Enigma05

Cute & Corny Rom-Com

I was watching this only because I follow CYC and XYL; I knew CYC could hold his own in a costume drama but was interested how XYL would fare and his acting didn't disappoint. Going in, I knew it was a low caliber drama so CGI and whatnot wouldn't be very expensive looking. Still though, the story looked interesting.

Pros: As expected, CYC in his character and development went very well. His portrayal of the immortal with few emotions who slowly learns how to feel and love, was very well executed. I really liked the plot and its progression was very well paced. XYL as the cute 3rd wheel did a good job in this rom-com of sorts. I liked how he wasn't made to be some evil, jealous buffoon as many times in these love triangles/quads this happen. His character genuinely felt love towards the FL but at the same time, he understood when it was time to give up and move on. He didn't stick around to badger her, but gave his blessings. Even when he learned the secret about the ML and others being deities, he still wouldn't hurt FL by disclosing the information. I felt his character, though like every other, with its own flaws, was evolved very well.

It took me a while to warm up to the FL, because though intelligent and witty, she couldn't speak like a normal human being but instead screeched like an entitled howler monkey. Only when she started speaking like a woman did her character make more sense and I was interested in seeing where everything would go. Her cousin Ah Jing and Li Fu were probably the oddest balls in the entire thing; to me it felt like they switched genders but their match up was a good one though way over dramatically done.

Last favorite characters were grandma, who honestly had "selective" dementia and understood way more than she was letting on. Even in the last episode when talking to the sky she said "but he has to go back soon" so she knew what was going on before many others did; her character was one of the funniest and forthright out of the bunch. Xiao Ya's two servants were very cute too.

Cons: Thanks to the help of another viewer (@Jamilla), we were able to come up with a nickname for a particularly horrible and unnecessary character; Tong'er aka "Thing 2 Gorilla Glue". Entitled is an understatement; this whiny, stalkerish, chick with a voice of a prepubescent child clung onto ML like they had some sort of predestined arrangement written in blood. It was a one-sided love or obsession rather and she stopped at nothing trying to get him including nearly killing the FL twice. Because of her nonsense, the story took a serious hit in both the rom and com sections. There were enough subplots to keep the story interesting without the necessity to add such an absolutely useless character. I was very glad when she finally disappeared.

XY's father was one weird dude; I know it was slapstick comedy but nothing he did was funny to me. It looked forced and quite dumb actually. The OSTs weren't memorable in the slightest. Usually, music stands out but not here. The styling of many of their clothes was very off. XY's entire wardrobe looked like it belonged on a teenager and not a woman of marriageable age. Poor XYL's wig looked like a pineapple because of all the knickknacks they had stuck in it; everything was swinging every which way and it was quite distracting. His costumes always looked one or two sizes too big. Budget for production was definitely on the lower side. Considering all of that, the fact that he was still able to portray the character as believably as he did, makes me look forward to even more great things from him.

I like the 3 extra episodes in the end but they would have been a lot better if they were incorporated into the actual series. The last two episodes were very angst filled because everyone knew that CY had to return to heaven no matter what. Literally squished into the last 10 or so minutes was him leaving and all the sadness and then later him returning 3 years later the same way he arrived the first time with only Li Fu knowing who he was. That is essentially how they ended the series and it was both confusing and bizarre. Now if they took the extra episodes and made one extra episode explaining how somehow within that time, everyone remembered who he was and so forth, it would have made a lot more sense. Because there was very little cohesion in how the ending happened. It was very abrupt and left one going "that's it?" Better editing would have done wonders.

Would I recommend it? If you're a fan of CYC and/or XYL than yes, regardless of the other stuff, both actors did very well. I do wish they had better quality scripts. Also the plot itself was interesting and the development went smoothly; misunderstandings were resolved relatively quickly. So it's a pretty decent drama to watch.

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A Dark and Gritty Drama; Worth It.

This was my first ever Light On series to watch because though I do like the whodunnits and CSI type series, they never spoke to me before. But because I follow and highly respect Zhao Liying, plus this was such a different role for her from what she'd previously done, it intrigued me even more. The only other actor I have seen previously was Geng Le (Li Lan) but he only had a bit part and was killed off in the first episode.

Pros: I knew this was only a 16 episode series though these Light On ones were usually 12, so I felt that 4 extra episodes were a bonus. I loved the richness of the actual story and how within the first 3 or 4 episodes, all 3 characters had come into there own. I think this genre really suits ZLY because she fits the creepy sociopath very well. She was so convincing at times that, it honestly almost made your skin crawl. I've done my share of research (close to a decade) on serial killers, their psychopathy, and crimes and each had different Modus Operandi. I was very interested in which angle they would take with this one.

Episode 12 gave a serious shock but a very, appropriate cliffhanger that shifted the entire case and story in a completely different and unexpected direction. I think that was my favorite part. As a novelist, I've written many cliffhangers, so getting one that was that well written and executed was rare in cdramas.

I loved the interconnections with the leads and those in their everyday lives. They were all portrayed as very flawed and at times quite selfish individuals. It spoke of the rawness of humanity at our bad or worst times and yet at some moments they showed the best of us. Every emotion from fear, anger, sadness, despair, obsession, helplessness, determination, and so forth was shown in nearly every episode. Even if all three were in a sense going towards the same goal; finding the truth, they still managed to do it separately which many a time worked and other times seemed a bit off.

One thing that the series never lacked was just rawness; whether it was in emotion, action, or dialogue. The simplest "how are you" like when XM visits SY in jail in the last episode carried with it a seemingly 17 year burden of truth both characters must forever carry, though they both found out their own versions of truth. The series was powerful and nothing could be taken away from that.

Cons: For starters, there were several inconsistencies and disconnections that were never answered or corrected. Like why did SY's father get so angry at Hu that he beat him up, making the latter leave the hospital and than when little SY asked her father who Hu was in the library, her father was very angry that she asked and that was just left alone. SY's friend in the wheelchair seems to be important but he appears and disappears without fanfare and we literally know nothing about him, which is quite odd considering how SY literally had no other friends.

