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6
Soul searching.
This is an absorbing sci-fi suspense thriller built around themes relating to the immortality of the soul and its ability to reincarnate after death. The city's top prosecutor Liang Wen Chao (Chang Chen) takes on a high profile, inexplicable and grisly murder of a terminally ill tycoon. As Wen Chao examines the key suspects - the son, the young wife, the deceased ex-wife and the business partner, cutting edge technology and superstitious rituals intersect to further muddy waters already tainted by greed, love, hate, misplaced loyalty, revenge and man's futile quest for immortality.Without spoiling it, I think the whodunit aspect of it is quite well done from the way the suspicion shifts from one suspect to another until the impossible is eliminated down to what remains as the improbable truth. I did not completely buy into some of the motives of the key suspects and I was irritated by the over-acted supernatural twist that failed to deliver the chiller thriller effect it was striving for. As for the howdunit aspect I will just say it was much more fiction than science but this is the case with most sci-fi thrillers. Since it does deliver an interesting twist, it is very forgivable so just go along with it and suspend disbelief.
This movie's strongest selling point is Chang Chen and Janine Chang's performance as the core investigative team and lead couple. The kind of stoic, desperate soldiering on Chang Chen does as a terminally ill man desperate to do his best for A Bao and their unborn child with what little time he has left is heartbreaking and moving. This is really Chang Chen's best role in terms of how he conveys such deep emotions and soul searching with so few words and how his journey gives him unique insight into the victim. Beyond his incredible weight loss, I was also riveted by how effectively Chang Chen conveyed the impression of a man calling upon the last legs of his energy, whose mind is very much alive as his body fails. This is not a love story but because of amazing acting by the lead couple, I can see the depth and complexity of their unspoken emotions, how well they just fit together, understand and sacrifice for each other. This is the part of the movie that will stay with me.
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Strong on character but short on plot.
A Lonely Hero's Journey is about a young man's brave and lonely resistance to Japanese occupation. It is set in Suzhuo in 1941, just four years before Japanese forces withdrew from China. At the time, Suzhuo was administered by the Wang Puppet Regime; which was formed by a faction of the KMT that defected to the Japanese. The Wang Regime called themselves peace seekers and didn't have much authority but are regarded as traitors in history. While Suzhou was not the epicenter of resistance against the Japanese, it is a gorgeous and culturally significant historical city in China. This drama highlights the scenery, architecture and culture of Suzhou, including authentic famous Suzhou ballads. Its not your typical highly trained spy vs spy espionage story but rather about the defiance of ordinary people.Gu Yizhong is a Western educated architect and the young master of the prominent and patriotic Gu family in Suzhou. On a rescue operation went awry, he gets framed as a Japanese traitor and is isolated and condemned by friends and family. He infiltrates the Suzhuo Secret Service station run by Zhou Zhifei to find out who the real traitor Cell 8 is. Zhifei of course knows who the real Cell 8 is and doesn't trust him for one moment. Zhifei and Yizhong are parallel characters that at a high level, share a common hatred for the Japanese. As individuals they are pushed to make difficult choices at pivotal moments of their lives. To survive they both have to be flexible; sacrificing a father, or a a son and their first love. Somewhere along the way Zhifei lost himself and became corrupt whereas Yizhong manages to hold on to his beliefs. In Yizhong, Zhifei sees the better man that he could have been but is not. In the guise of a mentor, Zifei goes after him like he is exorcising a ghost; destroying all that Yizhong values to bring about his moral downfall. Zhang Songwen is compelling as this selfish, dark and diabolical character, who occasionally allows glimpses of his lost humanity to shine through in his dealings with the two women he loves, his son and his mentor Mr Li.
This drama is very well cast and in addition to Zhang Songwen, is anchored by impressive portrayals by veteran actors Zhang Fengyi and Zhang Yao. In fact I think Zhang Fengyi's Gu Xixing stole the show. The drama starts to go downhill when Xixing exits and completely falls apart after Ou Xinping exits. The younger cast also delivers credible performances against the older actors. At times, Zeng Shunxi's portrayal lacks intensity and could be nuanced with inner conflict when it comes to how he feels about Haimo and Ruotong. Instead, he gives us nothing there so the way they ended left me scratching my head.
One of the best features of this story is how strong all of the women are in their own ways. Ou Xinping is not just a survivor, she is a killer with immovable convictions. Zhang Haimo is cool headed and calm, someone who is motivated by personal connections and loyalty rather than ideology. Unfortunately Haimo's character is destroyed after her walk away is walked back almost as an after thought to try to salvage the shipwreck of a storyline. This is Chen Duling's best role to date and I must commend her effort in even matching the lip movements of the very hard to sing Suzhou ballads. At sharp contrast is the passionate Xiao Ruotong who is far more emotional and willing to sacrifice for her ideals. Wang Yuwen's acting feels very genuine, evoking a moving picture of a young girl somewhat overwhelmed by the tide of history.
Despite wholehearted performances from the cast, this drama is strong on character but short on plot. The plot arcs lack logic and don't hold up well against close scrutiny. It is debatable whether Yizhong needed to make such immense sacrifices to isolate himself as a lonely boat that infiltrates the Suzou Bureau. His codename 孤舟/Gū Zhōu or Lonely Boat is too close a homonym to his surname Gù/顾 he may as well advertise that he is the CPC spy. The identity of Cell 8 is too obvious, diminishing the sense of suspense and is uncovered without much help from him. I was ready to fling my wine at the TV when the enemy simply allows Yizhong to walk away with the only key piece of military intelligence he obtained because he shamed his country for occupying China! After Japan lost WW2, it was absurd that Zhifei still stuck around simply to try to frame Yizhong rather than fleeing like the rat he is. But I guess in these kinds of stories the bad guy doesn't get to sail off into the sunset with his ill gotten gains. This is one of those dramas that can only be enjoyed if you watch the character stories and completely turn off your brain when it comes to the plot.
Even though this starts well and the acting is good, it starts going downhill just before the halfway point. I can only recommend watching this if you are a fan of any of the main actors or if you are interested in Suzhou culture. If not, there are too many better Republican spy dramas out there with tight and suspenseful plots. My overall rating 6.5/10.0.
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Imposter
Qin Wan, the Qin family’s Ninth Lady, returns to Jingzhou after years in the Valley of the Medicine King—now a gifted healer with a most unladylike interest in forensics. The Qins greet her with frosty disdain, but Qin Wan has more important things on her mind to be fazed by it. For she is an imposter and not the kind that is trying to live someone else's best life. Her true mission? Reopening the Prince Jin case that destroyed her real father’s name. A macabre headless bride case throws her into the orbit of Yan Chi, the emperor’s shrewd nephew. He’s fascinated by her forensic brilliance but suspects she’s hiding more than corpses. Still, her skills prove too useful to ignore, and soon they’re entangled in high-profile cases—and a shared agenda to expose a conspiracy at the heart of imperial power.Make no mistake, this is a romance first, elevated by Li Landi and Ao Ruipeng’s electric chemistry. Yan Chi’s unwavering support and smoldering gazes melt Qin Wan’s defenses with delicious speed, forging a partnership that’s refreshingly free of miscommunication or love triangles. Their connection simmers in glances and quiet gestures—mature, supportive, and almost too perfectly harmonious. The lack of real obstacles or tests to their bond leaves it feeling more like a fairytale than a romance mystery drama.
