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Gone Girl.
This is an incredibly dark suspense thriller about a family with secrets. At surface they seem like an everyday family; one whose struggles make them more devoted. Their son Wenzhou is simple and does not know his own strength when excited. His new nanny Xiao Xiu runs off for greener pastures. Convinced something bad happened to her, Chen Youxi escapes from the orphanage to seek her out. She discovers that twelve years ago, there was another gone girl from the Li household; their daughter Wenwen. She infiltrates the Li household as a miraculously returned Wenwen and pulls at threads that conceal old secrets.This drama starts strongly and moves at a transfixing pace throughout. The drama's strongest feature is that it keeps you guessing until the penultimate episode even though there are only three knowable suspects. While the story is gripping, the plot could be tighter from the mid-way point where small holes emerge. It suffers most in the whydidit behind Xiao Xiu's disappearance. The motive is not firmly established enough to be convincing. I rewatched the reveal a few times and suspect that something was cut out. I also did not like how Youxi tries to stage a confession trap again after the first one went so terribly and consequentially wrong. It is just lazy plot design although not inconsistent with the character's desperation to get answers. There are other small holes that add up to render this short of the masterpiece it had the potential to be.
What is exceptional is the characterisations and the mind-blowing acting. The entire cast delivers in spades. Mei Ting deserves an award for her ruthless, manipulative and multi-faceted Liao Suifang. The subtext behind her cat and mouse interactions with Youxi where they both knew they were on to each other is breathtaking and worth re-watching. Her conflicted feelings for Li Chengtian and Wang Chongjiang and how Wenzhou's ultimate welfare plays into it resonates. Her Suifang made me feel suspicious, angry, repulsed and curiously sympathetic. Similarly Wang Yanhui's Li Chengtian is also masterful - at face an affable, quiet, beaten man; a love consolation prize and a desperately seeking father... with an aura of hidden menace. The ties that bind this painful triangle together are so messy and yet almost inevitable. They keep secrets; deep dark secrets from one another and themselves. Between the three older characters, we see how relationships fracture over time and even the most normal people have dark sides but with different bottom lines.
Against incredibly layered veteran actors, the young cast can hold their own. I am not a fan of Dai Xu's brand of comedy but I really enjoy him in a serious role as Cheng Xu. After The Heart of Genius I had strong reservations over Zhang Zifeng but she convinces as this lost orphan hell bent on finding her only anchor in this world. But it is Du Yusen's Wenzhou - at times harmless and affectionate, full of simple childlike truths and at times scary as hell that steals the show. Guo Cheng also emerges here as a young actor to watch - his Cheng Wei is very charismatic and the way he lapses seamlessly into Guangzhou dialect adds dimension to his characterisation. The dynamics and chemistry between Youxi, Cheng Wei and Wenzhou is as light as the ones between the three older characters is dark. All the lost children in this story end up found in some way to end this sinister tale on a less dark note.
I have not enjoyed a Chinese suspense thriller this much since The Bad Kids. It is overall not quite at the same level but I can easily rate this a 8.5/10 with the acting worth that rare 10/10.
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Dead men walking.
This year 2020 must be the year of detective stories, there are so many that we are spoiled for choice. This one set in the Republican era (1911) hooked me with its dark, eerie prologue that immediately invokes a hint of the supernatural and the presence of evil. Twenty years ago in Fuyuan County, twelve beheaded escorts are brought back to life via an ancient ritual. But the mystery of these dead men walking's murder and the whereabouts of their missing cargo is never solved. Fuyuan County remains a remote suburb of Tianjin that is steeped in dark magic and witchcraft.Tan Bodun is a rising young detective in with the Tianjin Police with a secret - he has a dark side that he struggles to suppress. Accompanied by his side kick Da Pan and his Westernized fiancée Luo Jiazhen, he is sent to the ominous Fuyuan County to solve another spooky and inexplicable murder that takes place in plain sight of the town's elite. On the way they stumble upon another case and encounter Song Chengmin, one of the scions of the affluent Song family. Aided by the local police inspector Zheng Jiewu, they pull at what appear to be disparate threads, more sinister murders occur and threads end up being linked and lead eventually to the unraveling of the twenty year old cold case.
What I really like about this drama is that the overarching mystery is well written and there are enough clues and suggestions along the way that when all is revealed, everything fits together and intuitively makes sense. Unfortunately I cannot say the same about the many sub-mysteries. As often is the problem with this genre, the writers tend to give in to the urge to write twists upon twists upon twists. After one or two times, this becomes confusing, tiresome and in some cases, the final solution is not the best, most convincing one. All of the main characters appear to have their own agendas and behave suspiciously enough to make viable suspects in the crimes. The problem is if they are not guilty these hidden motives are never fully explained, it is really done to create an illusion of probable cause.
Gao Zhiting is a really talented and likable young actor. I really enjoy his portrayal of Tan Bodun and his wickedly brilliant alter ego. In fact I much better like his alter ego but I don't really like that they went down the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde route with the character. It would have been cleaner and more interesting if they just wrote him as a truth seeker with unconventional or occasionally morally ambiguous methods. The rapport and team work between the main characters is very enjoyable and feels very natural; I find Da Pan in particular to be hilarious. However, I am not convinced by any of the romances and I really dislike how Jiazhen turns into a spoiled, willful and immature brat somewhere in the middle to just create some romantic angst.
Although the ending clearly paves the way for another season, as far as the overall conspiracy is concerned it is very satisfyingly resolved so I won't call it an open ending. I wouldn't mind watching this team work together again, in particular if the overall case is as well written as this one was. The only thing I don't like about the ending is that one of the key villains for Season 2 is already revealed as a hook. That was unnecessary and will take a bit of fun out of Season 2 but not so much so that to dissuade me from watching.