Both SY and XM seemed to have very lackadaisical schedules where they could walk in and out of their respective places of employment whenever and do whatever they wanted. It was rather strange how much a rookie cop was able to get away with during his own private detective work. Why had SY been able to get away with everything else she had done aside from sending the poor man falsely accused into a coma? Also, the very much unneeded psychological warfare on XM and how doctors just handed out patient information without notifying the patient for consent. Another point, how did SY's father know where the murderer was during the XJ murder? Out of the entire city he just happened to walk by him there and recognized him in a mask and cap after not seeing him for many years? Zilch cohesion.

The reveal of the actual murderer was a bit underwhelming because there was this huge lead up after the bombshell at the end of 12 but it didn't deliver the wham of the killer. His confession was typical obsessed psychopath with a one sided relationship with his victims story; a rookie profiler fresh out of Quantico (school for future FBI agents) could have done better. Even his reasoning wasn't imaginative, though he made it sound very sinister (hats off to the actor). Now I'm not saying all serial killers look like monsters; as a matter fact more often then not, they look like your next door neighbor. It wasn't about the looks, but about how he was cornered, in a restaurant that allowed a random stranger who'd slept amongst their trash the night before cook dishes in their kitchen? Come on now, that's not even soap opera writing. It felt like the writers were just tired of this story and wanted to add just random components into it and hope something clicked. It could have been done so much better to make for a satisfactory ending.

Lastly, there were times in the middle that the episodes did get draggy but then they righted themselves. This series could have stood to explore the pathology of criminals a bit more to make up for the inconsistencies and lack of cohesion in many places.

Still though, I think this is a very strong series and I would recommend it to both people who enjoy crime dramas and fans of ZLY who want to see her do really well in this dark and gritty role.

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Team Cop vs. Team Darth Vader

Chose this for CZY as a completely different genre from anything he'd previously done. Though not a fan of propaganda of any country, I liked the case solving/cop aspect of this. I knew various other actors from other series. We really got to witness team cop vs. team Darth Vader duke it out.

Pros: As I've mentioned in the comments, I'm very proud of CZY for taking this really complicated character on that's completely out of his usual comfort zone and to be able to hold his own with such veteran actors was quite impressive. LSB was the naughty one that was incredibly intelligent and whose ability to adapt to all situations no matter what, was remarkable. As the city and country around him was essentially going through a civil war after the Second World War, his sole determination was to be the best cop he could be and protect who he loved and the city he loved so dearly. While his best friend and brother in arms (XW) turned to the dark side and essentially became a serial killer and an assassin for Team Darth Vader, his newfound police family from the new government consisted of a very rigid cop/military director LZY who he butted heads with but ultimately they developed a tacit understanding and strong bond that went just as far as the one he had with XW. Not to mention the FL JY played by Xing Fei, impressed me a lot. Another young actress that did very well in her very serious role; she always played by the rules but never let LSB down even when he stumbled and made mistakes as he grew and changed.

What impressed me about this show was the ever flowing storyline; there were never any filler episodes, it never dragged or got boring. You were always wondering how Team Cop would finally get ahead of Team Darth Vader who were a step ahead until almost the very end; finding and breaking the mole was incredibly important. Even though the story was serious, the comedic placement was very well inserted and really toned down things in just the right way. Other great characters were Huzi, the rest of Team Cop especially the new addition Yaohang who was just as smart as LSB and LZY and the three of them got a lot done. Loved how it was a brotherhood with Xiaoman as the only female but how they took care of each other. The child actress who played Feihang did a fantastic job.

Darth Vader himself or ZLT was a great main antagonist; incredibly cunning and always had a plan B in foiling Team Cop's plans until nearly the end. Most of the antagonists though shown as being able to eat their own young to climb to power played their parts for as long as needed. XW was the one who was given the redemption arc death but that really was the only way for him to go out. He had to return to LSB and save him finally after everything that LSB had done for him. At first I wasn't sure I wanted that for him because he became essentially a demon, but the way it was done, I was satisfied with.

The Gang boss lady did a superb job as prior I had only seen her in antagonist or morally gray roles in costume dramas, so this was a such a refreshing take and role for her. The 3rd faction consisting of Mr. Jin, his assistant and the two assassins with two little boys that ended up without their father or uncle. I think Mr. Jin made a lot of mistakes; had he given himself up to Team cop and he had several opportunities to do so, maybe Darth Vader wouldn't have gotten as far as he did as he relied on Mr. Jin's funding. And JY as well as those two boys would have still had their dads.

OSTs, costumes, fight scenes (my favorite always), and sets were as usual Republican era beautiful.

Cons: Huzi's death was so unnecessary. We were coming down to the wire so they figured they had to kill someone from team cop and the reasoning was nonexistent. XW was going to return to the good side by dying; why kill Huzi? Makes zero sense. How is it that a hospital is virtually deserted in a gun fight but even so afterwards? Doctors usually hide but when the bullets stop flying they immediately rush to help or sometimes even during; in this series, people got shot, the threat is gone but people die because um where are the doctors?

The editing throughout the series had some issues, they randomly inserted real footage from that time period but got other facts completely wrong in basic conversations. What was the point? This is a drama not a documentary. Plus the translation of the anthrax pathogen to "anthrax germs" made me laugh. Another thing that just got me was yet another series fell symptom to the "Superman trope"; in the end LSB got shot in the gut but ran to stop ZLT from escaping. Also JY got ambushed and stabbed with a scalpel by that weird anthrax doctor dude (he died soon after because well never bring a scalpel to a gun fight; our girl immediately afterwards put 3 slugs into him and that was that), but with that severe injury plus exposure to the anthrax she somehow managed to locate the anthrax canisters and switch the lethal stuff with some harmless powder. Lastly, the actual ending could have been done better; instead of those words on a black screen, we could have ended both JY and LSB way better and we don't even know how much time passed because while confronting ZLT on the rooftop, LSB gets shot again and then repeatedly kicked by ZLT, LZY is then seen racing him to the hospital. Next scene is LSB obviously getting a haircut and joining the new government after which he visits a still unconscious JY in the hospital. He's sound as a pound but she's still unconscious and even Feihang had heart surgery and recovered. So how much time has passed? Literally last scene is LSB leaving the hospital and that's it before the black screen with propaganda information rolls out. But what about our characters? It felt very unfinished in that sense and totally different from the rest of the series. We've invested so much into these people that they deserve better endings than just being dropped by the wayside. That is where the series lost some of its score from me.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Despite the wonky editing, ending, and the propaganda undertones that could be ignored; this was a very strong series with a great storyline and characters that you were invested in. Where you laughed with them and cried with them too. Definitely give it a go.

