PeachBlossomGoddess

To see all without being seen.

Deep Lurk 深潜 is an intriguing and immersive Republican era spy thriller; one of the few that pulled me in from start to finish. It is set in 1939, at the prelude to the first Battle of Changsha. Changsha was a strategic city that the Japanese tried and failed to take four times from 1939-1944. As a result, they were never able to consolidate their territories in Southern China. At the time, the Republic of China's Nationalist Army had seriously considered abandoning the city but Xue Yue, the commander in charge of Changsha's defense refused to budge. As a result of terrain, Changsha could only be flanked from the east or the west, making it a difficult city to both attack and defend. In this kind of set up, intelligence and counter-intelligence can make a win-or-lose situation difference for both sides.

After a botched assassination attempt on Xue Yue, a traitor escapes to Shanghai with strategic Changsha defense intelligence. Multiple parties converge upon him in Shanghai to intercept the intelligence. The players include both the Changsha and Shanghai station of the KMT Military Intelligence (NBIS), the Wang Puppet Regime, the Japanese Military and hidden CPC operatives. Yun Hongshen, the idealistic young second master of the illustrious Yun family is sent by his father Yun Muzhi to observe. Predictably, this sharp but impetuous young man raring to make a difference does more than that and his path tangles with that off brave young NBIS agent Wen Yeming tasked to hunt down the traitor. An auction for stolen intelligence relating to the Japanese army's plan of attack for Changsha results in a deadly scramble to obtain or retrieve the intelligence. This coincides with the re-emergence of Kunwu, a long dormant Japanese spy and Muzhi's nemesis. Hongshen is lured back to Changsha, where he must crack the code to the intelligence and smoke out Kunwu in order to save his city from the encircling Japanese army. He reunites with Yeming at NBIS where they pit their wits against this master spy who seems to be able to see all without being seen.

The first three episodes are fast paced, exciting and littered with clues and character introductions and needs to be watched (and re-watched) carefully. But the setup and the storytelling is so intriguing I was compelled to re-watch; to make sure I didn't miss anything. It's been a long time since a drama pulled me in so deeply that I was literally unable to watch anything else at the same time. Even though there are some logic holes, the overall plot is tight and riveting. All the important characters are introduced early on and they are multi-faceted and grey with different loyalties and motives that reflect the clash of culture and ideology and the rival factions within the KMT during that pivotal era of change. The narrative brilliantly builds a credible case around several key characters with motive, means and opportunity to be Kunwu and maintains the suspense into the final episodes.

This drama has an all-round stellar cast anchored which by veteran actors including Wang Jingsong and Liu Huan and brilliant character acting by Hou Mengyao's disingenuous Milan, Han Chengyu's ruthless and competitive Ling Han and Zhang Tianyang's well-meaning Yun Hongqi. I really enjoyed watching Hongshen meticulously narrow down the suspect list and try to out-scheme the hidden master spy who eluded his father for years. The young Cheng Yi brilliantly captures how this character's intelligence and survival instinct makes up for his lack of experience and the shattering consequential mistakes he makes along the way. It is a shame that this drama has not enjoyed wider viewership. For this genre however, I don't need romance and I didn't enjoy Ying'er's acting or the couple's chemistry. I was far more invested in the Yun family's close bond and amused by how Hongqi and Hongshen are so different and resourceful in their own unique ways. Zhang Tianyang is a subtly hilarious actor and his brotherly scenes with Cheng Yi are among the drama's best moments for me.

Despite many cut scenes, the pacing, suspense and excitement holds up into a strong finale that delivers a good ending twist that deftly avoids one reversal too many. My only disappointment is that I had hoped for a more complex villain origin story. I won't say more to avoid spoiling the reveal. This is by far the best Republican spy drama I have watched since The Rebel (2021). I am happy to rate it the same at 8.5/10.0 despite its lower budget. It is a good watch if you are in the mood for some mental gymnastics but it can also be enjoyed simply as a fast paced spy thriller.

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Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned.

Let me come clean from the get go - this kind of drama is not my cup of tea. I watch dramas to escape, not to get embroiled in messy social themes around the aftermath of the disintegration of marriage and terminally sick children, But Left Right is written and shot by Hu Jin of The Bad Kids Fame, one of my favorite suspense dramas. I just love his visual composition style and how mercilessly his camera eye lays bare the multitude complexity of human emotions. And in that aspect, Left Right hits the ball out of the park and that is without doubt this drama's best feature.

The drama opens well with Fang Yinuo and Xiao Lu compatibly anticipating their first child with a mixture of happiness and small trepidation. They companionably joke about giving up spicy noodles, which Yinuo especially loves, for the duration of "their" pregnancy. Except Xiao Lu already wolfed down a bowl of spicy noodles before going home. Such a simple scene so brilliantly illustrates the manifold cracks in their relationship. She is overly controlling and demands that they suffer together. He is passive aggressive and rather than confront her, he goes around her. This dynamic is prevalent throughout their interactions. The dissolution of their marriage is inevitable and they both move on to become better partners in their next relationships. The drama peaks at that point and once the child gets sick, the narrative succumbs to melodramatic and increasingly unrealistic subplots with improbable twists and digresses into uninteresting and dislikable side characters. This would have been a much better drama with half the episodes. Towards the end all the excessive gouxue狗血(dog's blood) turned into goupi 狗屁(crap) to the point that I even stopped caring about the kid's fate.

This intense character drama with a melodramatic plot takes on too many heavy themes - the pressure of a newborn child, extended family conflicts, postpartum depression, the stigma of divorce, archaic child custody laws, inadequacies of the healthcare system, financial struggles, deadbeat dads and last but not least, women stripped down to their worst, meanest selves.

Ren Suxi's portrayal of Fang Yinuo is so evocative it pulls me into the scenes where I wrestle with the sweet temptation of punching her in the face. This woman is a nutcracker; there is no other way to put it. This cold fish with impossible standards is judgmental, selfish and unforgiving. She wallows in postpartum depression while enslaving her own mother and mother-in-law with her high standards and demands. But I have no sympathy when Yinuo lashes out at them because they are not likeable characters either. In fact, not likeable is the nicest way to describe practically all of the characters in this drama (besides the kid). Even though Yinuo meets her match in her new sister-in-law, I feel no sense of cosmic justice. By then my head hurt from the cacophony of high pitched, shrill and nasty bitching. Unyielding to the bitter end, Yinuo experiences very little growth and never quite owns up to her part in her failed marriage.

