Sirenas

This series has a little bit of everything so difficult to describe. So let's just say it has a nice combination of that bit of everything when it comes to a crime drama. Nothing was overwhelmingly focused on so it kept my attention at each episode. The dynamics between all of the actors/characters was good and our main defendant did a wonderful job at his role. There wasn't any particular character that was just miraculously tough or continuously useless all the time which was nice.

My only negative comments would be the very slightly overly emotional aspect of our main defendant in certain scenes, but also realistic if one can even fathom being in his shoes. I would have appreciated a more brutal and prolonged punishment of our antagonist as he seemed to have been let off a bit too easy. This applies as well to the prosecutor who was supposed to have been a family friend who was apparently forgiven so easily. The guy couldn't properly play the good person or the bad person and only ended up making the choice he did when he realized he was losing. The comedy aspect was a bit off with timing occasionally but was still fun to watch.

Nevertheless, definitely recommend. It does justice to its plot summary.

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Fast-forwarded through most of the romance scenes as unfortunately the women weren't too interesting. But there isn't an overwhelming romance aspect either and was fairly realistic in its development, which is great.

The main character was slightly bland but acceptable as that is part of his character. However, the prison guards and the prisoners which had the majority of screen time really made the drama worthwhile. There was a good blend of tearjerker moments and laugh out loud moments. There was a slight discomfort in the ending as I had hoped there would have been better follow-ups on the characters that grew on me, but wasn't bad enough to ruin the series as proven in many other series.

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A Good Casual Watch

After several starts and drops of various historical dramas, this one was finally able to keep my attention long enough to become invested. The first couple of episodes may be slightly off-putting but it does evolve well and the layer of corniness is part of its charm.

Positives:
- There's a good blend of serious moments and light-heartedness/comedy.
- Most of the actors did a good job with their roles.
- The mystery aspect was decent as well as the action scenes but nothing to write home about.
- Almost no romance.
- A good series if you need a break from heavy politics and melodrama.

Negatives:
- The biggest negative for me was the ML (Ding Yu Xi). His acting became increasingly not believable and he only seemed to utilize 3-4 different facial expressions throughout the series. Unfortunate because this really brought the series down a few notches. (And this is already overlooking the extreme corniness to his cat-human form).
- The story takes a somewhat convoluted turn somewhere in the middle, and the flow became messier. It's as if they spend the first half working on the build-up and then just decided to throw everything that was necessary for the plot all in at once, just to be able to complete it.
- While I may able to overlook things like poor villagers suddenly being able to build a hot air balloon in almost no time at all, it was difficult to overlook the reactions to character deaths. There is almost a zero grieving period or any needed emphasis on the deaths of even relevant support characters. Providing flashbacks that doesn't trigger any emotes doesn't cut it, and the almost instantaneous leap to laughing and having a good time shortly thereafter was just not okay.

However, it is a good series that one doesn't need to take seriously and is good for a casual watch. Despite some significant negatives, it still did provide some actual laugh out loud moments.

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Very minor spoiler in this review:

I came to this series with hopes for some badass supernatural in a historical period but ended up with mainly lighthearted comedy, heavy romance, and just a bit of drama. It had potential but it was cluttered with both hits and misses.

Felt a pang of wanting to drop this within the first two episodes because the initial love story just didn't make much sense for multiple reasons. I needed to fill in justifications many times in the plot to continue watching. Example: For a being that supposedly has lived thousands of years, why would he feel the intense need to save his first human who wasn't really suffering that much comparably or even deserving of it? Love at first sight? Instead of being wise in all his years, he was too foolishly naive.

There was also almost no background story to many of the key characters which was really disappointing. The excess time spent on the romance and interaction of the second couple should have been spent on giving others some more depth. Although their coupled scenes weren't bad, I still fast-forwarded through a good portion of it. Fortunately the female lead was actually likeable, although they did water down her character near the end.

The transformation of our supernatural beings was just sad and really not believable when those around them supposedly became overly fearful of their "monstrous" image. They verbally tried to portray their "powers" as being overwhelming but it really fell flat when none of it really came into play during the fights. But at least it didn't fall into the tacky category.

