Enigma05

Crackle, Pop, Sizzling Chemistry; Good Acting, But too Many Plot Holes in the Script

Didn't know the cast at all, heard it had good chemistry from the leads and was convinced after seeing a short trailer that I should give this a go. It was essentially crackle, pop with good acting but an all over the place script with a ton of confusing plot holes.

Pros: This was a short drama that basically ran on the absolute sizzling chemistry of the leads. From episode one when LJY first rescues his charge and understands she's not the original XXX but someone else, their connection is instantaneous. I can definitely say these entire 16 episodes ran on when the leads would have their moments together. Their make out sessions and eventual getting together did make you question whether you needed to let some cool air into the room; flames were lit. Also loved his fight scenes, they were very well choreographed.

What I didn't expect is that for a serious plot like twins or clones switching and the big bad wolf trying to kill everyone to save his supposed daughter, it had a fairly decent amount of comedy. And it was real humor, like LJY's jealous streak over AY (the umbrella thing, crushing the water bottle, punching dude in elevator), or the absolutely hysterical condom box reveal and then as I called it the "radioactive period," there were moments when you would double over with laughter. Even though LJY was technically her bodyguard, he went above and beyond his own job description for AY. Though we know she fell for him when she laid her eyes on him, he was not far behind though it took him a bit longer to admit it. Once he determined she was his woman and that was fairly early on even before he admitted it to himself, that was it. Stick a fork in him....dude is done! As the story progressed, them learning they had in fact met as children made them actual soulmates in this slightly futuristic world.

Great acting on the part of the FL as she had to play two completely different people and personalities. You knew when they were together in a scene or apart who was whom; so that was a job very well done there. We had a great support cast though not a great second couple and I'll speak about that below. Initially I thought of XXX as a second antagonist to her father because of her sheer nastiness, but in the last 3 episodes she really opened up and we really found out her true feelings. Her father trapping her at home and being a literal Guinea pig had in fact shortened her lifespan and caused her immeasurable pain. But he was too blinded by his own power and what he wanted to do that even when the truth about AY and XXX was staring him in the face, he was still determined to kill everyone in some BS revenge. He was loathsome and despicable but it made him a good villain.

TS, DBF, JC, even the other bodyguard Dayu who came to LJY's defense time and time again even in the end, were a great group of friends that worked together to get to the bottom of all of the mysteries and get justice for their friends. I loved how once they all met, they immediately and almost seamlessly became this singular unit of people. Even when the plot seemed to start to unhinge, as long as there was a steady flow of them, it was good.

Cons: The storyline was all over the place and yes, I understand only 16 episodes but then why create a love triangle for the second leads? Shoving DBF in between JC and TS was so weird and unnatural. Then to turn JC into a wimp just giving up on his love being all chivalrous and stepping back? It felt unnecessary and just threw that whole thing off balance. I didn't feel any chemistry between DBF and TS. They were great as friends for each other and everyone else. JC's ending up in a tent in the mountains with a pooch he found after all he'd been through instead of with the woman he really loved was a total copout. It felt like the writer gave up on him altogether.

The OSTs should have stayed in one language or another. And they were thrown into places that either required light instrumentation like the actual love scene in 12 or a rock ballad in 14 when LJY was single-handedly fighting off a slew of bodyguards. When the man is kicking ass and there's a slow love ballad playing, it throws the scene.

Too many very ridiculous things happening like LJY and AY going to the underground lab, the place has cameras everywhere and y'all didn't think you would be seen or caught? Or that it was a trap in the first place? For a smart and aware bodyguard and former soldier, that seemed out of character for him. Or his father waking up from like a multi-year coma and then arriving in a wheelchair like a saving avenger only to sacrifice himself for the cause at the end? Even with the most futuristic technology, there's no way he would look completely healthy in 15 minutes; it was laughable at how absurd it all was as they were very obviously racing for the finish line. Should have made it 20 episodes and flushed out a better ending. The amount of plot holes like that were too many to write. Oh and don't forget the head scratching scene after the last episode's credits.

Would I recommend it? Only for the "skinship" as the jargon goes or really awesome chemistry of the leads as well as the close friendships that either already existed or were made and the comedy. The rest was ok.

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MPD: A Sequel, Explanation, or A Totally Different Story?

8 episodes of something that came a year after the original story which many hoped would tie all of the loose ends "The Psychologist" left hanging. Not only did it not do that in many ways, but it added some more. This drama special legitimately had multiple personality disorder or MPD--which considering the subject matter, ironically fit--because to the very last scene you still couldn't figure out which it was trying to be; a sequel, an explanation of what was missed, or just a totally different story with the same characters and cast.

Pros: What I did like about it and not gave it an even lower score was we finally got to understand He Dun's origins and she was able to reconcile with her stepfather, get over her half brother's death, forgive herself, and as well as stop being afraid of the water. Understanding everything her mothers had been through and getting to a great point with the one who raised her the longest, was an incredible process for HD. If they had focused on just that and her romantic relationship, these 8 episodes would have been in much better shape then they were. QKY was an amazing support system for her the entire time even using many psychological techniques to help her through her PTSD. Their relationship had become even stronger and healthier then before which was wonderful. All of the actors did a fantastic job with acting even when the script failed. The OSTs and scenery were much on point.

Cons: The script was a joke. It had massive holes in it all over the place. The extra stories needed another 30 episodes just to untangle. Like when did Lili and her cop boyfriend get married? One moment, he's meeting her mom for the first time, the next HD calls him Lili's husband. I understand bringing in the An Na storyline was necessary to explain HD's past and have her come to terms with it, but it was done in a very jarring fashion.

Where was Jia Hui's mother? Last we knew she had tried to commit suicide and was taken away in an ambulance. Was she alive? Did she just heavily relapse? That was never explained just short flashbacks were given. They literally turned JH into Batman in this one. We knew he could con people into believing he was anybody and everybody but in this one they gave him some superhuman skills of being able to vanish without a trace in seconds only to somehow appear on top of two shipping containers only moments later. And then within that also humanly impossible timeframe, set off a plethora of explosions at that yard.

What was the purpose of bringing in the professor and Dr. Wen? She came clean to HD about much of her purposes and then later got arrested after they set up a joint counseling session for terminally ill hospital patients. In a sense one could argue that she was there to bring JH's lunatic stepfather to justice, but we never saw that.

What we did see was said lunatic beating up an employee, then kidnapping HD supposedly, who both JH and QKY went to look for and rescue; they were all buddy-buddy again going to HD's book signing. JH got knocked out by his stepfather's goons but then those same goons were beat up by the lunatic for hitting JH too hard. The lunatic even gave his stepson a knife to cut his own leg off in exchange for HD's safe return; that whole scene was straight out of the twilight zone. JH stabbed himself in the leg 4 times but had no reaction to the pain, than as the lunatic grabs the knife, JH says some line about the lunatic deserving to be alone and leaves. Screen fades to black and then there's a time skip of 3 months where HD and QKY are at some school giving a lecture. So was she kidnapped or not? That was a massive hole. JH is then seen with the professor as father and son have a heart to heart and JH is ready to accept all of his consequences. There were so many holes and inconsistencies that it made you forget the original story's loose ends as this added a lot more to it.