As for the men, beginning with Xiao Lu, they are all weak and useless characters. Xiao Lu is a people pleaser that lies to avoid conflict, which often exacerbates conflict. He enables his brother's weaknesses and his mother's vices because it is just too hard to fix them. Xiao Lu is as selfish as Yinuo in his own way and it is manifestly obvious that two such self absorbed people would never work out. They both become almost likeable when they are with other people but all too quickly it becomes obvious that Xie Tianhua and Dong Fan are so unrealistically written they'd be booted out of a Disney fairytale script. Nobody is that nice or understanding or tolerant. Tianhua in particular must be the doormat character of the century. Nie Yuan's acting in particular is clearly not on par with the rest of the main cast but I think the problem is poor character design more than anything else. Although Qin Hao's character is not as intense or as central as Ren Suxi's, I find his portrayal more believable and nuanced enough to make his Xiao Lu empathetic whereas Ren Suxi's portrayal is not empathetic to the bitter end. A small bit of humor could have humanised these characters and made them much more relatable. As for Su Jinwei and Lei Wen, their boring characterizations, uninspired portrayals and long winded filler sub-plots are the drama's weakest link.

This drama's message of atonement and redemption is drowned out by the deafening impression that heaven has no rage like love turned to hatred. In fact, just never piss off a woman. Whether she is your wife, your mother, your sister or your child, she will for sure make you suffer. Up to the point of Xiao Lu's mae culpa, the poor guy gets figuratively castrated by a vindictive, unforgiving woman that hates him to the bone even more than she loves her child. It made me so angry at Yinuo and angry at the drama for making me feel that way. Because in these matters, I am always, always biased towards the women. So how did I end up sympathizing with the men and not even caring about the child? I feel like I was tricked into watching a scorching indictment of women's worst traits. Despite this being such a technically and visually stunning and immersive production, this drama made me more angry than sad. I can only rate this 7.5/8.0

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Sha Shi 杀石 or Smirk and Soap?

Jinxiu’s flamboyant red-clad commander Fu Yixiao, the most magnificent archer across two warring kingdoms, takes careful aim, her moon-shooting bow coiled tautly at full draw. Her arrow unerringly strikes her enemy Feng Suige, the first prince of Susha, in the heart, halting his charging battalion in their tracks. The Susha army has no choice but to beat a hasty retreat, only to find assassins hot on their heels. Then, because makjang never met a cliché it didn’t hug, Yixiao tumbles off a cliff and wakes up with amnesia. Fate, that tired scriptwriter, deposits her in the same neutral sanctuary as her enemy. Of course he captures her and is perfectly justified in smacking her around as payback. But our feisty lady warrior bites, scratches, and kicks back as good as she gets. Domestic violence rom-com? The show thinks so.

I found the initial violence between the leads distasteful, but the narrative does a good job developing their relationship organically after that. It starts with suspicion and reluctant collaboration, then evolves into shared understanding, respect, and unwavering trust. Yixiao is no love brain; she methodically pieces together and tests her scattered recollections from the day she was ambushed and betrayed. Feng Suige more or less figured out what happened but gives her space to investigate and reach her own damning conclusions while he hovers protectively in the background. This convincing progression from enemies to lovers is well portrayed by both Li Qin and Chen Zheyuan. They are charismatic, conversant actors, and I enjoyed the romance—but for some reason their screen chemistry didn’t rock my world. Maybe it was Chen Zheyuan smirking through Suige’s first confession, or maybe I was too distracted by how obviously their love scenes were reenacted from Yang Mi and Mark Chao’s iconic ones in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, down to costumes and sets.

Plot wise, the drama starts sharp and then free falls into increasingly sensational with over-the-top twists and high emotions centered on familiar tropes and unhinged character archetypes. Each subsequent arc is a triangle of lunatics, masked nobodies; a bunch of bat-shit-crazy mini-makjangs mashed together into an incoherent and ultimately unsatisfying story. Don’t get me wrong—there were many riveting confrontations where scathing truths were delivered in a dramatically satisfying manner. Sadly, the motivations and grievances underlying all the burning resentment are shallow, even petty. Ultimately there are no good villains—just a bunch of spoiled brats and their over-indulgent parents, all victims of their own deluded ambitions and warped sense of justice. Even Feng Suige lost me after he made an irrational case for his love-brained sister, then a hostage princess no less, to ascend the Susha throne.

It is clear the writers have lost the plot when the most rational and understandable character ends up being Xia Jingyan—the unhinged Jinxiu emperor. I enjoyed his arc with Feng Xiyang a lot more than even Suige and Yixiao’s story. Acting-wise, Qin Tianyu steals every scene, cycling tyrannical, humorous, forlorn, and almost empathetic. His formidable aura made Chen Zheyuan’s "menace" conveyed by a lopsided sneer look like a toddler practicing scary faces. Even though he tones it down to a bearable level here, this actor’s tendency to overact loses me time and again. It is only after he abandons the sneer in the ending arcs that his acting seems more authentic and less performative. The supporting cast is strong all-around and ham it up for all their worth through all the emotional showdowns and exaggerated plot twists.

Li Qin remains the sole reason to finish - she is fantastic in this role of a commander of men who can hold her own against the best and the worst of them. As story progresses Yixiao becomes relegated to playing bodyguard while Suige’s agenda plays out. Meanwhile, Jingshi remains a rational and somewhat empathetic antagonist until the final arc where he becomes completely irredeemable. It was anti-climactic to watch this cunning and calculating antagonist seal his own fate by making an out-of-character and delusional love-brained decision. But what really ticked me off was I stuck around for the lovers-to-enemies arc. I wanted to see Yixiao's revenge, her arrow, his heart. I was seated for Sha Shi 杀石, an ancient Chinese makjang take on Kill Bill. What I got instead was a man stepping in to get the job done right. Tarantino would never have robbed the Bride of her agency like that. The ending was exhausting and I have no words to waste on Suige’s harebrained ideas about succession and governance. On the bright side, there are too many people with mental health issues running amok in both Susha and Jinxiu that they are certainly doomed kingdoms not worthy of memory or survival.

Verdict: Visually stunning, addictively theatrical, narratively bankrupt. Li Qin earns every point; the rest is smirk and soap. 8/10—for the first ten episodes and one flawless archer.



Best lines:
I can change him - Feng Xiyang
My condolences - Feng Pingcheng

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How to suffer successfully.

This is a truly epic fantasy xianxia romance spanning three realms that is heavily imbued with characters, cosmic rules and hierarchies, black and white magic and other elements from Chinese mythology and legend. Even though many of the themes are familiar, they are brilliantly woven into a riveting and memorable fantasy fairy-tale of how all beings - deities, demons and humans are capable of good and evil; no one is immune from love and hate and all the emotions in between. We are all different and yet still the same.

After an devastating war, both the demon lord and god of war disappear and peace returns to the realms. A thousand years later, Chu Xuanji is born into the Chaoyang Sect; one of the righteous cultivating sects. At an elite martial arts tournament, she meets Yu Sifeng, the rising star and heir apparent of the mysterious Lize Palace. A strong bond of friendship is formed between the younger generation that leads them on many adventures as they pledge to help Xuanji recover shards of a magical artifact that can restore her six senses. In doing so, they set in motion a chain of events that can lead to the return of both the god of war and the demon lord and once again bring chaos to the realms. They also uncover secrets of their past incarnations and conspiracies that follow them to the present.