Between swoons, Qin Wan tackles eight suspenseful cases (including the finale’s melodramatic conspiracy). The whodunits are predictable, but the why delivers poignant social critique—exposing how women are crushed by inequity, corruption, and imperial privilege. The how, though? Pure forensic fantasy. Qin Wan’s deductions often defy logic, leaning on exaggerated techniques and leaps in reasoning. Yet Li Landi sells it with such poised conviction that my skepticism crumbles every time. Still, mystery purists will groan at the plot holes, coincidences, and Qin Wan’s Teflon-grade plot armor—Yan Chi always arrives just in time to save her from any real consequence for her actions.
Li Landi shines with her radiant and hypnotic portrayal of quiet competence, though her roles in The Starry Love and Love of Nirvana offered more nuance. Ao Ruipeng nails the green-flag hero archetype, but Yan Chi’s righteousness lacks layers. Thankfully, side characters—Yan Li, Yue Ning, and Yan Chi’s formidable grandmothers (the Grand Princess and Empress Dowager)—inject needed complexity and humour. Yan Chi’s relationship with his father Prince Rui is undercooked and should have been better explored.
The final arcs pivot to palace intrigue, trading forensic puzzles for murderous princes, scheming women and a dog's blood stab-happy finale. The end twist is clever but collapses under scrutiny—riddled with contrivances and a villain who is aided and abetted by all of the women’s inexplicable silence. This dulls the story’s initial feminist edge into a parade of bloodthirsty and wicked harpies, betraying its own ethos. And Qin Wan’s victory rings hollow: she solves her father’s case but fails to truly clear his name. If the message was “No man is above the law, and no one below it,” it lands with a thud.
Verdict? A bingeable, romance-driven romp with enough charm to gloss over its flaws. 8.0/10.0—generous, but deserved for sheer entertainment.
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There is something rotten in Kaifeng.
Riverside Code at Qingming Festival/清明上河图密码 is adapted from Ye Wenbiao's popular suspense novel of the same name. One of the highest rated popular novels on Douban, it draws inspiration from Zhang Zeduan's epic 11th century scroll painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival/清明上河图. This panoramic masterpiece meticulously depicts 814 figures, 60 animals, 122 houses, 28 ships, 15 vehicles, over 30 buildings and 8 sedan chairs going about their daily lives along the grand canal. It is an eerily vibrant, intricate and authentic snapshot of Kaifeng (then known as Bianjing) at the peak of its cultural and economic significance; not long before the city was invaded, captured and largely destroyed by the Jurchens in 1127. It is a miracle that this iconic and magnificent record of the city's urban infrastructure, military instalments, industry and commerce and citizens from all walks of life survived. This visually immersive drama virtually restores the sweeping grandeur and prosperity of Kaifeng when it was believed to be the largest city in the ancient world and brings it to life. The drama opens with the mysterious disappearance of the Mei ship sailing under the Rainbow Bridge, which is the centrepiece of the painting.This narrative examines what lies beneath the glittering facade of prosperity and the elated bustle along the Bian River as the citizens of Kaifeng celebrate the Qingming Festival via the eyes of a common family of five. This ties in with the Confucian concept of the family as a microcosm of the state 家国一体; thus the wellbeing of the family is intricately linked with the success of the state. For fifteen years, Zhao Buyou languished as a lowly assistant scribe at Dàlǐsì, the Court of Judicial Review. Even though he doesn't have everything, he is content; happily married to Wen Yue, a filial son to his eccentric father Zhao Li and a good elder brother to his much younger siblings Mo'er and Ban'er. Wen Yue however thinks they need a bigger house so she makes umbrellas to supplement their income. Their world fractures when Buyou is unfairly dismissed from Dàlǐsì while Wen Yue is extorted and harassed by a corrupt official. Pushed into a corner, they discover each other’s hidden secrets and race to protect each other and their family. Soon the entire family uses their special talents to assist Gu Zhen and Wan Fu of the Kaifeng Court solve a series of mysterious cases beginning with the Mei ship case. As the cases unfold, it becomes obvious that something is rotten in Kaifeng, and his name is Zou Mian.
The design of the overarching plot is fresh and interesting; the main villain Zou Mian is so powerful he appears to be above the law and his identity is known from the get go. But the true antagonist hides in plain sight and uses ruthless means to expose Zou Mian's corruption and misdeeds, including threatening the Zhao family. All of the cases are linked to the overarching plot, which is well designed and ties everything together in a satisfying way. The cases are very dark and disturbing and some of the antagonists are unnecessarily depraved and cruel. A unifying theme is that good people can become radicalised and driven to do terrible, desperate and extreme things when they lose faith in a system that fails them repeatedly. While the cases start out well, possibly because of how daringly they push the boundaries in terms of justifying vigilante justice, the conclusions seem to suffer from heavy cuts that leave logic gaps and loose ends. There is some level of just too much going on with the Zhao family drama unfolding alongside the cases. While I enjoyed their family dynamics and learning their backstories, these scenes could have been tightened. In particular Wen Yue going solo was based on shaky logic and her mid-life crisis was not well articulated and detracted from the cases at hand. I always get excited to see c-dramas attempt dark comedy but in this case, while there were some really funny moments, half the time it just didn't land. Overall, for something adapted from such a highly regarded novel, the screenplay does not do justice to the high production values, the exquisite set and the stellar cast.
As for the cast, it is a veteran dream team. I couldn't ask for a better lineup of favorite actors who deliver commanding performances in supporting roles notably Li Naiwen's disingenuous Dilun, Zhang Xinyu's wicked Qiniang and Hai Yitian's slightly unhinged Xiao Yishui. As expected, Zhang Songwen delivers an empathetic and nuanced performance as a flawed, miserable and oppressed character who just sucks it up while his talent is ignored until his harmonious family is threatened. He is more of a coward than a hero and his motives are selfish but relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed his humorous banter with Gu Zhen and Wan Fu and but was shocked by how cynically and ruthlessly they navigate a system that is so broken from within to find their own brand of justice. While Bai Baihe delivers a few exceptional moments as Wen Yue, she doesn't consistently convey the complexity of the role and the inner conflicts that Wen Yue struggled with. The weakest link by far however is Zhang Yao's Mo'er. This is an important role that is meant to illustrate the poisoning of the well. Unfortunately this young actor who struck me as promising years ago in Love in Between, was not ready for this role. He failed to convincingly portray how Mo'er's sorrow, disillusionment and budding resentment made him susceptible to manipulation. This made his darkening from an idealistic young scholar who wanted to reform the system from within seem abrupt and out of character. After all the build-up, I was also surprised by what a lame, wimp Zou Mian turned out to be. There were many fantastic wild, wicked and intimidating villains in this drama but sadly, the "Big Boss" did not live up to his reputation.
Even though this drama ends satisfyingly shortly after the plot climaxes with the reveal of a well-acted and well-hidden mastermind, Zou Mian's take down was anti-climactic. After all the vigilante justice, it makes sense for rule of law and procedural justice to win the day. However, I would have better enjoyed a more exciting denouement and preferably one that does not bypass the question of whether the ends justify the means. As much as I appreciate the meticulous attention to historical detail and the high production values, this drama falters enough in the writing and execution that I can't rate it better than 8.5/10.0. It is still a riveting suspense drama that is entertaining and engaging enough that it deserves another season, hopefully with a better writing team.
