PeachBlossomGoddess

Closure

While NIF2 works as a superb standalone story, it is best appreciated if watched after NIF. Also be aware some of my comments may be spoilers for NIF so best not to read this if you haven't watched it.

NIF2 is the story of the changing fortunes of the Changlin family as together with the Liang empire, they navigate a changing of the guard. While the story skips a generation, the ghost of Lin Shu "haunts" the drama. After all, the powerful Changlin Army is the legacy Prince Jing created in Mei Changsu/Lin Shu's memory. Xiao Tingsheng, the now elderly Prince of Changlin instills in his family the same moral values, duty, honor and loyalty that were innate to Prince Jing and Lin Shu. His sons Xiao Pingzhang and Xiao Pingjing grow up with and share a deep bond beyond blood ties with their imperial peers, especially the Crown Prince and their cousin Xiao Yuanqi. Their proximity to the throne and unbalanced power in the court is feared and envied by many. This sets the stage for political plots and intrigue at the highest levels of the court that pose many challenges for the Changlin family. This brings the free spirited and fun loving Pingjing back from the famed Langya hall to aid his more responsible elder brother Pingzhang, the heir who already shares their father's duties.

In NIF, we can only imagine what young Lin Shu's life was like. NIF2 invites us to experience being in the bosom of a close and loving family at the epicenter of power in the empire. We laugh and we cry with them, their friends are our friends, their foes our enemies, their hopes our hopes and we feel the pain of their losses in an acute and very real way. The script-writing and plot in this drama is deep and masterful in a way that rivals that of NIF. While political plotting, revenge, justice, loyalty, morality, duty and envy are still strong themes, it dives more deeply into relationships between sovereign and subject, parent and child, husband and wife and siblings and cousins while exploring the fine line between good and evil and nature vs nurture. Unlike NIF, the story does not revolve around one core character but a number of key characters. Like NIF there are many grey characters and even the good characters are very realistically written with their own strengths and flaws. These lead characters evolve over time as the story-line spans a generation shift and explores how these characters deal with change. The second half of the drama focuses on the younger generation and this is where weakness in the acting emerged as these demanding transitions are played out by younger and less experienced actors. That said, overall the cast was very strong and well populated with many veteran actors.

Newcomer Liu Haoran's Xiao Pingjing was stellarly portrayed from start to finish. He managed to "grow up" from the immature, playful, outspoken, impetuous and slightly irresponsible younger son to be a skilled pugilist, brilliant general and military tactician, the rising star of the Changlin family. This actor immediately conveyed that Pingjing must be what a young Lin Shu (whom we never met in NIF) would have been like. He is the young actor to watch coming out of NIF2. Sadly his love interest Lin Xi was played by a limited and forgettable young actress. Lin Xi's father was killed before she was born so she is an aloof character, a talented and capable lady doctor. She had to make a terrible, controversial and life altering decision in this drama. This is an awesome part that a better actress could have killed. This one wore a perpetually tragic expression and when pressed to defend her decision she overacted, wailing in a completely out of character way. There was no chemistry between Pingjing and Lin Xi and as a couple, they were not convincing. Pingzhang and his wife Meng Qianxue on the other hand were touchingly in sync with each other. Fortunately this is not a love story although there is more romance than NIF. Both female leads were strong and well written characters but only Meng Qianxue's role was well acted.

In the second half of the drama, cousin Xiao Yuanqi also comes of age, clawing his way up despite the disgrace his father (the youngest son of Prince JIng) brought on to their branch of the family. Yuanqi is a chameleon and the most interesting, complex and empathetic character in the entire drama. To be fair it is a challenging role, one that actor Wu Haochen was not up to. While his performance was technically good, it was also pedestrian and boring. He simply lacks onscreen presence and charisma. I didn't want to watch him and would either tune out or tune into whoever he was sharing the screen with. This was too critical a role for them to have miscast so badly. The character itself was exceedingly well developed, it just didn't come to life in the right way. It is why for me this drama is not a perfect 10 even though the script, plot and story-line can hold its own against NIF.

NIF broke my heart because even though Lin Shu/Mei Changsu got his justice, it was his final act. What he lost could never be recovered. I was inconsolable for a long time. Watching NIF2 was cathartic because NIF2 shows us that his legacy and everything he stood for lives on in all the lives he touched. And despite its own tragic moments, in NIF2 we get to imagine that maybe Lin Shu came back to fulfill his final promise. That gave me the closure I badly needed.

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Who is the big bad wolf?

This is a passionate fantasy fairytale that unflinchingly explores the thin line between love and hate and many emotions in between with a dark intensity that will not appeal to everyone. Hidden within this dark, at times ugly complexity is a simple, intense mythical love story that is beautiful in its fleetingness.

Once upon a time, Xing'er, the lonely young daughter of a feudal lord befriends Langzai, a wild orphan boy raised in the forest by wolves.  Even before they understand what it means, they fall in love and form an unbreakable bond. But after a terrible misunderstanding, Langzai is whisked away by the tyrannical, paranoid and evil emperor Chu Kui who weaponizes him. When they meet again, Langzai is the fearsome Prince Bo, a ruthless, lethal military leader who keeps the mad, bad despot's internal and external foes in check. And Xing'er has grown up to be the beautiful Princess Ma Zaixing, a pawn whose family's military might is coveted by both Chu Kui and the rival Jin king. A damning accusation, divided loyalties and duty forces them to be mortal enemies and opposing forces push them towards what appears to be mutually assured destruction. Can true love uncover the truth that can defeat the darkness in their souls and free their land from evil? 

This drama is not plot driven; the story is easy to follow with a few well conceived mysteries to be revealed but the villains are known from the outset and there are no shocking twists. It is very well paced and the action and battle scenes are ferocious, brutal and gripping. Rather it is largely a character driven drama where the main protagonists fight for who they choose to be and who they want the love of their life to be. It asks the question - who is the big bad wolf or who are the monsters? Is it the wolf in wolf's clothing or the wolf in sheep's clothing?

This character drama is made especially memorable by the many well cast and compellingly delivered roles. They are difficult roles to convey because all of the main characters are flawed and they all have inner animal avatars. When they are tempted or threatened their most primitive instincts emerge and we see both their best and worst selves. To properly appreciate this drama, it is important to keep this in context because the writing does not try to sugarcoat or suppress these traits, instead it gives them free rein to build into raw moments of enraged conflict, unimaginable pain, dark passion, misguided loyalty, pure love and violent hatred. All of the characters make mistakes both selfish and well-intentioned mistakes with heartbreaking and irreversible consequences.

The styling and costumes of the characters are designed to accentuate their inner animals and each of them are written to highlight their inner animal's associated personalities and strengths and weaknesses. We know that Langzai/Bo Wang (Prince Bo), the titular character is a wolf. Xing'er/Ma Zaixing is a butterfly, the least complex, most single minded character of them all. Ji Chong is an eagle and Bao Na is a horse. Yao Ji, the most underrated character in this drama is an enigmatic, treacherous and wise snake (I think). Her relationship with Bo Wang is the most surprising, complex and interesting relationship in the drama, much more so than both Bo Wang and Ji Chong's relationship with Xing'er. I wonder how many supernatural abilities these characters were originally endowed with before the censors erased all of that stuff.

The following is a deeper discussion of the main characters and their relationships that inevitably contains mild spoilers. You can stop reading here and  come back to the rest after you are done with the drama.

I initially mistook Xing'er for a frustrating character - weak, naive, unwilling to grow up and one dimensional. But that is her nature - she is a butterfly - a delicate, transitory being that is a symbol of youth, joy, love and beauty. Female butterflies mate only once and then they die. Her goals are simple and she is pure hearted but she is by no means weak; on the contrary she is single minded and unyielding in her love for Langzai and her determination to recall him from the darkness that is Bo Wang. Her heart is gently cruel in its lack of capacity to to let anyone else in. This kind of role is both very easy and very difficult and Li Qin pulled it off phenomenally (despite a shrill and atrocious voice dubber). I could feel her pain and disillusionment and teared up as I watched Xing'er innocence and love of life get extinguished into the strong, mature, revenge driven but indifferent Ma Zhaixing.

Bo Wang is a sexy, magnificent, conflicted and tortured beast of a character that I loved to hate in the beginning and hated to love at the end. He is the big bad wolf, a ruthless predator with savage methods but he is also highly intelligent, passionate and devoted to his pack or his family. Wang Dalu's portrayal is so vivid and potent that I could see a wolf lurking behind Bo Wang's every facial expression and gesture - I can't believe I have never watched this actor before. The scorching chemistry between Bo Wang and Xing'er is the most outstanding feature of this drama. Both actors have such intense screen presence that anyone that shares the screen with them becomes invisible. Their passionate, tormented kisses and the intense longing in their gazes give lie to their often toxic verbal exchanges. Their relationship scales the tortured depths of hatred and despair to the breathtaking heights of love and ecstasy. They are so convincing and moving as a couple that all of their love rivals pale in comparison.

