Sirenas

I imagine there hasn't been many reviews for this series because there is lack of sites to watch this with subtitles. Although I don't really need them for this series, there is a subtitled version on iQIY (English site version) as of this review if anyone is interested.

Had really high hopes for this one because there are so many really good Chinese series that are better than a lot of the mainstream ones, just unfortunately without subtitles.

While this series started off pretty well, the quality was a seesaw. It tries to incorporate too many mythical, folklore, legends, etc. influences into the modern world and it ends up just feeling corny, but not the good kind of corny. The main trio includes a male who can see ghosts, a non-human ferryman, and a very annoying female who hangs around but can't see ghosts. Their main base is a convenience store numbered "444" (the number 4 means death in Chinese). Although the trio is amusing at times, their relationships with one another wasn't built naturally and doesn't have much depth.

Despite it's negatives however, I was still compelled to complete the series just out of curiosity. It's like not being able to divert the eyes from a car accident in progress. Almost every episode comprises of a different encounter with either a ghost or supernatural being, all with a different story that is usually "resolved" within one episode. Not all of them are interesting but because one is so different the other, this in itself keeps it intriguing. In one story, you are watching high school girls calling upon a spirit and in the next, you are watching a demon in a painting drawn by the bones of a human. Since the stories cross over various eras, the production set/costumes for them were done pretty well.

So strangely, despite its many flaws, I still might consider taking a look at the sequels and/or the prequel movie. It's hard to categorize a series that is cringy but you still finding yourself clicking on to the next episode. There is still some creativity in this and it is still entertaining if you don't take it too seriously. And if you ignore the terrible "I will be back" statement that occurs in many of the episode endings.

It helps that each episode averages only half an hour so it moves along pretty quickly.

Read More

Another series about politics between catty women that is drawn out and slow-paced? I went into the series without high expectations and it just ended up becoming one of my top favorites. Its magic just grabbed and held on, and you just have to go on your first date with it to see for yourself.

Based off of the higher than average number of episodes, I couldn't find many areas to fast-forward on because I didn't want to miss those key conversations and key events. It was refreshing to have a strong female strategist in a role that didn't revolve around historical royalty, war, or blind revenge. It should be noted that I equally fell for our male lead here as well and if he wasn't a fictitious character, I may have very well developed a crush. Following the two of them through their different lives of torturous endurance, the political moves they make separately (and together) for survival and to break free from those who've attempted to crush them was very satisfying.

The historical portrayal of the power play between multiple wives and concubines was also enticing. You will come across intense emotional manipulation and butterfly effects in choices made. You will feel for the ones you want to smack in the face and you'll want to smack the faces of the ones you originally rooted for, only to feel empathy for them again. You will gradually understand why some chose to live the way they do, what others held onto out of desperation, and what sacrifices were made in order to get there (or fail to get there).

Now let me emphasize that I usually try to avoid romance-heavy anything, and this happens to be one of those special ones (our lead couple) where I actually looked forward seeing them on-screen together. You have two equally strong individuals who are equally capable of supporting of one another- can't get better than that.

As much as the series took me on a lovely unexpected ride, nothing is perfect if you really want to nitpick. The actions scenes could have maybe been done better and minor parts of the character developments could have maybe been progressed more smoothly. But eh, it doesn't dampen the memorable effects it had on me.

Read More

After having watched numerous medical series, I quite enjoyed this one. Most of the actors did a great job and there was great chemistry between them. However, this is really one of the main reasons why I gave it the higher score that I would have.

Although the concept of the autistic doctor is great and the main actor does a good job at this role, I could have done without the cringe plot of the girl who was raised with dogs. This really threw me off of the realism of the overall story. I should say however, she did a great job at her role as well. Then there is a bit of inconsistency with his "genius". It doesn't make sense for him to suddenly be aloof with the meaning of certain words or phrases, especially when he was raised lovingly by the director who one would think would have taught him these concepts over so many years. It would have made more sense for him to become more aware of it emotionally through multiple encounters with others but not play the fool to the actual definitions. The last downside for me was the screen time with the main character's love life was a bit too heavy-handed.