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Through Sick and Sin
Vanished Name is a suspenseful story about women who have had their identities stolen or hidden for reasons not entirely within their control. The story opens with an infuriated and vengeful Ren Xiaoming, whose husband—acclaimed novelist Liu Xiaoran—has stolen and published her diary as his new coming-of-age novel. She is not amused by this gross violation of not only her privacy but also that of everyone she grew up with. Her cold fury, the way her eyes scrunch up vindictively, is more chilling than any tears or yelling. But this very foolish man thinks that the royalties from book sales will heal all wounds. The diary, along with the discovery of a long-hidden corpse, pulls Xiaoming back into old relationships and a past she long left behind.The core themes of the narrative are women's struggles and friendships spanning two generations over 36 years (1987–2023). It mostly alternates between Xiaoming's coming-of-age years around 2004 and the present (2023). Xiaoming was a difficult child—brilliant, prickly, selfish, and judgmental. Her mother, Ren Meiyan, whose life's mission seemed to be marrying her way down the list of 100 surnames, was my favorite character. Her ability to smile through her many struggles as if "the sky falls down to be used as her blanket" (天跌落嚟当被冚) moved me unaccountably. It baffled me how such a ditzy, optimistic, and joyful character could have produced such a pompous and narrow-minded daughter. The number of times I itched to smack Xiaoming for judging her and giving her such a hard time!
The narrative alternates between two timelines that reveal the ties binding two generations of women and their complex entanglements. This is one of those dramas I couldn't stop watching because so many questions popped up from the get-go. What on earth possessed Xiaoming to marry such a turd as Liu Xiaoran? How did the bright, mischievous sparkle in Bai Shu's eyes fade into such a dull, cold, and colorless person? I don't particularly like Liu Yase's acting, but her appearance as the grown-up Bai Shu screams that something soul-destroying must have happened to her—and it broke me. I needed to know what happened to her, to all of them.
The young actors got a huge amount of screen time, and they carried this drama. Wang Shengdi, of The Bad Kids fame (Pu Pu), is riveting as the adolescent Ren Xiaoming lashing out at the world (mostly her mom) with her frustration. Her natural and unique chemistry with Bai Shu, and how they came to understand and change each other's worlds for the better, made me smile. Na Yi is another young actor to watch—her transitions from careless joie de vivre to off-the-charts tension in her quiet, passive-aggressive rebellion against Ge Wenjun are flawless. The young He Yuqiong is the unsung hero of the group: generous to a fault and always there for Xiaoming.
The drama's biggest problem is that it was difficult to really see the child in the adults. Even though it's hard to find fault with Ni Ni or Zhou You's performances, I just couldn't see the young Xiaoming or Yuqiong in either of them. As for Zhang Fang, this role was completely miscast and took me out of the drama. I am usually a huge fan of Liu Mintao, but I found her acting a bit over the top here. Among the adult roles, Yan Ni (Ren Meiyan) and Dong Jie (Zhou Yun) delivered the most convincing performances. But by the time the adults took over the narrative, the kids had already gotten me too invested in the story.
The most laughable part of this drama is the suspense plot—it is a giant nothing burger. So if you are here for the mystery, best give it a skip. From the nameless corpse that remains genderless for the longest time to the dumb cop who refuses to read the book, this is far from a fast-paced crime thriller. Instead, it is a sober coming-of-age story about friendships that survive through sick and sin—the kind that get you through all the things you can't change in life. Yes, there is closure at the end, but twenty years later is just too late. So late that all the unlimited potential of youth had passed them all by.
I rate the main plot arc about women's struggles and friendship an 8.5/10, but the mystery and ending barely a 6.0/10—for an overall 7.5/10.
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Today is a good day to die.
Xu Tian, the young scion of a wealthy Southeast Asian family, is on his way to Shanghai to meet his fiancee for the first time. Set in 1930, his journey takes him from Guangdong through Jiangxi and Zhejiang; lawless territory controlled by local warlords. This is a road drama where the journey is an analogy for Xu Tian's personal growth and how this perilous trip makes a man of him. He is aided and inspired by five eccentric jianghu characters - a hot-blooded revolutionary, an idealistic warlord in a gilded cage, a romantic gambler, a passive aggressive doctor and a bourgeois wheeler and dealer. As they cut a bloody path to Shanghai, Xu Tian learns that actions have consequences; to live in the moment; that luck can change; that family must be protected and that money can buy access to all sorts of people and things.This is the fist time I have seen a Chinese drama attempt this kind of bizarre, absurd and violent black comedy where a small event, in this case a purloined wallet spirals out of control and snowballs into a series of violent, unpredictible and bloody encounters. All of Xu Tian's companions along the way have distinctive personalities and temperaments that make them the main character in their own stories. They are wierd, flawed, obssessive characters that are at surface triggered by bizzare and seemingly trivial events that are actually profound and hopelessly romantic upon deeper reflection. When triggered, they become raging bloodthirsty lunatics with a "today is a good day to die" kind of reckless fearlessness and determination. The ethos and irony is captured and diffused by the crisp, darkly comedic dialogue that builds both anticipation and fear as the story careens down a volatile and unpredictible path.
This cast list is like the who's who of top Chinese actors, starting with Liao Fan as Lao Sun. His opening arc is the one that made me experience shock, awe, rage and sorrow at man's reckless, absurd, obstinacy and obsessiveness. This was a tough act to follow and Zhang Luyi fumbles a bit in his portrayal of Yu Yixiu, who is by design a fascinating paradoxically powerful and helpless character. Thus the second arc sags somewhat but gets shored up somewhat by Wu Xiaoliang's short and moving portrayal of the lovestruck gambling addict. The drama gallops on to a thrilling finish when Zhang Yi's obsequious, passive aggresive doctor teams up with Tian Yu's explosive, trigger happy capitalist for the final showdown. I also have much praise for Zhang Jingwei's fanatically dogged Ma Tianfang, Song Hanhuan's mercilessly ambitious Wu Da and Qiu Tian's passionately misguided Jia Ruo Lan.
Unfortunately the cast's impeccable performances all around is weighed down by the leading role, Dong Zijian's Xu Tian. He is an excellent actor but this was a big step down from his other works. Maybe he was simply out classed by the stellar cast but I think more likely, he was just mis-cast in this role. I didn't like his Xu Tian at all and was not moved by and did not empathize with the character. If the journey made him smarter or stronger, it did not come across; he just seemed just as belligerent, more vicious and just as obdurate. I frankly didn't care whether or not he made it to Shanghai and couldn't believe so many risked all to help him along the way. I even cared more for the petty villains and the poor bystanders that were collateral damage than I did for Xu Tian. This drama made me laugh as hard as I cried and I was unbecomingly thrilled by every dark, sick, ironic twist the narrative took. But when I can barely root for the main character over the villain, I must only rate this an 8.5/10.0. That said, it is still a mind-blowing and incredible adventure, especially if you like dark comedy.
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Switched by the witch.