Overall, this is a very entertaining watch even though not all of the sub-mysteries are interesting. I really love the spooky, supernatural undertones and rate this an 7.5 for that.
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The thunder rolls: a work in progress
This is the first of this series that I managed to get this far through. Despite the appeal of supernatural mysteries and tomb raiding adventures, I was never able to get into any of the other ones. That said, while there are flashes of brilliance, the overall effort so far is at best mediocre with much hanging on how the various plot threads end up resolved.A cryptic message from Wuxie's uncle that sends the Iron Triangle - Wuxie, Pangzi and Zhang Qiling on a quest to decipher the message of the Thunder god and find Wu Sansheng. The story is off to an awesome start with heart stopping action and phenomenal world building. The scenes in the tomb have just the right balance of mystery, suspense, supernatural forces, hordes of foul and undead creatures and death defying moments. My eyes bugged out at Qiling (Huang Jun Jie)'s raw athleticism, fierce speed and fluid grace. Like most viewers, I love the Iron Triangle - their chemistry, hilarious banter and complimentary skills make them seem invincible together. So it is super disappointing to see the three amigos separate and off on their own.
The pacing is jarring - it alternates abruptly between gripping, life threatening action and mind numbingly boring and unnecessary filler episodes and characters. The entire Hei Yanjing/mute girl arc could have been cut by at least 75pct - there is little plot advancement and the romance is pedestrian. It could only have been worse if the girl can actually speak so thank the small mercies. That painful arc ends only to descend further into purgatory with the introduction of (drum roll) Piao Piao. While allegedly due to the heavy hand of censorship, at best she had three brain cells instead of two. Poor Panzi, he deserves so much better. It is offensive to see women written to be so dumb just to facillitate certain plot developments. By comparison, Xiao Bai is an adorable genius; even her lovesick eye batting at Wuxie is totally forgiveable considering how devastating and charismatic Zhu Yilong's Wuxie is. I am sure I will be unable to watch any other actor take on this role after this.
Although I quite like Warehouse 11, the Sea King's tomb is hard to beat and sequencing leaves Season 1 ending with an anti-climatic and unfinished feel to it. The reveals are somewhat predictable and too many plot threads are left open. If too much time passes before Season 2 airs, I will forget many of the important clues and open issues unless I invest in some rewatching. In hindsight, I should have started this after there is an airing date for Season 2 and that would be my advice for those planning to watch this.
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Women should not rule the world.
The Legend of Zhuohua is another in a string of recent female empowerment themed historical romantic dramas. The production is upfront that this drama is a work of pure fiction. It is impossible for women to exercise the kind of influence and authority portrayed in this story in ancient Chinese patriachical society. The attitudes and values articulated are also incredibly modern and unsurprisingly, resonate with current audiences. It should be enjoyed at face value accepting that many aspects of it are sheer fantasy.Titular character Ma Zhuohua flees an arranged marriage to the capital; where she must pass the imperial exams to fulfill her ambition to be a female official. Quick witted and resourceful, she saves Lord Ding, a decorated war hero, when he is wouded in the middle of a clandestine operation. Their fates intertwine as he is the strongest advocate of opening up scholarship and official positions to women. As they collaborate on official assignments and work toward their shared vision of the country, they fall in love. Can their relationship navigate a feudal system that requires women officials to choose between marriage and their career?
The most enjoyable arcs of this drama are the early courtship ones. This is the first time I have enjoyed Jing Tian's playing such a clever, demurely mischevious and independent character. Despite a ghastly white color filter and not the best dubbing, the strong chemistry between Jing Tian and Feng Shaofeng is unmistakable. It is so refreshing and very hot to see such a candid, lively and purely adult relationship dynanic laced with flirtatiously racey dialogue. The humor is very well written and so cheekily portrayed that I laughed uproariously many times, and especially at the dirty jokes. The political commentary and philosophical debates are surprisingly well written, with a sophistication beyond what I would expect of a light romantic comedy like this.
Outside the empowerment theme, the sub-plots are not special but this top notch veteran cast is very charismatic and executes so well it makes up for some of the lack of originality. Both Shi Yueling and Wang Likun in particular deliver formidable, almost terrifying performances as Empress Dowager Zhou and Princess Roujia. I also found Roujia's complicated relationship with Shen Jinghong very interesting. Unfortunately just after the mid-way point, the narrative rehashes tired plotlines including noble idiocy, murder most foul and high treason. In quite a similar vein to Destined, it nose dives into a poorly designed political melodrama and predictible twists. Even incredible acting cannot paper over that this is yet another delusional ends justifies the means antagonist with an unconvincing villain origin backstory.
This would have made a much better 20 episode drama that ended on the intended message that women should seize their dreams. The writers took it one step further into women can also seize the world. And then left us with an unambiguous message that women should not rule the world. The first few arcs of this are worth about an 8.0 but the latter arcs are just 6.0/6.5. I can only give this a 7.0. Its still a quality production with some good laughs to pass some time but it won't rock your world.
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The mind's eye.
Under the Skin is a police procedural that is built around the use of forensic art to solve cases. This fresh pitch within a well established genre is what makes this an interesting and fairly enjoyable watch.The drama opens with a classroom analysis of Jean-Louis David's "The Death of Marat", one of the most political and epochal masterpieces of the French Revolution. This beautiful lie of a painting that rearranges the crime scene and depicts the unsightly and radical Marat as a matyr makes the point that appearances can be deceiving. The assassin, feminist activist Charlotte Corday who in her own words, "killed one man to save a hundred thousand" is regarded as a heroine by many. It is clear inspiration for the drama's social commentary that highlights women's issues and the often empathetic portrayal of the perpetrators of the crimes. It is truly wonderful how carefully these recurring themes are woven into the cases and how deftly art is used to portray the distinction between first impressions, perception and different realities for different people.
