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Thief of hearts.
Five Kings of Thieves is a fast paced Republican period wuxia. Zhang Siye puts a mysterious artefact up for auction. This object is said to lead to the whereabouts of the first emperor's mythical cauldron. This draws many opposing interests out of the woodworks; including historic guardians of the treasure, the Five Elements Families. Revolutionary students determined to protect China's national treasures from Japan's Black Dragon Association also jump into the fray.Huo Xiaoxie is just a scrappy orphan and the only treasure he is after is just some nice dim sum to celebrate his shifu's birthday. He sneaks into the Zhang mansion to steal some and bumps into Shui Yao'er, who is after a far more valuable object. They fight into love as they are caught up this high stakes treasure hunt with devastating and life changing consequences. Zheng Zedao a constable with an unknown agenda recognises his resourcefulness and bails him out of a few tight spots. As their enemies encircle them, this thief of hearts races to unlock his own hidden powers to secure the treasure and win the girl.
This is a low budget action packed adventure with many twists that weaves in many brave and colorful jianghu characters with their own side stories. I enjoyed both Ren Min and Darren Chen's slightly exaggerated acting and cute chemistry in this. Its a bit rushed at the end and I could see some of the twists coming early on but still enjoyed watching them play out. The slightly slapstick sequences and the look and feel of this entire production is nostalgic of the old HK TVB Republican era action adventures. Its quite campy and the editing is not the best but with only 12 episodes its a nice, quick watch. My rating 7.0/10.0
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My name is Nalan Yue, you killed my father, prepare to lose your daughter!
Once upon a dark and scary time, jianghu was controlled by Rong Jingfeng, master of the sinister Dragon Roar city. His favorite daughter Rong Hua (Zhang Huiwen) is rescued by Nalan Yue (Ren Jialun) and they fall in love. They uncover the secrets of JIngfeng's dark power over the sects and a continuing blood fued between their families. Evil jianghu dictator, revenge plot, Romeo and Juliet romance... yups, those are pretty much the most overused wuxia tropes out there. And yet this drama takes a very different and often enjoyable approach to these common cliches which is what kept me watching. I won't lie however, the editing is terrible and while there are some really fun parts, the whole thing does not come together that well.The story itself is a simple one that isn't that difficult to follow despite the annoying, often discontinuous editing. The action scenes are exciting and generally well done and is one of the drama's highlights. While it is at times hit or miss, they make a decent attempt at dark comedy, which I love. Unfortunately, as much as I respect Ren Jialun's attempt at taking on more versatile roles, his portrayal of Nalan Yue is not memorable. He takes the character's transition from a lighthearted and chatty young man to a darker, more mature and more burdened character well enough but fails to convey who Nalan Yue is at the core. His comedic timing is just not good and trying to grin while he is talking at high speed is a fatal error that must be as uncomfortable as it looks. That said, I respect and support actors who take on different roles and try to test their limits so I am pleased he didn't try to pull another Lu Yi here. I was wary of Zhang Huiwen because I really dislike her performance in NIF2, one of my all-time favorite dramas. But while not perfect, I definitely saw improvement in her acting and she is surprisingly good at dark comedy, which requires much more subtlety than silly rom-com humor. Her best moments in this show is when she vindictively has a beloved tree chopped down and her hilarious initial interactions with Bai Su.
Where this drama falls down is the two main romances were not properly developed. Both lead couples fell in love so quickly I had to rewind to make sure I didn't miss their courtship. As such, there is no buy in as to how as a couple, they would overcome the dreaded Romeo and Juliet trope - one of the hardest tropes to convincingly pull off a happily ever after with. And Ren Jialun's wife (just kidding, don't start rumors) must run the censorship bureau because there is no lip locking and not much in terms of eyeballing each other either. They just jump right into a mature, trusting and intelligent relationship with limited misunderstandings and only mild noble idiocy at the end. But it is still great to see the romance avoid a bunch of cliches and it is particularly refreshing the way the Xueman triangle is so smartly resolved. I also love how both brothers fall for such different sisters and oddly enough, it is quite clear why Rong Su and Liu Yizhou "click" but less so Rong Hua and Nalan Yue. Despite a lot of screen time together, Rong Hua and Nalan Yue have zero sizzling, squeal worthy moments together. For me, Xuanye and Liuli's romance is the most convincing and endearing one.
There are many very cool and properly dimensioned characters in this show. Even dark characters like Mohuan and Jingfeng have shades of grey and likable sides, no one is just simply black or white. They are all capable of love and doing good but tragically chose to do evil instead. Outside of Meiying, who to me is the most despicable character, I am moved to pity for the vain, lonely and ultimately futile quest for power and dominance that drove our main villains. I also like how the drama explores revenge not as an eye for an eye and is willing to free the next generation from the past generations greivances. I think if this drama went went down the route of "My name is Nalan Yue, you killed my father, prepare to die!", I would certainly have dropped it early on. It is differentiated in new ideas and interesting approaches to cliche tropes and a decent attempt at dark humor. It is a shame it doesn't hang together as well as it should have but I still enjoyed it. To me this feels like a 7.5 or possibly an 8.0 for not boring me with stale ideas.
