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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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The Dark Path.
Day Breaker is a chilling undercover narcotics cop thriller that is part of iQiyi's 2022 Light On Series lineup. The drama is set in the fictional Hua City in a lawless Southeast Asian nation that bears an uncanny resemblance to Thailand. In this made-up world, the country is overrun by drug cartels and the police force is under resourced and susceptible to corruption. This drama has won high praise but it is one that must be watched with eyeballs glued to the screen due to the intense and elaborate plot with myriad twists and mind benders.Luo Xiang is an undercover narcotics cop pretending to be a mole in a local drug cartel. A planned takedown of a major drug deal goes horribly awry, apparently killing Luo Xiang. He re-emerges five years later as Chen Mo, a taxi driver who is tasked by Liao Yongjia to assume the identity Luo Xiang and reunite with the cartel. Li Yifeng really impresses in this role as someone juggling multiple identities while walking on the edge of discovery. His Luo Xiang has lived a lie as Chen Mo for so long that it is not clear he knows what his reality is, much less his former lover Su Qingzhu or his violent, jacked up cartel brother Longge. Luo Xiang's fascinating and oddly genuine bromance with Longge recalls Li Yifeng's iconic and manipulative performance as double agent Chen Shen in Sparrow. One of my biggest disappointments with Day Breaker is how this relationship was cheated of a satisfying denouement. While not a romance, the subtle longing and painful chemistry of the unspoken behind Luo Xiang's lies in his interactions with Su Qingzhu adds another layer to Li Yifeng's outstanding portrayal. Unfortunately this is another less than great role for Song Yi as Su Qingzhu is another character that is short changed at the end.
Both Feng Delun and Gong Haibin put in highly praiseworthy performances as Liao Yongjia and Yu Shenghai, Chen Mo's handlers in the undercover operation. In a cartel infested place like Hua City, everyone has a price and is forced to walk down the dark path, it is just a matter of to what degree. Thus as Chen Mo watches them wondering if either or both of them were moles that sold out Luo Xiang years ago, they are also testing Chen Mo to see if he is really Luo Xiang. The interplay between these three core characters as their stressors and motivators are revealed is the best, most intense part of the drama. While all three characters delivered riveting performances, it is Gong Haibin's Yu Shenghai that surprised and moved me the most and made me experience everything from rage to pity.
They are too many rival cartels in this drama and too many drug lords. Only two of them - Longge and Song Cai are multi-faceted and interesting. Longge is the ultimate outrageous fictional character, gruesomely and unnervingly violent and bizarrely comical at the same time. His wild affection for and trust in Luo Xiang clouds his survival instincts and innate shrewdness. There is an unpredictability in each of his outbursts that had my heart in my throat many times. Song Cai is also a complex cold blooded killer with his own code of conduct and many moments where his sentimentality and humanity pokes through. Both are too cursorily dealt with and sidelined in favour of less interesting villains.
While A-Xi is adorable and has some really funny scenes with Chen Mo, they were too few and far between. In general, humor is not well used to diffuse the tension in this overly convoluted plot. The drama could have ended at a climax at the end of Yu Shenghai's arc. Instead, the final two episodes rush through a contrived flash bang ending that relies on poorly fleshed out final villains, unnecessary twists and shocking but unworthy outcomes for good, smart characters. While it doesn't completely ruin the drama, this plot demands too much attention for it to sag like this at the end. Thus I must reduce my overall rating from 8.5 to 8.0 but I can still highly recommend it to fans of this genre.
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When karma slaps back.
Blossom (九重紫) stands out in a year where too many highly anticipated period costume dramas implode and self destruct pass the mid-point. This is short drama director Zheng Jingjie's debut long form drama where he once again compels with his brand of immersive storytelling. This drama avoids naming the dynasty as the narrative takes liberties with history and is quite critical of the emperor but it should be loosely set in mid-Ming dynasty, during the reign of the Chenghua emperor. The rebirth premise is straightforward and the business and palace conspiracy plot arcs while often done, are transformed by innovative takes on tired themes, a masterful build up in tension, suspense and relief and brisk pacing overall. There is nothing really that special about the plot or the acting, it is once again mostly about this director's captivating camera language and narrative panache that turned multiple low budget short dramas into memorable mini hits that punch above their production values. His foray into long form dramas should hopefully shake up the complacent and lazy storytelling characteristic of the well established long form directors.Dou Zhao is the capable, long suffering wife of Wei Tingyu, the profligate Marquis of Jining. She chooses the cold and snowy night that vengeful butcher general Song Mo helps Prince Qing depose the crown prince and seize the throne, to dump her husband's sloppy ass. As she flees the capital, she is rescued by an injured Song Mo and they take refuge at the temple of a mysterious monk Yuantong. Cornered and betrayed, they fall into an abyss through time and space, inextricably bound through Yuantong's cryptic book of divination. Dou Zhao wakes up as if from a dream, as a young girl again, clutching the prophetic book like a lifeline. She is immediately thrust into one of the turning points in her life, where she painfully learns that forewarned is not necessarily forearmed. Nonetheless, she determinedly sets out to get it right this time around; to make herself financially independent and to avoid her past disastrous marriage. One of the story's strengths is that when karma slaps back, jeopardy is at play and Dou Zhao's book of riddles is far from a roadmap of the future. As the ripple effects of the changes she makes snowball, her world increasingly deviates from the past and the path ahead is murky and no less treacherous.