This is all embodied in the mind's eye of genius artist Shen Yi, who is able to marry deductive observations from the scene and the nature of the crime with intuition to uncannily recreate images of the culprit, at times the victim and how it all went down. Tan Jianci is an actor I have kept an eye on for quite some time and I am excited to see him land lead roles. While he delivers a charming and nuanced articulation of this very reserved "still waters run deep" kind of character, it is not a role that best showcases the range and depth of his abilities as an actor. The real issue lies with the character blueprint itself, which is sad to say rather two dimensional. Shen Yi is simply too good to be true; beyond his artistic genius, he is also a master interrogator, chess player, indeed he is a jack of all skills required to solve the case. I am not quite sure what this elite Beijing Interpol team did without him. He is a loner with no real friends or family, has no vices or other flaws other than nodding off in cars either because he himself or Du Cheng is a snooze fest. Even though justice is blind in so many of the cases, he remains too unquestioningly a truth seeker and enforcer of the law. This is at odds with the many cases that conclude with a sense that the perpetrators were the true victims and it bothered me that it didn't bother Shen Yi.
Where Shen Yi is clearly the brains, Du Cheng is the muscle archetype; the man of action that takes stray bullets and runs into windows as and when needed. Yet like Shen Yi, Du Cheng is a likeable but ultimately hollow character with limited definition and development that comes very late in the game. The relationship between the two protagonist is so tentatively explored and inhibited that they barely make eye contact until we are in the final innings of the story. This is a shame because Tan Jianci and Jin Shijia share a very comfortable chemistry that the production did not fully take advantage of. I am left with a dissatisfied feeling of having been told rather than shown how the unbreakable bond of friendship and trust builds between them. The main antagonist is another shallow and uninteresting character who becomes pretty obvious well before the reveal even though their motive is unfathomable to the point of making no sense. It is fair to say that the characters in this drama are very much like Shen Yi's sketches; they are just nice outlines that lack dimension, colour, weight and substance.
It can be argued that two dimensional characters are par for the course in good, meaty plot driven dramas but unfortunately the plot is where this drama disappoints the most. Even though I appreciate the empathetic spotlight on current social issues, the cases or sub-plots are hit or miss and they don't deepen the main plot. There are only two solid, tightly wrapped up cases that I found very enjoyable. The other cases are rather predictable, had logic flaws and often don't wrap up the issues raised in a satisfactory manner. As for the main plot, the best part of it is how ingeniously the villain is trapped. The mastermind's involvement in the 7-year cold case that brings Shen Yi and Du Cheng together is frankly ridiculous. They were too successful very early on in a very lucrative field to need to engage in such a risky, difficult and time consuming business. There are at least two other potential masterminds, each of which would have made for much more convincing villains in terms of motive, means and opportunity. I feel the finale's message simply panders to the Chinese government's recent data privacy paranoia and crackdown on a big industry.
I can tell that a lot of research and meticulous attention to detail went into the procedural aspects of this drama and setting and artistic aesthetics are phenomenal. Even though the stage is set with amazing props and really nice camerawork, the overall impression is bland. There are no larger than life characters or relationships that will rock your world. There is no tension, no conflict, no suspense build up, the drama doesn't really peak it is just monotone throughout. That said it has some unique aspects and it is well made enough to be a good way to pass some time. I rate it a solid but ultimately forgettable 8/10.
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Missing parts.
Let me preface this review with a warning - this is a well-loved drama that I simply fail to appreciate. If my criticism of it will offend you or ruin the joy you found in it, best give this a skip.The soundbites are tantalizing: a taboo romance between a eunuch and a concubine; a ruthless and scheming male lead; a spirited and clever female lead; and palace conspiracies and mysteries aplenty. Not to mention Wang Hedi's Xiao Duo exudes that intense tall, dark, and dangerous kind of sex appeal that screams he is no Lord Varys. So I jumped in despite my reservations over Chen Yuqi's acting. As it turns out, that is one of the drama's lesser problems.
This drama is an inane attempt at dark satire aimed at the obscene privilege of emperors. It opens with the shockingly cruel practice of sending off childless concubines, known as tribute ladies to accompany the emperor in the afterlife. After high powered eunuch Xiao Duo rescues Bu Yinlou from this dastardly fate, an alliance of sorts forms between the two as they navigate treacherous palace politics in a time of power transition. I like how it was just a mutually beneficial relationship initially and how they disliked and were wary of each other; that the romance did not blossom instantly. Where it falters is in showing me why the two most powerful men in the palace connect with and fall so utterly for a woman afflicted by bizarre facial paroxysms.
Xiao Duo's wicked ruthlessness is gleefully conveyed with wit, panache, and flawless comedic timing by Wang Hedi. This is well matched by Peter Ho's slightly over-the-top portrayal of the deceptively simplistic, cartoonish-ly obsessive, and delusional emperor. Both portrayals convey each character's underlying ethos; a past sadness and secret loneliness. Unfortunately, Chen Yuqi’s jarring and tacky comedic interpretation is far more typical of a slapstick comedy than dark satire. Her exaggerated rapid eye movement and outlandish facial expressions had me triple-checking the synopsis to see if the character is supposed to be epileptic, schizophrenic, or simply possessed. While a huge upgrade from her usual vacuous sleepwalking, for the first 14 episodes, there is little beyond brazen tasteless humor in Chen Yuqi's Bu Yinlou. After that, she gets into character and delivers some really good scenes. She has good romantic chemistry with Wang Hedi that elevates her performance and the more serious tone the story takes also helps. But her acting is not consistent and wobbles again at the ending episodes. It highlights her limited range and is quite inexcusable for someone who is an acting school graduate with a long list of drama lead role credits. This is the best I have seen from her in years but that says nothing at all.