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Big Beautiful Mess w/Fantastic Acting

Xianxias are my least favorite genre so made myself watch for XZ and hoped that the storyline would hold. Other actors were familiar to me as well and did very well however the plot was a bust. Every actor was commendable in doing their part just wished for a good story.

Pros: Favorite character was hard because there were several that did very well for different reasons. SY as ML had to go through the myriad of emotions and evolutions and he did so very convincingly. XZ didn't disappoint in this role; it was far different than what he'd done before and I like that he doesn't have a box he sticks himself in but tries different characters and styles. Of course, however, it being a costume drama, a flute made an appearance which brought a smile to my face. CM as the 7,000 year old mystical bird was hysterical, sometimes you wanted to smack him, other times hug him. I've never seen the actor before but he did a good job. Alan Feng as ZY, was also very versatile but I did feel his was a tragic character; that said, he did play good and possessed pretty convincingly. Lastly, I have to give it up for Han Dong or High Priest who was our biggest morally gray character in the entire thing. Usually this actor plays crazy antagonists but here he actually cared about someone other than himself and sacrificed himself for that person.

All of the other characters for the most part were there as needed and played their roles well. This was a big budget production so obviously CGI, costumes, sets were stunning as were the OSTs.

Cons: This storyline absolutely threw me; hence the low score. I know the standard operating procedure for xianxias with the baby voiced, talking to yourself, gorilla glue FLs, the misunderstandings, deaths and multiple resurrections, so on and so forth. But this had to have so many subplots and boring portions that didn't make sense that I legit had to skip episodes. Honestly, you had the merfolk/dragon plot, the palace politics nonsense, cultivators and their lives, and if that wasn't enough throw in a Sauron looking character who wanted to possess two rings not one and an ice clan that left midway and returned out of nowhere. Plus the Sauron thing could possess people by jumping them. Only thing missing was Frodo and the fellowship. Those two last episodes looked like they belonged in a totally different series; like something out of a Marvel film; very sci-fi. It was a very big beautiful mess with fantastic acting.

What was up with that ending though? When I saw "BE" trending on Weibo, I wasn't sure what to think but then when I saw it for myself, I understood. So our ML dies yet again, and a year later is resurrected when FL just randomly chucks the petal into the tree where they first met as kids from said petal. But is he real or a ghost because they stand like 10 feet apart just smiling at each other before credits role. Couldn't they at least show them hugging? And couldn't she have sent that petal into the tree earlier so he could come back? It really defies logic.

Would I recommend it? Only if you like xianxias and are a fan of any actors. Otherwise, the story is not worth it though like I said the actors did a fantastic job. I wish better scripts for the actors; with all of their skill and talent, they deserve that.

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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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Misunderstanding, Misinformation, Misleading, Misinterpretation; Just an Overall Miss

Have never seen the leads before this so was interested to see how they did. All I can say is that I hope their past and future work has better scripts than this absolute mess of one. The novel readers made it sound great and interesting with a new concept but instead it was a misunderstanding, with misinformation, misleading, misinterpretation, basically an overall miss.

Pros: Literally the chemistry of the leads and second leads, working relationships. The business aspects of it as it showed how different firms worked. Some comedy. That was it! The actors did as well as they could with the shredded mess they were given. I under no circumstances fault them.

Cons: Who in the 21st century still writes FL's with zilch EQs? Nearly 30 episodes of 36 revolved around a misunderstanding so absurd I don't know how it was even pulled off. FL took some dumb chick's who broke up her already ridiculous relationship words as gospel instead of finding out the truth as she was supposed to be some brainiac reporter and with that proceeded to act cringey beyond belief trying to get close to ML a CEO at new but major company. The bestie with her dumb as bricks advice that made things worse when she couldn't make her own life work made you want to scream.

When the truth came out finally, the FL still didn't reveal it to ML even though both had genuinely fallen for each other. Their relationship was originally built on a lie and once exposed it naturally crumbled. The FL was a selfish, self-absorbed moron that I wouldn't have forgiven as easily as the ML did. This show could have been made just fine with 24 or 26 episodes. The dragging of the ridiculous lies and misinformation, was unnecessary.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely not. This is probably one of my shortest reviews but nothing after the leads got back together even redeemed it for me. I am watching BL in a costume drama right now where she's killing it and I hope to see Dylan in the future in a great written drama. Save yourselves the aggravation and just run.

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Intelligence & Amazing Chemistry Worthy of 2 Lifetimes

Picked this up for both leads though only follow MZY (I’ve loved her acting since CQL) and the plot. Originally this was supposed to be LYR's first ML role but his modern drama aired first and he did really well in both. I didn't know this was a rebirth type of deal but they actually just turned it into a dream which was a nice departure from the usual transmigration storyline. The leads intelligence & amazing chemistry was really worthy of both.

Pros: Let's clap for the finally promised and attained HE! The storyline was always moving along. There was never any dragging. I loved how smart both leads were and their intelligence made them into the ultimate power couple. I like how the first life was handled in the first episode and it was a called a dream by the FL as only she and SML remembered it. I also really love the fact that though this was only 34 episodes, it felt like a lifetime literally since the first episode. And also that in life number two, she went back to being a child as opposed to the usual first life adult, second life adult. How she followed the book at first and then just went with gut instinct. DZ and SM were destined in every life and their chemistry was palpable and it was like they could finish each other's thoughts.