Would I recommend it? Only for HD's plot process because she finally got everything sorted out in her own life, forgave those she needed to, learned about her real origins, and got over her PTSD. Everything else was a mottled mess that 8 episodes could never explain.

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An Honest Review

Obviously, I watched this for Xiao Zhan. I also knew this was his first drama and that the thing was low budget, so I wasn't expecting miracles. It's been in my "plan to watch" list for a while. Was it good? No. But it wasn't an unmitigated disaster either. His acting and that of the SML were the best out of the bunch. It was like if Harry Potter met the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers with a side order of the X-Men; also just without much of a cohesive plot nor any character development and really bizarre melodramatic characters. The villains were too stupid to ever put together anything really impressive. The 7 minutes of BTS footage after each episode was sometimes more entertaining then the episode itself. It's not something I'd rewatch but I would recommend it for younger audiences who like cheeseball types of dramas. But Xiao Zhan's acting abilities shone through even then at the very beginning of his acting career. I'm really impressed how far he's come in 5 years since the airing of this series. I can't wait to see more of his dramas in the future.

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Live Each Day to Its Fullest, Don't Take Anything or Anyone For Granted & Be Mindful of UFOs

What a beautiful, multilayered journey with very complicated characters! I was watching this for LYN and I can say despite what I think is an OE/SE for his character and those that loved him, it is his best acting to date. Obviously the reunion with ZLS after TLB was something special to see, but this drama was about the realism of life, business and revenge more than romance. It reminded one to live life to the fullest, not to take anything for granted, & always be mindful of UFOs.

Pros: Favorite character for me was LYN as YZJ; each drama of his that comes out is such an improvement over the last and I'm so proud of just how much he gave to this character. Starting out living only for revenge as a morally grey merchant of the west. You really didn't know what his motives were at beginning other than he had a deep grudge against a ruthless bandit leader named LK, his gang of thugs, and two families the Cui's and Zheng's. He was super intelligent, filthy rich, and his plans always included contingencies. It was only when he met DW played exceptionally well by ZLS who herself was struggling just to live a moment at a time as a slave pearl diver (btw though it looked beautiful underwater, free diving is hard as hell and without proper equipment it's even more difficult, so serious props to ZLS for doing all of those scenes herself. Though for safety reasons, they should have hired a professional certified free diver) in some beyond deplorable conditions and her bargaining her life over a pearl just to get herself free and sneaking herself and a little boy named "shrimp" onto YZJ's boat that the seemingly ruthless merchant, started teaching her everything he knew about the pearl and jewelry business as a whole. He didn't just take her in slave and whatnot, but because the woman she thought was always torturing her in the cave was actually her mother (YZJ’s mom’s maid and best friend since childhood) and she taught her accounting and was particularly strict with her because she wanted her to live and her something priceless in her possession that with her dying breath she gave to DW; a blood-pearl that became an essential piece of this entire story. Turned out that the pearl made YZJ recognize DW as the daughter of his family's chief jade carver and who was slaughtered along with his own family when he was a boy as he watched them murdered by the bandits sent by the Cui and Zheng families and three (Xu, LK, & PY) other sinister and powerful figures behind them so they could take the entire jewelry business in different places over as well build the mastermind's power. Meanwhile, YZJ was imprisoned, tortured, and poisoned for 8 years until he escaped with another young boy KJ who later became his best friend and most trusted aid/guard.

I won't go into the entire story because then what would be the point of watching? But that's the essential original connection between YZJ and DW. SML or ZJR traveled undercover and had initially fallen for DW but because of their totally different worlds, he had no chance with her and instead opted to become the best friend and fellow investigator alongside the other two later on. What struck me was that ZJR, Xu, and PY had the same Shifu and were brother disciples but only ZJR was upright and just while the other two were corrupt and murderous. The three of them (YZJ, DW, ZJR) made for a great team. YZJ was the one who relentlessly taught DW how to stop being easily trusting and naive and how to be ruthless when need be. He also taught her the basics of martial arts and how to use a short sword. He saw her passion, will to live and taught her how to stand on her own two feet and rely only on herself which became essential in many situations. In the meantime, she taught him to open his heart and learn to love. She wasn't afraid to call him out on his bullshit and that was new to him. She was warm and caring and stood up for anyone that was being bullied but unlike him who hid that deep within himself, she wore it on her sleeve towards the people she cared for like ZJR, shrimp, Loud, accountant Wei, Yunxia, and the others she met both on the convoy and off of it (like Lady Wu who was her sister for life, though after their stop in Guangzhou, other then through letters, they never saw each other again). Because of that, he started to open up more to her and care/be protective of her. He recognized that they were kindred spirits in a sense.

Their love developed gradually; there were several occasions that she saved him and that's when he told her about being poisoned and that it was almost impossible to cure even more so when the only witch doctor that could cure it was killed by LK when she was also kidnapped but everything was put to the ultimate test during the ambush of the convoy when just about everyone was murdered as those bandits infiltrated the convoy so you couldn't tell who was good and who wasn't. All of it was done by someone YZJ considered to be a brother but all he wanted was the blood pearl. DW went through her lowest period because she lost everyone (with shrimp dying in her arms) and thought YZJ had tried to kill her when in reality he had shot the poisoned arrow that was aimed at her out of the way but his arrow did hit her which all things considered wasn't bad. She also didn't know that it was KJ that arranged for her to be saved by the migrating tribes.

Them reuniting in Yangzhou, the last place they would be together for this series and just how many emotions went into that. The betrayal she felt, the pain at knowing the truth but going the noble idiocy arc route that he decided to shoulder everything himself. Everything was so raw and beautiful; whether you laughed or cried. It was in Yangzhou where YZJ brought the last of the original male Cui family down with his own work. Bringing down the Zheng family proved to be more difficult and dangerous as more evil figures started to pop up as well as the original instigators of the first and second massacre; and this is where YZJ, DW, ZJR (who the entire time was conducting his own investigation with the occasional secret help of both YZJ and the emperor) plus their guards and employees came together.

CSJ started as a morally grey snob who because though she didn't have it easy, her life wasn't impossible compared to what DW went through, so I didn't pity her and wished she had less screen time though they were determined to show her for a while like that before she finally started going through really hard life threatening things that towards the end made her realize just how misguided and wrong her behavior her entire life had been and she finally came together with DW on several occasions especially towards the end to bring down Zheng big bad himself.