Although there was little explanation of anything and the plot didn't flow very naturally, what saved the series was the camaraderie of all of our characters. The development of the relationship with our second couple was done much better than the first one. It was still fun to watch and I laughed out loud plenty of times. It's a good one for those looking for romance/comedy but not great for those looking for something with more action.

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Is this series a masterpiece? Absolutely not.
Is the script written so poorly at times that it is just corny? Yes.
Does many of the elements in the story make sense most of the time? No.
Does the special effects look super low-budget at times? Yes.

However, I surprisingly found myself continuing on to the next episode and the next without the thought of dropping it. Because despite having to shrug off the major flaws, it was still an enjoyable watch. I laughed at times, teared up ever so slightly at times, and rooted for the camaraderie within the team.

The bromance was sweet, using the undeniable formula of pairing opposite personalities. This was one of the obvious draws from the series but the rest of our "superhero" team was fun to watch as well, each one with their own supernatural or intelligence skill set. It should be noted however that although I still enjoyed Zhu Yi Long's acting here (more in The Story of Ming Lan), he really should have learned how to swing a prop sword better.

The mini-plots within the underlying one can feel a bit blotchy but the overall one still wraps up well enough. There was also just enough intrigue for me to follow through to the end. So if you're one who can overlook some of these issues and not ask too many questions, it was a fun one to sit through without having to use much brain power.

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As with many superhero stories, you go in knowing it will be more entertainment than realism. The concept is great, especially since I have a soft spot for vigilantes but the execution in this one wasn't done well. Because it revolves heavily around the taxi, it does have a hint of resemblance to Batman (which they reference themselves in the series).

The first couple of stories were satisfying and the exaggerations went well with that dab of comedic undertone. However, it just felt more and more lame as they entered heavily into the cloud-based firm revenge. While the script being overly basic can be overlooked, when the characters themselves began to lose their flavor, that's when there's really not much else to look forward to.

- The prosecutor was irritating from the beginning and she could have been written out completely with minimal impact.
- They try to humanize your mains by incorporating some type of trigger that causes them to relive their traumas but the way it was executed just made them again, lame. For a team that is supposed to be superior and calmly collected, and who's been doing this for a while, a whistle from some traffic cop is going to cause your main dude to pass out? Then your female main who's seen that online video over and over again in the past, is suddenly so traumatized by coming across it again during a job that she just abandons ship and locks herself up? While trauma does impact someone for a lifetime, this was incredibly excessive.
- The sister's suicide. They paint her out to be a sweet, loving person. But anyone who has enough right mind to make a last meal for a loved one, tuck a blanket over them, and then decides to publicly jump off a building and plop herself horrifically in front of the same loved one, is just a selfish ass.
- Oh, how the flashbacks were misused much too often. Instead of adding anything to the plot, they were just fillers to prolong the minutes. I also didn't buy into the dramatic music that tried to convince the audience into thinking the scene was eventful.

If they had maintained the same pacing as with the first couple of stories or didn't reduce character developments, it would have been much more entertaining. Unfortunate.

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Okay, I really, really tried and wanted to finish this series. Accepted that this was the feel of a daytime soap opera where everything is dramatized and nothing really made sense or flowed well. They threw in as much dramatic effects as possible with car chases in miraculously empty highways, doppelgangers, coincidences that should only occur in a town with less than a hundred population, etc. It really did no justice for two of the mains portrayed by Ji Sung and Kim Min Jung, as they are the only ones to look forward to on screen.

The rest of the mains were incredibly annoying and hypocritical and were a really poor balance to the "Devil Judge". They come off as arrogant and self-righteous fools who only create more problems than solve any. They whine, cry, criticize, and complain but have no abilities to do anything about the situations, and yet they end up relying on the same ones they continuously bash over and over again.