This drama's biggest issue is that it is missing a good plot. The storyline is contrived, naive and so ridiculous it is disdainful of audience intelligence. The writer's ignorance and superficial understanding of feudal imperial inner palace workings are embarrassing. It is impossible for someone like Bu Yinlou to waltz in and out of the inner palace like it is a hotel, live at a brothel and gallivant all over the kingdom with Xiao Duo. The production leaked "cut" romantic scenes like a sieve, trying to blame the abysmal failure in storytelling on censorship. The truth is all the kiss scenes in the world cannot salvage the messy plot and inconsistent characterizations. We are told both leads are smart characters but they are actually the architects of their own troubles. The allegedly Machiavelli Xiao Duo wrests the crown prince from the custody of the one person with the highest incentive to keep him alive and healthy and puts him in the hands of the person with the strongest incentive to kill him dead! As a couple, they have repeated opportunities to escape, but choose not to. Xiao Duo's revenge is anti-climatic and hastily swept under the rug once the killer is uncovered. They flaunt their affair with such reckless impunity they so deserved to get busted. I stopped caring if they ended up together and sat on the meh ending episode for weeks. I finally finished watching this so you don't have to. To my dismay, they got an ending they didn't earn or deserve.
The bottom line is Wang Hedi is the only reason to watch this drama. He is sexy even when he glowers and scowls and his costuming and visuals in this drama are swoon-worthy. In fact, save yourself some time and just watch all the fan-made videos of the romantic scenes hard-core fans have stitched together. You can skip all the rest because as foreshadowed by the eunuch theme, this drama has critical missing parts. I can only rate it 6.5/10.0 to finish at the rock bottom of my completed list for 2022.
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A kingdom for a concubine's smile.
Adapted from Ma Boyong's novel of the same name, The Litchi Road is a biting satire of a besotted old man's folly; an emperor who squanders a kingdom for a concubine's smile. Set during the twilight years of Xuanzong's reign, it is about Yang Guifei's well known love for lychees. To mark her birthday, he orders fresh lychees ferried 2,500 miles from Lingnan to Chang’an—a fool’s errand, as the delicate fruit spoils within days, dooming the 5,000 li journey.Enter Li Shande, a humble Shanglin Bureau official, gifted in mathematics, poetry, and botany but too scrupulous and apolitical to climb the ruthless Tang bureaucracy. He’s the perfect patsy, duped into the role of “Litchi Envoy” for this impossible mission. Written with dark humor and irony, Li’s stoic resolve—“I wish to live”—resonates with powerless commoners who rally to his cause, aiding his experiments in preservation and test runs. They are aided by merchants who see a profit opportunity in an ancient cold chain logistics network that transports this prized fruit inland to Chang'an and beyond. Yet bureaucratic hurdles and corrupt officials thwart them at every turn. The narrative sharply critiques imperial excess and elite callousness while quietly celebrating the “ants”—individually inconsequential people whose collective efforts achieve the unthinkable.
Zheng Ping’an’s parallel espionage arc, clearly not Ma Boyong’s creation, feels extraneous, though Yue Yunpeng’s comedic flair—obsequious groveling masking seething resentment—adds humor and depth to Li Shande and Xiu’er’s characters. His grudging aid, driven by his affection for Xiu’er, is touching, but a sharper writer might have made his plot arc more relevant and ended his and Gouér's journey in a more fitting way. Lei Jiayin shines as Li Shande, a relatable and at times frustrating anti-hero; a well-intentioned person who makes promises he can't keep and whose forbearance is ultimately exhausted by the iniquity around him.
Fans of Longest Day in Chang’an will spot familiar faces in new roles, with similar aesthetics and themes as this story unfolds over a dozen years later. The emperor, still smitten with Yang Guifei, balances power between the Left and Right Chancellors. The prose sparkles with wit, weaving classical phrases, puns, and Li Bai’s poetry for layered meaning. Lingnan’s sun-drenched palette and tropical costumes showcase the vastness and diversity of Great Tang. While Longest Day is a higher budget and more polished production, Litchi Road is a more fun watch. The sharp social commentary and heavy profound moments are balanced by levity and memorable hilarious scenes—like the uproarious, very 1990s cockfight (no animals harmed) that had me in stitches.
The ensemble, villains included, earns applause. He Youguang, the petty tyrant, and his scheming secretary Zhao Xinmin deliver comic gold, their fowl play both hilarious and menacing. The evolution of the ancient cold chain, aided by foreign merchants’ spice-transport methods, fascinates, while diverse characters add exotic richness. Amita’s strory ends abruptly, likely due to actor Nashi’s controversy, which taints the drama’s reception. However she landed the role or got where she is today, Nashi's acting is solid; far better than many popular leading actresses. Her look is so stunning and exotic it is hard to imagine anyone else pulling off Amita with that kind of boldness and flair.
The finale takes an odd turn, flirting with supernatural elements before winking at its own fictionality—an acceptable, if imperfect, close. The recurring “bad things happen to good people” theme feels realistic but heavy, with two gratuitous deaths and undeserved outcomes (good and bad) for many. Still, many bad guys fall, the good guys score a small but significant victory, and and fresh litchis are enjoyed by the story's true beauty in a poignant reunion. Despite a strong start, it misses a 9.0 but earns an enthusiastic 8.5/10.0.
