xiaoyezi

Making our youth counts with the right guidance

Ray of Light is like your typical coming of age, school drama - with a crucial additional pillar, Hao Nan Lao Shi. Indeed, great teachers do make students care more for their studies.

What is enjoyable about Ray of Light is being able to see this story from Hao Nan Lao Shi perspectives, on how he believes his students’ potential, on how he advises them as a friend / peer, on how he spend the time with them to get through their current largest hurdle.

On the students end, I particularly like one of the students arc, Jia Kun, who wants to go Shanghai because his first love is there. Through Hao Nan Lao Shi’s words, he comes to realise that the most reliable support to protect their love is through getting a stable job which education can provide. That’s the kind of adult’s perspective, influence and guidance a lot of teenagers need in crucial juncture of their lives - and it‘s nice to see this play out well on screen.

Ren Zhen’s and Gao Yuan’s relationship dynamic is also cute. They share a side with each other that they don’t show to others, they listen to each other’s worries and support each other, they study together and know to prioritise the practical things first - it’s the kind of high school romance I ship. The romantic buff in me is interested to see more of their development as working adults.

Hao Nan Lao Shi’s backstory is a little dramatic, but I guess it grounds the character, knowing his what, his when and his why. Special mention to his mum visiting his workplace - cool mum.

Despite the aforementioned highlights, I only rated Ray of Light at 7.0 because I wasn’t pulled in by all of Qingyun Class 14. What makes high school time highly reminiscent is because of the shared camaraderie of going through the same intensive public exam that seemingly make / break everyone’s future and a celebratory graduation trip that symbolically marks the start of adulthood. While there were these in Ray of Light, I don’t feel that camaraderie bond between Class 14, which is a key ingredient for school dramas. They can’t seem to evoke that mixed feeling of anxiousness and anticipation which I once felt about graduating high school / university.

(Oops, looks like you guys could probably guess my age range now. :P)

Maybe it’s the pacing of the stories, maybe it’s the execution, maybe it’s the cast, or maybe I have past that stage in life. Regardless, Ray of Light is still worth to check out, especially if you are into coming of age stories. If it’s not for Class 14, for Hao Nan Lao Shi, who’s that ray in this story.

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Slowing down admist all the hustle and bustle [of dramaland]

Meet Yourself is likely the type of show where you’d either love it to the moon or feel meh about.

To some, 40 episodes of a healing drama is too long; to a few others, the show probably inspire them to take intentional steps, as required, so they’d be able to appreciate the things that matter to them, before it’s too late.

For me, I quite like Meet Yourself for its lovely characters, awesome cinematography, mature romance, and nuggets of wise conversations…but it has to catch me at the right mood. Even this review has been a long time coming, which ironically fits into the show’s iconic slow pacing.

First things first, on the story premise, we follow Xu Hong Dou journey of healing in Yunmiao Village after feeling burnt out from the grief she felt of her best friend’s death. As she settled in and eventually got “coaxed” to take up an advisory position to assist the local cafe, she started to get more involved in the affairs of people at Yunmiao Village. And then, slowly but surely, Xu Hong Dou felt pockets of fresh air from this place and people, which gave her the energy to connect with herself and begin again.

While there may seem that the stories were unfolding in its own timing and there are many moments in the show that seems more like local tourism MV promotion, I’d say that’s how life kinda is. After all, we don’t necessarily stop to hear or remember the stories of people we deal with in our day to day life. Only when the interactions increase and we start to care about these stories of people who were once strangers to us would we then feel the impact in our hearts. It’s not a process that we can and should rush. And this is the timing that Meet Yourself follows - through Xu Hong Dou’s lens and timing.

Each character’s arcs and stories make Yunmiao Village a warm place. And the greatest anchor is Xie Zi Yao, a promising young lad who had the capability, heart and determination to work on his vision - a vision that Xu Hong Dou seems to understand and support. Neither of them were looking for romance. Yet, they found life is better with each other in it.

In the world of hustle bustle, in real life or drama land, Meet Yourself firmly cement itself as the place that everyone wants to rest and relax in, but unsure if they want it for that long. Still, I’d recommend everyone to give it a shot - perhaps at some point of your life, Meet Yourself may be what you need to reconnect with what you want to work towards to and what matters to you.