Learning how to kiss from the director and his wife BTS was hysterical and they actually mentioned in an interview that they watched something like 800 videos on kissing. I always found it funny when human beings nearly in their 30s had no idea how to make out and directors had to even explain that portion. Some people may think that MZY was expressionless but I disagree; she showed contemplation, happiness, anger, fear, exhaustion, embarrassment, surprise though many a time the expressions were on a smaller scale, I think that is better than over dramatic in a drama like this. LYR was fierce and at the same time protective and loving as SM. Made all of us want an SM in our lives. The small things they did for each other to protect each other meant a lot especially when they were taking down the antagonists big or small.

I was very glad JY (SML) was playing double agent and not really turned into a traitor in life number two. I think his job was the hardest having to do all that while all of these chess pieces moved around. He knew how things were going to go from life number one but still unexpected things were going to happen and he had to be ready for them. Him unexpectedly falling for DZ when he never had any feelings before was a bit of a hindrance. I loved the side characters like the twin maids and twin guards though sadly we lost one, GY was hysterical and I loved how he took care of SM though wish we saw more of him, all her bookstore intel gatherers, General Yan, Mr. Chen, his uncle Meisun (his death was the catalyst in both lives; though with different outcomes, still painful), CJ and JR made for a cute couple. Grandma rocked and I love grandma's like that in series. Crown Princess and CP's wife. DZ's dad took a little time to thaw but finally he got it right, her half sister also in the second life was good though tragic, Ansu was nice though love dumbed her down, she eventually did the right thing when she came to her senses of marrying a monster. I liked how the emperor was grey but ultimately made the right decisions as did the CP.

There were a lot of antagonists in this one from her step monster and shitty fifth uncle, to his father and brother, LQ, that horrid eunuch who killed them in the first life, and of course the mastermind being the empress. They were all about power and it didn't matter who they harmed to get it, even each other. LQ, eunuch, and empress were the best antagonists as was his father. Everyone else will be spoken about in the cons.

The emperor choosing to save SM from the hate poison instead of using it on himself was probably one of the best decisions he made the entire show. Also, it was funny how once peace was achieved and the 5 year time jump happened, the leads had a daughter but complained that raising a child was harder than doing business or fighting on the battlefield lol! The comedy though not often in this show, came through when necessary. Little girl had both of her parents courage and intelligence and they were suffering for it. Thankfully, when she was old enough to start school, they sent her off to her great grandmother and grandfather and ran off to travel and just have alone time as well as probably work on baby number 2 😉. There is a small funny scene with her after the ending credits of the last episode that you should watch. Brings the word fate into the forefront again.

Costumes, sets, OSTs, and some of the fight scenes (especially in episode one) were on point.

Cons: Not a lot of these but they were here. Starting with the antagonists that I didn't like; the step monster was an annoying pawn that I had to use the ffw button on and really was the only time I did that in the whole show. She was desperate and horrible. Her actions (coupled with those of the other villains) caused her own daughter's death. But still they didn't off her. That said 5th uncle was even more rotten but his death was a copout. After everything he had done to DZ and others, even though he "went out on his own terms after clearing the rest of the D family of any possible retaliation", it just seemed too light for him. Death by arrows while protecting the woman who recommended him to the emperor in the first place was just eh to me.

SH, the psychopath that supposedly only turned into that after he lost his status; I don't believe it. They shoved his emerging psychopathy into like two episodes and the way he treated Ansu before and after he married her and even before when his "mom" was alive was questionable. You could tell there was something wrong with him from the get go and it should have been more properly fleshed out. But his death at the hands of Ansu was very appropriate though I wish she had told him she knew he killed her brother.

That last fight scene in the palace; yes I know the guards had limited bullets as I was explained the history, but why didn't the main palace guards use those crossbows then like the other army soldiers running into the palace as they fired multiple rounds and reloaded or even regular bows and arrows are a lot faster than swords. It sure as hell beats just standing there. That entire scene was just thrown off for me. Help the Ding Army out! Don't just stand there watching them die until reinforcements rush in. It was off. The fight scenes could have been a bit better towards the end. Felt the last few episodes were definitely rushed, could have slowed that down a bit with more fleshing out earlier on.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely! The storyline moved along very well and it was the second chance, don't accept fate, and love with all of your heart show that you just want to hang onto. Great characters and actors; one of the better dramas of 2024.

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Spliced Jigsaw Puzzle

This spliced jigsaw puzzle drama was originally only picked up to see Jing Boran in costume as I'd seen him in a modern and he did a great job here. I liked the overall mystery and intrigue. But it definitely had a bunch of flaws.

Pros: Peizhi which was Lan Jue's (JBR's beautiful portrayal) courtesy name was all around favorite character from his line delivery, to his expressive eyes, and as many have mentioned almost effervescent long locks of hair and ethereal clothing. He carried the charm, grace, and elegance of a man more worthy of the nobleman position than those around him. JBR did a fantastic job playing the hallucinations bit, it was very believable and authentic. The only really noticeable bromance in this series was between him and Mowen (an actor who redeemed himself tenfold for me after a drama a few years back that I dropped because of his insanely stalkerish vibes). Here the long, almost like drinking from a waterfall looks between these two characters, the not so subtle backup and care was very good to witness. Even though Mowen went off to fight and disappeared from the story until the ending, he made a huge impression as a man that would have Peizhi's back through thick and thin.

Zhang Ping was like-able though he was just a bit too forceful until faced with adult personal trauma. Mr. Lan as he called Peizhi, would always fuss over him like a mother hen. It felt more like a teacher/student relationship than anything else or an uncle and nephew growing together. Other favorite characters included Chen Chou the best friend of ZP who was literally like a leash to a constantly runaway puppy, Shifu, the emperor who was probably the most forthright and intelligent unlike his ruthless adoptive mother. The empress dowager was a very convincing and great antagonist who you wanted to put out of her misery the moment you met her. The aides of Peizhi were great men too.