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The Strong Man of Asia
Huo Yuanjia is a true blue real life martial arts hero right up there with Wong Fei-Hung, Fong Sai-yuk, Ip Man, Bruce Lee... they would all be top picks for my fantasy Shaolin soccer team! It is impossible to grow up without watching boat loads of kungfu shows about them. Even before I started this, I knew I must have already seen some permutation of it at least a gazillion times. And yet I still ate it all up like it was the first time; hovering anxiously for it to air every night and thrilled to my toes at every hair rising fight.Like most other accounts of this iconic and legendary figure's life, this drama clearly takes creative license with the truth in many places but overall, it still rhymes with the main figures and events that shaped Huo Yuanjia's life. Beyond all the typical martial world values and morality, this drama asks the question of whether standing up for one's beliefs and values is worth the heavy price and whether it is fair that family and friends become collateral damage. As a concession to the controversy surrounding his portrayal in Jet Li's Fearless, this drama emphasizes that Hua Yuanjia valued human life and did not kill indiscriminately which is more consistent with the philosophy underlying his famous Chin Woo Athletic Association that martial arts is practiced for keeping fit.
It goes without saying that this drama is extremely action intensive. And it is the kind of close up hand to hand combat that I really love with intense acrobatics and high impact flying kicks and punches aimed with devastating cruelty at internal organs. I don't have to sing praises for Zhao Wenxzhuo; nobody could better play this kind of intense action oriented martial arts role. I am a much bigger fan of his Wong Fei-hung than Jet Li's. There are lots of villains in this fast paced drama as Yuanjia's fame attracts as many enemies as friends. But the nasty Qing Mandarin Ying Si is just simply the most vile, fantastically dangerous villain I have seen in a long time and so convincingly acted that I loved to hate him.
As a life story, this is told chronologically and the action unavoidably climaxes in the middle and predictably builds to another peak at the end that underscores the message that Chinese can stand up against mismatched physical odds and show and the world not to underestimate the strong man of Asia. I have seen that David vs Goliath moment so many times and yet every time I am so satisfied I feel like belching loudly and thumping my chest.
What I love most about this drama is Huo Yuanjia's wife - Madam Wang whose given name is unknown (imagine they had five kids and no one even remembers her name!). She must be almost entirely fictionalized but nonetheless they made her completely awesome. She can't fight but she is so brave, loyal, gracious, forward looking and so clever she saves them multiple times. I also like that this Huo Yuanjia is far from perfect - he can be chauvinistic, patriotic, inflexible and overly conservative. How these flaws impact his relationship with his family, friends and disciples and how he experiences growth as he comes to understand and accept other points of views is very well articulated.
This is more than just another extremely well choreographed gratuitous martial arts action drama. It all gets wrapped into a story about an amazing life journey with many cherished companions, some who sadly are lost along the way. Even though it definitely feels very familiar and is at times even predictable, it is only in the best of ways. So if you are in the mood for some intense action and a trip down memory lane, this is a good choice, I give it a solid 8.0
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Win Win vs Win All.
Legend of Magnate stands out as one of the better written historical business dramas. It is set in late Qing dynasty, a time of great turmoil in modern Chinese history. The story opens to the vast and icily inhospitable landscape of an exile colony in Ningguta. The real-location filming delivers an authentic and immersive sense of the desolation and at the very ends-of-the-earth feeling of this frigid winterland. Yet somehow, convict Gu Pingyuan, a falsely excused scholar from Anhui, was almost thriving as a fixer and general dogsbody for the incompetent military command of the Ningguta garrison. He smooths the way for the business dealings of Li Qin, the young scion of the Li family as well as that of itinerant merchant Fourth Master Chang and his daughter Yu'er. Thus begins a lifelong entanglement as they face headwinds on multiple fronts of an empire on its last legs.After he escapes from Ningguta, Gu Pingyuan reinvents himself as a pawnbroker, banker, tea merchant and even dabbles in a salt monopoly. His exploits are legendary as he navigates savagely unethical business rivalries amid civil war and foreign interference. The business plots are tightly written and explain intricate business schemes and late-Qing era commerce and finance in a logical and engaging manner. The narrative is interwoven with civil war, political intrigue, betrayal, revenge, romance, family drama, diplomatic affairs and patriotism. With canny commercial instincts, sound judgement and a strong business ethics, Pingyuan fosters important alliances with other merchants, government officials and even rebels who pop up just in time to throw him a lifeline when needed. Undeniably his meteoric rise is is partly due to heavy plot armour aka sheer luck but the fast-paced, storytelling with high dramatic tension leaves little time to dwell on the convenient coincidences.
The massive social and economic upheaval wrought by the Taiping Rebellion occupies central stage in the first major arc of the drama. The complex motivations for this civil unrest that cost 20-30mm lives is sympathetically conveyed. It is surprising to see a rebel leader such as Li Cheng stop short of being glorified - or maybe Zhu Yawen's portrayal is simply too evocative. What is not needed is the romance - both female leads fall in love way too quickly and Bai Yimei's feelings in particular are not convincingly developed. Besides an uncanny ability to GPS hone in on her man across thousands of miles of desolate frigid wasteland, Chang Yuér also adds nothing to the plot. The character is quite well written but Sun Qian's childish line delivery and unnecessarily weepy interpretation failed to resonate with me. Li Chun's radical and dangerous Su Zixuan ended up being the most interesting and best acted female role in the show.
Cheng Xiao delivers a mature, down-to-earth portrayal of this humble scholar turned business prodigy; making his stellar feats somehow seem reasonable and hard won. He is surrounded by a talented and versatile cast that vividly brings the zeitgeist of difficult period of history to life. All the subplots build anticipation towards an epic day of reckoning between Gu Pingyuan and his arch-rival Li Wantang; they are parallel characters with opposite business philosophies - win win vs win all. Unfortunately their arc ends abruptly in a completely out of character and anti-climatic plot twist that is a nothing burger of a melodramatic cop out. This is deeply disappointing as I was looking forward to what could have been a riveting denouement between Cheng Xiao and Huang Zhi Zhong, one of the most versatile and compelling character actors in the industry. Even though Luo Yizhou's Li Qin surprised and impressed me in the final arc, it was a boring arc. The finale introduces new characters too late in the game and gets mired down in minutiae of government concessions, contract terms, trade treaties and law of the sea.
