Enigma05

The Story of Nut Sack

The title says it all, doesn't it? I can't say this was a highly anticipated drama for me, but I did add it to my watchlist because of ZLH. At the time, I hadn't yet seen ZJM in anything but was familiar with the SML or CHY and several others in the supporting cast from previous things. I however didn't expect to see so much of the series essentially taken over by SRQ and away from the ML and leads altogether. It was sad and everyone was sick of it. Instead of The Princess Royal, this should have been renamed "The Story of Nut Sack." That's what I dubbed him; even funnier just how many people started using that nickname after I put it out there. I knew we were all in the same boat.

Pros: Everyone's acting. The leads really embodied their characters especially ZJM or LR; I'd only seen her in a modern drama at the beginning of this year. For a 21 year old, she sure knows how to act. Very impressive. ZLH or PWX, though relegated to a virtual supporting character, he was infinitely patient and loved with all of his heart. I don't know how he was written in the novel as I never read those but he did the best with what he was given. Little prince was too cute and I really liked him with QZZ. It was actually funny that he in real life is older than ZJM who plays his older sister. The other characters I liked were SY, SRH, QL, LFB, the eunuch, and the rest of the folks on team LC. None of these characters were cookie cutter good. They were all complicated with problems that they had to overcome and evolve into. That was the part of it that was really good. The sword fights were good; loved when PWX told nut sack off at the end for being so damn delusional and how he had every choice in life number two to change everything but still didn't. I also really loved the OSTs.

Neutral: Before I start on the cons, I just want to make sure people understand that I have no hate towards any of the actors. Though this story of nut sack was played by CHY, the actor did the best he could with what he was given. He himself is still very new in the industry and green. I do hope for better work for him. I think he was miscast here. If you want him in a good drama; check out "Warm on a Cold Night."

Cons: The people responsible for turning this story into the mess it became, was production. The script was absolutely horrendous (we had a second lifetime of do overs to get things right but instead what we got was a convoluted mess); it turned the story away from the leads and to the SML who wasn't even given a billing lead role but as a supporting character. How could they do that to him given how much screen time they gave him? Really unfair to the actor. At every turn, nut sack took most of full episodes of screen time and became essentially an obsessed lunatic with forced second lead syndrome plus producers really wanted to give him a redemption arc, though they still killed him; but his constant glorification was pretty ridiculous. He was vile and stupid; he killed her in their first life, yes with two others but he was probably the first forgiven. If the reason it took her longer to forgive her little brother and SY was because she cared about both more, why the hell did she waste so much time yelling for nut sack to turn back to the right path? Right up until his fiery death, both leads still were trying to get this POS to see reason and become good. It just didn't make any logical sense. Reason and what we were seeing were two different things and this was constant. Say one thing, mean another. Just constant contradictions until you got a damn headache! I can't begin to even really explain what happened to the story but it went from in-fighting palace politics over a throne in two lives that would have still happened to absolute chaos with the SML. A lot of the time, you were wondering; what was even happening and why? Many scenes had you cracking up because they were so absurd.

Nut sack was both Superman and somehow escaped flames for a long time after being stabbed plus he was able to play a song. What in the what? Way too many loopholes and continuity issues; arrow that killed consort Ru came from where? How did her daughter scream without opening her mouth? Cheng 2.0 came from where; was he created from clay? How did nut sack catch up to LR when they went diving off the cliff? When did this turn into a Xianxia? And many others. Suspension of disbelief was a constant must. Wasn't this an S+++ drama? Why the hell was everything so cheap looking? Where did all of the money go?

The ending was rushed obviously because over half an hour was spent on nut sack's last time on earth, though the sword fight with PWX wasn't bad. It was an HE for our 3 couples but very rushed and a lot of the characters didn't even get proper closure as they were just left on the sidelines or disappeared altogether. So now we're getting an extra episode at some point because our leads barely got their 3rd wedding in and the kids weren't shown. My question to producers is, was it worth it? To screw up a great story for one character that should have been kept as is. Only reason this got the score it got was because of the really awesome acting of the actors.

Would I recommend it? Even though the actors were awesome, this story was a mess and I can't with good conscience recommend something so completely out of left field. Even if you didn't read the book (like me), as just a viewer, you'll know very quickly something is very off about the story. All of these actors deserve a better script, so I'd recommend you watch all of them in other things.

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A Game of Tetris

Well, I got what I wanted; Jing was endgame and the demon went out like the MVP that he was. That said season 2 was all over the place and therefore this will be an analysis/review. I added A Nian to my favorite character list along with the two above. Due to the shoddy editing, I consider part 2 an essential game of Tetris. I'll start with the characters that stood out to me and how they changed (if at all since season one).

XY: Our red flag, anti-heroine definitely evolved from speaking to the mortal Tian'er in her way of thinking though it wasn't until episode 18 that the "abandonment" word was finally beaten out of her. Even when she spoke to the essence of her mother, she didn't get it until she realized it was her own mother. I did like how she allowed herself to understand that the whole thing with Jing was her fault too. That she stood by when she knew something was fishy with the whole child thing and did nothing; when she could have prevented a lot of misunderstandings and problems. Also glad the woman who swore she would never wait for anyone, not only posthumously married Jing but defied her obsessive brother when it came to him. But she got her happily ever after with the person right for her.

Jing: You are NOT the father. That was a phrase I had wanted to hear for a long time and it was satisfying; Maury Povich inside my head and everything. Jing evolved in his own manner; he wasn't a pushover anymore. He spoke his mind to her about his suspicions of the kid not being his and even later on, he didn't just stammer and disappear. He was gentle, kind, and not overbearing. He took credit for the good and not so good things he did without hesitation. And just like I thought and hoped, both the lifesaving pill and the demon brought him back to her. He fought hard to come back. He's her direct opposite and that's what she needed and wanted in a soulmate.

The demon: Lord almighty, I don't think I have ever met a larger masochist in any series, movie, show of any country. The lengths he went to save her; sacrificing 3 of his lives and erasing as much of her memory of him while he forever grieved, even in death. Only good thing was that he went out exactly as he wanted. Death was tragic but awesome. He really was the MVP. Had been anything less, it would have done irreparable damage to his character. As a novelist, I'm happy with it. But now because of that aquarium like pill inside that wooden doll, XY could take him with her on all of her adventures even if she didn't know it. I'm sure like others, I wish he or others told XY just how much he had actually done for her. Even at the very end, though she mourned his loss, she still misunderstood him. Also my favorite piece of music was his BGM in both seasons; just a female voice and I believe a guitar; simple and yet so deep. I also wish he sent Chubby to her and Jing as they traveled the world. They could take care of it and have a nice reminder of him. Poor Chubby didn't get an ending.

FL: Fleshed out more thankfully. He wasn't a bad guy at all, though morally grey like everyone else. I actually wish he didn't die, he was good to keep around but at least he did right by Jing and told CX the truth in the end. Though his death did bring some form of hope to his horrid sister Xingyue in changing her nasty ways (I actually thought "why does trash like his sister have to live but he can't?"). He was a good friend, general, cared about people and though a deity, he was probably one of the more human ones.