The cases started off as open and shut or leading to a greater conspiracy which Peizhi, Mowen, and then ZP as well were trying to solve; absolve Peizhi's father of erroneous treason charges and learn more about ZP's own humble beginnings. However, the deeper into it we got, there were more questions than answers. The jigsaw puzzle grew instead of shrank.

Cons: ZP really had to constantly wear pajamas and walk around like he was either pissed off or stoned. Other emotions didn't exist or couldn't manifest until much later. What was the deal with Shulin? He came out of nowhere and already knew how to find Peizhi. He kept saying he'd been planning his revenge for 10 years. So what about the other 10? His whereabouts were never explained. Where did he get so much money to pull off everything he did. Bringing him into literally the last 8 or 9 episodes with totally new information then had previously been known was a whiplash. Even his supposed shared affinity with Peizhi just seemed off. The man was as ruthless and insane as his biological mother. He turned this mystery drama into essentially a silly Halloween movie.

Which begged another question; when they switched babies; who did the baby that would become the emperor belong to? Was he just kidnapped from somewhere? Why the need for the last minute fake empress gab? Back and forth. They rushed so many things, that it felt like you were running to catch up with a new and confusing development. Not to mention the opening credits were just stuck in wherever without a solid beginning. Though many questions were haphazardly answered, many things were not or forgotten altogether. It did seem like the latter half of the series was more or less just spliced together to find some form of ending balance.

Would I recommend it? Actually depends on how you feel about the genre. I liked the majority of it and it always kept me guessing especially when I was tremendously confused. So try it for yourselves and see what conclusion you reach. Perhaps you can solve this puzzle on your own.

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When Bollywood "I Dream of Jeannie" & Comedic Slenderman Have a Kid.

This was not a good movie. The screenplay most likely came from a middle or high school student and production just added special effects. Only reason I watched was for Yin and War. Literally looked and felt as if a Bollywood version of "I Dream of Jeannie" and a Comedic Slenderman had a kid.

Pros: War's acting was heads above everyone else. He was able to portray many different aspects as two separate characters; it was great to see him and the FL as they understood who the other was and in their last seconds together, you felt their love for each other on screen. You hoped that somehow someday, their reincarnated selves would be able to reunite and be together. Though Yin appeared as 3 different characters (friend in the ghost hunting crew that wore a getup like he was entering into a radioactive facility, the prince in a past life, and a random guy wanting his picture taken in the last 5 minutes of the film), his roles felt more like support then main and he also had less time on screen. The costumes from the past life were beautiful and colorful and some of the comedy hit the mark in a silly way.

Cons: Sloppy script, obviously low budget. It was supposed to be a comedic murder-mystery from ancient times with reincarnation and whatnot but it had a lot of extra and unnecessary characters as well as a plot that ran amok. You had no idea how the characters got where they got to, how they knew where to go. Where did the forest evil place come from? Where did the light source with which they remembered their past lives come from and what triggered it? There was no explanation, just buckle your seatbelt and enjoy the ride until the end; maybe you'll understand something and maybe you won't. But hey mystery solved and everyone has amnesia for a bit or partial. The forced comedy was too much, the fact that one of the characters ate a puppy in her past life was beyond gross and unnecessary and even that didn't make sense as the cabin she was floating in had no cooking equipment; one moment cute puppy on the floor, next moment chunks of seasoned and stir-fried meat in a bowl. Just what?!?

Would I recommend it? Honestly, if you have a way of watching for free, then only if you are a fan of Yin and/or War or the FL. Otherwise, please don't waste money on it. I'm looking forward to better projects for these kids, though I do understand you have to start somewhere.

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Should be Called "The Coroner & Her Team".

Really was the dark horse drama people are mentioning because like everyone else, I expected a decent watch but this show had a lot more for me. First added this to see ARP in a series ML role that didn't paint him as a goofball. I know LL from other dramas and felt that this couple would be a good team. Both second leads and some of the support were familiar though not all. I felt that this should have been called "the Coroner & her Team".

Pros: The whole point of the story was to solve cases; 7 smaller ones and the last was the reason they were there. Some of the cases tied back to the last one. There was no miscommunication or misunderstandings between our couples at all. I saw some reviews calling the FL a "Mary Sue" that she was perfect but she was far from it. She constantly put herself in dangerous situations sometimes before she even knew she couldn't handle them to help or save someone. As a doctor/coroner, that's what they do even in real life. If they can help, they'll go and do it. The ML was a strategist of the highest order who was a martial arts master who could wield almost any weapon. Growing up in the barracks being taught from a young age helped with that. Both ML and FL had people they wanted to vindicate and get revenge for and very quickly learned they were on the same side. He fell first and hard,she was a bit slower, but once she got there, she was determined to be with him till death did them part. Though I know this was not a romantic series, they did do romance well for the leads; as well as were cute for the other two couples. Though she took on a different name and hid in a house full of vultures, he figured out fairly quickly who she was. He fell for her intelligence and caring first and then everything else. 2nd and 3rd couple were also good and extremely helpful. ARP definitely proved himself in this role. He could go from intense happiness and joy to total shock and heartbreak in seconds.

The pacing was well done; all of the cases though we as the audience knew who the perps were from nearly the get go, were carefully thought out and explained. Loved the fighting scenes, all of them. We started figuring out that the mastermind behind the entire thing of killing FL's parents and hordes of other people was the emperor himself and he wasn't even the real Emperor toward the second half of the series. There were a little hints here and there, but not until the second half, and those cases, did the leads, and we have the audience started putting pieces together. The original two sons of the real emperor was in a way of a smoke screen because the fake emperor wanted to kill them anyways, but not by his own hand. He was the twin of the real emperor that because of one fateful decision made by the Empress Dowager re-shaped everyone's lives and caused many unnecessary deaths. How, you may ask? You'll have to see for yourselves. Comedy was small but natural.