Overall this was one of the better period dramas of 2025. It is worth watching just for the on-location filming if nothing else. While the final two arcs were not good enough for this to merit an 8.5, it is definitely an 8.0+/10.0.
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A Force of Nature
She and Her Girls is a biographical account of Zhang Guimei’s tireless quest to educate impoverished young women in Huaping County. It opens with a gut-wrenching portrayal of how Teacher Guimei rescues her fourteen-year-old student, Gu Yu (yes, that is still the age of consent in China), from being sold into marriage to fund her father’s drinking habits. Guimei is a force of nature, sweeping through Huaping County to save one girl at a time—even before she has the means to support their continued education. Through sheer stubbornness, tenacity, and desperate resourcefulness, she secures land for her school, strong-arms provincial authorities, recruits promising teachers, and badgers private entrepreneurs to get her girls’ school off the ground.I was pleasantly surprised by the humor that lightens what could have been an overwhelmingly heavy story about rural China’s marginalized girls. The narrative doesn’t shy away from mocking Guimei’s more grating traits—from her deafening early-morning bullhorn to her judgmental, unforgiving demeanor. This humanizes her, preventing her from becoming a one-dimensional saint. Beyond Guimei, there’s no shortage of personal sacrifice: Chen Sihai and the teachers put their lives on hold to build the school. The sheer volume of altruism is almost suffocating, but given the obstacles, perhaps that’s what it took to succeed.
While most praise has gone to Song Jia’s award-winning, unflinching portrayal of Guimei, Gu Yu’s story moved me the most and anchored the drama. Though overlooked by awards, I found Lan Xiya (Gu Yu) and Zhang Tianyang (Chen Sihai) even more compelling than Song Jia and Nie Yuan.
The narrative peaks with Gu Yu’s academic journey. Unfortunately, none of the other girls stand out—their stories are neither well-written nor distinct from countless other coming-of-age tales. There were several natural stopping points, but like Guimei herself, the story soldiers on doggedly, trudging through forgettable generations and trite subplots. I enjoyed the drama up until the midpoint; afterward, it became a slog, further weighed down by heavy-handed propaganda.
Despite the strong script, fantastic cast, and standout moments, this is an overrated drama—nowhere near a masterpiece. There’s no segment I’d feel compelled to rewatch. The first half earns an 8.5/10, but overall, 8.0/10 is more than fair.
(To my knowledge, Gu Yu is a fictional character.)
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Being bad never looked so good.
Rose Finch unfolds like a dark, chilling, and morbidly sensational penny dreadful set in Republican-era Shanghai. The story opens with a bizarre and graphic double murder involving an elite showgirl at Rose Finch (Zhuque Pavillion/朱雀堂), the hottest nightclub in town. Detective Tang Zhenyun is hot on the case, enlisting the aid of talented forensic scientist Xia Mo. Their paths cross with Gao Ying, the enigmatic and deadly boss of Rose Finch, who alternately aids or obstructs their investigation as suits her agenda. She seems intent on uncovering who is murdering her "songbirds" while protecting her family's interests. Is Gao Ying friend or foe?This is a fast-paced, gripping crime thriller that, with its 20-minute episodes, has no time to waste on romance or typical drama digressions. The plot remains tightly focused on one major case, delivering relentless momentum. It’s more violent than expected, unflinchingly portraying the lawlessness and rot festering beneath the era’s decadence.
Wan Qian anchors the narrative with her awe-inspiring portrayal of an inscrutable, powerful, and ruthless mobster’s daughter who lives by her own code. Being bad never looked so good! Zhang Cheng also impresses as the pugnacious, hot-blooded Detective Tang, always ready for a brawl. I was surprised to see Qin Junjie in such a haunted, nerdy, and low-key role, but as a team, this unlikely crime-solving trio clicks perfectly. My only gripe is the dead spouse trope, which feels a bit maudlin and out of place.
The ending has some mildly unsatisfying aspects—it’s dark, cynical, yet oddly fitting for the era. A fantastic short watch. 7.5/10.
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Ghosted.
Breaking the Shadows (乌云之上) follows rookie cop Lin Jiajia (Ding Guansen) as he teams up with the hardened Han Qing (Sun Li) to solve a grisly dismemberment case. Their partnership starts icy——Han Qing remains haunted by the disappearance of her former partner Zhong Wei during a narcotics investigation, and she bristles at Jiajia’s presence as an unwelcome replacement. When clues emerge that Zhong Wei is still alive but has deliberately ghosted them, Han Qing starts to connect his disappearance with their current case. They discover potential links between the dismemberment case and Zhong Wei's drug case. She slowly warms to Jiajia after noticing his similarities with Zhong Wei in both methodology and temperament and she comes to respect his insights.Where the series succeeds is in its performances, particularly Sun Li’s nuanced portrayal of Han Qing. She deftly captures the detective’s steely professionalism and the quiet desperation beneath it, making her eventual emotional unraveling one of the narrative’s few genuine highlights. The strong supporting cast, including Ding Guansen, Li Xiaoran and Luo Jin in a frustratingly limited role, also elevates the material with multi-faceted portrayals.
Unfortunately, the storytelling never matches the cast’s efforts. The plot unfolds in a linear fashion, leaning heavily on foreshadowing that robs the reveal of any real tension. While the mystery behind Zhong Wei’s disappearance provides some early intrigue, the resolution lands with predictable thud rather than a satisfying payoff.
