eggcellant

This is my first short c-drama, and I was pretty impressed by it, so much so that I think it would've been better if the episodes were longer, at least 30 min. minimum. That way some more the back story can be developed, and pad up the romantic aspect between Ning Jinyi and Master Pei in order to show the origins of Master Pei's devotion (to death) to Jinyi and country. What I also liked was the actors looked right for their roles. The make up for Jinyi was done so that it toned down her female features. Her character is one of the more convincing portrayals of a woman pretending to be a young man that I've seen in recent times. The music and action sequences were pretty good for a short drama. The lighting could be better, but it is a short drama so gave it a pass (production probably had a budget to stick to). Ultimately, everything all comes together giving this drama a Shakespearean or dramatic tone to it.


And, hope to see more of Huang Haoyue (Jinyi) and Li Geyang (Master Pei) in bigger projects in the future.

Read More

This drama is amazing, even looking back now. The storyline is layered so different interpretations can be made. And has a dash of everything (to name a few: mystery, suspense, action, fantasy, human relations, politics, etc.) that is sprinkled so right to not overpower the storyline. And the concept of using a flute to wield control over demonic energy was refreshing to see.

Viewers watching costume C-dramas these days might think the costumes are not elaborate enough, but for me prefer it this way since when in the olden days were outfits that fancy. And sometimes simple is more. (Why I say this is Lan Wangji styling).

This brings me to casting. The casting of Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo is just wonderful. Their acting and visuals so complement each other. Xiao Zhan was so expressive and portrayed Wei Wuxian's character development so well, from youth to anti-hero. (Especially liked it when Wei Wuxian when into his dark mode). On the other hand, Wang Yibo portrayed a character that speaks little. But his micro-expressions said so much. Like you didn't need to know what he was thinking. (I was so impressed that I even looked up who this actor is, only to find out he was 20 years old when he filmed this. ) Actually, every character visually matched their characters and carried out their roles well. For me, this goes to show that the directors knew how to guide the cast to bring the storyline and character dynamics to life.

About the wire work/action scenes/visual Sfx. C-dramas are known for this and it isn't my first watching wire work in C-dramas, but for me I it is unforgettable how Wang Yibo portrayed Lan Wangji. Him flying in or doing martial arts scene just felt like art, graceful but powerful. The production did so right in bringing Lan Wangji to life. Viewers of today might think the visual Sfx leaves more to desire, but for me I was not bothered by it at all (keep in mind this drama was released in 2019 ) and did not overpower the storyline likes of which can be seen in some C-dramas. I like that you can see old-school style visual Sfx too.

Overall, had an eggcellant time watching this drama. Would recommend.

Read More

I watched season 2 because I enjoyed season 1. I guess after the popularity of season 1, the production got more budget since the sets, scale and special effects look better.
For season 2, viewers continue to follow Su Wuming, Lu Lingfeng, Pei Xijun, Ying Tao, and Fei Qiao as they encounter mysteries in their journey west away from Changan. Also viewers learns about Lu Lingfeng's royal background too.


Recommend to watch this drama. Haha, will probably check out Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 3 since I enjoyed season 1 and 2. Hope the production team and cast can keep to the elements that captivated viewers.

Read More