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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Women hold up half the sky.

Song of Youth is a historical Chinese soap opera that pays tribute to 红楼梦 Hongloumeng (Dream of the Red Chamber), widely regarded as China's greatest novel. Fans of the novel will immediately recognize that the backstory of an aristocratic family in decline and the multiple character blueprints that are based on this vernacular classic. Uniquely, this narrative plucks out the all-consuming, angsty, tragically epic love triangle that forms the core of the novel and focuses instead on broader, often less appreciated themes. The love triangle is still there but it is been muted to the extent that it is only peeks out towards the end.

Lin Shaochun, a talented actress from a performing troupe marries Sun Yulou, the youngest scion of the noble Sun family. With her innate resourcefulness and the support of her husband, she becomes indispensable to his initially disapproving family by ably resolving all their internal and external conflicts and challenges. Bai Lu as always delivers a very enjoyable performance as the supportive and loving wife of Sun Yulou and the clever, thoughtful and femininely authoritative Sun family fixer. Even though I think Wang Yizhe has a lot of potential as an actor, he struggled to get into character and I didn't see much spark between him and Bai Lu. But it doesn't matter because albeit with some challenges, their arc is short and it is ultimately a rather pedestrian love match. After that the narrative explores more complicated and more poignant relationships where the couples have limited ability to make their own choices. Very much like Court Lady, Lin Shaochun is just a tour guide through the social structures, culture, relationships, vanities and daily life details of feudal 18th century China. Thankfully unlike Court Lady, Bai Lu's portrayal of the role as occasionally ruthless and not overly preachy and righteous makes Lin Shaochun very likeable if too infallible to be that interesting.

What stands out about this drama is that very much like Hongloumeng, it celebrates the contribution of women to society - Mao Zedong was far from the first to acknowledge that women hold up half the sky. True to the novel, the drama is very female centric - Lin Shaochun is the main protagonist and in a fitting role reversal the ML Sun Yulou is just a prop; an attractive, decorative vase. Even the best antagonists are formidable and devious women. In fact, most of the male characters in the drama are rather weak and not that intelligent - Sun Yulou only pulls himself together to be worthy of Lin Shaochun, his oldest brother is a foolish gold digger's wet dream, his second brother is the most capable of the lot and his third brother is a henpecked wastrel. All of them become better, more successful men thanks to their smart, determined and capable wives. I find both the eldest and (especially) the second brothers' stories to be far more interesting than that of the main CP. Unfortunately the second brother's story fizzles out in the middle and ends in a slightly disappointing way. Nonetheless, Yao Dizu is by far the most multi-faceted and refreshing character in the drama, more so than Lin Shaochun. She is also the only character that gets to be the author of her own story. If Lin Shaochun were written to be more of a bystander and less of the person who always saves the day, this would be a much better drama. She always wins by the same modus operandi so by the second or third arc, I was on to her and the "twists" become predictable.

The other problem with this drama is that it doesn't seem to be written in one voice or tone and thus gives the impression that it doesn't know what it wants to be. I think it is intended to be a satire or parody of bourgeois upper society during Ming Dynasty. Unfortunately in parts the humor is quite slapstick when it comes to Lamu Yangzi and some of Jin Chen's scenes because that matches the kind of humor they do best. Bai Lu and the rest of the cast however, are better suited towards more subtle, satirical humor and when the writing tries for something in between, it comes across as forced and half the time it misses the mark. That said, there are some really good laugh out loud moments but overall the wit and humor is hit or miss. The rhythm of the screenplay is particularly awkward at the beginning but more enjoyable from the middle episodes. After the four brothers' stories, the recycling of themes around the fallout from arranged marriages gets old and the final arcs flatline - I saw the final end twist a mile away so the end was predictable and anti-climatic.