Where this xianxia stands out from the other huge xianxia hits of past years is that there is a very well written external plot that is not just there to facilitate the love story. Both the internal and external plot are very well woven together and are mostly evenly paced so that both plot lines converge into a very satisfying and climatic ending. In fact, the external plot is much more intriguing and balanced than the love story so I urge you to resist spoilers and just enjoy the gradual reveal of the backstory and the way it impacts many of the main characters. Although this director still cannot seem to restrain his excessive love of angst, at least in this drama the internal plot did not manage to destroy the external plot as it did in Under the Power. Indeed I personally enjoyed the external plot and colorful surrounding characters much more than the love story notwithstanding the sparkle between the leads.

As for the love story, well it has all the hallmarks of a xianxia hit - it is an extreme and obsessive love story that transcends many lifetimes and thousands of years and is undaunted in the face of challenges by more powerful beings from the three realms. Phew! Exhausting! The chemistry between the OTP is undeniably both sizzling and moving. It does not hurt at all that both actors smooch with an enthusiasm rarely seen in these kinds of shows. But the way the relationship is written is too unbalanced with Sifeng taking way too many hits for Xuanji. Most of the angst takes place in episodes ~40s+ which is late in the game and after the couple already goes through many experiences that should cement their mutual trust. So for Xuanji to be so easily swayed and manipulated makes her character regress and seem just not smart (as opposed to heartless). To deal with her so shabbily just so that Sifeng (who had already gone through so much), can spit blood a few more times is unnecessary and excessive. Within the most angsty arc, the drama indulges in flashbacks and digresses into boring one dimensional characters (e.g. Yanran) with little plot advancement. Everything comes together again in the final 6 episodes that culminates in one of the most engaging and strongest finishes I have seen in a long time. It would have been much better had they explored some of the threads in the last 6 episodes earlier and in greater depth.

As the backstory is revealed, it is evident that Xuanji is an old soul that experienced a lot of trauma that still echoes from her past incarnations and restrains her emotional development. This doesn't really come out until the end because while the main cast is really quite exceptional, Yuan Bingyan is the weak link. She did an amazing job as the young and artless Xuanji and as Xuanji in love with Sifeng but was not able to mature the character or convey some of the rage, torment from her past incarnations that haunts her character nor can she fully convey the inner conflict Xuanji experiences when forced into heart wrenching choices. This becomes most apparent at the end when stacked up against the more nuanced and compelling portrayals by Cheng Yi, Li Xinze and of course Liu Xueyi as the drama draws to an emotionally epic climax at the end.

I know Cheng Yi is by far the fan favorite and is in a completely different league in terms of his acting skills and his unforgettable portrayal of Sifeng's indomitable love and the unthinkable suffering he goes through for Xuanji. This character and this actor is a true example of how to suffer successfully, spitting blood so painfully beautifully time after time that it never fails to fan the flames of rabid fandom to new heights. While he is a truly amazing actor, I think it is actually Liu Xueyi's Haochen that is the anchor of the entire production. I know this is an unpopular and uncommon view but the truth is this drama begins and ends with this character. He must be one of the most manipulative, duplicitous, hypocritical and universally hated villains out there that I still can't help feeling pity for. Liu Xueyi's acting is truly phenomenal from his portrayal of an arrogant high deity who can't even see that he has fallen in love to his conscious acknowledgement that he has strayed from the right path but keeps on going nonetheless. The complexity of his emotions, the suppressed fury when he is thwarted and the inner conflicts he experiences is effortlessly and subtly conveyed with the twitch of a facial muscle, a flicker of an eyelid or a tiny tightening of the lips. In his own way, he suffers as much as Sifeng but obviously not as successfully - probably because he swallows and bottles up all that venom and suffering instead of spitting it right out like our Sifeng. I will leave you with one final thought - love him or hate him, we must thank Haochen. Because if he did the right thing to begin with, there would be no love story.

While for me this falls short of a masterpiece, there is so much more to it than a smoking hot love story and it is so rare to get such a good villain that is complemented by such an outstanding cast. The production value is very high and they did a fabulous job with the CGI. When I finished watching it, I felt like it was a 9.0 but unfortunately a year later, I was never even tempted to re-watch any part of it so I downgraded this to an 8.5/10.0.

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Three birds with one stone.

I am a huge fan of black comedy and throw in some gangsters and I am hooked. Chen Kuilin is an infamous hitman on the run. Diagnosed with terminal illness, he tries to turn himself in only to discover he is merely the third most wanted criminal in Taiwan. Quivering with outrage, he sets out to secure his street creed as the biggest, baddest, bad guy of them all by taking out his competitors.

Ethan Juan floored me with his complex portrayal of this brazen, brutal, narcissistic gangster with crazy but understandable motives and an odd instinct to protect the weak. His close shave with Hongkie had me on the edge of my seat and their killer vs killer fight scenes were raw and savage. His desire for redemption and salvation at the commune surprised me until it didn't. A terrible betrayal culminates in a shocking bloodbath that masterfully builds and releases tension.

This is a well paced, intense and violent action thriller with a number of unanticipated twists. The dialogue is superb and dark humor is deftly used to release tension and infuse a sense of lingering irony. It has all the elements of the good old Hong Kong gangster movies from its distinct cinematic style to the emotional depth of the characters that belies the casual onscreen violence.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie but I must admit that the final ten minutes left a feeling of nagging disappointment. The perfect place to wrap this up would have been at the reveal of the hitman that takes out three birds with one stone. The last ten minutes embraces maudlin tropes that are characteristic of Taiwanese productions. In this case, it completely ruins the no regrets nature of the beast. I have no choice but to knock 0.5 off my rating so this is overall an 8.0/10.0 for me. I strongly recommend skipping the last ten minutes.

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The hunt for a serial killer.

Who is He is an intensely gripping police procedural that narrates the hunt for a serial killer that evaded justice for decades. It draws inspiration from two well known, real life cases - the 1988 Gansu serial killer case and the 1996 Nanjing University dismemberment case. These investigations were hampered by a lack of access to modern forensic technology, especially DNA evidence. The brutality and horror of these cases instilled national shock and outrage. For those following the heinous Abby Choi case in Hong Kong, the dismemberment case invokes chilling parallels.

During the hunt for a serial killer in 1988, Wei Guoping comes within a hairsbreadth of capturing him. In a close encounter, Guoping saves the intended victim Nie Xiaoyi but loses his partner. He has survivor's remorse and the case continues to cast a shadow over his existence long after it goes cold. Eight years later, he is convinced that the 1988 killer has resurfaced in the shocking Nanjing University dismemberment case.. His peers and superiors however are concerned that his rushed conclusion could steer the investigation down the wrong path. The drama dives into the inner workings of the department and how they collaborate and resolve internal conflict. It shows us that there are many ways to skin a cat and internal debate is healthy and produces a more rigorous process with defensible chain of evidence, and effective witness and suspect testimony.

