Enigma05

My Honest Opinion

I watched this in December of 2019, and gave a review on YouTube. I know folks loved this, so I'll probably be in the minority.

The story would have benefited if they had written in more of the book after her death and actual resurrection. The pain and suffering he goes through. Btwn the horrendous amount of makeup they put on him to make him look like he was closer to 50 was a real disconnect between the two main characters. Wallace Huo (Bai Zihua) was basically an iceberg the entire time. I read an article where they interviewed him and he said that it took him a while to get into the right head space for this part romantically speaking because of the 8 year age difference between him and his costar, the ever amazing and talented Zhao Liying (Hua Gian Gu). That it felt like an uncle and niece or father and daughter relationship. That’s how it felt on screen. Plus the coldness of his character, total lack of development, and the aging makeup didn’t help matters. The writers essentially shot themselves in the foot by not showing or having someone say that “love and duty can co-exist” as that’s a line from the book. Maybe have Zhu Ran explain it to him during his monologue after FL dies. That all Bai Zi Hua had to do was open his heart and love her. He wasn’t a monk and therefore celibacy shouldn’t have been that big of a deal in comparison. That the “fated calamity” was designed not to kill but to teach them to love. That perhaps failing was really the win to the “fated calamity” curse as opposed to what they were made to believe. Like with what happened to Wu Guo and Yun Ya; all he had to do was acknowledge his feelings and allow himself to love her. Falling in love, opening your heart and letting yourself feel would have saved everyone. I mean Zhu Ran came about somehow right? So Mo Yan had to have sex with his mother. Love or otherwise, Mo Yan was still allowed to be a Senior Brother. His life didn’t end. Neither did the world.

The biggest disconnect happened in FL's resurrection; it came out of nowhere with almost zilch real explanation. It seemed like the creators were rushing to finish the series so didn’t have time to give it any real semblance of an end and there was a lot of great material to finally develop the lead the way he had deserved to be developed. Maybe not go as far as “The Bet” but much of it could have been used and give it a real happy ending it deserved.

The best character out of the entire series was that of Holy Ruler aka Big Sister to his Little Thing. Ma Ke was a great actor, amazing development, and multifaceted to have him be loved more then the lead, in my humble opinion of course. I would have much preferred for Hua Gian Gu to end up with him even if it was in the sibling only love capacity. He was the only one immortal who literally did everything for her and protected her; ended up stuck in sleep until she died and he used his strength to help with her resurrection. Ultimately, for me, in the cluster-fuck of men who loved her and tried to protect her, Sha Qian Mo is the only one who ever succeeded at it each and every time with sincerity. Dongfang though he loved her, was blinded by revenge and that also put her in dangers path. So he doesn’t count. So for me the only real sincere one whose heart was always open for our heroine no matter the cost to his evil plans, was Mr. Androgynous Holy Ruler Demon Big Sister. I truly wish the creators had taken more from the book and adapted it in such a way that would have explained that totally disconnected ending or ended it on a higher note from the epilogues giving the iceberg the opportunity to melt and show emotions. Just my own thoughts of course.

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Must watch especially if you love “The Untamed”

I have searched for this show for nearly a month before finally finding it on some obscure website with English subtitles. I have been a fan of Wang Yibo since first watching him in "The Untamed" in mid-December. When I first read the synopsis of this show, I wanted to see him in a different type of show instead of a costume drama. As he's a gamer and motorbike racer in real life, it only added to the intrigue of how he would play this character. He didn't disappoint. Though I know zilch about games, he was ridiculously good and made a believer out of me. The entire series made me laugh at times and cry at others. The entire cast did a wonderful job and I wish more international fans could see his performance in this series. The reason I gave it a 9 and not a 10 was because I wish the romance aspect of it was less drawn out and all of the villains had better understood connections. Otherwise, I would and will recommend this show to people who are looking for something different. Wang Yibo at just 22 years old is a promising and courageous young actor that will continue to flourish with every role he's in. I look forward to seeing more of the Chinese Michael Jackson (yes ppl, he's really that good at dancing) in the future!

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A hot mess

This is the first drama that I have dropped and so far along in the series. I just couldn't do it; it was a total disappointment because I like Zhang Han and loved his performance in "Boss & Me" with ZLY. He typecast himself into this CEO role and this storyline was just unrealistic and impossible to deal with. I'm not sure the director and screenwriter were sober when filming. Literally every single cliche and trope of a stereotypical Asian drama got hit. Love triangle that turned into a pentagon eventually, toxicity towards the FL from every side imaginable, a stalker SML, jealousy, unrealistic expectations. Just no! The only reason it is even getting a 5 instead of something lower is for the very few sweet moments of the leads, the few decent characters like ML's assistant, and their overall acting. Absolutely nothing could save this mess for me. And it's very sad. Many people like these roller coaster shows, but if you're going to call yourself a modern drama, it's got to be realistic. None of this was. I wish them all luck in their careers and better roles. Do NOT recommend.

