Lee Kyung Young is channeling Musk and nobody can convince me otherwise at this time, LOL. Still creepy and still unlikable. It doesn't help I've just watched him as a puppet master in Again My Life.
The whole way-too-rich compound is creepy too, it fits.
HWS seems to be the lead character so far, with SSH a distant second. I hope they get to balance the ~twins~ later on, I don't want this to be lopsided. HWS also went in with a plan that he put in motion WAY long ago, that's... interesting. Maybe we'll get to see how he came to go there. His assistant is either cannon fodder or a snake in the grass at this time (leaning toward the snake in the grass, myself).
So, I've taken a look at your watched list, you seem to not have watched a lot of Chinese drama, and almost no…
It's boys' love (BL). But the Chinese censor everything BL so it's not explicit in any way, if you're not inclined to notice. Or it is pretty obvious in what's going on, if you ARE inclined to notice. They can be best bros or passionate lovers, it's in the eye of the beholder.
The novel is unapologetically BL :P
And I wish someone paid me for something like this, LOL. but no, sadly this is just one of my hobbies and I'm on vacation so I have lots of free time right now :D
So, I've taken a look at your watched list, you seem to not have watched a lot of Chinese drama, and almost no…
Uh... there IS a donghua (which means anime in Chinese). It's a three-season donghua named Mo Dao Zu Shi (similar to the novel's title that is based on, same as the drama, though the drama's Chinese title is Cheng Qing Ling / CQL), and the story is practically the same but in a different order (neither the drama nor the donghua faithfully respect the order of flashbacks in the novel, because it would be a bit too problematic). The differences are that the animation could get a few more romantic moments in (since the drama had to pass censorship) and that they could animate awesome effects. The voice actors are the same as the ones who dub over the drama's actors (they do this kind of thing in Chinese drama, because of set conditions while filming LOL).
If anime/donghua is more along your tastes... LOL, MDZS/TU/CQL has you covered :) And there's an audio drama, too, in case you want to hear some actual adult quotes from the novel, LOL, and there's a chibi donghua series too, just to sprinkle some sugar on top. This really is a phenomenon :D
I don't know where the donghua might be watched now, but nyaa always has those things covered...
So, I've taken a look at your watched list, you seem to not have watched a lot of Chinese drama, and almost no…
I do love the drama, and the novel it's based on, and it was my introduction to modern cdrama (and to BL Chinese webnovels) so it'll always be special to me. At this point, there are many, many more cdramas (AND webnovels) that I like, because TU first pulled me into this whole new world LOL.
But yeah, cdramas are different to kdramas, particularly in the historical kind of story (though TBH some historical kdramas are kind of anticlimactic too LOL).
You stopped at the worst part with TU - the first two eps are used to link back to the actual present day, but more than half the drama (eps 3-33 actually) is a huge flashback pointing out to what made those two eps happen. It's a cdrama, they take some while to get interested in, unless they're thrillers or something, it gets WAY more heavy around eps 13-17 and after that it's all wildfire. It helps if you like BL, the MLs have extreme chemistry, LOL, and it also helps if you like a quirky, chaotic-god type of main character, because that's WWX.
For me, it was enough to watch a FMV and then the first few minutes of the drama to get interested. Here are some FMV samples, juuuust in case you'd be willing to give it another chance:
But, if you're not convinced the Chinese can make good dramas, maybe try some new ones, police stories like Under the Skin or Be Reborn, or scifi time-loop ones like Reset. They - like TU - deserve all the hype they get :D
Oh I have a question if anyone ever reads this… are kdramas not allowed to show actual special effects make…
AFAIK, they have some general TV drama rule that they can't show sharp weapons (knives, a piece of glass, that kind of thing.) Also AFAIK, some more niche (cable) dramas would show even those objects, but now that cable networks that show dramas have advanced a lot, they may toe the line already.
As for wounds being realistic, no, they NEVER respected that. Actually the Western media never respects that either. Got shot in the shoulder in the line of duty? You're a hero and you're back at work three days later, with a halter for your arm. It doesn't work that way.
Got a full round to the face? It will heal in two weeks, give and take, and you'll be all the colours of the rainbow before then. It never happens in the movies. They get absolutely DESTROYED and two days later there's that cute Band-Aid to cover the remains of what would in reality need multiple plastic surgeries just to put the bones together again.
