You know the shows/movies where your eyes are glued to the set and you demand no interruptions? This one started off as such but then trails off a bit during the middle. The uniqueness of the plot is what really makes this one great but outside of it, it does still consist of the similar predictability you come across in many k-dramas. But also as with many k-dramas tropes, even while knowing the direction they're taking you in, you'll still give into the emotional roller-coaster.
In no way an expert in autism but the similar shortfalls found in the Good Doctor, was also evident here. While I love when anyone who is viewed as different in the world being celebrated for their differences and strengths, there feels to be a heavy hand in highlighting positives when convenient which causes inconsistencies through various scenarios. And maybe because it was only 10 episodes but the flow from switching focuses of your main characters didn't flow too naturally.
If you happen to be in emotional mood, prepare yourself with a tissue box. While it's not really as profound as it had the potential to have, it will still offer many viewers a good visualization of seeing things from a different perspective. It's worth the watch but hopefully they will follow up with a good continuation, particularly because of the ending where they tried to create some type of mystery but instead of creating anticipation, it felt out of place.
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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.
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West
2 people found this review helpful
This review may contain spoilers
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.
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Somehow Captivating
This review comes from a re-watch a couple of years after the first run. As with many of the newer historical dramas, it isn't without its common flaws. So why the higher score despite some shortcomings? Because it was fun to watch the first time and was still fun to watch the second time.- Even if the acting is slightly cringe at times, the chemistry still manages to work and you'll still laugh out loud, then shed a few tears, and go back to laughing again. Xiao Zhan also does a good job in keeping the momentum going.
- Even if there are some plot holes and inconsistencies, the story and twists were well-paced and interesting enough to keep you wanting to get to the next episode even when it's already past midnight.
- Even if the action scenes are flimsy at times, it's too late to care because you're already drawn in to the plot.
- Even if the dramatizations can get a bit much as usual, it actually works well here for the comedy relief which balances out the grimmer undertones.
Despite having dropped other series for less, this one just manages to blend itself well. For a fairly long drama, it surprisingly had minimal draggy moments because the plot usually shifts when it threatens to reach that point. The underlying morals Asian films usually try to incorporate, is actually much more realistically done in this one. And although I don't agree with the romantic censorship, it works out well for me personally because romantic subtleties are usually much more meaningful.
Overall, it is a memorable one and it makes me think the novel must really be great.
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This one is a rough one. I was considering dropping it after the first few episodes because of our leads. This is no fault to the actors themselves but the male lead just didn't quite fit the role he played though it's still passable. The female lead's role was (yet again) written as a cutesy character who's obsessed with the "cold bad boy" but is just incompetent and unprofessional if you pay attention to what value she brings supposedly as a cop of a special team. Sigh to the Asian draw towards having to incorporate the "cute" even when it doesn't work for the genre, but at least she doesn't wear high heels on the job.The blend of the crime and romance aspects of the series feels forced/confused as if they didn't know which one to focus on. Then the humor and lightheartedness that was sprinkled on would have worked if it wasn't sometimes done with bad timing. There also wasn't too much chemistry between the two leads and the number of times they made him lean flirtatiously into her face to apparently make her feel uncomfortable (try counting the times) just became an irritating thing to watch. What is also up with the male lead and his alternating of two hairstyles? At first I thought they were attempting to use it to differentiate between the past and the current, but no. Choosing just one or the other would have worked a lot better for the purpose of the character.
Despite all the above however and while the crime aspect wasn't amazing, there is an interesting overall mystery with the male lead's backstory and where it leads. The rest of the supporting cast did a really good job to keep me focused so I quite enjoyed it while skipping the majority of screen time of the female lead.
The concept of society blaming and looking down on (in hypocrisy) the "monsters" they've created themselves is quite evident here which I love. Nothing to do with the actual plot. but let's say a group of children were raised in an environment where murder was as normal and natural as eating a meal, would it be moral to blame the children for living in the same fashion? Then let's say, a few of those children were fortunate enough to later be placed into a gentler and warmer environment, and learned they can feel and live a different way. Would it be moral to punish them for their past deeds from their prior environment? And then to add to the complexity, what if some of those children were just born and wired a certain way?
The strange empathy you may feel for what should be the "monsters" in this is what hits the spot. Who's the one who's really ignorant? Who's moral and who's self-justifying on their own learned morals?
It is definitely very unfortunate that outside of a great underlying plot, the series couldn't pull it off better.
