Enigma05

3 Amigos in Moving Lotus Tower Solve Mysteries & Bring Justice to Jianghu

10 years can change a person completely or it can keep someone exactly the same. This series was very well written and I'm very glad to have watched it. So much so, that it's hard to move on from honestly. I don't follow any of the actors from this one though I have previously seen both Joseph and XSY in other series, first time watching Cheng Yi. This show came very close to getting a perfect score if it wasn't for a few things that I couldn't get over. Overall, the 3 Amigos in the moving lotus tower that solve mysteries and bring justice to Jianghu were impossible to resist.

Pros: The storyline and you're always wondering whodunnit. Favorite characters were the 3 amigos (with FDB only once he grew up and matured). When the three of them were together especially during DFS's memory loss, had to be the best both because of the comedy and their interactions; who could forget the constant calls for "Ah Fei".

Let's talk about how the plot went from LLH trying to find his senior's body as it was his only reason for living to finding out that said senior was still alive and the biggest antagonist of them all with only the Saintess as number two. The heartbreak LLH faced each time something new about the past came out and how as LXY he had missed understanding the fundamentals as he was still very young. The agony of suffering from the Bicha poison each time he over used his inner power. For 10 years he used it very little and therefore was able to control it but in that last year when finally on the path to the truth, brought him agonizing pain. Cheng Yi did a fantastic job as both the suffering man and one that could lie through his teeth with a straight face that had the audience laughing and shaking their heads each time dumbass young FDB would fall for it; while DFS would just walk away basically saying "you're full of shit." He was whip smart and often steps ahead of everyone, being able to tell who the murderer of a particular case was as they got closer to the real truths as each case was tied with the next one. He was able to unveil that the supposed spy amongst the Segu sect, really was working behind enemy lines for over 10 years. He made peace with his impending demise and wanted everyone around him to do the same.

DFS was a great morally gray character; because of his upbringing his first instinct was to kill but overall he ran by the Jianghu code of ethics. He didn't kill women except Saintess at the end but she deserved it. He wanted to fight LXY fair and square but neither got that 10 years ago because of all the people pulling the strings behind the scenes. When he had that Rama Vessel thing, first thing he did was cure himself of mind control, then return to Di fortress, destroy his childhood captor/Shifu and free the current kids under that freak's control.

FDB lands both in the pros and cons for me. I like the older him way better. Because of his caring nature towards LLH and his ability to be the detective everyone wanted to see and being able to explain things and speak like an adult and the funny relationship with Ah Fei. The older FDB was a much better version that Joseph did well. No matter what, he was the one that always had LLH's back and he was a very quick study of anything martial arts or technique related; dude was like a sponge.

The two antagonists or Saintess and SGD were very ruthless and both of everything they did was exactly what you wanted to see in antagonists up until the end and that will be explained below. Still, SGD had to be more ruthless as he killed a child 10 years before just to get his hands on some armor.

Most of the support especially the MVP of the show or Foxy Spirit, LLH's dog were for the most part well placed and really did a good job for as long as they needed to be there. The Sigu sect was a bit behind mentally on a lot of things and it was full of spies; it's like it got stuck 10 years ago and never went anywhere. If I had to choose the next sect leader, it would definitely be Shi Shu as she was always on top of things and didn't jump to conclusions like everyone else.

The martial arts scenes were top notch. Starting from the first episode, onwards, whether actual battles or just LLH dancing with his sword to express whatever emotions he was feeling were very well choreographed and done. You could tell each actor put his everything into it. When martial arts scenes were very well executed, it just elevated a wuxia for me. I'm also very glad they sidestepped romance in this one; there were undertones and we all braced for them but thankfully in every case it was quickly let go of. These types of dramas just don't need that in the slightest.

I like the open ending but wish the extra part one was actually added to 40 as it would have made a lot more sense because otherwise the ending of actual 40 seemed rushed and incomplete. But it's a lot better than them all finding him dead on a road somewhere or floating in a river. OSTs, costumes, sets, CGI were all on point.

Cons: Not very many of these but I'd have to say FDB got on my ever loving nerves in the beginning and it took quite a while before he grew up. Acting like a brat and throwing adult sized tantrums at LLH and in general actually made me happy when LLH just left him at the side of the road multiple times. He was insufferable. I really wished they matured him a lot faster.

Also many of the Segu sect members basically had no voices they just stood there like statues to make up space and said maybe 5 lines the entire time. The character of Zijin and his jealousy was so extra and unnecessary; he didn't understand anything even until the end. Every time he opened his mouth, you just rolled your eyes and prayed he'd get off screen faster. Ah Mian--while I understand her necessity as LXY's old flame and all that and her taking charge of the sect towards the end away from the jealous and unnecessary Zijin--why was she always in tears? She reminded me of the cartoon character Droopy as her eyes were always swollen, red, and teary even when she was fighting at the end. The fact that none of them could tell that LLH was LXY though they knew him best even with half a mask or no mask was laughable. His face hadn't changed, just his hairstyle and clothing. Same went for DFS, his own people couldn't tell it was him with half a mask? Really unbelievable. Plus knowing how deadly LXY's poison was, they believed him when he said he could cure it? Like how? Those were the first plot holes I noticed.

The other plot hole was during that last showdown, where did LXY and SGD's Master's wife come from? If she knew the secret of LXY's origins this entire time, why not tell him? How did she know where to find them? And it had to happen when both sides were stumped. It was way too obvious and put a bit of a damper in a great momentum building episode. Now though I liked both SGD and Saintess as the main antagonists; their ruthlessness took a plummet when they both started to get overly delusional towards the end and let out that nails on chalkboard Halloween store witch prop cackle. It absolutely ruins every antagonist it touches; laughing evilly doesn't have to sound like that. Both did it numerous times and that's another reason this drama just couldn't have that perfect score.

Would I recommend it? I absolutely would. I'm notoriously picky with dramas, so what I view as cons, may be nonsensical for others. The show itself is really great and I enjoyed it very much. I think if you like wuxia and mysteries, this is the drama for you.

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Love Food & My Voice

Had previously seen TJC in two detective type dramas so wanted a totally different genre for him. This fit the bill. This drama I always saved until the end of my drama watching days because it was all fluff and easy on the brain. It was sugar and a bit of spice in the dishes and just about everything nice. You've got to love food and my voice here.

Pros: I liked the overall progression of the show and it had a cute premise. The chemistry between the ML and FL was there as were the other two couples. All of the side characters were great support systems for our leads. Your mouth watered when there was a recipe created in front of you like you were at a restaurant. Also a view into the dubbing actors circle was nice. How they had real well paying jobs they loved and then this hidden hobby where they were known by millions through their voices alone but many never disclosed who they were like the leads. ML was a doctor but they never delved much into his real job not to overwhelm the audience but he really was the Jack of all Trades; doctor, voice actor, singer, musician, chef, etc. out of the two he was the nurturer and the one taking on basically most of the responsibilities of the relationship.