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Values and characters worth to learn from

It was an unexpected day for He Huan. On her 10th year marriage anniversary, her husband went MIA, and 4 debtors soon came to collect million of debts owned by her missing husband. As if this news weren't shocking enough, her long term program got cut due to critical reviews by her friend, her mum diagnosed with cancer, oh and her missing husband - turns out he cheated.

Thus, we have our story's premise for Be Your Own Light, a story of a woman requiring to step back up on her own feet after her world crashed oversight.

What works well for a seemingly cliche plot is the element of surprise. The show smartly use our bias to make us enjoy the show. It has grounded and likeable characters. It has smart, witty slightly over the top approach for moments that were supposedly cringey or dramatic. It has sincere dialogues and positive messages for us to learn from - on career, on life struggles, on beliefs.

And the show smartly turn its focus to He Huan's, Bai Yang's and Yuan Yuan's career line after the necessary context of He Huan's situation was established.

~~

Starting with our main female lead, He Huan played the role of a woman who seemingly had it all, with stable career and loving family. When her world crashed before her, I was impressed with how the show laid out her growth and development. Here, we saw a strong woman who picked herself back up steadily and decisively after going through the proper stages of grief. Yes, there's a tad teeny idealistic cliche-y moments. No, there is no domineering CEO boyfriend to the rescue nor some untapped special potential that He Huan unlocks. If anything, her talent is always recognised before she left the news industry 13 years ago to prioritise family.

I like that He Huan is kind, but not a Mary Sue, principled but not a preacher. She had clear and admirable motivations for her actions. He Huan accepted the reality that her skills may not be able to meet the current fast paced environment and humbly chose to start again. She worked through the ranks again, and gained the rightful recognition through effort, sincerity, and tenacity.

~~

Bai Yang played the foil of He Huan's character - the successful career lady who remained single. With her blunt, no nonsense, demanding, rigid and prideful personality, she can be a character that's easy to dislike or sympathise. To Bai Yang, she says what she means and she means what she says. If anything, Bai Yang, though the most expressively critical of He Huan, is one of the few that truly believed in He Huan's capability and often helped the latter in tangible ways.

While Bai Yang's arc may feel a little outdated in 2023 for some modern single ladies, I enjoyed how the show highlighted her vulnerable sides and how the few perceptive ones in the show could see through as well. I love they knew the right opportunities to offer words of comfort which Bai Yang needs to hear. Sure, Bai Yang has a strong steel of armor, but she is no machine. These moments ground her characters and made Bai Yang real.

~~

Last but definitely the most refreshing, we have Yuan Yuan. Yuan Yuan resembles a lot of more what people who term as "masculine" traits. She is ambitious, competitive, assertive, courageous, calculative, and decisive. With people, she is direct in expressing her thoughts whenever the moment is right. She is the first one that helped He Huan and gave the latter a much needed dose of reality checks. At work, she is resourceful and almost never let emotions get in the way. While certain actions toe the line, Yuan Yuan has her principles that she doesn't cross. With the right reminders, she focus on her own pie and value. In relationships, she is clear with what she wants, and is quick to honor her thoughts when she changed mind too.

~~

To wrap up my review, Be Your Own Light shows that light can come in many forms - so long it is our own effort.

While my review did not highlight much of Liu Yu Ning's character and arc, he did a great job too and his character, Jiang Jun Hao, is one of the cutest onscreen debtors. The pacing is by and large okay, with the last part a little rushed. I don't quite get He Huan's husbands' motivation / actions, and I personally also didn't feel we need Jiang Jun Hao and He Huan falling in love. But I guess we won't have a story if the husband isn't a jerk and each of these lovely females having a "worthy happily ever after" partner. Oh well, the silver lining is their love stories aren't that forced, cliche or not.

And thus, Be Your Own Light is an enjoyable series with admirable characters, especially the ladies.

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A detective fan favourite series

Girlfriend died of drowning in a room devoid of water. Few years later, encountered a mysterious key that can unlock doors to anywhere one wishes, and perhaps the answer to the unresolved case from the past. That's where our story, the Record of Strange Things begins.

Depending on the type of audience you are, this setup may or may not sound interesting. As a Chinese drama fan, RoST is a unique category of its own where users in modern world can leverage on supernatural objects. Thus, it's worth exploring just based on this point.

