I've revived my old drama blog. Plenty of extra time due to COVID-19 restrictions. If anyone's interested. I've got several posts related to Miss Truth based on stuff that I had written in another forum. I expanded and rejigged some of my ideas. https://lilyroots4love.blogspot.com/
A poor mainland Chinese version of Moonlight Drawn by Clouds. Dropped it a third of the way through due to silly antics of the FL. Draggy and cliched. Show doesn't do anything not already attempted by other better made productions.
Mixed feelings about this drama. It's got the ingredients to be good - historical, crime-forensic, romance, and…
I think the first half of the drama is much better than the second when it was much more of a crime/detective drama. The middle and end sags with subplots. The main romance is lovely but I didn't feel emotionally invested in the other romance where the melodrama seemed to go on forever. The leads are great. So is the actor that plays Yan Shifan. But yeah... cast of a thousand has its own set of problems especially if the scripting is uneven. The show would have been much better if it trimmed off 15 episodes.
It's not a dealbreaker for me either way. :D Of course I prefer the first version that I saw because it was a natural, logical outcome to his trajectory.
Ah... there's an alternate ending in the second video which confirms that a second series might be on the cards. Interesting.
I guess for me I don't really feel that sorry for Su Fu. Yes, he is a tragic figure in a Shakespearean sense. The man he was and what he became was a direct result of his own choices. Of course he is an important character in the story. That's clear. His actions feed into the villain's plot. However, if he hadn't been greedy and deluded himself into thinking that he could live with his dual identity and keep her by his side, he wouldn't have had to take the mind-control drug in the first place. It absolutely clear from Day 1 that a relationship like marriage with Ran Yan was never possible especially considering the crowd he was hanging around with. He put her in jeopardy first and had to correct his mistake. If he really, actually cared about RY, he should have left her with Xiao Song the moment they were married. But of course, his ego got in the way and he had to stake his claim.
He was too sure of himself. Too sure that he could maintain the deception... have his cake and eat it too. Yes he is a sad lonely figure but he was using her too while seemingly protecting her as well. The mind-control drug only brought to light and exacerbated the darker side of his personality.
It isn't that he lost in this love triangle although that's how he would frame it. It's that he was never really in contention in the first place because of the layers of deception he had to maintain in order to be in the running.
You can watch it with Eng subs here... https://productiveprocrastination.site/ The subbing is still ongoing. Don't forget to leave a message to thank the subber for doing this on her own time.
After rewatching I've changed my mind about the romance and the love triangle. The love triangle was absolutely integral to the Bad Guy plot and its resolution. This may be one of the better uses of a love triangle I've seen. Or let's just call it the reverse harem and include Sang Chen into the mix. I'm not usually a fan of love triangles but this one was decently employed within the limits of the genre.
If anyone's interested in my ramblings about the subject, I've blogged about it here: shorturl.at/epFN2
Love your write-up here. But I don't understand when you wrote, ".... TL mentioned that XS was the Conan of the…
Sure. Conan is a popular J manga/anime boy detective. It was a really long running series. Too long IMO. His real identity was Kudo Shinichi, a high school sleuth but he shrunk into a size of a kid. His girlfriend of sorts is Ran who was something of a judo badass. They had a Lois and Superman type relationship. Only a handful of people know that Conan is really Shinichi. One of his trademark gestures when he was deep in thought was a chin stroke.
This C drama which wasn't even on my radar has become something of an addiction. I wouldn't say that it's the best made considering the contenders in the Dec-Feb 2020 period but it's one that I hung out for week after week and rewatched episodes. It contained old school detective (British Golden Age) and classic wuxia elements, having resonances of Gu Long -- a combination that I find quite irresistible.
There's no doubt that Toby Lee as Xiao Song is a big part of the attraction. I just adore him in the role. He gives a beautifully nuanced performance. I'm curious about why he was cast but I've been wondering since the start because he reminds me of the Sidney Paget's illustrations for Sherlock Holmes in the Strand magazine: the shape of the face, the nose, the chin etc. He also reminds me of three of my favourite SHs -- Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett and Benedict Cumberbatch in some fashion. In an interview, TL mentioned that XS was the Conan of the Tang dynasty, hence the chin stroke I imagine. :D It may also explains why the female lead is called Ran Yan. :P
While I didn't think romance was absolutely necessary, I did enjoy it because it was done largely in the context of the sleuthing. It wasn't this clumsy appenditure that it often can be in crime shows. XS and RY's bickering romance was played out at the autopsy table or when going after the bad guy. Take one of my favourite scenes from Ep 22 when he became her assistant for a brief moment. Everyone looks on shocked, amused or askance when he dabs sesame oil on her and sets up her fish incense holder. On top of that, they multi-task and negotiate the price for her services.
