Sirenas

Although the mortician aspect would have been interesting, this series is a poor imitation of The Longest Day in Chang'an. While the dramatics actually worked there, it was poorly executed and unnecessary for this plot. I do appreciate that more Chinese dramas are starting to bring back some of the essence it once had, before they tried to incorporate poor graphics and terrible costume work. The action scenes are feeling more skill-based again instead of the floating around nonsense or having characters with strange hairdos that are ridiculous for any time period. One of the mains here also starred in The Untamed and while that one was also somewhat gimmicky, it wasn't as severe and it made more sense due to the supernatural aspect.

Nevertheless, at least visually, this series was done better than some of the others I've seen but it still had too many gimmicks attached to a poorly written script:

- They make Gao Bing Zhu seem like some brilliant fighter and observer but for some reason, he doesn't realize the guy he killed was wearing a completely different mask and didn't have the wound he inflicted earlier? Ugh.
- Baili Hong Yi ties a flimsy white cloth around Gao Bing Zhu's wrist and tells him it's some type of magical knot that he would never be able to untie himself from? And Gao Bing Zhu is somehow threatened enough to give in to his demands? Ugh again.

For what seems like a fairly expensive production, the camera work was subpar. Each episode also made less and less sense and the cheesy dialogue only became more cringe. This series really felt like they tried to reuse or combine all the elements of what made The Longest Day in Chang'an, Nirvana in Fire, and The Untamed successful, but didn't bother to care whether the effects actually made sense for the plot. Note that what didn't make this one work for me wasn't because of the actors but from the cards they were dealt.

Read More

Let me start off by stating that I've watched this series years ago and this review is an attempt as a re-watch.

Although I've only re-watched a few episodes, I decided to drop it. It captures your attention quickly and easily with the initial backstory of your leads. But the script feels shallow for its setting and genre, even with its good attempt to build intensity into each scene.

1. The male lead for example who tries to hunt down his "first love" in the streets by following strangers. It isn't as if she changed her name from when they met or internet wasn't available. So it doesn't make much sense even when we exclude the fact that he apparently can recognize her by face a decade later (especially when they met as kids).

2. The female lead was fantastic as a child but she somehow turned into a rude, extreme snob as an adult? So much so that she can't say a simple "thank you" when someone finds her wallet and is outwardly rude instead? Very odd. While it was believable that she was a shitty lawyer, it is nonsensical that she somehow gets chosen as a public defender just because she told a tale of her past. It would have made more sense if she had credentials to back it up but she doesn't even know how to search for browser history on a computer?

Her mother got fired as a housekeeper and they had to move out. Not a big deal. It isn't as if she didn't have a loving mother who had her back and a decent roof over her head. Even if you try to apply the "she conceded to societal norms", it is still overreaching. Maybe her one traumatic incident as a kid, just wasn't traumatic enough (especially compared to a kid who saw his father murdered). Yet the series builds so much around this.

Then, somehow her moral fibers start to kick in within a couple of days because of some lecturing and a sudden reminder of how she was once falsely accused herself? What has she been up to all her adult career life then?

3. Who in the right mind would decide to hang on a windowsill just because they didn't want to get caught smoking? Ever heard of dropping the cigarette and saying you just walked into the room? It's not as if the room was barricaded.

It's tough. As mentioned, they did well with the intensity level and the light comedy so I can see why it would capture high scores with some. But if you really look at the basis, there just isn't much depth. I wouldn't have been so judgmental if this was supposed to be on the lighthearted side but it really isn't. Would have given it a lower score but because the actors were able to make it somewhat entertaining, I could have probably sat through it to the end.

Read More

Unimpressive female lead

The story initially started off with promise but the character of the female lead started to increasingly decline. Unfortunately, unlike the women in the Story of Ming Lan or The Double, the one in this series just seems hypocritical and lacking in moral. I wouldn't have minded the morality aspect as much if that's how the character is supposed to be but her core personality is just all over the place. One minute she's totally fine with arson and potentially killing off an entire household and the next minute, she's playing nice to the child she almost killed - then tries to blame her "assassin" companion for not telling her there were kids in the house. She's not one who is capable of relying on herself and this odd companion of hers is just a really awkward add to the cast.