In Blossom or 花间令/Huā Jiān Lìng (The Flower Order) is a mystery romance with fantasy elements. I checked this out because of Liu Xueyi, an under appreciated actor who is just as good an antagonist as he is a protagonist. Despite some flaws and controversy, this sleeper hit won Liu Xueyi high praise for his good looks and compelling acting.Yang Caiwei is a scarred, inauspicious undertaker shunned by citizens of the sinful city of Heyang. She finds herself embroiled in a murder case with the new magistrate Pan Yue, the most handsome gentleman in the capital. As it turns out, before misfortune befell her family, she was engaged to Pan Yue and he seems determined to honor their betrothal. On their wedding day, she is switched by the witch Shangguan Zhi using dark magic. She finds herself in Shangguan Zhi's body right before "Yang Caiwei" is murdered and suspects Pan Yue of doing the deed! Assuming Shangguan Zhi's identity, she investigates her own murder by working for Pan Yue at the yamen in the hope of finding evidence of his complicity. Body swapping is the only fantasy aspect and it is readily accepted without that much disbelief by the characters in this story.
This production drew early criticism because Zheng Hehuizi guest starred as Yang Caiwei for two episodes and impressed viewers with how she interpreted the role. Her Yang Caiwei is a solemn character; a child whose world was shattered overnight and endured nine years of hardship. She finds meaning in following her shifu's footsteps as a coroner, obtaining justice for victims of foul play. This characterization of Yang Caiwei makes sense to me but unfortunately, there was no meeting of the minds in how the role should be portrayed. Although Ju Jingyi delivers an adequate performance, her depiction lacks depth and gravitas. Her Yang Caiwei is literally only Shangguan Zhi; a happy, pampered young lady who never suffered a day in her life. She is so un-serious as a coroner I just scoffed at her autopsies. Still, she didn't quite ruin the show for me as she is so pretty and charismatic I always have a soft spot for her. I just sigh for the opportunity missed because Yang Caiwei is one of the better written female roles and Liu Xueyi is a fantastic actor to be paired up with. She could have impressed enough with a more layered performance to break her out of her usual typecasting but sadly she did not approach this role thoughtfully enough.
While I watched this for the suspense plot, both romances are nicely written. Liu Xueyi and Ju Jingyi look so gorgeous as a couple that their visuals alone deflect many flaws. To me, Pan Yue’s early obsession with Yang Caiwei was not healthy or well founded but I enjoyed how he fell for her against his better instincts thinking she was the detestable Shangguan Zhi. I never faulted Pan Yue for taking so long to figure out she was Yang Caiwei because both actresses failed to show me of they are the same girl. I like how Zhuo Lanjiang is written to be as capable and powerful in his own way as Pan Yue. He is a credible love rival that does not descend into delusional archetypes. But I wasn't that invested in his romance either.
After the big letdown of Youku's big budget Judge Dee's Mystery, this much more modest production satisfied my craving for a good mystery. The cases, beginning with Yang Caiwei's own murder hooked me from the get go. I enjoyed how each case pulls at threads to reveal links initially to the four major clans of Heyang and ultimately a far wider conspiracy that goes back many years. This familiar formula used in many other investigative series is quite well executed. Despite small plot holes, the focus on the human tragedy aspect of these side cases made me either empathize with the victims or at times even the perpetrators. This is something both Judge Dee's Mystery and Mysterious Lotus Casebook failed to do. The main villain is neither too obvious nor revealed too early, which was my biggest gripe with Mysterious Lotus Casebook. This one does well in keeping us guessing right up till the end. However, this is achieved by concealing information from the viewer instead of hiding all the clues in plain sight.
The narrative hiccups in the final arc back at the capital. It seems like a different writer took over. The villain is revealed shortly after they show up onscreen instead of building suspense for a bit. The final villain is not that smart and only gains an upper hand because two hitherto smart characters are thrown under the bus and exercised their free will in unintelligent ways. It always makes me angry to see good characters get undeserved outcomes so I am not happy with how this ends. Good characters were literally wasted just to squeeze some tears from the audience. Instead of ending on a big reveal, it just descends into melodrama. The chilling ending epilogue however is well done but to avoid spoilers I will elaborate on that below. All things considered, this is still an enjoyable watch. I would have rated it 8.0/10 were it not for the ending. My final rating is 7.5/10.0.
ENDING SPOILER COMMENTS
The ending epilogue is a nice chilling way to end regardless of whether Season 2 gets the go ahead. If there is no Season 2, it suggests that #1 is some kind of arch nemesis of Pan Yue, like Moriarty to Holmes who is still out there; that organizations like The Flower Order are not that easy to wipe out. Note there are actually 9 tokens in total in the end scene.
If there is a Season 2, the mastermind is either someone we already met or someone that has not yet appeared onscreen. Recall #2 only shows up in the final arc so this writer does not play fair with the audience. In that case, it is not useful to speculate further. If however, the mastermind is someone we already met, I think it is most likely Shangguan Lan. It is evident from the plain cyan sleeves that it is a man and while the cloth is rich, there is no elaborate embroidery on the sleeve like the nobles and high officials like Pan Yue and Minister Pan wear. The Shangguan family keeps a private army and they have the vast resources and network to be behind this kind of clandestine organization. They also have links to witch doctors and dark magic, which is how Shangguan Zhi swapped bodies with Yang Caiwei. So it would not be surprising that they worship pagan gods like the ram god. I initially ruled out Shangguan Lan due to his age, but he could have inherited the token from his father.
There is also a possibility the mastermind is a woman because the Chinese title is The Flower Order. In that case, it could either be The Empress or Qingdi, who now pretty much controls Heyang after Pan Yue effectively eliminated all her rivals for her.
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You only live twice.
Fan Xian is back!!! There are no words to describe the pure joy I felt after what was for me, a three year wait. I never expected S2 to be as strong as S1 and as much as I enjoyed it, it is not quite at the same level. To begin with, killing a character onscreen is never easy to unwind and their walk back of the S1 cliffhanger was long winded, cumbersome and comically farcical. What saves it is that most audiences are so grateful to see the whole gang, villains and all, back together again they willingly suspend disbelief.The most noticeable difference with S2 is the visible shift in the narrative from plot driven to largely character driven. After narrowly cheating death, an introspective Fan Xian who realizes you only live twice, returns to the capital. During S1, Teng Zijing showed Fan Xian that some things are worth dying to protect. This season explores what those things are for Fan Xian. He reflects upon his mother's ideals and begins to see the injustices that made her want to change the world. The plight of the common people resonates with him as he comes to understand that he is also but a pawn in a high powered chess game. He embraces his mother's legacy with a sense of purpose and a clear vision of what he means to do with it. The most exhilarating moments of this season are not action packed or full of intricate twists but pivotal moments in Fan Xian's character journey. It is less exciting if you are an action junkie but this is the season that reveals who Fan Xian really is and more importantly, who he wants to be.
With the signature Joy of Life verve and wit, important plot points or character motives are conveyed indirectly with humor. As the laughter abates, the manifold implications, often dark and diabolical start to sink in. The most chilling aspect of S2 is Fan Xian's complex, multi-dimensional chess game with the emperor, who is the grandmaster firmly in control of the board and all the chess pieces. It is not even clear that Chen Pingping is really on Fan Xian's side; after his "miscalculation", he seems just as dangerous as friend or foe. It is from such a disadvantaged position that Fan Xian plays to win even though winning could also cost him his head. While the emperor's end game remains murky, he reveals a guarded, almost resentful affection for Fan Xian that has me hopeful and fearful at the same time. Some of the emperor's schemes and motives are too intricate and have to be explained via dialogue, which is something I am not a fan of.
