1
The Many Loves of Dr. Qin Medicine Woman (9.3 out of 10)
1. I'm absolutely stunned by the green screen visuals. I mean I know it's 'fake' but it doesn't scream it. And since it's a fable it's okay if it looks storybook-ish. Obviously they're using some ginormous green screen action but sometimes I'm wondering if they're using that wall of TVs tech too. I normally don't care about visuals over story, but in this case it's worth mentioning.
2. I also normally don't comment on the fight scenes either, since they can come off as so generic. There were not a lot of fights in this series but I really enjoyed each and every one of them. If I ever rewatched this series I'd look forward to them.
3. This is my fourth Li Qin drama. She was fantastic as the Han woman in RUYI, forgettable as chicken leg girl in JOY OF LIFE (Season 1), wonderful in YOUTH MEMORIES, but s-t-e-l-la-r here. Her always understated performances come to life here when extreme situations finally push out her emotions.
4. Our FL has a 'cold disease' and must stay out of the cold, yet her entire life is spent in cold, kneeling on the ice -- you name it. I'm amazed they don't show her eating ice cream inside a fridge. Viewers must ignore this extremely confusing element or risk losing their mind.
5. SNOWY NIGHTS is the definition of LESS IS MORE. It doesn't need 100 characters and as many plot twists. It's a clean perfect narrative with no clutter. It is aimed directly at people who cherish the journey instead of the destination. If you've ever once fast forwarded thru any C-Drama, feel free to skip this one and especially avoid reviewing it. That said --
6. -- in the last third of the series the show becomes obsessed with it's own songs. They're nice songs, don't get me wrong, but they plays them way too often towards the series finale, rendering minutes of each episode as 'music videos' filler.
Not to mention (but I will) it's INSANELY distracting/annoying to have vocalists singing while characters are speaking. I've seen many Broadway musicals and not once do they have characters speaking WHILE the chorus is singing. This one element took two tenths off of my review score alone. But I have to admit --
-- I loved the closing credits song. And like REBEL PRINCESS, I was once again stunned by who was actually singing this song.
7. So although the show slows down a little in the last third, at least this show doesn't commit the dreaded Chinese Drama Cliche: another ending. Most C-Dramas seem to end the story, and then -- end it a second time. I honestly can't figure out what so many of these series end twice, but SNOWY NIGHTS does what every drama should do and simply end ONCE.
8. The first shortcoming I can really name is our ML, Joseph Zeng. There's nothing really wrong with him, but he's just a little too boyish 'perfect' to resonate as real. I picture a warrior like this rougher around the edges, more like a cleaned up 'Eye'.
I don't hate our male lead, but I don't hang on his words like a Wallace Huo or Huang Xuan. I'd have loved a reunion with Xiao Zhan if they wanted such a boyish face. I will say Zeng ripens after the halfway mark. Perhaps he was trying to show that 8 years had passed on his journey from young man to man? I'll say this ladies: my wife thought he was super cute.
9. I'm hearing people here trash the villains. Hmm. I guess you could say they're not as villainous as you'd expect, but I kinda like that their leader looks like a college art teacher (lol), and one of his disciples is always eeriely smiling.
The weakest villain is the Lady in Red is not much more than... a stylish Lady in Red. (Her character rounds itself out towards the series end, but it's kinda late. We needed better hints about her past.)
Weak too is the comic relief fat dude doesn't seem like a believably evil member of this clan. It would only make sense if the gang resented him but kept him around because they loved his cooking. (Well they have to eat!)
Eye seems to be the only monster in the clan besides the leader. Every drama has a lesser known actor who steals the show. Eye is this character and I can't wait for the right lead role to come his way. I'm concerned that I recently learned his voice was dubbed, suggesting a pretty boy lacking proper vocal talent? I hope that dubbing goes away in time.
10. This is not a story set in realism, and so understand it's really a parable on the topic of sacrifice. If you don't accept this, our ML's heroic quest becomes impossible to understand. (Would you keep risking your life as he does for the reason he does?) The theme of sacrifice echoes in Li Qin as well, which produces not one -- not two -- but three examples of selfless love.
Cliche love is about marriage and children. Not everyone goes down that path, sorry. If your heart and soul need to be reminded of humanity now and again -- this series does it ---
SPOILERS below SPOILERS below SPOILERS
-- without one kiss.
And now some comments on some sloppiness by this series --
1. One reason I dislike fantasy stories (vs. science fiction) is that it can be license for LAAAAZZZZZYYYY writing. In Ep 26 our ML's bird flies into the valley and Granny needs to ask it a question. Up to this point it hasn't been established that our ML can truly converse with his bird, never mind a stranger that says 'chirp once' if you like potato chips and 'chirp twice' if you don't. WRONG, UNACCEPTABLE, I'm docking the series a tenth of a point just for this one moment.
2.. I gather the ML's Master was recast unless I missed something. Or written out. A bit awkward in such a short series.
3. . In the battle between Eye and his master, three golden needles are popped out. But certainly we just watched Dr. Qin Medicine Woman pull those same needles out some episodes back. WTH?