However, it was still a decent plot and I kept watching... until the scene where a group walked in and the male lead pulled her to the side while covering her mouth to stay hidden. Instead of ascertaining the situation appropriately and using common sense, she decide to stomp on his feet and bite his hand? For what? For both of them to get caught? Meh.

Read More

Muddled Potential

The series was just entertaining enough for me to have completed it but I decided to drop it to move on to another. It really already started faltering a bit for me after the first few episodes, when all the characters personalities does too large of a shift in attempt to soften up the tone. Here are the positives followed by the negatives that watered them down.

- The cast is quite good with some interesting characters but there isn't enough depth to really solidify an attachment to anyone.
- While there isn't a distaste for the ML, they did portray him in a confusing way. One minute, he's this genius who can see 10 steps ahead and the next, he's just missing in action. He continuously talks so confidently about what he can handle but ends up just using someone's life to survive. I can deal with this if this was part of his plan, but it isn't if he's slightly moping about the sacrifices. And if he's fated to use others lives to survive, it would have been better if he showed some humbleness in his opinions about his abilities and maybe grow from it.
- The main plot itself is relatively intriguing and I actually really do appreciate that the "genius strategists" doesn't always succeed. But the are too many large plot holes that are left unanswered and the pacing is too overdrawn for it to be overlooked smoothly.
- I also appreciate the hinting towards who the future emperor will be and how this journey is a harsh but needed reality check and growth phase for him. But his character growth felt more like a double personality disorder which ironically could also make more sense given his background.

This really did have a ton of potential because there are a lot of positives and there is a good base of complexity. If it was just woven together better with focuses on being more detailed instead of drawn out conversations, it would have been great.

Read More

No Chemistry

The series isn't necessarily bad (based on the four episodes seen) and the actors are actually pretty good. But it's just lacking chemistry in all sorts of ways and it's hard to pinpoint why. The first episode is nothing like the second episode forward as it takes a leap from somber to an infusion of comedy. I was pretty excited that it had a relatively similar feel to the Fiery Priest in the beginning but it was short-lived. The ML/FL characters were made to be too extreme in personalities from the start and then shifted out of character very quickly and continually, which made what would have given them their individual charm a blur instead. The supporting actors were even more extreme with their personalities/quirks and it took too much realism out of what is actually quite a decent plot.

As some minor examples, the ML is supposed to be a badass high up on the chain in the Italian mafia. Yet when he arrive in Korea, he's easily drugged by a drink offered by a cab driver and then mugged? I mean, even normal tourists with any common sense would have known to not get into a random black car at the airport when the driver is being overly pushy about using their services. As for the FL, while the actress did the best she could with what she was dealt, the character was spicy but didn't make much sense. They should have highlighted more on the reasoning behind why she was working against her father before she suddenly decided to have a change of heart. The tiny explanation of their relationship right before a major event really didn't do much. Then there are the tenants living/working at the building who are supposed to be regular folk but their characters leans more towards a circus-asylum feel. The ML's interaction with them is equally awkward.

Should reiterate that the series isn't necessarily bad but unfortunately dropping the series because I've already seen how well it can be done with the Fiery Priest.

Read More

Choppy Plot Flow

Having only seen six episodes so far, there's not much opinion to give on the complete plot. But I'm dropping this because the plot flow feels like a number of boxes being strung on a string with too much gap in between. This causes me to not really vibe with any of our mains.

- The ML starts off great but his personality shifts oddly shortly thereafter and becomes less and less likeable.
- For a country who is well aware of the past with demons and the dangers of anything happening to this red pearl, they all seem pretty nonchalant about it. Especially when they are seriously weighing the retrieval of this pearl that can destroy the world to fixing someone's broken weapon just because of sentimental reasons. Makes zero sense.
- They are trying to group together a team of demon hunters but sudden bonding from individuals who should have complex backgrounds also feels unnatural.
- They try to incorporate lighthearted moments into the drama which I always appreciate, but it's not commingled well where serious events feel like it's all just brushed off quickly.