Ji Chong is an eagle, a bird of prey that can see the big picture from high above and swoops down opportunistically and tactically to force the lovers to face each other as mortal enemies. Like Bo Wang, Ji Chong also tries to save Xing'er by changing her; in this matter he and Bo Wang have a common agenda. While their methods are diametrically opposite, the outcome is the same in that they both cause her to suffer enormously. Bo Wang pushes her away harshly and cruelly while Ji Chong albeit charmingly, imprisons her with duty and obligation to her clan. Bo Wang loves her enough to give her up but Ji Chong more selfishly and somewhat naively tries to wheedle and manipulate his way into her heart. Ji Chong and Bo Wang are both ultimately well intentioned but make many mistakes and are thus equally responsible for all but erasing the Xing'er they love. I am very impressed that Xiao Zhan chose to play such an interesting, endearingly immature and flawed second lead rather than yet another insipid and suffocatingly noble and selfless one. Just as with his iconic interpretation of Wei Wuxian, Xiao Zhan's blinding charisma compels us to forgive Ji Chong's flaws and weaknesses and even empathize with him.

Surviving to exist is not important to Xing'er who only cares that she rescues her Langzai so that they can retreat into the forest away from the two legged monsters that walk the world outside. With this in mind, the drama's ending is not just good, it is also fitting. As someone who loves such beautifully flawed and even dark characters, I find Xing'e and Langzai's mythical love story to be unforgettable so this has to be a 9.0  possibly even a 9.5 for me. I can understand why others may find the themes too darkly disturbing and judge the characters much more harshly.

I will end with a nursery rhyme I vandalized for @sony_t:

Wheedle eagle, pudding and pie,
Kissed the butterfly and made her cry,
When the wolf came out to play,
Wheedle eagle flew away.

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Tale as old as time.

The Legend of Shen Li is a highly entertaining xianxia with a terrific starting hook. Injured while fleeing an unwanted marriage, Shen Li crashes into the mortal realm in her innate phoenix form. Mistaken for a chicken, she is rescued and healed by Xing Yun, a sickly ginseng salesman. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be shipping an unseemly attachment between a haughty chicken and a weak but insolent mortal. Their hilarious interactions and witty repartee had me grinning like a fool. This has to be the first CP that I got invested in before the FL properly meets the ML.

While I find Legend of Shen Li quite enjoyable, it is a tale as old as time and I am not just making fun of Xingzhi's age. This kind of forbidden love story between a lonely, crusty old god and a much younger one is the staple of this genre. This one is written more as a character story so there is little plot movement until the second half of the drama. The plot itself leans heavily on well known xianxia tropes with a modern, role reversal approach. What makes it special is that it is well executed, the main CP has scorching chemistry, it is anchored by a stellar cast and tongue-in-cheek dialogue has deep and heart tugging undertones. This is an excellent entry-level xianxia that will thrill and delight newcomers to the genre the most. While die hard fans of the genre will certainly enjoy the fresh take on old themes, they may find the plot predictable after the early arcs.

For me, the mortal realm is always the most interesting xianxia arc and this is no exception. It is at the same time the most disappointing arc in terms of missed opportunities. It is too short and half the time Shen Li is an angry CGI bird. Shen Li's feelings for Xing Yun developed so quickly I felt shortchanged on the how and the why she fell in love. Worse, their story is overshadowed by the two utterly heart wrenching ill-fated love stories. To some extent, the narrative coasts on the residual heat from Princess Agents and assumes the audience is already invested in the main CP. The issue is viewers who did not watch that may not feel the chemistry between them. The arc ends so abruptly that it barely dawns upon me that Shen Li's affections could be one-sided. She very high-handedly falls for a helpless mortal and doesn't give him any say in the matter because she knew it to be transitory. This is quite sad and complex and it is a pity the narrative dealt with it too cursorily.

As someone hungering for closure from Princess Agents, I am stoked to report that the chemistry between Lin Gengxin and Zhao Liying burns as hot as ever. This drama is generous to a fault in fusing passionate love scenes with humor and moving romantic moments. I find myself chuckling at how hot and flustered Shen Li gets by Xingzhi's shameless flirting until the veiled pathos behind Xingzhi's careless words hits me and makes me tear up. Both characters are designed to recycle the strengths of their previous collaboration without taking much risks. Notably, there is no extra dimension or complexity to Zhao Liying's role or portrayal. She once again delivers in spades what she does best from the brilliant, combative glitter in her eyes to her signature awesomely bad-ass fight scenes. I would have liked to see more facets to King Bicang beyond the fierce warrior with a deadpan expression who is casually cruel to CGI animals. There is more scope for Lin Gengxin to shine as Xingzhi is a contradiction; the most powerful and yet the most powerless being in the three realms. I was impressed by Lin Gengxin's heart wrenching and nuanced portrayal of this so very alone ancient being who will crack a joke to stop your heart from breaking for him.

As a couple, Shen Li and Xingzhi are too perfect for each other - their world view is largely aligned and besides the one bombastic obstacle of an existential crisis for the realms, there is no real conflict in their relationship. While they experience some acutely angsty moments, they are all short lived. Most of the intense and lingering agony in this xianxia actually comes from the three devastating side love stories. Both characters are fully realised beings that don't grow much. That is left to the likes of Furong who is my favorite character in the first half of the narrative and the character that shows the most growth overall. His limelight in the second half is stolen by Lady Jin who is by far my favorite character and one who saves the draggy second half of the show for me. I find the villains quite boring and archetypal and those roles are also the least well acted. Even though Shen Li and Xingzhi come together in a moving and masterful ending climax, the finale is too much of something I have seen many times before. I did not enjoy the extended ending fight sequences and the heavy handed CGI.

Despite the unoriginal plot, this is an excellent character driven story. I was invested in many characters beyond the leads - Furong, Youlan, Qing Ye, Feng Lai, Mofang, Lady Jin and the indignant Cluck Cluck. The dialogue uses comedy brilliantly as a gateway to the profound in highlighting complex, deep and at times tragic existential themes. I enjoyed the conversation about how if we can work together against evil, we may no longer need gods to be our babysitters. I also felt a shiver of fear in this age of AI at the idea that as creators, one day we will become an existential threat to our creation. Overall a very enjoyable and highly recommended funny and intelligent xianxia that I am happy to rate 8.5/10.0.

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All style no substance.

I was really excited to watch this Republican period detective drama. Having enjoyed Hu Yitian and Zhang Yunlong's chemistry in My Roommate is A Detective, I couldn't wait to see them team up again in a similar setting. The adaptation of Agatha Christie's Poirot mysteries seemed like an added bonus. Sad to say, despite the visually sumptuous set and costumes, both the characters and cases are bland, uninspired and the pacing is very draggy.

While Situ Yan is the lead detective, he is not meant to be a literal adaptation of Hercule Poirot. Poirot with his known eccentricities including his fastidiousness and obsession with symmetry, is one of the the most distinctive, well dimensioned fictional detectives ever. He has a clear process and methodology that is based on human nature and psychology for solving the case. I would never cast Hu Yitian as Poirot and I am ok with the fact that Situ Yan is not Poirot. What I am not ok with is the colorless, cardboard characterisation of Situ Yan as simply a highly intelligent but rather lethargic lawyer with a strong sense of justice. Hu Yitian does his best with the role but he doesn't have much to work with. This is made worse by Luo Shaochuan, the money guy whose contribution to the crime solving aspects of the partnership is unclear. This character is so indifferently written it is not worthy of an actor of Zhang Yunlong's calibre. The two leads get little screen time together as they go down disparate paths in the investigations. Unlike their previous best loved collaboration, Zhou Mowan is more often Situ Yan's sidekick than Luo Shaochuan is. Thus we don't get to enjoy their banter and their incredible chemistry that builds up and fleshes out both characters as they work through the cases. While both female leads are well written and likeable, they crowd out the bromance.

When it comes to adapting these beloved Poirot classics, I am no die-hard Christie purist. I am receptive to and have seen good adaptations that take a fair amount of liberties with the original works. This can be successfully achieved because changes notwithstanding, the adaptation remains true to the essence of Christie; the psychology of the crime. This is where Checkmate fails to deliver. The supporting cast is very mediocre and lacks screen presence. Bland storytelling and poor pacing with unnecessary romantic digressions disrupts the build up in suspenseful tension into the final reveals. The cases must be evaluated convincingly from the point of view of each character, to assess their psychology as a sense of imminent peril escalates. Who was the victim? Why would someone want them dead? Who would cross that line and actually do the dastardly deed? This drama fails to make me feel invested in the human aspects - the victims and potential suspects; it fails to create a sense of urgency to solve the case or engender that mixture of sorrow, pity and revulsion for the perpetrator that is signature Christie.