Inasmuch as I quite miss the rounder and carefree Fan Xian, Zhang Ruoyun's lean and mean new look lends a sense of maturity and gravitas to the role. My mouth goes dry at the layer upon layer of divine masculinity that comprise Fan Xian, the man. His scenes with the emperor where they both test and measure each other are mesmerising until the tension is broken by at times offbeat humor that has me yodelling with laughter. Every dysfunctional Li family gathering is a hilarious parody of a feast at Swan Goose Gate (Hongmen banquet/鸿门宴). There are many insanely well acted emperors in c-drama yet Chen Daoming still manages to stand out with his complex, differentiated, infuriating and utterly unpredictable portrayal. Just when I am sure I loathe him, he blindsides me with an unexpectedly moving expression of almost regret. Fan Xian has yet to get the better of this sociopath but at least he still manages to run circles around "Mini Me". The moment he scared the living daylights out of the second prince is one of the highlights of the season.
It is no small feat that they managed to reunite such a large and sought after cast and practically all the roles are well conveyed. Ye Lingér however was obviously abducted by aliens and replaced with a bot. Hopefully Si Lili rescues her offscreen and returns with the real Ye Lingér just in time for S3. I won't deny that I basked in every moment of this reunion of my favorite characters, good and evil. That said, outside of Fan Sizhe, no one really gets to do anything consequential. Many new characters including the first prince, the Beiqi princess and Fan Xian's scholars are introduced with unclear purpose. Everyone is being teed up but the punchline is put on hold until S3. This unbalanced focus on introducing and fleshing out characters and relationships comes at the cost of plot movement. This makes me worry that this leaves too many open plot arcs to be closed in S3. While I wouldn't dare to explicitly wish anyone's bestie villain dead, I think they should have closed at least one of the villain arcs instead of pushing everything into S3.
The character arc of S2 closes triumphantly with Fan Xian reclaiming his power and free will by choosing what family means to him and in doing so, he changes the game. I expect S3 to be once again more plot driven like S1. While I savored S2 and appreciate that they took the time to flesh out the characters and key relationships, there are just too many open plot threads for me to rate this the 9.5 I gave S1. Thus this is a 9.0/10.0 for me for now. If everything comes together well in S3, the series overall will easily be 9.5 or a 10.0.
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Junk food with no calories: highly addictive and binge-worthy.
This is THE drama that revived my love for Chinese costume drama. I was hopelessly addicted and inconsolable after it ended. I hungered for the next Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms and was crushed and then frustrated when I realized there is nothing else like it. I still have to restrain myself from binge re-watching my favorite parts. My conscience always struggles with inflicting this on someone else so be warned: TMOPB will connect with you and compel you to fall in love with it but it will also ruin everything else you for a long time.At its heart, this drama very simply an intense, fantasy love fairy tale that spans three lives and three worlds. The plot is not complex, the CGI and some of the fight scenes are not the best and there are small holes and loose threads but nothing diminishes the utterly spell-blinding love story between Bai Qian (Yang Mi) and Ye Hua (Mark Chao).
In the first part of the story, Bai Qian is disguised as a boy Si Yin, the best loved disciple of Mo Yuan (also Mark Chao), the God of War. The young Bai Qian/Si Yin is a carefree, mischievous and indifferent student. A terrible betrayal by her first love that leads to a devastating war and the sacrifice of her beloved sifu Mo Yuan’s soul leaves Si Yin inconsolable with grief and remorse. If Bai Qian occasionally comes across as dislike-able, it is because Yang Mi did not successfully convey how deeply and utterly wounded Si Yin/Bai Qian was by these events. This transformed her into an aloof, cynical and outwardly cold goddess who closely guards her innately warm and loyal heart.
As for the Ye Hua character, part of his magic is there is no such thing as a Ye Hua - he is the brilliant, invincible and handsome Crown Prince of the powerful Celestial Tribe. He is also a great cook, a wonderful father and he loves only once and unconditionally. But underneath that too good to be true surface, he has his own glaring flaws. His first hopeless love is Susu, a lonely, kind heart-ed, docile mortal woman he meets on a chance encounter. It is an unequal relationship that was doomed to end in tears. As a result of his inexperience and hubris, he makes many miscalculations and ultimately betrays her in a way that tragically ends their relationship. He mourns her and waits for her return for hundreds of years and against all logic and odds. When he discovers Susu and Bai Qian are one and the same, he is elated and goes to extreme lengths to crack the ice around her heart and win her love and forgiveness. But Bai Qian is a much older and complicated woman who is initially dismissive of his puppy love. She is a high goddess and a queen and thus more than his equal. While he was thrilled by this spicier version of Susu, he finds to his frustration and fear that she has a past and her heart is not as easily won.
Mark Chao’s Ye Hua will forever be the defining Ye Hua. It doesn’t hurt that this dude has the best eye ogling motion and is capable of the most unbelievable micro facial expressions. He is not afraid to look ugly when he is terrified or devastated with grief. As Susu’s Ye Hua, he is the austere young prince who discovers love and happiness for the first time. As Bai Qian’s Ye Hua he is darker, more passionate, more aggressive and much wiser. Chao's Ye Hua literally gets better looking as the drama advances. Its an illusion that arises as he compels you with the many faces of Ye Hua; the serious and dutiful prince, the valiant warrior, the besotted bridegroom,the grieving widower, the protective father, the frustrated lover... He is equally persuasive as the stoic Mo Yuan who silently mourns the love he lost while he was recovering from saving the world.
Yang Mi and Mark Chao together are a heady, addictive combination. They are both so gorgeous that it is just a gigantic eye candy feast. This drama unabashedly spams you with steamy scenes of the two of them kissing and rolling around in bed. I suspect Mark Chao was cast as Ye Hua based solely on how shockingly good he looks lying down and his terrific acting skills were just an accidental happy bonus. Their chemistry gets noticeably more intense and you to fall in love with them falling in love. In lighter moments, the dialogue is both hilarious and touching. As a couple they subtly mock many cliche costume drama stereotypes – Ye Hua is the cook, he is Mr Mom, he cross dresses and he turns on the waterworks more easily. She is a much older woman who can drink him under the table, proposes to him and likes to lecture him. While the drama is sloppy elsewhere, Ye Hua and Bai Qian’s scenes are shot with meticulous, loving attention to detail. In each life, they hold each other the same but slightly different way when they sleep, she combs his hair the same but slightly less loving way, and when Bai Qian hugs Ye Hua the way Susu hugged him you just KNOW he has almost wormed his way back into her heart.