Read More

Poor Plot Flow

While this series isn't one of the worst as there are flickering moments of relatively good scenes, it's pieced together pretty poorly. The introduction in itself wasn't done well with a slapping together of the main leads who continued to not have much chemistry with one another. But when the supporting actors do a much better job in acting than the leads, it's difficult to stay interested. The lore of the reapers world was not believable even for a fantasy/supernatural genre. As a minor examples (among many), the comatose state of the "new guy" was at the fault of the reapers, and yet the choice they gave him was three years of coma which could be reduced to six months of coma if he joins the team. There's no explanation of why they can't just reduce the come to a month or to just release him from it, if they are capable of providing different time ranges. Another example is when they are apparently forbidden to change history when going back into the past, but the "new guy" is pretty much allowed to make drastic changes to the past like preventing a death from occurring and yet, there's barely any repercussion before the plot just moves on.

Because I can probably continue watching this on a very casual mode mostly due to the supporting actors and their stories (hence the slightly higher score), but as none of the mains are likeable, prefer to drop it instead.

Read More

Missed the Mark

Always on the lookout for plots that involve undercover characters who go out and help people. One of my favorite childhood series was when the Emperor himself strolled the streets in plain clothes so he can understand his country. So I definitely wanted to like this series but I've been emotionless for all three episodes.

The acting wasn't terrible but was subpar and the main characters had no chemistry with one another (or with any other characters for that matter). But the biggest cause of the series missing the mark wasn't the actors but the actual plot flow. You can see the potential but the execution of each scene was done with poor timing and execution.

As an example, when the FL is helping with the birth of a baby to a dying woman. The male doctor and her are both looking at the baby's entrance point. In historical times, it's unlikely a male doctor would be at ease even being close to that area. The FL admitted she had no experience and despite the dying woman having an arrow stuck in her chest while pushing the baby out, the birth was super effortless. It's difficult to describe in words but you can tell that not much thought was put in with no attention to detail throughout the series. And it resulted in a very unnatural plot flow.

Read More

Another annoying and hypocritical female lead

The first three episodes were great as they set up the personalities of the main cast. But unfortunately and yet again as with many of these Chinese series, the female lead drifted off character and became irritating.

She is depicted as the sweet and kindhearted victim in her middle-class household. She consistently praises about maintaining etiquette. She marries into a powerful and wealthy family that everyone is afraid to offend, yet she has no problems telling her parent-in-laws that she literally "hates" their son the very next day. It then veers off further into the abyss when despite priding herself as being a proper lady, she barges into the brothel with a gang of workers wielding a large sword in public demanding her husband return home so he can "study books" and pass the imperial exam out of nowhere. Then proceeds to air her "poor me" story to a crowd full of strangers while continually shaming her husband (who has been kind and genuine to her since they've married). Whaaaaat?

These series are so often ruined with these types of female lead characters. I wonder if it's a modern cultural thing where the writers simply have no idea what a capable woman is realistically like? Please go back to creating actual content with substance instead of just visual entertainment with good-looking leads that have average acting abilities. Seasoned and good supporting actors can only carry the main leads so far. My higher scores for dropped series are usually for the supporting cast.

Read More

Nothing makes sense; complete fanservice

Man, this series is really overrated. For the the entire theme to revolve around a female general, one would think they'd put in SOME effort to make it even the slightest bit realistic.

-- The FL has on the most ridiculous disguise when she pretends to be the son in the family.
-- The FL is so feminine in both the facial features and physique that it's quite comical for them to showcase her as a hardened war hero. She doesn't even look like she worked out a day in her life.
-- The FL/ML grew up together apparently but despite his superior "observant" skills, he never knew she was a female? And even worse, when her brother replaces her in court, he couldn't tell at all that it was an entirely different person?
-- They didn't bother even attempting to rationalize the height differences, how she manages to fool her fellow soldiers when sleeping together in the barracks or showering, etc.
-- In the hot spring, the half-naked ML who is also supposed to be a hardened war hero has baby white skin with zero scars. Then the FL apparently is able to hide her gender while naked with him AND fighting because she create some bubbles with her hands?

The plot so far by episode 3 is also still ultimately lackluster despite its seemingly high budget production. It's also quite sad that some series base their success off of just pretty people. I'm Chinese and I'm starting to not be able to tell the difference between these actors because they choose similar looking men/women with the same old played out makeup and features. Is this how shallow society has become - where looks override real talent? Quite disappointed because there are some actors here that I do like from other series and it's particularly appalling for them to not make any efforts to make this FL believable as a war hero/general.