Even ignoring glaring issues like with the Park Jin Young character who is supposed to be a judge idol but yet, he can just casually go on his investigations without being recognized? Or the fact that while he apparently worked so hard to become a judge (even though it was handed to him), he gave attitude to his employer over and over right off the bat? And despite being overly vocal about being lawful and moral, he judges his boss pretty much immediately, plants a listening bug in his office, and then invades his privacy in his own home while he was being taken care of? Then there's his equally arrogant cop girlfriend who illegally provides him with information and equipment.

What finally made me throw my hands in the air in defeat was when that incompetent and useless cop girlfriend decided it was a fantastic idea to approach a mob of troublemakers by herself, leave the handicap niece in the car, and expect things will go smoothly just because she whipped out a gun? Then, when the guys come to their rescue, she turns around to point a gun at the uncle because he's pissed off and has the assailant by the neck? Then says she's going to arrest HIM instead? Furthermore, the niece also acts up like her usual prissy brat self even though she's the one who called him begging for help?

There's just too many annoying aspects to list and I can't stand characters who want to juice the hell out of their life traumas as if they are the only ones in the world who have them. The overall plot had good potential and Ji Sung and Kim Min Jung carried their roles well, but the annoyances from the others have become overwhelming and I'm done trying.

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Rewatch review...

My initial review of this series came at a time when I was just getting back into C-dramas and was highly critical of the lack of depth with the more modern evolution of them. But after a few years of watching enough of these more modern series, I've grown more accustomed and decided to re-watch this one again. My initial score was an overall 6 at the time.

I've upgraded the score this time around to be closer in line on the comparisons to other more modern series. And while this one still has its flaws, it was more enjoyable this second time around having become more forgiving with accepting the quality and having seen plenty of more horrendous ones.

Pros:
-- The friendships are very endearing in this one. Particularly between our main protagonist, his disciple, and his former "enemy". The supporting cast also do a pretty good job with building up their bond.
-- It's nice that while there is a main underlying mystery to uncover, the series follows a variety of cases that are solved by the ML which keeps the plot flow moving along.
-- Thankfully, the romance aspect in the series is kept at a minimum.
-- Multiple people undergo some level of character development which was appreciated.

Cons:
-- As with many other modern series, the dialogues sometimes feel shallow and predictable.
-- The resolution to the cases are a mixed bag. Some are intriguing as they try to consistently add a twist but others feel too convenient (easily finding the item they need or coming across a hint they just happened to overlook).
-- There are some sections where it felt like the scenario moved far too quickly and other sections that dragged on for too long.
-- Because there's so much going on with the series, it left a lot of room for plot holes.
-- (Slight spoiler) I would have preferred the ending of the original novel even if it is pretty depressing. There's a time and place to keep certain endings open-ended but it felt a bit pointless in this one.

The acting and action scenes are also pretty average but nonetheless it's still enjoyable. Of the main MLs, Li Lian Hua was the most convincing but also because he's usually cool-headed. The actor for Fang Duo Bing didn't emote very well but he manages to still be quite charming and was a much needed character to really make the series come together.

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Guilty binge despite its many shortcomings

This is one of those series that has enough flaws that you know you shouldn't be enjoying but yet can't help but to keep watching. The obvious and successful draw here is the brotherhood between our main leads. Although the acting isn't the greatest, the bond is endearing enough for me to find myself continually rooting for them and smiling at their scenes.

Positives:
- As mentioned, the brotherhood bond works. There are additionally a nice abundance of other interesting characters (almost too many). They both show character growth through the series and validate reasons for their individuality.
- For those who love action, there's plenty of it in this series to be satiated. The special effects are a hit or miss but nothing offensive.
- The plot moves relatively swiftly and while the lore is not necessarily unique, it was still interesting.

Negatives:
- One of the glaring downsides is the majority of the female characters - particularly the female lead. She didn't give a good impression from the beginning and she didn't have any character growth throughout. She also had zero chemistry with the ML but alas, her healer role was necessary. I just wish they stopped casting women in the series to be so... minimal and love hungry.
- The dialogue was too childish at times for a group of assassins. There are better ways to convey the message other than literally saying "I don't want to be a bad guy".
- It's another one of those series where despite huge and glorified attacks, people die from the tiniest cut on the throat.
- Because the cast was so huge, characters just popped in and out of scenarios and there's not much attachment to them.