This gorgeous production was clearly shot with meticulous attention to detail from the sets to the authenticity of the costumes, make up and the cultural details. The only lapse is perhaps the fact that the classic Cantonese opera Legend of the Purple Hairpin is sung in Mandarin and not in its original language (this was one of my grandma's favorite operas, she used to play the Liza Wang/Adam Cheng recording all the time). Overall a high quality production that is an enjoyable light watch even though it falls well short of Hongloumeng in terms of panoramic impression, breadth of social commentary and lasting impact. This is fun enough for me to rate this a 7.5.

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Who's your daddy?

Destined is a story about how an unlikely couple discovers themselves and each other and survive turbulent times together. Liu Yuru has been auditioning all her life to be a worthy wife to the finest young gentlemen in Yangzhou. To her aghast, she finds herself engaged instead to Gu Jiusi, the scandalous scion of Yangzhou's wealthiest family. Gu Jiusi is no less dismayed to find himself shackled to such a paragon of virtue but he is chastened by his careless prank that got them in that situation. They hilariously find that they are actually well suited and the sum of their parts is greater than the whole. The first arc is by far the best; it is funny, romantic and underpinned by genuine chemistry and rapport between Song Yi and Bai Jingting.

The couple's newfound bliss does not last as the country is swept into chaos as civil war breaks out. At their loss of influence in the capital, the Gu family is forced to flee Yangzhou for Youzhou far to the north. There they are still inevitably caught up in the war and ensuing political upheaval. Meanwhile, in the shadows, a hidden mastermind plots their downfall at every turn. There is a marked dark tone shift in the drama as it delves into the political arcs in the latter half. This drama explores the - "Who's your daddy?" question and whether it matters. All of the main characters have bad dads to different degrees; overly-indulgent, indifferent, overly-judgemental, negligent, wilfully blind and missing in action. Most of them are no worst for the wear but others allow their resentment to get the better of them.

This is a very entertaining drama despite that the second half is sloppily written and ridden with logic holes. The source material evidently had more substance and depth but the drama adaptation falls short on multiple fronts. The plot and character designs don’t make sense without novel readers to help connect the dots (see @CloudA’s discussion threads). The best written parts include most of Jiusi and Yuru’s arcs and humorous moments. The political arcs have too many logic gaps and farcical sub-plots that undermines the intelligence of allegedly smart characters. The writers have a very superficial understanding of history, politics and inner palace protocols. It is mystifying why the Dowager Empress does not secure the position of crown princess for her daughter in exchange for her support. Instead she uses up all her goodwill to try to foist her on a happily married man! The new emperor is so weak instead of banishing these harpies to the cold palace, he allows them free rein to bully his loyal court officials and interfere in official proceedings. He puts a known villain in charge of the crown prince's education when both Ye Sh'an and Gu Jiusi are obviously better choices. They forgot to tell us Luo Zishang has an invisibility cloak that gives him better access to the emperor's bedchamber than a favorite concubine! Game of thrones in this drama pretty means Pass the Throne (parcel). This kind of writing is why fluffy romance writers should stick to their knitting and not try to write about stuff they know nothing about.

What does make this drama work is phenomenal acting all around that papers over the lousy writing. All of the main actors are incredibly charismatic and blend into their roles so well that the portrayals surpass the character blueprints. This is especially true of Liu Xueyi's mesmerising ability to make the vicious, misguided and tragicomic Luo Zishang seem sympathetic even though his backstory and motives are not well explored and only fully revealed at the end. As a result, for most of the drama, this character comes across as a cardboard villain; a delusional sociopath that is just evil for the heck of it. Similarly Fan Yu's character evolution takes abrupt turns and his interest in succeeding his father is not well explained. Fortunately the good characters in this drama are far better written than the tired trope of villains who blame their bad behavior on their bad dads. Their motivators are not as forced and it is a lot of fun to watch the rapport, loyalty and friendships between them blossom so organically. After Jiusi and Yuru, Zhou Ye is my favorite character even though he can be a noble idiot. He just gets really hard things done and done right in the nick of time to save the day.