The emotions displayed by our leads especially during their best or absolutely worst times really made this storyline whole. The real antagonist here was YCWY aka LK (played very well by his actor); an absolutely rotten to the core human being ruthless beyond measure; even though Prince Ying (PY) was the mastermind; he was just a loud mouse in comparison. And the absolute heartbreak of the ML when in episode 39 he found out the truth, was hard to describe. Though most of us had guessed around the time the ambush happened at the sanctuary as how would bandits perfectly disguise themselves as convoy guards just as YZJ was to set out to meet ZJR and together they'd eradicate the bandits. YC knew of this plan as the master of the sanctuary; he killed the witch doctor, kidnapped DW, then set up the ambush just to get the blood pearl. And many people in the comments didn't understand how someone as smart as YZJ couldn't put two and two together. But when you go back and think about it, he was shot himself by at least three arrows, also sliced with a blade and that pesky poison, the man was barely alive. After which he was scared for DW and when he made it to Yangzhou he had to get back to work with what to do next. He couldn't just put all of that aside and think. So when that reveal happened, he was dumbstruck. He considered this man his brother because YC had done everything in his power to gain his trust and support him including financially but this was the same monster that imprisoned, tortured, and poisoned him for 8 years. I do wish they had lingered longer on his emotions upon reveal; because of just how raw they were. For once he realized how devastating this revelation was both for himself and DW. But he was just a kid when they met again and LK had reinvented himself as YCWY a sanctuary owner for merchants "hiding from the bandits." Which was brilliant for the antagonist.

Ok let's talk about that ending as it goes both in the pros and cons for me. YZJ and especially DW had exhausted all avenues in search for an antidote, his body was breaking down day by day, we saw it. LYN played a man dying of a slow acting poison brilliantly. YZJ had decided to leave and KJ had made all of the preparations for his passing and for all of his money to go to DW. That last scene he was officially in as DW was begging him not to go was heart wrenching; you could tell in his eyes that he was fighting with himself about that decision because he couldn't bear to leave her. After that scene we saw a shooting star (LYN's UFO came to get YZJ) and then next scene DW (who's wearing YZJ's ring and is visibly upset as she talks about not sharing moments with people who couldn't be with them) wins the competition and is appointed Guild head but turns it down and gives it to CSJ who's more appropriate for the position. DW then spends the next 40 years traveling the desert as a merchant as she wanted though we never see her face.

My thoughts on it is that he did leave after giving her the ring which was something he never took off even when he was held captive in the first arc and she rescued him; so it had very special meaning to him and by giving it to the most important person in his life was his way of letting her know that they belonged to each other. But the competition was only 2 or 3 days after we saw him last so he couldn't have passed away so quickly. I think after the competition, she left and met up with him and they spent some time together before he indeed passed away and KJ joined her in the traveling caravan. So to me it's an OE/SE. If he had died immediately, KJ wouldn't have left at all so that wouldn't have made sense as YZJ was his whole life and DW was I guess his sister in law so he would spend the remainder of his days guarding her no matter what. But in this situation, I have no problem with the ending at all.

Everything else was beautiful; costumes (though could've done without the Rapunzel braid for DW), sets, CGI on point, great OSTs & BGMs, and awesome fight scenes.

Cons: After that larger than life pros section, this section is small because my biggest issues were with editing and writing ie production. The second arc had the most problems as it seemed scenes were cut into something and you would get a whiplash. I really wish the noble idiocy arc didn't last for 10 episodes though their paths crossed all the time and almost right away he was secretly helping her. KJ should have stepped up sooner as he was the best wingman ever. But there were many inconsistencies like where did YZJ and KJ find such a luxurious horse and carriage in the middle of the desert after the ambush that had them hiding in caves and with traveling caravans? There was never any recording of time passing especially when you had multiple people walking around a grand desert alone all Willy-Nilly like they were in their own backyard; that legitimately looked absurd. Then the absolutely ridiculous part of first a kidnapped Yunxia, then DW, and then maybe 5 minutes after the first two escaped, ZJR coming to the same inn in the middle of nowhere woods. And he's back hot on their trail to find them yet in an actual town, they miss each other by literal steps. Suspense of disbelief deployed.

Towards the end when they were running the glass business there were times when you weren't sure whether you were looking at a flashback or real time because of the way the shots kept jumping back and forth. I was very confused. The ending, I wish they rounded all of the important people out better not just left them hanging and had actually shown YZJ leaving and how much time passed between that and the competition where everyone was pretty much just left there. Even DW who supposedly traveled on a merchant caravan for 40 years wasn't shown but just a bunch of people covered in black garb on horses and camels with goods looking like Ringwraiths in the desert with an older woman's voiceover being the old DW. This way, that same UFO returned and picked up DW too! It was a bit sloppy. It should have been much tighter and satisfying, even if did become an SE. I'm fine with those, just tighten up the writing and editing.

Would I recommend it? Regardless of some sloppy and loose writing here and there, I absolutely would. This was a realistic live every moment to it's fullest and don't take life or those you love for granted story and it was rich, layered, lush, complex, and absolutely beautiful. Don't pass it by just because it has an OE/SE. It deserves the praise.

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Amnesia-dragging for 30+ Episodes with Decent Small Case Solving & Love of Friends

I think I added this to my watchlist for the SML and TML. It sounded interesting at the time. It's a good thing I go into all dramas without any expectations; saves from disappointment. This drama had a lot of potential but the main plot was literally the first two episodes and the last maybe 6. The rest was amnesia-dragging for 30 episodes with decent small case solving and love of friends.

Pros: The second couple stole the show even if they didn't get that much screen time. YSZ or Prince Rui (PR) was sexy as hell especially when he smiled and showed his dimples and his eyes could melt glaciers. Paired with SK, they were the cutest couple out of the 3.5 we had (the .5 was for mom with Marshal as we never found out how they ended up). Story is basically a fight for the throne with good prince vs evil prince that involves multiple people whose entire family gets wiped out as they learn of the conspiracy and try to tell the emperor but are intercepted. This happens to both FL and TFL. However, FL learns of this and is chased by assassins so she falls off the cliff and gets amnesia for over 30 episodes. The ML being her childhood crush who rejected the creepy groom snatching and was drugged to boot for an impromptu wedding to FL, cruelly rejected her thinking she was just some spoiled little rich girl. He had tunnel vision of vindicating his master posthumously as he and his entire family got slaughtered by bandits working for the creepy prince under the assumption of corruption which was a frame job; he was also TFL's father. But when he found FL at the bottom of the cliff, he rescued her and made her believe she was his younger sister as they headed towards the capital. After learning of her family's slaughter as well, he promised to himself to keep her safe no matter what, now he had to find out and vindicate two families but refused to tell her. He fulfilled that promise but feelings obviously grew between them and it was getting creepy sometimes.

The SML was a great character though sadly the third wheel. I really liked the character because not only did he help in anyway he could with all the villains running around but he saved the FL many times and after her rejection, he didn't become obsessed though it broke his heart. He considered the ML his good friend and sworn brother. Rivals in love but absolutely no animosity otherwise. People may disagree with me but his ending was appropriate. No, he didn't get the girl but why should he forget her? He made peace with it and continued his duties as our prince took the throne; he was content with his life.