The series didn't really have a plot going; it was just the daily lives of voice dubbers and college students who meet and live their lives as romance blossoms. The OSTs and surroundings especially when they took trips were quite beautiful. Also funny that for two "virgins" the leads could kiss quite well; huge plus for the audience!

Cons: While everything was cute and whatnot, after a while I had a bit of a problem with the FL; for a 22 year old young woman (and I get she was an introvert), she acted maybe 10. She barely spoke two words to him or others even when they were very serious with each other. Even he questioned her on why her response to him was just "mhmm". She grew up sheltered and kind of expected people to do things for her because of that. Also, did the actress's stylist hate her? What was up with all of that granny wear? Even the for photos wedding dress; it boggled my mind how anyone would dress a 22 year old--by that time 24 as this happened after the time jump--that old and matronly like she was a ghost from the 1960s. It took me a solid week to realize that her wedding photo shoes were identical to my primary care physician’s and the woman is in her 70s! Plus she’s worn them for at least 3 decades! No young 20 something year old should be seen in that! Yes, she liked old and traditional but that was her "Sheng Sheng Man" persona or was supposed to be. Even after a time jump of 2 years it was like she was light years behind virtually everyone else. There was no evolution of her character at all. All she did was smile and eat. I understand that's how she was in the book too but they could have made her come out of her shell a bit (not asking for a massive change here) and act like a grown up as well as dress her age.

I also wish couple number two was less awkward for so damn long and we didn't even officially see them get together because that happened in the 2 year time jump at the end. Couple number 3 should have gotten together sooner; felt rushed. Also, though I'm personally an extrovert, I felt the friends of the ML were a bit too nosy and loud about the leads especially knowing how shy and awkward the FL was. They could have toned that down a bit; while I enjoy a great crowd, laughs, dirty jokes, and harmless ball busting, when there's an extremely shy person at the center of said jokes, it would make me feel slightly uncomfortable too and I'd probably shove the loud people into another room or out the door altogether lol.

Would I recommend it? Despite the negatives, this is a sweet and fluffy drama to watch when you don't need anything heavy, so yes I would.

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B-I-N-G-O and Most of the Plot was Very Lame-O!

All I can say is, what happened? Started out well but then took a nosedive into the damn Mariana Trench! This wasn't a drama I was anticipating this year but I've watched two ZLH dramas already and he did well there as he and pretty much all the others as well did here but this plot was an absolute mess. I was singing the B-I-N-G-O song randomly in my head and came up with the title for this review. It really was lame-o.

Pros: Very few here, sadly. The fight scenes, CGI (though the winged monkeys and beasts looked more modern day or futuristic beasts then anything ancient), Fab 4 (when actually together), and certain side characters did well. The Qian/Yan plot as well finding out the 500 year old lie/secret which included Huzi's origins were the best. Also have to give it up to ZLH for being able to handle playing totally opposite twins essentially. That's all they should have stayed with. It would have been more than enough for the storyline. Actors did what they could with what they were given. Only reason this series even got the current score is because of what's mentioned above.

Cons: This was an original screenplay but who let it near the shredder? After the drama made most of the plot about those lord forsaken elders that had zilch to do with the actual story, I knew the rest of it would be a mad dash to the finish line. The main antagonist wasn't even introduced until maybe the final 4 or 5 episodes. Furthermore, killing off two of the four mains and the way it was done was idiotic at best. Firstly, Brick had no business fighting a demon God with goat horns (don't get me started on that whole thing; even the modern devil would role his eyes) in the first place. ZXT dies maybe 5 minutes after Brick as she alone faces off against the demon God for a few seconds while Huzi and QXX just stand there. I was like "um hello, do something! Are y'all frozen?" But at least she got that Phurba thing back to Huzi. Then they continue to say their farewells as what? The demon and QXX just wait and watch? It made no sense.

Everything was rushed, even the deaths were like um ok...no explanation or hasty. So with both of them dead, who's going to run that one state? And does the sister get her title back as Commander in Chief or does it go to QXX? She turns good only after she gets her ass whooped by YM and her resurrected grandma reads her the riot act. But grandma of course dies again as does Eldest Master, 2nd master, and Mo Guzi. Even Yan sacrifices himself for Qian but then in the second to last episode the mountain God everyone thought dead pops up to Qian and goes, "well your twin sacrificed himself for you and you broke the curse, so wham bam boom curse broken and you get my crane power, go kill the demon." And again this couldn't happen at the point when Yan was gone and Qian was rescued by his friends before more than half died? Bird was busy?

Finding out some of the truth first from Huzi's mom (who also dies, can't do without that) and the other half after killing the demon; if only they found out about the 500 year old secret before demon killing, maybe they could have kept Brick and ZXT alive; as their deaths made absolutely no sense and because of how they were presented, you were left with a feeling of disbelief more then sadness at first; because they were completely and utterly meaningless. The one death that I think everyone felt was Yan's. Even YM's death wasn't satisfying as the chipmunk puppet or doll, whatever she was, died slowly and looked very creepy as she opened her mouth like a fish out of water and fell over. Lord just why?

Disbelief had to be suspended for most of it as so much just didn't make sense. The delayed facial expressions or reason for something happening; like the two states leaders or officers hating each other's guts from past prejudices but are best buds after catching chickens for a dinner? Like huh? Or the sudden relationship between that Ya woman and the Chiang guy who got a redemption arc. Where? How? Why? So much is being thrown at you and you are just trying to piece the puzzle together as most pieces belong in the twilight zone.

Even though there was hope, with that fortune teller who I secretly think is the Mountain God, that QXX and Huzi will reunite in the future....even their separation doesn't make sense. Why would Huzi stay on that island alone? You lost so many people but your best friend is still alive, stay by his side. But why bother making it make sense? Barely anything else did.

Would I recommend it? Personally, no. The plot was a serious dud; could have been good but just fell and busted its ass hopelessly. And what they did to the mains plus Yan was just very bad writing. If you're a fan of any of the actors, watch something else of theirs.

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Great until the Last 2 hours of the Live

This season was exceptional because of the addition of the international dancers. Each episode made you laugh and cry. However, as expected by many, the very obvious scripting and rigging of the finale sent the weakest (though still talented) member of Team Boom to win. The scores for the battle section were ridiculous in range and they didn't focus at all on the stronger/better dancers. With so many highly talented international dancers with decades of experience; China still couldn't let one of them win. Because of this, though I watched the live the majority of it and woke up at 4:45am for it, I couldn't watch the last 2 hours. It just wasn't fair. And therefore, it doesn't get a solid 10 from me.