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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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At a snail's pace.
Sometimes all you need to know about a drama is in the name - this one is aptly titled because it unfolds at a snail's pace. This is about a talented young criminal profiler Xuxu's quest to gain the approval and acceptance of her boss Ji Fai; who wants to boot her out of the department for flunking the physical fitness test.The cases in this crime thriller drama are linked and have a personal connection to Ji Fai. While quite well written, the clues and conclusions are either obvious or they are not at all and unfold like a police procedural. A very slow paced police procedural. That simply doesn't work - if its gonna unfold slowly then it must be littered with enough clues that the viewer gets hooked into playing armchair detective. If its gonna be a police procedural, then its got to be fast paced and action oriented. This was the worst combination of both. I lost interest in the case after about 13 episodes but kept watching hoping (wrongly) for some romance.
It goes without saying that Wang Kai looked yummy in this drama and his acting was very good. I really enjoyed all of the fast moving action scenes he was in. But I just couldn't see the chemistry or romance. First of all, Wang Xiwen's Xuxu did not come across as a criminal profiling genius; just a rookie cop who thinks VERY SLOWLY. Watching someone think very slowly is VERY BORING. The character is also inconsistently written: someone supposedly so perceptive she can draw inferences from human nature not obvious to others but yet lacking in social skills and EQ??? Both characters wore such solemn expressions I started to hope they would just glower each other to death.
There are some good things about this drama that actually starts out quite well. The second ML and FL are quite adorable and really lift the mood and team dynamic. But it simply just wasn't enough. If you really want to watch Wang Kai, then you can consider this a 7.0 but if not, it really is a 6.5. Bottom line, if you are looking to be intrigued and thrilled, look elsewhere. If you need a sleeping aid, this is a total snooze fest.
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The Adventures of Shanghai Holmes
This drama unabashedly sets out to create a Chinese Sherlock Holmes that is an upgrade from the original. I wish they had not done that but that changes nothing about how awesome this drama is. Set in the lavish sophisticated glitter of 1930s Shanghai, the glamorous surface visuals stand in sharp contrast to the darker and more ominous undertone of its citizens' dark side. The production borrows heavily from recent popular Sherlock Holmes movies and dramas. This is most notable with the OST which sounds uncannily like parts of the OST from both the movie and the BBC hit drama but has the audacity of being well... just better!This fun and engaging drama follows gifted police consultant Luo Fei (Bai Yu) and his sidekick rookie female detective Qin Xiaoman's crime solving adventures. They are aided by forensic doctor Ben Jieming and criminal psychologist Dr. Huo Wensi under the eagle eye of Detective Supt. Shawei. Despite the overt allusions to Sherlock Holmes, this is really a crime solving team that is a bit of Elementary in the two leads combined with a bit of CSI and a bit of Criminal Minds. Despite the requisite sharp intellect and deductive talent, Bai Yu's Luo Fei is far too sociable, too stylish, too charismatic and way too relate-able to qualify as an iconic Chinese Sherlock Holmes. His interpretation lacks a defining obsessive eccentricity and that dispassionate deductive logic that is the quintessential Sherlock Holmes.
Nonetheless, the humorous antics of the all too human Detective Luo as he falls for his gamin and plucky young sidekick are simply delightful. Xiaomin is a strong, smart and tenacious female character who can kick ass but is also not afraid on occasion to just be a girl. I really like that about her. What I like less is how condescending Luo Fei is when explaining certain deductions to Xiaomin - all that "Elementary my dear Watson" crap is such an overused and passe preamble to a "this is how it went down" walk-through in this genre. In general, all of the lead roles are colorful characters that were well written, well developed and well acted.
What impresses me most about this drama are how well written the cases are and how they come together in an overarching larger plot. I devoured the Complete Sherlock Holmes when I was twelve and have probably read every critically acclaimed detective out there since. I am not that easily wowed by just any old whodunit. These cases are intriguing, cleverly crafted, largely original with cheeky allusions to many of Holmes cases, both famous and lesser well known. They were mostly crimes of passion, where we end up feeling rather sorry for the perpetrators following the great reveal. In this sense, the cases are much more Agatha Christie than Arthur Conan Doyle.
The approximate three-episode per case format is just the right length to properly develop the backstory to each crime and the potential suspects. However, the production rushes through some key interactions, as if they don't really want the viewer to have enough time register what happened and think things through carefully. A really good whodunit lingers to the point of actually rubbing it in your face. The casting is also a bit off in the cases. For example, if there is to be a femme fatale in a case, she has to look the part. It is like saying Mrs Peacock seduced Professor Plum in the Conservatory - all you get is a big fat eye roll and yeah, right. Replace that with Miss Scarlet and then its oh yes, of course she did, that tramp! I suspect that the producers just don't understand that part of the big hook in this genre is the audience really does want to have a fair shot at more or less figuring it out. And between the rushing (every episode is really only about 30 mins) and the misleading casting, they are kind of cheating a little bit. But its not a big issue, just don't hesitate to rewind if you think you missed something.