CX: He never got over his obsession of XY but at least we never saw him go batshit crazy. I never liked his character as a person though he was a good emperor. The fact that him "killing" Jing was actually an illusion created by his grandfather to get to the bottom of the truth was horribly done. It was like we knew why we had to hate him and then snap, it's not true? Like how's the audience supposed to feel for him afterwards? Then make that nightmare Xingyue be the real culprit but he's partially to blame because of the way he treated her too. So it's this never-ending whirlpool. Plus the forced "look he's evolved into someone sort of good" up through the end where the main couple don't even get the last scenes but are given to him and A Nian back in that village? It would have been better if it was XY and Jing wondering around the village reminiscing together. Still he had to unburden himself of his feelings in the last episode finally to her right before she got married; selfish much? Because it would've changed anything? Why are we supposed to feel sorry for him? I don't! I'm confused with this obsessed fool. Which again says something about the actor and character portrayal done very well.

A Nian: Literally my favorite female in the entire show and the absolutely most evolved character bar none. I was so proud of her. I hope if CX decides to have kids, it's only with her. She's the only real rightful queen and one that deserves to birth an heir.

I'd have to say that the editing made someone like me who has never read the novel stay in a perpetual state of confusion. Furthermore, each episode ended in some haphazard manner like in the middle of a conversation or fight. I had to constantly ask what was happening and why from friends who had read the novel or the leaked script. Part 2 in post production had to be done by a different team. Other than editing, what was up with FL's poison death veins, they were obviously not under his skin and looked like plaster or marker you could just peel or wash off. It was laughable in that agonizing scene. Same went for Jing's injuries in the water. This season looked a lot cheaper in other aspects too. I felt that the producers and editors smoked something very heavy.

Would I recommend it? Only if you watched season one and need to watch this to finish things off. The characters did evolve but some were forced on audience regarding that while others actually did so organically. Most actors did a good job.

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An Interwoven Tragic Tale with Majestic Scenery

I think this is the first drama ever where what first attracted me was the gorgeous scenery. I knew both leads could hold their own in a wuxia and I was prepared for an SE; which was done so skillfully and artfully. This was an interwoven tragic tale with a majestic backdrop.

Pros: Wherever they filmed other than Hengdian was absolutely stunning. I'm a photographer by hobby and though not a fan of the cold, that scenery was too beautiful to resist honestly. First time probably ever that that was the thing I spoke of when starting off a review. Also I wanted to point out how well they wrote and created the SE and not just for the leads but other characters as well. The near constant tragedies like of siblings reuniting after unknowingly living in the same location and hating one another for over 20 years only for one to be killed minutes later. Or of an entire family to be slaughtered just because a son in law said the wrong things at the wrong time and it was found out only years later. Our leads love story was more spiritual than obvious; it was never spoken but their bond was almost telepathic as each time HZB would be near death, something would fall over near XZY or the wind would blow harder.

Even if the prescription was fake, it saved 3 lives for at least 8 years and everyone was in some way, shape, or form intertwined; be it through blood or other ties and at the end though the closeness of the miss of ML and FL was almost painful, we knew it had to happen. Doctrine leader was by far one of the most sadistic antagonists I've seen in a while, killing whole communities and destroying, framing people just to steal gifted kids who then were raised to be as savage as beasts while unable to get away from him in a Stockholm Syndrome type of manner especially for MF/YM; as he himself said "unknowingly, I took the enemy as my father and ignored my sister's suffering." Only when MS revealed the truth did he truly understand what a monster he protected. Losing his sister seconds later and then ZY was almost more than he could take. After knowing all or most of their stories, you could forgive 3 of the assassins creed people because they were harmed, used, lied to almost their entire lives. As ZY said, "the only one to blame is the player" or the one who uses others as swords for his own monstrous deeds.

ZY was truly a hero here; even though it took the three of them to take the nearly immortal doctrine leader down; she had her cold disease, plus the king of all poisons already in her system from saving her brother and yet she still repeatedly fought until that thing was dead.

Other great characters included all of the brothers of the sect except 6th brother, MJ/Tong, the valley girls and granny, the other valley chief and the MVPs being the snow harrier and horse of HZB lol. The utter emotions of everyone especially HZB at the end when he realized ZY was dead was heartbreaking but powerful. Joseph did very well in all of his scenes; from the great fight ones to the total emotional breakdown at the end. The story itself was a bit repetitive (find medicine, fight, nearly die, get healed, repeat) but it was meant to bring their subtle but strong love story to life. Also the subtlety of them not being meant to be together in several scenes like missing the northern lights by seconds or the breaking of the hairpin in the snow, these were such great touches. As well as at the end HZB sharing the wine meant for the two of them with MJ and YM as they honored her in their own ways before her tomb; HZB being the lover calling her "Ziye", MJ the brother saying "sister Ye" and YM she being his redemption "Chief Xue." I'm actually totally ok with YM becoming the new chief of the valley instead of SH because it's something he can do well plus he's got an internal power he can use.

The ending was also done very artfully with HZB as an old man coming to ZY's tomb every year and drinking with her while the rest of time he's bringing justice to the world. MJ becoming a monk and YM the new chief was the hope for the story. Though with great loses and lifetime parting, the sun still rises and we must keep our loved one's memories alive through good deeds; I think that's what the story was trying to convey overall.

OSTs, costumes, were all pretty awesome.

Cons: I know that there wouldn't have been an original story if the Junior sister hadn't essentially created the problem by breast feeding her son when he was in isolation and specifically off limits. It's like going into a hospital room when you've been told by the doctor that it's life threatening and doing something irreversible. I wish there had been another way to go about that because she never really acknowledged that what set all of these things in motion was her own negligence. She said it once and it was never brought up again. Meanwhile, HZB is out there risking his life for them. I don't blame ZY for the fake prescription as she really didn't know one way or the other because it gave them all 8 years of extra life and experience.

Also the 6th brother was very much like his wife; arrogant and selfish. He volunteered to go undercover but that only added to his jealousy. That storyline was very weak. And I think it was the weakest arc of the entire thing plus the ending because you have 7 brothers racing to eliminate the threat while it's pretty much already been eliminated by ZY, YM, and MS. They don't know this and as Tong said, 6th brother should thank Sword Sect for giving him a few more hours to live because had Tong not known 6th brother had betrayed them and he was planning on trapping them, he would have killed him before. And of course this was also done to let the leads miss each other one final time. I think I would have just done it a bit smoother without such a burgeoning arc and let down.

Plus the Snow Harrier, couldn't locate either people that he was so good at doing for receiving messages so that was inconsistent. I also wish we knew at the end how much time had passed between HZB saying he didn't want to be chief to returning to the valley and drinking the wine because though he was wearing the same outfit; YM was already chief of the valley with vast medical skills which he couldn't have acquired in less than a year. So that was a plot hole. A few others were obviously deleted scenes where HZB found medicine and than was returning with it but we never saw what happened in between.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I would very much. Even if you don't like SE's, they're the most memorable if done right. The acting, storytelling, and again scenery is very worth it.

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Dream A 40 Year Dream

Only watched this for Xiao Zhan as I'm not a fan of heavy propaganda dramas usually from any country. I also have seen both LQ and LRL in other dramas and knew they were good actors and could handle pretty much any role. When I do these reviews, it's always from not just an audience member standpoint, but also as a writer/author. So I am impartial to everyone and everything. I don't like the new title of the drama so to me it's always been "Where Dreams Began" and here XZ aka XCS dreamed a 40 year dream.