Read More

Lackluster FL and plot flow

Having come off a great series previously, I wanted to check out another series with some repeat faces. Unfortunately, despite having a great cast of actors, the dialogue and pacing has been subpar in comparison.

Sometimes despite having some flaws, there's still enough of a combination to keep the interest there. But while this one has all of the ingredients, the plot flow didn't blend well and the characters weren't very consistent. One of those situations where someone is supposed to be highly analystical and intelligent but then becomes ignorant the next. The FL in particular also hasn't grown on me yet. For such an evidently flawed character herself (with access to her past life and choices), she does way too much lecturing towards everyone around her. She lectures women victims by convincing them to do what she wants because it's what they "should" do and then spews some long-winded comfort words that comes off condescending. The acting in her constant flashbacks were also not great.

If the FL doesn't bother you the way it did for me, I think it would still be a decent watch just based on the rest of the cast.

Read More

Disengaged

I really tried to watch this 2017 version because it's said to stay the truest to the original story. It started off with good pacing but unfortunately, the characters of the two female leads are just really distasteful and they have way too much screen time. If this is how they are supposed to be in all versions, I may never end up completing this iconic trilogy.

Also fully understand the main lead is supposed to be naive and grow through time and experience, but the portrayal of him here is over the top... foolish. For someone who was raised with the Genghis Khan family, it doesn't make sense for him to lack this much common sense. The rest of the jianghu personalities are also depicted in an uninteresting and hypocritical way.

Note that I'm not familiar with the novel of the trilogy so this is just an opinion on how this particular one played out. The underlying base plot seems to be really interesting, so I hope either the other versions are better or a better remake comes out.

Read More

Underwhelming leads

Ever have one of those series that are just interesting enough to click to the next episode but when you set it aside for a few days, it becomes unmemorable? This is one of those for me. The most interesting thing in the series for me was the involvement of supernatural beings and getting to the mystery of our main lead.

The main issue that brought down the intrigue for me was both the male and female leads. The acting for both were subpar and they both had very limited facial expressions, which also caused a lack of chemistry between the two. The female lead character itself is quite mundane and already into episode 22, yet she still hasn't added much value.

It's a shame because the supporting cast did a great job carrying the leads. And I am curious on diving deeper into the lore of the supernatural but dropping it for now. May potentially try again at some point if there's nothing else.

Read More

Better than expected

I previously dropped this series because the type of costuming just isn't my style for historical settings - especially the long stringy bangs. But after having been able to complete Blood River, I decided to try this one again and I'm glad I did.

While this style of series isn't usually my cup of tea, the characters were pretty charismatic. The cast does have a mixed bag of acting skills but it manages to work out as a blend. The plot flow lagged in some areas but it picks up the pace and keeps up pace until the end. There are plot holes but at least they attempt to explain them. And while it isn't the most unique story-line with too many convenient events, it's still an good one to try if you enjoy watching a group of loyal friends who banter together, fight together, and grow together.

One flaw that was the least acceptable was that there was zero chemistry between the ML and his love interest. But thankfully, romance scenes are kept at a minimum. And while there are plenty of corny moments as usual with this series style, there were also some really well done scenes that had me rewind just to watch again. So while this doesn't land on the higher end of my watch-list, it is a memorable one and it blessed me with many smiles and laughs.

Read More

More annoying than humorous

It's too bad the FL's character is such a turn-off, which has nothing to do with the actors themselves. Otherwise, the production is gorgeous and there is intrigue in the plot so far but of course, I've only made it three episodes in.

The body swap scenario really came too quickly before the personalities of the ML and FL were really established. So while it's supposed to be dramatically humorous, the FL's behavior after the swap doesn't come off as funny for me but rather intensely annoying and unnatural. She's another one of those females who is obnoxiously demanding and supposedly fearless but really just selfish. Despite be afraid of "demons" and having been raised in a family that should understand the mannerisms of the court, it just doesn't make any sense for her to act like a spoiled three-year old child the entire time with no sense of self-awareness. I don't understand why they decided to change her character like this because she was totally fine before the swap.

With AI and easier access to creating better special effects, I'm hoping this doesn't become a new trope with upcoming series. Also getting tired of the whole female tripping or falling and then being caught in slow motion by the male.

Read More