[MILD SPOILER - PROCEED WITH CAUTION]
The way the cases converge towards the end is marvelous (and original) and builds towards a Reichenbach Falls like moment as a final homage towards Sherlock Holmes. Arthur Conan Doyle was bored with his creation and had intended to kill off Sherlock Holmes. I don't think that is the intent here - I think it this is clearly angling for a second season but even if that doesn't happen, I think the ending is excellent and can stand as it is.
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A few good men.
I always love all kinds of female empowerment, dark revenge thrillers along the lines of Kill Bill, Why Women Kill, Gone Girl etc. Like many similar themed stories, this one explores how when pushed too far, women can be a little bit dangerous. The success of these kinds of plots always depends on how ingeniously the "revenge" is set up and a few good twists along the way. This hidden gem of a short drama definitely achieves that and is worth watching for that alone.At surface, the main protagonist Qiao Wei has it all - she is a beautiful socialite with a handsome, successful and adoring husband (Lu Zicong) and a young son. Her facade of a perfect life starts unraveling after a wild school reunion at a hotel reconnects her with her old flame Qi Kai and an old frenemy struggling journalist Su Yao. The hotel chef An Xin's friend Nicole saves the inebriated Qiao Wei and shields her from her Zicong's unreasonable jealousy and possessiveness. As it turns out, all three women have had unhappy experiences or axes to grind with Zicong or Qi Kai. Brought together on that fateful night, they come up with some gripping, badass schemes to free Qiao Wei from her unhappy marriage and serve up a Michelin star-worthy dish of revenge on these nasty men.
The only issue I have with this drama is that the tone and writing style of the first half of it is markedly different from the much better second half. I found the backstories of these women to err on the melodramatic side and it took me a long time to empathize with Qiao Wei. I just kept shaking my head at her appalling taste in men. But I found the friendship and rapport between the women to be very enjoyable and even though she is a bit annoying in the beginning, Su Yao is my favorite of the four. The writing in the second half of the drama really hit all the right tones for me - between darkly humorous yet psychologically thrilling, witty and subtle with a a nice dose of silent communication. It is like another writer took over and I really wish the backstories and some of the difficult issues in the first half were written in the same language.
The other thing I really like about this drama is that while they are not rescued by men, they certainly got a lot of help from men friends. As much as I love girl power, it is important to be reminded that there are a few good men out there. The ending is also realistic in that it shows us that nobody has everything and its ok. The plotting is diabolical and the twist at the end that leaves a lingering shiver of fear is the perfect final touch.
This is a very enjoyable 8.0 for me. Also a shout out to @Skibbies for the recommendation.
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Time after time.
Zhang Haifeng is a cop that will not rest even after he is caught in a deadly explosion with his daughter's alleged murderer. In a bizzare twist, time after time he has a close shave with death, he wakes up in the past but while each time the events, the people and their actions rhyme, they are not exactly the same. Yet gradually shadowy outlines of the truth emerge as he pulls at the different threads and uncovers hidden relationships and causality. The first ten episodes are full of suspense and the cat and mouse encounters between Haifeng and the antagonists brim with powerful undercurrents and inuendo. I was really hooked and this was the show I looked forward to and watched first. The encounters between Wang Qianyuan and Lu Han were superb - both actors really got it just right. Qiao Xin's subtly suggestive portrayal of Sun Xiaomeng also deserves special mention.And then I watched a murder take place right in front of my eyes. It is unambiguous. The censors did it. They massacred the last two episodes of what could have been an awesome thriller. It is really hard to tell what really happened with this. In any whodunit, we need to know who, when, how and why. It is quite clear who and even why but the full motive is not revealed or is not convincing. The when and the how really depends on which version of three different accounts of the events as they played out actually took place. It doesn't really qualify as an interpretation ending because there are too many open questions no matter what you think actually happened. I have an idea of what I think most likely happened but I am left with a deeply dissatisfying and unfinished feeling. So watch this at your own risk. I rate the first 10 episodes 8.5/9.0 and the last 2 a 4.5/5.0 for a 7.0 overall.
There is a brief spoiler in the comment section of this review with what I think happened.
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How to top an already phenomenal first movie.