As for Song Mo, he has the hero halo and is the total package as far as physical appearances go but that is about it. As it turns out, his impressive muscles extend all the way up between his ears. This is an all bravado, all heart, kind of character that allows his rage and impulses to dictate his actions. As Ji Yong mockingly points out over and over again, he is a mantis with little insight or awareness even of who is moving the chess pieces around him and is easily manipulated into being someone else's pawn. His reckless, selfish and misguided quest for justice for one person, puts the wrong person on the throne and upsets the order of the universe, resulting in injustice for many people. So much so that 閻王/Yanwang the King of Hell himself must have rejected him and sent him back for a reboot. He does not get smarter, he is simply Dou Zhao's pawn the second time around and not the chess player. She is the inner voice of caution he does not possess that saves him time and again from his worst instincts. Dou Zhao's mature styling gives her gravitas as a business woman but it also makes her look visibly older than Song Mo. Leaving a few grey streaks in his hair may have negated this impression somewhat. Needless to say, even though I enjoyed the plot, I am lukewarm about this kind of CP and was not bowled over by their romance or chemistry. In fact, I find Dou Zhao has better chemistry with Ji Yong, who is her intellectual equal and her soul mate and confidante. But yeah, I get it, I'd probably also pick the hot general over the chess grandmaster. Being shallow is so much more fun!
The cast in this drama are all up and coming actors whose acting skills are still works in progress. Nonetheless, this director is accustomed to working with C-grade actors and adroitly papers over all their flaws with his brilliant visual narrative style. The best decision this production made was to invest in good voice actors that were able to give definition to all the roles that mattered. This is a case study for how in some cases, it is better not to rely on original voice. While I always like the storytelling approach of making certain supporting roles main characters of their own arcs, this was hit or miss in terms of execution. I enjoyed Wei Tingyu and Dou Ming's sub-plot best, but both characters did not get an ending they deserved. This was so that a tropey villain like Wei Xingyue got her own super unoriginal and overly melodramatic arc. It was a race to the bottom with the completely ridiculous and boring Song Han and Miao Ansu arc, which highlights the two most atrociously bad actors in the cast. There are more interesting character stories played by more charismatic actors including Chen Jia and Zhao Zhangru, Gu Yu and Wu Shan that they could be better explored. I really enjoyed Gu Yu and hope to see more of this very humorous and charming young actor Fu Weilun. Unlike Dou Zhao who has Ji Yong, Song Mo doesn't have a really good sidekick and Gu Yu could have been better utilised in this capacity. While there is no shortage of petty and not so original villain archetypes, this story lacks a really good villain with a compelling motive. The only ones that had real mastermind potential got whitewashed in the finale to deliver one twist too many.
Despite a few arcs that could have been better, a few missed opportunities, some sloppy logic and messy edits, the story finishes strongly at the plot climax and ends in a satisfying way. It is a very solid production that made the best of its limited resources. It got noticed and won well deserved praises not only because it is truly quite good but because so many other dramas with superior resources ended up bombing out so badly in 2024. As someone who was long ago bored with the romance genre, I enjoyed this enough to rate it 8.5/10.0
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My dear, I don't give a damn.
Gone with the Rain is one of the few Chinese dramas out there that has a very apt English title. It is also set in a time of civil war and the design of the four main characters are unmistakably inspired by Margaret Mitchell's epic classic novel Gone with the Wind. It is very much a character drama that is at surface a romance, but the true love story is the one between two women who are almost diametric opposites of one another.This story takes place in a fictional Jing state but the costumes and background suggests this loosely is late Tang dynasty when the powerful local military governors rebelled. Vast swarths of the country was thrown into civil war during which the central government had little knowledge or control over what was happening. The drama's greatest failing is that it is very sloppy in terms of clearly explain who the different factions and what their agendas are. Events unfold conveniently and not always logically simply to enable character conflict and development.
