Sirenas

A shamble of good and the not so good

The only reason to watch this is for the lore and light entertainment. The actors do a decent job and there are plenty of likeable characters but the plot is all over the place. The pacing is incredibly slow at times and I most sped through it all. The story itself is high-level interesting but has too many huge plot holes, unnecessary deaths, and love obsessions. It also has a tendency to build up a moment for that moment's sake and then it just dissipates with pretty much no impact to the overarching main story. Some of the actions scenes were pretty good but there's not much of it across a 40-episode series. The lore itself is pretty entertaining but they don't explain it much either other than to just indicate that its just part of the demon world. So with this, even the "rules" of the demon world contradicts with different events.

Nevertheless, it's a good time-consumer if you are in the mood for this type of setting. It's also one where you can walk away from the screen and do some chores while listening, and still get the gist of what's happening. And at least it does have its sweet moments and funny moments to make up for its many flaw.

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Successfully takes you on a journey

Instead of listing positives and negatives, I'll just list the lingering feelings about this one.

-- While the ML/FL did a great job and had good chemistry, the absolute standout couple for me was Cui Shi Jiu and Zheng Zhi Heng. Their relationship growth and their hidden selves were what really brought out those non-stop tears at multiple points.
-- The actress for Cui Shi Jiu was a standout by herself with an incredible set of eyes. She was outstanding with her character and has a great range. Hope to see her in more roles.
-- Around the middle, the plot does hit a high peak and then awkwardly free-falls into a completely different pacing. This shift was really abrupt and it almost made me drop the series but I'm glad I pushed through. The plot flow was a also a bit muddled at times with some farfetched elements but nothing too cringe.
-- There are also some lags here and there that I sped up on; they should have use those times to fill in the background/history of some of the characters instead. Or reduce the number of episodes.
-- The romance was a slower burn and thankfully not overbearing.
-- The ending wasn't laid out very well and the punishments not very satisfactory but it was acceptable.

You have an underlying revenge plot, a complex weave of politics, definitive highlights on bias towards women, class bias, complex characters with tough restrictions (blood isn't thicker than water), difficulties in starting a business against an oligopoly, etc. Altogether, it does its job in taking you on a journey.

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Childish, low-budget, and corny but...

A rare type of series where the acting is subpar, the dialogues are even worse, the camera is often shaky, the special effects felt cheap, and all with a thick layer of corny wrapped around it. I also almost dropped this one after episode 10 when the introduction of the new characters felt really really cringe.

But... for whatever reason, the lore still drew me in. The wave of mysteries behind the characters were intriguing enough that I couldn't help myself but to keep going. They did a pretty good job with the initial introduction of the ML and despite his lack of expressions variety and unique way of talking, it kind of worked for his character. The ML was also hypocritical, inconsistent, and overly obsessed with his sister - but his charm does come around here and there. The new characters introduced after they joined the sect were also incredibly obnoxious but thankfully, they do evolve with some personality growth. Then it becomes a different kind of corny when the team finally comes together as a unit.

There are so, so many things wrong with this one but it does hit an inner child. It's not something you watch for intellectual purposes but for that kid who used to root for superheros and live in a world of imagination. Overall, I made it through by skipping over some nonsensical scenes or draggy conversations but it deserves credit for pushing me through all 40 episodes.

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Potentially triggering for some

This is one of the more in-depth series I've come across that highlights the impact of predators. For the female audience in particular, it may triggering if you've ever experienced similar traumas. But I appreciate the nice dosage of revenge, even more so when it comes from random individuals who come together from different events but towards the same instigator.

The plot flow was pretty done well and they even managed to slide in a few humorous moments despite its somber environment. But with only 24 episodes (should have skipped 25) of the main story, there were definitely events that should have been delved into deeper. The fallen comrades jerked out tears but their deaths was very unsatisfactory... and potentially unnecessary. I wish they dived a little more into how the FL lived out her seven years and her relationship with the main wife. Also don't realize understand her reasoning for leaving her husband.

Some may not find the antagonist's background story very redeeming but ironically, it's quite realistic for me. Not all people who do evil deeds have sad and traumatizing backgrounds that we should feel forced to justify. His final penalty also felt too light and unsatisfactory.