So, no, there's no special rule that SK dramas need enforce, they're just following alter-world rules regarding wounds that appear in dramas and movies. And it serves a double purpose - you can make it as dangerous or not-as-dangerous as you want. They got shot - but they survived, hurray! HEA. Or instead, they got shot - in the shoulder - but the wound caused massive cardiac arrest or the doctors nicked an artery, boom they're gone! So sad! Such a tragic ending. (The End.)
In historical settings there's the added supply of infections. He was JUST touched by the arrow/knife/sword BUT it got infected, bye-bye character, here's a heroic death.
Watching this atm, only on like ep 8. It’s good, I like the older period dramas, they don’t shy away from…
RE: why everybody tries to kill the gumiho and the half-gumiho. Imagine the worst creature in your country's fairy tale - that's the equivalent of a gumiho. The Japanese anime series that transformed monsters from well - monsters, into cute little things to play with for lonely kids (Natsume-style) made the idea of a nine-tailed kitsune something interesting and nice and forgot to spell out the part where the kitsune transformed into a seductress and eventually ate out their victim's hearts.
The same thing kind of happened to gumiho - they're not nice, solitary heroes that look AMAZING in black and are selfless (okay, Choi Jin-Hyuk did a great job in his role, what can I say :D), they're savage creatures that steal off into someone's home and eat their liver.
So yeah, they're kind of BIG and SCARY monsters. And now imagine yourself armed with a pan and looking at your fiercest home invader - maybe a mouse or a spider or some bug, or if you're Australian, even a snake. What's your first impulse? Those guys reacted as they're expected to react to a threat. It doesn't matter the creature doesn't attack first or is just trying to protect themselves... It's pure instinct. Kill it with FIRE :D
Finished finally! Woah that drama was so fun to watch. I can see why people would be disappointed with the ending…
The Devil Judge gives kind of the same adrenaline rush, though the plots aren't similar. Ji Sung is one of the best, too.
This week also has a bunch of very enticing new dramas starting, you could join in the watching-as-it-airs fever :D Things like Adamas and Big Mouth, can't wait!
They love each other. There is a big problem with the husband's identity, which leads to the wife suspecting him (of being exactly who he actually is, though that persona is considered a dangerous criminal), but they are in love with each other and there are no misunderstandings.
Watch it, do. It's one of the best SK thriller-melo dramas in the past few years. Despite some people commenting below, it actually deserves its high rating. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it definitely worked just fine for lots of other people. Take a chance on it :)
Man I just started watching the first episode and there are a lot of name similar to each other I KEEP GETTING…
So, I've taken a look at your watched list, you seem to not have watched a lot of Chinese drama, and almost no wuxia/xianxia dramas. It's going to be a bit confusing, in that case.
This is a xianxia drama, which means there's going to be fighting (of the there-is-no-physics kind LOL) and supernatural beings (usually it's gods and immortals, here there are ghosts and spirits). Everything takes place in the Jianghu (the world of the cultivators), where people who can strive to grow ("cultivate") a Golden Core of energy that will sustain them in fighting, and keep them appearing young until they die, which will happen a lot later than in a normal people's life. Therefore, there are clans where almost everybody has the same surname, and those clans are competing to see which one's the best.
In TU, there are the Wen clan (they're the initial baddies, their colour is red), the Jin clan (the second most powerful and definitely the most rich clan, their colour is gold), the Lan clan (one of the MLs is from the Lan clan, they're hunting down evil and using music to cleanse it, their colour is white - or if they're happy, a pale blue; well that relates to Lan WangJi at least LOL), the Jiang clan (they're from YunMeng and good at fighting. The other ML is adopted into this clan; their colour is violet-blue) and the Nie clan (they're also famous for being fierce fighters, they use sabers and not swords and all their leaders died in madness; their colour is reddish-brown or a kind of mauve, I'm not certain since they don't stay the same as much as the other clans).