This drama does a fantastic job zooming in on the procedural aspects of an investigation from the thankless, painstaking and smelly task of collecting and analyzing evidence to effective (and not so effective) methods of interviewing persons of interest. Without modern forensic technology, it is like looking for a needle in a haystack and can span decades. The show's meticulous attention to detail and commitment to vivid realism makes it stand out in the genre. The uncanny simillarity in the dumpster dive scenes to real footage from the recent Abby Choi case adds another layer of intrigue and sense of real life horror. There is an everpresent sense of urgency and suspense that is captured by highlighting the terror of the witnesses, survivors and the afflicted communities. The audience is also kept invested by dramatising the character aspects of the investigative teams and how unsolved cases can haunt key members of the investigative team.

The character writing and portrayals are among the drama's strongest aspects. Zhang Yi delivers yet another exceptional performance as a hard core detective single-mindedly focused on hunting down the 1988 killer. His Wei Guoping is a much less perfect character than An Xin (from The Knockout), which makes him more interesting and relatable. I loved how Gu Kaiyan calmly puts him in his place, asserts her authority and earns his grudging respect. The rapier-like way she breaks down and corners a suspect in interrogation is insanely awesome. Xu Fangyi steals the show with this riveting portrayal of a cooly logical and formidable female cop. The unique mixture of camaraderie, conflict and attraction between Wei Guoping, Song Zhe and Gu Kaiyan really made the team dynamics fun to watch.

Where the drama falters is in plot. This is somewhat unavoidable as the underlying cases are true crimes where major breakthroughs were only achieved with the help of DNA, which is ultimately anti-climatic. Maybe it would have been better if they went with something similar to Netflix's wildly successful serial killer docu-drama format rather than to try to dramatise it. The less interesting crime syndicate arc with the overused "forbidden" romance with a gangster's sister trope grew bigger than itself in the final third of the drama. Logic holes emerged and there were simply too many coincidences to force disparate cases to converge. The antagonists' motives in particular were contrived and in the Gansu case, deviates too markedly from the profile of the real serial killer. This may have been one of the reasons it was so harshly criticised by Chinese audiences. Because of well written protagonists and all around strong acting, I don't think this was that bad of a drama although it did not live up to its early promise. As a fan of the genre, I still enjoyed this well enough and rate it 7.5/10.0

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A River Runs Through It

The illusory peace of a sleepy riverside town is shattered by a murder that recalls a twenty year old cold case. Shan Feng, who was just a boy then, partially witnessed the murder of his crush Xiao Baige (little white dove) returns to his hometown to investigate these possibly connected cases. His inquiries reopens old wounds and reveals the festering impact the lack of closure Xiao Baige's senseless murder has on her friends, family and the town.

The premise and darkly intriguing ambience and suspenseful tension of this drama really drew me in at the beginning. And I can't fault the execution from the pacing; to the top notch acting; to how the disparate threads gradually converge into the river that runs through these quietly spooky remote towns. Where the drama falls down is the story is excessively melodramatic and the motivators of many of the key protagonists and antagonists rings hollow. Many characters in this drama are driven towards doing terrible, terrible things but their actions and trauma they suffer seems out of proportion to the events that catalize these extreme reactions. Too many of the characters are deeply dysfunctional and are driven towards tragic outcomes simply for the sake of inflicting pain on the surrounding characters.

The strongest point of the story is how the main villain hides in plain sight and is revealed gradually as everything comes together and how the story illustrates that in these small rural towns there are really only two degrees of separation between people. But just like I felt the first victim was just not interesting enough to have inspired such profound reactions from so many people, the triggers for the villain's derangement are unconvincing. The role however, is brilliantly acted and the character comes across as both lugubrious and menacing.

Bottom line this looks like a crime thriller, it tries very hard to be one and it almost feels like one but at its core, something rings hollow. It is not terrible, a lot of effort obviously went into it and it is a decent quick watch for some cheap thrills. I give it a 6.5.

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Tangled

Disguised as a classic whodunit, this is really a drama about how the law does not always protect the vulnerable or deliver justice. It also tangles with some pretty heavy social issues that are a bit more than what I signed up for. To me, this is a drama that can't decide what it wants to be so while I still enjoyed it, I don't regard it highly as far as mystery thrillers go.

This drama starts out strong - shockwaves rock the community of the posh Horizon Tower when their lovely cafe owner Zhong Meibao is found dead in her apartment under suspicious circumstances. The cynical and disorganized Zhong Jingguo is assisted by the more methodical Yang Ruisen in investigating this case. They interview everyone on the scene of the crime including a security guard, an architect, a novelist, a real estate agent, a housekeeper and friends and family of the victim. From these varying sometimes contradictory accounts of the events of the day and recollections of their interactions with the victim, outlines of the various possibilities start to emerge. The first 8 episodes or so of this were superb; exactly what I would want to see in this kind of genre. The occasionally shady, hilariously kinky, bittersweet glimpses of what happens behind close doors added just the right dose of dark humor and mundane daily existence.

The issue is at episode 8, the victim's backstory is told in a anime which gives away a big chunk of the plot and took away much of the excitement for me. The storyline dives deeply into the victim's backstory and traumatic past which is connected to a number of suspects. At that point, it is not hard to see where the story is headed. I did not expect to watch a this kind of story it is not what I was in the mood for. I don't mean to diminish the importance of these social issues that are frequent themes in this kind of genre but this drama took me away from the mystery for too long to overly explore these topics. Angelababy is also not best suited to play this kind of role either; a better actress could have done a lot more with it even though they may not manage to look as tragically beautiful. The fact that I felt a lot sadder for her parallel character in the anime version than I did for her Meibao says it all. Similarly I found the antagonist in the anime more complex and had a more convincing purpose for his actions whereas the parallel character is just a violent and not that intelligent pervert. The photographs which he used to exert power over his victims would have indicted him and sent him to jail forever. To me, that is the big logic hole that made me lose respect for the intelligence of characters I am supposed to sympathize with.

The outstanding performances in this drama are by the two detectives; they are the glue that pulls the backstory and all of the plot threads together. The inner conflict Ruisen experiences as she struggles between her empathy for the victims and her duty to enforce the law even if it means justice is not done really is impressively conveyed. This is a drama where there are real consequences for taking the law into our own hands and debates whether the high price of justice is worth it. While these important themes were well articulated, the whodunit never really regains the momentum and mystery of the first half. Although it would have been a darker ending, the entire drama builds predictably towards what plays out in the penultimate episode. And then in typical c-drama fashion, they couldn't resist delivering one final tangled twist that delivers what could have been an alternate ending. Except there wasn't a real proper build up to it, there is no deducing we just see a replay of what went down in an open and shut case. This all takes place in the last episode and left me feeling vaguely cheated. Consider stopping at episode 15.

