lilmeow

This is a show about conpeople trying to out-con each other, ie good conpeople vs bad conpeople. Or potentially bad conpeople- there is some slight doubt about who is actually bad. But this industry is full of deception and double-crossing, so switching back and forth between working with somebody and trying to kill them is no problem.

It’s always fun to watch elaborate scams, the kinds that involve tons of people and preparation. I’m not that experienced with the genre, but I thought the scams in this show are decent quality. A lot of them lean heavily into spiritual hoaxes and magic tricks to take advantage of a superstitious public, but despite some heavily recycled tactics, the different scams (which last a few episodes each) are all still fairly different and unique.

I’ll admit I wasn’t always blown away by the cleverness of the scams. Some felt a bit brute force (relying on tons of people coordinating and acting well), others seemed a bit implausible that the protagonists could anticipate and predict such a chain of events. But we watch these shows for fun and not realism, and I was still entertained.

As a somewhat separate issue, I sometimes have a tough time with scammer heroes because we’re supposed to root for them, but by definition they are deceiving others, often taking advantage of softer and kinder feelings. So I always feel sorry even if the targets otherwise do bad things. At first I was relieved because the first story arc makes clear that the protagonist doesn’t want to harm innocent people, but then some subsequent arcs involve manipulating and using people who have been wronged. I didn’t feel too great about that. Luckily, the show then moves on to targeting terrible people and bringing them to justice.

The main protagonist is, after all, a good guy. I’ll call him Wang Jiaxian although he uses a few names. He’s one of those smart leads who’s always confident with everything all figured out. I think he had potential for some depth, but the show didn’t quite deliver there. Ultimately he’s just a smart guy that you maybe feel a little emotionally invested in but mostly it’s just fun to see what he’s got planned next.

The FL, Jiang Feiyan, is a woman in a male-dominated field. She is deadly and capable, a good match for Wang Jiaxian. I liked her, but I didn’t feel the story is that much about her. It’s mostly following Wang Jiaxian while she is a very important side character (she does get to run one scam, though).

I don’t think this show counts as a romance. There is a hint of it, but it’s more like a small thing maybe happening along the way. Personally I’m happy with this level of romance, but the way it’s executed feels kind of incomplete. For instance, the development from enemies to- not quite lovers, maybe allies- is kind of just skipped over, and it feels like they’re missing an important conversation or two. I also found it strange that two people can have such a past, and then occasional scenes where they clearly have some romantic tension, and then completely forget about it the rest of the time in their daily lives. So the lack of romance doesn’t bother me, but its level of omission feels a little glaring, almost enough to be a plot hole.

For the actual plot, the overarching frame is Wang Jiaxian getting revenge. The show is pretty good about introducing this scaffolding, spacing out the plot twists (or hints) so that you’re not too confused or unsettled. I thought this overarching story is meaningful and set up well; the villain, and how they are uncovered, is also done well.

That said, the middle of the show has several unrelated, or only marginally related, scams. I inadvertently found my attention wandering. It’s not boring per se, but once you remove Wang Jiaxian’s personal story, then- combined with the nature of this genre, which revels in the mechanics of a complex scheme- things just aren’t that emotionally engaging. There is some emotion in the individual stories, but to me it’s not as compelling as, say, following a character’s journey, or getting actual character development. Mostly we are just watching people execute elaborate schemes with great confidence. I was pretty happy when the final arc came back to Wang Jiaxian and his greater goals, and I thought the last couple of episodes are very exciting.

For the acting, I thought it’s pretty good, especially some of the older actors. Li Xian sometimes speaks too emphatically that it feels a little unnatural, and Li Yitong's occasional mumbly-speech is odd for this character, but both still do a pretty good job overall. Li Yitong looks great- she is naturally pretty and her dresses in this show compliment her figure well, but I was most impressed by those heels- my gosh, my feet, calves, and knees all hurt just looking at them.

I quite like the settings, costumes, and so on, depicting 1930s China. I know Republicans aren’t super popular, but it’s actually quite a good setting for a scam/con show. The state of the nation and technology is perfect for it. The show pretty much uses the setting without getting too involved in national affairs, and I like how the Qin and Ming dynasties also get some mentions for a splash of history. Some of the specific language doesn’t translate well (like paozi 狍子for the scam target, and a-bao 阿寶for the bait/hook) but I guess I will know them for the next con show I watch.

The music is decent and does its job. There is one song of the OST I really like and I think it creates a great effect when used, but it’s not used that often. I would not have minded more songs.

Overall this is an entertaining show depicting elaborate and mostly clear-conscience scams. The characters are likeable and the overarching plot is interesting, but I personally would have preferred more character development and emotional engagement over so much focus on execution.

ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS





The ending is happy, with only a couple sad (but fitting) deaths. I found the revenge more satisfying than many other shows, because Wang Jiaxian actually gets a few meaningful words in before the guy dies. There aren’t too many recurring side characters to follow by the end, but we get decent closure on most of them. Side characters from individual arcs are forgotten, though to be fair, they’re mostly dead.

But anyone caring about the half-developed romance might be disappointed because it ends hanging- they just go their separate ways. I mean, it’s appropriate for the state of their relationship, which never moves beyond hints and sporadic impulse kisses. The very last scene sets up for a potential sequel, so who knows, maybe we will see more of them to come.