Pros: This series had a great flowing storyline where you didn't have any filler feeling episodes except for maybe the final 2. Favorite characters were tied with the leads; XCS and TXM or LQ. But at the same time they were also in the cons which I'll explain below. XCS was a man who unwaveringly followed his ideals even when more experienced in life people told him that his ideals would make him lose and regret those who felt inferior to him. After he overcame his physical disability post war, he was even stronger mentally. TXM was the epitome of quiet strength. She was his rock, his anchor even when they weren't yet together, before he realized any of it. Women like her are incredibly inspirational. Not only did she push him but herself.

Many people didn't like YGH and HHL due to their selfishness and cowardice but I did because they were the two morally gray ones in this story. Characters can't just be black or white, they need layers, to be able to evolve in whichever direction. We wouldn't necessarily want them in our lives but as characters on the screen, they were fascinating. The rest of the crew of QT, YQ, YF, DL, Amao, the other guy whose name I don't recall, plus certain parents, uncle Dong were all very awesome characters and all of the actors whether I found their characters necessary or should have left sooner, did a superb job. CHJ was actually the best antagonist out of the batch because you saw his corruption over time as opposed to Heizi, who though I liked as a greedy, money hungry character was too repetitive in his crimes and just came off as downright stupid.

Sets, costumes, OSTs, accents all of that was appropriate for whichever time period you were in.

Cons: Though they were trying to portray the 70s and onward over there as best as they could, much was unrealistic. Though I loved both XCS and TXM, as someone else mentioned in the comments, these characters don't exist in real life. They are too perfect in their ideology and no one on earth is flawless. They came off as their own versions of Gandhi and Mother Teresa. Trying to portray that in a slice of life type of story, essentially takes away from that slice of life. LSY was just there for too long and got away with too much. The actor did well but to have him constantly let go or wriggle out of the law while other people like QT who did legal work lost everything wasn't fair. It made the law look useless especially in such a high propaganda filled series. Those two just didn't jive. The constant nepotism became nauseating.

I will speak about the propaganda; I knew what I was going to watch but what--as someone who was also born in a socialist/communist country which no longer exists so I actually know what I'm talking about--kept throwing me off and having the scenes take a hit, was not that it was used but WHERE. In all of the military, government related and whatnot scenes, totally understandable. But when the characters are just having fun together shooting the breeze or being romantic with their significant others and the speechifying starts, it is eye roll worthy because literally no one did that ever in any country. When there are family gatherings or two neighbors meet up or something everyday, propaganda speeches do not happen. You'd sooner ask about a child's health or if they went to the movies, so that's where it was way too much.

The fact that there were multiple time jumps and we never knew where we were. It could be anywhere from a few months to a few years. One viewer had to research and write out a timeline in the comments. People shouldn't have to do that when watching a series; a small note on the screen would have sufficed. The SARS epidemic in the final two episodes was also unnecessary. They could've wrapped it all up nicely around the CNY episodes because otherwise it felt like this plot was just chucked in there last minute and was quite rushed.

Would I recommend it? If you are a fan of any of the actors and like a nice flowing storyline until that end. I think all of the actors did a superb job; very pleased with that.

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"No One Can Judge Me but Myself"

First underrated gem of 2025! I had no idea this show even existed until I saw the trailer on X and was like wow, this looks good. I knew two of the leads and a few of the support; the writing, acting, storytelling, suspense, surprise it was all there.

Pros: The iron triangle consisting of the leads that knew each other pretty much from childhood though the ML or XTS/XH and SML or SY/HX (but I will use SML in this review because his "adoptive father" had the same initials)lost contact with each other and only met in the first episode. The plots revolved around a main story of the deaths of ML's parents which SML witnessed but because he was hit hard suffered from amnesia and didn't figure out who he was until later in the show thanks to the help of the other two. TS was placed in a foster home run by FL or JC's mom, so that's how they met. JC and SML met at work as he was a cop and she was a coroner. Bring in TS, the arson investigator and they created the iron triangle; a formidable team and great friends especially when SML regained his memories. Now they were up against two narcissistic psychopath serial killers; HP and SY.

This series left you guessing about almost everything; and just as you thought you had figured it out, they threw a surprise that was like holy cow, I didn't see that coming at all! There were individual cases to solve during the entire show but it all came back one way or another to the same two people who repeated the line that is the title of this review. All those cases were great and really showcased the strengths of our iron triangle and their sidekicks and leaders. HP had an identical twin HJ (but were different as humans could be; one was a cowardly nerd that always impressed their dad and one was a narcissistic psychopath trying to get approval from his dad) and one of them died in an explosive car accident in the very beginning and the whole show it was assumed by some characters that it was HP that died while HJ survived and was the kind one. Though everyone had their doubts and rightfully so. He stayed under the radar and didn't start showing his true colors again until the end of the series.

SY meanwhile was the serial killer that killed however he wanted and taunted the police until the very end. He was under their noses the entire time as he raised SML after figuring out that he lost his memory in the explosion that killed TS's parents; orchestrated by him and HK (father of the twins) and carried out by HP. All because they thought TS' dad had discovered their drug operation. SY was also responsible for SML's father's death in a way though that was his first one. Once he adopted SML he basically drugged him in some way to keep him from remembering the past. And though loving and caring; he was manipulating and controlling his "son" for 18 years.

Now I won't go more into the show because then what's the point of watching but this was a show you just wanted to keep watching. I had only ever seen the actor who played SY in protagonist roles so to see him play this horrifying character was pretty neat and creepy as to how he nailed it. He could go from a loving and caring father to an emotionless monster in the flip of a switch. And you could see it coming. With HP, he would be fine and then he would just go ballistic screaming, punching, kicking, hitting. One would do things cleanly and meticulously while the other was a screeching lunatic. There were other villains that were part of this series but obviously less than and when their connection became clear if there was one, you would see just how complex things really were. Some of the cases were related and some weren't.

Sadly, we lost one our leads at the end but her going for that necklace would be the only way to pin the entire thing including her own death on HP and prove which twin it really was without a doubt. Every character was there for as long as they needed to be. The side kicks of all three leads were awesome and there was even some comedy. JC and her mom's arc was actually devastating because just as they more or less reconciled and mom wanted to learn how to be a good, loving mom to her daughter, she lost her forever.

I really wish this show had the proper promotion or any actually because it really deserved it. OSTs, fight scenes, fire scenes, etc were all on point. I can talk about this show and its characters for hours but then you wouldn't have a reason to watch lol.

Cons: Very few; one anticlimactic death of SY, throwing himself off the roof when cornered by SML (many of us thinking that going in for that hug he would have taken SML with him) and couldn't face punishment so as a coward who routinely played God with other peoples lives and thought of them as things and cases, as well as manipulated and drugged the only person he claimed to love, so he took the easy way out and I felt that just didn't really fit his character. He should have died in a fire and slowly; that would have been justice.

When JC traveled abroad to study, though she constantly refused HP's (HJ at the time) creepy offerings to stay at his house that she would find a place on her own, she still somehow ended up living with HJ's girlfriend's house. I thought that was too much of a coincidence. Though no one ever explained it, it was a huge loophole. Also, her coming home to find the girlfriend that disappeared like she was a cop getting herself also kidnapped in the process was just dumb. No idea how she managed to shake the cops following her which was stupid to begin with. That entire thing seemed to go against who she was as a character and her death was also beyond unnecessary. She could have gotten to the necklace and passed out and then recovered at the hospital. But no, they had to make TS lose his training skills as a firefighter when he found her unconscious on the floor and instead of scooping her up immediately and running out the door, he spent precious seconds shaking her before picking her up and walking out in almost slow motion. Like what? Her dying was completely nonsensical. That's it.