4. What happened to the bird?
5. Are you the type of reader who skips thru stories and skim's long reviews like this. If you are, you missed the hidden scene after the final credits in the final episode. If you've read these words and missed it, this is your reward for reading this far.
2. I also normally don't comment on the fight scenes either, since they can come off as so generic. There were not a lot of fights in this series but I really enjoyed each and every one of them. If I ever rewatched this series I'd look forward to them.
3. This is my fourth Li Qin drama. She was fantastic as the Han woman in RUYI, forgettable as chicken leg girl in JOY OF LIFE (Season 1), wonderful in YOUTH MEMORIES, but s-t-e-l-la-r here. Her always understated performances come to life here when extreme situations finally push out her emotions.
4. Our FL has a 'cold disease' and must stay out of the cold, yet her entire life is spent in cold, kneeling on the ice -- you name it. I'm amazed they don't show her eating ice cream inside a fridge. Viewers must ignore this extremely confusing element or risk losing their mind.
5. SNOWY NIGHTS is the definition of LESS IS MORE. It doesn't need 100 characters and as many plot twists. It's a clean perfect narrative with no clutter. It is aimed directly at people who cherish the journey instead of the destination. If you've ever once fast forwarded thru any C-Drama, feel free to skip this one and especially avoid reviewing it. That said --
6. -- in the last third of the series the show becomes obsessed with it's own songs. They're nice songs, don't get me wrong, but they plays them way too often towards the series finale, rendering minutes of each episode as 'music videos' filler.
Not to mention (but I will) it's INSANELY distracting/annoying to have vocalists singing while characters are speaking. I've seen many Broadway musicals and not once do they have characters speaking WHILE the chorus is singing. This one element took two tenths off of my review score alone. But I have to admit --
-- I loved the closing credits song. And like REBEL PRINCESS, I was once again stunned by who was actually singing this song.
7. So although the show slows down a little in the last third, at least this show doesn't commit the dreaded Chinese Drama Cliche: another ending. Most C-Dramas seem to end the story, and then -- end it a second time. I honestly can't figure out what so many of these series end twice, but SNOWY NIGHTS does what every drama should do and simply end ONCE.
8. The first shortcoming I can really name is our ML, Joseph Zeng. There's nothing really wrong with him, but he's just a little too boyish 'perfect' to resonate as real. I picture a warrior like this rougher around the edges, more like a cleaned up 'Eye'.
I don't hate our male lead, but I don't hang on his words like a Wallace Huo or Huang Xuan. I'd have loved a reunion with Xiao Zhan if they wanted such a boyish face. I will say Zeng ripens after the halfway mark. Perhaps he was trying to show that 8 years had passed on his journey from young man to man? I'll say this ladies: my wife thought he was super cute.
9. I'm hearing people here trash the villains. Hmm. I guess you could say they're not as villainous as you'd expect, but I kinda like that their leader looks like a college art teacher (lol), and one of his disciples is always eeriely smiling.
The weakest villain is the Lady in Red is not much more than... a stylish Lady in Red. (Her character rounds itself out towards the series end, but it's kinda late. We needed better hints about her past.)
Weak too is the comic relief fat dude doesn't seem like a believably evil member of this clan. It would only make sense if the gang resented him but kept him around because they loved his cooking. (Well they have to eat!)
Eye seems to be the only monster in the clan besides the leader. Every drama has a lesser known actor who steals the show. Eye is this character and I can't wait for the right lead role to come his way. I'm concerned that I recently learned his voice was dubbed, suggesting a pretty boy lacking proper vocal talent? I hope that dubbing goes away in time.
10. This is not a story set in realism, and so understand it's really a parable on the topic of sacrifice. If you don't accept this, our ML's heroic quest becomes impossible to understand. (Would you keep risking your life as he does for the reason he does?) The theme of sacrifice echoes in Li Qin as well, which produces not one -- not two -- but three examples of selfless love.
Cliche love is about marriage and children. Not everyone goes down that path, sorry. If your heart and soul need to be reminded of humanity now and again -- this series does it ---
SPOILERS below SPOILERS below SPOILERS
-- without one kiss.
And now some comments on some sloppiness by this series --
1. One reason I dislike fantasy stories (vs. science fiction) is that it can be license for LAAAAZZZZZYYYY writing. In Ep 26 our ML's bird flies into the valley and Granny needs to ask it a question. Up to this point it hasn't been established that our ML can truly converse with his bird, never mind a stranger that says 'chirp once' if you like potato chips and 'chirp twice' if you don't. WRONG, UNACCEPTABLE, I'm docking the series a tenth of a point just for this one moment.
2.. I gather the ML's Master was recast unless I missed something. Or written out. A bit awkward in such a short series.
3. . In the battle between Eye and his master, three golden needles are popped out. But certainly we just watched Dr. Qin Medicine Woman pull those same needles out some episodes back. WTH?
4. What happened to the bird?
5. Are you the type of reader who skips thru stories and skim's long reviews like this. If you are, you missed the hidden scene after the final credits in the final episode. If you've read these words and missed it, this is your reward for reading this far.
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