The first case is Murder on the Orient Express, a well known case that has been adapted to death. While this version does not stand out, it stays close to the original and is fairly well done. Although Roger Ackroyd is also quite well done considering how difficult it is to adapt an unreliable narrator case into this format, from there, things start to go downhill. These cases are masterpieces; material changes should be weighed carefully and not made with the misguided idea that such impeccable Christie plots have scope for improvement or merely for the sake of delivering a surprise twist. Which is what they did to one of my personal favourites. They went for the plausible alternative solution which simply did not fit the human nature aspects of the case. And thus fails to deliver Christie's magic wow factor, the thrill and the chill and that sense of shock, sorrow and acceptance that it all made sense; that it is the best and only solution. It devolves further as cases are stitched together in a cut and paste fashion that is increasingly incoherent. The final case bears little resemblance to what I think must be the original. While it took no genius to spot the the final antagonists a mile away, their motives are uninteresting and unconvincing and the ending is frankly farcical.

If you are a Christie purist, I would say avoid this drama. You will feel they have desecrated some of the author's best works. If not, this is a watchable if unexceptional adaptation. The production values are quite good and the Republican period setting in Harbin has some novelty appeal even though the drama overall is all style no substance. This is a 7.0 for me but I would have rated it 7.5 if they didn't ruin Five Little Pigs and finish in such an absurd manner.

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One that loved not wisely but too well.

Once upon a time in Beili, there lived a woman who was simply too beautiful 倾国倾城/qīng guó qīngchéng; she could fell a city with one look and fell a kingdom with a second look. This kind of woman is a menace to mankind that can only be locked out of sight in a gilded cage. This is the cautionary tale of a brave man, one that loved not wisely but too well who dared to set her free. And his one true friend who tried to help him do the right thing.

Dashing Youth 少年白马醉春风 or Young White Horse Drunk in the Spring Breeze is the highly anticipated prequel to 2022's dark horse hit high fantasy martial arts drama The Blood of Youth 少年哥行. Like its predecessor, it is a youthful coming of age story about friendship, adventure and the spirited idealism of youth. Even though Baili Dongjun is the titular character, it is equally his best friend Ye Yun's villain origin story. They are parallel characters; both innate martial artists and scions of the Beili empire's founding families. As boys, they vowed to storm the martial world together when they grew up; Yun as the Sword Deity and Dongjun as the Liquor Deity. After the Ye family's downfall, they are destined to go down opposite paths. Dongjun lives a charmed life; making a name for himself as Li Changsheng's final disciple at the prestigious Jixia Academy; surrounded by new friends like Sikong Changfeng and Beili's Eight Talented Gentlemen. He reunites briefly with Ye Yun, who now calls himself Ye Dingzhi. In sharp contrast, Ye Dingzhi's path is a lonely one, full of obstacles, inequities, betrayals and brief snatches of happiness.

At its core, this is quite a straightforward story that is cluttered in the storytelling. There are too many digressions into the Who's Who of the martial world and and its pretentious rankings. While the fan service is terrific, such a dazzling array of too hot to handle swordsmen put my exploding ovaries in danger of apoplexy. The surfeit of hot filler characters with shallow side stories distract from the main arcs. For all their fancy swords and pompous rankings, all we see are a few showy poses and twirls before the CGI takes over and screen explodes in a gory orgy of light and digital creatures. While the CGI is well done, it is a big let-down not to see a few well choreographed live action fight sequences.

I was happy to see Hou Minghao dub himself as Baili Dongjun. It makes a big difference in how the character comes to life. While his acting is still a work in progress, he plays a character he can relate to and it shows. Ye Dingzhi is a more complex and intense role, one that He Yu pulls off charismatically. Even though he does questionable things, I empathized with him every step of the way. It would have been nice to see more of Xia Zhiguang's Sikong Changfeng. The humor and camaraderie between all the dashing youths is one of the drama's highlights. Even though the romances are not convincingly written or well developed, I liked all of the couples enough to root for them. The role of Yi Wenjun should have been more sympathetically portrayed instead of just as helpless, selfish and willful. The lovely Ye Yao is only Dongjun's muse, her character doesn't get to do much.

The irreverent Li Changsheng/Nangong Chunshui is the funniest, best acted and most engaging character in this story. Even though his arcs don't tie well with the main plot, the narrative visibly sags after his exit. His parting words to his disciples 凭心而动/píng xīn ér dòng or "act according to your heart" captures the spirit and idealism of youth that is Dongjun's lifelong mantra; one that years later, he passes on to his disciple Tang Lian. He helps Dingzhi steal the bride because Wenjun was not willing and therefor it is wrong to force her. It is the simple, absolute truth that trumps the cynical calculations driven by politics and expedience. He never wavers from this belief. It is true that Wenjun is a selfish, weak and dislikable character who makes terrible decisions with devastating consequences. But she was still wronged in the first place. Thus like Dongjun, I understood, even tried to empathize with her until she was too easily manipulated into returning to Tianqi. That was not only a stupid decision, it showed that she simply did not trust and love Dingzhi enough to wait for him. Poor Dingzhi, he never got any breaks. Even the love of his life failed him at the end. Through sick and sin, it was always and only Dongjun who remained his one true friend.

There is little new in the political plot that wasn't revealed in dialogue and flashbacks in TBOY. Which would be fine if they fleshed out the character stories and the succession struggle instead. But those are dealt with cursorily with Ruojin left as a blank cartoon character and the relationship between the brothers not explored. TBOY romanticizes Prince Langya as a tragic hero, the noble uncrowned king of Beili. In this prequel, he is the character that disappointed me most. He tore up his father's will out of misplaced loyalty and his own selfish desire to live an unrestrained life. He never made the case for why Ruojin was more worthy, supported him unconditionally and in the case of Wenjun, enabled him even though he knew it was wrong. There was never a so called greater good or do or die reason why Wenjun had to marry Ruojin, it was simply a matter of imperial privilege and entitlement. They could have escaped with his help and everything could have been so different. But I don't hold him solely responsible; there were so many malign forces at play and bad decisions that there is plenty of blame to go around.

The ending to this story leaves that bitter after taste that the bad guys won. It makes too convincing a case that a too beautiful woman who can topple kingdoms must be safely locked out of sight so she can do no harm. Both Wenjun and Dingzhi paid a high price for their mistakes but too many people who pushed Dingzhi down the dark path got off unscathed. In the novel, Dongjun has an epiphany about his own dào/道 or convictions in the middle of his fight with Dingzhi. He switches sides and punches the daylights out of the emperor instead. He scolds him: "She does not like you, why force her to marry you? She has escaped and is living a happy life, why lock her up again? You are the emperor with a harem of 3000. My brother only loves one person. Live and let live. Learn from your brother, he can even let you have the throne, why can't you let my brother have one wife?" Even though it changed nothing it was something that had to be said. Without this scene, Ruojin is never called out or held accountable for his role in starting a war over a woman. Instead it is Dingzhi who is destroyed and villainized for trying to hold on to a grass hut in a tiny corner of the world where he was happy. It is very hard to feel good about a story that ends like this.

This messy and disappointing prequel was in some ways limited by what was already canon in TBOY but still could have been better on multiple fronts, Nonetheless it is a chock full of eye candy and a fun watch if you don't look too hard at it and ignore the inconsistencies with TBOY. Even though this is a critical review I enjoyed the drama. I am just mad because it had the potential to be almost as good as TBOY. But it wasn't and so I can only rate this 8/10. I am still happy to recommend it , especially if you loved TBOY. If you liked Wuxin before, you will love him more after knowing his parent's story.

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An Oriental Odyssey.

Chu Sijing, a captain of theJinyiwei/锦衣卫 or Embroidered Guard is on a mission to investigate a strange epidemic that broke out on the remote Wumu Island in Liaodong province. The outbreak threatens the adjacent NInghai Fortress, a critical stronghold against the invading Jurchens. The powers that be have their own agendas and appear more interested in covering up the outbreak than anything else. Thus Sijing steals onto the island aided only by a Mongol Tartar official Bo Yan and a Fulangji/佛郎机 businesswoman Angelica. There he encounters mysterious, disease afflicted villagers who worship ancient Gods and is forced to deal with some monstrous truths. Can he weed out the root of the epidemic before it overwhelms them all?