There are also some plot holes but nothing that deters too much from the overall feel. It's worth a watch if you're okay with the triggering topic of SA. As for episode 25, it's an alternate ending for what if none of this happened and none of them really met. Personally I think it diminished the end feel of the series and it can be skipped completely, but some may appreciate it.

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Cute love story of sacrifices

This is pretty straight-forward series of the usual love-story couple who just continuously sacrifice for one another. While it's not one that you'd rave about, it's still watchable. The most interesting aspect would be the story behind how the disciple becomes the master and the ML/FL does have enough chemistry to maintain. I particularly enjoyed the first 10 or so episodes before it started to drag a bit and I sped up quite few scenes. The underlying plot between the sects takes a backseat to the history/relationship of the ML/FL. The dialogue wasn't very sophisticated and it gets messier as it progresses towards the end but the comradery with the characters who played their roles pretty well kept it enjoyable with a touch of corny sweet. There were definitely too many episodes though.

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Cringy but cute

I like indulging in stories where different personalities and backgrounds converge. I also really enjoy shows that involve intelligent and just magistrates who helps commoners solve problems. While the series had both of the above, there are also shortfalls that stained its potential.

Foremost, I almost dropped this series after a few episodes. While the female lead's personality was meant to be over-the-top for emphasis and humor, her violent streak was a big turn off. They could have portrayed her character with the same sass and ruggedness without resorting to such direct abusiveness towards men. Her character also proves how a "spoiled brat" isn't correlated with wealth but with how she was raised. The combination created an uncomfortable and distasteful cringe. However, the rest of the cast did build up enough intrigue for me to continue to give it a try. Thankfully, while she didn't end up becoming as evolved as she could have, there was character growth and she did have plenty of charismatic moments.

The characteristics of the ML and FL didn't feel consistent. The strength of the ML was supposed to be intellect and the strength of the FL was supposed to be brawn. Instead, there were times where the ML was intellectual capable but then completely ignorant and they tried to get the FL to help fill in for him. The characters would have done better if they really focused more on how to blend their individual strengths instead of them just taking turns on who was smarter. For the FL to suddenly be capable of strategizing, making medicine, doing business, and being knowledge of herbs when she grew up as a butcher... is farfetched without any backstory. If she was this capable, then why did they almost lose their store and why wasn't she able to grow her own family business for all those years?

The overall plot itself wasn't actually bad and I quite enjoyed the magnification of certain aspects that other shows don't usually touch on, such as having the little prince join a school of commoners and teaching him a life lesson. There are also plenty of chuckles along the way and some heartwarming comradery. But it also felt as if there were two very different people taking turns at directing the series, so the plot flow was a mixed bag and felt a bit forced. Similarly, the actors were also a mixed bag of those who really emoted and those who were monotone but they all still had decent chemistry with one another.

It is a good casual watch if you need a break from overly somber series. I was hoping for more episodic cases of the magistrate resolving issues but it was mostly around one or two major cases that all end up tying into each other. It also does conclude with a well-rounded ending and won't cause you to overly binge.

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Review for both seasons as one

Not a big fan of romance-heavy plots and definitely not one with a harem. But this one went way above expectations in season one. The majority of the actors did an amazing job and I was really happy to finally see a large cast of younger folks actually doing some serious acting. This series also has enough reviews with substantial plot discussions so I'll just summarize what made this one special and what made it falter for me.

Positives:
- The character for the FL was incredibly charming and loaded with substance especially during her time disguised as a man.
- The three main male love interests were full of complex depth and what connected them to her through her journey were very natural considering the deity/demon aspects. Xiang Liu and Xiyan Cang Xuan in particular were extraordinary and while Tushan Jing fit his character pretty well initially he became bland relatively quickly.
- I've lost count on the amount of tears that were jerked. It managed to drudge up a variety of emotions from my own ancient relationships that I haven't thought about in years.
- The series does a good job with bringing to life the complexities with relationships in general while moving the plot forward with the underlying political issues.