Although this drama got tangled into too many themes and twists, this is still a good watch and something I am happy to recommend to fans of the genre although for me it didn't live up to the hype.

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To be or not to be.

This is a short, gripping and dark crime drama that revolves around a grisly series of murders that are mysteriously linked to Aspergic forensic analyst Fang Yiren's estranged teenage daughter. In a desperate bid to find her, he teams up with Xu Haiyin, a resourceful but rather unscrupulous and ambitious young journalist to unravel the cases. They are an odd but effective team as his meticulous forensic work reveals the how while her intuition and ability to understand and manipulate people uncovers the why.

Joseph Chang's portrayal of Asperger's alone makes this drama worth watching. I would tear up at his portrayal of Yiren's frustration and inexpressible pain at his inability to emote and connect with people. Far from being oblivious (which would actually be merciful) Fang Yiren is well aware of this handicap that devastates his family and alienates his colleagues but yet helpless to do anything about it. Although I didn't like Tiffany Hsu's Haiyin in the beginning, I think her depiction of how Haiyin schemed to manipulate Yiren initially and ultimately came to understand and empathize with him was nuanced and layered. The essence of their chemistry is in the very lack of chemistry between them. The acting is so brilliant it pulls you into rooting for an unrelatable character and a dislikable one (initially). This is an almost unnecessarily dark drama; literally every character is dysfunctional, has family problems and/or smokes like a chimney.

For me, the murder mysteries were a side show and not the main meal. The plot is overly ambitious and weaves together too many complicated themes from mental illness, various social injustices, transgender issues, terminal illness, corporate greed, vengeance and, atonement in addition to the ultimate and super heavy question - "to be or not to be". While the first few cases were clearly linked, the intertwining of subsequent cases and relationships became more tenuous and were arguably unnecessary as Yiren's daughter was implicated in the very first case. The ultimate reveal was a surprise mainly because both motive and means were unconvincing and the acting by the main antagonist was very weak in sharp contrast with impeccable performances by the rest of the cast. It is a pity because what is missing is a deeper exploration of the father daughter relationship, something I suspect this production could have pulled off compellingly.

The production values are very high; it revels in impressively shocking and gruesome crime scene detail and unflinchingly exposes the mundane and exhausting clutter of ordinary lives. One of the things I really enjoyed about the drama is the proliferation of several dialects from the very expressive cussing unique to Taiwanese Hokkien to of course Mandarin and even Cantonese. But for all the high production values and effort, the last episode was really the weakest and the ending had an unfinished feeling. For some reason, this reminds me of Netflix's controversial but higher impact 13 Reasons Why, which is a much more focused and terrifying exploration of a few hard core subjects rather than a scratch on the surface tour of too many that is this drama. Nonetheless, the acting is superb and the story will put you in a thoughtful mood for some time.

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You give me the sweetest taboo.

This drama flirts dangerously with the forbidden: dark cultivation, zombies, black and white magic, transmigration and boy love. The lead character Wei Wuxian (Xiao Zhan) is a free spirit who refuses to be tamed by social conventions; he lives by his own rules, is not averse to exploring dark powers and appears romantically open to both genders. The delicious exploration of such a slightly wicked character and taboo themes under the watchful eye of Chinese censorship put this high on my watchlist. I started watching with high expectations shortly after it aired.

The story is based on a hit novel and is indisputably a very good one but the way it was told in the drama was really not good. While broadly true to the book, the production lazily assumes the viewer actually read it. The plot is centered around the attempt to restore a powerful magical artifact that the various cultivation sects vie to alternately control or suppress. The story opens with the mysterious reappearance of Wei Wuxian, the infamous Yiling patriach after a sixteen years hiatus. The fact that this is achieved by the sacrifice of Mo Xuanyu whose identity he assumes is one of several plot holes that never gets fully flushed out. Thus he conceals himself behind a (hideous) mask. The viewer is dropped right into in the middle of unfolding events and a wide array of characters without any backstory. Then we go into a prolonged flashback all the way back to the very beginning and up to the conspiracy that led to Wei Wuxian's fall from grace and long disappearance. This takes well over half the drama, which peaks around episode 34 with Wei Wuxian's apparent demise. We are then back to the present where we go into several shorter flashbacks intended to shed more light on the conspiracy. That made it messy and was less interesting because by then the two main villains are known. While the story regains some momentum towards the end, it doesn't come close to the mid-drama peak and the final denouement where the ultimate mastermind is revealed comes almost as an afterthought. That character was one of several insipidly acted roles and the final reveal tied up a few loose threads that wouldn't have been missed. This story would have been much better paced and less confusing had it just been shot chronologically.

The cast is inexperienced and even the main actors struggled to get into character for a long time. Some actors were just plain bad throughout. The first 15+ episodes were painful and the acting didn't get noticeably better until the mid-20s. I dropped it after episode 7 and many more times after that. Although there were some great parts, it just never hooked me. It took me 5 months to finish watching and I wouldn't have if I weren't so damn bored during the c-drama ban. What kept drawing me back was Xiao Zhan's infectious grin - he must have the best smile ever. He really did bring the marvelously controversial Wei Wuxian to life in a way that compels us to indulge the character's many obvious flaws. I was less impressed with Wang Yibo's Lanzhan; it is a stretch to describe his initial pissed off or constipated expression as statue-like or unemotional. He slightly relaxed his face muscles and improved markedly much later on and I really liked his Lanzhan at the end so kudos to him for that. I was also surprised by his grace and athleticism in the fight scenes. The two leads had good chemistry but where I saw sparks fly was between Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian. That confused me as I sensed from the start there was an emotional connection, that Jiang Cheng's feelings for Wei Wuxian were complex and went beyond sibling rivalry and envy. I don't think this was intended.

In genres like this, the heroes are only as good as the villains and therein lies the problem - the villains were not that hateful nor were they empathetic. Both actors were similarly styled and portrayed such similar mannerisms their roles could have been interchanged. They both overacted, had the same intense face lowered evil glare, mad eyed expression and crazy gloating smile. The directors were so lazy they pretty much gave them the same cliche traits and may as well have just used one actor for both roles. Surprise surprise, we are supposed to be sympathetic because they both also had serious daddy issues. Indeed this is the default excuse that explains the flaws of many characters including Jiang Cheng. Key takeaway: don't be a bad dad it really messes up the kids. No wonder I was bored! As for the ultimate mastermind, he was so well concealed he went unnoticed and no one would have cared if he remained that way. The ending was a bit of a crowd pleaser with a bit of something for everyone. I was just relieved it was over.

At this point it goes without saying that the production team for this show pretty much sucked. It would be a shame if the success of this drama despite terrible execution elevates them into a position to destroy other fantastic story-lines with poor editing, storytelling and shoddy camerawork. The only thing they got very right was walking the line perfectly between bro-mance and romance in terms of Wei Wuxian and Lanzhan's relationship.