Despite the negatives listed above, it is still worth the watch. The great acting still pulls it altogether quite well.

Read More

Meh

The series is getting a higher score only for its good-for-casual-watch aspect and the graphics being relatively decent. Unfortunately both the FL and ML were very one-note through the whole series and despite trying to force a romance between the two, it really just didn't work. The plot was both straight-forward and sloppy.

However, if you can turn off the analytical mind and are the type who enjoys watching an "eye for an eye" kind of of punishment, this is a good one to try. Note that while it's not the most graphic I've come across, it's graphic enough for queasy watchers to avoid.

Read More

This is pretty much what you would expect out of a mainly action-filled series and that's meant as a compliment. Don't try to pick apart the details or contemplate whether it's realistic or not. Just by reading the plot summary, you know you're not watching it for deep thoughts but for pure entertainment, and this does hit the spot for it.

While our main actors may not be at their best acting abilities here, it really doesn't matter much for the roles they play. You have your charismatic con man, a typical hacker, a man hulk, and a thief/racer on a team that is out to take down corruption outside the legal limitations. I've quite enjoyed their chemistry and interaction with one another and very much appreciated that the only female lead is actually likeable. If you've read most of my reviews, I have pet peeves with female lead characters that don't add much value. Although they are supposed to be your super team, there are enough hiccups that get them down to earth a bit, unlike your 007s.

There is a bit of a drag during the middle with the hurdles they continuously encounter but it picks up again near the end. Some of the video shots, particularly during fight scenes, are a bit shaky. Not sure if this was intentional but it was distracting at times.

Overall, it's not a unique plot by all means and every so often you do wonder how either side went from being intelligently detailed to somewhat sloppy. But it is pretty well done and straight-forward with respect to how they laid it out and heart-warming when you see the team bonding. So just kick back and enjoy it the way you should with these types of genres.

Read More

Indeed a very satisfying series. I went into this one with minimal expectations. Figured it was going to be similar to some of the other j-dramas in this genre where there was going to be the over-acting backed by gloom. Although there still was some of that, this one was tightly put together.

Although I typically don't lean toward the staccato flow of story lines (which has been my experience so far with j-dramas), it worked really well here. Sure, you won't be hand-held with details or be fed with long emotional scenes and some character introductions may seem abrupt. But it gets to the point and gives you just that right amount where you as the viewer will actually be able to use your imagination to fill in the blanks. Seriously, I have a newfound appreciation for this type of directing.

Highlights:

- Most episodes are somewhat episodic while still connected to the underlying arc.
- The juxtaposition of our four leads' characters between fulfilling their contracts and just living normal live.
- The number of times I've smiled. Who knew there would be any smiling with such a dark atmosphere?
- There is much more action than just flaying tattooed skin and it took away from the initial dread of repetitiveness.

This isn't one you watch if you're looking for an in-depth, psychological theme. There really isn't much camera panning on the actual gory actions, but there is just enough imagery with good sound effects. However, this isn't just a shallow slash and hack either. Nicely well-rounded for such a "rapid" series.

Read More

Fun, Silly, and Coherent

The series felt like a really good college student production with a straightforward story line with some foreseen plot twists. I think the actors were cast well for their roles and are all likeable. It does as good job blending over-the-top humor with the more serious undertones of the ghosts' backstories. Some of the backstories were of deeper grievances and others were a bit shallow but it was all enjoyable thanks the dynamics of the main actors. Wish they delved a little deeper into the history of our mains. Note that the ghosts here are all portrayed in their decayed form for anyone who can't stomach this particular aspect.

Haven't seen as many Thai series but really appreciate how natural and comfortable they are with portraying the intimacy between male relationships. It's a good and fun watch with a well-rounded ending. The average scoring is really just for the simplicity of the series when compared to others of the same genre.

Read More

Left Feeling Unsure

There are multiple factors that I really appreciate about the series and other factors that watered it down. Foremost, most of the actors did a good job in their roles, particularly our two main protagonists. It would have stepped up a notch if they provided more depth to the character's backstories. Although there were hints and minor flashbacks, it wasn't enough to really draw you in to any of them in particular.