All of the emotionally moving scenes are accompanied by one of the four haunting love songs from the OST. The production team had a cheeky sense of humor when it came to Ye Hua’s costumes - they sneaked in a number of really sidesplitting outfits. In the memorable episode when he meets Bai Qian for the first time, he looks like Big Bird in a black feather outfit that highlights his beaky side profile in not the best way. By then, I was so smitten that the thinking part of my brain barely processes this. And then there is the cross dressing.… In most of the love scenes, Ye Hua borrowed my pajamas and copied my hairstyle. I can't explain how I am not bothered that he had the audacity to look so delicious in my nightgown. At the end he even pulls off this black with pink peach blossom flower print dress that I have aptly named Su Jin’s Revenge. None of it matters - he can speak the cheesiest lines, cry, cross dress and still come across as this crazily sexy, hot man beast. Love is blind indeed.
The strong cast of supporting characters brings this story to life - the uncle confidante, the brother and his "friend", the deranged evil concubine and the usual love rivals. There is also Dijun (Vengo Gao) and Feng Jiu's (Dilraba Dilmurat) love story which has charming and heartbreaking moments but the main couple is a tough act to follow.
I will leave to your own imagination the many hidden undertones to this show - from the somewhat taboo to the very naughty. There are many better, more well-rounded shows with more substantive and complex plots out there. This one still wins on the strength of its simple, brilliantly accomplished mission: it forces you to relive all of the joy, passion and pain of an intense love. Like junk food, it appeals to all of your most basic instincts and can result in binge-ing. Don’t ask why - just enjoy it. Over and over and over again if you must.
There are about 60 episodes of very funny bloopers on Youtube on the Croton Mega Hit channel but most of them are not translated.
Footnote: Forget the rubbish Netflix title Eternal Love, this drama is Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms.
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Mother most foul.
I prefer to review c-dramas that are arbitrarily split in two parts to circumvent episode caps only once, after the entire story has been told. In this case, I am making an exception because Part 1 is largely a family drama that focuses on a difficult mother daughter relationship. This Part 1 review will evaluate that aspect of the story and defer a full discussion of the romance to Part 2.Cheng Shaoshang is a grey character - a thorny, defiant, scheming and distrustful Han Dynasty fifteen year old. She is left to fend for herself while in the care of abusive but not smart relatives while her military family is away defending the country. She runs circles around them and grows up to be distrustful, cunning and unrestrained. When her parents return from the battlefront, they are appalled to discover a lovely, wild, uneducated child, shockingly unschooled in the etiquette expected of the young daughter of a newly minted marquis. Her mother, a fearless, decorated general finds in her recalcitrant daughter a greater foe than found on any battlefield. The mother daughter conflict is the guts of Part 1 and drives most of Shaoshang's actions and decisions.
As a fan of grey characters, I like Shaoshang's character design a lot and Zhao Lusi delivers a very empathetic and charismatic portrayal. While there are better actors, what makes Lusi special is she is very, very funny. Even though there is a recognizable pattern to her comedy, her timing and delivery is more refined with each drama. Underneath the humor, she shows us that Shaoshang is a sad person who refuses to weep; adroitly infusing a note of loneliness, false bravado and vulnerability. This makes the character extremely empathetic, to the fault of being overly so. Lusi seems less comfortable articulating Shaoshang's many flaws, which are glossed over hastily and in a muted tone. As a result, Yuanyi's insistence on harshly taming her daughter's "harmless mischief and high spirits" comes across as heartless and misguided. A more balanced depiction of this relationship rather than one where the mother is so unambiguously the villain would be more interesting and realistic.
One of my biggest issues with the character writing is how main characters, especially Shaoshang are elevated by diminishing other characters, particularly her mother. Their forced separation from birth and subsequent alienation and resentment deserves compassion on both sides but is written in a way that consistently only assassinates the mother's character. After suffering through many of their blood boiling disputes, I was pleased to see Shaoshang get some inkling of what her family went through after Hua City. And I thought she won her mother's grudging respect and approval in how she dealt with Lou Yao. So I was just gobsmacked and revolted by how her mother inexplicably smacks her down in front of the entire court. This is all so that Ling Buyi can gallantly come to the rescue by praising her to the skies as the best lady in the capital. Which considering how awful the other ladies in the capital are, is hardly such a great compliment. After the initial cheap thrill, it looks very high handed and coercive on Ling Buyi's part. It also undoes the hard won truce if not tentative mutual understanding between the mother and child. I don't need them to ever see eye to eye or become best friends but it is disappointing to see Shaoshang's nemesis in Part 1 reduced to a two dimensional mother most foul.
What I can praise is how Shaoshang is lifted up by her intelligence, courage, compassion and her ability to do the right thing even at great cost to herself, which we see in both the Hua City arc and Lou Yao arc. Unfortunately in the latter half, Shaoshang is propped up largely by kicking other characters down. I have never seen such a long list of repetitive, nasty and screechy female characters in a drama. They are all cardboard copies of each other - bratty, rude, stupid, arrogant and in love with Ling Buyi. The mothers are all older and uglier versions of their daughters. I don't enjoy watching women doing their worst to each other. Nor do I like that they are repeatedly dressed down by men, even when it is Ling Buyi and it is well deserved. Sure it is very satisfactory in a low way but it is also frustrating and with repetition, boring. It is very disturbing that with few exceptions (Qi Qi and third aunt), the likeable characters in this drama are all men.
Despite a few thrilling knight in shinning armor moments, the romance is only set up in Part 1 with little real development. Shaoshang's main purpose is to gain freedom and escape her mother's eagle eye and she views marriage as the means to that end. None of her suitors are that compelling and their courtship methods are so appalling they are comical. Lou Yao trails after her like a lovesick puppy, willing to wait on her hand and foot without realizing that women don't need to marry doormats or servants. Yuan Shen's retarded strategy seems to be to make her hate him and pray that hate turns into love. But Ling Buyi is the one that just takes the cake. He makes sure her parents, no, the whole kingdom, knows she has seen him nekkid and failing that, makes her an offer she can't refuse. Who ultimately prevails is pretty much a foregone conclusion with the casting of Wu Lei, which is also a bit of a shame. I'd enjoy it more if we are kept guessing for awhile and there is genuine competition among worthy suitors.
We don't get to see enough of Wu Lei or the romance as Part 1 is mostly Shaoshang's family story. However, there is enough romantic fan service that shows Wu Lei's chemistry with Lusi is promising. While Wu Lei looks incredibly hot as the cold and intimidating general Ling Buyi, initially he appears stiff, like he is trying too hard to project gravitas. He improves noticeably later on when he relaxes his face muscles and his character is humanized by his sidekicks Liang Qiuqi and Liang Qiufei or Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Tweedledum is my favorite side character; his vivid facial expressions in each of his interactions with Ling Buyi have me rolling with laughter. Indeed what really livens this drama's slow burn pace is the humor which also brilliantly amplifies character traits. It is a poignant reminder of how funny and ferocious Wu Lei's Fei Liu was. I had long forgotten how good he is at humor. I look forward to seeing more of Ling Buyi's story as well as genuine relationship development between the leads in Part 2.
If I were to rate Part 1 solely on the mother daughter relationship, I would only give this an 8.0. What makes me mad is this had a lot of potential and we really don't get that many good historical mother daughter character stories. Instead the mother is written to have so little redeeming value it just ends up being a giant waste of emotional energy. But I will throw in another 0.5 to make this 8.5 because apart from the first four episodes which were an aberration, I enjoyed the comedic moments immensely. I may have given this a 9.0 without the many nasty, noisy women.
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A wrinkle in time.