Brotherhood of the Blades 2 is one of those rare second movies that I liked better than the first (which also rocked). In this prequel, the younger Shen Lian stumbles upon a larger political conspiracy in the middle of an assignment to eliminate a controversial artist. The plot falls more along the lines of a mystery with just the right number of plot twists and betrayals. While the action scenes are still bloody, intense and masterfully choreographed, there is a better balance between close up lethal swordplay, suspenseful cat and mouse evasions and gripping high speed chases.The plot in the prequel is easier to follow and more interesting to me. The cast is stronger and the characters are deeper and have to grapple with more inner conflicts. The three main characters - Shen Lian (Chang Chen), Lu Wen Zhao (Zhang Yi) and Pei Lun (Lie Jia Yin) have agendas, loyalties and morals that are at times in outright conflict, making them alternately allies and adversaries. Yet they are bound by a certain code of conduct and mutual empathy shared by those who are ultimately just expendable chess pieces. Chang Chen's Shen Lian silently brimmed with intensity from barely suppressed defiance, to lethal violence, to cold calculation and to longing and desire in this movie. Lie Jia Yin as Pei Lun was his perfect foil with his nonchalant mocking insolence and casually deadly innuendo. Their chemistry as both friends and foes was spot on - I could not get enough of them. In the first movie, the third male lead, his sappy love interest and the female lead were insipid superfluous characters. This second movie doesn't have any notable weak links in the cast. In fact all of the supporting characters were exceptionally well acted.
Also two thumbs up for the strong, yet paradoxical female lead character - a brave and independent woman with a voice that will not be suppressed but who yet loves not that wisely. Ever at fault with a damsel in distress, Shen Lian's reluctant yet burning infatuation with her had me squealing with delight. I was shocked however to discover Yang Mi's truly awful real voice - it is thin, reedy and at odds with the strong character she portrayed. She pretty much owes all her success to her voice dubbers and undoubtedly this is why she hasn't graduated to the big screen despite her popularity and success. Still there is something inexplicable about her that connects with all her leading men and Chang Chen was no exception here.
Overall a fantastic movie to revisit, one that is hugely satisfying for any Chang Chen and/or Lie Jia Yin fans suffering from withdrawal after 2019's top dramas.
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The curious case of Bambi in the headlights.
The short mini-series format is fantastic for mystery and intrigue. I have been meaning to explore this promising genre for while. I chose Day and Night due to its strong international reception. Although it delivered in terms of an intriguing plot and decent script, the overall execution was poor. It starts out as a mystery/suspense but ends up like just another cop drama.The plot is built around former lead investigator Guan Hongfeng's secret mission to clear his fugitive twin brother Guan Hongyu, who was wrongly accused of brutally murdering an entire family. Hongfeng conceals Hongyu, who covers for him at night while he wrestles with his fear of the dark. That they are identical twins gives wide scope for multiple fun plot twists, something the writers took advantage of. Back at the crime investigation department, the twins alternate as Hongfeng to secretly try to solve Hongyu's case while assisting with ongoing investigations. There is only one conspiracy to uncover; all the other cases are presented as police procedurals so we only have to keep track of one set of clues for the one big whodunit. There were too many side cases - the drama ended up morphing into an action oriented police thriller with great high speed chases and fist slugging action. The one good, meaty suspenseful, whodunit conspiracy I was so looking forward to ended up taking a back seat. The many other excellent cop thrillers out there sets a high bar, relative to which this is at best a mediocre effort.
Where this drama crashed was with the uninspired acting by a B-list cast. The lead actor (Pan Yue Ming) only did a decent job playing twins - this is hard to do but it can be a fun, challenging role for a more versatile actor to shine in. He was good at conveying a barely discernible difference in mannerisms between each twin. But while his Hongyu was engaging as the more outgoing and charismatic twin, his portrayal of the introverted, cerebral Hongfeng fell far short. This character should have more intensity and quiet gravitas; an intellectually intimidating veteran detective with a giant secret instead of a lethargic, sleep deprived, monotonic and mostly expressionless character. Zhouxun (Wang Long Zheng), Hongfeng's ex-partner and successor as head of the department was well acted. He came across as a politically savvy, mercurial, cunning and suspicious friendemy of Hongfeng but tended to over-act, notably the temper tantrums. The critical casting error was Liang Yuan as Zhou Shutong, Hongfeng's rookie newbie mentee. This actress thinks rookie is synonymous with vacuous and that best describers both her performance and her favorite facial expression. This destroyed the chemistry of the entire cast - they couldn't interact with her nauseating deer in the headlights Bambi routine. Consequently, there was no convincing team dynamic between the cast. This rapport did eventually emerge and feel natural in the last 10 episodes, notably in scenes with no Shutong. Unfortunately Shutong got a lot of airtime as her role closely touched all of the lead characters. They should have just cut their losses by turning her into the victim of a serial killer.
The final episode was excellent, ending the show on a high note although only part of the conspiracy is revealed. There is no hard air date for the sequel and few details. Given the mediocre execution, I would not be surprised if it never eventuates. I am only mildly curious to find out what really happened so I won't be crying if it never happens. Overall this is an ok watch, it didn't live up to the hype for me although I will watch a few more in this genre.