As an old school detective fans, this is the basic setup of every other detective teams' new adventure to a strange world. Indeed, the plot structure is nothing original. After the necessary introduction of our main characters, the remaining episodes are structured into a few arcs with the same formula. Each arc is centered on a strange object and key characters relating to this case. While the arcs can be watched as standalone case on its own, they are related. Resolution of each arc gets our characters closer to the climax and finale of this RoST season.

Sounds troupe-y and Conan-ish? Yes, but old school detective fan favourite would buy this setup for RoST is a detective story done right. RoST has lovely characters, fascinating twist and turns of story arcs as well as consistent, tight logic of overarching plot.

One, we have the coming together of these unlikely quartet that's lovable.

At the beginning, they are forced to work together by circumstances and coincidences. They continue to work together because they have strengths that complement each other which make 1 plus 3 more than 4. What's great about this quartet is we truly see a believable friendship journey. From the start of distrust to enjoying each other's company to being a formidable team, we can feel each stage of progression and dynamics between them that's playful and enjoyable to watch. It makes us like them, as characters, and as 1 team.

Beyond these 4 main characters, the supporting characters and / or villains (it's a matter of perspectives) have their own motivations, personalities and brains.

No actions, inconsistent with characters' respective motivations.
No moments of unnecessary fillers.
No surprises, convoluted to the point that they do not make sense.
No opponents who are dumbed down to make our main characters "shine in comparison."

Special mention to Zhi Wei, a high ranked officer from the opposing organisation. Yes, he is that annoying villain-ish fella that somehow grows on the audience, unsuspectingly. Think of him as RoST version of Loki. Beyond Zhi Wei, RoST has smart opponents who do things that make sense and actually pose real challenge to our main characters - how lovely.

Two, we have intriguing story arcs that will keep audiences locked on the screen to find out what's happening next. The beginning is a little slow with the necessary setup and introduction. But once it gets past that, every moment matters. Just when we thought we have the plot figured out, we will be thrown off track with surprises that makes sense when it's revealed - how fascinating.

Three, we have well thought-out logic and consistent story plot through and through. The buildup of each moment is done well. The rules of how each objecr works are watertight and well used by the owners. As such, we are given satisfying face-off between the characters - some arcs more polished than the other, but all passable nonetheless. At the very least, none of them would make us go - "huh, but why would you do that?" What's more, the story is well injected with humor to balance off the tension that comes with a mystery show involving supernatural objects - how wonderful.

With all these coming together, the lackluster production quality and poor acting of some actors in RoST are forgivable. It's a show that was completed in 2016. It's from a production team that was tight on resources.

To sum it up, RoST is a story about the coming together of a group of 4, aided by strange objects that give users superpower. While we aren't sure if we will ever see the light of season 2 and the resolution of some setups, RoST is a love letter to detective fans, made by a production team who has equal love to this genre.

Give it a try and some time - perhaps it might grow on you. At least it didn't have 1000++ episodes like Conan.

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Fun when it does not take itself too seriously

This drama requires a low expectation to be enjoyable.

With a short 8mins of 18 episodes, there isn't a lot of time to flesh out the details of the plot. But it works precisely because of this short format.

The humor is light, playing around the female lead's determination to escape her loop of not dying and maintaining her modern personality in an ancient world. The main leads' acting is good and have believable chemistry. I enjoy this troupe of bubbly female lead warming the male lead's lonely heart - enjoy it enough to not nitpick too critically of the few plot holes here and there.

I presume this drama took inspiration from Romance of Tiger and Rose's plot - all shorten to 3 full length episodes. It's perfect when one wants to relax the brain and wind down.

For an idol drama to work, audience has to buy-in the main leads chemistry. If the plot wasn't too bad to the point that it distracts us from the chemistry, the idol drama is good enough. I presume most idol drama production team can consider to adopt this format in coming years rather than assembling a team to produce 16 to 24 full length episodes, only for audience to skip two thirds of them.

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Dreams are means to an end

Part 1 - One step at a time, together and independently

The thing about pair skating, it’s about pair work as much as it’s about individual work. Part 1 story was set in the 80’s, and it was a story that’s centred on pairs figure skating, a time when times were tough and opportunities were limited.