In the final arc, both Jiusi and Yuru are sidelined so that everyone else can do absurd things to let the villain easily get the upper hand. We are short changed of a satisfying final battle of wits between Jiusi and Zishang to make way for a very anti-climatic reveal of Zishang's backstory that devolves further into a maudlin moment of truth and reconciliation that somehow diminishes both characters.Along comes Zhou Gaolang to bravely re-take a city that was already in hand! There was a senseless, gratuitous death of a terrific character just to squeeze a few audience tears and to add insult to the injury, the perpetrator was unjustly sentenced to live the life of the idle rich. While many favourite characters got good outcomes, some of them deserve better and the final denouement fell flat and was anti-climatic This drama peaked too early at King Liang's epic siege and went downhill from there. The early arcs were an 8.5 for me but the back half was at best 7.0/7.5. Even though I can only rate this 8.0 overall, it is still a very enjoyable drama that is shored up by some fantastic acting. It is best watched tipsy or with your brain half switched off as the plot does not bear close scrutiny.

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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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Can't judge a book by its cover.

Judge Dee is one of the most widely adapted and iconic ancient Chinese detective figures in popular culture. Di Renjie, or Judge Dee was a prominent Tang Dynasty official and twice chancellor to Empress Wu Tzetian. In the 19th century, Dutch sinologist and diplomat Robert Van Gulik translated an 18th century novel by an anonymous author Dí Gōng Àn/狄公案/Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, into English. He went on to write numerous other Judge Dee mysteries, increasingly crafting Judge Dee in his own image. Van Gulik's books are regarded as a cultural bridge between East and West. They were devoured by the Chinese diaspora long before Tsui Hark fanned the flames with his wildly popular Detective Dee movies.

Judge Dee's Mystery/大唐狄公案 loosely adapts nine cases from Van Gulik's novels for the small screen. This drama has notably high production values with lavish sets and costumes designed to create an immersive visual experience. The cases are well crafted with meticulous attention to detail and pay homage to Judge Dee's reputation as a people's hero; a champion of truth and justice for the common people. The cases highlight the discontent at some of Empress Wu's policies and shortcomings of the Tang Code, China's earliest legal code. Di Renjie gained many insights on the struggles and aspirations of the common citizens as magistrate of many important provinces across the empire. This shaped him into a great statesman and reformer in his later years; a chancellor often known to stand up to the formidable Empress.

This is the kind of drama that I should love - its my favorite genre featuring my favorite Chinese detective, set in my favorite Chinese dynasty and is helmed by a few of my favorite actors. The fight scenes are fantastic and the whole thing just looks gorgeous and bloody expensive. Which just goes to show you, you just can't judge a book by its cover. Because even though there are some really great moments, overall this drama just bored me silly.

The problem with the cases is that the four episode are too long when the villain is usually obvious from the beginning. There is not enough development of the suspects or the victims to make the audience care about the why-did-it. The audience also does not get to participate in the solution. Instead, the intricacies of the how-did-its are revealed as flashbacks in Judge Dee's mind's eye. The cases do get better in the latter half as they tie into Judge Dee's past and are shored up by the appearance of characters like Diao Xiaoguan (Zhang Ruoyun) and Lin Fan (Jiang Yi). Even then, the writing tends to tie the minute details together well while leaving big gaps on important things. Thus it is never fully explained what Diao Xiaoguan's motives were or what terrible thing the young scion of a noble household did that got him disowned and left to fend for himself.

The biggest issue with this drama is that Zhou Yiwei pretty much carries the entire crime-solving team by himself. None of the supporting characters are well designed and there is zero chemistry between Ma Rong, Qiao Tai and Judge Dee. This is made even more obvious when Deng Xiaoguan shows up and there is a tangible difference in the dynamics between everyone. Both of Dee's sidekicks appear and disappear inexplicably in the middle of a case as and when the plot requires. Ma Rong is written to be a comically obnoxious character but there is nothing funny about her obnoxiousness. This is the obvious the weak link in the cast and one that is utterly lacking in charisma that unfortunately gets too much airtime. Inasmuch as Zhou Yiwei and Wang Likun deliver a heart-stopping and mature portrayal of attraction and love at first sight, sadly Cao An is written to be a blank character; an elegant musician well past her youth clinging to a silly girlish fantasy over a highwayman (face palm). She only serves decorative purposes until the final case, where she finally gets to shine with her bravery and her foolishness.

