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This review may contain spoilers
Zang Hai Playing Chess While Everyone Plays Checkers
"Stay Alive." These two words are about to throw us into an epic revenge plot, and I am sooo seated. Also, imma need that revenge to hurt, like super hurt to the point even their ancestors' goat would get theirs, cuz what the hell was that angsty sad fest of a first episode?
Listen, you need to watch this, cuz in only five episodes, the main character went from being a young master, to an orphan, to a disciple, to mastering geomancy, to a feng shui master, to a scholar and to assistance supervisor of the imperial astronomical bureau. At one point he was even a dream interpreter, dude said the ghost of the dowager came to him on his afternoon nap. LOL. Oh, and he also dabbled in kidnapping as a kid, though he fed his prisoner sweets so that don't really count. Like the man is an overachiever to the point, he even said yes to the job/honor of being buried with a dead queen. I can't wait to see just how far he'd rise on the ladder of power on his way for revenge.
Zang Hai is smart and cunning, and I so love that in a character. Fam, dude was like, when I get bored while patiently waiting for my revenge, I count the bricks in this compound, the roof tiles, and the dead bodies of my father's household. Fam, that Marquis is about to rue the day he was born and I am so seated. Fool just invited him to work for him, can't wait for Zhan Hai to destroy him from the inside, it's gonna be sweet.
First off, was I the only one who in ep1 was going, 'dude, don't touch the green glowing box thingy,' but what does Zang Hai's father do? Immediately touches it and gets his whole household slaughtered like cattle. My mouth was opened when his little sister hit the ground. I was so sad until I saw Xiao Zhan's back in episode 2. Though, what the hell was that glowing green box thing? Who were those people in that underground place? Zombies? Like some experiment gone wrong? Ancient magic? Why does that plastic spoon Marquis want it? Why did Zang Hai's father watched his entire household die for it? Ahhh, I can't wait to find out.
Also, I would have immediately died in that tomb in episode 3. Zang Hai was out there going 'Speaking some fancy poems riddles and going move southwest to the fourth tile.' Where? Whomst? I can't even tell my left from my right on a good day, dafug am I to know where northeast is?'
First impression after first 4 episodes:
Plot wise, this is amazing. I love revenge plots and this is shaping out to be amazing. Zang Hai isn't martially strong so he'd have to rely on his smarts and that always makes for an interesting story. I felt his pain in the first two episodes when he lost everything and had to rely on strangers to give him the revenge he wanted and to seek justice for his entire family. Acting wise, everyone is doing great, and as always Xiao Zhan brings his A game to every project. The pacing is also good, and I like how we got to his him grow from a child to an adult.
Characters:
So far, I like those I'm suppose to, and hate those I am supposed to, so everyone is doing a good job. The main character Zang Hai is super clever which I love. Dude is fast with his thinking, good at playing dumb so the enemy undermines him. Like he's out there playing chess while everyone else play checkers, but they all think he's some bumpkin carpenter who he thinks he's smart enough for them. Though, this dude said he'd stay away from matters of the heart, only to immediately give his only seven silvers to a beauty who immediately betrayed him and almost got him killed. Dude, if you let love ruin this revenge for us, imma sue. Like, it's on sight!
His two masters are also great, teaching him all he needs and keeping him on his toes. Personally, I don't trust anyone on this show except Zang Hai ,cuz who is that dude who showed up in the mask? Where is he wearing it? What's he hiding? Who really are his two masters? Can anyone be trusted? That palace seemed like the most dangerous place on the planet cuz everyone seems to be wanting something, and people lives don't really matter to them. The power balance here feels so dangerous, so both my fingers and toes are crossed. Zang Hai better not die before he get's his revenge, or imma set fire to the ocean.
What I am looking forward to:
- Zang Hai making more clever decisions/ outsmarting everyone around him.
- Finding out what the hell that box his father took from the underground tomb was.
- Who is that benefactor in the mask?
- Lowkey here for the romance bit too ^^
- How high is Zang Hai gonna rise to power?
- That Marquis dying painfully on a Tuesday
- Palace schemings
- Sweet sweet revenge.