Other great characters both on the protagonist and antagonist sides were the people involved in the cases be they bad or good, and how they played them as well as the two grandmothers, all the cousins even dad of ML and both wives of the fake emperor and the official leader of the flower cult who also had a bone to pick with the fake emperor and finally caused his death. What was very good was that every single character exited out properly. There were no loose ends. there were no well where did he go suddenly? There was no rush to the finish line. That was something I was a bit afraid of, but they solved all eight cases and everyone got what they deserved. Plus the right person was put on the throne at the end. Another huge positive was that it literally ended the way it started just with a lot more hands. If before being a coroner was a nasty profession that only men could handle and women were completely looked down on, and it was never advertised then by the end, she had students of both sexes learning how to perform autopsies, and there was a reform in the law based on all of the cases that they had solved. And now they were again working together to solve yet another case. It wasn't them sailing off into the sunset together with a kiss, but exactly how it started; with a case.

It was obvious that this was a cheaper production because all of the outside and natural forests and woods and things were fake, but you didn't really pay attention to that too much as there were so many things going on at the time. OST's landed, costumes and sets were good. Solid script with solid acting; people stayed for as long as they were needed in the story. I also knew that I was not watching a documentary on anatomy so I did not expect there to be accurate organs or anything of that nature when she performed the autopsy. I was just there to watch a story and see her go from point A to point B. I know there were a bunch of people in the comments that had forensic experience and that's great but in order for them to be that accurate in everything forensics, it would not be able to pass censorship.

Cons: I don't have a lot to add to this section, but one of the things that got me was the fake emperor's over acting toward the end. I wasn't sure whether that was part of the script or whether the actor was just adding his own feel for it, but he was overdoing it way too much, and it kind of threw the balance of his character off. One could argue that his mental state was slipping because of just how many people he had killed that were related to him. But it was just a bit too much. Also as a fan of YSZ I really wish they would've introduced his character sooner then in nearly the last 10 episodes of the series because he was very important and it felt a little bit like his character was rushed though he did have his purpose considering the heavenly society, a.k.a. Cult was one of the major cases and just things in general in the story. The other thing was couple number two and the way they whined a lot, especially the female, though she could totally kick ass with her sword and maybe even a whip, but sometimes she acted like a 12-year-old and that was something I'm not particularly fond of. I do wish that there weren't as many interruptions from just about everyone and for the leads to have had a little bit more kissing in the show; some people couldn't read the room to save their lives! Or even a situation at hand. That's it I don't have anything else.

Would you recommend it? I absolutely would. This drama came out of nowhere and slayed quite a lot of other dramas that have dropped recently. I think it's a great watch, especially if you like the detective crime solving portion of things with great friends and a partner who always has your back.

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The Long March of an Excellent Drama

The story itself intrigued me but I only knew and was watching for Dilraba and LHK. What I got out of it was so much more. I will begin with outlining the pros then the cons. This costume drama has been moved into my number 2 position and added two more actors to my following pile on Weibo.

Pros: The cast was absolutely superb. Our main leads were completely equal in everything they did. CG was a general in her own right and never played second fiddle to the ML. Everyone knows that Dilraba can and often plays strong characters so, I expected nothing less from her. Leo Wu, amazed me as it was the first time I'd seen him act in anything. For a 21 year old, to be able to play Ah Sun in such a regal and powerful way, was very impressive. Ah Sun was a man who knew his strengths and weaknesses and was able to let CG be the woman she was without belittling her. It's not often that in these costume dramas women FL can be as equal if not more powerful at times (take the rescue scene in episode 48) then the ML. Also showed how CG touched everyone's lives she met and the good ones followed her especially came to aid her in that episode (the assembly of the kitchen sink) when she needed it most.

Our second leads, though they had smaller scenes, did develop very slowly. Leyan's character was very annoying until mid way through when she finally had gone through all of her trials and tribulations; then she had a quiet grace and could formulate a plan or an idea without crying. And ice cube aka Hao Du I wanted hit with a frying Pan for a long time for trying to kill CG but after the slap heard around the world and great speech made by a now totally different Leyan, he started to melt (and his nickname got changed to ice melt). I only knew of Liu Yuning from the variety show "Our Song", so I knew he was a wonderful singer but now I found that he is a great actor as well. He was able to go from a cold-blooded puppet of his father to a hero and loving man to Leyan and a really great ally to CG.

Many of the side characters like the celibate one aka Shuyu who some people didn't think grew much, I felt he matured a lot himself though he was a sad character for not ending up with the woman he loved but maybe he won't be celibate forever and meets someone in Chang'an someday. LHK's Master made me laugh because it was the direct opposite character of the one he played in CQL and it was a great change for him. Every single character belonged in the show, for however long they were supposed to be. I do feel sad for Mimi's sacrifice because her character was truly a tragic one where though what she did was heroic, she would never get to be with the man she loved and her brother plus her friends. To have such a tragedy happen in the second to last episode, was very overwhelming, but I could see it was done to remind characters and audience of how precious life really is.

Khatun or bitch devil from hell, actress did a wonderful job playing the Wolf in sheep's clothing. Turned out that she was actually worse than the Khan himself having killed three out of four. To be able to play such an absolutely calculating, deranged character takes a lot and I command her for that.

The fact that nearly every stereotype and trope that you see in their dramas both costume and modern ones were disregarded was a pleasant surprise. Every misunderstanding was ironed out fairly quickly no matter how complicated and confusing between all leads and even the side characters. Things weren't just piled on and then hurriedly untangled in two episodes at the end but as things went along, things were solved. It was great to see.

I loved the OSTs as they fit each couple and the stories to perfection. Everyone got the song and power of their characters within all. The growth of all characters and their travels to get to their proper places both physically and literally was done well.

Cons: The horrible cartoons that were placed instead of every major battle and even for other shots was very obvious that production didn't have a lot of money. They lost so many nuances because of them and they should have used more CGI instead of that if it was such a problem. The blurry kiss and birds taking over was another negative. I don't know why it happened as some people here claim it's in his contract to not kiss until he's 21 and his parents run his studio while others say netizens were responsible for it; whatever the reason, it could have been done differently, though the forehead kisses, hugs, and all the love aka "like" shown through actions, did make up for it. Finally, the ending in my opinion wasn't satisfying in the least. More cartoons and our main leads in different places as a bird flies over them watching. Yes, I understand they are free and together but I personally felt that if they had them both on horses standing together on a hill overlooking the grasslands would have been more powerful. Like this power couple are looking over their world that they helped save, would have been the perfect ending to this series.