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Princess Weiyoung is like comfort food - tried and true but pushes all the right buttons.
This was truly a very enjoyable drama from start to finish - I was pleasantly surprised by how it managed to captivate me. The underlying plot itself is not special - it is a revenge drama about a Liang princess whose family was executed after being framed for rebellion against the Wei kingdom by the Prime Minister's wife's powerful Chiyun family. She assumes another identity (Weiyoung) and infiltrates the Prime Minister's household as his second daughter of lower birth to a common mother. It has some clear parallels to Nirvana in Fire but the main protagonist is a clever young woman and her "revenge" is more reactive as opposed to proactive and calculated. Another difference is there is a big romantic element, it is more light hearted, fast moving and less complex. However, this is nowhere near on the same level and maybe it captivated me because my expectations were not high.The casting in this show was superb - literally all of the characters good and evil did a remarkable job with their roles. The two main leads are a real life couple and the chemistry between them is undeniable and heart warming. The male lead plays a powerful young Wei prince who is so enamored with Weiyoung that he is willing to give up his kingdom and his life for her. I think of the two, Luo Jin (Taoba Jun) is the better, more charismatic and versatile actor. Tiffany Tang's Weiyoung was clever, resilient and completely adorable but her performance was undeniably aided by the overall strength of the supporting cast. There were quite a few villains in the show - ones that you will love to hate (Prime Minister's wife and her nephew); ones that were so ineptly evil you had to laugh at them (Prime Minister's eldest son and daughter); and the more complex, ultimately pitiful ones that had some good in them (the Nan-an Prince and his lover). The Prime Minister's wife has the most evil villain eyebrow movement I have ever seen outside of a cartoon. And you will learn how evil and hate can take the form of such a lovely and innocent face. I found myself moved to pity for some of the villains even thought they satisfyingly got their just deserts, which speaks to the layered complexity of the characters. There are two charming supporting couples whose story lines did not deviate much from the main plot and did not go on excessively. Finally the show kept to a bare minimum the childish, petulant and immature female role stereotype that ruins many otherwise good shows.
Without giving anything away, there were some good twists in the story that sees friends turn into foes. I did think that there was excessive plotting against Weiyoung and maybe one or two of those plots could have been eliminated. Nonetheless due to the strength of the cast, any repetitiveness it was barely noticeable because everyone was such a pleasure to watch. Objectively speaking the plot isn't that original but it has all the elements of a true crowd pleaser: it moves fast, it will make you laugh it will make you cry; it will make you love, it will make you hate and it will surprise you a few times.
[KIND OF SPOILER BUT NOT REALLY A SPOILER ALERT]
One of the best things about Chinese drama is that a happy ending is not a foregone conclusion. Hollywood still doesn't get it - when its a foregone conclusion that it ends happily ever after everything becomes predictable and forgettable. This one will keep you guessing and hoping to the bittersweet end and maybe that is one of the reasons why it lingers with you.
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Monster's Ball
Demon Hunter's Romance or Wuyou Crossing(无忧渡) is a thrilling and chilling monster's ball where demons and humans collide, love defies fate, and morality blurs like ink in water. With its exquisite aesthetics, meticulous world-building, and haunting narrative, this drama revives the eerie charm of classical supernatural tales, blending Buddhist/Taoist philosophy with visceral emotion.Since she was a child, Banxia had yin-yang eyes that gave her a weird ability to see yāo (妖)—demons hiding among humans. Her family dismisses these "delusions" and medicate her. When she confronts and enrages a demon who seduced her cousin, she is rescued by Xuanye, a demon hunter. After this encounter, she begins to accept that demons really exist. When her father disappears, she is convinced he is kidnapped by a demon and travels to Guangping City to enlist Xuanye's assistance in retrieving him. Together, they investigate six strange cases that explore complex entanglements between humans and demons. The cases dive into how humans and demons experience love, greed, anger, ignorance, emptiness, and transformation. The drama's core message is that both humans and demons can be monsters and they often feed upon each other's best and worst instincts. As for whether humans and demons can co-exist, viewers must decide for themselves.
The cases are engaging, thought provoking and leave a lingering impact as they escalate brilliantly into a devastating and poignant finale. The narrative respects the audience's intelligence and is replete with enough clues and foreshadowing that the how-did-it at the end of each case is succinct as the mysteries largely reveal themselves. The first three cases are spooky in a Chinese horror kind of way, which is subtly hair raising rather than jump scares. The mirror demon case was the scariest and it ruined pears for me. I also enjoyed the creepy Reunion Inn aka Hotel California unit but the best case for me was the City of Illusions. It had the most cohesive sub-plot with multiple clues in plain sight and the humor and ironic role reversals were a welcome shift from the earlier spooky toned arcs. The narrative focus turns to the reveal of Xuanye's back story in the final two cases, which tie everything together into the final reveal and plot climax.