This story is set in the 3rd year of Tianqi, when the Ming Dynasty was in rapid decline. It was a time of many natural disasters from meteorites to a mini ice age, drought and famine. Superstition reigned high as the peasants were starving and the emperor was widely said to have lost the Mandate of Heaven. The drama invests heavily in world building and weaves in many themes from the period and fantastical creatures from Chinese mythology 山海经/Classics of Mountains and Seas and 神异经 / Classics of Gods and Spirits. Even though the CGI is not the best, I appreciate the effort that went into how they blended history, fantasy and ancient lore together to make this an Oriental odyssey.

Unfortunately all the research and creativity that went into world building is wasted on the story's plot which hints heavily at a complexity that never materialises. For such a short drama, there are too many subplots touching on many themes that go nowhere. Even ignoring Sandrine Pinna's appalling Disney cartoon character acting, the entire Angelica/Pirates of the Caribbean arc adds nothing to the story. The time would be better spent fleshing out the motives of the Henggong cult and tying up the many loose ends to the story. I usually like Huang Xuan's acting and enjoyed his chemistry with Bo Yan but this is not his best role. Maybe it is the overuse of green screens but I caught him frequently out of the moment and staring blankly into space. Shen Rang is the only character that really moved me and I enjoyed this character design and portrayal the most.

The best things about this drama are that it does try to be different, it is short, some of the action scenes are pretty good and it is oddly enjoyable despite its lack of logical consistency. The ending is anti-climatic, doesn't hang together well, leaves loose ends and is disappointing overall. I am being generous in rating this as a 7.0/10.0.

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Lightning doesn't strike.

Season 2 picks up where Season 1 left off with Wuxie and Xiao Bai leaving Warehouse 11 and assembling a team to journey on to Thunder City. At this point Wuxie is desperately ill and it is not clear whether he will survive long enough to get closure on what happened to Wu Sansheng and unravel the secrets of the Thunder God. This season is better paced and more tightly written, avoids the digressions characteristic of Season 1 and comes to a satisfying conclusion. In this journey, Wuxie learns to live life in the present moment and appreciate the people around him rather than chasing mirages.

Unlike Season 1, this season is a lot less about the Iron Triangle. Although we see them and their rapport and witty banter remain the most memorable highlights of the drama, this would be more aptly titled Entrourage rather than Reunion. The issue is that too many members of the team that travels to Thunder City only have modestly well developed relationships with Wuxie and/or Xiaobai but are pretty much strangers to each other. So when they are thrown together in suspenseful or dangerous situations, there isn't that very enjoyable natural chemistry or seamless bond that emanates when the Iron Triangle is together. The only execptions are Xiao Bai and Liu Sang and possibly Hei Yanjing so things markedly improved towards the end when all the "extras" get left behind.

The other enjoyable aspect of this season are that we have two very good villains - Boss Jiao and the spy and one excellent grey character Jiang Zisuan. In fact I would say they somewhat stole the limelight in this season. I was particularly impressed by Wu Lipeng's portrayal of Wuxie disguised as Jiang Zisuan. He literally knocks off all of the little mannerisms and micro expressions of Zhu Yilong's Wuxie to a T. However, it goes on for way too long and to the point where it was no longer even logical from a plot point of view. So the season ends with this feeling that Zhu Yilong/Wuxie was missing in action toward the end. This is particularly disappointing because in the final arc, I expect to see the "real" Wuxie cunningly out maneuvre and confront the last villain. Instead, he pretty much just rocks up for the final two "real" episodes. Even though Zhu Yilong/Wuxie returns for that final showdown, it has a hollow and anti-climatic tone to it, as if he is not fully in character.

Although this season progresses at a much better pace without the marked ups and downs of Season 1, I actually still find both Sea King's Tomb arc and Warehouse 11 arc of Season 1 superior to both Thunder City arc and Imperial City arc of Season 2. That is not to say these arcs are not well done, they truly are but they just were not as dangerously thrilling or mythically suspenseful - I did not feel my heart in my throat the way I did in the first arc of Season 1. This is probably because the Iron Triangle is somewhat overshadowed in Season 2 and it is hard to care as much for the entourage cast. I was praying for the Iron Triangle's survival every moment of the Sea King's Tomb arc. That does not happen in any of the Season 2 arcs - in fact if anything it seems a bit too easy. So despite its overall better cadence of storytelling, Season 2 feels like the thunder rolls but lighting doesn't strike. Thus, I rate both seasons a very enjoyable 8.5 for very different reasons. I separately reviewed Season 1 in greater detail.

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But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.

Patience is required for this drama that is unlikely to enjoy broad appeal. It is a Beijing Academy student production so don't expect high production values; indeed there is a distinctly amateurish and unpolished feel to the entire effort.

The shadowy and suspenseful plot is steeped in the supernatural and mythology and takes a long time to unfold. The synopsis, which already gives away much of the story adds to the impression that nothing is happening. Hidden forces conspire to release the demon Jiu Ying, that according to legend was sealed by five deities representing the five elements (metal, earth, water, fire and wood). This manifests itself in increasing hostilities between the You Kingdom and the Wolf Tribe that make war and chaos seem inevitable. These events bring the three siblings Hongxuan, Hongyi and Hongshou whose Baili family has long been the power behind the You throne; together with Ming Yefeng, the leader of the Wolf Tribe who also has a mysterious past with Hong Yi. They are linked by destiny and rediscover their powers so that together with other supernatural beings from a past lifetime, they can once again fulfill an ancient promise to keep the world safe. It is not a complicated or super original fantasy story that culminates in an epic clash between good and evil.

What is interesting about this drama is the characters and the acting. The actors are not given much to work with in terms of dialogue so they have to rely heavily on body language and subtle expressions to convey their characters. This makes the complex characters particularly difficult to get to know and nobody is as they originally appear. It is very difficult to tell who is friend and foe and what their motivations are. For most of the drama, Baili Hongxuan and Ming Yefeng were the most complex and interesting characters for me. While they are both quite grey, both turned out to be quite different from what I expected and almost opposite of each other. I really enjoy this kind of peeling of the onion approach in terms of how a layered character gradually becomes unveiled but many will find this kind of storytelling frustrating and boring.

I suspect many may be interested in this because of Wu Lei and Song Zuer. I admit I discovered this because of Wu Lei. While his character Baili Honsghou is quite one dimensional - the typical c-drama hero that goes through many common tropes; it is the best performance I have seen from Wu Lei since NIF. It is very nice to see how far he has come as an actor; that he is not just an incredibly athletic lean, mean, killing machine. As for Song Zuer, she is an actress that provokes strong reactions, especially when she plays the bratty young girl. I never minded her that much because I always noticed that she has screen presence that belies her small size and her performance in this also showed much progress and was actually quite nuanced towards the end. And it will be remiss of me to not mention how super hot Zheng Kai's Ming Yefeng is - I can't believe I have never seen this actor before!

The story advances much more quickly in the last 10-12 episodes although it appears a bit messy as many characters are introduced at once. But they are not interesting characters and all you need to really know is that they are either obstacles to be overcome or they are there to give some assistance along the way. All of the substantively relevant characters are introduced at the beginning. There are a few nice twists at the end with respect to the emperor as well as the mysterious man in the hood. The ultimate villain (to me was not Jiu Ying) was hiding in plain sight the whole time but their motive for unleashing evil on the world was pedestrian and lame. Most of the so-called heroes or deities in this show have feet of clay, do not have high morals and are not particularly enlightened beings. The story is very matter of factly callous in its treatment of spirits or demons. This is very typical of the genre so if you are familiar with Chinese mythology, you will not be surprised by any of this or how the story ends.

I enjoyed this drama but it is not for everyone. Watch at your own risk.

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Could have, would have, and should have been epic but just isn't.

This drama's thrilling opening had me on the edge of my seat with my heart in my throat. It is one helluva start that brilliantly sets the stage for the backstory. We are immediately transported to ancient Wei, a wicked, immoral, debauched kingdom where the dissipated nobility hunt slaves for sport. Our titular character Xing'er/Chu Qiao is no ordinary slave she is a superhero; assassin, gladiator, warrior and survivor. Her courage and fiery fighting spirit draws the interest of many suitors including her owner and spymaster Yuwen Yue, Yanbei hostage prince Yan Xun, Prince Yuan Song of Wei and Prince Xiao Ce of Liang. If not for the fact that she pulls her weight when it comes to the rescuing, this would sound absurdly Mary Sue. As it turns out, the most powerful men across three rival kingdoms simply have a death wish and are fatally attracted to dangerous, irascible and bad-ass women. Recognising her indomitable spirit and lethal fighting ability, Yuwen Yue trains her to be a top notch spy and assassin.