The pros way outweighed the cons. No series is 100% perfect. I will be rewatching my favorite episodes and scenes for a while and this drama is an absolutely recommend from me and many others here. I'm very glad I got a chance to watch this and meet some awesome people in the ever growing comment section. Congratulations to the cast and crew on a very successful airing! Bravo!

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A Decent Watch with Too Many Plot Holes & A Going Nowhere Cliffhanger

As I watched Part 1 and primarily for LYN, part 2 was a must even though I knew there wouldn't be any other continuation in the near future. It was a decent watch with too many plot holes and a cliffhanger that we know isn't going anywhere because future parts haven't been filmed. I'm going to be mixing pros and cons in this one too. It took me a while to figure out what rating I would give this, but after some thought, I decided that this was what it was going to be, and I feel that it is fair.

What I liked the most was that they started exactly where part 1 ended so no one had to guess and they also gave some background on the first season. I loved the relationship of our 3 sworn brothers but as always I wished they had more screen time as they were the essential main leads. If in part 1 we had so much of a ditzy Ning, we were nauseous, here the majority of it was spent on ZX and his band of merry men as he spent the entirety of the series just about uniting the land of Yuanzhou from a bunch of slave colonies into an independent country with their own currency; earning him the prophetic name "King of Light." Not saying that wasn't important, but it was edited to take place in between arcs that were opened but not closed or continued ie the introduction of the other two families and their internal struggles or more of what was going on with the Bei clan.

Ka Dan was returned to Bei which of course hurt many SYL people especially when he learned she was married off to a formidable general, sadly he never learned that she was pregnant with his child nor that it was a boy that she gave birth to at some alter thing (part of that whole random information not making any sense). He himself married a formidable woman just to fit the mold of whomever they wanted him to be. I felt the most depressed for him in the entire thing. He was loyal to a fault and was a living a life not his own. He was a great soldier and warrior but other than that he wasn't as aggressive as DL not afraid to bend rules to get what he saw fit nor was he the "joker" strategist in disguise that ZX was. I wanted to ship him some Wellbutrin because his depression was so obvious though he never told his brothers about it. He even got stabbed for something he didn't do but was plotted by the separate factions within the court and wanted the charges dropped. He told the people they will figure things out but took blame for it and I wanted to shake him; like stop being such a doormat to these people!

Didn't go much into DL's arc other than his wife having a miscarriage which was hard obviously and outplayed by the old fart in that same embezzlement case. The old fart did the same thing in this part as he did in the first one; as DL put it very appropriately, he would throw anyone and everyone into the fire as long as it wasn't him and he stayed loved by the people. Even though Ning grew up a lot in this part and started to sound like a real leader, it made me wonder, if he wouldn't throw her to the wolves too if it meant he could save his own skin.

MW the creep wasn't even worth mentioning because he was placed where he was by the old fart so he had a spy everywhere; he lost out on Ning. And it was immensely satisfying how when SYL was sent as envoy to Yuanzhou by DL to essentially meet his 3rd brother (their reunion was great but short lived as all of their screen time always was; because even though they were more or less together during SYL's wedding, ZX chose not to see him for fear of the righteous one's attitude and just his own fear; because he also carried the secret that it was KD who saved him out of that clan after he assassinated LH and he knew that would only hurt and make SYL second guess the wedding more) even though it was old fart who was salivating to reestablish that part they gave away in peace talks with Bei, seeing the look on old fart's face when he was told that KOL was in fact ZX (the man he labeled a traitor, told to be stripped of his name and put a bounty on for execution), no matter how he laughed, DL had the satisfaction of having delivered that news to make a certain someone lose their appetite. Because DL knew the old fart understood that ZX wouldn't just bow down to him anymore and Yuanzhou wouldn't revert to being a bunch of slave tribes. Old fart was now facing a real adversary and one he never thought he'd have.

Other things that just didn't fit; the inside places of Zichuan, Bei Clan, etc looked futuristic and very sci-fi but as soon as you stepped outside, it was any typical Chinese historical setting and it just didn't make sense. It was like Game of Thrones one minute and wait how did we get into the past from the future the next? I understand that they filmed a lot of the scenes, including the opening sequences in Payi and fighting as well as the inside locations in warehouses that were built to specify the story plus CGI; but then the same should have been done with the outside as there really wasn't that much of it.

The mention of ZX's ninja origins by the Bei clan Ninja and that was left just hanging. So many things were just like mentioned up top. Both new family arcs were opened and left hanging. The general LS of Bei clan came, saw, had some words with ZX and retreated. That was it. By the end of this show, you were used to things just happening without explanation or resolution. There were so many more but I forgot them already.

I enjoyed this show for the interactions, some growth for some characters, the music, the small but cool fight scenes. Good on general YQX to step up to the plate and save KD when it was discovered she was pregnant. He didn't even want to know who the real father was when she was honest with him about her love and that she would probably always love him. The political aspect was ok but it always seemed halfhearted. A lot of times it was gloomy so ZX and his battalions antics lifted it a bit.

Would I recommend it? If you watched part 1, then yes definitely. I strictly believe that had it not been edited so heavily it would've been a much more cohesive story and therefore received better. I still think it's a decent watch regardless. The cast put a lot of work into it and it's obvious.

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Republican Era Smorgasbord with a Macaroni Art Script

Can someone please explain to me what I just watched? Only picked it up because WRC aka SML is one of the people I follow and I've never seen him in this genre. This genre is always beautiful but this series had very few pros. It was literally a Republican era smorgasbord with a macaroni art script.