What I liked about the show was also one of the things I disliked; it involved many cases of getting women out bad relationships or away from other hardships. FL ever the smart one opened up a jewelry business in the capital and what was equivalent to a day care center and a shelter for abused women was also part of the store. Though she lost all of her memories including her own name, she hadn't forgotten how to run a jewelry business or apparently solve cases either. She was whip smart and could figure things out almost immediately.

Other characters that were good were ML's mom, the marshal, ML's friend and guard YX, the three women she became sworn sisters with, one being SFL and married to the prince and later became the empress, all with FL's help. Even ML's father though seemingly useless, just ass kissing whomever in power, made up for it by sacrificing his life to save his son and FL. The creepy evil prince was a great antagonist as this actor proves time and time again. He has a way to make your skin crawl.

Sets were ok, nothing amazing. Same went for costumes and OSTs.

Cons: As I mentioned above the story made me like it and not so much because the main plot of vindicating two sets of families went on the back burner after the second episode and was only picked up in the last 6 something episodes. Now while I liked the mini subplots, I wish they remembered the main plot in the middle too. The amnesia arc dragged on for far too long. And it seems that each time she got hit on the head and was unconscious, she'd start remembering something. It was kind of ridiculous and unbelievable.

Both leads had an issue with emoting. It seemed like they were stone faced most of the time. Though the FL did smile, everything was tempered down and felt rather dull. You get second lead syndrome here a lot; despite the fact that ML was destined to end up with the FL, the chemistry; to me at least didn't have the same level as she had with SML, who basically wore all of his emotions on his sleeve.

The third couple were so unnecessary and I didn't like TFL at all; she wanted to get revenge for her father but the way she went about was just cruel and crazy. At times I thought she was crazier than the creepy prince. She did seem to pull it together the end but her death was weird after she herself killed said prince; I have no idea how she ended up stabbed also. Their relationship was one of the creepiest ever; he had mommy issues so when she dressed up in similar clothing, he fell for her meanwhile she had Stockholm like syndrome. It was all very bizarre and nuts. First he would beat her up for failing to carry out his tasks, then he would tend to her wounds wanting her to be his wife and all this other shit. Like it was so revolting, you wanted to ffw.

A lot of characters didn't have proper endings but just disappeared like ML's mom, the Marshal, that Qi bodyguard who it looked like had a thing for TFL; there seemed to be 3 love triangles going on in the show. The ending was very anticlimactic in general. Honestly, I have forgotten probably half of the bad things because I couldn't write for 4 days.

Would I recommend it? Only if you have nothing else to watch. It's a good in between drama. It's not bad, it's decent plus most of the actors did pretty well.

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A Martial Arts Cinematic Feast for the Eyes

First time in over a decade I went to the movie theater to watch something and it was an XZ film. I went in just like I go see any movie, no expectations and just enjoy what I'm about to watch hopefully. I can say for sure this was the type of film that you can only watch in the theater to get the full effect. It really was a martial arts cinematic feast for the eyes with a very LOTR vibe to it.

Pros: The martial arts were top notch and given the director's experience in that sector, not a surprise. The large scale battles were amazing and breath taking. All of the actors delivered and I have to give it up to XZ as GJ for being able to so convincingly speak Mongolian; I mean monologues of it at a time. A total foreign language nothing like his own. The ending showdown between GJ and very creepy looking OYF was by far the best. Costumes, sceneries, CGI, OSTs, all the aesthetics were top notch. There are several battle scenes during ending credits so don't miss out by running away before the lights come on. There were comedic scenes which broke from the seriousness of the situations.

Cons: The greatest and saddest part that was lacking was the storyline. If you didn't know the plot to begin with you would have been very lost here. Thankfully, I watched last year's LOCH: HB series, though itself not great, I at least had an idea of the storyline. Because here everything was so rushed through that you had no idea how the leads met, when GJ met his shifus, or the guy who got him started on his path to greatness. Literally everything about the story was condensed into maybe 15 minutes of screen time. The 7 freaks dying on the island save one was done in 30 seconds and neither HR nor HJ were given the proper screen time to have a proper connection with GJ. Everything was battle focused.

I disagree with many and say that GJ had way more chemistry with HR than HJ who seemed more like a little sister though both of those were mere moments in time. Same could be said about GJ and his mom who it seemed to appear on screen for a maximum of 5-10 minutes total before she kills herself to not be used by Great Khan anymore as leverage. Another thing that made me scratch my head, the entire film the Great Khan spoke in Mongolian and in his last scenes, he busts out the Mandarin and it was like wait what? What just happened; completely inconsistent. Had this film been properly executed, it should have maybe been a trilogy like LOTR so the wonderful story wouldn't have been sacrificed for the sake of fight scenes; though very awesome ones.

Would I recommend it? Yes. If you're a fan of wuxia and the original work of the writer, you're in for a feast. The battles were absolutely phenomenal and it was a very entertaining film.

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A Story of Friendships & Love Built in a Tiny Courtyard While Overcoming Personal Hardship.

After watching LX in Will Love in Spring and hearing good things about this one as another slice of life story, decided to check it out. Glad I did; he was able to play a more smiling, joking character though with no less responsibility on his shoulders. I've only seen Crystal Liu in A Dream of Splendor where she did very well. This was a story of friendships and love built in a tiny courtyard while overcoming personal hardship.

Pros: I really love the friendships that were built in the courtyard and how they went beyond the courtyard but into the rest of the village and were intergenerational. Also though FL or XHD lost her best friend in the first episode, she was never far from her mind especially when she finally told her new friends about her. ML or XZY (lovingly called A'Yao) was my favorite character because of just how much he shouldered and was always still joking and smiling. He was essentially taking every major project from the village on himself. When HD and A'Yao became friends, it was nice to see that it wasn't a rushed romance but a real bond that grew. We saw that he caught feelings first but she wasn't far behind. The other great characters were DM, NN, HY, Mr. Ma (when he wasn't flipping his hair), granny Xie and a few of the other grannies, XC, XX (girl) and XX (guy). The 4 kids were cute too. Joseph Zeng's two episode guest appearance was surprising but good. How all the courtyard folks and others would rally around those going through a hard time was very heartwarming. Brought hope to humanity.

Chemistry between the leads was awesome and comedy within the story was pretty good. I really wish they had more time on screen as a couple as opposed to giving that up to her 3 episode leaving and town revitalization towards the end. Their kisses were very good so that as always was an added bonus. The OSTs and BGM, locations, were all very on point. Though there were times when there was maybe a bit more verbiage than necessary, a lot of it was beneficial. Really loved the growth of the characters into better versions of themselves. Found out afterwards that the person who played XC's ex-husband was actually the show's assistant director. Pretty cool when the directorial staff can play extras or do cameos.