Would I recommend it? I absolutely would. This was a gritty, arson investigation drama that had everything you could ask for and more. If you like these types of shows, I'd have to say this is one of the better ones despite the cons.

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Leads Insane Chemistry is the Lure......Plot/Story is Nonexistent

This is the first drama I've ever watched of this genre and it's not one I watch or like but what caught my attention was the insane chemistry of the leads. It was enough to give me pause and decide to watch. While I'm still not interested in anything in this genre going forward; the two actors themselves I have added to my following list because they are truly unique, multi-talented individuals. Their work, though regardless of genre, I will watch again in the future. For those unfamiliar with my reviews, I never read the source material so go in solely as a viewer.

Pros: As mentioned above, the chemistry of the leads is off the charts. After doing some research on Twitter and watching War's concert-like fanmeet, I realized these two are literally brothers from another mother and it's because of their close friendship and understanding of one another that it can translate so convincingly onto the screen. Both Yin and War embodied their characters very well, I just wish they were working with a strong script (that will be discussed below).

Out of all of their gaggle of friends, the only few I liked were Bar, his bf, and the Dr. Ana character as they were (to me at least), the only ones that were supportive of the leads no matter what and never had any hidden agendas or preconceived notions. Vee's parents win "parents of the year" for their acceptance and protection of not only their own kids but of Mark as well. Vee's brother was also great as both comedic relief and just in general. The lesson dad taught Vee by way of his motorbike should be taken into account in real life as well; if you break something, it's your responsibility to fix it.

The OSTs were also right on point save one that sounded like it belonged in a circus tent and not in the show. Every time it played like in episode 6 when Mark was sick and Vee was taking care of him after apologizing, it just threw the entire scene off. Another high point was the comedy; so many different scenes to choose from that just added a little bit of hope or just made you bust out laughing at the absolute nonsense happening.

Cons: Just as the title says above, this series had literally no plot nor storyline. It was essentially a group of university students acting out emotions. It was very unbelievable, considering that save for the two sets of parents, some thugs, the "token" straight female friend, and a little girl, everyone else was gay. You don't see that in real life; I may be straight but I have many close gay/lesbian/bi friends all over the world that I've met throughout my travels that can attest that's just not the way it is.

I saw someone in the comments saying that the characters getting plastered every night was a normal American thing in college and as someone with 2.5 degrees in America, I can tell you that's not the case at all. Are there parties, people going to clubs, getting wasted? Hell yeah! But not every single night unless they want to flunk out of school; especially blackout drunk. Every single episode or half of one ended with someone needing to be carried home or passing out by the toilet. These folks needed AA (Alcoholics Anonymous)!

The conversations were always about the same thing; I questioned the need for a script even; could have handled everything through improv. It was always who liked or didn't like whom, who should date whom, whining about being alone, innuendos up the wazoo, and what bar they should hit up that night; rinse, repeat, please pass the cheese. There was no ingenuity whatsoever. This script carried very little weight other then heavy on many emotions especially angst and a ton of miscommunication.

Tropes were insane (especially not closing the door in 9; like come on! That was beyond ridiculous and extremely foolish on the production's part) and the same situation kept repeating itself especially with Ploy; felt like we were on a hamster wheel getting very dizzy. Ploy was like a Jack in the Box popping up in the most in opportune of times and I do feel she overstayed her welcome. Also, a bunch of unnecessary characters like the creepy as hell boxer dude who was harassing Mark in episode 9; what was his purpose? Confusion, filler, to make Mark who stands up for himself always, forget how to speak words? Or those random girls hitting on Vee in 10 and then badmouthing Mark behind his back to make him have doubts about his relationship again? These people were completely unnecessary; made me question just how much and of what production was smoking.

The only thing I'll say about that crazy train second ending that I'm still trying to wrap my head around, is that it should have been incorporated a lot better then the way it was and perhaps in the middle of part 2 of that episode somewhere. The first ending really brought the relationship full circle while the second one turned Mark into a combo of Daenerys and a hyena ready to devour its prey with a side order of rock music lol!

Would I recommend it? This one is out of my hands. I leave it to the viewers discretion. For me personally, it introduced me to two young men who I see having very bright futures regardless of what paths they take in life and I want to see them succeed.

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A Very Different Yet Inventive Variety Show

Very rarely, if ever do I review variety shows. I watched this one solely for LYN and the fact that I like the whodunnit factor. The show's 30 episodes were very well scripted and even when the cast went off script, it was great and funny. I won't rehash the synopsis because it's all there. I enjoyed it very much, from the mysteries themselves, how each character was somehow connected to each of the first 7 mysteries and then the rather twilight zone-ish last three weeks trying to find out who the mole was in the group. I loved how they all came together to solve the crimes and then at the end of each case the legal and psychology professor Dr. Ma was invited to speak about all of the legalities involved in each case from both that and the psychological perspective. It was quite fascinating (for me especially as law is one of my backgrounds and I like to see how other countries function legally). I would totally recommend this show, it's not scary in the slightest. It's fun and funny, with even some tear jerking moments towards the end. The only cons are that the subs are AI-generated and product placement with full speeches happen at least once an episode, otherwise a really great and fun show that I hope returns next year with the same cast; they really have a great connection together.

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Xing Fu, A One Woman Army

This was my first time watching an urban type of drama and I was watching it for ZLY. I wanted to see how she managed in this genre and she was very convincing. The woman is a wonderful actress and I don't think there's a genre out there she can't do. Didn't watch its parent story nor know the source material, so as usual based from a viewer's perspective only.

Pros: Every single character was played exceptionally well by their respective actors. Whether you were rooting for them or wanted them to go to prison, each character was complex in their own way. There was no perfect person, everyone had flaws even Xing Fu herself. She was by far the most favorite character. Followed closely by attorney Guan Tao who I know many felt had better chemistry with XF then her husband, the country bumpkin with no spine Qing Lai. I really hope ZLY and LJ get to do a series again together where they play husband and wife; their on screen support of one another was top notch. XF was the one woman army that got things done and she was a very memorable character for that.

I also loved Xi Yue; she had to go through so much stuff and yet progressed beyond and went towards her dreams. Other favorite characters were more on the sidelines, like the other lawyers at the firm with XF and GT, Qing Zhi and his girlfriend. Also old man Wan, though outdated to high hell, still evolved even at his age. All of the villagers that went from clueless to understanding when to fight for their principals.

Now while the Wang parents and Chuanjia, who were my least favorite not just because of the level of nepotism they were used to and how disgustingly they all acted, but I really feel that they all only had some sort of evolution in the last episode. I didn't like QL in the beginning because he was Mr. Nepotism but I do like the fact that they evolved him to be a pretty good supporter of his wife though it took something like 39 episodes to do.

Cons: Chuanjia is a very complex character not just because he's the main antagonist and really believable which I know makes you wonder why he's in the cons, but it's because of just how much he got away with before the very last episode that finally sent him off to prison. The writing I think is where things went south. With him and the other evildoers, instead of having just a few subplots to make the story move along it was like do something immoral, unethical, compensate a ton of money to make the problem go away; rinse, repeat.