This is a surprisingly enjoyable short love story with a novel premise. He Zhengyu, a hot shot lawyer experiences a series of setbacks that lands him in a modest apartment. Every night, he is "haunted" by rookie reporter Chen Jialan, who occupied the apartment four months ago. A wrinkle in time brings them together each night at 10:06pm for 46 minutes. During this time they must solve a few cases that they were involved in professionally that may have set them on the road to perdition.The initial encounters between Zhengyu and Jialan are hilarious and intriguing as they both scare the hell out of each other. They had me rooting for them from the get go. But as their relationship progresses, I find Jialan remains too sweet, childish and cutesy. I expect to see their chemistry take on a more mature and adult tone later on but this doesn't quite happen. Nonetheless, I stayed invested in their story throughout and kept going even though the whole Jirong saga bored me to tears. I have not seen such bland and monotonous acting in a long time. It is almost criminal to pair up such an insipid actress with such a hot actor as Dai Gaozheng. The cast overall is not strong and it is Yang Xuwen's convincing and charismatic portrayal of Zhengyu and how he is changed by this wrinkle in time that elevates the main relationship and saves the entire drama.
The biggest plot hole in this story is He Zhengyu's lack of curiosity about who Chen Jialan was and why she vacated the apartment he moved into. You would think his first instinct would be to find out everything about her and to try to track her down. But no, he waits till very late in the game to do this. The cases are only mildly interesting and the villains are quite obvious. While the drama does a good job transitioning between the past and the present, the main characters traverse back and forth too often and too inconsequentially. The plot does become slightly convoluted towards the end, with too many twists. Despite some obvious flaws and plot holes, there are enough fresh and engaging moments that make this an entertaining watch. This is a 7.5/10.0 that will nicely tide over a dry spell.
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A cut above.
This is a wonderfully produced drama that deserves a lot more attention. It is a riveting tale of sibling rivalry that spans a time of rapid change and turbulence in modern Chinese history. Jiang Mosheng and Lu Yuanzhi are both adopted and apprenticed by Master Su Jingan of Sancai (Triple Cut) House, couturier of the Qing Imperial Court. Sancai House routinely outshines other rival houses in the workmanship, symbolism and design of the intricate ornamentation of the Dowager Empress' court robes, allegedly due to their seamless stitch, a tradecraft that is passed down from one generation to another. Master Su's most bitter rival is his former fellow apprentice, Master Bai Henian of Sihe House.Jiang Mosheng is the older, steady, responsible brother and heir apparent, whose great talent is meaningfully enhanced by his passion and dedication. Lu Yuanzhi is the hot headed, audacious and visionary brother; a rare talent whose brilliance is nothing short of genius. His recklessness however lands him in serious trouble. To save him, Mosheng cuts ties with Sancai House, defects to Sihe House and accepts Master Bai as his foster father. This sets the brothers down a complicated path of reluctant rivalry, conflicting loyalties, mutual friendships, convenient alliances, mistrust, betrayal and forgiveness. The most prominent feature of this drama is the Abel and Cain relationship between the brothers and it is well written, consistent and riveting. Both of them are flawed characters and neither is completely blameless for how things play out between them. Although Yuanzhi learns to rein in his recklessness and temper as he matures, it still manages to get the better of him. His culpability over Mosheng's sacrifice constantly lingers in the air between them. Even though he can be such an ass, I have to sympathise with Mosheng's battle with his own worst instincts in the shadow of someone who is perpetually a cut above. Both Zhang Haowei and Hong Yao delivered excellent, empathetic performances, alternately frustrating, enraging and beguiling me at all the right moments.
How the design of the cheongsam or qipao evolves to reflect the changing attitudes of times is the main, fascinating centrepiece of the drama. While not in the same league as the more modern and sophisticated qipaos of Wong Kar Wai's iconic In The Mood for Love, all of the outfits from the Qing court robes to the Western flapper dresses are simply gorgeous and I truly enjoyed the mini history of Chinese costume. How the female characters are dressed is also symbolic of who they are - Yaoyao is a remnant of the past at sharp contrast with Lijun, the ultimate, progressive modern woman. Kang Ning sits in the middle - she embraces change in a way that marries it with tradition; and thus she is truly Yuanzhi's muse. True to character, both Kang Ning and Lijun have a very refreshing attitude towards relationships and love that I truly enjoy and they fight to write their own stories even when events conspire against them. The only character I didn't like is Yaoyao who is your typical c-drama archetype but she is written that way as a foil for the other two. There are enough dimensional, grey and consequential characters in this drama that I am very satisfied with the character aspects of it. Most of these key roles are performed by veteran actors whose acting often surpasses the quality of the dialogue. I laughed my head off at the dynamics between Lijun, Feiyu and her father.
This is largely a character driven drama where the main characters have to cope with the changing times as they transition from the Qing era to the Republican era and Japanese incursion. While the pace is fast with many exciting and unexpected turns along the way, not all of the sub plots and arcs are consistently well written. Some of the stressing events that the main characters face are a bit contrived, can be lazily written and at times defy logic. But between excellent acting and all the interesting character developments, I found the plot holes quite easy to forgive. I do appreciate how all of the characters go through rough times, experience loss, how actions have consequences and justice is often blind. The villains are decent but less interesting than the characters themselves, some of whom are quite grey if not outright vile.
I am happy to recommend this as a very enjoyable watch with some good fresh takes on old tropes. Overall for me this is an 8.0.
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How a leader of men becomes a follower of a woman.
Li Ni is too good to be true: a brave, patriotic, upstanding and brilliant young general who safeguards the border at the kingdom's farthest reaches with his Zhenxi army. He aspires to live a carefree, adventurous life at his beloved Laolan Pass with his found family of merry men, steering clear of his imperial roots. And no wonder; his royal father and two half-brothers are cowardly, venal, ambitious, duplicitous and so dumb they test the limits of the word. But destiny intervenes when a military governor Sun Jing seizes the capital, holds Li Ni's witless father hostage and the imperial grandson and rightful successor goes missing. As the kingdom descends into civil war, Li Ni leads the intrepid Zhenxi army to try to save the day. He encounters the bold and audacious A Ying, a lieutenant at the helm of the formidable Cui family army. At first glance, A'Ying is an awesome character; strong, independent, daring, ambitious and cunning. While they have different visions of the future, they are aligned in the immediate purpose of defeating Sun Jing. They join hands in an alliance that has each trying to out do the other in terms of being the one to seize victory. Sparks fly between them, suggesting a broader and more permanent union could be in the cards.The political plot is very loosely based on the history of the founding of the Tang dynasty. The writing reflects a shallow understanding of politics and historical reality and just plain laziness. The writer clearly didn't know what to do with the one interesting and smart villain and thus quickly kills them off. We are then bamboozled with a bunch of very tired one-note villain archetypes who are surprisingly difficult to kill dead despite their limited brain cells. They are so done before too many times villains that they are not worthy of mention. The only good thing about the battle for the throne arcs are the action scenes; they are exciting and bloody. Xu Kai always delivers incredibly agile and powerful fight scenes and with a good action director like this, he really shines. The drama peaks at an epic and consequential battle around episode 32 and that is probably the best place to stop. It took me a long time to get through the final 8 episodes that were unnecessary and as bland as tofu.