I enjoyed every moment of the first half of this drama - despite some discontinuity in the editing, the plot is intriguing, the characters are flawed and complex, it moves at a fast pace and the fight scenes are powerful and exhilirating. The chemistry between Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin is off the charts and their supercharged one on one fight scenes are hot, hot, hot. The way Yuwen Yue grooms her, her gratitude and resentment and the push and pull attraction between them and their strong personalities results in a highly combustible build-up in passion between them. I just love how his eyes reveal how vulnerable he is, his grumpy sullen glower conveys his displeasure at being enslaved by his slave while the tiniest wry smile suggests a sense of acceptance and humor about it. The fierce answering spark in Xing'er's fiery eyes and her combative, resentful stance is a dead giveaway as to who this spitfire also most unwillingly longs for. I believe she would never have left with Yan Xun if her pride had not been so wounded at the thought she was nothing more than a lean mean killing machine to Yuwen Yue.

I have always considered Zhao Liying a vastly overrated, creepy life sized LOL doll with her gigantic head and eyes. This drama has given me a newfound appreciation for her acting skills and commanding screen presence. Her fight scenes are phenomenal and it is obvious that she immersed herself in this fabulous, kick-ass role of a fearless heroine with a big heart and bold dreams. It is hard to pull off the typical cold male lead well but Lin Gengxin effortlessly depicts the iceberg that conceals a dormant volcano. It is such a waste that his masterful articulation of such a complex and interesting character does not get nearly enough screen time. With one glaring weak link, this boasts an all star cast with complex, interesting and funny supporting characters with Xiao Ce (Deng Lun), Yue Qi and Yang Song being my favourites.

After peaking near the middle with a barbarous, heart wrenching massacre that results in irreversible divisions, the plot digresses into a long winded, meandering, melodramatic and ultimately trite tale of revenge as the focus shifts to the second leads Yan Xun and Chun'er. They are parallel selfish and amoral characters who go off the rails albeit for good reason and become consumed by hate and revenge. Although Li Qin does a fantastic job making a delusional, entitled and spoilt princess somewhat empathetic, the character Chun'er is not smart or interesting enough to command the amount of screen time she got and in so many gratuitous sub-plots. Xing'er/Chu Qiao's character is thrown under the bus in these arcs where she is dumbed down, stagnates and even regresses on several fronts when she excuses Yan Xun's misdeeds and lies at the cost of many lives. Like Chun'er she closes both eyes to the fact that Yan Xun sold her an empty dream and is nothing but a selfish, heartless prick with no game plan, is of mediocre ability and has no vision.

Yan Xun is a well written, complex and interesting antagonist. It is hinted from the beginning that he is innately selfish and quite manipulative, traits that rule him after the loss he experiences. This has to be said - this role however was badly miscast and that is why the drama pretty much implodes in the second half, from the moment Yan Xun takes centerstage. Shawn Dou is a blank actor that never compelled me because underneath the surface of his toothy, million dollar smile, there is not much to him. He can only pull off easy going, laid back two dimensional good guy roles and from his blank placid gaze it is clear he never really gets deep into character, he is the epitome of still waters run shallow. They would have been way better off sticking a Darth Vader mask over him rather than to inflict the wooden, constipated expression he wore for over half the damn drama on us. And the annoying sibilant "dark" whisper that became his voice made him the first male character I have ever been tempted to mute in a c-drama. To me, there is no believable triangle in this drama because there is zero spark between him and Zhao Liying. Put against an intensely masculine actor like Lin Gengxin, Shawn Dou's utter lack of sex appeal (男人味) is painfully obvious. I don't mean to offend his fans but this is too important a role that got way too much screen time to have been so poorly cast. I struggled to complete this drama because I lost all interest in the Yanbei arcs and the last few episodes are simply incoherent.

I was well warned that this drama has the worst open ending ever. The problem is that unlike The Rise of Phoenixes, it is not just about one bad ending episode. This drama starts to sink from about the halfway point where my intriguing historical spy / assassin drama turns into yet another boring revenge drama and my strong female allows her dreams to be subsumed by someone else's agenda. The only reason I didn't drop this is the remarkable chemistry between Yuwen Yue and Xing'er. I am reading the book (which is long but riveting) so I know their story does go on and the portrayal of both characters are quite faithful to the novel. Many much more interesting sub-plots didn't play out because they wasted 15-20 episodes on the most boring Yan Xun and Chun'er. Sadly the odds of this ever being completed with the original cast are low.

This drama could have, would have, and should have been epic but it just isn't. All it is is unfinished. Thus I rate the first few arcs 9.0/9.5 but the second half is at best a 5.5/6.0. My overall score is 7.5 which I consider generous. This is one that must be watched with adjusted expectations.

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Pour some sugar on me.

This is one of those delicious "pour some sugar on me" romance dramas where you just have to go with the flow and not be a prude. It is best watched gasping for breath on the treadmill trying to break a 9-minute mile. With a shortage of air to the brain, you will easily filter out the small stuff like how quickly they fall in love, whether she has hormonal issues, if she is schizophrenic and other logic or character gaps and focus on the only thing worth getting hot and bothered by, which is how hot the two male leads are.

Liu Ling is the most improper Princess Changle; a hoyden who does as she pleases without regard to social conventions. When commander of the embroidered guard Shen Yan crosses her path, she takes an instant liking to him and pursues him with reckless abandon. I find the sheer audacity of her shameless overtures to him absolutely uproarious. While this may sound wanton and unseemly, it is a very original and refreshing way to write a female character. More importantly Yuan Bingyan pulls it off so engagingly and inoffensively she deserves high praise for such a controversial characterization. I understand that in the novel (which I did not read), Liu Ling was deeply troubled by her traumatic childhood but a lot of that got cut out of the drama, which unfortunately makes her actions at times seem capricious and maddeningly inconsistent. As it turns out, she becomes a pawn in a high stakes power play between multiple states with links to an old conspiracy that brought down her best friend Xu Shijin's family. Can the Shen brothers, both dashing embroidered guards untangle the web of old lies and win the day?

I was swooning the moment I spied Zheng Yecheng on the cast list; throw in Merxat and it is just like a double upgrade from economy to first class. But I had reservations over Yuan Bingyan, whom I found lacking in Love and Redemption. As it turns out, she has fabulous screen chemistry with Zheng Yecheng and delivers a winsome and hilarious performance as Liu Ling. As for Zheng Yecheng, he must be the ultimate ideal of the romantic hero with his brooding deep stares and overwhelming masculine beauty. This is a not to be missed opportunity to evaluate his reputation of being the best kisser in c-dramaland. Its all, ahem... research on such an important topic to womankind. And let me just say that the kiss scenes were so scorching that evidently a bunch of them had to be cut out. That said, it is quite dismaying to see Zheng Yechen becoming typecast in these sorts of roles. He is a fantastic actor that deserves a shot at more complex roles.

Merxat is another fine actor that just doesn't seem to get enough good roles. He has great rapport with Zheng Yecheng and I had to reduce the speed on my treadmill whenever the Shen brothers shared scenes to properly drool over their combined hotness. I find Shen Yu and Xu Shijin's storyline more interesting probably because it is left largely intact by the censors. Shen Yu and Shijin are both so intelligent and just such a marvelous couple from the way they solve problems together and go all out for their friends and family. I root for them more because their romance faces a giant obstacle that is difficult to overcome without deep consequences. Despite the obvious cuts, there is clearly a well written story with some depth behind it. The over-arching conspiracy and the sub-lots that feed into that are all well written and unfolds at a very nice pace. This is overall a very well produced and high quality drama despite some odd edits and clear impression that some things were left out, notably with Liu LIng's backstory. It would not be fair to rate it that highly for that reason so this is a 7.5 for me but I find is as enjoyable as many dramas I rated 8.0/8.5.

Finally, while Yuan Bingyan is not one of my favorite actresses, she really shines in this drama. How she was essentially cold shouldered for changing agencies is disgraceful and I am so happy that for once, c-drama fandom did the right thing by her by supporting her. Kudos to Zheng Yecheng and the rest of the cast as well. They acted their hearts out and it shows - it is no hardship, indeed it is a pleasure to watch and support this drama.

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All the world's a stage.

The Double is a dark and melodramatic soap opera about revenge and regret. It is a soap opera to end all soap operas in terms of high theatrics, spinning hussies, piercing death glares, shocking twists and the sweet, savage satisfaction of retribution. To best enjoy this, don't look too hard at it as the narrative is littered with logic and plot holes and absurdly dramatic, historically impossible scenes. The male lead Duke Su flirts with breaking the fourth wall repeatedly to urge us to just watch the play, a reminder that all the world's a stage and we should just suspend disbelief.

