DramaAjumma

The part where Piaopiao assumed Xu Wu was the one who helped her find the bone marrow donor really took the cake. I thought to myself... Wow... this woman can't possibly be that silly. The way the writing demeans the character is mind boggling. I also don't understand why she won't accept help from Pangzi who has been so good to her.

Even though I think this show suffers from similar problems to Mystic Nine with regards to the kind of slash and churn censorship that C dramas are subject to, it's still a much better production overall. For the most part I have enjoyed the drama despite the uneven pacing. And of course Zhu Yilong covers a multitude of the shows sins with his performance. There are even glimpses of brilliance here and there. Somewhere in there there's a great story aching to be told. I'm not bothered by the fact that this story doesn't focus on the Iron Triangle in the second half but I am bothered by how the women (Xiao Bai the notable exception) have been included here. It's not just Piaopiao although she's the most egregious example. I can see how they all fit into the story and why they've been included. But their personalities stink. This is a problem I have with a lot of C dramas especially where women are peripheral or supporting characters. It's downright annoying.

I wonder what her daughter will think and say when she finds out. She has all the brains in that family.

There's really no other word for it. Piaopiao is stupid. Her character is such a grave disappointment. I feel very sorry for Pangzi (Fatty). And what is the show implying about mothers...
*shakes head*

I don't think you need to. They're all standalone stories but playing out in the same universe. MIght be better if you don't actually. Just watch it like you're watching anything that's new to you.

I'm sure she has an agenda. It could be insidious but it might not. It feels like someone wants to give Warehouse 11 a good shake up.

Despite all its flaws the reason why I keep coming back for more isn't just because Zhu Yilong is wonderful as Wu Xie but ultimately this is a detective drama with Indiana Jones trappings. I haven't seen the others and I don't feel the need to. But there are good and even original ideas driving the narrative. I am enjoying the Warehouse 11 stuff and surprisingly I'm enjoying the partnership with Xiao Bai.

I can't even begin to understand the Legend of Yunxi comparisons. Yunxi wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but this show is not even half the show that Yunxi was. The storyline has very superficial similarities. I like Merxat but honestly the chemistry between the leads here can't even compare with YX

I am also watching this primarily because of Zhu Yilong. I persevered through a lot of filler because of him. I've loved him since Bordertown Prodigal. He has a way of giving a character much more dimension than most.
It's not a bad show overall but there's too much filler for my taste. But I like the main iron triangle enough to keep going. And the Warehouse 11 arc is an intriguing concept.

I've seen Mystic Nine. But honestly I can follow this show without any understanding of the previous incarnations. I didn't even need to draw on my knowledge of Mystic Nine. I just follow the White Rabbit. ;)
The show has been constructed as a standalone story.

Sounds like it's better not to have seen any of the previous iterations of the drama. Honestly there's really no need to watch the earlier ones. It's like watching another version of Justice Bao or Dee Renjie.

Oh really? It's quite an old spelling. Been in use for decades.

Moral of the story: Women involved in a love triangle should not be allowed near an archaeological expedition.

I don't think there's much doubt who the villains are. It's not your typical whodunit or police procedural. The point of the drama is really the Columboesque cat and mouse game that's being played all over the map. There are all kinds of agendas going on that's gradually unfolding. That's really what's driving the show IMO.

It's a really good drama with a fantastic cast. The leads are great... Son Hyun-joo and Jang Seung-jo (both fine actors) play off each other rather well.

Heh. It's a look that Baron likes to spot. I've seen him with it in Fated to Love You and Bromance.

My only beef with this otherwise intriguing show is its inconsistent pacing. At times it moves at snail's pace and other times is moves along frenetically. The lack of discipline in C dramas is really their undoing. There are a lot of unnecessary bits of dialogue. Zhu Yilong is great as always. Fatty is generally okay although he talks too much at times. And the kid that played the General in Dr Cutie is much much better here.

Is Keanu Reeves wannabe a reference to Baron Chen's so-called Blind Guy?

This one is about the "puppet" motif and is riddled with spoilers. It shouldn't be read until you've seen the whole drama.
https://lilyroots4love.blogspot.com/2020/07/ancient-detective-2020-puppet-motif.html

I've written a couple of posts for this drama on my blog, if anyone's really interested. I really liked the show and the more I thought about it, the more I saw the depth that was present. This one is a non-spoiler review:
https://lilyroots4love.blogspot.com/2020/07/ancient-detective-2020-non-spoiler.html

It's much harder for friends to become lovers. Song-hwa and Ik-jun come with so much baggage. That will take time to overcome. Even if she had a crush on him in their student days, she's moved on since. It will take time for her to think of him in that way again. Plus she's not in that frame of mind now. She needs to get better.

It's different for JWon and Gyeo-ul because they don't have a lot of baggage. The only thing that was stopping him was the priesthood vs pediatrics question. Once he resolved that in his mind, he could open up to her.