In terms of the romance, this drama is anchored by good chemistry and flawless portrayals by Xu Kai and Jing Tian. It errs on the side of being overly generous with the fan service sweet scenes, which I only mildly enjoyed. I may have been more convinced had I not just come off watchingJing Tian beam beatifically up at Feng Shaofeng (Legend of Zhuohua) with that exact same limpid, adoring expressions. The bigger issue is that A Ying as a character is incredibly difficult to like. She is strong willed, reckless and has a most unbecoming need to win all the time and especially when she is wrong. She doesn't even "win" with any great, glorious or brilliant schemes; her kisses are essentially Kryptonite as far as Li Ni is concerned. It is beyond infantile that he would cede an entire city for a kiss! Li Ni's wants are mallaeble as far as she is concerned and she takes it upon herself to meddle in high power politics to achieve the outcomes she wants. When she doesn't like the consequences of her schemes, it is inevitably Li Ni's fault. The "dealbreaker" conflict between them never gets solved; their relationship is bailed out by events, which is an anti-climatic writing cop out that left me convinced they will surely end up divorced. She does not communicate with Li Ni, overestimates her ability to handle problems on her own and is oblivious to the fact that a deranged lunatic is after her even though he captures her many times. To my dismay, each of her near death experiences are just near. We are told this is a smart and independent character but we are shown she is not smart and constantly needs rescuing from her own hubris. Their love story is an utterly soul destroying tale of how a leader of men becomes a follower of a woman. The only love story in this drama that actually moved me was that of Consort Xiao.
This is Xu Kai's best recent drama after a string of disappointments and he does a really good job here playing a character with massive hero complex. As for Jing Tian, I didn't love her character but I am sure a less charming actress would have frustrated me into dropping this. Despite the good acting, the many logic holes, pedestrian sub-plots and cardboard characters make for a smooth but bland cocktail. I can only rate it 7.0. Overall it is not a bad watch for the fantastic fight scenes and squeal-worthy flirty moments.
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Winning hearts and minds.
Amidst the economic hardship and political upheaval of 1930s Shanghai, War of Faith explores the financial underpinnings of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) eventual military victory over the Kuomintang. This story unfolds from the perspective of Wei Ruolai, a young financial prodigy who becomes entangled in the ideological struggle that defined that era. The narrative deftly avoids lengthy ideological discourse by framing the struggle as largely an economic one. It was a time of economic hardship for the common working class people from the cities to the countryside. While politically aware, most of them were were not conversant in the finer points of the political and ideological debate. Their needs were basic and winning hearts and minds came down to being responsible fiduciaries of their hard earned savings and livelihoods.Shen Tunan is a savvy central banker with grand plans to reform and strengthen the local banks and loosen the grip of foreign banks to unleash China's economic potential. A true believer in the Kuomintang's Three Principles of the People, he is nonetheless a pragmatist is willing to compromise and look the other way in order to achieve his objectives. The evolving mentee-mentor relationship between Shen Tunan and Wei Ruolai is compellingly articulated by Wang Yang and Wang Yibo and bolstered by good chemistry between the actors. Their mutual respect did not waver even as it became evident that their bottom lines diverge. Wang Yibo surprised and delighted me with his portrayal of a quietly clever young man's coming of age. His Wei Ruolai is idealistic but not naïve, can be ruthless but is not cruel and is loyal but not unquestioning.
All three main protagonists in this drama have a shared vision of the kind of future they want for their country but there are deep divisions between them on how to get there. Shen Tunan understands there is rot in the system but is willing to compromise and work within in; to try to fix it. Shen Jinzhen thinks it is not fixable and wants to tear it all down and start over. She is radical to the point of being almost fanatical and shockingly bold and ruthless in how she executes her vision. I have even greater respect for Li Qin, who also elevates her repertoire as an actor in this role. The relationship between the Shen siblings and their painful conflict is a highlight of this drama. They are both so strong willed and their conviction in their opposing beliefs is as strong as their love and respect for each other. The narrative does a fantastic job illustrating that the country is an extension of the family so when the rubber meets the road, they are first loyal to each other. As the newcomer without any particular ideology, Wei Ruolai is caught between them and ultimately in his choice, becomes the de factor arbiter of the better path forward.
The darkest, most complicated, ultimately despicable and yet oddly empathetic character in this drama is Lin Qiaosong, arrestingly portrayed by Zhang Tianyang. Even though he is not the smartest villain, he has great instincts and a healthy though grudging respect for his enemies He is brutal and incredibly hard to kill yet has a moving and tender side for his lover. I haven't enjoyed a villain so much in a long time. The other notable performance in this all round standout cast is newbie actor Lan Xiya's Niu Chunmiao. This smart, audacious and plucky character added some much needed levity to this story and saves the day a few times as well.
I enjoyed this drama quite a bit but I wouldn't really call it a spy drama. It is more of a business story with some ideology and some action mixed in. The writers do a terrific job making the rather dry financial aspects of banking and finance accessible and movingly relate it to how the lives of the common people are disproportionately impacted by malfeasance and corruption in the financial system. Overall a very interesting and somewhat educational slice of life from an era of profound change that I am happy rate 8/10.
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Everybody lies.
This psychological suspense thriller featuring a female hardcore detective starts out well. Ran Dongdong investigates the death of Xia Bingqing, a young woman with secrets. To figure out what happened to her, Dongdong has to piece together who Bingqing was and why someone wanted her dead. As the list of suspects in this complicated murder case grows, it is clear that everybody lies whether they are doing it consciously or not. The way Dongdong nails down inconsistencies in the various testimonies by unreliable narrators and incisively teases out the truth is riveting.Work and life collide for Dongdong when it is discovered that her husband Mu Dafu crossed paths with the victim and he had twice rented a hotel room at the likely scene of the crime. She explores the complexity of love, marriage, and fidelity in both the work and personal arena and the lines start to blur. She begins to interrogate him like a suspect. In fact, he gets the worst of it because there are no professional restraints at home. Not that he is a paragon of virtue, far from it!! He was always a bit of a narcissist humanities professor that openly indulges in deeply intimate, highly flirtatious but ostensibly intellectual discussions with professional peers and students. She was fine with it until inexplicably, she is not. Likely because they fell out of the idealistic love phase of their relationship or maybe because he stopped telling her about these women that fall for him.
I did not expect to see this suspense plot devolve so deeply into a dark exploration of marriage between a dislikable and messed-up toxic couple. Both Song Jia and Wang Yang deliver mesmeric performances as flawed, complex, egotistical, and ultimately selfish characters. I did not like either of them. In fact, there are no heroes in this story. Other than the poor kid, pretty much everyone is a terrible person. Even the victim is too much of an architect of their own fate and is not empathetic. Neither of the two parallel plotlines is satisfactorily resolved. The whodunit mystery ends up being a howdunit procedural with too many plotholes and a weak, trite, cop-out motive for the murderer. The way the relationship is resolved also leaves unanswered questions although there is closure in the sense that Ran Dongdong and Mu Dafu really deserve each other. May they live tortuously ever after.
I enjoyed this drama up until episode 10 after which it turns into something I had no interest in watching. I can see how it may hold some appeal to people who like difficult relationship stories. My rating of 6.5 is for the very mediocre suspense plot, which is what I came to watch.
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