Overall, it's definitely still a great low-stress entertaining series to watch. I did skip through almost all of the romance scenes which thankfully didn't last too long at a time. And although the ending was abrupt with too many missing plot holes, I did appreciate how it ended.

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Even though I completed the series, it would have been dropped mid-way if I didn't end up getting distracted with other tasks and ended up watching this casually instead.

The narrative starts off pretty well but the overall plot declines steadily thereafter. The crime-solving aspect of the series is subpar and there's pretty much no character development. Based off the camera work, it has a low budget feel, which wouldn't matter as much if all else was done well. But it's as if they tried to take all the ingredients that are successful in other crime series and mashed it all together hoping for a well-done dish. All the characters remained one-noted and you don't get attached to any of them. I thought the concept of helping the dead would have been one of the highlights but they also don't have much value. Unfortunately, it didn't cut it in the entertainment or emotional triggering areas.

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A second watch review

The series is just as good as I remember so I've kept the score the same. Although there are plenty of crime series out there, this one shines for multiple reasons:

-- The lineup of actors are fantastic and they all mesh really well together. The bonds between the group is weighed heavy but this is also why it feels real.
-- Although the series revolves mostly around the mystery of a violent crime, almost each episode just slowly peels off one layer of the unknown at a time with great pacing.
-- There are many times I really want to reach into the screen to grab the arrogant and young male lead... and just shake him really hard. His actions and mentality were so irking but you will eventually empathize with him as his past unravels and as he learns to face himself.
-- Although the situations feel quite depressing at times as you are introduced to many individuals with some heavy and complex trauma that they live with, it also manages to create a nice wrapping of warmth. Our "darker" male lead will also give you quite a few laughs just because of who he is.
-- Although a tad gruesome at times maybe for some, there isn't an over-dramatization of crime scenes. It isn't one of those that tries to play CSI but it still respects common sense. I really appreciate this actually. It didn't need any of the unnecessary addition for it to be intriguing.

My only nits are that they sometimes repeat flashback scenes a little too much but this is probably needed if you aren't binge-watching. And as mentioned above, the young lead just irks you quite often with his personality for quite some episodes but also as mentioned, he does make up for it well. Highly recommended for those who enjoy crime dramas without all the showy aspects. Even at a second watch, I still didn't feel the need to speed up any of the episodes.

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Mixed feelings

We all know crime series are dramatized for entertainment. I'm usually happy with it as long as there aren't any glaring laziness or sloppiness around the lowest bar of common sense. This one was done relatively well in terms of how they analyzed and resolved the different crime cases. And because the cases are mostly episodic, I don't fault the speed of the resolutions either because they did a decent job in wrapping each one up. However, around the underlying case that connects the two male leads together - this one leaned toward some goofiness.

Nevertheless, I quite liked the character of Shen Yi and how his life evolved from his experiences. I even enjoyed how he uses his extreme artistic and analytical skills to help solve pretty much every case. And if my art classes were taught the way he taught his, I think I might have deeper appreciation of art in general. But... I'm not the biggest fan of his partner and this is what made me want to drop the series a couple of times. Although they tried to cast him as a hot-headed but capable detective, his hypocrisy and inability to empathize was annoying for me. They had him learn to trust Shen Yi over time to but he had pretty much no character growth at all. He didn't give a crap about how his words impacted Shen Yi's youth when he unfairly blamed him for everything. Then instead of developing a real connection as partners, it just felt like he was using him and protecting him for his own selfish reasons. He never tried to understand Shen Yi's pain and only cared about his own.

So overall, the main reason why I watched the series was because of Shen Yi and the episodic crime cases. These two factors kept it entertaining alongside good and steady pacing. There was pretty no room for lag as they jumped into cases almost immediately after the prior one is resolved. It also isn't one of those where everyone involved is melodramatic which is a nice change. If they had only done a better job with Du Cheng's character, I would have given this a higher rating but also note that this aspect was a personal pet peeve.