All-in-all, amazing first four episodes, I can't wait to see how everything turns out. I am seated to see how cunning everyone is gonna get in the next 36 episodes, and how bloody it's all gonna turn out.
Listen, you need to watch this, cuz in only five episodes, the main character went from being a young master, to an orphan, to a disciple, to mastering geomancy, to a feng shui master, to a scholar and to assistance supervisor of the imperial astronomical bureau. At one point he was even a dream interpreter, dude said the ghost of the dowager came to him on his afternoon nap. LOL. Oh, and he also dabbled in kidnapping as a kid, though he fed his prisoner sweets so that don't really count. Like the man is an overachiever to the point, he even said yes to the job/honor of being buried with a dead queen. I can't wait to see just how far he'd rise on the ladder of power on his way for revenge.
Zang Hai is smart and cunning, and I so love that in a character. Fam, dude was like, when I get bored while patiently waiting for my revenge, I count the bricks in this compound, the roof tiles, and the dead bodies of my father's household. Fam, that Marquis is about to rue the day he was born and I am so seated. Fool just invited him to work for him, can't wait for Zhan Hai to destroy him from the inside, it's gonna be sweet.
First off, was I the only one who in ep1 was going, 'dude, don't touch the green glowing box thingy,' but what does Zang Hai's father do? Immediately touches it and gets his whole household slaughtered like cattle. My mouth was opened when his little sister hit the ground. I was so sad until I saw Xiao Zhan's back in episode 2. Though, what the hell was that glowing green box thing? Who were those people in that underground place? Zombies? Like some experiment gone wrong? Ancient magic? Why does that plastic spoon Marquis want it? Why did Zang Hai's father watched his entire household die for it? Ahhh, I can't wait to find out.
Also, I would have immediately died in that tomb in episode 3. Zang Hai was out there going 'Speaking some fancy poems riddles and going move southwest to the fourth tile.' Where? Whomst? I can't even tell my left from my right on a good day, dafug am I to know where northeast is?'
First impression after first 4 episodes:
Plot wise, this is amazing. I love revenge plots and this is shaping out to be amazing. Zang Hai isn't martially strong so he'd have to rely on his smarts and that always makes for an interesting story. I felt his pain in the first two episodes when he lost everything and had to rely on strangers to give him the revenge he wanted and to seek justice for his entire family. Acting wise, everyone is doing great, and as always Xiao Zhan brings his A game to every project. The pacing is also good, and I like how we got to his him grow from a child to an adult.
Characters:
So far, I like those I'm suppose to, and hate those I am supposed to, so everyone is doing a good job. The main character Zang Hai is super clever which I love. Dude is fast with his thinking, good at playing dumb so the enemy undermines him. Like he's out there playing chess while everyone else play checkers, but they all think he's some bumpkin carpenter who he thinks he's smart enough for them. Though, this dude said he'd stay away from matters of the heart, only to immediately give his only seven silvers to a beauty who immediately betrayed him and almost got him killed. Dude, if you let love ruin this revenge for us, imma sue. Like, it's on sight!
His two masters are also great, teaching him all he needs and keeping him on his toes. Personally, I don't trust anyone on this show except Zang Hai ,cuz who is that dude who showed up in the mask? Where is he wearing it? What's he hiding? Who really are his two masters? Can anyone be trusted? That palace seemed like the most dangerous place on the planet cuz everyone seems to be wanting something, and people lives don't really matter to them. The power balance here feels so dangerous, so both my fingers and toes are crossed. Zang Hai better not die before he get's his revenge, or imma set fire to the ocean.
What I am looking forward to:
- Zang Hai making more clever decisions/ outsmarting everyone around him.
- Finding out what the hell that box his father took from the underground tomb was.
- Who is that benefactor in the mask?
- Lowkey here for the romance bit too ^^
- How high is Zang Hai gonna rise to power?
- That Marquis dying painfully on a Tuesday
- Palace schemings
- Sweet sweet revenge.
All-in-all, amazing first four episodes, I can't wait to see how everything turns out. I am seated to see how cunning everyone is gonna get in the next 36 episodes, and how bloody it's all gonna turn out.
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