Everybody has at least three names, if they're famous. Their birth name (that nobody uses but family), the curtesy name and their title (again, if they're famous). The people you need to remember aren't so many -
Wei WuXian, (Wei Ying - nobody calls him that but LWJ, his foster-brother and everybody else when they want to insult him, LOL), the YiLing Patriarch. He was adopted into the Jiang Clan and is brothers with Jiang Cheng and Jiang YanLi. He's the ML that gives us the POV into the story. He uses a flute called ChenQing (had a sword called Suibian/Whatever, doesn't use it any more).
Lan WangJi (Lan Zhan - nobody calls him that but WWX, ALL the time, LOL), the Lightbearing Lord (Hanguang Jun). He's the other ML, the one we see in relation with WWX. He uses a sword called Bichen/Avoid Wordly Matters, and a guqin.
Jiang Cheng (Jiang WanYin), Three-Bane Master (nobody calls him that in the drama, it's more of a donghua and novel thing). He's WWX's foster-brother and tied down in the rules, unlike the free-spirited WWX. He uses the sword SanDu (Three-Bane).
Lan ZiChen (Lan Huan - nobody calls him that throughout the series), Brilliance OverGrowth Lord / Zewu Jun. He is LWJ's brother. He uses a sword (ShuoYue) but mostly a flute called Liebing (not the same kind of flute as WWX).
Other important people:
Jiang YanLi - the sister of the Jiang brothers.
Wen Qing - a doctor in the Wen clan. She and her brother aren't part of the Wen attack, but suffer for it anyway.
Wen Ning - Wen Qing's brother. He's killed injustly and is part of the reason for why WWX eventually is moved to set himself outside the Jianghu and become the reviled YiLing Patriarch.
Lan ShiZui (Lan Yuan) - LWJ's adopted son. He has a tragic history.
Lan JingYi - the most un-Lan to ever Lan. He's a sassy git, LOL. He and ShiZui are part of that Lan group of apprentices that tries to deal with the problems in the Mo Manor, in the first episodes. They're important.
Nie HuaiSang - the one Nie leader who doesn't want to die in madness and actually takes meaures to prevent it.
Nie MingJue - a heroic Nie leader, Nie HuaiSang's older brother.
Lan QiRen - the Lan clan's most respected teacher. People send their kids to him for education. Not that it stops WWX from playing havoc with his mind and beard and his most beloved LWJ LOL.
Wen RuoHan, Wen Chao, Wen Xu - the leader of the Wen clan and his sons. They're the baddies.
Jin GuangShan - the Jin clan leader, scum. He's the father of Jin Zixuan (nicknamed peacock), who gets to eventually marry Jiang YanLi.
Jin Ling - the heir to the Jin clan, son of Zixuan and YanLi. He has issues.
And most important, Meng Yao / Jin Guangyao. He's Jin GuangShan's bastard son and he becomes best friends with Lan XiChen. Pay attention to him when he comes.
Mo XuanYu - a kid of the Mo Manor (where the series starts) who was a bit mad and knew some sorcery, so he offered up his own body in exchange for revenge against his family that abused him. That's how WWX comes back to life after being gone who knows where for 13 years.
So there you have it. It's not too bad once you get into the series. Considering the scope, the people aren't all that many (and I've left out a few, for a nice surprise). But you don't have to remember them immediately - it helps to know the colour code, LOL, the names of the clans will tell you where they come from, and in the beginning, the only ones you need to take note of are Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi.
Go Won and Jang Uk had A MOMENT (complete with soundtrack too). That is all. Loved the 12th ep if only for that spoof, LOL.
There are ups and downs throughout the series - the downs whenever there's the politicking between the Royal (or not so Royal) faction, and the Songrim faction, the ups whenever the harem boys start coveting Mu-Deok (my favourite also-ran is Go Won, NGL. He is owning the character, LOL.) I still have no idea where the plot is going to end up, but I think it's high time Jang Kang came over again.
Just ep 1.. watch more.. if you don’t want then shoo.
So snarky, LOL, stahp. Seriously though, this might be a heavy time-consuming watch and I would really love if it would prove deserving of it. I don't know about other people, but there are some dramas that catch me from the first episode, and others that I have to wait out juuust in case they're either 1. extremely good, so bingeable, or 2. not really great, so let's have a lot of people finish it first and weigh the watching of it then. So far, I'm not certain about this one, but there are good parts, and I'm already interested in some of the support charas too, and that's a good thing (for me anyway).