The story is told largely from seventeen year old Tang Moxi's perspective. She breaks the fourth wall in the beginning and continues to share her thoughts via very vivid, at times funny and at times silly daydreams. Moxi is illegtimate and orphaned at an early age, she grows up on sufference in the household of her uncle Bai Wentao a scheming mid-level official. Her first cousin Bai Fengyao its the only one that cares for her. The drama opens with the country on the verge of civil unrest. The cousins are colluding to evade their family's efforts to marry them off for advancement. Moxi rescues a dashing wounded soldier Wan Jiagui and falls for him. She also encounters an infuriating general Chen Wende. Through a series of misunderstandings, some self inflicted Moxi finds herself caught between both men while Wan Jiagui finds himself engaged to both women. A tortuous romantic quadrangle between the four plays out as the country slides into chaos. The romances are secondary to how the relationship between the women navigates civil war and a messy love rivalry.
Despite their different personalities and perspectives, Moxi and Fengyao share a touching and unbreakable bond. Moxi is fiesty, selfish, cynical, manipulative and tough as nails beneath her lovely exterior. She is above all a survivor; she has to be as there is only the rather helpless Fengyao in her corner. Fengyao is pretty much everything Moxi is not - selfless, well educated, gentle, sentimental, idealistic,and impractical; in other words quite useless. Their strengths and weaknesess complement and together, they are able to acutally fend quite well for each other. Unfortunately they both fall for the gallant, noble hero in heroes clothing Wan Jiagui who when tested is actually a weak character. Moxi spends most of the drama fighting her devastating attraction to Chen Wende, a rough, uncouth warrior who is more than what he appears to be. He is the only character that remains charismatic and likable throughout the drama. After awhile, it is quite obvious where these four main character blueprints are from.
The first half of the drama is quite enjoyable as Moxi and Fengyao find their strengths and struggle with their flaws in trying times. However, Moxi's wilful blindness and her obstinate pinning for her first love went on for so long it became tedious. I wanted to hurl my remote at her and yell "My dear, I don't give a damn!" Even though all the portrayals are well done and the characters are multi-dimensional, this drama spends too much time rehashing character flaws without a well fleshed out plot to keep things engaging. The conflict and attraction between Chen Wende and Moxi is the only highlight of the second half of the drama which made it less of a struggle. I also enjoyed the casting of an actress in the role of Wu Yin. The second relationship however is not sufficiently developed because all of the men can only have eyes for Moxi. The final arc is rushed and Moxi's ability to transform herself is not well explained and frankly impossible. The story does come to a satisfying ending with the final episodes making up for the sag in the latter half. This is different enough from the usual run-of-the-mill historical Chinese drama that I enjoyed many aspects of it. It is quite well acted and had it been shorter and more tightly written, I'd probably rate it better than 7/10.
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Even better than the real thing.
Investiture of the Gods is one of my less favorite Chinese classics because it is a lengthy, chaotic collection of Chinese myths and anecdotes involving gods and demons. It would not be easy to turn this tome into into a coherent and well-scripted drama with an engaging plot and proper character development. Impressively, this production pulls it off by making storyline a very, very loose adaption of the original novel. Most of the criticism highlights the plot changes and that it doesn't tell the whole story. That is absolutely fair but the end result is a vast improvement from other cheesy, incoherent and lengthy versions. As someone who is not attached to the original story-line, I am good with it.Although released in 2019, this drama was shot in 2015 and has struggled with censorship - yeah even ancient uprisings/regime change is not a popular topic with the Chinese censors. Update: Initially only 56 of the intended 65 episodes were aired but at this point, all 65 episodes have been released. It is a quality production and the for early viewers, it is well worth going back to watch the last 10 episodes in full. The all-star cast includes Luo Jin, (a very young) Deng Lun, Wang Likun, Yu He Wei and Zhang Bo. They were awesome together and it was quite evident from the rapport between the characters that they had big fun filming this. It is obvious from the CGI, sets and costumes (albeit beautiful) that this is from an older vintage than the more polished 2019 releases but it also doesn't suffer from the excessive filler disease that is plaguing the latter.
The story recounts the reign of the evil King Zhou of the Shang dynasty (an early Chinese dynasty); a time during which allegedly both gods and demons still walked among man. He was a tyrannical and decadent ruler who inflicted great suffering on his subjects under the undue influence of his favorite consort Daji. Daji is said to have distracted him from affairs of the state and exhorted him to acts of great cruelty. Even the heavens intervened and Jiang Ziya was actually an immortal tasked to raise an army of heroes to defeat this evil king. Many lives were lost in King Zhou's overthrow and these heroes were memorialized as gods in popular folklore. The novel likely emerged as a romanticized account of their epic struggle where gods and demons fought alongside mortals on both sides of the conflict. The drama very broadly sticks to this overarching plot but is creative and loose with the details around how they got there.
Yang Jian (Luo Jin) is a half immortal child born with the Third Eye predestined to cause the down fall of King Zhou. Lord Su conceals and raises him in his household as his foster son alongside his daughter Daji (Wang Likun). The young Yang Jiang and his foster sister Daji, who is renown for her beauty and kindness, are in love. This is one of the major departures from the novel, where Daji and Yang Jian barely intersect. In order to save the lives of her family and their people, Daji forsakes all to enter the palace as a concubine but they are all slaughtered anyway. Grief stricken and vengeful, she vows to make King Zhou and his empire suffer. She sells her soul to the evil thousand year old fox spirit (Deng Lun) in exchange for his aid. Wang Likun's Daji was masterful from her transformation from an innocent young girl to the ravishing, cruel and manipulative temptress that brought down an empire. I was stricken at the barely concealed loathing and sadness in her eyes when she seduces her worst enemy; I prayed she could suppress the hatred and the evil that was consuming her; I was repelled by her indiscriminate and breathless cruelty. Throughout she has sad and angry eyes and she clings to the memory of the person she once was. I was wowed by her acting. The young and yet undiscovered Deng Lun pulled off the role of the evil fox spirit who is Daji's only confidante with great relish and panache. They had remarkable onscreen chemistry - as she lost her soul he found his when her cause became his. Even though Luo Jin is technically the male lead his role of loving Daji unconditionally from afar didn't leave much scope for character development. So Deng Lun stole his thunder a bit on this one.
While Daji's scenes are mostly quite intense, the rest of the drama is somewhat irreverent and littered with comic relief. Yu He Wei's Jiang Ziya is the glue that pulls everything together this character absolutely rocked! He is kind hearted, a bit goofy, naive and unambitious immortal that is banished to the mortal realm as punishment and is tasked with investing or martyring the gods. His mortal identity is as a hapless noodle seller with a terrifying termagant of a wife and a lovely daughter. He takes Yang Jiang and Jifa as his first disciples and together they gather the rest of the immortals as they prepare for their fated mission to topple a despot. While falling safely short of slapstick , the camaraderie between Jiang Ziya and his family and disciples had me howling with laughter. Although some the comic moments dragged a little bit at the end, it was very bearable. It makes such a difference to watch something with such a confident, experienced and well-rounded cast. Even the villains were well cast and really captured the spirit of their characters, especially the evil fox spirit and King Zhou. This was truly a fun drama to watch - it has good vs evil, gods, demons, some romance, some bromance, love, hate, friendship, honor, loyalty - it made me laugh as hard as it made me cry. I enjoyed this so much I kept putting off watching the last episode because I didn't want it to end. I am not sure why this drama didn't get higher ratings but I suspect it was some combination of the plot changes, that it looks a bit dated and the fact that there was a long gap before the last ten episodes were finally released. Undoubtedly the humanization of Daji may have also been controversial - after all Daji was one of the most bloodthirsty villains in Chinese history and literature.
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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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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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No place like home.
Based on an award winning novel, Northward is a heartwarming and realistic coming of age and cultural heritage story about a number of Jiangnan youths who grew up along the Grand Canal. The story opens with the lively and carefree young kids from Flower Street cavorting mischievously in the canal under the indulgent, watchful eyes of their community. One day, Granny Ma's exotic granddaughter Siyi, a solemn and lonely lost child, comes to live with her. The neighbourhood embraces her warmly and the kids rally around her protectively. The drama captures the communal spirit of the early 2000s, where the hard working families of Flower Street are by no means rich but by pooling their resources, they share each others burdens and navigate life's ups and downs together. All the child actors were superb and well cast. They made me invested in all of the characters from the get go; from the ringleader Wanghe, the steadfast Haikuo, the studious Chen Rui, the resentful Xingzhi and Huazi the tomboy with a heart of gold.Into their teen years, the realities of life and changing times intrude upon the idyllic times along the canal. The advent of superhighways and high speed trains make it more difficult for the citizens along the canal to make a living from the waterway. As their families struggle to make ends meet, the young friends vow to head north to Beijing for college with big, life changing dreams. Time moves too slowly for the young friends as they grapple with their parents’ financial and personal struggles—their strengths, weaknesses, and all-too-human imperfections. Life's challenges overwhelm the burgeoning attraction some of them start to feel for each other. In such a close-knit community, everyone is so closely tangled into everyone's lives that there are no real secrets between them. There is as much laughter as there are tears to go around as all too soon some of them discover that actions have consequences, some that are irreversible. This was by far the best arc as veteran actors including Hu Jun and Li Naiwen anchor immersive performances from the younger ensemble cast to authentically bring to life the joys, sufferings, regrets, and human failings of three generations of Flower Street.
The narrative loses its early charm in the later Beijing arcs. The business plots are realistically written and reflect the intense competition and challenges faced by the food delivery and courier services in China. In pursuit of their dreams, the young friends discover there is no place like home. The denizens of the big city are harsh, duplicitous and calculating. They discover triumphs are hard won after many sacrifices, setbacks and betrayals and they can only have each others backs. Conflicts arise as they search for their own bottom lines in the ruthless battle for business survival. What I didn't like is that they remained such a clique that none of them really let anyone else into their lives. Even Haikuo never really tried to include his girlfriend in their closed circle. I'd have liked to see Wanghe have a real love rival and Huazi not be so absolute and single minded in her feelings. I also wish Huazi had made her health choices for herself and not because of anyone else. But my biggest criticism of the character stories has to do with how Siyi simply ghosted everyone. That was profoundly selfish and cruel in a way that destroyed her character for me. I was also a bit disappointed that the unresolved issues between Siyi and Wanghe and to some extent even Chen Rui were just swept under the rug. The ending was a little bit too good to be true but I loved all the characters so much that its not a real gripe.
