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Intense crime case storytelling
I even became Youku membership in order to watch this ahead of time. You just cannot stop once you start.The drama tells a story about a police officer (Luo Jian) and a Law student in his final year (Zhuang Wen Jie) in their effort in catch crime syndicate behind lots of ancient relic theft. Every episode is full of suspense since each case is linked with each other. Everything just come into a circle in the very end.
The character development, especially for Zhuang Wen Jie is very nicely done. He lost his parents early in his childhood and bullied in school because his father was a thief. How he survive until adulthood with a somewhat sane mental is already a very high achievement. Thus, I am very much understand why Wang Jun Kai portrayed this character as someone who seems indifferent and emotionless. With that kind of growing up environment, indifferent will be a kind of defense mechanism. Only, because of Wang Jun Kai inexperience, he failed to give more layers to Zhuang Wen Jie indifference. But, the acting can still be considered good enough.
The main character, Luo Jian, played by Zhang Yi is also very heartwarming. I like seeing how he is so protective toward Zhuang Wen Jie. With more episode going in, we will see his past deeper and deeper. Zhang Yi acting is great here. I will certainly take not of this actor in the future.
The ending is great! That smile in the end by Zhuang Wen Jie .... I don't think he ever smile in all previous episodes, making the last smile somewhat more meaningful. I hope we will get season 2 somehow since the ending just hinting more mystery.
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Love that willing to trust the other unconditionally
I was watching this in its premiere but stopped watching in the middle because the story got boring (as normally happens with those long episodes Chinese drama). Do not make this deter you to watch this drama. Since now the drama is finished, you can always binge watch it so you certainly will not experience my boredom back then.The drama spin a tale of kingdom that ruled by eunuch. The focus of the drama is how the rightful monarch tried to take back authority from the eunuch faction. The politic itself was good, but it was no Nirvana in Fire level. Still, it was good enough. The villain was also very real and his defeat was handled with respect. I hate it when the villain defeat is caused by his/her IQ plummet somehow in the end of the show. Fortunately, that did not happen in this drama. Qiu Zhi Liang was wonderful villain and it took lots of sacrifice from the "good guys" camp and lots of strategy to finally bring him down.
Cheng Yi was stellar here as ML. His acting here taught me how "dying" should be acted. His death pained me. Even after watching last episode multiple times, his death scene always bring me to tears without fail. Qi Yan had a very bitter life. Never got to live for himself. His life was filled with responsibility and promise toward dead men. It was sad that he did not get to enjoy the fruit of his labor, but his death was a release in a way. The most important thing was he was dead with knowledge that he was loved.
Even though romance was not the focus in this drama, I admire how romance relationship between ML and FL was portrayed here. FL started as naive but she was as stable as a rock in her trust toward ML. Many times Qi Yan deliberately acted as bad man toward Cheng Ruo Yu to drive her away for her own good. But Cheng Ruo Yu kept on believing in him and trying to understand him. And when people said to her that Qi Yan had harmed her family, she was still willing to understand him. Some people perhaps will say this is a stupidity. But in my eyes, this is true love. Cheng Ruo Yu truly loved Qi Yan. She looked to his heart and accepted him whole, his identity, responsibility, weakness, and sin. Her love was just that big. Due to this, no one could ever drive a wedge between them. She had this unwavering trust, and she always patiently waited for Qi Yan to come to her himself to explain things.
Nowadays, lots of drama depicted FL as abrasive woman. Dare to love, dare to hate, as people like to coin them. However, as I see it, those FL are only dare to hate. They will be the first to interrogate and doubt their man at every instigation. They are the queen and even though they are in the wrong, the man should be the one coax them. Honestly, as a woman myself, I am tired watching those type of FL. It needs more bravery to love than to hate. Love means open your heart defenseless, to sacrifice. Therefore, the way Cheng Ruo Yu loved in this drama, is so very refreshing. She loved wholeheartedly, without sparring herself a chance to defense herself. The FL acting skill was a bit lacking indeed, but it did not take away the good side of her character.
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A Masterpiece
A story about a dying hero. It tells you about letting go hate and revenge. With all those dramas with revenge as the main theme so rampant these days, drama like Mysterious Lotus Casebook is so rare. I think this drama teaches you that to forgive is much harder than to hate. Thus, being able to truly forgive and let go, is what makes you truly powerful and great.The ending somehow left me suffocated. It can only tell you how powerful this drama is. The acting is great; it is the kind that truly struck deep into your heart. Cheng Yi really is stellar in this. You can say he really reached perfect score in this drama. Truly magnificent.
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Su Chang He saves this drama
Compared with light-hearted The Blood of Youth, I prefer this one. The start of the drama is quite engaging. The intricacy of the scheming is so exiting and make me stay with the drama without fast-forwarding.Let us start with the story. The highlight of this drama should be Su Mu Yu and Su Chang He relationship. Built upon life and death experiences, their relationship transcend ordinary brotherhood or even romance. We can see that from their tacit trust and understanding. In the beginning, even when they seem to be against each other, it is more like sibling childish quarrel than true fight. The first 10 episodes has laid this foundation. But, in the middle, it seems the story is infiltrated with unneeded and unwanted romance.
I understand that with current Chinese law, BL is strictly prohibited. And any drama showing good relationship between two male characters will be scrutinized. So the addition of romance between Su Mu Yu and Bai He Huai is understandable. But, in this premise, it is felt so forced and jarring. They meet, being together for a moment while Bai He Huai curing the patriach, then the next time we know they spend time so long time in Nan'an together. In the name of Su Mu Yu healing his injury. What the hell. Dark River just experienced upheaval, the previous patriarch and family head were all dead. Su Chang He just rose to the throne. He, as Su family head, actually lazed around in some other city, enjoying romance. It is as if Su Mu Yu still hell bent want to leave Dark River. What a half-baked resolution!
Until the end of the drama, excluding a little bit flash back here and there depicting romance of side characters, the part I hate the most is Su Mu Yu and Bai He Huai romance. Su Mu Yu does not act like family head at all. I see him as part time worker of Dark River. He does his mission and after that come back to his wife in Nan'an. We never see him step inside Dark River headquarter anymore.
The ending is good, even though I rather it is Su Chang He that lay finishing blow to Zhuo Qing. But, the 12 years separation between Su Mu Yu and Bai He Huai is so unneeded. I also don't think their relationship is that strong to withstand 12 years. I think what Bai He Huai likes is Zhuo Yue An, not the true Su Mu Yu.
Now, about the acting. Gong Jun, .... sigh. His acting is quite weak in this drama. Some emotion is on point, but some of them, I wish him to show more. Also, he fails to truly build Su Mu Yu character. Until the end, I cannot really grasp who is Su Mu Yu. He cannot show that Su Mu Yu has special relationship with Su Chang He. The conversation was there, but lack certain emotion the seal the deal. The romance with Bai He Huai lacks passion. And the tension between two identity (Su Mu Yu and Zhuo Yue An) is so poorly delivered.
Now, Chang Hua Sen. He is the very reason why I still give 4 stars for acting and still give this drama overall 5 stars despite my critic toward the story. I know this actor from Moonlight Mystique. His acting was quite good there. But here, I am in awe. His Su Chang He is captivating. From naive boy in the flash back until he become the patriarch, you can see the development of his mindset. His disdain for this world, his special care toward Su Mu Yu, his scheming and his hidden pain, you can see it all.
Overall, this is a good wuxia drama. I recommend it. The production, music, and fight choreography are very good. The fight choreography is especially a good change, if you compared it with TBOY abysmal choreography.
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