I hope this proves to be the bingeable kind (because I love the original title, Cheng Yi, Zoey Meng, the effects look great, etc), so here's hoping. In the meantime, enjoy your watch of the drama :)
Episode 1 feels rather generic, the soundtrack doesn't really help either. But there are sprinkles of humour here and there, here's hoping they're not going to disappear once the romance is established.
I'll keep watching for Cheng Yi and Zoey Meng, But if it stays the same, maybe not for 38 eps :(
Most of the other clans aren't usually working together, more like they're competing all the time. So when the…
Some of the clans are friendly, but they don't have a combined power that's enough to stand against the Wens. And as I said, WRH really does take into consideration which particular clans to hit in order to discourage the others from acting up.
If you got to LWJ getting there too, you alreay know why there wasn't initially much resistance against the Wen, and why the rest of the clans hesitated for so long before coming together. And if you got to after the Slaughter Tortoise cave part... Here's a hug. The heartache and epic parts are coming.
Can someone help me understand something? Is the Wen clan much stronger than all the other clans? Not sure if…
Most of the other clans aren't usually working together, more like they're competing all the time. So when the Wen Clan started their run for power, everybody was kind of taken by surprise. And yes, they are really powerful from the get-go, too, only the Jin Clan is of a somewhat similar standing, but the Jin Clan leader is scum so he takes basically no measure against the Wens until almost too late, and it advantages him.
The Yin Iron pieces have a role, but Wen RuoHan was set on conquering the other clans anyway. And since nobody said anything when smaller and unconnected clans were basically wiped out, the Wens had a chance to build a reputation and even plan grander things against more important clans (can't tell you more in order not to spoil it, but you'll see).
The clans that stand together against a threat survive, but if they're already divided... what chance of resistance is there? So they have to accept the Wen's ~invitation~ and pretend they do it of their own will.
after finishing this drama I was searching for more and more dramas of lee joon Gi. I have watched Again my life…
Watch the movie that made him a star, The King and the Clown, it's a masterpiece (and the one he made right after, Fly Daddy Fly isn't that bad either). Also, there are a few more action-oriented dramas from his younger days - like Time Between Dog and Wolf (it's a bit dated, but still good), or Two Weeks. There's also Arang and the Magistrate, on a more hilarious ghost-ladden historical story, or even Iljimae, for the soundtrack if nothing else (and well, LJG).
3 
The whole way-too-rich compound is creepy too, it fits.
HWS seems to be the lead character so far, with SSH a distant second. I hope they get to balance the ~twins~ later on, I don't want this to be lopsided. HWS also went in with a plan that he put in motion WAY long ago, that's... interesting. Maybe we'll get to see how he came to go there. His assistant is either cannon fodder or a snake in the grass at this time (leaning toward the snake in the grass, myself).
The novel is unapologetically BL :P
And I wish someone paid me for something like this, LOL. but no, sadly this is just one of my hobbies and I'm on vacation so I have lots of free time right now :D
Want a peek? Here's WWX being a chaotic flirt and messing up with LWJ's mind :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8oOalYTzS8
And a bit more dramatic one (because I love the song :D) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heriuXcheJM
If anime/donghua is more along your tastes... LOL, MDZS/TU/CQL has you covered :) And there's an audio drama, too, in case you want to hear some actual adult quotes from the novel, LOL, and there's a chibi donghua series too, just to sprinkle some sugar on top. This really is a phenomenon :D
I don't know where the donghua might be watched now, but nyaa always has those things covered...
But yeah, cdramas are different to kdramas, particularly in the historical kind of story (though TBH some historical kdramas are kind of anticlimactic too LOL).
You stopped at the worst part with TU - the first two eps are used to link back to the actual present day, but more than half the drama (eps 3-33 actually) is a huge flashback pointing out to what made those two eps happen. It's a cdrama, they take some while to get interested in, unless they're thrillers or something, it gets WAY more heavy around eps 13-17 and after that it's all wildfire. It helps if you like BL, the MLs have extreme chemistry, LOL, and it also helps if you like a quirky, chaotic-god type of main character, because that's WWX.