Cons: Too many side characters and plots that I felt took up too much of the story. You already had so many important supporting characters that everyone else should have been left alone. Most of the time that XQ girl that had a yen for A'Yao for a while or the embroidery lady who had a heart attack but for the life of me I couldn't remember who she was, there were others too but I don't remember. The leads could have had more together time since this was billed as a romance and they only technically had 9 episodes but most of that was taken up by things and people not important to the story. It would have been easier to focus on the quality not quantity and have the leads maybe get engaged by the end. Show more couple time in those 9 episodes. Wish NN and male XX's friendship/feelings were better fleshed out too.

Forced propaganda was so unnecessary here. You can revitalize a village without sticking propaganda into it. Even the poor kids were singing an indoctrination song. It stuck out like a sore thumb especially when the friends in the courtyard would be just shooting the breeze drinking and making toasts to each other and out of nowhere someone pops out with "may our country prosper"; like who says that when they're just hanging out with friends? It's not a political or even business meeting. Made me role my eyes on more than on one occasion because it was not the series for that. If you're going for a country living romance with friends, you just don't need that. Not realistic at all when there's a juxtaposition to everything else.

Would I recommend it? Despite those few baubles, I enjoyed this story and glad I listened to people in the other comment section. Look forward to LX's future dramas. Check this out if you haven't yet.

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Pandora's Box

This Pandora's box of a psychological thriller was something I picked up after a trusted source suggested it and I read the premise. It reminded me a lot of the dynamic of "Under the Skin" only there it was a cop and a sketch artist and here it was a cop and a hypnotist. I've never seen anyone from the cast before, so as always went in without any expectations or preconceived notions.

Pros: As always the dynamic of the two ML's had to develop as one couldn't just blindly trust a stranger especially when law and crime was involved. The cases all early on suggested a very rich and powerful psychotherapist that was also a psychopath was the main villain. Even though the people committing the absolutely horrible crimes had their own reasons, they were essentially vigilantes which goes against all forms of societal justice. Yes you feel bad for some of them and who they were trying to protect, but killing innocent people like Xiao Liu, the officer just trying to do his job, was not justice. It was greed and self pity. Both ML's were struggling with inner demons related to the same case from 10 years back and I did enjoy their back and forth as they tried to figure that case out amongst all of the others. Finding their balance of trust as cop/consultant and friends was often heartwarming and often frustrating.

Everyone on Team Luo was essential even the one they lost and the one that transferred in. They not only formed a formidable task force but their care for one another was just a very bright spot to see even when things seemed to get out of hand. The main villain's true motive didn't come into focus until the last few episodes but it didn't take away from his viciousness nor depravity. Which made him a great and absolutely psychotic antagonist. I wish we got to see more of his psychological disfunction throughout the series; I spent many years researching serial killers like him and he reminds me a lot of Dr. Harold Shipman and Ted Bundy in his ability to essentially hide in plain sight and yet be this series version of Dr. Death. He used others to commit crimes for him never getting his hands dirty until the last one. His ability to manipulate those around him was in line with him refusing to take any responsibility for the crimes that started everything. He played God though he was dying and thought he was in the right until the very last breath he took. Other than needing more time on screen, he was a great big bad wolf.

The OSTs were on point and I also liked the flashbacks as the audience got to understand what had happened or why certain things went a certain way. Everything was placed just right. I was pretty neutral on LFP always having lollipops with him or LF handing them to him later because that was his own psychological way to handle anxiety after the death of his mom.

Cons: Ok I'm getting this out of the way but who's idea was it to give LFP a Hobbit wig? The thing was absolutely atrocious and made him look ridiculous. Was it in order to show him during and after his prison term with a bowl haircut looking somewhat normal, because when he ran or moved fast it was so obvious it was glued to his head, it just didn't help with concentrating on the scene. Wardrobe in general for him was a few sizes too large and just didn't fit his character. Wish they kept him in the tone of less is more.

Why didn't a single officer carry a gun with him unless told to do so? Xiao Liu did bring a gun but LF didn't in the episode Xiao Liu was killed. Wasn't part of being a police officer that you had to always carry your service piece and know how to use it? Go to target practice, make sure you always are up to date with knowing how to use your firearm? Plus, never enter a cave or any other unknown location without backup? That entire part of episode 10 was completely unbelievable in police procedure in any country. I have seen this in a few of their series where the perps had weapons but the cops had zilch. A gun fired for an officer's safety doesn't mean use of deadly force. The perp is trying to stab you, shoot the knife out of his hand. A survivable and light wound for him, but you're alive. Guess they had to kill off Xiao Liu in that one because even when LF called his name in that tunnel, Xiao Liu could have called for help but didn't and that was such a huge loophole. LF always using his martial arts only when others have pipes and knives was just unreal.

I mentioned this in the comments but LFP getting 7 years (served less) for manslaughter. It should have been involuntary manslaughter as the big bad didn’t give them a choice other than suicide by cop plus stopping the bomb attached to LY. That should have been probation max. That made a whole lot of no sense to me and I often feel that their criminal laws give a greater punishment to protectors than perps.

Lastly, I wish LFP was shown doing more hypnosis in the series and where we really got an understanding of how it worked on a smaller scale. But that wasn't much of a con.

Would I recommend it? I absolutely would. If you don't look at this from a procedural perspective and can overlook the annoying as hell wig, this is actually a pretty engaging and entertaining series. I'm glad I watched it. There's an extra episode with links in the comments too.

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The Boy Wunderkind

I was very surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this drama, even though 2 people I follow are in it and I wanted to see knowing Wu Lei was a child actor and having now seen him in many things as a young adult, was curious how he was as a teen. He met every single one of the expectations and then some for the role. I heard people hated on him at the time this was released; I'd just say they were jealous or had nothing better to do. Many actors that I've seen since in other things, seeing them here was always a pleasant surprise. Obviously, watching a 2018 drama in 2023 is an entirely different ballgame but I go into each drama with literally zero expectations even if it's an anticipated one. Call it a personal pet peeve. Xiao Yan was the boy wunderkind.

Pro: Though called an "idol drama" just for the sheer number of boy banders in it; I viewed it as just another drama. As mentioned above, WL or XY was really great in every scene of his. He was able to hit each emotion and movement on the nose. He was 17 then, 23 now and it was there when he was really angry that I saw a young Ashile Sun or Ling Bu Yi in the making. That smoldering glare of "if looks could kill or at least maim" was very impressive and on point. Am I praising him because I follow him? No. I'm an equal opportunity critic especially since I'm an author/writer myself and know how a character should express their scenes even if I haven't read the material. I know this thing was popular when it aired so obviously he did something right. His evolution was fantastic. I have to praise the author of the IP for the character itself. To go from almost no martial art skills to that of a near God in 45 episodes is impressive to say the least. Truly wish he and many others reprised their roles in the sequel though I know that's not happening. The martial arts scenes were awesome, especially as XY ascended in power.

Had many favorite secondary characters but the one he had the best banter with was Yao Chen or Yao Lo aka the psychedelic-haired genius trapped in the ring. Baron Chen was an absolute riot as him. I would have loved to see more scenes with just them two. They had the best back and forth friendship even though they were essentially Shifu and student. I lost count how many times I was cracking up at their mutual bitching or antics. This relationship was the best tension breaker when Soul Hall was getting out of control with their evil. It was like a grab and release, each and every time.