Although the pacing was initially slower than what I'm accustomed to for this type of genre, it did create that essence of realism. The series did a good job transitioning Han Dan Soo's character from a struggling lawyer who kept getting screwed over by trying to do the "right" thing to finally getting fed up and deciding to utilize his skills to fight corruption by becoming corrupted. After all, those who have a conscious and have experienced something similar in life, would be able to generally relate to these multiple decision-making crossroads. It also secondarily depicts the realism of how people feel when they are being used, or when they are the ones putting in the "hard work" only to help others reap the large rewards. So there are multiple scenes where it has you questioning yourself on what you would do in their shoes.

However in the last three or so episodes, the pacing paradoxically became both too dragged while the plot felt overly rushed. It's hard to explain except that I started to lose interest in the heavy-handed shifting of the backstabbing between the various parties. So while the ending wasn't bad, it also felt rushed because of how slow the build-up was to it. If the positive factors weren't there for the overall wrap-up of the series, I would have given it a lower score. It's otherwise still an enjoyable watch but not one worth re-watching again.

Read More

Still binge-worthy but...

Very happy to state that season two was done well enough to remain binge-worthy for those who enjoyed season one.

However, there are some reductions in quality that I'm hoping doesn't get carried forward into the next season.

- The charisma between the team is starting to lose its appeal. There has been absolutely zero character growth and everyone's personality is growing a little stale. There is also a subtle feeling of trying to force upon the importance of each member in the crew. After so many episodes, I get it already. Pei Xi is great at drawing and Ying Tao is a backup bodyguard who is just average in comparison to Lu Li Feng, and Fei is a miracle healer. How many times does Su Wu Ming need to complement them for doing exactly what they've always done? The worst part is when they tried to suddenly get the whole crew to play detective in the last arc and Ying Tao is hinted at being Su Wu Ming's apprentice? The best character in the series was Su Wu Ming and all of this has really diluted him.
- While the overall mysteries are still quite interesting, the actual investigation and autopsies are no longer given as much detail and emphasis anymore. On multiple occasions, apparently despite Su Wu Ming having conducted his autopsies, he misses relatively key areas for some reason that required multiple additional autopsies. This again, takes a lot away from his character and his character's abilities.
- And while I'm not a big fan of any heavy-handedness on romance, the interactions between the couples (particularly in this season) has no charisma and the occasional reminder of them being a couple really adds no value.

Hoping in the next season, they try to implement more character growth. Also hope they don't continue to try to muddle the dynamic by getting everyone on the team to suddenly become master detectives. It would be like trying to suddenly turn Su Wu Ming into a master swordsman. Nevertheless, season two was still worth the watch despite the slight trailing off near the end.

Read More

Well Done

Started this series with the expectations of dropping it in the first couple of episodes due to expecting a Wuxia theme, only to realize the setting is actually within the modernized world. But before I knew it, each episode had me hooked to looking forward to the next. Here are some key points that makes this series unique for me:

- The blending of a historical essence with modern times was actually done really well and is far more believable than what other series with similar settings try to achieve.
- The action, costuming, and CG work (though I'm not an expert of any sort) was fantastic actually. This aspect is usually one of the main reasons why I drop series. Typically dislike things like "colored hair" that's utilized in historical settings (because it makes no damn sense) but because this is within the modern world, it works.
- Although not all of the acting was done well, there was enough great actors/actresses to make up for it on a whole.
- The humor-injected drama can throw you off every so often but it was also equally refreshing (with just a few scenes that were a bit excessive). The layer of humor is key as well to overlooking any potential loophole with the superhuman powers involved.

What brings the score down for me would mostly be around the plot. Although the story wasn't bad, it felt rushed within the latter half of the series. They did a great job in the beginning with character introductions and did a pretty good job in delving into their personalities but it wasn't very complete. In order for them to finally get to the ending of this first "arc", they left too many holes around the details behind the whole mystery and the characters involved. There were also some sections where I did find myself fast-forwarding a tad because it felt just slightly long-winded and unnecessary. However, I'm very pleasantly surprised at how well they did overall and it was a very enjoyable watch.