So what made this such a huge hit? Well, the forbidden fruit nature of this drama can be highly addictive and is bound to resonate deeply with certain demographics and at some life stages though not for everyone. All the hidden meaning in certain interactions, the imperceptible flicker of an eyelash, the barest hint of a smile and the slight double entendre in the dialogue can be tantalizing for those looking for signs of a secret taboo romance. That kind of fun speculation only amused me for short spates. Ultimately a good, well acted story is all that I look for- whether or not it is about boy love would not make any difference to me. I was touched by the bro-mance between the two soul mates (which was all that I saw) as well as the relate-able and moving relationships between both sets of siblings - these were the high points for me. Sadly it was not enough to keep me engaged for long. I almost wish I had read the book. Maybe I would have enjoyed the drama more but even if I eventually get round to it, I am unlikely to re-watch this.

I almost gave this an 8.0 - but I felt I had to knock another 0.5 points off for the fact that it had a certain je ne sais quoi that just bored me silly when I wanted to love it. That and that simply god awful mask that would top the Don't list in any c-drama edition of Glamour magazine's defining list of fashion Dos and Don'ts.

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Sweet with a bitter aftertaste.

Love of Nirvana or The Flowing Water 流水迢迢 is a deep, dark, intricate and impactful drama about politics, revenge, love and freedom. The plot and characters are three dimensional and the love story unfolds within the complex dynamics of multiple conspiracies and an uneven battle for justice and freedom. Jiang Ci is a free spirited country girl seeking adventure in the Liang capital Qingkang for the first time. She climbs the wrong tree at the wrong time to watch peace talks between the Liang and Wei states and inadvertently foils a dangerous, high stakes mission. Stabbed and then hunted down by a masked intruder who believes she may be able to identify him, she is rescued by the ambitious Marquis Pei Yan. He uses her as bait to lure and capture the masked prowler. Thus a clever and free spirited country girl becomes the pawn of two ruthless men and becomes embroiled in a diabolical conspiracy that oppressed and enslaved the Yueluo people. All of the characters in this story, including the almighty emperor, get to choose their own destiny but not their fate. Like the flowing water that may be momentarily grasped or diverted, fate is ultimately elusive and flows where it will.

This is one of the those dramas where the storytelling respects audience intelligence and perceptiveness. There is very little spoon-feeding or over explanation; we are expected to read the subtext and form our own impressions of what the characters are going through. At the start, I was rooting for Jiang Ci to skin Wei Zhao alive and flaunt his fur like a trophy for the way he treated her. And then with a growing sense of unease that turned into horror, I started to observe the plight of the Yueluo people and the scale of the collective punishment that was being visited upon them. At that point, the narrative angle shifts from Jiang Ci to Wei Zhao and like Jiang Ci, we see his devastating sense of isolation and helplessness; that he alone bears burden of his father's villainy.Jiang Ci's inadvertent and continued meddling had life and death consequences for his men and his cause. Of course he had to deal harshly with her. Jiang Ci doesn't just fall in love with a man, she falls in love with a place and a people who are slowly but surely being erased by Liang's genocidal policies. Their evolution from enemies to lovers is gradual, natural and convincing.

All of the main roles are well portrayed, with the actors conveying multiple layers to their characters via their facial expressions and gestures that goes beyond the dialogue. Ren Jialun is not that versatile an actor but Wei Zhao is the kind of complex, man of few words role that he excels at. With a flicker of an eye, a small frown or a dark glare, he can exude emotions from frustration and anger to sorrow and dismay. The way he regards Jiang Ci changes from rage and hatred to grudging respect and empathy to Ren Jialun's signature bottomless longing. Wei Zhao never dares speaks of the future, it is Jiang Ci who simply refuses to let him pull away. He understands she is a free spirit and his selfless instinct is to set her free in sharp contrast with Pei Yan's selfish obsessiveness and his repeated attempts to cage her. Li Landi's Jiang Ci steps up to the plate to more than meet Wei Zhao halfway. I love how she so unabashedly gushes over how handsome he is and freely expresses her affection for him. Even though the noble Pei Yan has arguably more to offer, she chooses Wei Zhao unconditionally each time. Their sweet loving lies, their body language and the dialogue within their dialogue made me tear up many times.

No one has an upper hand in this story because characters are too clever and adept at pre-empting one another. Xu Zhengxi delivers a evocative portrayal of the brilliant, ambitious, manipulative and controlling Pei Yan. If this role is to be his swan song, it is one that leaves an impression. His ambition and obsessiveness are amplified and exceeded by his mother, the domineering Madame Rongguo; another riveting depiction by the super talented Wen Zhengrong. Unfortunately all of these fantastic characters are dealt a huge disservice in the penultimate arc, where we meet shifu, the only truly stupid and pointless character in this story. All of hitherto smart characters are dumbed down by one or two notches for an unnecessary court power struggle arc and melodrama. Madame Rongguo's overreach was futile and unnecessary and Pei Yan's selfishness had irreversible consequences. Only the wise and constant Cui Liang's character survived that arc that was clearly written by an amateur.

The narrative comes together again for a triumphant, exciting and moving final arc. Fate is blind and the taste of freedom is sweet with a bitter aftertaste. Nobody gets everything that they want but the greater good is achieved at great cost. However, not all the individual outcomes were inevitable and the ending itself could have been more tightly written. It appeared as if they were on the verge of a different, more satisfying ending but didn't have the courage to go there. I will elaborate further on that in a spoiler below. All things considered, this is still one of the better, more memorable period costume dramas this year with a complex and moving plot and outstanding acting. Despite the flaws, it is a story that has enough depth that I am compelled to rate this generously at 8.5/10.0.








ENDING SPOILER


My biggest problem with the ending is that Wei Zhao chose to stay when he could have escaped and left the hairpin behind as evidence that Wei Zhao died and returned to Jiang Ci as Xiao Wuxia. It is clear from the ending footage that they toyed with a "traitorous official Wei Zhao is dead, long live Xiao Wuxia" ending but decided to stay true to the novel. I would have been fine with that if they just blew up the whole thing and didn't give him a choice. The fact that he had one broke me; it was out of character and a betrayal of Jiang Ci. It also made no sense since was never revealed that Wei Zhao is Xiao Wuxia and thus Wei Zhao's actions should not implicate the Yueluo people. It was just dumb and unnecessary noble idiocy. Even though it is a happy ending for Yueluo, it is simply too distressing an outcome for both Xiao Wuxia and Jiang Ci, who deserve better. It would have been just as fitting and much more satisfying for Wei Zhao's memory to live on in infamy while Xiao Wuxia and Jiangci live wild and free with their son even if they can never return to Yueluo. That is how I would have ended this story.

A smaller point, I also hated the maudlin farewell scene. Throughout the show Jiang Ci and Wei Zhao's feelings did not have to be put into words. I wish they kept it that way.











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An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.