In conclusion, this is a visually stunning production that stays true to its source material in terms of setting and thematic elements. However, despite some exciting and well choreographed action scenes, it fails to deliver truly captivating mysteries and is bogged down by lackluster supporting performances. While the cases in Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty (2022) are only a tad more tightly written, the humor and fantastic crime solving team dynamic elevates that series over this one. That said, Judge Dee's Mystery is not a terrible way to pass some time even though it ultimately falls short of making a lasting impression. I rate this Seasons 1 a 7.5/10.0. Season 2 has been filmed and should air by early 2025.

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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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We are back!!! 铁甲依然在 (tie jia yi ran zai).

Novoland Eagle Flag is about a time in fantasy world Novoland's history where the outlawed Tianqu warriors are revived for an epic showdown with growing evil forces of the supernatural Chenyue cult.

These are tumultous times in Novoland, where the ruling Yin Empire only has a tenuous grip on its power over its vassal kingdoms. The emperor and the ruling nobles of the various kingdoms are protected by their own armies led by skilled generals. By coalition and mutual self interest, an unstable balance of power is maintained. Internal politics and power struggles within the empire and the kingdoms complicate the plot. These sub threads are quite well written but can be ignored or followed loosely without losing track of the story-line. This inherent instability is manipulated by the Chenyue cult who preys on the superstitions, insecurities and ambitions of the ruling elite. As war breaks out when a powerful warlord seizes power, the might of the Chenyue's undead Redteeth army grows surreptitiously with the death count. This sets the stage for the return of the formidable Tianqu warriors, historical protectors of the realm until banished for killing a despot. Only the Tianqu warriors, lead by their chief suzerain with a legendary sword, had been able to suppress the Chenyue.

Our three main characters are destined to play a critical role in Tianqu's return. They are bound together by a touching friendship as they come of age during these troubled times. Asule is crown prince of the nomadic Qingyang tribe who are fierce warriors in the harsh wintry North. He is sent at young age to Eastland as a political hostage. Yuran is an orphan from the elite of the Winged Tribe who is a princess in name at the Xiatang court. Ji Ye is the unfavored elder son of a nobleman whese mother was a concubine. They were lonely children whose paths crossed in Xiatang and essentially become each others' families. Yet they are pawns in this ruthless world where their friendship is constantly tested by ambitious and powerful actors who use them to achieve their own agendas. Asule is an idealist who wants to use his power to save the world. Ji Ye wants to prove himself, he is a conqueror who wants to rule the world. Yuran doesn't care about the world or the future, she just lives in the moment for herself and her friends. The relationship between the three leads was one of the best parts of this drama and well written. They balance each other out perfectly. Asule is a gentle soul who cannot bear to kill even when it is the only way to achieve the greater good. Ji Ye has no such reservations but his ruthless ambition is checked by Asule's goodness. And Yuran is the glue that binds them together and keeps them grounded on what is truly important - their friendship and the importance living for oneself.

The cast was very strong as this big budget production spared no expense with veteran actors. Many did not like the actress Song Zuer but I thought she was the perfect Yuran, which is not a deep character, just a very vehement one. While Liu Haoran did a good job portraying Asule, the character was poorly written and waffled in the back half. Don't hold it against him that the scriptwriter turned him into a brainless incredible hulk-like killing machine whenever he is angry. And while Chen Ruoxuan overdid the petulant youth in the beginning, Ji Ye's character is a strong one that showed tremendous growth towards the end.