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Solid historical drama
We need to bring back more historical dramas with this type of aura where no extravagance is needed and the focus is on the actual plot.This series does a great job portraying a portion of Emperor Kang Xi's accomplishments and growth as a ruler. It's hard to explain but while it has all the typical political conflicts as with other series, it's done in very digestible way despite it spanning 40 episodes. They did a great job keeping the naturalness of human interactions which include an abundance of humorous moments alongside the more serious undertones. Fortunately, there is pretty much no dramatic romantic scenes or love triangles that deter from the main focuses. It's a great fictionalized depiction of actual history based on real people and events.
The minor negative is that there are slightly prolonged/repetitive scenes at times but not enough for it to get frustrating because the overall pacing is pretty steady from beginning to end. Note that there are some time skips throughout the series that may not be immediately obvious but you'll know if you've been paying attention.
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Underrated?
I mainly tried the series out initially for Jang Hyuk (who didn't disappoint as usual) and found that the overall cast was actually quite fantastic. Having seen so many historical dramas, it's almost an expectation at times to come across one that follows the same general story. While this one sort of does, there is enough uniqueness to it that really makes it special.The focus of the series isn't the standard political manipulations and catty dramatics. It's focused on individual ideologies, reasons for choices made, repercussions of those choices, and difficulties in empathizing. Our current political leaders can take a good lesson here. The series does a really good job with the magical pivoting of characters you may initially root for or characters you may initially detest, only to realize how little you knew of everyone once you are made aware of their past and intentions.
The underlying romance is built in quite naturally and it doesn't overwhelm the plot with excess. It's one of the rare historical series where I really didn't feel a need to fast-forward any scenes as it all served a purpose. It's an easy watch that is also quite emotionally impactful with good plot twists.
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A Gem
Passed by this series on a number of occasions because yes, I did judge it based on its cover page/summary and assumed it was another palace drama with the typical romance story between a poor woman and the prince/king. However based on another reviewer's comment on the uniqueness to their story, I took a chance and wasn't disappointed.Although the plot does seem to follow the usual servant girl turned concubine, the evolution of their romance is not as glorified as with some other historical dramas. It progresses more realistically in terms of how helpless women were at those times, without the option of having a choice when men decided to turn their attention towards you. While some women fantasize about social climbing and reaching a certain status, many don't realize what they are sacrificing in return.
I absolutely loved the FL and ML actors here as they did a fantastic job with both their subtleties and command of the screen. There are multiple complex webs of relationships with equally complex characters which really makes the series feel full. The pacing of the story was done really well with very little plot lag. Also while fictional, it does nod towards historical facts with respect to Royal Noble Consort Ui and Jeongjo of Joseon for that extra something special.
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Based on a true figure in history
Series made like this is what made me really fall in love with Chinese dramas. Having seen this in 2024, I'm reminded yet again about how crude it makes many of the newer shows appear with focuses only "good-looking" actors, not-so-great CG work, cheap-looking and non-era related costumes, and mediocre plots. For the generations that are accustomed to the newer style of c-drama, it may take some effort for them to transition to these types of older ones.However, if you are a plot-focused viewer who loves detective series, this is highly recommended. While it isn't perfect with some slight drags for a and would have done well with more character development scenes or character histories, the pacing of each case is still completely enjoyable. The actors are all as high quality as most older series are and both the story and subtle romantic relationships offers much realism. The only slight dramatization being that many cases being based on high-ranking officials and the idealistic portrayal of our protagonist, Song Ci (as with many other dramas). But it is refreshing that they depicted how his idealism was also his flaw. It was equally refreshing how female inequality in the field was highlighted through one of Song Ci's assistants.
Highly recommended and I'm hoping to seek out more of these types of series. These series are underrated because of its age and number of viewers, and unfortunately doesn't show up on the list of recommendations often.
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Slice of Life Treat
I normally don't have much interest in slice of life genres but finally found one that gave a similar feel to The Fiery Priest with lesser dramatics. You wouldn't think a series following prosecutors living their day-to-day jobs would be interesting enough to pull off a 16-episode run but if a season two came out, I'd jump on it. Not only was the cast and their comradery fantastic, the cases based on real life that impacts regular people such as ourselves has the advantage of hitting close to home when it comes to empathy.It's difficult to describe what makes this series great without it coming across as boring for those who are used to more action or romance heavy plots. All I can say is that it provides a great prospective on what prosecutors have to deal with or shoulder, while trying to balance the black and white facts of a case and humanizing the people involved. There's no dramatic tear-jerks but there is plenty of literal laugh out loud moments as well as warm and fuzzy moments.