For me, it was enough to watch a FMV and then the first few minutes of the drama to get interested. Here are some FMV samples, juuuust in case you'd be willing to give it another chance:
All the major spoilers here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvj6Ytidq9c
All the romance here (subs on): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLLumzo__GA
All the cool moves here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzdtZiuwChM
But, if you're not convinced the Chinese can make good dramas, maybe try some new ones, police stories like Under the Skin or Be Reborn, or scifi time-loop ones like Reset. They - like TU - deserve all the hype they get :D
Watch it for the fun and giggles and special effects. Plus, Jang Dong Yoon looks great in military gear.
PS And there are dogs.
As for wounds being realistic, no, they NEVER respected that. Actually the Western media never respects that either. Got shot in the shoulder in the line of duty? You're a hero and you're back at work three days later, with a halter for your arm. It doesn't work that way.
Got a full round to the face? It will heal in two weeks, give and take, and you'll be all the colours of the rainbow before then. It never happens in the movies. They get absolutely DESTROYED and two days later there's that cute Band-Aid to cover the remains of what would in reality need multiple plastic surgeries just to put the bones together again.
So, no, there's no special rule that SK dramas need enforce, they're just following alter-world rules regarding wounds that appear in dramas and movies. And it serves a double purpose - you can make it as dangerous or not-as-dangerous as you want. They got shot - but they survived, hurray! HEA. Or instead, they got shot - in the shoulder - but the wound caused massive cardiac arrest or the doctors nicked an artery, boom they're gone! So sad! Such a tragic ending. (The End.)
In historical settings there's the added supply of infections. He was JUST touched by the arrow/knife/sword BUT it got infected, bye-bye character, here's a heroic death.
It happens LOL.
The same thing kind of happened to gumiho - they're not nice, solitary heroes that look AMAZING in black and are selfless (okay, Choi Jin-Hyuk did a great job in his role, what can I say :D), they're savage creatures that steal off into someone's home and eat their liver.
So yeah, they're kind of BIG and SCARY monsters. And now imagine yourself armed with a pan and looking at your fiercest home invader - maybe a mouse or a spider or some bug, or if you're Australian, even a snake. What's your first impulse? Those guys reacted as they're expected to react to a threat. It doesn't matter the creature doesn't attack first or is just trying to protect themselves... It's pure instinct. Kill it with FIRE :D
This week also has a bunch of very enticing new dramas starting, you could join in the watching-as-it-airs fever :D Things like Adamas and Big Mouth, can't wait!
Watch it, do. It's one of the best SK thriller-melo dramas in the past few years. Despite some people commenting below, it actually deserves its high rating. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it definitely worked just fine for lots of other people. Take a chance on it :)
This is a xianxia drama, which means there's going to be fighting (of the there-is-no-physics kind LOL) and supernatural beings (usually it's gods and immortals, here there are ghosts and spirits). Everything takes place in the Jianghu (the world of the cultivators), where people who can strive to grow ("cultivate") a Golden Core of energy that will sustain them in fighting, and keep them appearing young until they die, which will happen a lot later than in a normal people's life. Therefore, there are clans where almost everybody has the same surname, and those clans are competing to see which one's the best.
In TU, there are the Wen clan (they're the initial baddies, their colour is red), the Jin clan (the second most powerful and definitely the most rich clan, their colour is gold), the Lan clan (one of the MLs is from the Lan clan, they're hunting down evil and using music to cleanse it, their colour is white - or if they're happy, a pale blue; well that relates to Lan WangJi at least LOL), the Jiang clan (they're from YunMeng and good at fighting. The other ML is adopted into this clan; their colour is violet-blue) and the Nie clan (they're also famous for being fierce fighters, they use sabers and not swords and all their leaders died in madness; their colour is reddish-brown or a kind of mauve, I'm not certain since they don't stay the same as much as the other clans).
Everybody has at least three names, if they're famous. Their birth name (that nobody uses but family), the curtesy name and their title (again, if they're famous). The people you need to remember aren't so many -
Wei WuXian, (Wei Ying - nobody calls him that but LWJ, his foster-brother and everybody else when they want to insult him, LOL), the YiLing Patriarch. He was adopted into the Jiang Clan and is brothers with Jiang Cheng and Jiang YanLi. He's the ML that gives us the POV into the story. He uses a flute called ChenQing (had a sword called Suibian/Whatever, doesn't use it any more).
