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Destined to disappoint
The biggest problem with this drama is that there isn't enough story and development of characters to sustain 40 long, meandering episodes. If condensed and streamlined, it could have been a pretty straightforward xianxia story about two star-crossed lovers who try to go against their destiny to save the world and each other. The highlights of the story are when Mo Xiao first meets Wu Chen (a naive, amnesiac version of Feng Lixue, her true persona) and when Mo Xiao struggles with his true identity. Everything else is either too rushed and glossed over (the opening arc in Heaven) or unnecessarily drawn out (the Suyu mountain arc).In any case, it was still enjoyable to see Tong Mengshi as the male lead, although his character is made too be too weepy for my taste. And Han Dong is consistently Han Dong, bringing yet another villain/antagonist to life, albeit at some moments a bit too outlandish. The opening song is catchy, and the ending at least brings everything together satisfactorily, although I wish there was more of a bookend in addressing the Heavenly people horrible treatment of Bai Yan, Ni Huang and also Chong Guang (before he became Chong Guang).
This will probably be one of the more forgettable xianxia dramas out there, but if you need your xianxia fix or if you just want something to casually watch while eating or cleaning your house, this would be an option.
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A great rebirth drama
Lacking time to write a full length review, I will just simply say that this one is worth watching for any fans of Chinese period dramas. It’s an idol drama to be sure, but it maintains all the beats and elements that have made any excellent C period drama of yore stand out in the sea of period dramas from any country.Rebirth dramas have been popular lately, and I think this one balances that fantasy aspect with realism quite well. It’s grounded in Ming dynasty aesthetics and politics, which helps that side of the story work much better than say that of The Story of Kunning Palace. The romance side is done quite organically, with the tremendous help from a director with solid vision to tell that story with palpable tension and believability. My only small gripe is that the character of Song Han just didn’t work for me - he seemed to me an unnecessary villain in a story already complex enough with various antagonists.
Ultimately, gripe aside, of all the Chinese romance period dramas to pick from this year, this one reigns supreme for me.
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Uplifting legal drama with so much heart
I found this little gem while scrolling through Netflix. It's a heartwarming tale of two unlikely partners who find the courage to fight for the "weaker" ones in society and for what they want in life.Ishida Shoko is a paralegal who works at her father's small law firm. Though a graduate from a prominent university, she has failed to bass the bar exam multiple times. Haneoka Yoshio, on the other hand, passes the bar easily due to his photographic memory despite finishing only high school. The two find themselves immediately at odds with each other when Haneoka is hired to join the firm. Through the course of the 10 episodes, they learn how to support one another and overcome their respective traumas and inner struggles.
There are plenty of darker, serious-toned dramas involving the legal process. This is not one of them. If you need something to lift you up and give you hope again in humanity, this is a nice, short one to enjoy. The cases are easy to follow and are interwoven with the characters' own stories as they progress throughout the drama. Arimura Kasumi and Nakamura Tomoya have excellent onscreen chemistry as our leads - it is almost a shame the drama did not make most of that and push their relationship together further. Shoko's fledgling romantic storyline with our second male lead, Oba Ao, really does not go anywhere. Akaso Eiji does a fine job in his role, but I just did not buy Oba's relationship with Ishida.
In my perfect world, there would be a special or second season to see our legal duo continue their bickering, common folk-helping ways. Alas, I will most likely have to settle for what we have here and rewatch their scenes together whenever I need a pick-me-up. Their quiet moments together are pure gold. Arimura and Nakamura seamlessly move between comedy and drama and ultimately move our hearts.
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Just ok
While there isn't anything terribly wrong with this drama, there also isn't much that stands out. The story has all the skeleton and pieces that could be made into an epic period piece, but not enough flesh is ever put onto the characters, plot or themes. Shen Xihe is driven and ambitious, but I never quite get why. Not enough of her back story as Gu Qingzhi is portrayed on screen, so I feel little connection to her for most of the drama. It also makes her relationship with Prince Xin strange, and poor Jeremy Xu just ends up looking like an obsessed love-struck fool. Perhaps just nixing the rebirth element would have fixed that issue.The political storyline is also weak in its pacing and overall development, opting for a last minute a-ha reveal that is void of dramatic weight due to lack of build up. The harder but potentially more interesting story to tell would have been to bring the back story into the forefront from the beginning and with the audience knowing, portray the cat-and-mouse game in the court in a more sophisticated manner. Alas, missed opportunity.
Romance in these type of dramas is always secondary for me. It should a nice icing on a rich story, but here it isn't even enough to make up for the story's major flaws. Additionally, Meng Ziyi and He Yu lack in chemistry on screen, and neither is a good enough performer to carry through on their own in their individual dramatic scenes.
While a much richer production with better costuming, lighting and set pieces than say, the recent Key to the Phoenix Heart, unfortunately this drama lacks in heart and soul for much of its 36 episodes. Check it out if you are a fan of the cast or period dramas in general, but it's just another meh one for me.