The script-writing which was fantastic and gripping in the first half turned into an epic disappointment in the back half. It became repetitive, deviated into half heart-ed ill fated romantic tropes and took odd and messy turns with several core characters including Asule. I realized too late that this is the same dastardly Linmon Pictures that similarly destroyed the back half of Legend of Fuyao. It is their signature gimmick of replacing the production team with Team B so that Team A gets to move onto new projects. At that point you are so invested that you end up watching the rest of it anyway. The only thing that helped Novoland is that it is backed by the substance of a real book whereas Fuyao descended into 100 pct script-writer induced train-wreck. Given the record budget, the popularity of the novel, serious hype and the veteren cast this should have been a 9 or 10, one of the best of the year. What an epic let down - despite some truly superb battle scenes and cinematography, it ended up as just an OK overall production due to the messy writing.

The ending is controversial and felt rushed. Unlike most, I believe the Eagle Flag chapter of Novoland ended where it should have. One of the biggest misconceptions of this drama is that the story is character driven. It is not. The three leads may have their own subplots but all of the plot threads converge in the final conflict between Tianqu and Chenyue. The characters are relevant only as far as their roles in the build up to an epic climatic clash between good and evil. What happens to the characters after that is not important since the story is not really about them. A sequel or season 2 seems unlikely in this context although there could be spin offs that once again touch upon some of their subsequent paths - someone who read the books will know better than I.

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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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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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Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies.

Mysterious Lotus Casebook is a dark 江湖/jiānghú story about the ultimately futile aspirations and obsessions of the martial world. In an epic battle for supremacy, Di Feisheng of the dark Jinyuan Alliance challenges Li Xiangyi, the leader of the righteous Sigu sect. Both men disappear from the martial world afterwards, leaving a vacuum at the top and their sects in disarray.

Ten years later, aspiring young detective Fang Duobing comes across Li Lianhua, a famous itinerant doctor whom he is convinced is a quack. Determined to expose him, he attaches himself to Li Lianhua as inextricably as a wad of chewing gum in his hair. They run into Di Feisheng, who immediately recognises in him his old nemesis Li Xiangyi. The two old rivals remorselessly keep Fang Duobing in the dark as they try to figure out who sabotaged their fight and search for Li Xiangyi's deceased sect brother Shan Gudao's corpse. An unlikely friendship develops as they work together to solve a series of strangely connected jiānghú cases.

Plot wise, this drama is solid but dry and unremarkable. The cases all unfold at a fast pace and are easy to follow, but do not engage audience participation. They are simply plants for clues to a treasure hunt for artefacts that unlock the main conspiracy. Despite a hint of the supernatural, the cases fall short of chilling or suspenseful. The hidden mastermind behind the main conspiracy is pretty obvious and revealed fairly early on, and even the ironic twist at the end is not much of a surprise. Both villains are one-dimensional jiānghú archetypes driven by vanity and delusions of grandeur. Wang Herun's scarily convincing portrayal of the Saintess of the insane cackle elevated the role beyond its one-dimensional character blueprint.

\What makes this drama a success are fascinating main character designs, strong rapport among the three leads, the scintillating dialogues, and well-choreographed and exciting action sequences. The real mystery is about who Li Xiangyi was and why he was killed. The answers are at surface trivial. Li Xiangyi was perched at the top of the martial arts world as the world's best swordsman and leader of the righteous sects. This made him the envy and natural target of virtually everyone. However, Li Xiangyi was far from the perfect hero of Fang Doubing's idealistic imagination. In fact, he was a self-absorbed, pompous ass who believed the universe revolved around him and his worldview. His swordsmanship is matched by a brilliant, cynical mind and a razor-sharp tongue that, according to poor Ai'man, can slay a person with a few words. If there is one thing lacking in Cheng Yi's otherwise stellar performance, it is that his Xiangyi is too empathetic. This masks his many flaws and hides how insufferable and difficult he was as a person. It took me awhile to realise that his sect had some inkling who Li Lianhua really was but they refused to recognise him because they just did not want Li Xiangyi to come back.