I picked this up mainly for the strange stories and was surprised by how much I enjoyed the romance. Ren Jialun and Song Zu'er look very cute and like they belong together. While the sparks didn't fly right away, the slow build in the romance better establishes a deep and abiding bond between Banxia and Xuanye. Song Zu’er shines brightest as the fierce He Quelian, overshadowing her initial portrayal of the timid Banxia. As for Ren Jialun, this is his career best to date. Though his early line readings falter, he improves markedly in the latter half with a moving delivery of the emotional moments. The cast delivered strong performances all around, with the demons outshining their human counterparts, as they should.
This drama is adapted from "Ban Xia" (半夏) by Ban Ming Ban Mei (半明半寐), which is a popular, unfinished supernatural romance. While the visual storytelling is captivating and immersive, the dialogue often drowns in verbose monologues. The biggest monsters in this story are human and they tend get off too lightly. Meanwhile good souls sacrifice and suffer unjust outcomes. While the intent may be to highlight the randomness of fate, the lack cosmic justice leaves a dissatisfying aftertaste.
There are many good villains in this drama but the final mastermind is too obvious early on and is the least interesting one with shallow and pedestrian motives. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the final two arcs as Zikong's (Cao Jun) adds layers of intrigue to Xuanye's origin story. There were moments the magnetic Cao Jun stole the limelight with his good looks and breathtaking fight scenes. The ending is profound and it makes sense in a way that respects the genre. The Changle (常乐) Sword or Sword of Lasting Wellbeing fulfils its legacy but extracts a high price. Something was lost but everything was gained and there remains a sliver of hope.This is a magical and poignant story about a demon who loved a human enough to set them free to be the person they were always meant to be. Flaws and all, Wuyou Crossing is a rare gem that will surely linger like a half-remembered dream. My rating 8.5/10.0.
SPOILER WARNING!
ENDING SPOILER COMMENTS
I know I belong to the minority, but I loved the ending tears and all. The production rightly overruled the screenwriter’s original plan—a hackneyed “half-demon compromise”—would have betrayed the story’s core: a taboo love between a human and a demon that defies fate.
The key to understanding the ending is that the Changle Sword can only be drawn to reverse cause and effect when there is a deviation from fate. Xuanye understood that when the sword beckoned him to use it and the way those fat silent tears rolled down his face is the drama's saddest moment. As it turns out, Banxia was never meant to wander into the Wuyou Realm or to meet Manying or to bring him into the human realm. The end effect of their ill-fated meeting was tragic for everyone from Xuanye's entire family to Chixue, Chu Youhuang, Sima Lingying and Banxia herself. The Changle Sword's intervention set everyone back on their rightful path but erases Xuanye's existence. Banxia should have forgotten Xuanye and gone on to live her best life as the brave and indomitable He Quelian. But the grateful butterfly demon stored Banxia's memories in the conch. And the universe threw them a lifeline by returning the conch to Banxia.
Thankfully the Changle Sword must have also muted the wordy screenwriter as the finale left so much unspoken because it did not need to be said. It trusts the audience to understand what is implied. Banxia and Manying don't belong to each other's world and Xuanye doesn't even exist anymore to anyone besides the two of them. In their new reality, they both have responsibilities and ties that bind in their own world. The Wuyou Realm is a magical and dangerous place for humans; even Shen Tunan dared not venture there without powering up. So I don't think it is realistic to expect Banxia to leave with Manying. The snow was Manying's promise to Banxia that they would grow old together. And by introducing him to all their old friends, Banxia is laying a path for Manying to find his way back into her world. So to me, this ending is a not yet happy ending; there are many challenges ahead but I daresay that it will be.
The only thing I truly hate about the ending is that the bigot Shen Tunan and that utterly selfish and whiny Xingxian get a do-over. That's just not right.
Footnote: Interestingly Li Xian doesn't pop up again in their new reality. Maybe he really is the runaway puppet Qingshan.
X
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It was a dark and starry night.
This movie opens with Hitchcockian flair as a man frantically begs indifferent local authorities on an exotic island getaway to find his missing wife. It was a dark and starry night the last time He Fei saw his wife Li Muzi. And his recollections seem fragmented, distorted by drugs and alcohol. The plot thickens as a seductive lady in red charmingly asserts she is his wife Li Muzi and can prove it. He Fei enlists Chen Mai, a high powered lawyer in a race against time to expose the imposter and find his wife. It is quite clear there is an elaborate grift at play but it is not clear who is pulling the strings.Despite the strong and intriguing start, the plot reveals itself too early. The sense of mystery collapses abruptly as too many too obvious clues are dropped that point to a very predictable and done before whodunit plot. The drama's tone swiftly switches into dark comedy that ventures too far into the realm of the outlandish and absurd as the perpetrator is trapped into telling all. At that point it becomes a tragicomic story of addiction, deceit, greed, and revenge.