The sheer amount of problems went beyond the norm; starting off with the first assault, stealing land, 2nd assault on QL, identity theft, well water pollution, etc. Breaking promises/coverups, spreading harmful rumors, bullying, it was nonstop. It could have been enough to fill many series instead of squeezing them into one and then waiting until episode 40 to rush around cleaning up 2 out of 35 messes. It's like the writer took every worst case scenario and just stuck them together in this.

The rushed ending was a copout, Chuanjia went to prison but XF was sending him books? Like what kind of punishment is that? So moral of the story is no matter how many people you harm or nearly kill (including kids) just say I'm sorry, give a million bucks, bow, and hey it's all hunky dory? Writing got very sloppy here. It shows that even in present times as episode 40 seemed to happen in 2019, justice is hard won and no one really has any actual regard for the law. That was a really big let down for me personally. I just wish they had incorporated the punishment fitting the crime more and more often.

Would I recommend it? Overall it was a decent drama and ZLY absolutely shone in it, so just for that I would. However, be prepared for justice to be served at the very end and not for everything plus very rushed and half-baked; if that doesn't bother you and you don't mind high blood pressure frequently, you'll enjoy this one lol.

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2nd Underrated Gem of 2025

I put this on my watchlist because I wanted to see SWL in a modern drama and he did very well as did pretty much everyone else sans one villain. This was a series which had all the goodies of creepiness; contortionists, resurrection, evil relics, so on and so forth. This really was the second underrated gem of a drama that I've watched this year.

Pros: The Phoenix entire squad. Even Chubby, though he didn't contribute much other than talking nonstop, was an integral part of this team. I'm glad we finally got a chance to meet the supernatural chicken and it was fun to have. I really loved every single arc until the second to last one. I will speak about that in the cons. Every single thing was connected, obviously laid by a plan, created by the ultimate antagonist. But no matter what happened once the squad was formed they always had each other's backs and if they were in separate locations, they would always be in contact. Misunderstandings would get resolved very quickly. I love how the show kept us guessing with the multiple personalities of MD or the FL we didn't know for a while that she even had two personalities, but it was interesting to see the difference between her and the other one and a half I guess you could say I nicknamed the other personalities as Faith, which was dark MD and Robo Barbie, which was stoned MD. Even though this series didn't have any promotion, I think a lot of things were pretty well done especially CGI and the storytelling in general.

Other than our squad and the supernatural chicken, other favorite characters were MD's family, ML's family as well as his last surviving friend and actually the people from every single case good or bad they delivered on their performances. Also, the fight scenes were awesome. I mean gravity defying stunts and all of that I love very much. I also have to give props to the real antagonist of this show. He turned up in episode 1 and we sporadically saw him until his final arc in episode 31.

The OSTs, production, more or less in general, sets, even though a lot was CGI, but thankfully, it didn't look like they used anything fake like the desert or the village or the mountains. Comedy also hit as it was supposed to. Thankfully, no slapstick humor here.

Cons: This show got a whole point taken off for several reasons; for starters the incredibly choppy editing I have to say that that probably had something to do with cutting the amount of episodes down so production either didn't want to or didn't have time to edit scenes properly because you jump from one scenario to the next and you have no idea how you got there in a lot of the episodes. Also, a lot of times there were cliffhangers that seemed to just not be shown the following episode or they would just be explained in the way that wouldn't make sense. Also, there were a lot of loose ends, not tied. Like the relics are now in their bodies. What happens next? Are they sealed for good? What happens when the characters grow old and die; do the relics come back to life? There's a lot that was not explained in regarding to the relics. I think they should've done a deeper dive as novel readers pointed out. Also, what happened to Mr. creepy antagonist? Is he dead for good or until another 280 years passes and he resurrects like the creature from Jeepers Creepers?

The ending was rushed because the main antagonist was only given two episodes if that to put everything together and do his whole evil shtick. Meanwhile, the crazy creepy cackle Halloween store witch leopard lady was given something like six episodes but she killed that entire arc. Every single time she opened her mouth. I wanted to hit her with a bat. I hated her character not because she was bad but because she was so annoying. They completely miscast the actress or they should have dubbed her over with a Fluently Mandarin speaking actress. But even her acting was over the top; she twirled, and she pointed her fingers with fake nails and acted like a plum fool. You would never think of her as being this ruthless, horrible person that we saw in ML's flashbacks. Honestly, she was basically the equivalent of what a leather wearing, valley girl would be the best way to describe her and she knew neither English nor Mandarin fluently. When she spoke on top of it, her lips did not match the sound that was coming from her voice so obviously she dubbed herself and it was really poorly done and no one corrected anything. I legitimately got through all of her main scenes by fast forwarding her I couldn't even watch her.

Would I recommend it? I totally would, despite the choppy editing and one crappy antagonist. The show was great and sadly not promoted, but it deserves a watch, especially if you are into creepy type shows with a supernatural aspect.

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Rollercoaster of Emotions w/a Wicked Witch

Watched this for Yang Yang and the first responder/natural disaster aspect it. I followed this drama as it was filmed last year and was very much looking forward to it. For the most part, it didn't disappoint. It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions and even had a list compiled for the most hated character.

Pros: Favorite character was SY or ML; his bark was worse than his bite. As a captain at a fire station, he had to be cool and aloof but he was kind and caring to those whom he cared about the most. When it came to FL that was the only time when he could forgo the world. In the beginning, she chased after him and he didn't want to give in because it meant she might find out the truth. The chemistry between the two of them was very believable. Loved the fire station gang, the other doctors and nurses, and was extremely sad when they lost DP closer to the end. That scene really did require tissues. All of the characters were very well evolved throughout. FL's adoptive brother was creepy as heck for his obsession but I am glad he was given that out towards the end so they could remain family. SJ was very important to the series and to the audience and ZBB played him very well. When he left and was replaced by someone else, all those emotions and changes really made it real.

Who could forget the wicked witch of the west aka the adoptive mom of FL as the main antagonist. I have to give the actress props for acting as well as she did; none of us could stand her. Furthermore, she's only 59 in real life but makeup made her look 70. We all hated her so much, I created "The Kill List" in the comments and the other watchers were very creative in how to kill her. We got to 17 ways and as promised I'll post it here:
"The list is back ONE LAST TIME! We need to kill the wicked witch. So, let’s see how many more ways we can kill her! Our end list looks like this:

1. Drowning in her own pool
2. Melting her with high pressure water
3. Throwing her in the river
4. Leaving her broke and desolate without any power.
5. Leaving her to suffocate when her office building goes up in flames.
6. Broke, desolate, without power in a sewer line.
7. Leave her in the mountains with lots of poisonous snakes and things.
8. Skin her alive.
9. Alpaca pushes the bookcase on her head in a smelly apartment and runs away while WW starves to death and loses her dignity because no one saves her.
10. Gets accused of treason and tortured then executed.
11. Death by 1,000 tarantulas.
12. Tie her to a chair and drill holes into her ever so slowly until a vital organ is hit.
13. Glue her barefoot to a chair and the floor, let the sprinkler system douse her with gasoline and chuck a lighter at her.
14. Suffocation by firefighter foam.
15. Drink snake venom while being whipped.
16. Send the picture and frame into the wicked witch’s head instead of the floor like a missile.
17. Leave her trapped in the tunnel during the typhoon; rescue everyone else."