As for Li Lianhua, he is just a shard, a detached, sickly, disillusioned and world-weary remnant of the glorious Li Xiangyi. Cheng Yi really compels with his heart rending expression of this facet of the character singing his swan song without a shred of self pity. I lived for the sudden bursts of energy or sheer willpower that momentarily revives the breathtaking, dazzling and dizzying swordsmanship that propelled Li Xiangyi to dominate wuling. Only to all too rapidly diminish back into Li Lianhua again, a wickedly unapolagetic compulsive liar whose mantra is clearly, "Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies." This is how he keeps everyone, and especially the hapless Fang Doubing, at arm's length; to avoid new personal entanglements. Fang Doubing (which literally means "sickly") is a parody character, the typical naive, high-minded, young adventurer raring to make a difference in the martial world. The dialogue is well written and humorously illustrates how grudgingly Li Lianhua is moved by this pesty young detective and tacitly accepts him as his successor. However, this kind of clichéd relationship dynamic of the clueless sidekick that elevates the brilliant sleuth is too common and quickly becomes boring. Li Lianhua's lies to Fang Doubing went on for too long to the point it became cruel and unnecessary. Their relationship is over explored and shortchanges the more interesting relationship in the drama.

What disappoints me most is that the writers opted to very cursorily explore the more complex and interesting relationship between Di Feisheng and Li Lianhua. Di Feisheng is the most layered villain in this story; that rare antagonist who transforms into a protagonist. Like Li Xiangyi, he rises to the top of his sect through sheer martial prowess rather than by winning hearts and minds. They are enemies who become friends, both betrayed and searching for answers. But his story is sidelined for much of the drama, his backstory is rushed, and his relationship with Li Lianhua does not really get a chance to develop and grow. Yet the best moments of this drama, are when all three of them are together, like a found family.

I like that this ends with an action-packed finale and satisfying final confrontations with the antagonists. But as for the plot, the best reveal is when Fang Doubing figures out who Li Lianhua is, which isn't really a revelation to the viewer. And I can't really pinpoint when the plot reaches its climax, as none of the high points make a strong impression. As for the ending, it is fitting but not as definitive as I would have liked. Most of Li Lianhua's journey is about putting his affairs in order and offering closure to those he cared for; to help them move on from Li Xiangyi who in all the ways that mattered died ten years ago. Yet Li Lianhua continues to string poor Fang Doubing (and us) along, which is too cruel and inconsistent with the drama's core message about letting go of past attachments and moving on. These kinds of endings that try to please all audiences really annoy me. I still enjoyed this superbly well written drama, immensely even though I think it had the potential to be much better. For me, this is an excellent 8.5/10.0 and a highly recommended watch.

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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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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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This is like a fine dining experience - to be savored and remembered. It deserves an 11/10.

Nirvana in Fire is an exceptional drama by any and all standards - nothing else I have watched comes even close to surpassing it. It truly checks all of the boxes in terms of a complex plot, an incredibly talented cast, excellent screenplay, well executed action scenes and overall movie-like visual impact and production quality.

This is the story of Lin Shu's single minded quest for justice and reform. His father, a powerful general in command of the 70,000 strong Chiyan army is framed as a traitor while away defending the Liang state. Victorious but battle worn, he is slaughtered along with his entire army before they have a chance to return to the capital. Young Lin Shu barely survives and re-emerges 12 years later as Mei Changsu, the mysterious leader of the powerful pugilist Jiangzuo Alliance. His appearance is completely altered and he is a sickly, shadow of the vigorous young warrior he used to be. He returns to the capital amidst a power struggle between the crown prince and his brother Prince Yu as the Divine Talent, a brilliant strategist regarded as an emperor maker. He plays them against each other and is on surface allied with Prince Yu while he surreptitiously advances the out of favor Prince Jing. The complexity in the plot arises in the brilliant and occasionally cruel strategies he employs to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy and all those complicit in his family's murder as well as to advance Prince Jing's position. This is not a story about revenge, it is about justice. It is also about reform as justice is worthless without reform. Making abiding changes to the court and the system that would be overseen by a just and moral ruler was an equally important outcome to Lin Shu/Mei Changsu. To achieve his mission, he had to do many things he considered despicable. Cleaning out the corruption in the court was the only thing he could do to make the senseless massacre of his family and comrades in arms mean something.