If I start listing all of the other great characters that molded so well by XY's side, we'll be here all night. But just about every character was an awesome addition, including the antagonists like the Omega (JR Ward BDB novel reference) looking Old Fan, just 86 the evil cackle which always just destroys the credibility of a villain as it makes me think of a Halloween store decoration. I had forgotten Xiao Zhan was in this one way back when he was still a new face on the block. He's one the Yan Sect pact boys I really liked, so it was a pleasant surprise to see his face on screen. Just wish they didn't poof him from 20 episodes only to return him in the last few (but I'm guessing that had more to do with his own filming schedule conflicts). Everyone XY aligned himself with like the snake tribe and its gorgeous queen was awesome. When it came to chemistry and who he was ultimately best with, in part one I couldn't tell because it seemed like Xun'er was the obvious choice and the one he got jealous over, but he played his naïveté so well, everyone's guess is good. Hopefully in part 2, they appropriately address it and have him choose just one and not 471. Head of the academy Elder Mi was more like a father figure to XY than his own father though the latter did everything in secret to protect XY. Also loved his older brothers from the desert. Just too many people to put down, but overall the support from family and acquired friends and allies was pretty outstanding.

Production itself was alright but not super tight; I was actually happy with the less is more concept. Costumes, OSTs, sets, etc were well done and believable for the time. The cliffhanger was pretty well executed even considering audiences 5 years plus are still waiting for part 2. It gave people hope instead of many that just confuse the hell out of everyone. As far as cliffhangers go, it was the best way to do it. I liked it a lot; though I wasn't a fan of Xun'er's betrayal as he's "dying." I hope she gets a crack in the head from him for that.

Cons: As many mentioned, there were plot holes in the series that never were resolved or understood. How did XY's mom stick Yao Lo and a bunch of treasures into a ring when she was so badly wounded and he was already dead? What happened to the Mo Clan after its leader was killed? How did the snake tribe know where to go during that last battle? And the student friends of XY from the academy arrived on scene after everything was cratered, just like "wifey" and her new magical beast. Did some bulletin go out to the rest of the world? Or was everyone psychic and telepathic? Where did his brothers from the desert go? How were they not found before for years but magically when XY is doing that 30 day trial underground, they poof and no clue to whether they're dead or alive. Many, many others. At a time with no limit on episodes, they could have explained a lot of this and better. Didn't like that there were a few episodes without XY at the end just so they could shove in small subplots to make room for the final battle, but it opened the door to even more questions that were never revealed. I also wish they had told him of what happened to his clan sooner, it was very anti-climactic.

Why couldn't they get rid of Han Heng before part 2 because it seemed to me like he possessed more power then even Old Fan and all he did pretty much the entire series was whine, throw his hair around like some cocky Fabio, and try to pin every problem of their lands on XY; it got old quick. How did he even know where the cave was, how to use the spatial ring, etc at the end? It just cut off any logic. The guy was a straight up douche and didn't deserve to outlive other, perhaps better even antagonists. The zombies were just undead people with eye makeup, quite lousy. The camera shook repeatedly and could be extremely noticeable. So I hope in part 2, they bring everything full circle and use better fantastical elements instead of the cheap zombie extras.

Would I recommend it? I would. And am even going to try part 2 despite the change in everything from cast to production. If you want an adventurous, fun, well moving story with great martial arts that's like a blend of wuxia and fantasy, give this a try.

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The Analysis

At first I was going to watch it the whole way through but then after I got to episode 10 and spoke to various people; I decided to just to do what I did with GoT because I knew I wouldn't be able to make it all the way through though I will watch season 2. This is different from my regular reviews as it's really an analysis from my pov.

Ok what I found solid in the series was the world and story building. Everyone we met started somewhere solid. It wasn't a drama where you were thrown into the middle of it and you had to catch up to with figuring out who was who and what was happening. Episode one was mostly focused on the children and making us invested in their story and lives which I thought was brilliant. Then the transition to adulthood and this where the story really got going. I will now go through the characters as they stood out to me. I will say that every character is flawed in some shape or form but some seemed worse for me.

XY: The anti-heroine. A massive red flag and I figured that out by episode 10. Life imitates art or art imitates life; YZ did well here (I'm usually not too thrilled with her roles; again just my opinion). I think she played a narcissist with abandonment issues who uses men to her self needs like a pro. I would say my favorite arc with her was that first one. It's where she was the most genuine. To her everyone was expendable as long as her needs were met. I felt like she really had no idea what love was. Though TSJ was the one and end game; even when he sacrificed himself and was in a coma, the way she spoke to him just rubbed me the wrong way. She used a lot of verbal abuse towards everyone; she spoke like she was the only one who suffered; yet we knew both TSJ and the demon were imprisoned and tortured. Like ok once, twice, but it got old quick. Saying her mom abandoned her instead of dying on the battlefield was so weird and foreign to me. She got the victim card down on lock. She needs an immortal pet not a lover. It'll never leave her and give her unconditional love. Her reaction to TSJ saying his grandmother essentially drugged him and he was most likely assaulted, just made me freeze. Yes she spit blood later but in the moment, she couldn't even offer words of comfort; it was all his problem and now they were strangers. She just called it quits. I was like what just happened here? I'd be worried, go confront grandma; poison the bitch. Hell, I'd fight for my man from the get go and that's something I think she needs to do evolution wise. She always treated it like whomever had to do something for her first and always. She never gave an ounce of herself and that's why I didn't like her; I couldn't root for her. But I do hope she figures herself out in S2 and what or rather who she wants and makes the necessary steps herself.

TSJ: This was my first time seeing DW in a lead role as I had just seen him previously in one small supporting in a modern. I will have to say that perhaps this role was a bit too complex for him but you gotta start somewhere, right? Hopefully in the future he'll be up to the challenge, he definitely has the potential. The character was complex in the sense that on the one hand he was a killer strategist but on the other hand he was essentially a doormat with the equivalent of Stockholm syndrome (victims that are so broken by their abusers, they love them because they believe no one else will) towards his toxic family; especially his brother who essentially nearly killed him after 3 years of insane torture. He couldn't kill his brother after what brother did to him; he was too timid and yet so easily manipulated even by the woman he loved. And watching her do that to him for her own pleasure made me sick to my stomach. So many times I wanted to shake him or smack him, like "do something, say something, stand up for yourself!" No one else will protect you even XY who promised in the cart they were imprisoned in by CX in the beginning that she would protect him against bullying, never did. Everyone seemed to remember how he broke promises due to the toxic family, but not that she lied and manipulated the hell out of him too and yet he would still die for her. My hope for him in S2 that he grows some balls and starts to go on the offensive. Enough already. I actually like his character as frustrated as I was with him.