I also liked that the show stuck to its guns. I like that it was a crime show from start to finish. I absolutely detest the new trend in turning everything into a weepy melodrama in the last phase of the drama. There was a little bit of that but it never lasts long in this drama because the baddies keep everyone on their toes.
In an era where xianxia reigns supreme, it's lovely to have dramas like Miss Truth and Handsome Siblings for those of us who grew up in the 80s watching classic wuxia dramas.
OMG when did he hug you? Do tell!!! :)Haven't watched all of this weeks episodes yet but looking forward to it...
I keep thinking to myself that if RY doesn't want him, there must be a long line of women who do. Her persistent hesitation to strike while the iron is hot boggles the mind. He is the single best thing about the show.
4 
https://lilyroots4love.blogspot.com/
The show would have been much better if it trimmed off 15 episodes.
Click on the second "Other" tab
I guess for me I don't really feel that sorry for Su Fu. Yes, he is a tragic figure in a Shakespearean sense. The man he was and what he became was a direct result of his own choices. Of course he is an important character in the story. That's clear. His actions feed into the villain's plot. However, if he hadn't been greedy and deluded himself into thinking that he could live with his dual identity and keep her by his side, he wouldn't have had to take the mind-control drug in the first place. It absolutely clear from Day 1 that a relationship like marriage with Ran Yan was never possible especially considering the crowd he was hanging around with. He put her in jeopardy first and had to correct his mistake. If he really, actually cared about RY, he should have left her with Xiao Song the moment they were married. But of course, his ego got in the way and he had to stake his claim.
He was too sure of himself. Too sure that he could maintain the deception... have his cake and eat it too. Yes he is a sad lonely figure but he was using her too while seemingly protecting her as well. The mind-control drug only brought to light and exacerbated the darker side of his personality.
It isn't that he lost in this love triangle although that's how he would frame it. It's that he was never really in contention in the first place because of the layers of deception he had to maintain in order to be in the running.
https://productiveprocrastination.site/
The subbing is still ongoing. Don't forget to leave a message to thank the subber for doing this on her own time.
If anyone's interested in my ramblings about the subject, I've blogged about it here: shorturl.at/epFN2
There's no doubt that Toby Lee as Xiao Song is a big part of the attraction. I just adore him in the role. He gives a beautifully nuanced performance. I'm curious about why he was cast but I've been wondering since the start because he reminds me of the Sidney Paget's illustrations for Sherlock Holmes in the Strand magazine: the shape of the face, the nose, the chin etc. He also reminds me of three of my favourite SHs -- Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett and Benedict Cumberbatch in some fashion. In an interview, TL mentioned that XS was the Conan of the Tang dynasty, hence the chin stroke I imagine. :D It may also explains why the female lead is called Ran Yan. :P
While I didn't think romance was absolutely necessary, I did enjoy it because it was done largely in the context of the sleuthing. It wasn't this clumsy appenditure that it often can be in crime shows. XS and RY's bickering romance was played out at the autopsy table or when going after the bad guy. Take one of my favourite scenes from Ep 22 when he became her assistant for a brief moment. Everyone looks on shocked, amused or askance when he dabs sesame oil on her and sets up her fish incense holder. On top of that, they multi-task and negotiate the price for her services.
I also liked that the show stuck to its guns. I like that it was a crime show from start to finish. I absolutely detest the new trend in turning everything into a weepy melodrama in the last phase of the drama. There was a little bit of that but it never lasts long in this drama because the baddies keep everyone on their toes.
In an era where xianxia reigns supreme, it's lovely to have dramas like Miss Truth and Handsome Siblings for those of us who grew up in the 80s watching classic wuxia dramas.
He is the single best thing about the show.