When I first tuned in, I thought it would be a story of hard work and true love triumphed the nationals. Little did I know, Part 1 was more about the story of Yan Zhen Hua and Li Bing He’s thin-ice romance, and excruciating hard work to fight for a spot in national ice-skating sports team. Alas, while they shared the same dream and true love, it’s a story about what happened when a pair of figure skaters did not share the same motivation, attitude, and talent / potential.

One of the key themes in Part 1 of the story was the contrast of our main leads’ family background. Coming from a poor family background, Yan Zhen Hua had all the reason and grit to struggle through arduous training on the ice so he can be his family’s pride. His greatest Achilles' heel, as all main characters would have, was this pride of his. Not that having pride was bad, in fact, it was a great motivator for YZH to push through the hurdles, so he can win the nationals. The pride did however limit his growth in ice-skate, and to a certain extent, blinded his empathy to his friends’ challenges.

In contrast, LBH, who started off as the innocent rich girl, whose eyes only had skating and her “Da Hua ge”, slowly came to develop her own comprehension about skating through her life experiences in latter part of the story. And when the rift started to become apparent, they both unfortunately decided to part ways.

It took me awhile, I surprisingly came to like this consistent characters portrayal and realistic story execution. While we can empathise with YZH’s situation and may even applaud him for gritting through and staying loyal to his dream, family and friends, truth to be told, it was hard to root for him - especially if we have also been through one or two life’s curveballs ourselves. After all, we don’t live life in vacuum. What the production team wanted to portray was the real and gruesome road to the nationals.

Part 2 - Focus on what matters

For part 2, we came to the short track speed skater story, featuring YZH’s son, Yan Yang’s training in Beijing in 00’s.

The pace was a lot faster and focused in part 2. In the present days, we can clearly tell that the facilities and support for young athletes were more matured. I particularly loved it when Coach Chen entered the picture - her no nonsense, tough love approach that focused on results might be harsh, but it’s clearly effective.

Comparatively to his father, YY is a lot more confident, calmer, and firmer on pursuing his goals. His approach when faced with setbacks were more matured. The only time he raised his voice was when YZH forcefully stopped him from a competition. It made sense, YZH and YY had quite different childhood experiences. Watching how YZH came to accept and eventually supported his son’s short speed track skating was heartwarming.

JY, as the female lead for part 2, is a determined, quiet, and awkward character. She had certain attachment to her past experiences to overcome. Watching how she warmed up to YY and going through it was enjoyable.

Apart from YY and JY’s development and journey, both on ice and off ice, there was also a clear arc / representation for each character:
- Yan Yang: The unsung heroes, those who helped trained their team but may not get the chance to compete at nationals
- Jin Ying: Athletes who had exposure in overseas training system, and how they adapted back to their country’s training system
- Jia Chang An: Talent vs Hard Work in competitive sports
- Tang Han: Impact of injuries to an athlete’s career
- Tian Miao: Competitiveness, which can serve as a motivator or downfall
- Coaches: The different training philosophies and how to instil the “right” attitude. When to step in, when to take a step back, when to push, when to remain as observer

All in all, I enjoyed Part 2 story a lot more as it’s my cup of tea for a sports series, that’s centered on training progress, characters’ motivation, and team members’ dynamics / support for each other, albeit a little propaganda-ish. Part 1 story would be lovely for those who liked melodrama stories that’s centered on the main characters’ journey, speck of life’s realism, and bittersweet romance.

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Choices, consequences, and (2nd) chance

I think it's fair to say most of us have thought about what would've been different if we had made a different choice way back when. I would also bet my money to say that most of us also thought about how nice it would be if we are given a time machine to make that different choice given a chance, especially if we aren't at a good place right now. Cue to our wonderful series, Go Back Couple as we explore the different choice our 38 year-old main couple, Choi Ban Do and Ma Jin Joo make (or will make) when they find themselves back in their 18 year-old self after filing for divorce right at the first episode.

To say this story doesn't know how to tug our heartstrings is an understatement. This series really explores in depth the journey of couple relationship from falling in love to married to divorce, first loves as we remember them (vs what actually happened), our idealism about life in our younger self vs our realism (and jadedness) about life in our adult self. These are moments, stories, and messages that one would appreciate differently at different phases in life, making this series one of the top for rewatch.