All of the actors had great chemistry with one another that only continued to grow with each passing episode. There are some morals to learn and some self-reflecting triggers. Highly recommend for anyone who needs a break from heavy action, needs a good laugh, or just wants to watch something that manages to stay intriguing without the enhanced drama (other than some hilarious silliness). There's thankfully no romance other than a very adorable and lighthearted development between a young couple. Not sure why some reviewers felt the early episodes were slow when it was a good in-depth introduction of the team. I surprisingly never felt the desire to skip through any scenes or conversations.
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Exceeded Expectations
This is one that does a good job with blending drama/horror, humor, and tear-jerking moments. I've been holding off on watching this for quite some time because this is a genre/plot that usually isn't done very well. But happily, it became one where I continued to look forward to every next episode until the last.The main crew of the cast had fantastic chemistry with one another- one that makes you smile with them, cry with them, and root for them. The plot flow was done really well and there was enough "houses to sell" stories in addition to the main underlying story to keep it satisfying. (Sometimes feel tricked with other series where they start off with one or two individual stories and then just drag the rest of episodes into the main one.) It isn't the most complex plot you'll come across but it also isn't an overly simplified one. There are some plot holes but a perfect plot with heavy attention to detail isn't something that should be expected too much for a supernatural genre.
There is a light layer of corny such as the FL always being dressed in black and the ML being dressed mostly in white, etc. But in this case, it works well as it's part of the charm. It is quite difficult to be able to smoothly incorporate a natural lighthearted feel for a plot with multiple darker undertones, so the higher score for the series is well deserved. The only distracting negative was the very obvious ad placement/marketing in certain scenes where it took it a bit too far with the selling of the drinks/snacks/skincare. Nevertheless, highly recommend for anyone who is looking for a balance of emotional triggers.
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At the same time, although there really isn't a glaring lull, the first half of the series was particularly prolonged and the flashbacks bordered excessive. I did find myself fast-forwarding every so often but not in the way where it deterred too much from the enjoyment. Instead of repeat flashbacks, providing more background on some of the supporting characters would have taken this up a notch.
Nevertheless, would recommend it for the days when you're in the right mood for its pacing.
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What really makes this one great however, is how all the actors do a fantastic job in their roles and the chemistry between them is what will trigger emotions. Character developments were also on point. They do a decent job with showing empathy for both sides as well as the hypocrisy of those who only know how to feel sorry for themselves, cry victim when they get a taste of their own medicine, and those who cry about life but do nothing except to hope others will take care of it for them.
The only flaw that is difficult to describe is that while the story itself flowed well, the actual transitions felt blotchy at times so it didn't feel natural. This also impacted the romance aspect which wasn't that impressive to me personally but Lee Ha Nee is still one of my favorite actresses. This is why I labeled the review as straightforward. Even though they tried to keep the viewers in suspense at times, it doesn't require much thought process and there's no deeper meaning to have to uncover. You just kick back and enjoy the ride.
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When I first saw this years ago available for stream on Netflix when they still used the star system, I kept avoiding it. The title and the cover did not appeal to me at all. But after exhausting the other high-starred foreign films and enjoying them, I finally caved on this one. Ultimately, the concept of don't judge a book by its cover came into play once again.
This slice-of-life was really well put together and had that magical ability to make you laugh, smile, and cry. For me, one who is far from her teen years, it also instigated self-reflection and a look-back on how much has changed since then.
The plot is seemingly simplistic- a reunion of a group of women who knew one another in high school. It sounds a little bland and a little predictable but it really is much more than that. If you're like me who isn't usually interested in these types of plots, you may also be pleasantly surprised at how much you'll enjoy it.
This is one of the main ones I have recommended to many as an intro into Korean films, all of whom have varying preferences in genres, and I've only ever received positive feedback from them.
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This chronicle of Ji Gong's deeds/travels was still as fun to watch today as it was so many years ago. It is on par with the classic version of Journey to the West and I was ecstatic to find the series on YouTube.
It's worth a search on the internet for the history of this legendary rebellious monk who goes around helping people in need while tricking others out of hurting others. He offends other monks with his ways but is also admired by them. Sad that even those in my generation, particularly those born in the US, likely never even heard of him.
There is also another 20-episode Ji Gong series starring You Benchang in 1998 as well, where he continues to work his magic. It's not necessary a direct sequel, but I considered it as one for this particular actor.
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