Negatives (mostly in season two):
- The character of the FL began to falter in the latter half of season two. But at this point, you're already invested so you're likely to try hard to justify her actions. It was disappointing to see her slowly evolve into self-pity and selfishness.
- The plot gets increasingly muddled pacing and unnecessary out-of-place scenes. Why did they bother "reuniting" her with her mother? It really diminished the build-up of her parents and their history. They would have done a better job with a real flashback.
- The scenes with her chosen love interest starts to get excessive. It should have been used more on Xiang Liu to build out more of his backstory (though I may be biased as he's the main one bringing on those tears and heartaches).
- It was unsatisfying to see the FL's lack of appreciation and empathy toward the other two love interests and their sacrifices when her focuses shift onto just the one.
- While the special effects on the deities/demons were done pretty well, the fight scenes were below average. I wish we saw more of the transformations.

Nevertheless, I was totally hooked on season one against my will which is what keeps the score high. Season two is a direct continuation and I ended up speeding up a few episodes because of the negatives listed above.

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Underrated charm

Some series with over-the-top humor fail easily because of a lack of balance. This particular one is not a slapstick funny but a thoughtful kind of funny that also succeeds in being unpredictable. The majority of the humor hits you right at the first few episodes before it evolves into a more serious tone with an underlying main story - the kind of mix I really enjoy.

The ML and FL really did a great job in their roles and the chemistry was easily felt between the two. The other casts also did an amazing job in bring their characters to life. What's interesting is that the blunt silliness actually brings out much more realism than other series in this genre, such as the bickering between the couples and the "humorous" but confrontational conversations. I initially was about to write the main FL off because her spoiled character was just on the brink of becoming irritating but surprisingly, she had one of the more in-depth character growths I've come across even when compared to other melodramas. In addition, there are many complex characters that I really appreciate that aren't the usual die-hard loyalty kind. They highlight the thin lines of friendship, betrayal, and self-reflection as well as who we become when we live by how others deem our worth.

This series deserves a higher score and the only reason I've personally deducted some points is that there was some slight drag across some of the episodes. I also wished the FL nodded a bit more to how fortunate she was to have the family she did and that she put some more effort into her martial arts skills instead of just on that extreme boost from her curse/gift. It was also disappointing to not have seen more of our ML's skills as well despite his reputation. I think this could have been amazing if they included a bit more history/flashbacks and delved just a bit deeper. But overall, it is easily one of the better historical dramas I've seen that has this level of comedy incorporated into it.

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Great potential but dwindled halfway through...

The series started off as a solid 8.5, particularly around our main lead. His beginnings were intriguing and unique compared to many other cultivation series I've seen. I really appreciate the time they took to build this foundation.

The ML's cultivation journey kept me locked on the screen until about halfway through the episodes. I've never read the novel but the plot started to feel discombobulated as well as his interactions with those around him. His thought process of consistently living for only himself is actually what makes his character quite brilliant. Someone who only wants to continue to surpass himself no matter what methods he needs to take to get there - but without crossing that fine line. However, the execution of this for the latter half of the episodes were poorly done and it wasn't able to maintain that same draw for me. A huge part of this was his reactions to the tons of people who were sacrificed for his growth. While it might make sense for his to have just a fleeting moment of sorrow or perhaps not much at all, it also felt much too repetitive and the timing of the momentary wistful to the excitement of finding yet another artifact was too abrupt. I also appreciate how he manages to overcome not being born as a genius for cultivation by utilizing creative methods but it also doesn't make sense why he's the only one who is capable of them when the same tools and resources are there for others to also take advantage of. He can't be the only one who is ambitious in the entire sect. It didn't help as well when he also became almost everyone's saviors, undermining everyone's abilities and experiences.

Outside of the ML, there are some great supporting characters who brought a lot of fun to the series. But (with exception of the mortal female), all of the other females falling for him were annoyingly distracting to the plot and there were too many unnecessary scenes around this.

Overall, I get the gist of what it's trying to portray and appreciate the thought behind it but they tried to squeeze way too many moving parts into the series. This caused the flow to just fly off and the chemistry to get chopped off. The action scenes were okay - a little corny as usual but not terrible. I finished the remaining half by lots of fast-forwarding only for a meh ending with tons of plot holes. It's always hard to rate shows that start off great with a story of great intentions only for it to dwindle off.