Zhu Yilong steals the show with his riveting portrayal of the many facets of He Fei. He made me feel scared, angry and sad. The high point in terms of tension, chemistry and suspense is the cat and mouse between He Fei and Janice Man's imposter. I could feel the air sizzle with between them as they taunt each other. Unfortunately even though Ni Ni's portrayal is on par with Zhu Yilong's in terms of charisma and nuance, there is simply no chemistry or tension of any sort between them. Their moments of confrontation and conflict are flawlessly executed on both parts but somehow there is no feeling of intense connection or conflict between them. This is not incompatible with their respective characters and what they are about but with no shade on either actor, I think this is just not a great pairing. I also find the supporting cast a bit lacking and think they should have minimized the use of English in the movie.
Despite its flaws, this is a highly entertaining movie. As a big suspense watcher, it falls short of my expectations in the latter half but I still enjoyed it well enough overall. This is China's 2023 summer hit that makes for a very fun watch. My rating 7/10.
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Lie like a dog.
This is a very solid police procedural about a female-led investigative team that employs polygraph technology to solve crimes. Haunted by a 12-year old and very personal cold case, Ling Ran is a workaholic truth seeker who is after justice for both the victims and the survivors of violent crimes. This is a very driven character that fuses her own instincts and observations with signals from the lie detector to sniff out and drill down on suspects who lie like a dog.The cases are based on real life cases that occur when common human fallings collide with social pressure and a spate of bad luck. They are quite simple with straightforward with often predictable solutions and some plot holes. But they are curiously addictive nonetheless and this is what sets this otherwise unexceptional police procedural apart. While at surface it looks like Lie to Me, it is actually a lot more like CBS's Cold Case, one of my all time favorite crime series. The stories are dark and sad and they feel very real. The magic of the narrative is that it brings the victims back to life - they have secrets, hopes, dreams, strengths, weaknesses; they all love and are loved. Regardless of how ordinary and humble their existence is, they are missed and their loss is a devastating blow to someone. All but the last case moved me to tears.
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The team dynamics are well written, well portrayed and enjoyable but overshadowed by the victims' and their survivors' haunting stories. I think Mo Xiaojie and his connection with the homeless orphan stole the show and gave this character the kind of growth and dimension that is missing in team leader and titular truth seeker Ling Ran's characterization.
Ling Ran is scarred by a 12 year old cold serial case that makes her the way she is but unfortunately this is not explored until the final case. As such, I find aspects of Ling Ran perplexing and never quite connected with her. This ends the drama on a final case that just doesn't resonate as hard as the earlier cases. I would prefer they opened with the final case and ended with the first case. This would have better established Ling Ran's backstory and made her more understandable and relatable. The first case is also one of the best cases and the one with the least dark ending that asks the question whether one ought to lie to protect the innocent, which would be a fitting note to end this drama on.
I only rate this a 7.0 because it really isn't the best, most intriguing and thrilling crime series out there. But it is quite well made and there is a lot of heart in the cases that will touch you in a lingering way so it is definitely worth watching.
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Saved by the long haired devil in Prada.
This is one of those dramas with many, many flaws but somehow still manages to be so very enjoyable to watch that it commands higher ratings than it deserves. It is also one where for me, a secondary lead playing a dark character completely steals the show and wins my heart.This is the story of Hua Qiangu (Zhao Liyang), a cursed orphan who has a tendency to attract demons. She is rescued from angry and fearful villagers by a powerful immortal Bai Zihua (Wallace Huo) who after many trials, reluctantly accepts her as his disciple. Of course they can't help falling in love but if the master disciple relationship is not obstacle enough, she is also fated to be his calamity and it is his duty to suppress the demon goddess within her by killing her. They come regularly in conflict with factions of the Demon Sect, who are out to steal a number of magical artifacts that when put together unleashes the demon forces. When her master Bai Zihua is mortally injured, Hua Qian Gu goes on a quest to recover all of the artifacts regardless of the consequences. This is a result of the machinations of a mysterious antagonist that results in a good surprise plot- twist.
As a couple Qiangu and Zihua would have worked better if Wallace Huo had not appeared to be icy-faced practically all of the time. He is a good enough actor that he must have just been a bit lazy in this role. As a result, his Bai Zihua came dangerously close to crossing the line of being cruel and indifferent to Hua Qiangu. I was still rooting for them as a couple but there were many moments where he really angered me. This made Hua Qiangu seem a bit silly for being so devoted to such a cold fish when she was surrounded by so many other more worthy suitors. Huo's rather flat performance left the door open for the secondary leads to steal the show and indeed they did. Andy Zhang was really very convincing as Dong Fang but it is Kyle Ma's Sha Qian Mo that shocked and awed.