All of the young actors deliver heartfelt performances with Li Wanda and Zhai Zilu best capturing that sense of adolescent turmoil and displacement. Even though they were still credible, both Ou Hao and Bai Lu struggled more with the teen years. Past thirty, it is incredibly difficult for actors to recapture that angsty uncertainty and unconscious radiance of youth. While the Beijing storyline falters in narrative cohesion, both Ou Hao and Bai Lu grow into their roles well as struggling young entrepreneurs so well that I understand the casting decision. I enjoyed watching Bai Lu take on this kind of tomboy role even though the braces and short hair did not make her look any less gorgeous. By design, Siyi was the most intriguing character in the story so I was disappointed by how Li Wanda's character got sidelined. All things considered a very enjoyable and moving slice of life story that I rate 8/10. The first half was notably stronger, tracking closer to an 8.5.
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Murder He Wrote.
After an injury related leave of absence, veteran detective Jiang Guangming teams up with rookie Shi Luo to tie up a few perplexing loose ends in a murder case. Shi Luo is a crime fiction junkie and notices that the crime scene is disturbingly similar to one described in Gu Jiming's debut hit novel Black Rain. Is it a bizarre Murder He Wrote type of coincidence or is the author somehow complicit? The plot thickens when they discover Gu Jiming is not the only writer with links to the victim or the crime scene. The list of suspects grows as they delve deeper into the incestuous and cut throat literary world of aspiring and established writers and their messy personal lives.The murder mystery is riveting from the onset as the search for a missing dog becomes a hunt for a missing witness. As they hone in on the main antagonist, the narrative morphs into a police procedural and a terrifying, gut wrenching exploration of man's quest for relevance. For Zhenzhen and Guangming it is about being in control; for Jiming and Tang Xun it was about writing that memorable first and last novel. All too easily, they slip down the path of moral decay in their pursuit of what matters to them. Even though I was fascinated by this dark and cynical treatise on human nature and how toxic relationships can get, I didn't like or root for any of the characters in this story.
I always regarded Tong Dawei as an overrated actor but I was floored by his compelling portrayal of the pitiful, conflicted and ultimately selfish character that is Gu Jiming. I also was surprised by his dark chemistry with Su Zhenzhen and how they fed off each other. While I appreciate the attempt to flesh out Guangming's character and to somehow connect her marital problems to the case, I was bored by her relationship arc. Despite Ma Yili's fantastic acting, the great cop terrible wife plot-line is unoriginal and went on for too long; often disrupting the flow and pacing of the main narrative. The final two episodes are quite anti-climatic but its still overall an excellent suspense thriller. This could have been a much tighter and more engrossing watch had they cut it down to 10-12 episodes. I rate this an excellent 8.0/10.0.
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Who Am I?
Sakra is an overly ambitious attempt to adapt Qiao Feng's arc from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (天龙八部), my favorite Jin Yong novel. This is a tall task and inevitably has resulted in an overly condensed adaptation that misses the spirit of the original works. It is carried by the fact that it is such a beloved story that most viewers can fill in the gaps.Qiao Feng, the magnetic chief of the Beggar Sect is accused of dastardly crimes and outed as being of Khitan descent at a time of conflict between Song and Liao (Khitan). He is evicted from his sect and the entire wulin (martial world) turns against him. As he seeks to clear his name, he encounters Ahzu, a minion in the powerful Murong household. He risks his life to save hers and discovers that like himself, she is also on a Who Am I? quest to figure out her origins. The narrative takes on too much between the rushed and unconvincing romance, solving murders and disentangling both their back stories. The ending is confusing with hurried character introductions to pave the way for a sequel that deals with the mastermind reveal and final arcs of Qiao Feng's story. This hurried rendition makes Qiao Feng little more than a one dimensional, lean mean fighting machine. It is a pity because Qiao Feng is Jin Yong's most powerful, complex and misunderstood male character.
Qiao Feng is the ultimate master of Jin Yong's epic 18 Dragons Subduing Palm martial arts technique, which employs inner energy and is used in most of Qiao Feng's fight scenes. The action scenes are almost ridiculously bombastic - Qiao Feng pulverising an entire horde of martial arts with his amazing energy blasts; gravity defying roof leaping and up close and lethal hand-to-hand combat or swordplay. Qiao Feng's showdown with the entire wulin is the most thrilling action sequence but it comes a bit too early in the movie. It is both incredulous and stupendous to see one man take on so many. I truly feared for Qiao Feng's life but what was more terrifying was the hypocrisy and cowardice of wulin. They basically cancelled a brother-in-arms who stared down death alongside them multiple times and ganged-up on him to try to kill him! I didn't enjoy the final fight scene as much - while splendidly choreographed and thrilling, it veered too far into the territory of wildly exaggerated almost superpower like flying leaps and from a distance qi energy strikes.
I watched the Cantonese dubbed version because to me, Qiao Feng will always be Kiu Fung and Jin Yong's famous lines always sound so diminished and lacking in vehemence and intensity in Mandarin. I think this is a great watch for the action scenes alone. I rate it 7/10.
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Death Proof.
This is a good but very dark comedy, one that I am pleasantly surprised to see in a Chinese production. Although with some modification, this is an obvious knock off of a fantastic but much darker Western production that many are likely to be familiar with. I don't have a huge problem with that and must applaud the effort to localise the story and tone it down for Chinese audiences. That said, it is an incredibly dark theme and at times the macabre gallows humor accentuates rather than distracts from the underlying despondency.Mi Chong is an introverted, anti-social young man who can just no longer be bothered to live. He meticulously winds up his affairs and plans his exit but is rudely interrupted by a drowning girl, Zhi Liao. Zhi Liao is his polar opposite, a bad-ass, extroverted and rebellious girl who is nothing but trouble. As he gets reluctantly drawn into her affairs, the hapless Mi Chong cannot seem to be able depart in peace; all of his efforts to do away with himself are comically disrupted. As he gets swept up in a whirlwind of danger and whacky mis-adventures that seem to plague Zhi Liao, he begins to wonder if he suddenly became death proof. While they go on the run together, this unlikely couple starts to recognise they are each other's mutual salvation. As their enemies encircle them, is the final irony that Mi Chong ends up fighting to save his life rather than end it?
Most of the time the whacky plot hits the right notes in terms of dark humor, irony and quirkiness. That said, there were also many times I found nothing funny about the depth of Mi Chong's despair and I am surprised something this dark got pass censorship. And I was not satisfied that Zhi Liao does not have the slightest inkling what Mi Chong was going through. It is a big flaw in the relationship design, the fact that she never comes to appreciate how disturbed he was. While the actress Vivienne Tien did a good job overall, she overacted notably in the ending arc and her rage and anger failed to move me. Although it became clear that they grew to trust and rely on each other, the chemistry between the couple didn't change enough to convince me that the dynamics turned romantic. The surrounding cast was unexceptional with some cringe performances, notably Zhi Liao's brother. This is clearly a modest production but overall a uniquely enjoyable, quirky short watch.
My rating for this is a 7.5 for a delightful attempt at dark comedy. It still has rough edges and the wit and humor in places veers too far off to the slapstick and does not match the wit, audacity and sheer magic of the drama it obviously drew its inspiration from. Where it does exceed it is that it closes with a very positive message about life, how it should be lived and how not to let the past define the future.
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Good enough.
This is a comedy will make you cry as hard as it will make you laugh. It is a very personal, very moving tribute of comedian, actress, screenwriter and first time director Jia Ling to her mom, Li Huanying - factory worker, volleyball player and first person in Xiangyang to own a TV.I tried to watch this shortly after its release but dropped it within ten minutes because I was put off by the fact that Jia Ling chose to play herself, the then 18-year old Jia Xiaoling. In her late 30s at the time, she just doesn't look the part of a teenager so I abandoned it before I realised that nonetheless, she feels the part because she IS the part; every emotion is heartfelt down to the tiniest nuance. And of course she is who she is today because she is a funny lady, very, very funny with excellent comedic timing. Nonetheless, the criticism that the main role is possibly mis-cast is a valid one. There are some rough edges to the overall production that are very acceptable considering this is her directorial debut.
The main premise is simple, based on universally relatable mother daughter themes. Like many, I can vividly remember being 18, feeling awkward, unaccomplished, insecure and possibly a factory production run error of my lovely and vivacious mother. We have all been Jia Xiaoling, wanting to make our mom's proud, longing desperately to be worthy while dead set certain we are not. A freak of nature transports Xiaoling back to the past, where she meets and befriends her young mom and has a chance to be a part of all the most important events in her life. She hilariously and movingly tries to change her life for the better even if it means her mom ends up with someone else to hopefully have a more worthy daughter.. And in the process she movingly comes to the realisation that she was always already good enough. These are tried and true mother daughter themes that may seem to have been beaten to death but Hi Mom still manages to articulate a fresh, creative take and deliver a moving, heartfelt twist to this tale as old as time.