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Soul Swap & Case Solving; Possible Season 2?

This series mystery solving and "face swap" intrigued me plus I wanted to see LXY in a different role as when I put this on my watchlist I had only seen him in TBOY and though he did well, I wanted to see him play someone other then a sarcastic, bald monk with insane powers. Since then I've seen him as an antagonist in Destined too. This was a very different soul swap & case solving with a cliffhanger ending to the storyline so a possible season 2?

Pros: I liked the cases themselves and that one case was connected to the next and so forth; slowly exposing the massive organization behind it. LXY or PY was impressive as he moved from various emotions of love, grief, revenge, foresight into just about everything, his swords skills were quite impressive, and his jealousy was hilarious. This show was able to make sadness and comedy pop. FL or YCW/SZ played by JJY held her own and I can say that her acting has improved from the first couple of times I've seen her; she was able to portray her character very convincingly. I actually thought the show had some fantasy elements too like the soul swap (I can't call it a face swap because the two actresses were different; both in body type and height. Even though they tried to pile JJY's hair on top of her head to make her appear taller, to a discerning eye, it didn't work), and the bugs spell incantation to make someone blind and how it reversed itself upon healing. This made the cases even more interesting as it wasn't just another coroner and investigator type thing. I liked SML whom I nicknamed Sparky, when he showed up because let's face it, the guy is hot and he played his character very well though I'm glad they got rid of the extra eyeliner he was introduced in (as the young master) as it was very distracting. Though I liked SFL as a friend of FL and a part of the foursome, I'll talk more about her below.

Other characters like the maid, A Ze, brother of the original SZ, Lady Qi, the princess, and even fat Liu were all great characters. The villains and spies even the supposed mastermind all did their roles well. The story of PY trying to bring down the organization that "killed" his wife on their wedding night when it was really the obsessed sister of his best friend that had kidnapped and soul swapped with her just before the wedding, pushed her off a cliff and than got handed her own karma due to the death warrant by the mastermind of YCW’s parents murder and many others in a huge conspiracy. SZ didn't deserve that kind of death and YCW was going to get to the bottom of it. So the husband and wife team that didn't trust each other at first, still started to work together. Second leads also helped in their own way. Though Sparky had a thing for YCW, that was a silly competition and never really felt like a love triangle. Also liked that they showed a few decent kissing scenes and even the second leads getting it on. Plus YCW told Sparky from nearly the get go that she only saw him as her best friend. Best part was the revelation of when PY figured out finally that FL was indeed YCW. It took a bit for them to get together but they did and it was super cute.

The costumes, sets, OSTs, all fit as they should. The story ended on a bit of a cliffhanger in the storyline as the real mastermind wasn't really unveiled leaving room open for a possible season 2 but what they were doing was totally revealed so the mastermind had lost that element so also could just have been set up as an intriguing finale.

Cons: While I loved Sparky’s character, his ending was just weird. It was like they needed to add more tragedy to this; really? And it had nothing to do with his acting but the writing was inconsistent with how we saw him for the rest of the show. One could argue that when he saw his dad essentially die twice, he lost it and decided to go infiltrate the big bad organization all by himself. It made no sense though; if he found information that was useful to his friends ie PY and YCW, he had no backup to bring it to them and everything was just very haphazard. Essentially he was going on a suicide mission with no real assurance that he would even succeed; he ignored his friends warnings repeatedly when they told him how dangerous it was. We saw his death coming very soon after his father's death because it was just that stupid. They essentially did him dirty by making a smart, decisive man just impulsive and dumb. Also the actor lied to fans when the foursome did that Sina building sweep to promote the series and they were asked if both sets would have a happy ending. The leads didn't say anything and he said the second leads would; in reality the very opposite happened (don't get me wrong, I'm happy the leads at least are together). Same was done by the cast of A Journey to Love, when in reality everyone died lol. I think fans should not trust actors from these types of series with this question anymore.

SFL was just strange. Her romance with Sparky was sort of lopsided. It felt forced and she couldn't even talk without pouting 95% of the time. She followed Sparky around like a puppy even before as someone said in the comments he had "runner-up feelings" for her. Yes, they got together but I can't say the chemistry was real to me. Even the maid and A Ze had more chemistry than these two. Can't even compare to the leads; those two had chemistry before her identity reveal even happened. I would have preferred them two to just be friends. We really didn't need a second or third romance. This story had so much going on already.

Suspension of disbelief had to be deployed several times; other than Sparky's whole suicide mission decision but the abuse case with the girl fighting her father in the alley while both male leads just watched? She knew information about that ripple organization but they didn't act and just watched her father essentially kill her or she herself by his sword. Like what even? You've got two highly skilled swordsman just standing there watching their only real lead die? Just beyond.

The ending was rushed with the "mastermind", death of the princess, Sparky and his thing but at least he gave them the evidence they needed even if it was just a clue off his dead body, dad and son reconciling. Like a lot happened in a very condensed amount of time and I wish it was fleshed out more. The pace of the rest of the show was great but the ending definitely took off like its pants were on fire.

Would I recommend it? Yes I would. This show has many layers and despite the minuses, it was a good watch. Actors for the most part did a great job and it's nice to see the alliances form the way they did.

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The Quality of Death is as Important as the Quality of Life

I wasn't expecting to like this series at all because though I follow LHK and was only watching for him, it was obvious to be a lower caliber series. In that sense, I wasn't wrong. The writing wasn't strong and even though the series had a fantastical premise; many things especially in the last two episodes, were just beyond even basic standards of not done well. It was very obvious when the actors were in front of a green screen and much of how unnaturally they acted was due to inexperience with such things. As well as the dispersement of the budget was a bit questionable; some things seemed more expensive than others and that also showed some inconsistencies.

JBJ's zombie-esque jacking off the pavement twice and flying to save others was very dramatic and quite comical. The first time he flies off the morgue slab and ends up walking on ceiling as well as the growling mutation scene, reminded me so much of Twilight sans the blood drinking and sparkling. This series should have premiered around Halloween, it would have filled the genre nicely. A lot of comedy was included which also helped move the story along. Funniest by far was JBJ running away from the goose!

What drew me to it the most was the absolutely tactful way the series dealt with the topic of death. One lead was essentially immortal and the other only had like a year left to live. Yet she was able to be a pain reliever to him and he's watched practically everyone in his life pass away and couldn't join them. She also faced death with a healthy attitude; living each day to its fullest while still trying find a cure for her rare illness. Also spoke a lot about the importance of organ donation which like death is an unavoidable and very necessary for people to know about and discuss with their families. I personally have connections to both topics so that's probably another reason I was drawn towards this drama.