Choi Ban Do and Ma Jin Joo were really well portrayed and well cast. Both were able to capture the nuance and character of both their older and younger selves. As working professionals, it's easy for us to neglect our loved ones and more importantly, ourselves in the day to day grind of trying to just survive; as university students, it's easy for us to feel like the world is our oyster and we will get whatever we set our mind to. This journey to the past is one that is very much needed by Ban Do and Jin Joo to mend their broken and battered hearts, from realities of life, and it's one that is enjoyable to watch and appreciate.

The supporting casts' stories were also well relayed, especially the second male lead, Jung Nam Gil. Through him, we learn that what we truly seek for is for someone to see us for who we are and to remind us of our strengths we sometimes fail to see in ourselves. While the second female lead's influence is less in the series in comparison, through her, we learn that it's important to do what we really want to do (responsibly of course) because there might come come a day when you can't even if you want to..... Yes, let these messages sinks in for a moment.

All in all, it's a story that's centered on healing and appreciating the moments in life, as fleeting as they may be.

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What Romantic really means

This story is rather well paced. They didn't take too long to establish the characters and their relationship with each other. For the younger doctors, they provide the hook for more common understanding of romance to audience. As we watch the show further though, we get to understand who Dr. Romantic really is, the meaning Kim Sabu provides to "Romantic" through the patients and incidents in the show, and how his own idealised view of reality influenced others, in particular the two aforementioned younger doctors, Dr. Kang and Dr. Yoon. In fact, everyone in Doldam Hospital holds their idealised view of how the medic field shall be. While I am not in the medic field and do not watch a lot of medical drama (the other ones I've watched which I think are good are Hospital Playlist and The Hippocratic Crush), I think this show balance the jargons well enough to not lose my attention.

Overall, I feel that this show has different flavors served on a platter to different kind of audience. Whether you are looking for a medical drama where the plots move along, a romance, a coming-to-age story with completed past, a persistence to live out one's values - this show provides it all.

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When you get the chance to do over

The chance to right your mistakes is one of the top wishful thinkings that never loses its charm.

By right, the premise for Story of Kunning Palace (SoKP) already makes for a great start … By left though, SoKP falls through in the genre of reborn stories with poor camera angles and lighting, story execution and okay-ish actor / actress caliber.

Director Chu is infamous in the industry for his weird camera angles and inappropriate lighting position - so I will not delve deep into this. As a general viewer, I don’t have the professional knowledge to critique this constructively. The only thing I would say is it indeed cut down my viewing experience by a fair bit.

Onto the story. Jiang Xuening was the evil, alluring empress that was given the chance to redo life when she found she was back to her 18-year old self.

First things first, like any idol drama, I think evil can and should be contested. She was morally flexible and selfish in her first life, but to emphasise she was evil and thus, felt this deep regret to redeem her past actions to Yan Lin and Zhang Zhe was a bit lost on me. I felt that this may be due to the lost of translation from the original novel to drama adaptation.

This leads to the second, related point. The director and editors presented the story such that flashbacks of 1st life would play out right before the big event happened in 2nd life, and then we would watch how Xuening did differently after. On one hand, it made the story less draggy. On the other, it made me feel less engaged with Xuening’s motivation because I didn’t get enough context on why she felt a certain way with some characters in the scene. Like why she is so afraid of Xie Wei. Or why is she so grateful towards Fangyin. I mean they did mention why with the brief flashbacks, but the impact wasn’t deep enough for me to truly grasp the full picture of Xuening’s feelings. Not to mention, some of the flashbacks felt disjointed too.

Xie Wei should be an intriguing male lead - with his obvious backstory that closely mirror of Mei Chang Su story from Nirvana in Fire. Alas, while one may be able to copy the surface level stuff, the spirit or essence of classics is not as easily replicated. Maybe it’s the screenwriter. Maybe it’s the actor. To be fair, I think Zhang Ling He did good enough for his age. His Xie Wei just doesn’t have that charisma or charm for me, for now. Quite a lot of things were diluted to me in SoKP - I couldn’t feel that Xie Wei is was that smart to be able to fool the emperor, ministers, and rebels. There were more questions about how he survived his ordeal as a kid then and the resources he was able to amass at his disposal as an adult now to be able to do what he wanted. Similar to Xuening character, I felt this is also another lost in translation case. I shall stand corrected if I ever find the time to read the novel.