Read More

You don't watch this for a logical plot or even realistic fight scenes in some instances. The intelligence of the crimes and crime-solving are a bit below average and the script is littered with cheese. But despite some poor execution, the concept itself draws interest. Who doesn't love the idea of having criminals with very different backgrounds team up to fight other criminals? Are there reasons to watch this? Absolutely- as long as you manage expectations.

Foremost, the team of "mad dogs" is ultimately what keeps the series entertaining enough. Especially when the leads were pretty much a perfect cast for their characters. The overall plot itself also has enough twists and turns to keep the viewer intrigued, even if the details don't always make sense and the decisions are sometimes questionable. There's enough fast-paced action here where there really isn't much room to fast-forward on and it thankfully doesn't have any sappy romance.

Although I've dropped other series that have similar flaws, this one was just fun to watch. After all, the focus wasn't meant to be around forensics or detective work but on the woven relationships of the characters. It's like watching a comic book movie of a super-hero team made up of criminals. If it consisted of more than the 11 episodes, then maybe they could have incorporated more depth. The ending felt rushed but still left me wanting to see more of them in action again.

Read More

"People can forget about their past. But the past will never forget about them."

This series had its flaws but the specialness of it does a lot to override it and it exceeded expectations. This isn't one of your typical crime/suspense dramas where there are cool dudes or evil villains. In fact, having watched so many action-driven series prior to this, it took a bit to get used to this type of pacing (in a good way). The only way I can describe it is that it is closer to "real-time" pacing, where it gives off a "slice of life" feel despite its darker atmosphere.

The script is done wonderfully and is loaded with insight. I couldn't figure out which male lead I was empathizing with as it kept me switching back and forth until it neared the end when I thought I knew, and then it messed me up again. The female lead felt a bit one-toned for a large portion of the story but boy, was I appreciative of her presence. Almost all of your characters are humanized with realistic gray tones. I won't go into the plot details because I made the mistake of reading what was stated as a minor spoiler, only to realize it ruined quite a bit of what could have been a nice unique surprise.

The negatives for me that hurt the series was they spent too much time on emotional lingering with at least a couple of scenes an episode. I did fast-forward a bit on these sections and some repeated flashbacks but not in the areas of dialogue. The only other negative was the video shots weren't great and took some getting used to.

Don't go into this one expecting gruesome serial killings or exaggerated supernatural powers. This is actually another reason why it was done so well. It didn't need this to build up emotional intensity or suspense. I'm also confused as to why some state this one has no romance. Sure, there wasn't your sappy/tragic type of love story and it wasn't the main focus, but it is most definitely there.

I recommend this series if you are the type who values content over flashy. It isn't episodic in crime-solving but rather a movement across multiple crimes that all gather under one umbrella.

Read More

Overhyped and confused

I almost dropped the series multiple times for a number of reasons. But there was just enough of a plot where you felt the need to see it through its conclusion. This should be labeled a romance series that is also trying to imitate drama/comedy/action/politics but just ends up imbalanced.

Negatives:
-- The initial premise was intriguing but dwindles rapidly into a full-on love story where the main leads are like high school kids continually flirting with one another.
-- The main male lead is depicted initially as a ruthless leader with a lifelong grudge. Yet they do a slow motion shot of him pretty much falling in love at first sight, which really diminishes his character and his passion from the onset.
-- While I'm all for an intellectual and capable female lead, they went unrealistically overboard with her character. So much so that apparently, the accomplished male leader who led wars and ruled over clans for years suddenly needs constant saving from her.
-- Then the pet peeve of mine that occurs across multiple similar series. When someone is supposed to be a war veteran, etc. who are used to getting wounded and then when they get a paper-cut at some point, a huge deal is made about it. They also didn't budget much on the visual of the wounds.
-- The relationship with the couple is supposed to be unique in the sense that they are enemies, but it's not much different than any other arranged marriages with trust issues. They mush for each other so quickly that it's utterly unconvincing.
-- The series throws in a few graphic scenes of violence and death, lots of lighthearted and fun banter, tons of sappy romance, political manipulation and some war action. It's as if it tried to take little pieces of what made other series successful and forced it together awkwardly.