They were able to deal with death and dying just like it was just another part of a journey. As many know, death is a taboo topic in many cultures and is regarded as morbid if one talks about it. But the simple fact is that, sooner or later we also must deal with it. No human is immune to it. Not even our characters. Our immortal/invincible male lead or JBJ has been trying to get rid of it for 100 years. And though at the end of the series, he finally becomes a mortal again, it is an open ended question to whether JXY has found a cure as well. I'd like to think that by the time they get married in the very last episode, if not a cure, there's been at least some form of treatment to prolong her life. So that the two of them can finally lead a good, normal, human life.

The OSTs, especially one called "Together" by Yang Chuyun is hauntingly beautiful. I love all the side characters, even the annoying Cheng guy who kept trying to break them up in his own misguided way of protecting JBJ. The only inconsistent characters were the villains; they had some bizarre reasons for wanting the immortality meteor and didn't really come together in a cohesive manner. Could have been much better written to make them better antagonists and some version of believable. But all of the loose ends and backstories were eventually explained.

Would I recommend it? As a filler drama, yes I absolutely would. It has many great components and many errors. But if you want a dose of realism in a fantastical premise, give it a go.

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The Most Realistic Modern CDrama Ever!

The title of this review speaks for itself. Takes top spot for favorite modern drama of all time. This is the most realistic modern drama I have seen thus far. In every aspect, from the relationship of the leads, to their careers, and all of the side characters. There were no cliches, no tropes, no jealous ex's/side people or overbearing parents, no breakups, zilch misunderstandings or miscommunication. It was pure gold.

QJJ is a successful actress and an independent woman who isn't looking for a man to take care of her. She's got this in the bag. Though YT starts off with a serious identity crisis due to his parents, he does slowly find himself and realizes who and what he wants. I love how both sets of ex's are taken out swiftly without any pretense.

Though FL does chase after ML first, it's a slow burn romance and though she wants to be with him, she won't compromise herself to bend over backwards for him. After the second rejection, and his realization that he's made a huge mistake, he has to fight for her. She doesn't return easily. A woman who knows her worth. Which makes their getting together officially so much sweeter.

The comedic element is ever present and all of the supporting cast make it worthwhile. My only contention is that they stuck in the OST's a bit too much sometimes; I love LYN and his voice but he seemed to be too often in their special moments lol. The banter between the leads and their friends and family is always hysterical and when they face tough times, they get through each obstacle with proper communication and time while helping each other and being supportive sometimes even without/before the other sees the support coming.

We see the hardships of two career driven individuals trying to make time for their relationship as best they can which is something quite common in everyday life of regular people let alone one being an aerospace engineer with a dream of sending a probe into deep space and an A-List actress trying to fulfill her dream of being a well-rounded professional in her field.

Then of course comes the romance and HELLO NURSE! (Sorry that's another reference to a film whose title I forgot from probably the 1970s lol); considering their censorship board, I was surprised how much made it in. But the awesome thing is that you see much without seeing much. It was artfully done; their lines, facial and body expressions, if you will, everything brought together with one word; passion. No one needs to see boobs and butts; when done well, something like this will have heat coming off the screen in waves. I will just say a certain scene made me think of Twilight because the pillows became collateral damage though sans feathers ;).

When I saw the last two episodes for the first time last week raw, I didn't think they were needed; but then again I didn't understand a damn thing. But today when seeing them with subtitles, I finally understood that, yes in fact, they were very much needed because this story started with Yu Tu and realizing his dream of the rocket launch of probe and it needed to end with him doing just that and them doing it together because she's cared so much about him from all those years back, this was her way of realizing the dream with him. And hell, rocket launches are just super cool to watch live or even on tv in general regardless of what country you're from! I've watched many on tv of NASA sending folks or stuff to space and I saw one live by sheer accident back in 1991 while vacationing with my parents in Florida (Cape Canaveral/NASA is there for those that don't live in the states). It was one hell of a sight that I'll never forget.

Back to the drama, I loved the witty banter between the leads; just when JJ thought she got one over on YT, he gave it right back and the sound effects made it even funnier. The fact that this drama broke Tencent is epic and JJ being punished for lying trending on Weibo was hysterical. Because we all know how she was punished ;). The innuendos were very subtle but they were very present and it made it feel even more real, because who doesn't talk like that in real relationships and with their real friends?

Also, all the little tidbits of information about their industry were a nice touch; like how management of a big star can get them off the trending list for something bad or unwanted or how stars act like they like each other to their faces while subtly digging into each other, how the paparazzi act by scampering around trees, garages, and cafes. If only all the paparazzi and stalker fans were as easily disposed of as they were in this series, stars would live easier. There were other things, but you'll have to watch to see them.

It does have a slow start, but it's worth the wait because it's simply too good to let go of. I don't give a full score often; in fact this is my third for their dramas and my second for modern. I started watching for Dilraba, but this series proved to be a little gold gem all the way around with Yang Yang really holding his own and then some (first time seeing him in anything). Even before finishing this series, I have rewatched episodes so now that I'm done, that's not even a question.

Though they will never see this, I want to thank the entire cast and crew and especially the author/screenwriter for putting together a truly magical series. Forever in my heart.

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Was in my Dropped List Forever; but Came Back for Leads Roles Only

Initially I tried this drama and it absolutely did not pull me in especially the cement, walking statue, ML and the FL that was trying way too hard to break through to him. So I dropped it, picked it up dropped it again and left it in my dropped pile for quite some time and then knowing that ML can absolutely nail a passionate role. I decided to just watch for the leads and fast-forward everything else this is why this review is very short. I feel that once the ML opened up regarding his trauma, and the FL opened up regarding hers and how it was connected and they started investigating and got secretly married, it was a totally different ball game. With the help of friends and certain family members, the two of them were able to pull through and have the passionate love and marriage and family that they both deserved. I think this drama needed to focus only on them and not all the other couples and all the other BS. His grandmother is amazing or it was amazing. I should say. The people with positive reinforcement around them is what made them grow and evolve and it was a wonderful thing. The negative people around them should've never been around them sadly that's where all the trauma came in. They fought the battle and they won.

Best thing about it is that when you want to get your mind off of very tragic and horrible things going around you in the world and things that you cannot control this is one of those shows that can help your mind relax and just focus on something else else so that's a huge, huge, plus.

Would I recommend it? You know this is a catch 22 for me. This is one of those dramas that either you love it or you don't or you just watch it while you wait for something you really like to drop. But I have to give the ML his props for evolving throughout the story. I have never seen the FL act before and I think she did a good job. Hopefully I will see her again in the future and will be able to discuss more on that. So decide for yourselves I think it's in the maybe pile for me, but I did watch it at least the parts that I watched it lol.