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50/50

*Minimal Spoilers*

Had really high hopes for this series as I'm particularly fond of plots that consists of helping various individuals that are interwoven with the supernatural.

Positives:
- Pretty decent ghost assist events with a few tearjerkers. This in particular won the most points.
- There is a good layer of humor and fun.
- It was also nice to see a few familiar faces from The Fiery Priest cast.

Negatives:
- The acting of the ML/FL was average and their combo really didn't vibe for me. Their romance is seriously heavy-handed with too many poor timing inserts of their scenes. I skipped through A LOT of this.
- They could have done better with subtleties of the ghosts just moving things around in public.
- While the pacing did well for the first half of the series, the latter started to drag and the flow increasingly declined until the end. With all the build-up of the initial events, the way it ended was meh.

This series would have done so much better if they removed the majority of the unnecessary romance scenes and spent that time focusing on more backstory of the main/support characters as well as putting more thought into the ending of the plot because they left huge plot holes. We don't even know how the two assistants became assistants for the ML. Would have pegged it at a lower score given the amount of screen time skipped, but some of the ghost assist arcs were done well enough to push it back up.

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Fun Camaraderie

It's a pretty simplistic series so keeping this super short and sweet. The best thing about this series is the camaraderie between our two main MLs, the hospital staff, and the spirits. While it has some basic serious undertones, it's overall appeal is the fun in watching the developments of various relationships. It's nice that it doesn't feel heavy-handed in either the medical, politics, or romance aspect in particular.

The main negative is the feel of lag in the plot flow throughout most of the series. Each turning point or revelation felt almost circular. The female love interest is also very bland and if the entire relationship was cut out, it wouldn't have really made any impact.

Nevertheless, if you enjoy the hospital setting with a touch of some spirit action and fun brotherhood, it's worth checking out.

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Charming

Really wasn't sure what vibe the movie was going to give off going in but was pleasantly surprised at the layer of light-heartedness that topped off a serious case. It did a great job with highlighting the concept of "beyond a reasonable doubt" and keeping the human aspect of jurors. Jurors from different backgrounds, those who are anxious to get to a resolution because of the time it's taking out of their own responsibilities, and a judge with good intentions but has also become more methodical from years of experience.

For only less than two-hour session, it was well-paced and well-rounded.

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Heavy topic, average portrayal

It's hard to criticize anything that involves such a sensitive and heavy subject but this was done almost too idealistically and unrealistic. It's as if whoever wrote it or directed it doesn't really understand the complexity of severe abuse. Then again, one can argue that it is realistic as well because how many people really do.

The actors weren't fantastic and sadly, the stepmother is probably the best actor in the movie. Then there are scenes that irked me such as when the lawyer had the kid continually deliver gifts to the victim. Did he not learn his lesson from the first monetary gift he gave to them? Why would anyone think it's a good idea to send anything to the victim's house when she still lives with her abuser? The plot flow overall was too idealistic in how it went from no one caring, to suddenly everyone caring.

Nonetheless, it is still heartbreaking because no matter how average the movie is, you know scenarios like this one or worse are existing all around us every day still. But if you're seeking a similar genre that has far more substance, I'd recommend Endless Protection.

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Two words. Relevant and tearjerker.

This one really hits home for me particularly in the older generation Asian culture for multiple reasons.

- The preference for sons has been so deeply ingrained in the system that no matter how despicable sons may have been to themselves and their families, they were always enabled and coddled. Not always out of malice, but because of the inability to remove this embedded and biased attachment. Many women from multiple generations, even in modern times, suffer from feeling lesser than, yet they often end up being the more empathetic ones.
- The older generations, constantly wishing for the younger generations to "live better" than they have, fail to understand that providing children with everything they need to the best of their abilities can also turn them into emotional and financial dependents. To make matters worse, younger generations often have little appreciation and sometimes even blame their elders for not being more successful.
- We all tend to get so caught up in the day-to-day expectations and pressures from multiple aspects of life that it becomes difficult to appreciate the people around us and the as-is situations we are in. And too often by the time we do, it is too late.

I really love the realism and details in the movie. They paid great attention to details and this always make it super special. If this hits home for you, be prepared for not only a moment or two of tears but almost an ongoing river of them.

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