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Lots of style, not enough substance
There's plenty of excitement and style in the opening episodes, as Chu Zhao gets a second chance at life and desperately tries to change her fate. However, there's not enough time spent on developing the political intrigue and some of the characters, making the final act of this drama lacking in impact. The performances are pretty average - although I'd have to say Tian Xiaotian seems to be enjoying himself, preening with his fan and scheming left and right.It's passable for the time, but there are better dramas of the same genre out there.
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Twists and turns
Buckle up, this is a wild ride through a crazy family's shady dealings, orchestrated by the female lead's father, the sniveling and conniving Zhuang Shiyang. He decision to murder his father in order to save his own skin sets off a huge ripple down to the next generation, entangling his wife, concubine, their children and his in-laws into a messy web of over-the-top plot twists, which require a certain amount of suspension of disbelief but in their own macabre way deliver some amount of shock entertainment.At the center of this melodrama is female lead Zhuang Shiyang and male lead Fu Yunxi, who happens to begin this tale as her brother-in-law. Theirs is not an easy romance - even as they join hands in search of justice (or is it revenge?), there is a seemingly endless back and forth between them that may leave some romance lovers out there unsatisfied or frustrated. I enjoyed the tension between them, but some more emoting from actor Xin Yunlai would have sold the romance better.
Hoping to see Chen Duling in more complex female lead roles - she's perfectly cast in this as the shrewd, seemingly cold Hanyan. The rest of the supporting cast do their best with the extreme script (some will love Yu En Tai as the Daddy Zhuang, some will hate the crazy eyes haha), but it's the little girl as Fu Lingzhi who steals the show for me.
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A Tale of Two Families
Somewhere inside this melodrama is an excellent story about two people who have trouble communicating with each other and their journey to overcome all and finally open up to each other honestly. The use of the phone calls, sign language and other motifs help to tell this story in a creative away.What is more difficult to achieve in this drama, and where I feel things fall apart a bit especially towards the end, are the more classic drama storylines involving two powerful families with dark secrets and the triller/kidnapper psychotic son. The story simultaneously feels over-bloated and too simplistic - something about the story just does not work by episode 12. However, this is primarily a romance tale, and the superb performances of the cast, particularly Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin as the leads carries the drama to a solid ending.
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The noble fight continues
Set in 2009 Linshan in China, this series depicts a small anti-trafficking police team's efforts to uncover a sex/child trafficking operation. The drama shines when it focuses on the realistic portrayal of police work and the raw, devastating emotional toll on the police and victims and their families. Unfortunately, it cannot fully shake off some of its more melodramatic tendencies (particularly at the end) or the rah-rah support for the police that really is not necessary given the already huge amount of pathos the human stories hold for the audience. Still, I enjoyed it for allowing Dilraba to be in a very different kind of role (at least of late). Additionally, many of the guest/supporting characters (including the child actors) were outstanding.Was this review helpful to you?
Flow like water
Primarily a love story set in a chaotic period of time akin to the warring states period in ancient China, this drama relies heavily on the chemistry between its leads Liu Yuning and Song Zuer. It works well in the first half, but without a better plan for the political story and more imaginative directing, the show suffers somewhat in the second half. Certain matters are resolved too conveniently that a great amount of suspension of disbelief may be required. And any deeper themes revolving around the use of water as a metaphor for perseverance, strength and harmony are regrettably not developed satisfactorily.Ultimately, there is still much to be enjoyed in this especially for fans of romance. Besides the leads, some of the supporting cast are really great here as well. Liu Duan Duan gives my favorite performance from the cast as the complicated Wei Yan. Xuan Lu also does her best to give depth to a very typical C drama villainess.
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Finding jade is hard
There's a promise of something exciting and swoon-worthy in the opening episodes of this show, but it ultimately suffers from the typical trappings of an idol period drama, with the more political and court intrigue side of the story leaving much to be desired. There's nothing particularly bad in all departments, but there is also lack in all the major areas as well - in acting, writing and even directing.Still, it's an enjoyable romance tale primarily, and the director certainly excels in this area. Tian Xiwei makes an appealing performance as Fan Changyu, who certainly will go down as one of the more charismatic and layered strong female leads in recent years. Her story from peasant butcher lady to formidable general is probably the most well-constructed character in the show. Unfortunately, Xie Zheng's story is not developed as thoughtfully, and Zhang Linghe's performance is too nondescript to leave a lasting impression - at least for me. He's certainly capable of more (he's much more lively and memorable in Love Between Fairy and Devil and The Princess Royal).
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Restart and rewind
There are some great seeds of storytelling in this fantasy tale, but it is a winding road from beginning to end, and not enough is explored more deeply to be truly profound or memorable among the myriad fantasy shows out there. Themes of belonging, love, and brotherhood are touched upon but then are dropped amid the tendency to focus on sudden shock reveals and reversals that may be exciting for the moment but then are ultimately a bit empty in the return. Some parts are redundant when focused on a particular character that did not give any more added weight by the 3rd or 4th time the same aspects of the character were reemphasized. At the end, we arrive at the beginning, and one has to wonder if the whole journey was worthwhile.Still, this is a pleasing production bolstered by a talented cast that make you care about the characters even though not enough is spent developing them all. The music is creative and certainly adds to the world and makes it come alive. The middle of the story was the standout to me - all the strands of the story build together nicely to an exciting mid-story climax. I only wish I could say the same for the finale.