I would probably have given this show a 7 or 7.5 without Ma's Sha Qian Mo. He was equally compelling as the fearsome and deadly Demon Lord as he was as Hua Qiangu's tender and protective Sha Jiejie. He is a total fashion diva that embraces his feminine side, pulls off these colorful, exotic and unambiguously female outfits and hilariously exchanges beauty tips with Qiangu. He would sadly advice her not to love her callous sifu so much despite sagely knowing she wouldn't be able to help herself. This was one of the characters from the show that really resonated with me and saved the drama. I'd like to see this actor again in some better roles!
The overall story-line is very interesting it moves at a nice pace for the most part and then at the end the story gets garbled, a bit confusing and then it ends abruptly. It is as if they ran out of time or something. This is really absurd because they wasted hours and hours on this super annoying, whiny CGI caterpillar character that turns into a noisy, talkative and thoroughly irritating girl. The directors and scriptwriters really deserve to be spanked for wasting time they did not have on this now hopefully unemployed actress. This could have and should have been a much better show. Still while rushed, the ending was not as terrible as some have described as the two leads did manage to click well in the finale. Its is still overall enjoyable and worth watching.
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A song of fire and ice.
This drama feels like an angsty adolescent modern romance that was dressed up in historical costume and wrapped up in a few wuxia tropes. Some of the ideas and characters are quite fresh but ultimately it is weighed down by cliches and an insipid plot.Chong Xuezhi (Chen Yuqi), the young mistress of the Flame Hall seeks to restore the reputation of her sect and atone for her father's atrocities after going berserk from improper cultivation of the Lotus God Nine Stance Technique. Behind vocal condemnation, the other sects covet this technique and scheme to acquire the manuscripts by fair means or foul. They are manipulated by a mysterious antagonist who aims to bring the sects under their control or eliminate them. The playboy master of Moon Valley Shangguan Tou (Luo Yunxi) is tasked to protect the naive young Xuezhi and along the way, they fall in love. Perhaps not the most original plot but decent enough that with proper execution could have be an entertaining wuxia romance.
I have a soft spot for flawed rakish characters like Shangguan Tou, who is not your typical c-drama male lead. I had to turn up the air-con at the intensely flirtatious, almost seductive way he heatedly eyes and teases Xuezhi in the beginning. But this is one complicated dude - he blows hot and cold as he has commitment issues due to an unhappy childhood and unresolved issues with his father. He loves to engage in long winded and repetitive introspective conversations but doesn't communicate or listen to good advice. That just leads to endless rounds of pointless talking. Sigh! In the end, I found this character frustrating - just too high maintenance, emotional, headstrong and uncompromising. That said, Luo Yunxi's breathtaking ability to wear his heart on his face kept me going through the draggy parts.
Although naive in the beginning, Xuezhi is a stronger, more straightforward character - she is proud and dignified when Tou rejects her, she gets on with her life and is generally a good decision maker. She seems weak in the end because Tou is so adamant that everything has to be his way. It is actually Tou who is too distracted to stay one step ahead of the enemy and makes emotional and cliche noble idiot decisions. It cracks me up when even the loyal Wuming questions his judgement. While clearly Yunxi is the stronger and more nuanced actor (and so devastatingly handsome), both roles were well acted and the OTP has good chemistry. It is not their fault that their interactions are so frustratingly written. Their characters are also very young and written to be extremely immature and inexperienced with relationships despite their authoritative positions. This is a challenge because visually both leads are well past their teen/young adult years.
The drama starts strongly but quickly loses momentum. The main problem is the romance between Tou and Xuexi advances too quickly and is so consuming that the rest of the external plot is repeatedly tossed into limbo while the OTP (internal plot) jumps through a bunch of romance cliches - he's dying, he's not ready, love triangles galore, silly misunderstandings, she's dying... to the point I kept wishing one or better yet, both of them would jump off a cliff. Their fated affinity or yuan fen (缘分) must not be that good because every time they get together, one ends up at death's door! Their moods are also out of sync - one blows hot while the other blows cold. It is a real question whether this is a couple that lasts.
The relationship arcs are such big digressions that by the time we get on with the conspiracy, the story picks up but never regains the lost momentum. The rest unfolds rather hastily and deals with interesting characters including Muyuan and Qingmei more cursorily than they deserve. It is a shame because there were many good characters in this drama but once they serve their purpose, they are killed off with impunity. Along the way, the plot morphs into a political conspiracy rather than a wuxia and the only bombastic thing about the so called legendary martial art technique is its name. The main antagonist's motivators are not compelling and that actor shamelessly knocks off Chen Kun's Ning Yi mannerisms. The actor does not have the right face for some of the more dramatic expressions and just ends up looking like a bizarre and creepy clown. The external arc ending is not satisfactory and in my opinion, justice is not served.
All things considered, if you fast forward through the middle bits, this wasn't that bad - there are some moving scenes, generally good acting and a fabulous looking OTP. But in hindsight, the fire and ice theme of the drama is a dead giveaway; when you add ice to fire all you get is a bunch of hot air that evaporates into nothing of substance.
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