The funny thing was I got more intrigued by the side characters stories more than our main leads. One was Xue Hui’s arc, Xuening’s sister who was wise and truly just wanted to live her life peacefully but was misunderstood by Xuening for her indifference, in the 1st life. As Xuening chose differently this time, she came to better understand the person beneath the protective shell Xue Hui’s has built. Pity that Xue Hui didn’t even appear much on screen. Another one was Yan Lin’s, and I was rather satisfy with his arc. Fangyin’s arc was enjoyable too.

Overall, SoKP is a good enough reborn story that’s not for the nitpicky. It has a good enough storyline that sadly wasn’t translated as robustly on screen.

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A story of redemption - of yourself and your family’s

Life has no redo - what if it does?

Hua Qian got what she wished for as she found herself back to 2 years ago. And she wasted no time to right her and her family’s wrongs, one at a time.

The early parts of the story was intriguing, figuring out the dynamics between the characters and their respective reactions to Hua Qian’s changes. Hua Qian, in her 2nd life became ever the wiser and determined to stay on the right path, as it meant staying alive. And her greatest struggle comes was from changing her closest family, making the story and characters feel rather grounded - after all, change is hard when they hadn’t experienced what Hua Qian had already “experienced prior”. I liked that it was not a walk in the park for her just because she had additional knowledge about the events. And once she changed her earlier behaviours, they logically lead to different chains of events that would no longer give Hua Qian the same advantage.

Another thing I enjoyed about Scent of Time was how Hua Qian rely on her wits most of the time to get through her valuable 2nd chance. Sure, she earned her admirers and respect. But she was no damsel in distress and played an active role in her redemption arc. This made up for the rushed ending and [somewhat] plot twist on how she got her 2nd chance…just a little bit.

Another aspect that could be improved was the supporting cast’s characters development. There were many moments in the show I felt their involvement were just pushing the plots along. Though…since it’s Hua Qian’s story of redemption, I guess this is acceptable.

Overall, I would say Scent of Time had cohesive story line and an independent female lead who stayed focus on her goals. Can give it a chance if redemption and 2nd chance stories are your thing. For those who are into romance or comedy, I’d suggest to check out other stories.

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Outsiders, assemble

I am part of the minority that like this second adaptation. The story theme of this story is tighter with only 13 episodes.

This entire adaptation revolves around Chen Duo - her origin, her upbringing, her intention, and her wants. At first, I thought it’s another character arc of a possible ally. Turns out Chen Duo’s role has greater meaning and is the necessary stepping stone to progress the story for future adaptations, if they continue with it.

This story arc also has the working together camaraderie that I feel was lacking in Season 1. The NDT Express Operatives were all one of its kind - benefitting of the arrogance and pride of a solo “Xia Ke” (martial artist / superhero). Getting them to work together needs a big enough common threat that makes them feel working together is one plus one bigger than two; and a reason that touched with their guarded cold heart because Chen Duo’s story reminded them of themselves. This is my kind of story.

The greater mystery surrounding the eight supreme skill and greater villain behind the curtain remain a mystery. The story is also getting more complex, seeming to involve worlds outside of Earth. However, for the story of Chen Duo, it got an appropriate resolution in this second season adaptation. The philosophical stance between the main villain of this season, Ma Xian Hong of wanting “equality” and the NDT Express Operatives who believed that power needs to be rightfully earned are also good food for thought.

If season 1 has the main duo, Peng Yu Chang and Wang Ying Lu, well casted, we have great addition in season 2. Vicki Chen and Yan Yi Kuan are great as Chen Duo and Yan Yi Kuan. I like the other NDT Express Operatives too.

Comparatively, season 2 is a more somber story, and thus, lack the slapstick comedy that others probably like more in season 1, given Chen Duo has a sad and pitiful origin story. In fact, season 2 feels like it can be a standalone story on its own. While we are still unsure what’s install in the upcoming season, I like how season 2 delves deeper into the motivation of why and what Outsiders are fighting for from another lens, through another character. And they possibly found allies after fighting solo for a long while.