Pros: Obviously favorite character was the reason for watching in the first place and not dropping after the first 7 or 10 episodes. WRC or ZY can play an arrogant person with a gaze that describes "if looks could kill" to a T. I hope he gets the chance to play a serial killer someday, he'd nail it. Republican era genre actually suits him quite well. Here, I was very glad he challenged himself to actually cry in regret, sadness, and it was quite gut wrenching. Him being killed off in the last episode even though we knew somewhere by episode 18 that they were setting up for a second season, was also powerful. He was a tortured soul, hell bent on revenge and after losing his soulmate, that was the only way out for him. He was truly and finally free. Usually, I'm not a fan of SML's getting killed off but in his case plus how bad the script was, I was actually quite glad. His words that he got to reunite with his beloved just as he passed, was literally the perfect ending for him.

Republican era genre is always stunning in visuals, costumes, sets, and colors and this was no exception. All of the acting/actors were very much on point (save for a glaring issue with the leads that will be discussed below) even when everything else wasn't. OSTs were not memorable. That's it for pros.

Cons: I truly hope I can remember every problem with this Frankenstein script. Since I mentioned the leads, let's start there. They were good at their parts, I have no qualms with the actors themselves but why cast an ML that was nearly 20 years older in real life then the FL plus add aging makeup on him when you're claiming they're close in age. Since they met when they were kids and you're clearly showing two children several years apart and then as adults when they reunite, he's in his 40s while she looks barely 20. Because of this, there was no chemistry whatsoever and even when they kissed, it seemed like two friends who were dared to do it. Furthermore, men and women who were clearly younger than him portrayed themselves as teachers and older friends and it stood out like a sore thumb each and every single time.

The script was a choppy mess with loose ends that were forgotten two scenes later and never explained or finished up. This is what I managed to piece together about this series; the antagonists ultimate goal was to create a new world of slaves via a zombie apocalypse by releasing some mutated virus created 16 years ago off of actual doctors who were fighting the plague; all of those doctors and their families were set up to be the reasons the plague happened and massacred. The children that survived were either mercifully adopted or abducted by the very organization that was behind the massacre and turned into trained--in republican era version of Lord of the Flies--assassins through torture and other means with no memories of their lives or even if they had family in the world.

All of the actors were children from that street who were friends at the time grew up to reunite and try to take the organization down one block at a time. Problem was that you never knew whether you were coming or going. One scene had something about gangs and drugs, next scene forgot about the first one and was now looking at mysterious documents that everyone was looking for but what they were and why someone would have them, never explained. One moment a character appeared drugged next moment she was fine, never explained. How did two of the characters end up in the middle of the woods and where?

It literally looked like this as you were watching: Mysterious documents, random assassins, gangs, drugs, cage fights, equally mysterious and random massacre 16 years ago, revenge, partnerships and 3 couples that can’t figure Jack out. Though someone said it seemed like the script was created out of bullet points, to me it felt like when you fill a bathtub with water and then open the drain. You get that whirlpool tornado effect; well chuck all those plus a half dozen other things in that whirlpool and send it down the drain. 80% of what happened didn't make a lick of sense even with flashbacks of plans made. And they want a 2nd season? No thanks, hard pass!

Would I recommend it? No I wouldn't. If it wasn't for WRC and this being his first Republican era drama, it wouldn't have been on my list nor even get this high of a score. It was entertaining nothing else. It shouldn't be called "Wonderful Hand" because that's some twilight zone title; instead it should be called "Frankenstein's Macaroni Art Attempt." Stay far away from this.

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Hauntingly Beautiful Portrayal

As someone with several friends who are parents with Autistic kids, this short film was an absolutely hauntingly beautiful portrayal of what goes on in the mind of such a child. Their inner world is chaotic and seldom quiet unless they find some sort of calmness. Xiao Yu Liang, absolutely nailed An Ning; from the tremors, to hitting his head against the mirror in a bid of self harm and running into the water to escape both his inner and outer torment. The dance in the water and seeing the bubbles and whale in the clouds of his imagination and ultimately finding peace with someone just like him, honestly brought tears to my eyes. In just under 11 minutes, this short film managed to convey what many 3 plus hour ones couldn't. The poetry was recited solemnly and on pace with everything else that was going on at the time it was. I would recommend this to anyone whether or not they have any form of mental illness.

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Very Fast Paced Adventure—Should Have Been a 3 hr Film Instead

The first official Mystic Nine anything I've watched; prior to that it was only "Ultimate Note" that I saw and loved. ZZJ was the reason I was watching because I wanted to see him in another badass role since his breakout in CQL and he didn't disappoint.

Pros: Loved the characters though the development was really fast. Usually it takes forever to develop a character but here in the hour and fourteen minute movie, they went wham bam boom. The backstory of this Zhang family member was heartbreaking though he got his retribution and justice in the end; his martial arts skills were always on point especially when his tattoo showed through. EYH was the ultimate duality; Beijing Opera performer/kickass martial artist in one jump.

I enjoyed the martial arts in every aspect. The main villain was impressive too because you were able to hate him after the first 10 minutes of watching. Special effects and CGI were where and when they were needed; nothing extra. Suspenseful and the franchise's main gambit of mask removal a la Scooby Doo was also a good way things stayed relevant. It had a lot of sides to it; like Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde meets the Incredible Hulk with Kung Fu and fantastical elements.

Cons: Everything felt rushed. This could have easily been a 3 hour film. Then every point would be understood and characters properly flushed out. Though the pair had a great friendship, it seemed to develop out of thin air. How they located the tattoo-face guy was random as was how ZQ found that fire breather in some random bathhouse in his first attempt to get revenge.

I wish there was more explanation on the monster before it showed itself in the literal final 10 minutes of the film. The pace was way too fast. The special effects on it were great but everything else was done at supersonic speed. That's literally the largest lack of cohesion in the movie. More time, slow the pace down, and properly flush out the characters and plot.

Would I recommend it? If you like this franchise, are into great martial arts, are a fan of ZZJ or any of the other actors, and want something supernatural to chew on, then yes. But buckle up because this film moves at breakneck speeds and you may not always understand how you got to a particular point in such a short time.

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