This is an impossible show to binge watch - I can at best get through two episodes in one sitting. We learn from the get go that Lin Shu is living on borrowed time. That imbues the drama with an omnipresent sense of sorrow and inevitability that grows as it steadily progresses towards the end. Whenever the mood gets unbearably heavy, there are welcome moments of brilliantly timed comic relief. The first episode is probably the most difficult to follow as most of the key characters are introduced all at once .Thankfully there are many excellent character guides online that are super helpful in the beginning. There are no unnecessary characters in this show; each one was brilliantly cast and has an important role in the unfolding storyline.

The role of Lin Shu/Mei Changsu is a complex one and not at all easy to play. This was without a doubt Hu Ge's defining role and he just killed it. Time and again he was able to subtly convey a multitude of intense emotions behind a superficially stoic expression. As Mei Changsu the strategist, he was brilliant, ruthless, calculating, Machiavelli and breathtakingly cruel when necessary while battling his self-loathing for the person he was forced to become. He is filled with longing, regret and fear of discovery as he re-encounters his former love, friends and relatives under this new identity. He masterfully portrays a callous indifference that masks unbearable hurt as his actions and morals are misunderstood by his best loved friend. As they inevitably begin to recognize his old mannerisms and think the unthinkable, he cannot help but tease them with the truth before skillfully evading their suspicions. The chemistry between Lin Shu/Mei Changsu and the rest of the cast and in particular Prince Jing (Wang Kai) is mesmerizing. Twelve years later Prince Jing still misses Lin Shu, his boyhood friend and cousin and was never quite convinced the Lin family could be guilty of treason. Despite his contempt for Mei Changsu's lack of moral scruple, the principled Prince Jing's soul knows him and he is eventually drawn into a strong and touching bromance with him . Equally moving were the rare smiles, flashes of humor and fatherly affection that emerges when Lin Shu/Mei Changsu teases Fei Liu, his lethally skilled and fiercely loyal boy protector. Despite his crushing physical weakness, he desperately lies to shield his loved ones from the extent of his suffering and true condition. I found myself grieving for not only the lost friendships and love affair that could have been but for the Lin Shu that Mei Changsu can never become again.

The character development in this drama is so sophisticated and multi-layered that even the worst villains of the piece are to evoke a sense of pity for their human failings and have some redeeming aspects. The story builds towards an epic climax that sees Lin Shu/Mei Changsu confront the person ultimately responsible for this terrible and unforgiveable betrayal. Both actors in this final showdown were phenomenal but I think the tyrant's rant from rage,to hubris, to denial, to defeat , to defiance and then finally to almost but not quite remorse truly blew me away. It is in this encounter that Lin Shu delivers his most excoriating, most tragic and and most damning indictment -"If you knew your son you would never believe he could betray you. If your son knew you, he would not have refused to believe you betrayed him." The script writing is powerful and we are treated to many emotionallly loaded lines but for me, this one was the one that summed up the root of the tragedy and made me weep for both of them. But Lin Shu/Mei Changsu was beyond tears. It is this ability to convey bottomless sorrow without shedding a tear that made this Hu Ge's unparalleled performance.

{Warning - Spoiler ahead]

I love it that this show pretty much ends after the climatic peak with most of the loose ends tied up well ahead. Even though we know from the very beginning that Lin Shu/Mei Changsu dies, it still broke my heart. Nonetheless, the drama comes to a very fitting and satisfying end. While this was an enthralling, immersive journey from start to finish, I think I need to take a break with something less intense. I suspect this will remain the very best drama I have ever seen for a long time although I still love Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms best.

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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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