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Modern wuxia adaptation

I love superhero movies and wuxia stories. Hence, it’s fascinating to see superhero movies imbued with Chinese culture, values and history on screen.

Like a modern wuxia series, I am Nobody is the typical origin story of a nobody with great power and responsibility that might change the world. Zhang Chulan got wrapped up into the world of Outsiders after his grandfather passed. While his grandfather didn’t utter any legacy quote during his passing, Zhang Chulan quickly found out that more people wants his inherited power for their own use. Fortunately, he met Feng Bao Bao and NDT. Even if they aren’t friends, they at least aren’t foes.

As Zhang Chulan and us understand the world of Outsiders more, more questions arise about the origin of his inherited powers and other equally powerful Supreme Skills, as well as Feng Bao Bao’s origin, someone who seem to be above the Supreme Skills.

The humor is slapstick and over-the-top kind, while not my favorite, it’s something that I can grow fond of as I get more immersed into the world.

However, the story pace seem to “ran out of gas” somewhere in the middle part. Maybe it was a mismatched expectation on my part - I was expecting a story where Chulan slowly gained camaraderie and ally as we get to know more Outsiders. Like the Avengers, they come together to fight the greater evil despite their differences. While there are moments like these, I don’t feel that the camaraderie fits well into the plot and finale. Alas, it’s a story centered on Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao. If that’s the case, some arc of the stories seem to be like filters, though it gets us to understand the side characters a little more. And since it’s clear the comic is still ongoing, it feels slightly disappointing that the greater mystery still remains a mystery.

Overall, this is an adaptation done well. Peng Yu Chang and Wang Ying Lu are well casted as the main characters. With its action packed story plot, solid characters, and stunning CGI, this is an enjoyable ride.

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Life is an adventure on our respective path

狂野 和 轨道;
Wilderness and Track; or better translated as
Adventure and Defined Path.

Which one would you choose?

It’s a lifelong question. Some made it their quest to find an answer. Some leaves the answer to their own development. I enjoyed this season’s wonderland exploration and how they structured the activities to elicit the discussions.

Discussions are only as interesting as the people discussing them. Having the few key persons who are the heart and soul of Wonderland made for another pleasant and heartwarming season. Xu Zhi Sheng, Li Xue Qin, Wang Su Loong, Meng Zi Yi, (and to some extent, Li Jia Qi and Tan Ma) are lovely people with solid friendship and lovely chemistry. The addition of new citizen to this township was a good choice too - they imbued some fresh blood that’s unique but not too out of place for Wonderland.

If one is confused at their own tracks and yearn for some wilderness, or vice versa, tune in to Wonderland S4. Perhaps some of the discussions may give you the necessary insights.

May your path and adventure be with you.
.
.
.
Quote Li Xue Qin

如果你不在轨道上，
你对那所谓的旷野是没有渴望和期待的。
If you aren’t on “the track”, you won’t have desire for the wilderness.
如果你没有在旷野里， 你对那条不知道到底存不存在的轨道也是没有预知的。
If you have never explored in the wild, you won’t know how stability that’s brought by the path feels.

你只有选择了轨道，你才会期待旷野。
Only when you chose a path [track], you will yearn for wilderness.
你只有选择了旷野，你才会想念轨道。
Only when you chose freedom [wilderness], you will miss the track.

看似对立的东西, 本身就是相辅相成和相互融合的。
What seems like opposing choices are actually complementary and interconnected with each other.

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Don’t judge a show by its trailers

When the trailer was first released, I wasn’t at so intrigued given that (1) xian xia is not my genre unless it’s heavy on the comedy (2) there isn’t any particular favorite actor or actress I like (3) the general perception of this show wasn’t that positive.

However, AvenueX’s gave a 3-star gold mine review on her personal scale - that the show is deeper and funnier than it looks.

Here I am.

Indeed, I like the theme and discussions of this show. Often, the characters have very philosophical discussions about what is right, what is truth, why I do the things I do, is this my right and truth?

What I like about these discussions is how perception of right and true differs from where you stand. So two perspectives that seem to be opposing can be true at the same time. What I respect is how Ji Tanyin / Goddess Wu Shuang can hold on to her stance firmly while respecting others’ viewpoints. She is kind, but not an annoying Mary Sue. