2
Suspenseful, But With Characters Who Can’t Decide What Mood They’re In
A solid watch with interesting fantasy and mystery elements, but the miscast lead, inconsistent character development, and a dragged-out ending make it hard to fully recommend.
First Impressions
The opening of this drama was an absolute treat! The serene tea-setting, combined with the calming guqin music, drew me in immediately. It started off with a mysterious vibe, and the tone quickly shifted into something much more lighthearted and, at times, hilarious. It's a bit of a rollercoaster in terms of atmosphere, but in a good way.
Character Dynamics
The central character, Zhang Ping played by Song Weilong, is a detective who's meant to be extremely smart and perceptive, but is written in a way that often comes off as frustrating rather than endearing. His impulsiveness, naivety, and lack of basic common sense felt like they were thrown in as a plot device rather than natural character traits, which really detracted from the story. I think part of the problem lies in the casting. While the actor playing Zhang Ping might have done his best, he simply wasn't the right fit for this immature role.
As for Jing Boran (playing the co-ML Lan Jue ), I had mixed feelings. His character felt off at times, as he seemed to shift from being impulsive and overly emotional to suddenly zen-like and philosophical. There were moments when he was either dumbstruck or acting like a drama queen, and it felt out of place given the tone of the show. These inconsistencies made his character hard to connect with, and the lack of a clear arc or emotional depth didn't help his case. While I didn’t dislike his performance, I found it hard to fully embrace his character because of these strange shifts.
On the other hand, Wang Duo was fantastic as the revenge-driven antagonist Gu Qingzhang. He truly brought his character to life and added layers of complexity and emotion that made him one of the standout performances in the drama. Unfortunately he appeared quite late in the drama.
Plot & Themes
The fantasy and mystery elements were interesting, with some exciting plot twists along the way. There were, however, moments that required a suspension of disbelief—like when a group of scholars suddenly turned into an aggressive mob. These moments were a bit jarring but didn’t derail the story entirely. The suspense around the Lan Jue and later Gu Qingzhang kept me on edge, constantly questioning if he was evil, misunderstood, or simply wronged.
The Drama's Flaws
Towards the end, the drama leans heavily into war propaganda, which felt off considering the rest of the narrative.
The drama’s conclusion could’ve been satisfying, but it dragged unnecessarily. Episode 26 provided a fairly strong ending, but then the show tacked on three additional episodes, trying to wrap things up in a “righteous” way that just felt prolonged and a bit forced. It became obvious who would live and who would die, and the attempts to add more twists started to feel illogical. There’s even a McGyver-esque solution to save the day, which stretched my suspension of disbelief to its breaking point.
The Disappointing End
The final episodes did a disservice to characters like Zhang Ping's mother and Lan Jue's father, as there was no justice for their storylines.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this drama is a bit of a mixed bag. It has a compelling mystery, unique fantasy elements, and some strong performances (especially from Wang Duo). However, the frustrating portrayal of Zhang Ping, the inconsistent character development of Lan Jue and a dragged-out ending that strained credibility really held it back. I would recommend this to fans of mystery and fantasy, but be prepared for some characters and plot points that may leave you scratching your head.
#CognitiveExplorer
#JusticeSeeker
First Impressions
The opening of this drama was an absolute treat! The serene tea-setting, combined with the calming guqin music, drew me in immediately. It started off with a mysterious vibe, and the tone quickly shifted into something much more lighthearted and, at times, hilarious. It's a bit of a rollercoaster in terms of atmosphere, but in a good way.
Character Dynamics
The central character, Zhang Ping played by Song Weilong, is a detective who's meant to be extremely smart and perceptive, but is written in a way that often comes off as frustrating rather than endearing. His impulsiveness, naivety, and lack of basic common sense felt like they were thrown in as a plot device rather than natural character traits, which really detracted from the story. I think part of the problem lies in the casting. While the actor playing Zhang Ping might have done his best, he simply wasn't the right fit for this immature role.
As for Jing Boran (playing the co-ML Lan Jue ), I had mixed feelings. His character felt off at times, as he seemed to shift from being impulsive and overly emotional to suddenly zen-like and philosophical. There were moments when he was either dumbstruck or acting like a drama queen, and it felt out of place given the tone of the show. These inconsistencies made his character hard to connect with, and the lack of a clear arc or emotional depth didn't help his case. While I didn’t dislike his performance, I found it hard to fully embrace his character because of these strange shifts.
On the other hand, Wang Duo was fantastic as the revenge-driven antagonist Gu Qingzhang. He truly brought his character to life and added layers of complexity and emotion that made him one of the standout performances in the drama. Unfortunately he appeared quite late in the drama.
Plot & Themes
The fantasy and mystery elements were interesting, with some exciting plot twists along the way. There were, however, moments that required a suspension of disbelief—like when a group of scholars suddenly turned into an aggressive mob. These moments were a bit jarring but didn’t derail the story entirely. The suspense around the Lan Jue and later Gu Qingzhang kept me on edge, constantly questioning if he was evil, misunderstood, or simply wronged.
The Drama's Flaws
Towards the end, the drama leans heavily into war propaganda, which felt off considering the rest of the narrative.
The drama’s conclusion could’ve been satisfying, but it dragged unnecessarily. Episode 26 provided a fairly strong ending, but then the show tacked on three additional episodes, trying to wrap things up in a “righteous” way that just felt prolonged and a bit forced. It became obvious who would live and who would die, and the attempts to add more twists started to feel illogical. There’s even a McGyver-esque solution to save the day, which stretched my suspension of disbelief to its breaking point.
The Disappointing End
The final episodes did a disservice to characters like Zhang Ping's mother and Lan Jue's father, as there was no justice for their storylines.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this drama is a bit of a mixed bag. It has a compelling mystery, unique fantasy elements, and some strong performances (especially from Wang Duo). However, the frustrating portrayal of Zhang Ping, the inconsistent character development of Lan Jue and a dragged-out ending that strained credibility really held it back. I would recommend this to fans of mystery and fantasy, but be prepared for some characters and plot points that may leave you scratching your head.
#CognitiveExplorer
#JusticeSeeker
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