Overall this drama is a passable time-filler for genre enthusiasts. Sun Li’s performance and a handful of gripping sequences keep it watchable, but its hardly essential viewing. A very average 7/10—engaging enough in the moment, but unlikely to linger in memory.
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To the ends of the earth.
The Lonely Warrior is a crime thriller about one man's obstinate, obsessive thirteen year quest for justice. It is a highly dramatized account of a real life case. The movie version Endless Journey is led by Zhang Yi whereas this drama version is led by Qin Hao.In the middle of a tense, emotional criminal case, an interrogation accident ends the careers of the elite Third Brigade investigative unit led by Cheng Bing. After a ten year stint in prison that costs Cheng Bing everything, he emerges hell bent on hunting down the violent killer Wang Dayong who eluded them all those years ago. He reunites with his squad, all of whom have at surface moved on with their lives but are still haunted by this cold case. They initially go to great lengths to help Cheng Bing but as a result of life commitments end up dropping out. Cheng Bing soldiers on deliberately, methodically pursing the vicious Wang Dayong seemingly till the ends of the earth, leaving no stone unturned.
The strongest aspect of this drama are the chase scenes and the way tension builds in a gripping and chillingly suspenseful way. What I didn't like was how Wang Dayong barely appears in the latter episodes. It was done to raise doubt over whether Cheng Bing was doggedly on the right track but it also made me quite frustrated with his obduracy. They failed to capitalise on Chen Minghao who delivers an incredibly menacing, ruthless and unpredictable Wang Dayong, a hardened criminal with exceptional survival instincts. I was also dismayed with what they did to his appearance; effectively obscuring all the nuances of his expressions. This would have been a lot better if they focused more in the cat-and-mouse chase between Cheng Bing and Wang Dayong with heart stopping near misses instead of pushing Wang Dayong off-screen for such long stretches.
My biggest issue with the narrative is that it delves too deeply into Cheng Bing's and the Third Brigade's personal stories. Qin Hao never fails to impresses in how he conveys deep emotions and he really out did himself in making us feel the weight of everything he loss. But I was not convinced at all by his relationship with Miao Miao. This is not a necessary character even though Ren Min does a good job with it. Add Tong Tong to the mix and I was just rolling my eyes. Even though I enjoyed the Third Brigade's camaraderie, they should either have had them see the case through all the way with Cheng Bing or not at all. It is very annoying to watch the narrative build up all of their personal stories only to see them drop out half way through. The most relevant and interesting relationship is the contentious one between Pan Dahai and Cheng Bing. These many digressions come at the cost of losing the momentum of the chase. This would be a much tighter and better drama with fewer episodes. As such, I am not surprised that the movie version has been better received than the drama even though I personally think the drama has a better lead cast.
Despite some pacing issues, this is overall a very enjoyable suspense thriller anchored by a stellar cast. Happy to rate it 7.5/10.0.
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Only the good die young.
The second instalment of Sima Yi's story opens with his uncomfortable return to the capital to serve under the most unworthy Cao Rui, the ingrate he saved as a boy and put on the throne. Cao Rui grew up to be a monster and what he did to Empress Gao was a great historical injustice. The symbolism of Cao Rui being carried by Sima Yi is strong, suggesting their dynasty was held up by Sima Yi and most of this drama makes the case that the treacherous Cao family was unworthy and deserved to be toppled. I usually like Liu Han but did not enjoy how he portrayed Cao Rui. I was unmoved by his childhood trauma over being the product of an indifferent father who executed his mother and just drummed my fingers impatiently through his theatrics and unseemly antics with his vile eunuch. I did appreciate some aspects of his acting - he seemed cunning and slightly unhinged in the most dangerous of ways that made me feel fear for the Sima family.The highlight of the second season is without doubt Sima Yi's rivalry with Zhuge Liang, the greatest strategist of Three Kingdoms lore. It was heart wrenching to see two soulmates with such profound mutual understanding, respect and admiration locked in a ferocious life and death battle. Both bound by oathes they swore to dead emperors, one is handicapped by a strong master and the other by a weak one. It was just war brutal and simple; there was no right, or wrong, or good or evil; just opposite sides. The writer does a commendable job making the sophisticated military strategies exciting and accessible to viewers. This version of Zhuge Liang's famous Empty City Ruse/Kōngchéngjì/ 空城计 suggests Sima Yi was not really fooled, he just had a very strong sense of self preservation. Their encounters capture the essence of a resting dragon/wò lóng/ 卧龙 reclaiming the central plains from a hidden tiger 冢虎 (zhǒng hǔ), a rising talent. Alas, time was not on Zhuge Liang's side or history may have been different. Nonetheless, his trick from the grave on Wuzhang Plains left no doubt in peoples minds that " a dead Zhuge scares away a living Zhongda". It is remarkable that till this day, Zhuge Liang is the most revered strategist of Three Kingdoms lore and it remains almost a footnote in history that Sima Yi actually "won" Three Kingdoms. This arc broke my heart; I couldn't bear how Sima Yi exhausted Zhuge Liang and how unworthy both their emperors were.
The narrative inevitably peaks at the Zhuge Liang arc; their battles were the pinnacle of Sima Yi's accomplishments. After that, the drama really dragged. It wasn't necessary to dive into so much detail into the Cao Shuang arc. We really didn't need another long and boring example of what imbeciles Cao Cao's descendants turned out to be. The arc was incredibly predictable with repetitive ploys to try to indict the much older Sima Yi only to see him deftly turn the tables on his enemies yet again. The only highlight of that arc was the wild speculation around Sima Zhao's role in the death of Sima Shi's wife's death but that sub-plot didn't get wrapped up in a satisfying way. The only thing that kept me watching was Tan Jianci and Xiao Shunyao's excellent portrayals of the Sima brothers. I also found it quite cool that they cast an actress to play the treacherous and effeminate He Yan.