Xue Fangfei, the most elegant and cultured lady in the capital, is cruelly betrayed and dumped in a shallow grave. She is rescued by Jiang Li, the Chancellor's daughter who is wrongly condemned and banished by her family to a convent. Fangfei assumes Jiang Li's identity and returns to the capital; vowing to clear both their names and make their enemies pay. She is aided by the enigmatic and powerful Duke Su who helps her because she intrigues him and could prove useful to him down the road. The romance that develops between them unfolds at a leisurely pace as they each have high stakes agendas that predictably converge.

Duke Su must be be every scorned woman's ultimate fantasy "consolation" prize. This magnificent specimen of manhood is highly born, tall, dark, handsome, powerful, and with a diabolical mind to match Xue Fangfei's. The icing on the cake is this sexy beast that wields a fan more effectively than a sword does not come saddled with nasty in-laws. Wang Xingyue's potent portrayal of Duke Su is spot on from the tinge of humor that belies his stern expression, his double entendre laced dialogues to how in unguarded moments his eyes devour Xue Fangfei with almost indecent longing. Despite the seductive build up and combustive chemistry between the main leads, the ultimate pay-off to their slow burn courtship falls far short of wild and wicked and only delivers a chaste candle-gate moment.

Even though I shipped Duke Su and Xue Fangfei immediately, I appreciate how Fangfei takes the time to rage, to mourn her loss and to get closure so that she can properly move on. To me, Wu Jinyan obviously looks older than Wang Xingyue, butI think this casting makes sense. Xue Fangfei is a woman who lost everything; her reputation, her lover, her entire family. That kind of shocking devastation would age anyone tremendously and Wu Jinyan's ravaged, strained and wild wide-eyed expression in the early episodes is brilliantly in character. The narrative does not shy away from presenting her marriage as one that had depth and substance. Thus they are still in perfect unison when they play their haunting duet; a song of profound loss, resentment and regret. Wu Jinyan plays the avenging angel so perfectly I got unholy enjoyment out of watching Shen Yurong squirm knowing that Xue Fangfei, who knows him better than he knows himself, is coming for him.

Shen Yurong is a character that I find hard to be that angry with because as it turns out, his perfidy results in such a massive upgrade for Xue Fangfei. Liang Yongqi really slays in this complex role of a promising, rising young official who catches the eye of the wrong woman and ends up betraying his ideals. He is quite a pitiful creature who trades in domestic bliss for living dangerously at the beck and call of an abusive, insecure and bat-shit crazy spinning shrew that his own dear mother pimps him out to. I can't decide if I pity him or despise him more. Because in truth, he already lost the moment he chose to betray his muse and the love of his life. The moment of peak retribution is when it dawns upon him what a prize he lost and is forced to face the limits of his own character. I thoroughly enjoyed how the narrative peels away the many layers of hypocrisy, ambition, sophistry and duplicity to reveal a weak, impotent coward who lacked the courage of his convictions. To me, this is the most complex and best acted role in this drama.

Even though I have high praise for Li Meng's portrayal of the deranged Wanning, I have little sympathy for this character or her shocking villain origin story. Victimhood does not entitle her to help herself to someone else's husband or kill with such impunity. When she had power and free will, she chose to be King Cheng's pawn, no one forced her. Likewise, I have no sympathy for Ji Shuran or her choices. In general, I dislike these attempts to whitewash villains or somehow rationalize their wicked ways. Bad stuff happened to Xue Fangfei and Jiang Li as well. But they looked for justice without turning into monsters as a result. While Xue Fangfei's revenge, if you can even call it that is very satisfying, Jiang Li's left me feeling bereft. Ultimately Xue Fangfei is a character that lost nothing and gained everything. It is Jiang Li who is truly the injured party and even though she is vindicated, all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put her together again.

Despite the addictive start, this drama loses momentum by episode 30. The storytelling lingers too long on weakest Jiang family plots arcs. They are boring and unoriginal, borrowing heavily from what were also weak arcs in Princess Weiyoung. Jiang Li's cousins are archetypal characters that were not complicit in Jiang Shuran's treachery. I find it unfathomable the drama chose to focus on their tawdry squabble over a callow rogue instead of uncovering the many layers of the far more fascinating Duke Su. As a result, this character with so much early promise ends up not as well developed as Shen Yurong and Wanning. To add insult to the injury, almost as an after thought, he is featured front and center in a baffling truncated half episode final arc that serves up gratuitous angst and some unearned and unjustified pin-cushioning of good characters. It is nothing short of a grift to squeeze money from viewers for a mundane glimpse of domestic bliss. As far as I am concerned this drama ends where it should a bit past the halfway point of the final episode. All the rest is dross.

This is a super addictive soap opera that doesn't hold up under close scrutiny. Where it excels is in serving up high drama and angst with super cool and satisfying but absurd vignettes that don't necessarily advance the plot. Nonetheless I was happy to rate this better than 8.5 until it started to sag and waffled into a lame and wishy washy ending that leaves me no choice but to call it an 8.0/10.0.

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All Warfare Is Based on Deception

The Vendetta of An (or The Twenty-Four Strategies of Chang’an/长安二十四计) is an intense, fast-paced suspense thriller with an intricate plot full of twists and reversals. Set in a fictional dynasty, feudal lord Xiao Wuyang marches into Chang’an and deposes his brother, puppet emperor Xiao Wenjing. Yet his grip on the throne remains tenuous until the tyrannical General Yan Fengshan is captured and his elite shadow army, the Huben, is disbanded. If anyone is up to this perilous task, it must be the son of the Huben’s founder. Finally, the stage is set for Xie Huai’an to return to the capital to demand an accounting for his family’s massacre fifteen years earlier.

Though Huai’an is driven by revenge, as the Chinese title suggests, the plot unfolds along the lines of art of war. It is an intriguing and sophisticated conspiracy where the devil is in the details, and the chessboard is not fully visible to all players. These schemes play out amid the daily lives of ordinary people in Chang’an—an innovative take on the classic “empty fort strategy” (空城計, kōng chéng jì). Ultimately, all warfare is based on deception, and Chang’an is the battlefield where hidden protagonists and antagonists attempt to outwit each other with complex, multi-layered stratagems. This drama demands full attention; its dialogue carries literary depth and is laden with clues that hint at complex character motivations.

This is without a doubt one of the most engaging and best-written dramas I’ve watched in 2025. However, across 28 episodes, the drama packs in too many ideas and themes. There is a profound sense of foreshadowing and symmetry, of cause and effect and “an eye for an eye,” that underlies the plot arcs and character outcomes. But it succumbs to the overdose of melodrama and excessive twists that have weighed down too many 2025 dramas—often at the cost of both character and logic. Vendetta takes “falling off a cliff” to new levels in how unbelievably incompetent every character seems at stabbing someone in the guts. The breakneck pace and multiple reversals successfully distract from how certain aspects of the plot and characters don’t fully hold together. It’s high entertainment, but it pushes the limits of suspension of disbelief and doesn’t withstand close scrutiny.

Although Huai’an is widely touted as a brilliant strategist several steps ahead of everyone else, his wins are few and far between. They come at a high cost, often by adopting the “self-injury stratagem” (苦肉計, kǔ ròu jì). This is fitting—the stakes are sky-high, and Huai’an is under-resourced and outmanoeuvred by hidden foes who, like him, play the long game. In this story, characters are allowed to fail, with real consequences. While Huai’an has loyal allies, they make mistakes and, worse, need rescuing at pivotal moments. Often, the antagonists seem smarter, more competent and more ruthless. Yet they, too, are grounded in reality; miscalculate and possess flaws that can be exploited to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. With such well-matched players, the margin between victory and defeat is razor-thin, turning on a dime.

Plot-wise, the narrative builds through multiple exciting twists to a thrilling and satisfying climax about two-thirds of the way through. Lurking in the shadows are Tiemo sleeper cells, ready to “loot a burning house” (趁火打劫, chèn huǒ dǎ jié) by exploiting Chang’an’s internal strife. Huai’an is taken by surprise, routed, and trapped at a disadvantage as hidden enemies emerge from the woodwork and barbarians gather at the gates. This story arc contains so many double- and triple-crosses, schemes within schemes, and bombshells that the plot becomes slightly deformed. For me, the best subplot was Wang Pu’s short arc, a masterclass in psychological warfare. In contrast, Baiwan’s arc felt unnecessary, adding little beyond forced angst while artificially lowering the intelligence of Huai’an’s team. That time would have been better spent deepening more interesting characters and tying up loose ends.