The comedy was also good and the FL finding out the truth was much needed. I'm happy I got spoilers from the novel readers on when the series would deviate or not, but though not the same issues as in the novel, SY did suffer extremely at the hands of the wicked witch and her connections and I'm proud of FL for growing a backbone and standing up to that crazy old bat! I do wish ZM made her kneel all the way though. Sorry not sorry.

The rescues for the most part were very realistic though I wish they used stunt doubles for many of those scenes instead of doing it themselves. I remember seeing the explosion balcony scene when it was leaked online last year after filming and it was nuts. Both natural disasters were alright, though I wish they used more expensive CGI for them. OSTs, costumes, sets and locations were all on point.

Cons: Though the wicked witch was a great antagonist, giving her a redemption arc unlike the novel was garbage. I felt it was just bad and the drama took a hit for that; because there was no way anyone who's done that much damage to other people should just be forgiven without any jail time that we saw. So in my head, I pictured after the last episode, she'll be found guilty and sent to prison.

The ridiculous propaganda and where they put it was really bad. Like who carries their brigade's flag to the scene of an earthquake? This ain't the Olympics. You're there to rescue people not parade around. And considering how often the speechifying occurred in the middle of really random conversations, you'd think they'd be a bit more knowledgeable in first aid like CPR. How is it that in a fire and rescue house, there're no paramedics or EMT's? Yet the fire department is responsible for crowd control which is the police's job. It was all very confusing. You have two different numbers for police and for the fire department. But when you need all three, then what happens?

Also very obvious that the aftershocks many times were done by the actual actors shaking themselves and the surgical equipment plus table. The typhoon seemed to just be like a bad flood instead of what really happens inside a typhoon/hurricane. It was like they could just drive when they wanted and the wind and rain would stop periodically. Like I mentioned above, CGI needs to be better. So that also bumped the score down.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. The story is for the most part well done other than those cons which you can more or less overlook. The cast did a great job, so get ready for a rollercoaster ride of emotion with a wicked witch in the center.

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Strong Start that Petered Out in the Middle But Came Swinging for the Fences at the End

Wanted something cybercrime-CSI-ish and this seemed to fit the bill. Didn't know anyone in the cast save for actor who played ZY and Xu Lu a bit from previous series. Had a strong beginning that petered out in the middle only to come out swinging for the fences in the final 3 episodes. Definitely needs a season 2 with the same cast to properly finish the cliffhanger.

Pros: Probably the first drama ever that I will say had a really catchy opening theme that I didn't fast forward before I get into favorite character and other things. It made you actually anticipate what you were going to watch even when that failed to deliver. Favorite character was the ML or QH; man had the patience of a saint and his straight path towards justice and finding out who wronged his best friend and Godmother were beyond admirable. Next favorite character was Ms. Lin the lawyer; even though she didn't know until pretty much the end that her boyfriend was a class A douchebag, she never changed her morality or ethics towards her partners or friends.

Though I liked CM in the very beginning and once he got on board with QH, his whole arc with MT was very unnecessary. The two ladies who worked in QH's office were alright additions and out of the villains, the only ones that made any real sense were MPC and LB, though the latter needs season 2 to figure out. Had some semblance of comedy here and there and meaningful moments of care between the protagonists.

Cons: This plot took a nosedive in the middle and became very boring and confusing. The MT/CM arc (shoving a relationship into somewhere it didn't belong) just like the MT/General arc were unnecessary and very confusing. We assume it was the General who scammed Godmother in the beginning though there's no real confirmation or admission of that. ZY also an alright character; great in the beginning but then was dumbed down into an arrogant and dumb kid who spilled personal information to complete strangers online. None of it made any sense given the industry he worked in and the responsibility placed on his shoulders. He regrew his brains towards the end.

For seasoned hackers, they couldn't pick up on pretty obvious things and it just slowed the entire show down. When they "killed" the General off, he should have stayed dead. Bringing him back just to give the running of the bulls ending some semblance of action after a lackadaisical middle that was constantly seeing QH getting nailed by one villain after another by pretty much brain dead problems, was honestly laughable. Instead, in the last episode the General nearly beats QH and CM to death and then is just nonchalantly arrested. And still the LB plot was not exposed so the reasoning is that there will be a season 2? Writer and director must have gotten drunk together.

Would I recommend it? I'm not sure to be honest. TJC did a great job as QH, so much so that I want to see him in other, better things. So if you're a fan of his, maybe you'll like this too. The beginning and end were the strongest even with the open-ended cliffhanger finale, the middle could have been totally cut and you probably wouldn't have missed much. So decide for yourselves.

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When Indiana Jones meets Harry Potter and Lara Croft--Great as A Stand Alone

When Indiana Jones meets Harry Potter and Lara Croft. This is a very good stand alone action show. Yes a lot of questions left unanswered as well as a bit of a cliffhanger but there is hope to return Zhang Qi Ling and the team because Wu Xie would never just let his soul-brother perish. I am not interested in any of its prequels or sequels unless the cast was exactly the same plus I noticed that some of the sequels were aired before this which doesn't make much sense. I do wish that for this last expedition, Wu Xie and Zhang Qi Ling weren't split up. I don't think there could have been a cliffhanger otherwise. The con aspects were that there were characters that made an appearance and then disappeared without rhyme or reason that didn't pertain to the show.

Though I started watching for LYN and his character Shades or Mr. Black didn't disappoint as an opportunistic dork, it was the actor that played Zhang Qi Ling that got my attention. He did a fantastic job as a monosyllabic Kung fu master because of the way he was able to emote with his eyes be it annoyance, fear for his friends, or any other emotion. That's very hard to do in acting when there aren't a lot of lines. The young man (Xiao Yu Liang) playing this role is a novice to acting as he's part of some boy band but he was very convincing. I wish there were more scenes of him and Wu Xie and they left Fatty somewhere behind. That dude just had way too many lines and got annoying quickly. I saw some ppl complaining about too many episodes. Actually, I wanted more. Joseph Zeng also was able to do a great job as the inquisitive nerd with a knack for solving riddles and getting ppl out of hairy situations. It was great to see him in this role aside from the one he's currently in that's not doing him any justice. I really like all of the special effects in this drama and the martial aspects as well.

I also liked the friendship between Shades and Xie Hua. Though in the beginning it seemed very annoying, it grew and developed into respect even when you wanted to smack Shades upside the head, he was still quite dorky. These actors do a great job portraying their characters and making each scene believable no matter what. I wish they continued this series with the same main actors because their chemistry was undeniable. I know I want to see more dramas with Xiao Yu Liang as he has a future in the industry.

I would highly recommend this as a stand alone drama even though it has a cliffhanger ending; it's one with hope.

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"One is not Born to Kill"

Originally I wasn't sure I was going to watch this one though I loved TBOY and had watched DY. I just wasn't sure GJ could pull off a complex character as SMY, as he's commonly known to have a one note face. But in this case it worked plus the addition of CHS as SCH was right on point. It can be watched as a standalone or as I enjoyed comparing with TBOY.