Ultimately, this is worth checking out for the cast and for its sumptuous visuals and sound design.
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The strength of many
This show is a delightful surprise in an overall lackluster year for Chinese dramas. Much more than an idol romance fantasy drama, this one invites you on a journey to re-examine what true love is - romantic love, familial love, friendship, and even a healthy love of oneself.Ling Miao Miao is our 21st century heroine who enjoys reading novels written by a certain Fu Zhou. She somehow ends up in the world of one of his novels and is tasked with various missions in order to return to the real world. As the story progresses, we learn about the various characters in the novel and particularly about the intense animosity between humans and demons (monsters) that pervades this world. This tension between races centers upon our male lead, Mu Sheng, who happens to be half demon and half human.
Love blooms between the two, but the story is not entirely focused on their romance. We also have our secondary leads, Mu Yao (Mu Sheng’s sister, though not by blood) and Liu Fu Yi, who have meaningful arcs to their characters as well. The fine line between love and hate, devotion and obsession, are explored throughout the show - and it is ultimately selfless, sacrificing love that saves the day.
If there is anything to nitpick, it would be that the female lead never really changes from the beginning to the end, making her story far less compelling than that of the male lead and even the secondary leads. Fortunately, the story is full of rich supporting characters and themes, making this far less a lead-centric tale and more of an ensemble piece, which, when considering the stirring climax where the entire world comes together to save itself, is a fitting characteristic of the show.
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The future is a long past
Having not read the novel, I had no idea what I was in for in this first installment of the Joy of Life series. And honestly, it took me about 12 episodes before I really settled into the drama. The anachronistic elements and humor were not landing for me yet, and Fan Xian's love-at-first-sight for Lin Wan'er was not at all interesting. Once his friend Teng Zijing is killed, the drama finally finds its footing and a better balance between its heavy drama and lighter moments. As Fan Xian becomes mired in the cesspool of political and palace power struggles, the audience too is drawn in - and things do not let up until the very last shot of episode 46 when you are left with a most frustrating cliffhanger.The characters are deliciously multi-dimensional, even as some ooze pure evil (Princess Royal Li Yunrui is a standout) as they endeavor to manipulate people and events to their own benefit. Even our determined male lead Fan Xian behind his confident exterior carries a lot of pain and loneliness. My favorite scenes are those where we get a glimpse of his true inner state - the quieter moments (such as Xiao En's final moments, the last scene with Zhuang Mohan, and just chatting in Haitang Duoduo's garden).
Without getting too much into things, this story is apparently a period drama, but it is actually set in the very distant future (I know, is this story sci-fi? Historical? Have to wait and see in season 2 if this gets explained further). As such, it makes the story all the more poignant. Many years from now, what will mankind have to show for itself? Have we been able to overcome our greed, hatred and distrust of others? When will we stop hurting or killing each other? Can centuries of literature, poetry and history truly make us better? These are timeless questions, all the more pertinent in today's conflict-ridden world. I think this story, which has yet to finish, will ultimately take an optimistic stance because we all want to believe in Fan Xian - the seemingly powerless one who can stand up and continue in the endless fight for good.
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Nirvana in Fire Season 2: The Wind Blows in Chang Lin
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Something is rotten in the state of Liang
Nirvana in Fire 1 is a masterfully paced tale of revenge and a fight for the throne in a quest for truth and justice. Its story is mostly linear and thus builds satisfyingly to its climax near the end with a fittingly bittersweet denouement. NIF 2 is a different kind of story. More complex in its character construction and narrative, the second installment gets off to a slower start and because of its story structure, may encounter some bumps along the way for some viewers.There are essentially 2 major parts to this story, the first part ending with Xiao Pingzhang's death, and the second culminating in Xiao Yuanqi's revolt. As such, although you may consider Xiao Pingjing to be the main character, he has to share screen time with his brother in the first part of the story. At other points in the story, he is either in a coma or hanging out on Langya Mountain, while the plot is moved along by some of the supporting cast. What is more, he comes off as somewhat of a callow youth in the beginning of the drama, although he is very intelligent and quick on his toes.
Once viewed as a whole, however, NIF 2 becomes an epic tale of the frailty and courage of human nature - a timeless tale reminding us that as much as we aspire to be our better selves, we may just as easily fall prey to our vices. There is always a sense of unease when watching this, whether it is watching the creepily Rasputin-like Puyang Ying achieve his devious goals or the pitiful Yuanqi fall further and further to his inevitable defeat. We see the bonds of brotherhood and family tested as the balance of power between the Imperial court and the military hangs forever in a delicate balance. Pingjing's coming-of-age story is interwoven throughout, and I found myself very much moved as he struggles to deal with the deaths of his brother and father and his identity as the son of the Old Prince of Chang Lin.
The older cast definitely elevate this drama with their performances, but the younger cast do a fine job in their roles. The grounded production and stirring music round out this excellent drama worth watching and re-watching.
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