Cheng Yi navigates Xie Huai’an’s introspective transitions well, particularly as he reins in his obsession with an unchangeable past and finds a higher cause in a changeable future. The main aspect of his portrayal that missed the mark for me was its overly maudlin tone. The frequent waterworks made it seem as though he was the only character who had ever suffered loss during chaotic times. It’s also difficult to root for a protagonist so world-weary and single-minded in purpose. Thus, for me, Li Lianhua remains Cheng Yi’s best role, even though Vendetta of An has the stronger plot.

The main characters are multifaceted, with interesting backstories anchored by an impressive roster of veterans and solid performances all around. I found Wenjing’s duality—the twists and turns of his journey and his struggle against his true nature—most compelling. Unfortunately, his character was eventually dumbed down and squandered for shock value and cheap angst. Among the younger cast, Liu Yitong's Han Ziling was memorable. While I can’t fault the acting, Wang Jinsong’s gentle aura felt mismatched to his role. Yan Fengshan emerges as a more intense and menacing villain than the primary antagonist.

The finale builds to another exciting, action-packed, high-stakes climax in which Huai’an deftly “lures the tiger down the mountain” (調虎離山, diào hǔ lí shān) with yet another self-injury stratagem, then “shuts the door to catch the thief” (關門捉賊, guān mén zhuō zéi) and “borrows a corpse to resurrect the soul” (借屍還魂, jiè shī huán hún). There’s much to unpack in the excellent finale, though it leaves several loose ends only partly tied up in the special episode. The ending was more clear on a second watch—more on that in the spoiler section below. Most importantly, Huai’an’s final epiphany brings his character journey to a fitting close.

Overall, this drama that is a feast for the eyes and a boot camp for the little gray cells would have benefited from fewer themes and narrative curveballs. A tighter plot with fewer logic holes could have earned a 9.0 from me, but as it stands, it’s a highly recommended 8.5/10.














ENDING SPOILERS & ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
(Do not scroll further if you have not finished the drama.)













On a second watch, I realized the final episode is far more definitive than I initially believed. To begin with, Huai’an’s hair did not magically turn white overnight; he dyed it again, just as he did before infiltrating Hidden Soldier Valley. According to Cen Weizong’s reading of his natal chart, Baitou's hair would not turn white again until the end of his lifespan (83 years). He was playing to the Tiemo King's superstition by suggesting he was at death’s door.

As Huai’an is stabbed and his life flashes before his eyes, he finally admits he still wants to live—if only to remember his family a little longer. He breaks free from his obsession with revenge and reclaims his identity as Liu Zhi, a Huben shadow guard sworn to protect Chang’an. When he triggers the explosion, he discards his identity as Xie Huai’an, who stays in the granary and dies in the blast. Liu Zhi, however emerges and takes a day or two to live as an ordinary person. One could argue Liu Zhi never walked out of the granary either, but what matters more is that the character’s journey comes full circle. It’s a good ending, even without the special.

The special episode ties up loose ends and is clearly a prelude to a second season. Wuyang ends up on the throne, while Wenjing remains officially dead, choosing to serve the court incognito as the former pageboy Zhang Mo. Ye Zheng leaves to court his love Zhaolu, and Xiaoqing becomes a doctor.

The mysterious figure in Yulong Ridge is quite obviously Liu Zhi. He lets his hair down and imprisons himself there among his Huben guard—much like the Tiemo King did—to manipulate events from the shadows. He owes Cen a favor (likely a quid pro quo for luring the Tiemo King to the granary), after which they are square. This sets up the next season involving a mysterious figure at Mt. Shiluoman in Tiemo. Liu Zhi's work is not done; 200,000 Tiemo troops can still be deployed at any time. Until that threat is neutralized and lasting peace is achieved, it’s convenient to let the world believe Huai’an/Liu Zhi is dead. The person at Mt. Shiluoman is likely a high priest—probably Cen’s superior. When Huai’an kidnapped the Tiemo envoy, he mentions an altar at Mt. Shiluoman where nobles undergo a ceremony to receive the token around his neck. A new king should soon be chosen in Tiemo. It is in Liu Zhi/Chang'an's interest to try to influence the process.

One of the larger open plot holes for me is what drove Liu Ziyan and Yan Fengshan to turn on Liu Zhiwei. The only explanation that makes some sense is that they blamed him for the disastrous mission to rescue a high-ranking Huben spy captured by the Tiemo King 25 years earlier. I don’t believe that spy was Liu Zhi’s mother, as the timeline doesn’t align: she couldn’t have given birth to Liu Li/Baiwan if she died 25 years ago, and it contradicts Huai’an’s statement that his mother died when he was ten. I also find it difficult to believe that two uneducated Tiemo slaves raised as wolf bait could rise to become two of the most erudite and high-ranking officials in Chang’an. I could go on but I will stop here because I did enjoy this drama quite a bit despite the logic holes.




WANG PU ARC SPOILERS

Wang Pu made a fatal mistake when he couldn't resist meeting with Huai'an. He lost the moment he went to that temple by himself. He wasn't alone of course but he didn't realize Huai'an's men would kill all of his men that were following him there.

When Wang Pu learned of that YFS murdered his parents, he didn't care at all. The problem is YFS would NEVER believe that and would never trust him the same way again. This is the brilliance of Huai'an's trap - he ruined their relationship simply by meeting alone with Wang Pu to tell him his origin story. It is his nature - YFS would never be able to trust Wang Pu again. This left poor Stockholm Syndrom Wang Pu no choice but to prove his loyalty by killing himself. But YFS is a sick son-of-a-bitch. He could have refused to confirm what Huai'an told Wang Pu. But instead he told him in bloody detail anyway and when he was finished Wang Pu started eating the poisoned dumplings.

Huai'an already said Checkmate to Wang Pu at the end, both knowing how this would play out. But Wang Pu thought he would be able to deliver YFS a final win by luring Huai'an to watch his downfall. But even in this, he was outplayed bc Huai'an never showed up. It was an eye for an eye for Bai Wan's death.













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When you order prime rib and get spare ribs instead.

I expected Youku's short "Revenge" series to be a xianxia in disguise featuring the many hot re-incarnations of "The Best-est of the Chest-ests" Dai Gaozheng in all his topless smoking hot glory. If that is also what you are here for, let me save you some time because Bride's Revenge is nothing but chest bait. In this incarnation as Mu Anhe, Dai Gaozheng is over-dressed and so camera shy he is in hiding for over a third of the drama. When he reappears, it is uncomfortably obvious there is no spark between the leads. While their chemistry is sweet and loving, it notably lacks the passion and intensity of the previous incarnation.

The plot is uncannily similar to Maid's Revenge where two related men Mu Ancheng and Mu Anhe duke it out over the family assets and a woman. Except this time a bunch of "green tea bitches" scheme, bitch slap and scratch each others' eyes out over a scrawny and unappetising scumbag. That entire arc of not very smart people trying to out dumb each other made ten minutes feel like an hour. Even a happy ending cannot save this drama. The dissatisfaction level is just like when you order prime rib and get spare ribs instead. Give this one a pass unless you are super bored and need a quick Dai Gaozheng fix. And in that case, just watch the last three episodes or better yet, rewatch Maid's Revenge.

I generously rate this 3.0/10.0 because Dai Gaozheng is still the chesty definition of hotness.

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Birds of a feather.

The second part of Love Like the Galaxy 月升沧海 (The Moon Rises over the Ocean) is shades darker as Cheng Shaoshang struggles to open her heart and mind while Ling Buyi's secrets and inner demons are revealed. Their romance plays out in the bosom of the royal family, where Shaoshang blossoms under Empress Xuan's affection and tutelage. This subjects our golden couple to much envy and political intrigue.

Shaoshang of Part 1 is disappointingly over empathetic and likeable. Shaoshang of Part 2 is immature and frustrating to the point of being dislikeable, This is exactly how she is meant to be depicted and the portrayal I was waiting for. So I must applaud Zhao Lusi for so daringly rendering Shaoshang as a difficult, often petty, unforgiving, vengeful child woman who wallows most unbecomingly in self pity. As an unloved child, Shaoshang is terrified of love. While she tries to figure out what she wants in a partner, she puts up all kinds of walls and clings to any excuse to not allow Ling Buyi in. She is her own worst enemy, fighting happiness every step of the way. Ling Buyi's infinite patience and indulgence of her is so hot anyone else would have succumbed to raging hormones in short order. Not Shaoshang though. She knows her worth and digs in her heels to demand to be an equal partner in every sense and meaning of that term. While highly usual for a woman of that time, it resonates with modern audiences for obvious reasons.