After the Zhuge Liang arc, it struck me that even though I was fascinated by Sima Yi and often empathised with him, I just didn't liked him. I was not surprised that he became darker in his later years; this is foreshadowed from the beginning and was an insidious process throughout. The second half of this drama seemed to go on for an eternity. That ruthless, cowardly, cunning, wicked old tortoise Sima Yi just would not die! It offends my sense of justice that he lived to such a ripe old age. I guess it must be true that only the good die young.
This drama had at least 10-12 episodes too many. We really didn't need such a detailed the blow by blow of Sima Yi's much less interesting later years. Up to the Zhuge Liang arc, I rate this 8.0/8.5 but after that it's a 6.0/7.0 so overall this a 7.5 for me.
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Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre
12 people found this review helpful
The plot was lost somewhere along the road to redemption.
Heaven Sword is one of my all time favorite Jin Yong stories. While this 2019 adaption is overall done well and quite watchable, I am still disappointed because the story is so gripping and epic that properly executed it could have and should have been a 10. I feel that way about most of Jin Yong's stories and I am time and again disappointed with C-drama's inability to turn the gift of a fantastic storyline into a kick-ass 10.The first problem is that riding on the gift of a great storyline, the production team was very sloppy with the cast and the casting of the key roles. It was obvious from the start that many of the lead actors struggled to get into character: Zhang Cuisan and Zhao Min notably. And while I think Zeng Shunxi is a very promising young actor, at 21 he is too much of a boy still to fully pull off Wuji. He wasn't bad but his chemistry with both female leads was little more than warm and friendly. That's just not good enough as Wuji's two main love interests are bad-ass, devious and willful women; a handful for any man much less a boy. To make matters worse, they saddled him with the worst man bun that highlighted an unflattering roundness to his features - many times I thought the Pillsbury doughboy was going to burst right out of him! It wasn't till the much later episodes they fixed his look in a good way. In addition to the main leads, poor chemistry between the couples is a consistent theme throughout this show. Whoever paired up the actors must surely be the matchmaker from hell. The initial flat romance between Zhang Cuisan and Yin Susu almost made me give up on this early on but it somehow clicked once the fantastic child actor playing young Wuji was brought into the mix.
While it seems I will still have to wait for a version of this epic story with the A-list cast it deserves, some of the roles were played by quite strong performances (Yangsiu, Zhou Zhirou, Xie Xun, Song Qingsu) while the others were good enough (Wuji, Zhao Min) that the uninspired ones (Xiao Chao etc) were drowned out and it still came together well enough to be quite enjoyable. And the action was quite good although they went a little bit overboard with the slow motion that made the many good kung fu scenes a lot less exciting. While it is definitely technically much better polished than my best loved 1986 version, the A-list 1986 cast wins hands down when it comes to breathing life into the main characters.
While this version broadly sticks to the original storyline, it digresses meaningfully from it in a very subtle way. This is a more politically correct version that dials down the cruelty of many of the darker characters and deals with them compassionately, offering them a path to redemption. In the case of Song Qingsu, it was well done because he is just a weak character that strayed off the wrong path. But in the case of Zhou Zhirou, I really didn’t see the point – this is an ambitious, selfish and cruel character that is innately much more bad than good, it is fundamental to the plot. Zhu Xudan is an actress that is naturally blessed with a mal-contented expression – she would have been an even more brilliantly wicked Zhou Zhirou if they didn’t try to make her slightly nicer. But what was even more criminal was they kind of tuned down Zhao Min, one of my all time favorite Jin Yong heroines by making her less sassy towards the end to the point of being almost like the clingy and pathetically devoted Xiao Chao (yuck). It was as if they were flirting with the idea of a shock alternative ending where Wuji ends up with the Zhirou and then thankfully chickened out at the last minute. Two thumbs down is all that I can say. And they didn’t stop with Zhirou and Qingsu, they pretty much made excuses for and/or tried to make all the bad guys slightly less bad. Boring and tiresome after awhile and it had the overall impact of diluting the passion and vehemence of Jin Yong’s characters both good and evil.
Of course all of this greater focus on character development and whitewashing comes at the cost of extra time focus on unnecessary characters. But again, another travesty – there are so many C-dramas with shallow plots that are dragged out over 60 episodes but this really engrossing story was all squeezed into 50? The natural consequence of this was they just threw the whole plot under the bus. They cheated by counting on the fact this is a well known story - after all it is one of Jin Yong’s most popular works. So it rushes through many cursory character introductions and transitions that didn’t make the most sense that I would feel much sympathy for anyone who didn’t already know the story in advance. This entire epic tale that tragically spans so many lives and events over such a long time is brilliantly tied together by a grand conspiracy. The complicated plot unfolds around the unraveling of this conspiracy that among other things led to the misunderstanding between the sects and Wuji’s parents tragic deaths. All of that was pretty much lost because the production team deemed it more important to help us empathize with Zhou Zhirou? Really? It came at the cost of rushing through many key parts of uncovering the intrigue. At the end I happened to blink and almost even missed the entire denouement it was dealt with so almost dismissively. The scriptwriters did Jin Yong and us a grave injustice in this matter. Shame on the production team. Really.
Overall this was still a very polished effort but it didn’t really live up to the heart of Jin Yong’s epic story. While the plot was lost along the path to redemption, it is still very watchable and one of the better efforts out there. And it is still Jin Yong and that beats a lot of the no substantive storyline 2019 new dramas I have skimmed through so far (as of June 2019).
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