The demon: Sorry folks, with so many ppl, this is what I called him. By far the most complicated character out of the entire show. I have only seen TJC in modern dramas up until this point but boy did he nail the demon, I was very impressed. Let me clear something up for people; he never abused XY; in the beginning before I knew he was a demon I thought he was a vampire. And she wondered into enemy territory for her herbs first; there's a war, he on the opposite side and leading troops, so capturing her and the whiplashing is understandable. The biting, her bored expression made me laugh; no one being abused would react like she did. Moving on, he was very smart, he knew when she was toying with him and it'd piss him off and he'd walk away in a huff and I was like "can you teach TSJ how to do that?" How he's able to let himself be entirely a different person with the black wig that's all fun and playboy that even those that know him can't figure out who he is? Love that versatility from the hard ass silver haired demon. His weakness is that country he fights with and the soldiers. He's repaying the emperor who became a father to him and it's very admirable but he should know when to tell them to stop because they're obviously losing as sad and unfair as that is. He falls in love and his love is both refreshing and extremely painful. He's more of a sadomasochist to himself because of her. He gives one of his lives away (and of course there's no gratitude from her) and from what I understand is planning to give his life on the battlefield and also wants XY and TSJ to be end game as he understands no one else will give her themselves. They just don't want to or aren't capable. I feel that the demon likes TSJ the most out of the other options. He admires the doormat's unwavering love even when others complicate things. In my perfect world, end game (not in a romantic way) would be TSJ and the demon as like sworn brothers or good friends living a peaceful life with women that deserve them in a little village; no power struggles, manipulation, wars etc. All the rest could bite the dust for all I care honestly. What I wish in S2 for him which I know won't happen; is for him to survive. But other than that, go out the way you want and make sure you give the two people you want to be together, their opportunities before you do. I really wouldn't change anything about him.

CX: First time ever seeing the actor. CX is complex in the fact that he's power hungry and creepy towards XY. But honestly, even though she only sees him as her brother, I feel that because of her narcissism, he's the perfect match for her. Even though she says even he's abandoned her. I'm over that sob story but I feel like his thirst for power will ultimately be his downfall somehow. I liked the complexity of the character and the actor was convincing. In S2, I want to see how he gets worse and how convincing it'll be.

FF: Actually currently watching this actor in another costume drama, he's an antagonist there. I have more issues with the script than his acting. Here, though he's also part of this harem of men, because he hasn't appeared as much so I'm not sure where to put him. He's friends with CX but is that just to get benefits for himself or whatever, I don't know. Also are his feelings for XY genuine or like hers towards just about anyone it seems; like a business deal? I hope they flesh him out properly in S2.

All the antagonists, I want them dead especially TSJ's toxic family. Make them suffer. The other supporting characters or A Nian are either good from the get go or grow on you.

Overall, when it came out last year and people said that this series was one of those you either love it or you hate it things, I wasn't sure what to make of that. Was there no middle ground? That can't be. It's got great coloring, OSTs, costumes, the storyline is complex and so are the characters.

Would I recommend it? This is my analysis of the show and the characters I felt were important. My rating is based on just that and if you want to watch it, go for it. I think it is a good middle ground story.

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Should be called "Scripted Street Dance of China"

I originally came only to watch Yibo as I'm a big fan but I fell in love with many of the dancers and am now following them on Weibo. And the bond that they all formed, be it the four captains or all four dance teams. They really supported each other through the highs and lows of each episode. Sadly a lot of the battles and picks and rules changed on the fly over each week so people who threw towels each week could barely keep up. The last episode especially had a cruel moment where they pinned Bouboo against Yan Kai and used Yibo's song "Wugan". It was beyond disrespectful and everyone knew what the show was doing. They had more then enough dancers from the other teams to split it fairly. No other team had to dance against one another. But the sweet moment came when Yan Kai still won the entire competition. No matter who the winner was, I wish the show had not played fans and dancers as well as captains for fools. They still had high ratings because of the captains. The dancers knowing something would happen in the finale, many opted out of the resurrection towel dance even though we fans voted for them. I am glad however that friendships and bonds were forged among everyone that will last a lifetime. I just wish that part hadn't left such a sour taste in my mouth and I watched nearly all 7.5 hours of it live.

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Agatha Christie & Sherlock Holmes All in One

I was completely unfamiliar with the cast going into this though the FL was ironically in another series I just finished; though the other series was poor, the actress did quite well in both. What drew me to this series other then the recommendations of several trusted sources was that it was a Republican era whodunnit that was based off several Agatha Christie novels (of whom I'm a big fan off).

Pros: This was a wonderful piece of work, one where romance didn't take center stage nor was even a tag thankfully, but the cases did. I liked all 3 leads though STY took top spot. I loved how he started out as a bit stiff but then gradually softened with the people around him. The funny banter between him and his best friend LSC was always on point from the very first episode. His subtle flirtation and caring with/of ZMW was also a nice added and very well balanced touch.

I really liked how seriously all of the cases were taken and it reminded me of actual documentaries on crime solving. The way STY's brain worked was pretty spectacular (it was like he was Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes rolled into one) and I liked the confidence he had in himself and his friends.

All of the cases were well done and even when the big bad was first coming into existence and things tying together, it didn't seem like there was a stitch out of place. Something that surprised me, as I have seen other series in this genre before, was just how much Russian there was. It being my native tongue, hearing it pop out of a character's mouth in the first episode, made me pause the series and rewind to make sure I had heard correctly lol. It was written on many buildings, the train station, references of Russian/Soviet food was a constant. It was actually cool and totally unexpected in a c-drama. I liked the blending of different cultures and it wasn't done in a negative way, which some others have.

Production like in all Republican era dramas was stunning, as were the OSTs, and costumes. There wasn't a single fault I could find with that. The ending though happy in one sense was left open ended in another and I truly hope there will be a season 2 with the same cast save one individual as he's kinda dead. I would totally watch another season of this if the cast remained the same but moved over to Beijing now from Harbin as the ending showed.

Cons: To be honest, there weren't many things I could pick apart and would have given this a very rare perfect score had the pacing of the story been better. I wish there was more time in between the cases instead of them bleeding from one straight into another sometimes a few at a time. That time in between could have been used to further evolve the characters and their relationships with one another and those around them. I understand with 24 episodes and a lot of ground to cover, it was difficult to do, but it would have made the best sense.

Also wish the SML wasn't turned into a glorified taxi driver with very little deduction skills of his own; he couldn't solve a case by himself if his life depended on it but he was a trusty sidekick to STY plus one with a weapon and some fighting skills. They could have made him slightly more intelligent.

Lastly and it's a silly one but just annoyed me to no end, was the younger unmarried rich women's hairstyles especially our FL. I'm sorry but ringlets don't belong on anyone save a young Shirley Temple. Adult women look absolutely ridiculous with them and whosever idea that was, I truly hope they never do it again. It made me question the seriousness of the character even before she opened her mouth. The only place where production totally failed.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely! Many people are comparing it with another series with the same cast and genre, but as I'm watching that one now too, I have to say I like this one way more. It has that stickler, seriousness aspect of all the characters; each case is solved in the right way and all of the characters fit for as long as they need to. So, give it a go and see for yourselves.

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Heads Above Part 1---Greatness Begins in the Stars

Pros: This is an entire planet above part 1. It's like watching a different drama with the same characters and theme. WL really showed his acting skills in this part be they for being so on point with each battle to the gut wrenching emotions. Absolutely extraordinary given he's only 22 years old; if this and TLB were his first foray into serious acting as an adult as opposed to just a child star, he's making tremendous strides in a wonderful direction. Literally the sky is the only limit for this young man.

He was able to play a highly complicated character with only revenge on his mind for a whole decade, everyone who crosses him or harms those he loves be damned. Then he falls in love and plans to wed but that vengeance is never far behind. Every step he takes before and after what I call the "red wedding" scene, is either calculated to the inch or completely muddled when it comes to NN. He owed her a lot, but he paid for it, and the reconciliation was priceless as well as funny.

ZLS who is known more for her comedy roles which was also well executed here, was able to play a tunnel visioned confused girl with how she grew up and only relying on herself even when that proves to be harmful time and time again until she realizes she's got to put more thought into the consequences of her actions not just the revenge; who has to have her heart shattered in order to mature and she played the role very convincingly.

Other favorite characters were the Empress (until her last breath, she was the mother to NN, her own mother forgot to be), Emperor, Consort Yue, NN's brothers, cousin, Qiqi, HBY's sidekicks (and the rest of the elite Black Armed Guards), the eunuch, 3rd and the original crown prince (though he was a wuss), there were a few others whose names I've forgotten but they were on the side of justice.

Costumes, OSTs, sets, and production in general were all gorgeous. Comedy was absolutely well placed and the Emperor being the biggest shipper of our leads along with the Eunach was always absolutely hysterical. Even the most serious scenes were sprinkled with the proper humor and it made things easier and better to watch. Quite a lot of very comedic scenes which were much needed; especially anytime Consort Yue entered the room and read it to filth; woman deserves a standing ovation!

Love, love, love, love all of HBY's battle scenes, wish we had more of that final battle with Tian Shuo or whatever his name was (also wish they had explained how he ended up being the last villain in the first place; he was just chucked in there to round out the batch, I guess); that seemed rather rushed and lackluster with a lot of talking and declarations in contrast to all of his previous ones which were just spectacular. HBY was an absolute machine and I loved every moment of it.

The leads chemistry was awesome; though FL had three men pining after her and she got engaged or semi engaged to all 3, only with our Superman HBY (shoot him, stab him, harpoon him, throw him off a cliff, or blow him up, he'll return in one piece still, looking fierce and immortal almost lol) was the chemistry palpable from nearly the beginning. Was it the most hot and heavy from all the costume c-dramas I've watched? No. But it was enough that you knew, no matter what, once they acknowledged their love for each other, even with the revenge and abandonment, it wasn't going to be over for them. Not by a long shot.

Cons: Took way too long on the constant bullying of NN. Too many princesses, too much time. That should have all been nipped in the bud a lot faster. I felt like way too many episodes were wasted on that. People claim many were critical of NN, but we were only watching the truth; she was a bit too self-absorbed many times and blamed LBY/HBY for stuff he had no control over and couldn't stop and sometimes she didn't even bother telling him like the river snake incident; often felt she took one step forward and two back. But spending the five years heartbroken and apart, actually matured her properly finally.

What happened in the last few episodes where mommy dearest and Jabba da hut aka grandmother all of a sudden had a change in conscience and became good? They spent most of the series hating on NN or severely punishing her both physically and psychologically and then out of nowhere in a fraction of one episode they were doting on her and to be completely honest, it was like a creepy whiplash. Mommy dearest even whined that she had no idea how to raise a lady which was a total copout because when they returned from the battlefield, NN was still a teen and could have been doted on instead of ignored and the cousin chosen because she was meek and feeble. The inconsistency was beyond staggering. Even chicken feather duster dude was all mellow after he was more or less a total shit to NN the entire series (his version of showing he liked her; total moron); but his mellowing out was thankfully a lot more subtle then the other two which made me cringe. Points came off for that.

And what in the heck was that last episode? Ok, HBY and NN hit two different fronts to protect and save, got it! They trust each other totally and completely finally, awesome! But her parents and entire family save jabba da hut riding in from out of the blue made me pause the drama to double check I wasn't watching something else. It was the most twilight zone-ish experience of the entire thing. How did they know? Did NN send a letter or a pigeon before leaving Hua county? I doubt it because she looked stunned to see them as the rest of us were. And why bring family with no fighting experience like the cousin and her husband? Plus she's giving her parents and the rest of them orders on what to do, even though her dad is a general? Like make it make sense please, except it doesn't. Very disappointing after so much great material.

I wish HBY and NN got more time alone to really talk and a wedding would have been nice. But we can take what we can get, I suppose. If it weren't for the very obvious flaws, this drama would have gotten a higher rating. I do hope people in the comments are correct that the director is editing for more cohesion, because a lot is needed here and it's lacking.

Would I recommend it? I absolutely would. Part 1 can be browsed as it's really a one track style, but all the goodies lay here in part 2. This is maybe my second or third costume/Republican drama getting a 9 or 9.5 this year and it certainly earns it. So definitely check it out; you'll laugh, cry, be unhappy, and root for all of the good characters as they go through life.

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Chinese Historical Tribute Drama

I'm going to start by getting the elephant in the room out of the way first. I do not agree with, support, nor condone the CCP in any way, shape, or form. That said, I watched this solely because 4 actors that I follow are a part of this and I wanted to see how they did in this totally different from what they normally are in drama. Though by production, these collection of stories were called anthologies, they didn't follow the definition of that and therefore I can't review them as thus. So my review is focused on this as a historical tribute drama.

The four actors whose episodes I watched were ZLY, Wu Lei, Lay Zhang, and Wang Yibo. All four were different characters at different periods of time in the last hundred years. Each contributed greatly to their respective storylines and were very believable. I watched all four on YouTube and sadly, Lay's episode didn't have any audio. I don't understand Mandarin but when there's no sound, it's like watching a silent film and a lot of nuances are lost. Music in each was very important too. Obviously when it comes to actual dialogue that part was fiction unless they literally had a tape recorder strapped to them 24/7, so we will never really know if what they said was historically accurate, but as a historical tribute drama with multiple stories, the four that I saw, I believe achieved what they were trying to achieve under the circumstances.

I do wish the ending portions where the characters stories were written out in more detail, were part of the acting part. Since 2 out of 4 that I saw lost their lives during certain battles, it would have greatly enhanced the experience to witness that sacrifice or for the others what happened next to help their achievements along. That portion for me had a great disconnect. I understand they wanted to show the actual human beings behind each but it didn't have to go that much into it because than it took away from the actual performance and storyline. I'm not into nationalistic dramas from any country as a personal preference so therefore these are the only episodes for me here.

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