There aren't really good villains in this drama. That is because Ling Buyi is such a chilling character that he is already as close to a villain as can be. He is a man with a secret, one whose entire raison détre is to uncover the master mind behind the Gu City massacre and to avenge the Huo clan. He did not expect to fall for anyone and certainly not Shaoshang. He meant it when he said they were on different paths. On many occasions he merely eases her way with the intent of letting her go but never quite succeeds. He loves her selflessly and indulges her worst instincts, especially her vengefulness. Hence Yuan Shen's blinding epiphany that Buyi and Shaoshang are birds of a feather. They are rebellious and vengeful eye for an eye kind of people who can't tell the difference between a chicken and a duck. They are also at surface cold, unforgiving even selfish but in truth feel deeply. I find Wu Lei's acting in Part 2 more natural and compelling. He is such a patient, warm and tender person but only for Shaoshang. This is utterly different from the cold-hearted, calculating general who is a borderline psychopathic killer to his enemies. Wu Lei's combat scenes are simply the best. The aesthetic camera angles and gorgeous choreography brilliantly captures his stunning athleticism and graphic, muscular, ferocity that is capable of mowing down an entire battalion.

For me, Empress Xuan is the true hero of this story. As much as I enjoyed Buyi and Shaoshang's journey, it is her story and that of Wen-di and Consort Yue that I find so much more complex and moving. Told with epigrammatic dark humor that dulls the edges of their pain and sacrifice, they are nonetheless imprisoned by values that are bigger than themselves. While Consort Yue lashes out with wit and acerbity, Empress Xuan suffers in dignified silence. Do not be angry with Shaoshang for finding it so difficult to forgive Buyi. Although his cause is just and the outcome serves the greater good, it cost Empress Xuan everything. Shaoshang's first unselfish, grown up act is to accompany her, to atone for what Buyi did and for how she unknowingly helped him. That is what devastates her as much as Buyi reneging on his promise to her. Buyi knows and understands this. Without Empress Xuan's forgiveness and generosity of spirit, they may not have found a way to forgive themselves and each other. Her love is truly like the galaxy in its vastness and selflessness. The galaxy owes it to her to make sure she and Wen-di do not meet again.

In terms of storytelling, very much like Part 1, Part 2 wastes too much time on too many delusional love sick women who conspire against the lovers. This comes at the cost of the storytelling. which towards the end suffers from heavy cuts and sloppy editing. As a result, characters like Lou Ben and Tian Shuo are not properly fleshed out and I did not feel that invested in either the Peng Kun or Guo Village arcs, which feel rushed. When they could have simply omitted both the Fifth Princess and Luo Ji Tong's arcs which were superfluous to the plot. It also underscores how nasty, dumb and divorced from reality the vast majority of the women in this drama are. I really do not like this type of misogynistic and cynical depiction of womenkind. Even though the ending is very satisfying, especially when it comes to the character stories, the unfolding of the plot which we waited way too long for is not well done. Considering the stunning production values, it is a shame if they do not go back and re-edit it with some of the cut footage into a Director's Cut.

All things considered, I enjoyed this beautifully written drama immensely. I find Part 2 slightly better than Part 1 and am pleased to rate the drama in its entirety and Part 2 on a standalone basis a 9.0, better than my 8.5 rating for Part 1 by itself.

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The king maker is king of kings.

Note: There are some statements of well known. historical facts in this review. They are by definition not spoilers but be warned in case you are unfamiliar with the history of this period.

Sima Yi, courtesy name Zhongda. History's most cunning grifter, a man who stole a throne and an empire more than once! I always enjoy dramas like this because they bring larger than life historical characters to life and deflate them into close to normal human beings. I never imagined Sima Yi would be portrayed as such a timid, groveling, deceptively harmless and well, just ordinary fellow. Or that he would be so terrified of his wife. That just cracked me up. Audacious.... sacrilegious even.... love it!

The drama opens with Zhongda, a brilliant scholar and tactician, welcoming his firstborn son Sima Shi into the world. His father Sima Fang is a shrewd and influential minister of the Han Imperial Court. By then, warlord Cao Cao had already openly seized power and repeatedly bullies the Han Emperor into a sniveling, terrified puppet. Zhongda unwittingly catches the eye of Cao Cao as he deftly extricates his father from a dire situation. He goes to extreme lengths to avoid serving Cao Cao who is both keen to make use of his talent and wary of it at the same time. Recognizing his innate cunning and ambition, Cao Cao regards him suspiciously as a double edged sword and comes close to killing him dead many times.

Initially I was surprised and a little bit underwhelmed to see such a timid and groveling Sima Yi. But the layers peel away very satisfactorily to reveal his hidden ruthless nature, his scheming and bold ambition. He is a king maker, someone capable of securing the throne for Cao Pi, the less favored son against Cao Cao's own wishes. He then proceeds to steal an empire for Cao Pi but this part seems whitewashed. I doubt Liu Xie was really that eager to so simply hand over the throne. Not surprisingly, he also intervenes in Cao Pi's succession plans. At that point, it is clear that Sima Yi the king maker is king of kings; that three generations of Cao rulers' succession is determined by this man. Notwithstanding his many contributions, Sima Yi is portrayed as a selfish and cunning character who parleys his own interests ruthlessly. He manipulates two revered ministers into sacrificing themselves to ensure Cao Pi's ascension, but it is clear his primary motive is to save his brother's life.

Sima Yi's great rivalry with Yang Xiu is rivetingly played out in the bitter succession battle between Cao Pi the worthy son and Cao Zhi the favored son. Both are ambitious and brilliant tacticians but they couldn't be more different in nature. Yang Xiu is arrogant, outspoken and extremely intuitive. He cannot help showing off, often over estimating himself and underestimating his enemies. This cost him his life and Cao Zhi the throne his father so badly wanted to give him. In sharp contrast, Sima Yi avoids attention and while he is is often underestimated, he has a healthy respect for his enemies capabilities. His final conversation with Yang Xiu, someone he empathized with, respected and learned from as a worthy opponent illuminates how Sima Yi managed to hang on to his head through many dangers. I have not watched Wu Xiubo before and I was hesitant about him as he is not the image that jumps to mind when I imagine Sima Yi. My concerns faded almost immediately and I cannot think of a better actor to play the role of Sima Yi as characterised by this production.

This drama largely sticks to history in terms of the key events and leading characters of the day. Told chronologically, the drama unavoidably peaks with the exit of the veteran actors who also play the most interesting figures of the day. This drama's highlight for me was Xun Yu's (played by none other than the fabulous Wang Jin Song) opposition to Cao Cao's decision to form his own feudal state. Their bittersweet final exchange that touched upon their long friendship, mutual respect and alignment that turned into reproach and disappointment is a powerful, memorable and compellingly acted drama moment that only two actors of such caliber can deliver. I can recommend watching this drama for that scene alone. I feel pity for anyone attempting the role of Cao Cao after Yu Hewei. I almost wept with joy at the perfection of his rendering of Cao Cao in his twilight years; the ambitious warlord stymied by the limits of his own mortality and torn by his succession dilemma between his most worthy son and his most loved son. Needless to say he is as bad a dad as he was as good a warlord and statesman. Ironically, Cao Cao sows the seeds of the downfall of his own empire as Cao Pi is also a terrible father who also messes up his own heir. Whereas the Sima family in sharp contrast are paragons of Confucian family virtue, the foundation of a moral society.

When it comes to the inner palace and familial relationships, the storytelling embellishes wild history and heavily fictionalizes the historically insignificant aspects. I was sad but unsurprised to see Cao Pi's deep friendship with Zhongda become distrustful and utilitarian after he becomes emperor. While I understand the audience appeal, it is well known that Zhongda's relationship with his wife was much less cordial but I love Liu Tao and was happy to buy into this Disney version. However the whole song and dance with Lady Bai and how Zhongda was "forced" to accept her went too far and just made me roll my eyes. I expect a man of that status in those times to have concubines I don't see the need to waste so much time suggesting he meant to be monogamous when he definitely was not. I also was not compelled by the chemistry between Cao Pi and Lady Guo but at least they didn't try to suggest he didn't have a harem. Lady Zhen's story could well just be speculative history but she is the character I felt the most sorry for in this drama.

The Advisors Alliance is the first instalment of Sima Yi's story and ends with Sima Yi retiring from active duty under Cao Pi. By then, Sima Yi and his proteges had succeeded in pushing through agricultural and structural reforms that made Cao Wei great and restrained the power of the Cao clan warlords. It is a fascinating account of how an understated and often under estimated Sima Yi was ruler in deed if not in name. His machinations paved the way for the Sima clan's rise in influence which eventually led to the founding of the Jin dynasty, which many still argue was not a legitimate state. I enjoyed this enough to rate it an 8.5 and will probably go on to watch the second season Growling Tiger, Roaring Dragon which focuses on his rivalry with Zhuge Liang.

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