), but the ML is off doing grown-up demon stuff.
There’s a school “test,” which is described by the “teacher” as having two goals 1) steal a pillow, and 2) make a human child cry. The pillows are duly stolen, but...make a child cry? Really? I was hoping for Darth Vader, but these folks have all the menacing gravitas of a group of trick-or-treaters on Halloween.
The FL learns a spell to make silver, but seems to have totally lost this ability in a later episode when she needs a couple of ingots to pay a merchant. A certain character, supposedly an immortal, is stabbed to death. Other “immortals” are also killable. Little things like this had me grinding my teeth.
On the other hand, the FL is cute and spunky. The ML, in spite of being a demon, is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, protective, warm, and sensitive. He even learns to cook the FL’s favorite foods for her birthday.There’s something sweet and poignant in their relationship that kept me hanging in there. Then there’s the dashing captain whose only flaw is that he takes himself way too seriously – and that he’s a little too bonded with his sword, who is also his sister (don’t ask).
A group of human women (including the FL) are sent to a mysterious island ruled over by a a beautiful immortal who has kidnapped the ML and injected him with poison, in an attempt to break his spirit. These women are forced to cook and clean and dodge magic manifestations in a series of degrading competitions, meant to bring out their greed and selfishness – all for a chance to become immortal. Mixed in with this display of sappy banality is a haunting atmosphere of tragedy and gloom that hangs over everything like a pall.
In short, this series doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. Is it a children’s story? A romance? A tragedy? A Buddhist morality play? I felt pulled in a dozen different directions at once.
*******************
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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.
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No deeper meaning
The first three episodes of THE IMMORTAL ASCENSION were promising – they take place in a gorgeous setting and show a warm relationship between the two boys. Both boys are under the care of a menacing antagonist, in the guise of an old “master.” Yang Yang’s acting was superb in these episodes.Then the series fell apart.
The rest of the drama seemed to be slapped together without much effort or forethought. This version of taoism seems too materialistic to me. Shouldn't the “masters” who represent the epitome of sagacity be looking for truth and enlightenment? Instead they seem to be bereft of any real wisdom and to have no real moral compass.
Han Li was a constant puzzle. Where was the meaning in his life? His goal seemed to be to acquire magical artifacts, to rise in status, and eventually achieve immortality. He's not interested in creating any meaningful connections with anyone--male or female, human or immortal. He did have a few tender moments with an animated mouse. Even his affection for his family seemed almost non-existent.
A number of mostly forgettable women pursue him. Does he have a capacity for intimacy? For love? If he did, I sure couldn’t detect it.
Generic demons and bad guys show up, fight Han Li, and are destroyed. We know they’re evil because, they scream at their underlings, smirk and laugh diabolically, and try to kill the good guys. Monsters include lizards with glowing eyes, a serpent, and a mantis demon or two, each, in turn, dispatched to the great beyond. Lots of spiky golden wheels turn in the sky.
I DID like the ending, and I’ll probably watch Season 2.
As for Yang Yang the actor, I understand he studied dance and plays the piano. I’m glad he’s got other interests. Hope there’s someone around him encouraging him to build a life on something other than his youthful good looks (which are mentioned by reviewers incessantly) so that he’s not totally devastated when they’re gone.
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A Wild, Wacky Romp
STUDY GROUP, based on a webtoon, is fun, exuberant entertainment. Lots of laughs and surprises interspersed with cartoonish, implausible violence. A parade of horribles get their come-uppance from the unlikely, but likeable, study group members.The theme here is very similar to that of WEAK HERO, CLASS I, which has a certain depth and nuance STUDY GROUP lacks. In both series, the ML looks and acts like a wuss, someone who’s a natural target for bullies. The bullies are quick to notice, of course. Big mistake though, because each of these dudes is an incredibly talented and well-trained fighter–whose only goal is to stay out of trouble, get good grades, and go to college.
That’s where the similarity ends. In WEAK HERO, CLASS I, the ML is a superior student who aces all his exams and ranks at the top of the class. Not so with Yoon Ga-Min, the ML in STUDY GROUP. No matter how hard he studies he just can’t seem to get his brain in gear, and he’s ranked at the bottom.
But he has a plan. No spoiler here; the plan is divulged in the first moments of the first episode.
Wild and crazy action ensues. I’m easily bored, but not a moment drags – in either series. I’m guessing you’ll like them both.
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Great idea, not-so-good execution
If you’re going to write a fantasy, especially if it’s a drama, the parts that aren’t magical have to be really believable. Otherwise you lose your audience. The writers make one big mistake along these lines right at the beginning.
Is it possible that someone could be run through by a sword and live to tell the tale? It’s probably happened–but not likely in a situation where antibiotics are unknown and no one understands the basics of hygiene. And, never, I’m guessing, when the patient gets up, resumes his daily activities, and even rides a horse for hours on end.
At least for the first five episodes, the FL comes off as an annoying twit–but she improves after that. This woman is supposed to be cute, appealing, and funny. She’s also supposed to be a respected and knowledgeable medical professional. Unfortunately she doesn’t know how to be all those things at once. But, to be fair, I’m not sure anyone could do it. They made her a more serious person in the latter half of the drama, and that helped a lot. Also the humor worked better as the series proceeded.
Unfortunately, the lighting on the set is not the FL’s friend–at least in the beginning. In almost every scene of the first five episodes she looks older than she is (she was 35 when this series was filmed). Again, they fixed that problem in later episodes, and she starts looking more age appropriate in her scenes with the (10 years younger) ML. Another improvement was the ludicrous wig the pipe-playing white haired guy was forced to wear. The finally got that one under control after a few episodes.
There’s a lot of telling and talking, explaining and pondering and politiking in this series. Both the King and his nemesis, Ki Cheol are waay too philosophical and self-absorbed. The King talks endlessly about his self-doubts and feelings of inferiority, while Ki Cheol is always plotting and carrying on about the future and who should be next on his murder list. I think these two should be forced to live together, where they would undoubtedly drive each other crazy–instead of the audience.
At times the English translation is stiff and barely intelligible. Example:
SCHOLAR: “I had thought this, since a new king is coming, that if nothing should happen, there is no hope. If change were to occur, a bloody storm will blow.”
CHOI YOUNG, ML:“The place I will be escorting you to was put together in haste, hence it will not be too pleasant.”
SCHOLAR: “In an era like this, a warrior as you is pitiful as you have to continue to slay before you are slayed.”
Having listed all the negatives, this series actually isn’t that bad. For the most part, it held my interest. Seven stars.
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