This is the empowering, female focused historical drama that I have been waiting for. Finally in Li Changge, we get a strong, smart, independent female lead character who seeks meaning in life beyond being just an extension of the male lead and his dreams. Not that Wu Lei's Ashile Sun is anything to throw popcorn at because this man is a total keeper from his fabulous thunderbolt eyebrows all the way down to his baby toes. No, I haven't actually gotten to his baby toes, my screen appears to be ahem... stuck... in a perpetual loop around about his stunning bare chest but I am sure they past muster. Even disguised as a man, Dilraba is such a peerless goddess no male lead ever seems good enough until Wu Lei rocks up to turbocharge this smoking hot OTP into one of my all time favorite drama couples. Don't be fooled by my shameless, shallow gushing, this is so much more than just another idol drama. All of the main characters in this drama start out as young people who don't know who they want to be when they grow up. They go on an incredible journey of self actualization to discover their true values and best selves.

This story begins with Li Shimin's bloody ascent to the Tang throne over the bodies of his brothers, to be the greatest Tang emperor. Li Changge, a fictional character, is his much adored niece and daughter of the deposed crown prince. Disguised as a man, she flees the capital, vowing to avenge her family and tries to marshal her father's remaining supporters to undermine her uncle. Thus Changge embarks on a long and difficult quest, making many friends including the delicious Ashile Sun along the way. She is young, naive and makes costly mistakes with irreversible consequences along the way. In the process, she discovers that the truth is never simple and there are causes far greater than hers; that an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind. Dilraba's performance as Changge is several notches above all her other works; she is not afraid to ugly cry or allow grief and rage to ooze from every pore of her being.

I picked up this drama because Wu Lei's Fei Liu is one of my all time favourite drama characters. Who would have guessed that irascible kid would have grown up to be such a sexy beast of an Ashile Sun! And Wu Lei has not lost any of his agility in delivering thrilling, heavy hitting action scenes, with his kick ass fight with She'er being one of the drama highlights. But what really is on fire is his chemistry with Dilraba; their mutual attraction does not have to be expressed in words. When Sun tells Changge "From now on, you are my slave" his entire being screams "From now on, I am your slave." It is so refreshing to have a couple that understands each other, is honest with each other (even about lying to each other) and shares the same world vision. Ashile Sun's manliness comes from the fact that he is not threatened by Changge's independence and strength, he glories in it. Together they find that forgiveness brings peace and liberation. I am also most pleased that not all the men fall in love with Changge, Mimi is more the femme fatale.

Changge's cousin and closest confidante Leyan is inadvertently thrown on a similar journey. They are polar opposites by nature and deal with challenging situations in completely different ways but both show immense courage and fortitude. Leyan is the character that shows the most growth in this drama and even though usually weepy characters give me rashes, I was not allergic to Zhao Lusi's empathetic portrayal. Fair to say, the princess and the icicle is very cliche but Liu Yuning and Lusi really capture what made it such a popular trope to begin with. Sadly they must have cut those scenes where the uptight Haodu thanks Wei Shuyu for buying him looser underwear with tears in his eyes because poor Wei Shuyu never gets any love despite how he redeems himself later on.

As much as I find this drama's character development addicting, it must be said that the plot is flimsy and requires heavy suspension of disbelief. This is partly because the plot development is constrained by historical facts. While it is very cool to journey with our characters to all the historical hot spots and watch them interact with great historical figures while history plays out, the plot itself doesn't amount to much more than that. Changge's mother's story is tragic but anti-climatic as far as mysteries go and that is the problem, the drama doesn't really have a climax. The entire last arc is not only implausible, the main antagonist was mis-cast and their acting was so appalling I really cringed through many moments of the final few episodes. As for the ending, I found it most fitting. Weddings are not the same without family, permission was asked and received and beautiful vows were exchanged. We don't need more than that.

Broadly speaking, men are followers of women in this drama making it is the ultimate female fantasy fiction that on sheer addictiveness and enjoyment factor alone merits a 10/10. But objectively speaking it also has some flaws that make an overall 8.5/10.0 more fair.

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Which asshole wrote this script?

That was the best line in Miss the Dragon, a xianxia that just misses the boat. It is a thought that jumps to mind at various points of the drama. The writer must be someone with both self awareness and a sense of humor. Which you must have plenty of if you choose to watch this because it can be so ridiculous and silly that you almost have to just laugh at it.

The story opens with the injured dragon king Yuchi Longyan rescued by a maid Liu Ying who mistakes him for a common snake. Liu Ying rescues injured animals, including the bird elf Qingqing  while she daydreams about the mythical dragon king. The first arc is largely an amalgamation of the best moments of other hit xianxias, notably TMOPB. When it comes to recycling other drama's memorable moments, it best be either a really clever parody or a vastly superior moment. In this case it is neither. Some of the writer's own original humor is fresh and funny enough they should have just gone with that and focused on fleshing out the main couple and getting us invested in their relationship. Instead, after being vividly reminded of some old favorites, I am left with the impression of two rather blank characters whose shallow infatuation with each other was unlikely to last until supper time, forget several lifetimes.

While Liu Ying does get a tad more interesting with each subsequent lifetime, there is little of substance that survives each incarnation. So it is not clear what Yuchi Longyan is fighting for, what is innately so special about Liu Ying that the dragon king loves so much. Zhu Xudan did a good job essentially playing four different characters but she is wasted in these sappy rather simple roles that any newbie actress can play. As for Wang Hedi, after a delectable opening scene of him emerging scantily clad from the dragon pool, I was left with an indelible impression of an overdressed plank. His portrayal of the dragon king is an impressive study of the art of being bizarrely still and plank like while everything else is moving. At first, I thought he was accidentally sent the script from a botox commercial. Then I started to feel insecure about accidentally hitting pause on my remote. Bottom line, I didn't feel any spark between the leads. Oddly, his interactions with all of the other characters are so much more natural and enjoyable. I rarely comment on the OST and the BGM but in this case I must point out it was good enough to make me tear up much more than was induced by the acting or story during the sad moments.

The idea of a love that transcends lifetimes is very powerful and moving but that concept is much more originally and engagingly explored in the second couple's story. Indeed the love story between the block of burning ice that is Xue Qianxun the master of Luofeng Pavilion and his flighty chirpy little bird elf Qingqing is why I didn't drop this drama. Both characters are better developed and they have understandable motives and goals. Their relationship is so humorous and their chemistry builds so organically that I had to root for them and was intrigued by and impatient to discover their past. I won't spoil it by saying more than that is a wonderful and memorable mini fairytale in and of itself and that is what the focus of this drama could and should have been.

The way the drama ends goes a long way to redeem itself. I really ate up the epic magical battles and even though the villain is quite lame and was obvious to me from the beginning, I like how all the pieces of their scheming is revealed and how it all ties in quite neatly with the plot and the many lives of Liu Ying. I am solidly in the camp of really liking the ending; anyone who knows the legend of Nuwa would not be that surprised by it.  Overall its not a bad watch, it has quite some entertaining moments beyond just laughing at the production. My rating gets a bump up to a 7.0/7.5 due to the wonderful second couple and ending at the climax.