Positives:
-- The positives also come from the negative listed in the last bullet above. The few graphic scenes does emphasize the seriousness in the grudges, the fun banter between the characters does create chemistry and comradery, and there are some romantic development scenes that are humorous.
-- There are many familiar faces in the series who do a good job in their roles though not at the level of truly seasoned actors. And while Song Zu Er's acting for me was subpar in The Demon Hunter's Romance, she shows a bit more range in this one.

If you're into the romance genre, can definitely see this one being rated on the higher end. But if you're expecting more serious undertones, unpredictability, or action, this is probably not it. There was a lot of potential with this one if they were able to properly balance the different elements or just stayed in one lane. I completed this one with a good amount of fast-forwarding.

Read More

Foremost, this series is likely not for everyone. Although there is much less opera scenes than expected, this type of music/performance may not sit well with those less open-minded. Having been born and raised in the US, my exposure to Chinese opera has been minimal but fortunately being a first-gen, I still heard and saw enough through the media played by family members. So I'm really happy that there is a 2020 series that is looking to bring this wonderful art into display. Even for someone like myself who speaks conversational Chinese, the opera lyrics are still difficult to understand so I love that English subtitles are available. It's like listening to rap or other genres for the first time. Only if there is enough exposure, does one start to really begin to understand it. Now with that aspect out of the way:

The series was a solid 9.0 until around episode 30. This is when the plot takes a turn down soap opera lane a bit. They tried too hard to link everyone into having some type of familial relationship with one another which made it unrealistic with no added value. The other lesser negative is the unrealistic gun fight scenes and the unnecessary slow-motion effects during the other fight scenes. Otherwise, the action blend could have shone more.

Nevertheless, I was drawn in mainly by our two male leads from the very first episode. The contrast and underlying similarities between them created a chemistry that was addictive and fun. Cheng Feng Tai, is the true star here. He was able to portray the complexity of having to transition into multiple faces very well (and admittedly, his dimpled smile is too good). Shang Xi Rui comes as a close runner-up and I really adore the both of them on screen. There were also plenty of witty supporting characters such as Cao Gui Xiu and Du Qi who only added to the charm of the series.

There is a good surface attempt to explain the life route of opera singers, the royal family having fallen, and when Japan began its invasion. But for me personally, having read and seen many films and books that really dive hard into these events, these are just a backdrop to the ultimate love story in this series. And although I can't forgive the suffering Japan caused (read The Rape of Nanking or watch the documentary), I do appreciate that they didn't portray all the people of Japan as willing enemies.

There are some flaws that can't be overlooked with some parts of the plot and some loose ends that were never explained but everything else was done really well including the design set and outfits for the era and the incorporation of a bit of just everything. If there were some physical touch present between the leads (even if just hand-holding), I think it would have upped it by a notch. Although I took off some points for the mentioned factors, let's just say this is one of the series I made the effort to download for keeps.

Read More

Tried really hard to finish this series, even if just to unravel the obvious reveal of mysteries in the latter episodes and maybe even a twist.

I appreciate the attempt to bring to light various forms of abuse and its various lasting effects through adulthood no matter how stable one's life turns out. Also appreciate the highlighting that not all victims are saints themselves as everyone has their own type of sin.

However, while I'm not one who minds the slower-paced type of series/movies. This one just felt like a slow-pacing in circles over and over again. The actors were awfully bland even for a somber setting. Making it through over half of the episodes (with lots of fast-forwarding), there is pretty much zero character development. The female lead's character feels so one-note that I've grown annoyed by her screen time. Despite the trauma she's apparently gone through, she is really just selfish and self-righteous underneath her overbearing gentleness and occasional rage. For a child psychologist, she really doesn't have much empathy. It would have been fine if she was given any type of personality growth by now in the series. If the expressions on the majority of the actors didn't feel like permanent Botox, it might have worked better. The only actor that pushed the episodes along was really the main detective.

Read More