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2nd Dumpster Fire of 2025 but a much Cheaper One

I solely wanted to watch and support WRC, because he's so talented that he deserves great roles and I haven't seen anything of his in a while. I didn't know what I was expecting other than I knew it was a low budget, but I'd never thought it would be a disaster of this proportion. This is literally the second dumpster fire of 2025 but a much cheaper one.

The only pro is WRC's acting and sword skills and the some version of a small bromance between him and the SML. Even that seemed very wishy-washy and very haphazard. There were some times when I really liked how they worked together, and you could totally tell that they were having some sort of secret plans that they never told anyone. Some of the costumes looked either burrowed or decent.

Literally, this thing had no other redeeming qualities. The ear bleeding sound and editing from someone who took a ton of drugs was horrendous. The music would sometimes drown out whole speeches and conversations and dialogues. The sound would cut in cut off without any warning. The FL though surprisingly in real life older than the ML acted 12. Their romance came completely out of the blue. It was not forced down our throats, but it was never explained either. ML as the emperor and the woman who played his mother are practically maybe 10 years apart and it's obvious and it's cringe. The constant runaround with the fake princess from a previous dynasty was such a moronic thing; just kill her and get it over with. The dude with the white hair that eventually became good though he started morally gray kind of antagonistic was just shallow, but I like him a lot better than her. She was just beyond saving and a crappy villain.

The amount of loopholes and plot holes was staggering. The storyline was a complete disaster did not make any sense. It's sort of started to come together toward the end, but you still didn't quite understand what the point of most of it was. The ministers for the emperor were just a bunch of whiny crybabies just like his royal uncle who I just wanted to hit with a bat so many times. Costumes were too big for all the guards. Everything looked cheap. I feel so bad for WRC and hope he gets better roles in the future.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely not if you value your sanity look at his other works everyone else in there are either new or they picked them up off the street I have no idea who any of them are.

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When the Morning Sun Meets a Forest, The Right Pieces Fall into Place.

This drama was the first modern one of SWL that I had seen as before it was only some costume ones which were hit or miss. Here though, he nailed his character. I know ZJM from several other shows and knew she would do well. I also knew several of the supporting characters like the SML or LWM and others. This was a story of when the morning sun met a very green forest, the right pieces would fall into place.

Pros: Being a work of Gu Man, who had a lot of say in her works, as she was always the screenwriter as well as apparently selecting the leads and others herself which was a great thing as we saw in YAMG as well. All of her work have been successful in one way or another. In this story, you had two people destined to meet each but due to a misunderstanding orchestrated by a wicked person (we had several here), the ML played by SWL or LYS, a one in a million protégé neurosurgeon got into a car accident and lost his ability to be a surgeon so he became a businessman instead in his family's rather massive and successful empire in the PV industry. He was angry because he thought the person who had invited him somewhere and after his accident ghosted him was a young lady he fell for at first sight, herself the daughter of a wealthy businessman in a different field. That young lady our FL or NXG however wasn't obviously responsible and didn't even know he existed. She was a college student elsewhere with a crush of her own on the SML or ZX whom I gave the nickname "hunk of junk/lack of balls" to. Though she confessed to hunk of junk/lack of balls, he rejected her, because even though he himself liked her but because of his inferiority complex of her being rich and him poor along with the fact that he seemed completely oblivious to how their mutual "friends" treated her, her roommates; once right before graduation letting others accuse her of letting an important interview call for one of them be forgotten by her without any proof other than the ring leader aka toxic chick who along with her wing woman both liking him just came at her. It was later discovered and admitted that another girl had been in the room when the call came through and she was the one who forgot plus at the company itself, though the company made the call, they didn't write it down. So a lot of people dropped the ball but only when the girl remembered, told the college committee and NXG investigated as well as hunk of junk's senior sister (who worked at the company) came forward and apologized to him on the phone only but not to the involved parties, was NXG's name cleared; hunk of junk knew the truth but never said a word. Only the two girls NXG was friends with ever truly apologized.

Because he and toxic chick knew each other since childhood, she used every opportunity to shove that fact into NXG's face and basically imply that they kind of were together or he would always do things for her most of which were lies. NXG texted him about it apologizing for the confession and that she never meant to steal him away but he never replied basically in her mind confirming those suspicions. Their last two years, he spent either never saying a word, sending her mixed signals with his actions like the thesis help attempt, or plain putting her down with his words. In other words, he expected her to be telepathic to his thoughts and feelings. Once they graduated, and she and her cousin JR, went on a little 2 month vacation to Europe which they called a study tour (I'll talk about cheap faux tour in the cons); which was somehow misconstrued to her studying abroad thanks to the cousin's housekeeper telling hunk of junk that when he came by the house looking for her.

I will say that Z "hunk of junk" X played by LWM whom I've previously seen in a tiny role in Moonlit Reunion but more memorably in FOF, was the most complex character in the entire show. Also, he's probably LWM's most different character from both others that he’s done and himself IRL, though only starting in c-ent 3 years ago. He absolutely nailed the part of a guy, oblivious in college of the girl he liked feelings choosing to stay quiet or “resist; hold back” as he pointed out during his tantrum as opposed to saying something back like "wait for me" or "I'm not ready just yet". ZX always thought she would be there, single waiting for him always taking her for granted (as she pointed out to him during his tantrum and her just spelling everything out for him saying he was lying to himself, that with his IQ and EQ, he didn't understand obvious things she said and did, because he didn't want to understand, that he had many opportunities but failed each one and why LYS got her was because he had openly told her he liked her and when she said she liked someone else, he didn't have a problem with that, but would let her pick. He treated her like an adult and pursued her showing her what real love and open communication going both ways looked like) until it was way too late. All of the push and pull between and inside him was shown in his micro-expressions and how only when he started working and came across a situation where bad rumors were spread about him and a few of his coworkers including one of the women, how he recalled the frame job and toxic chick's constant bashing and belittling of NXG in college and how she must have felt after hearing Chris' words; how he nearly sent NXG an “I'm sorry” but instead decided to sit in the darkness and cry. This was after the tantrum episode. Everything was about him and he didn't seem to understand how others felt until he experienced it for himself or someone he was close with now as an adult spoke about it. Though on the contradictory side, he wasn't a complete narcissist as he was able to make genuine good friends; two of whom he later started a successful business with, he himself got that status he always wanted through hard work, and he was able to express gratitude like he did to LYS for helping his friend/colleague after the latter experienced a medical emergency on the slopes. And that's why I'm proud of LWM because he was able to pull off a rather complex character in a show that didn't require that much, if at all.