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The truth will make them free.

This is a review of The Blue Whisper in its entirety - I will not review Part 1 and Part 2 separately.

The Blue Whisper is an enthralling fairytale about how love can be both imprisoning and liberating. Set in a fantasy world where sky immortals or fairies instill order and earth immortals or demons are prone to chaos, romantic entanglements between these two clans are forbidden. This kind of inter-species ban pretty much ensures that sky immortals and earth immortals fall for each other with reckless impunity.

Ji Yunhe is the most consummate spirit master among Wanhua Valley's elite cadre of demon tamers. She longs desperately to escape from the Valley; to see the world and be free. Chang Yi, a magnificent and powerful merman is captured by the wicked, conceited Shunde fairy, who tasks the Valley to tame and enslave him. Seeing it as her ticket to freedom, Yunhe vies with her sect brother, the Valley Master's son Lin Haoqing, to complete the task. Where Haoqing attempts to torture Chang Yi into submission, Yunhe beguiles him with kindness, friendship and love. Yunhe successfully manipulates and entices the naïve Chang Yi's heart for her own selfish ends. Along the way, the player gets played as Yunhe falls for his sincerity and sees that it is wrong to enslave such a pure hearted and innocent being. But even though she sacrifices to free him, her well intended lies set in motion a cycle of half truths, sacrifices. betrayals and captivity that ensnares them both. After a long and difficult quest for freedom with many trials, they understand that it is the truth that makes them free.

The story is set in a stunning, enchanted fantasy world with a vivid magical color palette, mystical sets and the best costumes and styling I have seen in a long time. The CGI is well done but errs on the side of being heavy handed at times. The storytelling however, leaves quite a bit to be desired. There are way too many artifacts, especially pearls with endless magical properties to conveniently save the day. And when dead characters keep being revived, both the element of surprise and the emotional impact is diminished. In addition to unnecessary side characters, there are altogether five well developed CPs that explore repetitive tortured themes of taboo relationships, deception, betrayal and how love can both be both confining and liberating. A few of these side stories are not interesting and too long winded and the frequent alternating between too many CPs and plot threads breaks the momentum of Yunhe and Chang Yi's story and makes the main plot stagnate as well. Thus I did not feel Yunhe and Chang Yi's chemistry or get invested in their storyline until Part 2 where many threads converge and the storytelling improves markedly.

I am really happy to see Dilraba take on the role of such a complex and conflicted character as Yunhe; one that undergoes so much anguish and such profound change. Though she made me feel her love and pain many times, I still like her portrayal of the cunning, manipulative and self serving Yunhe in the beginning best. As for Ren Jialun, he is a master of the unspoken and of intense suffering in silence. I can't fault his performance and am simply tickled that he is willing to do so many kiss scenes with the exquisite Dilraba. They look so incredible together in this production that they must be the most gorgeous costume drama couple by a wide margin. That said, while Chang Yi is intensely single minded when it comes to love, loyalty and righteousness, this is not innately a complex character and thus the role doesn't quite do Ren Jialun justice in terms of broadening his acting repertoire.

The character that compells me to the point of stealing the show is Lin Haoqing; brilliantly and sublimely articulated by Xiao Shunyao. From the get go, I was more drawn to Haoqing's chemistry with Yunhe - they are on the same wavelength, bound by history and layered and complex emotions. Like Chang Yi, Haoqing is torn between duty and Yunhe but unlike Chang Yi who is more reactive, he proactively schemes ahead, takes bold risks and tries for win win outcomes. Lin Haoqing and Yunhe get to do all kinds of interesting and important things that advance the plot while poor Chang Yi is relegated to safeguarding Beiyuan and dealing with the petty, boring issues of the fox clan. Chang Yi only comes in useful in mighty showdowns and even then, his power ups are marred by unflattering camerawork that catch him scowling angrily as if he is trying to take a dump. I can't help but feel that the plot short changes my beloved sour faced Ren Jialun, an actor I am super fond of. That said, I only have praise Xiao Shunyao's ability to make me feel Lin Haoqing's suffering no less than Chang Yi and Yun He's. I hope good things happen to this handsome and compelling actor.

Though I don't consider Xian Shi or Shunde's motives as villains that convincing, both roles are very well acted. In fact, Guo Xiaoting's Shunde can give one of my all time favorite villains, Angelina Jolie's Maleficent a run for the money. Guo thrusts herself into the role with mesmerising relish and wicked abandon. A dash of dark humor would have rendered the portrayal incomparable. As for the rest of the (too) extensive cast, even though a few characters got screen time that was disproportionate to the substance of their storylines, the roles are well performed enough to win a place in my heart. The friendship, support and sacrifice from Fan Zhen and Lishu as well as the hilarious Kong Ming and Luo Luo is clearly what gets Yunhe and Chang Yi through the loneliness of their many trials and tribulations. And I just simply love the idea of such a youthfully adorable Tian Jun.

This drama finishes strongly with an exciting and well chareographed final confrontation. But I won't lie, the ending is a bit of a blue whimper. There are simply too many reversals that make me roll my eyes. As for the final 5 minutes, it succumbs to c-drama's nasty habit of wanting to be all things to all people. Nonetheless, it is still an acceptable finale that from a certain point of view can be seen as quite fitting. The storytelling in Part 1 tried my patience and is at best an 8.0 but I really enjoyed Part 2, which I can happily rate a 9.0. Since I don't think it makes sense to rate both parts separately, this is an 8.5 overall. As of end April, this is my personal top ranked drama for 2022.

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Hijacked by the feminist manifesto.

In the Name of Blossom/国色芳华 picks up where Flourished Peony leaves off. I was expecting this second season to pivot toward the enigmatic Jiang Changyang's story and the plot focus to shift from Mudan's business ventures toward Changyang's court intrigue. The best part of this second season is how Mudan and Changyang's slow-burn romance finally catches fire. Their intense ardor as they transition from friends into lovers made my toes curl.

Unfortunately, as the narrative soldiers on, it becomes quite obvious that the writers simply ran out of plot and should have wrapped this story in one 40-episode season. I was quite done with Mudan's story in the first season and saw no reason to revisit past trauma just to introduce conflict and unnecessary noble idiocy tropes into their relationship arc. With not enough runway to introduce new antagonists, they continued to beat a dead horse with Liu Chang and Li Youzhen, subjecting them to sink even lower into ignominy. As for the final, bloody rebellion arc, there were too many predictable plot twists and reversals and fake deaths that I lost patience with it.

As I had feared in season 1, this turned into yet another empowerment story that gets hijacked by the feminist manifesto. I think in this day and age, it's no longer necessary to go to absurd lengths to prove women can live well without men. I enjoyed the searing chemistry between the two leads, but that was about it. I can only rate this a 7.5/10. I rate both seasons together an 8.0 overall.

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