Pros: Here we really delved into An He or Blood River and the pasts of many of its characters which was the best part; especially the main 2. Everyone starts somewhere, with different lives and names. As SMY said on numerous occasions "no one is born to kill." The show really reminded me of peeling back an onion. Reason being is because just as in episode one it seemed that the guys were going to be able to get out on their own and create a new An He, they were met with a new host of challenges. They would clear those challenges away and then something else would pop up. They always knew that they were as I like to call them the three ghouls sitting in some platform, a dungeon that they thought were the ones that dealt out the missions as in who to go kill, but it turns out that there was as mentioned above a whole onion to be unraveled(ie Shadow Sect who's figure head was none other than father of consort Xuan aka Prince Xi and Wu Xin's mom from TBOY and above him a shadowy Eunuch responsible for his share of massacres). SMY at first was not on board with the change and turning An He into something new as well as walking in the light and swimming or going to another shore so they were just like any other sect. He he grew to that idea even when SCH did tell him that he could leave if he wanted to, but because of how close they were to each other to the point where there were times during the series, you could swear they shared a brain cell. Originally SMY was supposed to be the patriarch and SCH head of the Su family once all the other three families older heads were gotten rid of, but for whatever reason the opposite happened and for those of us who watched and enjoyed TBOY; this fateful decision proved to be the unfortunate demise of many innocent souls later on.

I'm not going to go too much into the other series, but with this one, what was great was that even though it was a darker drama, it had a lot of comedic standpoints, as well as gave a lot of history and backstory on both of its main leads, as well as some side stories of other leads . It gave you a much more deeper understanding of who SMY really was and never changed even in the later series, however, something changed in SCH though in this one, he was comic gold and the actor that played him did a phenomenal job. I will say that every person for, however, long or short they were on screen did a great job. I was very worried to be honest because SMY and SCH coming from the other series are very complex characters so for these two actors to pull them off so well was a wonderful thing to see.

Even though we ended up losing two important characters, though they played minor roles, and it was sad they did essentially help their family members, even though not by blood escape. I did feel a slight bit of déjà vu for those who did not watch TBOY, prince number one because I don't remember his name and his actions nearly perfectly match those of as I called him the asswipe prince or number seven in the other series. Absolutely everything he did the underhanded tricks, trying to kill off his brothers and uncles and everyone else humanly possible just to get that throne, the only difference was that prince asswipe also had the help of the now older SCH who was a completely different person then who we saw here, though we did see the beginning of this person, and it was mentioned by another character how he can go from laughing to talking normally to deadly serious to lethal in a flip of a switch.

Again, because I am a huge fan of the other series I really liked how a lot of that series sons played their fathers or even themselves if they were old enough. The one that took me a little bit to understand was SMY's father because his hair was different and he smiled a lot, and his clothes were different. It took me a few flashbacks to realize that this actor actually played SMY himself in TBOY. The sad part was that they all ended up in An He (trained to be brutal assassins) because someone decided to take it upon themselves to slaughter a town or a clan, and then these boys and girls as children would end up in An He. No one was born to kill.

I loved how they had both the CGI fighting scenes and the regular fighting scenes on wires or even without wires and it was just spectacular. This series was very rich in the storytelling and I'm not going to go into every single bit of it because then what will be your point in watching it. In the timeline of the universe DY goes first, then this one, and then, TBOY; though I do not remember exactly how many years in between each. I'm sure that there are much more knowledgeable viewers in the comment section. Every single character except maybe the two goals had a purpose, and my favorite were the younger family. Once all the trash was gotten rid of subtract of course the original patriarch even though he was a stone cold killer he understood loyalty, which are two things that usually would contradict each other, but in a way he sort of reminded me of the Italian mob. There was even a father-daughter duo. He was part of the organization and she was a miracle physician (they only reunited by accident in the beginning of the episodes,) who fell in love with SMY and vice versa, thankfully romance was not even on the radar, but there were a little glimpse between them and two other side couples, one of which unfortunately perished. The sets, the costumes (all were beautiful), music everything landed as it should've.

Cons: I'd have to say I don't have too many of these things that bugged me. One would be the age difference of certain characters, especially when talking about both DY and TBOY; it seemed like some actors between DY and this one did not change in age at all or this one and TBOY and then you had young prince number two who will eventually become the real emperor already blind, and his sword deity is the same exact age as when he saved him in the third film as an adult so that already does not make sense. I think what they should've done was cast appropriately so you could go with a timeline if that's what you were going with. Also, where did Prince Langya's Frost poison go? For people watching this as a standalone, it may not pop out much but for those that then we'll go on to watch the third series, these age discrepancies will become glaring and confusing. Another glaring issue was I guess you can call them couple number two she was MYM and he was basically the future leader of the Tang clan and they fell in love. Now, in the third series when she recounted their meetings to the Wushuang in the bar, she says every single time we met, which was a total of three times it was because she was going to kill him, which in this series we see is completely false. She came onto him first she was flirting with him until she got him to reciprocate her feelings. She even saved his life a few times as he did hers, so that false narrative is very much unnecessary, especially since in this series, they promised that once all of their obligations were done, they would reunite and be together. I wish this type of writing was more consistent, standalone, or not.

Also, where did ghoul number three go after he was done helping our guys with getting rid of the other two? He literally vanished without a trace and we never saw him for the remainder of the series. It's these types of things that I'm not a fan of. If you're going to have someone who's even remotely important to some kind of cause then you need to exit him out properly.

The other thing I didn't understand was the master of SMY and SCH when she saved SMY she also knew that fire palm thing which was supposedly taboo in their organization and then when she saved BHH a.k.a. SMY's lady, she made her father swear that he could not tell SMY that she was alive. He had to lie and say that she was dead, and that basically went on for 12 years until they reunited and that happened after the ending credits of the last episode for three minutes they did not speak, they stood 10 feet apart like you would see in a Xianxia; which this wasn't. By this time, the third series had ended and An He was disbanded but because for 12 years, he thought she was dead, he had become a shell of his former self and I think it also in a way contributed to SCH getting away with a lot that he did. So that one woman set in motion, a domino effect just because of her studies (or lord knows what) in the medicine valley that harmed so many people. I think it was a good thing that they closed them out with the proper reunion, not just the voiceover before the credits, but they should have at least hugged.

Would I recommend it? I 100% absolutely would. Whether you watch this is a standalone or is in conjunction to the other two or however, you want to watch it. It is wonderful storytelling with rich backgrounds and you really get to know the characters that in series three which happened first were very much on the sidelines because other folks were important. Definitely give it a shot.

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An honest review (100% recommend to watch)

I was recommended this drama by a credible source on YouTube; I don't follow the actors but the plot fascinated me since there was a natural disaster in it and I'm personally a nerd in that area. Was actually watching something at the time but dropped it to watch this and was blown away. I have seen a lot of their dramas and I have to say this is my new number 1 favorite modern drama of all time. It almost had no cons for me which is beyond rare.

All three couples were great. I would have loved to see couple number two develop faster then episode 33 out of 40 but considering the SML was such a "blockhead" it was a bit understandable. The only other minus was the OST's are very forgettable but that's not a major thing for me. Usually, I wish for there to be less episodes because you're running into one annoying cliche or another, but this story had none of that; I actually wished it and the drama I dropped traded places in episode count as that one had 45. No love triangles, minimal jealousy, no toxicity, no stalkers, or other tropes ridiculously prevalent in most of these dramas.