Now when ML met FL as he downgraded himself from the main office in Shanghai to Suzhou it was half because of the misunderstanding and also because he still had feelings for her. Their start wasn't smooth as he moved her from her department to his and gave her extra work to do in a way to give her a hard time but also to be close to her and get to know her. He was quite puzzled that she didn't remember him and each time that came out in conversation he grew cold and distant toward her and assigned her more work. It wasn't until she landed in the hospital after falling from the balcony and him catching her and venting his frustration at her in the hospital though not completely saying the entire thing and her saying that he was the reason for her bad luck and crying plus later on one of her coworkers telling him how often she got hurt at the factory where she didn't have to be but he made her work there during his as she called it "bipolar" moments, that he finally called a truce between them though she had no idea why. He confessed to her not long after that after running into the university classmates along with toxic chick (who's fake apology and implication of her and hunk of junk being together; who was standing behind her and was only shocked when the study abroad to study tour misunderstanding was cleared up) and hunk of junk, he rescued her from also giving them the impression that they were together causing hunk of junk to panic, get wasted, say really rude things to her, making her cry for the last time over him.

After that, the show just showed two people getting to know each other properly and spending time together as we also learned of both families dysfunctions, his father died when he was young in a different country after he was set up by an uncle or two for a mistake within the conglomerate and was shipped out to work in some remote location where a war broke out. LYS' mom never got over what her family did and moved to Switzerland while letting ML grow up and go to school while living with his paternal grandparents. Mom met and married a wonderful man. FL's mom divorced her bastard husband and FL's father for cheating and the entire series shows him and his first love and her daughter living in a villa. That daughter pretending to be FL is the wicked person spoken about who liked LYS and was the reason for him being on that highway and then ghosting him in the hospital later. When the truth came out, LYS was stunned and distraught understandably, and took a few days leave to travel around for both himself and work. After receiving the letter with the entire story from his side of how they met or when he first saw her and her remembering that day as well, she called him and told him to stop over in her hometown on the way back to Suzhou. They went to walk around the cherry blossoms which was kind of a full circle from two years before when the fake invited him to do the same, and this was when they--both real people--officially got together.

The rest you'll have to watch, but I'd like to point out that like YAMG both mom's of the leads were amazing people who knew each other from a while back so the ski trip other then both moms, also included FL's uncle, aunt, and semi annoying cousin JR, and ML's stepfather was a very happy one filled with love and fun; LYS with his surprise to NXG made the trip even more memorable. Hunk of junk and coworkers ended up vacationing up there as well; didn’t dampen the spirits too much (though it was his younger bro that set him up). NXG's paternal grandparents were also great people; they could barely stand their asshole son; especially after learning what he essentially allowed gold digger first love and fake daughter to do, after NXG laid it all on the table for him and both mom and grandma found out the despicable actions of all three and how he treated both his only actual daughter and LYS. ML's grandfather was alright, he learned a hard lesson himself finally understanding his wrongdoing with ML's father. Other great people were ML's niece (who was ultimately named successor of the big company) and nephew. Having non-toxic family members is rare in cdrama land. Also NXG's coworkers/friends were night and day from her college roommates. They were always supportive and accepting and fun to be around. ZX's coworkers were also nice people.

OSTs were my favorite especially the one in English called "You Are the Light of my Love." The desert scenes were great and costumes as usual per modern drama; I liked it more when FL started dressing like a young lady and not a kid.

Cons: Whoever thought putting so much propaganda into a romantic drama was a good idea, didn't think things through. At first it wasn't a big deal, here and there in a conversation, one could brush it off but than in a college lecture the leads went to, that started talking about their industry and than proceeded to vilify the West and go into politics before trying to tie things up with a pretty little bow with "all countries in the world under the sun will prosper." It was ridiculous and unnecessary. Afterwards at the end of the series it was all countries bad and China the leading in everything technological especially last year and I'm like y'all blind or something? This is a romantic drama not a lesson in business politics. Or the off the cuff remarks that Mr. Zhang would suffer in America because the food and atmosphere is bad/different. I felt like that was a slap in the face to every Chinese American because there's plenty of Chinese food in every city not to mention places like NYC and San Fran having Chinatowns taking up whole portions of the cities where you literally feel like you went to their country. It's not like Mr. Zhang's son lived in the middle of a cornfield in Ohio, for Pete's sake! Stupid.

This show had plenty of money but apparently not enough to even have CGI of European cities on NXG's and JR's study tour that they had to use a green screen and stickers or posters. Continuing, it felt very disheartening when every single evil doer got a slap on the wrist instead of real consequences; bastard father after NXG read him the riot act and grandma and mom found out the extent of his stupidity and harm, just had the benign tumor removed, but though it had supposedly done some harm to his hearing and facial movement; the actor never acted it out so it was a loophole and his business never suffered like in the book. He was still as arrogant as ever. Gold digger and fake daughter were presumably kicked out of the villa with some money intact but no one went to jail and we never actually saw that. Asshole uncle and his son; were allowed to continue being in the company or one at least and both retained their wealth. Toxic chick quit her job and left the city; that was it. None of them got any real punishment. We were all waiting for karma and she forgot about them; I felt that was lax writing; two screenwriters so whomever wrote it, didn't do it well.

While we got a strange proposal and an equally strange wedding (just them two, no family or friends seen anywhere); the time jumps in the last episode didn't make sense especially the last two. One after 10 years and one after 3. Why wait a whole decade after getting married to have a child? And why jump 3 years into the future, just to show a walking creepy as hell robot and cars that can do everything but fly when everyone knows not one country on earth is that advanced nor will be in 2-3 years. It just didn't jive with the rest of the show. Showing a family of 3 with the cute daughter was great, also exiting out ZX with his coworkers was appropriate but the majority disappeared before the wedding and were never seen again, with no explanation given. Things could have been done better at the end with that especially given how important they were to the rest of the show and the leads.

Would I recommend it? I absolutely would. Despite the cons and there were enough to definitely pose questions, pros outweighed them by far. This was a great lesson in how to have the right type of relationship and the right type of friends as well as whom to cherish as family and whom to disregard.

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Man in White Seemed 1 Step Ahead but YM was A Master GO Player

I added to my watchlist after I saw TJC in UTS before his breakout role in LYF. I didn't know he had a comedy background so was very interested to see how that would play to his versatility. Also him being a professional ballroom dancer helped in the last episode. I was only familiar with certain supporting characters including the main antagonists from other roles. Man in White for a good chunk of was one step ahead of everyone and killed more people than we could count. But he didn't count on the brain power of YM or ML.