This is not perfect but I can happily give it a 9.0 and call it a masterpiece because it is an unforgettable movie that will make you call your mom or hug her if you are lucky enough to be next to her. After all, this humble, low budget production is only the highest-grossing movie of 2021, the second highest-grossing non-English film of all time, and the highest-grossing film by a solo female director. If like me, you haven't seen your mom for over a year due to covid, you may want to wait to watch this. But you must definitely watch it.
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The Spy Who Loved Me.
This espionage thriller about the making of a communist spy begins in 1936, a pivotal year in modern Chinese history for both then ruling Kuomintang and the rising Communist Party of China (CPC). The look and feel of this Republican era spy drama from the muted palette to the understated characters to the way even action scenes are shot is markedly different from its flamboyant, glamorous and absurdly bullet proof peer, The Disguiser. What I like about The Rebel is the realistic portrayal of spies who are much more like George Smiley than James Bond. None of the main characters have deep political or ideological convictions beyond a burning desire to expel the occupying Japanese forces from China, thus their allegiances and motives are easy to understand and relate to. The dumbing down of the competing ideologies and political factions of the day however gives the overall impression of a lack of substance that is at odds with how seriously this drama takes itself. And that is my biggest gripe: yes, those were chaotic, stressful and dark times and spying is a serious business but does it have to be so completely and utterly lacking in wit and humor?The drama opens in a thrilling and suspenseful way with the arrest of a CPC operative by Chen Moqun, the head of the Shanghai district of the Fuxing Club, which is the Kuomintang's secret service. Together with his young protege Lin Nansheng, they use psychological warfare to turn him and use him to try to weed out the Mailman, a long hidden spy in their midst. Thus begins a chilling, suspenseful cat and mouse between two equally matched spymasters trying to out manoeuvre one another. This was by far the best arc of the drama, anchored by masterful performances by both Wang Yang (Chen Moqun) and Wang Zhiwen (Gu Shenyan). This is one of those rare dramas where the villains steal the show and on many levels they are more cunning, more ruthless and more capable than the protagonists. Chen Moqun is by far the, best most interesting character and the only one that is written with some humor - a complete sociopath, terrifyingly intelligent, flamboyant, suspicious, foolishly blinded by Lin Nansheng's competence, a surprisingly reluctant traitor and a wild party animal! Both lead actors are completely upstaged by the veteran actors for most of the drama.
I am a huge fan of Zhu Yilong and it is clear from how gaunt he looks and from the intensity of his acting that he really poured himself into this role. And he is a terrific actor so it is not to say that the role is not well acted, there are some really good moments. But overall Zhu Yilong delivers a cautious interpretation of the character and one that is not noticeably differentiated from his past roles. He has the most incredible, expressive eyes that together with the tiniest facial muscle movements, can convey an incredible range of emotions and in this case, way too many emotions. Zhu Yilong's interpretation of the character is more fitting for someone who accidentally and reluctantly becomes a spy but Lin Nansheng is a young man that voluntarily joins the spy academy and graduates practically at the top of his class - he should be more cold hearted and have a better poker face to begin with. As much as I appreciate seeing how events and relationships reshape his values and ideals over time into burning conviction, it is better to have to occasionally guess at his emotions rather than to see everything written all over his face. It is telling that later in the drama when he matures into a colder more inscrutable spy, they cover his eyes with tinted glasses to stop them from spewing his guts. His journey is portrayed as very lonely and intensely introspective; so much so that he doesn't seem to connect with most of the main characters. Thus when he mourns their loss, it doesn't always resonate.
Zhu Yizhen starts out as an archetypal character for this genre - a passionate young student CPC member that is perplexingly inspired by Leaves of Green, Walt Whitman's greatest, heavily democratic works. I don't mind the spy who loved me trope so I was really looking forward to watching her turn Lin Nansheng, recruit him and them work together as a kick ass spy team. But unfortunately it doesn't quite play out that way and she doesn't become the strong female lead character I was looking for. She remains pretty much a passionate, reckless amateur and damsel in distress that needs saving all the time. As much as I like that all of the CPC spies are written to be very fallible in the vein of John LeCarre's spies, she really takes the cake in terms of incompetence. What I find most unbelievable is she falls for the same grift twice! The only mission she manages to complete successfully is the final one. Tong Yao's portrayal of this character is textbook but bland and forgettable and her frequent blank stare with lips slightly parted gets really old very quickly. There is no spark between her and Lin Nansheng so I never bought into their rather pedestrian love story. Lin Nansheng's relationship with Lan Xinjie is deeper, far more complex, better developed from many dangerous missions and much more moving.
The first arc of this drama is everything you want a spy thriller to be. Each progressive arc is less good and they don't transition that well, leaving a feeling of anti-climax. The latter half becomes noticeably less tightly written and loses suspenseful intensity. Characters start popping up out of the blue from nowhere whenever someone needs to be rescued. Lin Nansheng's classmate has a particular knack for showing up at the right place at the right time. In order to advance the plot, many of the most important characters get dumbed down to be rather cursorily written off to make way for Lin Nansheng to step up. I didn't like how some of the best most interesting power dynamics between Chen Moqun, Gu Shenyan and Wang Shian fizzle out without coming to a climax, a moment of truth and closure. Thus when Lin Nansheng comes of age, he isn't even going up against truly worthy opponents and there is no psychological thrill. The last arc is the weakest, it is too long of a time jump, deviates into patriotic tropes, gratuitous sacrifices, leaves open threads and like most of the arcs, comes to an anti-climatic and very predictable end.
If I have to rate just the first arc of this drama, it is at least an 8.5 or a 9.0. Unfortunately the storytelling doesn't hold up and the second half is at best a 7.5-8.0. I really dislike dramas that fade at the back half so I rate this at 8.0-8.5. I would also note that I have read and watched a lot of amazing spy thrillers so I tend to be tougher on this genre.
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A kiss is just a kiss.
This drama is set in 1949 during the prelude to the Communist Party of China's descent upon Shanghai the most strategic city in China at the time; which the nationalist Kuomintang had vowed to defend. The loss of Shanghai paved the way for the CPC to sweep into power and the rest is history. Given this backdrop, it is no surprise that this drama is often mischaracterized as a spy thriller. And certainly while espionage is a prominent feature, it is not at all what this drama is really about. It is much more a slice of life drama that explores the social economic challenges and shifting political ideologies that affects friends, families and lovers at this great inflection point in modern Chinese history.I normally heartily dislike dramas set in tumultuous times like this because one cannot realistically expect happy outcomes. So I put this off for the longest time even though I am a huge fan of Chen Kun. But to my surprise, I enjoyed this drama almost from start to finish. The drama deftly avoids being melodramatic or maudlin by telling the story as a witty and intelligent dark comedy; effectively masking the sad, somewhat cynical undertone. I laughed my head off at the comical antics of the flighty widow who tries to turn back time with her first true love, a married man who is clumsily both tempted and terrified by her. It was only much later that it struck me what an ironic and cruel trick fate played on them and their families. Beyond Chen Kun, this drama is well cast with actors with excellent comedic timing.
The newly widowed Huang Liwen (Wan Chen) encounters Qiao Zhicai by chance as they both return to Shanghai. Having just lost her husband, a communist agent, Liwen tries to stay connected to him or perhaps give meaning to her loss by embracing his cause. Qiao Zhicai on the other hand is a a street savvy rogue and a bit of the black sheep of his family who ably navigates through the hyperinflation and shortages during those chaotic times. Their antagonistic initial interactions and misunderstandings blossom into a touching friendship and they become increasingly entangled into each other's lives. Together they try to protect the work of Qiao Lijie, Zicai's identical younger twin and a brilliant nuclear physicist. Their activities invite the scrutiny of the brutal secret police, putting them and their families in harm's way.
Where this drama shines is in its satirical portrayal how the main characters respond to provocation, conflict and deprivation. On the one hand, the drama mockingly lays bare the shallower, superficial and baser human traits of many of the characters and then redeems them by actions that also reveals their capacity for good. This darkly humorous depiction of familial bonds, sibling rivalry, love and betrayal as well as loyalty and friendship is vivid, hilarious and wistful. The overarching plot however will not satisfy true spy buffs although there are some thrilling, suspenseful moments and twists. It amounts to little more than a bunch of rather amateur spies pitted against a bunch of equally incompetent villains and making huge sacrifices for a mission that is ultimately of dubious historical significance.
I cannot praise Chen Kun's stellar performance in this drama enough. He pulled off both twins with such different personalities so convincingly I really believed there were two of them. Some of my favorite moments were when the brothers switch places - when Zhicai pretends to be Lijie he gives you the barest glimpse of Zhicai's concealed personality and vice versa. That is incredibly difficult to pull off and I don't believe I have ever seen it done better. I ended up loving both brothers and to me, Qiao Zhicai has become an all time favorite drama character. On the other hand, I found Wan Chen's Huang Liwen somewhat lacking. To be fair, it is a complex, messy role - a widow who is struggling to find meaning in her loss and existence. But she never convinces that her zeal for her cause is grander than love or friendship or even life itself. And she needs saving all the time. She only has three expressions - woebegone, helpless and cold. For her, a kiss is just a kiss; a means to an end with little true passion. I find her feelings for and attitude towards Zhicai unfathomable and frustrating. I don't think that is what the writers intended. Although she almost redeems herself at the end, I still find her unworthy of the sacrifices and risks Zhicai took for her.
For me this is an 8.5 that would have been a 9.0 if a better actress played Liwen. Nonetheless, I very much enjoyed the story and dark humor - it is very rare to see it done so well in c-drama. I can highly recommended watching this even though as a consequence, I suffered a major relapse and started cyber stalking Chen Kun again.
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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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