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Good Filler Drama

I watched this drama only because of CJX and because I heard it was an easy comedy with lots of romance. Also because I needed a filler in between anticipated releases. The positive aspect is that it definitely had the comedy and romance people spoke of. I understand in 30 episodes there's only so much a drama can do. I do wish it hadn't taken on so many plots. One or two and keep it simple. The annoying part was the constant whining of FL and hindering ML in practically everything. Though she's a strong lead, the way she acts many a time and the misunderstandings she causes, feels like it's emasculating to the ML. Both are strong characters but though the ML treats the FL or tries to as an equal partner once they get their feelings out, her actions always seem to hinder a situation. The only thing I would rewatch are their cute romantic moments if I was truly bored. Both lead actors have a long way to go as major leads especially when expressing emotions other then anger and happiness; and I would definitely recommend CW to get rid of the snaggle tooth; it's very distracting. Not saying everyone must have perfect symmetrical teeth but if you're going to play lead where you'll need to smile, that could be a bit problematic. Everything was very rushed, especially the plots, at times even the audience didn't know what was going on. I did like the martial arts aspect of it and that CJX got a chance to showcase more fighting skills. Over all, I wish the entire cast luck in their future endeavors.

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Finally: The Wolf!

Though I didn't wait like many people did for 3 years to watch the drama, I was anticipating it. Primarily I wanted to see Xiao Zhan in his first major role but I had also seen Li Qin in Princess Agents and Jade Dynasty, so I knew she had the acting chops. This was the first time seeing Darren Wang in anything. Though I had not like Lord Personality Disorder as I called Lord Bo and how he treated MZX for most of the series for supposedly her own good, I do have to give props to Darren for being able to switch from an ice cube to a stuffed animal and back again in the blink of an eye. I don't think many actors could pull that off. MZX was the only character that I wish was done better with development as she didn't really show her badass side until literally the last episode. The entire time she went from quite strength to powerless, to a sappy girl who let lord disorder get away with humiliating her left and right. It was very choppy. For his first major role, Xiao Zhan did a wonderful job. JiChong was friendzoned by the woman he loved but still came to her aid no matter what. Considering he didn't have many scenes, he was believable and well played/developed as both a bounty hunter and as the prince. Also given the fact that they filmed in a high altitude area where many developed altitude sickness, they did a pretty good job. I do wish many portions of the plot were better explained or handled. This drama is very angsty and heavy with a sad ending for both main leads however, if you're willing to go beyond that and understand the psychology behind the leads and their lives, it is worth the 49 episodes.

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Should have had less episodes.

The only reason I watched this drama was because of the two actors from TU; Zhoucheng Wang aka Marius Wang and ZiYi Meng aka Zoey Meng. It would been better if it had 30 episodes. Once the main antagonist was killed off, the plots just ran amok. The ending was depressing and haphazardly done; FFL supposedly kills herself by drowning but you never see the body, she just disappears into thin air and then the end, roll credits. The entire thing unraveled in the very last episode and the SML who was chasing after his mother's real killer never found out the truth, at least not on screen. He just stopped looking and that plot ended there for him though it was the main point of his anguish from episode one. This drama is supposedly popular by its votes on Tencent but no one in China has even heard of it. I really wish they made quality scripts for these actors. The only saving grace was the actual acting and the BGM. Everyone in the lead cast and some supporting members were very believable. I would only recommend this if you want to be semi depressed at the end. Onto the next and hopefully better.

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Xiao Zhan's Acting Talent is not a Joke.

I finally watched Jade Dynasty with Xiao Zhan and all I can say is wow! You had comedy, action, drama, suspense, all of it. Zhan's acting was superb; he is extremely versatile as an actor and that's so important. Beautiful job! His craft and ability to go above and beyond to get the job done was on display for every moment. After seeing this film, my respect for this young man has grown even more, I look forward to more amazing work from him. All of the other actors were decent, the 6 stooges he lived with were funny. The older cast was more believable on occasion while all three female leads did a great job. I do think this film needs a part 2.

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Gave It My Best Shot

I got barely through 13 episodes and dropped it. The storyline barely has any cohesion, the characters are all over the place, random other characters come and go, and it's very depressing. It might be interesting for families who want to watch other families struggles and the complete disconnect between the younger generation and their older counterparts. I feel this series would have gotten a better reception in the 1990s. It's supposed to be about a nursing home when in reality it's about an assisted living facility for the elderly. I wanted to watch because of BJT and his fantastic acting in YAMH but sadly this never came close.

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