Every episode you're laughing your head off and every conflict gets resolved very quickly. The FL is a powerful woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind. ML is a hero in his job and a bit of a dork in the story. But he doesn't waste anytime in pursuing his lady love once he figures out he's got feelings for her and he does it in a way that will win her heart. There are tiny misunderstandings that are resolved with proper communication in their relationship. Their conversations are very cute and everyone related has a strong bond which is also so awesome and refreshing to see.

Also love the third couple and how since ML and TFL are brother and sister, they really care about each other. There's none of that toxic family environment where family hates son's/daughter's choice in significant other and want to choose for him or her. Sister is 100% on board with FL even before she and bro start dating and has her back when they do. It is realistic life events and relationships; it is common for doctors to be in relationships with police officers because both share the same goals professionally, to save lives. This is literally the definition of a modern drama.

The screenwriter and directors did a fantastic job adapting this and creating a fun, loving, heart pounding series that I will absolutely rewatch and will go into my permanent collection of rewatching where really 3 dramas exist, two of which are costume. Thank you to the entire cast and crew for a phenomenal job! I will miss all of these characters very much and I truly hope that the actors can do something together again in the future. A+!

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Will the REAL Hero Please Stand Up!

This was the first real wuxia drama (not a romance) I have ever seen and I've always been very interested in what a traditional wuxia would be like. Because every drama is marketed as one but really isn't. Other than that, I was watching primarily for Liu Yu Ning and secondarily for Meng Zi Yi as they're two people that I follow. I also knew of Joseph Zeng from previous works. As I'm not a novel reader, I can only review from a viewer's prospective.

Pros: My favorite character was Su Meng Zhen, followed closely by DFJ because both were complex albeit totally different characters. One was righteous from the moment he appeared on screen to the last breath he took while the other was very morally grey but fiercely loyal to his loved ones and went out like a champ on his own terms. I loved the brotherhood when it was formed and all those at Sunset House that surrounded them. Just about every character was complex and evolved in their own way; some took longer then others.

The story was more dark though they definitely had their happy moments. The fight scenes that were shown were pretty good though I wish there were more of them. Another fantastic point that many dramas fail to do is gradually introduce characters so the audience can understand what their purpose is. More often then not, characters are thrown in and no one remembers their names or why they're there, but here it was a very nice and even keeled introduction of each.

LC played by MZY was done fantastically; she went from sheltered flower to losing just about everything and everyone she had ever known overnight. She had to grow up fast and figure out how to survive without losing every part of her soul. She never gave up on SMZ until the end and left with him in a sense. Their love was just that strong. XY was another terrific female character; the woman wore many faces but she had a strong iron will and loyalty. Plus a much more realistic connection/chemistry with the ML than the FL. Other favorite characters were SMZ's advisor Wu Xie and other members of Sunset House, WXS' Master, the guys from the North like Big Beard, official Liu, and Martial Uncle Zhang.

The lead of the drama was a younger version of SMZ but it took him a while to grow into his own. Still, WXS did end up being one of the heroes of the series as the writers wanted him to be. For me, personally though, though he was a hero he wasn't THE hero, that title would have to go to both SMZ and DFJ as together they made the perfect hero. But that's just my personal opinion.

Now, to the man for whom I was watching this series; BCF was a great character in the beginning. He never hid his ambitions nor his true intentions. The problem was that everyone around him chose to ignore them or thought they could change him. When he whiplashed into a complete maniacal nutcase (that I'll talk about below), LYN was still very convincing as one so I cannot stick him into the cons, though I do wish it was done totally differently.

I really loved the OSTs, they were incredibly powerful especially the hard rock one and the one sung by LYN and Joseph. Costumes, sets, all of that was very detailed and beautiful. The ending was a complete surprise from what I had expected and for once I actually didn't look at spoilers before watching. But even though it wasn't a blood bath or a copout like many different sides theorized, I actually do like the way it ended; I'm glad every evildoer got their comeuppance even though some took it upon themselves to finish the job. But the flashback to all characters come and gone as the group of travelers ride through mountains and waterways was a very nice touch to the end. And even the person coming to run Sunset House, made the right kind of sense.

Cons: Let's start by saying that hair department was smoking something heavy because most of the leads and some of the support ended up looking like animal control K9s; it was a hot mess and looked absolutely horrible. Truly wish they had just kept things typical costume drama simple and didn't need to over complicate things with some avant-garde Westminster applicant do. If they wanted to show that a character had matured or changed, a simple edition of an extra braid down the back or something like that would have sufficed. It just made the person look comical and it threw the entire look off.

Whatever the hair department was smoking rubbed off on the screenwriter because she turned a great potential villain into a nut job. Now while LYN did a great job playing the nut job, he could have just as well been given an actual villain to play. That's why I solely blame the screenwriter for this unmitigated debacle that took the majority of the score away from this drama. Furthermore, instead of gradually developing him, the switch was flipped and he just lost all of his humanity. There was no rhyme or reason for how or why it happened so quickly and this was done within the last 8-10 episodes; the excuse was flimsy and didn't hold much water. Afterwards, when he was on screen be it for his bizarre as hell wedding or killing innocent people out of spite while he would cackle maniacally (that evil cackle belongs only in witches in Halloween shops, not dramas), felt like a completely different series. How can an antagonist with so much potential be so epically screwed up?

If that wasn't bad enough, we had an FL that spent more than half of the series pouting, crying, whining like a self-entitled spoiled brat. Most of her scenes up until the time she and WXS got married I had to ffw. I questioned the necessity of even having her in the series because it was about a sworn brotherhood after all. Every other woman was there as needed and powerful and this character was almost like an afterthought. Even when she was helping save WXS' life, it was like if she just kept quiet, things were a zillion times better. If she wasn't in the scene or episode, she wasn't missed in the slightest. Even in the last episode when SMZ got his wish and died, everyone was crying and it was such a raw, powerful moment and yet as soon as she opened her mouth to pitifully cry, it made one cringe because it sounded like one of those windup old dolls. Why couldn't she just cry silently like XY was doing? WXS was howling with grief as was Wu Xie and they deserved to do so. By letting us hear that baby-cry in such an overwhelming moment was a real shame.

Slimy playboy dude was a real psychopathic villain; the trouble with him was that he spent too much time talking and bragging though his depravity was evident until his dying breath just like Hannibal Lecter and his brother. It was also obvious that he was the rapist from the moment it happened. I stick him in the cons because though he ended up being the most disgusting villain that everyone hated, he still didn't have enough proper screen time to showcase who he was. It was like he had multiple personality disorder but even he didn't understand it. Also really wish the battle between him and DFJ was shown. That was a real miss by production. I understand their whole thing was to make WXS be the "hero" to kill slimy playboy dude in order to get the paper, but the majority of the damage done to him was by DFJ and we, as the audience, deserved to see it. A lot of fight scenes were either copouts or just not shown. I'm going to guess that it's because production didn't have a large budget but they could have definitely figured out a way around that since this was a wuxia after all.

Would I recommend it? For novel readers, probably not because there's a heavy diversion and not a lot of cohesion between the two. But for people who like wuxias, have never seen one, like a story of brotherhood that goes wrong, I would. This was my most anticipated drama of the year and though it had a lot of pitfalls and massive shortcomings, I still enjoyed it very much and therefore have no regrets.

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