Lan WangJi (Lan Zhan - nobody calls him that but WWX, ALL the time, LOL), the Lightbearing Lord (Hanguang Jun). He's the other ML, the one we see in relation with WWX. He uses a sword called Bichen/Avoid Wordly Matters, and a guqin.
Jiang Cheng (Jiang WanYin), Three-Bane Master (nobody calls him that in the drama, it's more of a donghua and novel thing). He's WWX's foster-brother and tied down in the rules, unlike the free-spirited WWX. He uses the sword SanDu (Three-Bane).
Lan ZiChen (Lan Huan - nobody calls him that throughout the series), Brilliance OverGrowth Lord / Zewu Jun. He is LWJ's brother. He uses a sword (ShuoYue) but mostly a flute called Liebing (not the same kind of flute as WWX).
Other important people:
Jiang YanLi - the sister of the Jiang brothers.
Wen Qing - a doctor in the Wen clan. She and her brother aren't part of the Wen attack, but suffer for it anyway.
Wen Ning - Wen Qing's brother. He's killed injustly and is part of the reason for why WWX eventually is moved to set himself outside the Jianghu and become the reviled YiLing Patriarch.
Lan ShiZui (Lan Yuan) - LWJ's adopted son. He has a tragic history.
Lan JingYi - the most un-Lan to ever Lan. He's a sassy git, LOL. He and ShiZui are part of that Lan group of apprentices that tries to deal with the problems in the Mo Manor, in the first episodes. They're important.
Nie HuaiSang - the one Nie leader who doesn't want to die in madness and actually takes meaures to prevent it.
Nie MingJue - a heroic Nie leader, Nie HuaiSang's older brother.
Lan QiRen - the Lan clan's most respected teacher. People send their kids to him for education. Not that it stops WWX from playing havoc with his mind and beard and his most beloved LWJ LOL.
Wen RuoHan, Wen Chao, Wen Xu - the leader of the Wen clan and his sons. They're the baddies.
Jin GuangShan - the Jin clan leader, scum. He's the father of Jin Zixuan (nicknamed peacock), who gets to eventually marry Jiang YanLi.
Jin Ling - the heir to the Jin clan, son of Zixuan and YanLi. He has issues.
And most important, Meng Yao / Jin Guangyao. He's Jin GuangShan's bastard son and he becomes best friends with Lan XiChen. Pay attention to him when he comes.
Mo XuanYu - a kid of the Mo Manor (where the series starts) who was a bit mad and knew some sorcery, so he offered up his own body in exchange for revenge against his family that abused him. That's how WWX comes back to life after being gone who knows where for 13 years.
So there you have it. It's not too bad once you get into the series. Considering the scope, the people aren't all that many (and I've left out a few, for a nice surprise). But you don't have to remember them immediately - it helps to know the colour code, LOL, the names of the clans will tell you where they come from, and in the beginning, the only ones you need to take note of are Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi.
Have fun!
There are ups and downs throughout the series - the downs whenever there's the politicking between the Royal (or not so Royal) faction, and the Songrim faction, the ups whenever the harem boys start coveting Mu-Deok (my favourite also-ran is Go Won, NGL. He is owning the character, LOL.) I still have no idea where the plot is going to end up, but I think it's high time Jang Kang came over again.
I hope this proves to be the bingeable kind (because I love the original title, Cheng Yi, Zoey Meng, the effects look great, etc), so here's hoping. In the meantime, enjoy your watch of the drama :)
I'll keep watching for Cheng Yi and Zoey Meng, But if it stays the same, maybe not for 38 eps :(
If you got to LWJ getting there too, you alreay know why there wasn't initially much resistance against the Wen, and why the rest of the clans hesitated for so long before coming together. And if you got to after the Slaughter Tortoise cave part... Here's a hug. The heartache and epic parts are coming.
The Yin Iron pieces have a role, but Wen RuoHan was set on conquering the other clans anyway. And since nobody said anything when smaller and unconnected clans were basically wiped out, the Wens had a chance to build a reputation and even plan grander things against more important clans (can't tell you more in order not to spoil it, but you'll see).
The clans that stand together against a threat survive, but if they're already divided... what chance of resistance is there? So they have to accept the Wen's ~invitation~ and pretend they do it of their own will.