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Slightly overhyped

The main highlight of the show is our actors and particularly our three main male leads. They did a fantastic job in their roles for such young folks and were really able to emote well. The other main draw is the bond between two of the male leads and the way their friendship develops so naturally and in raw form.

I can see why this series is so highly rated. A story of bullying in various forms and how people can snap when pushed too far. Then there's the friendship with the lonely ML who did his best to simply keep to himself and for the world to just leave him be versus the sincere ML who would be the first one to make him genuinely smile for the first time. The dialogue between them are also written really well.

But what I didn't like about the series is the plot flow and the situations they kept finding themselves in. It's not that it isn't realistic but there were certain scenes with plot holes and certain people they zoomed in on initially but then just dropped out of the plot completely.

The takeaway from the series and from personal experience - Let insecure people hang out with other insecure people where they'll eventually take themselves out amongst each other. They really aren't worth much investment and they aren't worth feeling sorry for. And if someone is willing to betray you even once for even a minor matter, no matter what the reason, they definitely need to be kept at a distance. But if you're fortunate enough to find a friend like the two MLs, just one of them is worth a lifetime.

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Good premise with a strong start

I've been really exhausted of the whole reincarnation or transmigration theme and was wary of attempting this particular series for the reason. But thankfully, the reincarnation aspect wasn't deterring particularly I think because it wasn't another one of those modern day office worker who gets sent back into history. At least this one is within the same time period.

The plot was quite intriguing in the beginning and the concept that the Fl and ML lead completely different lives previously was actually very appealing as well as the way fate linked these two strangers together. It was also nice to see a pretty competent FL who stayed steady through the series although they still placed a slightly too heavy of an emphasis on her role. And as for reviewers who criticize the ML for not being as capable, they likely haven't experienced severe trauma before. I praise the FL for her abilities but her painful experiences pale in comparison to the ML which is why they actually do make a great match. He has been betrayed in the worst of ways and has experienced heavy loss back-to-back but yet was still incredibly capable on his own even before he met her. As the FL mentioned, he's the type who directly faces on his foes instead of going the roundabout manipulative way. And she is someone who couldn't trust men anymore because of her parents astray relationship. She offered him compassion which eased his anger and he opened up her trust. Their skill-sets combined is what makes them formidable.

Although the underlying story was decent, the plot did feel draggy at times and the dialogues between the main couple started to feel repetitive. The dialogue and scenarios also started to slowly get more corny compared the strong start in the beginning. Because of this, I started to disconnect emotionally towards the latter half. I think if they had focused more on the supporting characters and their backgrounds instead of so much screen time of them just hanging out... it could have really been elevated.

Nevertheless, it's a still pretty good watch for those who enjoy a strong couple who strategize together against their foes and have run out of other series within this micro-genre to try.

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A lightweight drama

Of all the "female general" themes where the woman disguises herself as a man, this isn't the best but it's also far from the worst. And the female actress did a pretty fantastic job in being believable in her different personality modes. The story itself is relatively straight-forward with a decent plot pace. You have a few tropes here and there with a doppelganger and situations that just happen to be placed perfectly with everyone happening to come across someone. But it's also a series that you aren't supposed to take too seriously and one to just enjoy for the characters and their interactions.

While it's slightly a little too heavy handed on the number of couples and their romances for me personally, it was still at least done in an acceptable way. It's also one of the few series where I really think the 2ML is a much better fit for the FL. There is some chemistry with the main ML and the FL but there was just so much more with the 2ML. Especially because he's far more capable and was also the only one who immediately appreciated her for herself unlike the main ML. So the few drops of tears that fell from the series were for the 2ML.

I think this is a good series to try if you're looking for a good balance of genres between politics, romance, humor, etc. There isn't anything that is done too heavy-handed and there aren't excessive melodramatic tragedies to sit through. Most of the actors did a really good job in bringing out their characters and while the series isn't one to be the most memorable, I still appreciated its entertainment.

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