Pros: I liked most of the comedy and the friendships amongst the two couples as they got together. Yes, YM was my favorite but I also really liked WKW and the antagonist. The best part about this show was that they didn't reveal who the antagonist was other than a vicious predator who killed everyone and everything standing in his way. Had us guessing though most guessed right as even netizens dug into things like the ear and mole similarities lol. The Faceless as these assassins called themselves which had to be one of the cheesiest names ever but whatever, their ruthlessness was obvious. The MVP of this show hands down was Envoy Kang or Uncle Kang that raised both AS and "Fatty" to assist them in bringing all of the people down even though he didn't get to see that day himself. YM's parents, WKW's friends, and for AS to avenge Uncle Kang each delivering a blow to MIW who turned out to be AS's prince brother but just from a different mother. Bastard was power hungry and would kill literally anyone standing in his way.

I really liked how the East and West Court went from hating each other to being a family and winning the alliance with the other states as well as standing up for one another. YM went from an immature money grabber to someone who his parents would be very proud of. It wasn't until AXY lost SS to MIW that he realized what real priorities were and who and what was important in life. His father was absent but cared in his own way; still I don't care about that relationship. Mr. Yu was essentially YM's adoptive father and I loved their relationship. Other great characters were all the envoys, Duomi, his bodyguard, the ministers too, Ji and Shen, YCH with WKW best 2nd couple!

The story moved along quite well and I liked how they were able to work once they understood Sifang Pavillion was a family. Comedy always ensued when alcohol and even a pet snake was present. Or just general tomfoolery. Costumes especially from the different states, OSTs, were done very well. Some of the sets were nice.

Cons: What I didn't like about the series is that it AS started as a squatter in YM's home and ordered him around like she owned the place. Who does that? Only because he had a good heart did he allow that, had it been anyone else, she would been drop kicked into another location. She was really ungrateful, even landing him in prison for her own misconduct. But it was how quickly their feelings developed that was really a bit whiplash-ish. From all that, to fine roommates and then beds together and smooches.

I also feel that YM got bullied a lot by her and then later her royal maids. Like the man loves her and sacrifices a lot for her and she doesn't even tell him her plans and throws her weight around just because she was the recognized princess by Yong but from Yanle. I'm not a fan of those kinds of tactics. Making the woman seem stronger by bullying isn't the right way to do it.

The CGI, costumes on guards appeared very cheap. Also I saw someone mention it in the comments but the bad guys aka Mutu, LTQ, and even big bad himself MIW got a lot dumber. Maybe because he was on home turf and he didn't think YM could find connections to take him out. The other two were never smart to begin with and so everyone of the good guys working together and even using MIW, took them out, though as mentioned above, the last and much deserved assassination was the most deserved and done by the 3 people he harmed and thought he got away with it. Just shows to never let your guard down no matter what. Also the ending was rushed with the wedding, pregnancy, etc and the 7 minute little extra, tying some loose ends could have been better incorporated into the last episode. But it did show proper humor because comedy was ever present in this show.

Would I recommend it? I would. It was very entertaining and funny. There were some misses and a lower budget but worth for all those moments even the tear jerking ones. I say, it's worth it.

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Royal Outwitting

Watched this solely because I follow MZY and wanted to see Jeremy act. I'd have to say that I liked the second part of the series way more than the first. It was all about who was smarter and could outwit whom.

Pros: The series didn't have a shortage of people trying to get one up on the other but LL and YS were very well matched though all the slapstick things I did fast-forward. The costumes were beautiful as was the music and sets. I really liked how LL made friends even out of her "enemies" so most of the support were awesome like her maid and his assistant, the guards. YH was a really tragic character but I'm very glad he survived though I disagree with the decision of his to make YX think he was dead. Both deserved each other's love as they were essentially alone in the world other than their friends. I have faith that as they both grow in their independence, they will find their way back to each other. One was essentially sequestered most of her life from the outside world and the other was a tortured slave that had to fight on two fronts. Other than our leads, these two deserved a happy ending more than anyone else. RIP Uncle Song; now that's a real hero.

Cons: Didn't like the fake illness of FL in the beginning at all. The fake coughing was so obvious, anyone with half a brain saw through it. There were different ways of writing to show weakness without being so idiotic about it. Once they got rid of it, the series took on a stronger stance. The last episodes felt rushed; the introduction and subsequent reveal of the mastermind felt lackluster like even though they blurred him out most of the time, you knew it was him. The only real surprise of a villain was the consort that barely had any screen time so it didn't seem to jive with the story. All of her actions, seemed like an afterthought. It was abhorrent that though HT made an attempt on the CP's life, he wasn't dolled out any punishment but instead was just allowed to portray a victim going back to his country. He had no heart so there was no love for the FL; allowing innocent people to die for his greed, should have had him at least in prison. At least the CP killed the mastermind, though a poisoned arrow would have been more appropriate given what he'd done to YH all his life.

Would I recommend it? This is a series for those days when you just want to watch something semi-lighthearted. So if you've got those days and you like the actors, you'll get your proper fill.

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TJR Amazes Again

I only watched the series or miniseries for TJR. I had really no idea what it was going to be about other than a dark comedy but who and what his character was. I had no idea even when I saw him filming this with the mushroom haircut, but as soon as I found out that his character BF was a young adult who was basically a younger version of Rain Man a genius chef, but with special needs watching him play, the role was absolutely stunning. I have worked with kids with special-needs when I was basically a kid myself through the big brother/big sister foundation of America and I know just how special and amazing they are. So to see a normal young adult play one where he I am sure has never had real contact with one and do so convincingly was quite special. TJR a born talent, not just with a degree from a drama school.

I can't say the story itself all the way around was mighty special and it honestly pissed me off when FHW would call him an idiot or a dumbass or beat him up because of his own narcissistic grandiosity issues and not really understanding that the entire world didn't owe him anything until literally the last five minutes of the last episode. I am glad that he finally understood who BF was as a human being and started to respect him as one. I do think they cut a lot because the duration of each episode was all over the place or it could just be that they had originally wanted 12 episodes and it ended up being 15. Regardless, I commend TJR on a job very well done and also the about that a few days ago the actor who played FHW came to the festival where TJR was performing live on stage for the very first time with multiple songs to give him a pat on the back so it's great that he gets to work with these veteran actors repeatedly. He played the part of a person with special needs very, very well. The speech how slow it was the repetition you understood exactly who he was from the moment he opened his mouth in the very beginning. And his performances with his mother in flashbacks, just made your heart clench and tears run down your face. It was heartbreakingly, beautiful.

Would I recommend it? For him I would and it's really not bad at all as long as you can get past some of what I call verbal and physical abuse toward him and the constant diarrhea of the mouth from FHW's character with the cheesy poetry. Being a poetry author myself, I understand how the literary world works a lot better than that character. But definitely to support whoever you want to support give this miniseries a go.

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Friends Can Come as Wild Men, Short-Life Spanners, Cultivators, Demons & Even Puppets

First reviewed drama of 2024 and it's a CZY drama (reason I was watching in the first place) with both new and familiar faces. Though I'm not a fan of Xianxias, thankfully this was more fantasy than that. The theme of this drama was friendship and fighting for what you believe in and never giving up. The foursome of friends were great when they were together and I really liked how much they helped each other. Because friends really do come in all shapes and sizes like naive, innocent wild men, short-life spanners, cultivators, demons & even puppets.

Pros: I loved the friendship of our Fab 4 even when they all had to go through existential crises; they would lean on each other and help each other. Though the leads were the main in love with each or would eventually be (I'm so glad romance wasn't the main focus here), the other two loved the main two silently while never giving up on their friendship with everyone. I have to say that YTH and ZY were equally favorite characters of mine, though both ladies held their own too.

The MVP of the show was definitely Elder medicine guy of the sect. I can't even call it a sect but really a cult run on obsession of ascending and loving people you can never have. XY, our awesome puppet who was LS' friend and his death left a hole in the audiences' hearts. XX played by WD was a morally gray antagonist and he played him phenomenally well. One minute he wants to kill you, the next he wants to save you; his obsession was his downfall but at least in his end, he made some form of peace with YTH. The grand monster was just annoying as hell. She was the easiest major antagonist to spot because her obsession of that damn sword and XX were more important than anything. Sometimes she pretended like she cared about the sect but in reality, they were cannon fodder to her. There were several disciples/one elder who took Mengli as his daughter even when he realized she was a demon, that I was sad died or barely survived because they were great to our 3 main friends before ZY joined them and even afterwards.

CGI was decent, costumes were great as were some sets, OSTs were nice too. Though I liked their journey together, there were still unanswered questions and plot holes.

Cons: The script took way too long to resolve and absolve YTQ and TH of any wrongdoing when reality it was the sect/cult that attacked the demon realm unprovoked who were the real traitors. Also too much time was spent on the grand monster's obsession instead of the foursome's solving mysteries and getting XX out of the ice (whether was ultimately a good idea or not was TBD). Though LS was the host, she never held the sword or used it, so what was the point of calling her the host? The fact that the manuscript of sword breaking was so important but could be reversed and kill its host was explained in 5 minutes at the end.

Why did LS have to go to that mausoleum place when ZY and TH could have achieved the exact same result without her losing soul stones on her life? That was so unnecessary because the bow was absorbed by TH anyways. It was never explained what happened to Mengli's foster parents after she left them and the demon revelation. Also why did the divine make it seem like the war 19 years ago was TH's parents fault for leaving with the Jade thing when the sect was already using unscrupulous means to become immortal? That didn't make sense.

Why did the entire mountain float into the sky and then after the fact when it came "crashing" down, it was more like a hot air balloon going down gently then the supposed meteor destruction that was promised. So TH went blind after he destroyed the falling mountain or? But when did LS die? That was just glossed over. And then 100 years pass like nothing and the ending is 10 minutes long. So even though LS' tombstone said "My beloved wife", you'd assume she lived for a while with TH on that peak but it's all guesses and assumptions. Also remember, they officially got together in the 2nd to last episode only. I wish the ending was less rushed and more flushed out even though the leads from what we see anyways go off into the afterlife happily together; it is bittersweet because we really don't get to see how our Fab 4 live those 100 years and I wish we did.

Would I recommend it? I would as the show never once dragged and kept me watching all the way through. It's very entertaining, so give it a try.

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Rescues, ML, Friendships, & 3rd Couple Were The Show

Picked this one up because I like natural disaster and rescue type of shows. I have seen only the actor who plays Xiong Fei in a small supporting role two years back and Janice Wu also in a guest role last year otherwise, relatively unfamiliar with the cast. Have heard good things about Leo Luo, so paid attention to what he could do. The rescues, ML, friendships, & 3rd couple were the show.

Pros: The rescues were pretty good for a regular series that didn't call itself a docuseries or documentary. If people were looking for something more realistic, then they should just watch the Discovery Channel. The only really unbelievable portion was the ML in the last episode, climbing through an entire mountain to find that magical doorway up above that somehow dumped him by a river far away. I loved the friendships of the crew; that was more pleasing to watch than the romance aspect.

Favorite character was LB or the ML; every emotion, every action was well placed. Started out as a kind of cocky know-it-all, but then just defrosted into a regular human being with faults. I really enjoyed Leo Luo's portrayal here and will look out for him in future dramas; I do however wish that he didn't look so gaunt, it's worrying. Other favorite characters included LB's sister LY who played a mute speaking in sign language quite well, XF and his kind heart who had a way to mediate even the gruffest of situations. He didn't let his past get in his way and his match up with LY was perfect; they were the main couple for me in this series. They complimented each other really well.

Other favorite characters were the captain, who as we all saw was a very flawed person but was trying his best to make up for all of his mistakes especially the life altering ones. The rest of the LCR crew were great, like Falcon who everyone lost and missed, even gruff Dapeng who grew on you. The OSTs, mild CGI, costumes, and scenarios (save the one mentioned above) all fit well.

Cons: This was one of those dramas where romance really should have been tapered down not given 3 couples, one of whom (I nicknamed them Ding Dong and Ming Mong) was annoying as nails, had to be ffw'd frequently, and really made the show take a hit. On top of that, the robotic FL and her total lack of chemistry with the ML just didn't do any favors. Yes, she was a doctor and had to deal with life and death all the time, plus the trauma of her childhood; she could have been portrayed way differently. I'm not sure the casting was done well here. From the beginning to end, I was waiting for there to be some form of connection between the two and I just didn't feel it. They could have been bickering cousins and it would have made more sense. She was always cold and stubborn and he was always apologizing for his feelings needing to justify them even when she was in the wrong. It didn't make any sense nor was it realistic for any form of relationship. The nasty mother of MM, Dr. Weasel, and Ai Rui'er, were all given nearly last minute redemptions from their idiotic portrayals but they were also the types of characters that really were unnecessary, because you had already so much going on.

The show had way too much propaganda given what they were trying to portray and more times then not in sensitive situations, it felt off. Like you need emotions here not flag and country; y'all aren't military but a non-profit organization, keep it that way. I never compare dramas but this show was trying way too hard to be "You Are My Hero" and it didn't come close. It needed its own formula not a repeat of someone else's.

Would I recommend it? I would have given it a lower score if it hadn't been for the rescues, friendships, ML, & 3rd couple. That said, some people actually like everything I disliked or vice versa, so decide on this one for yourselves.

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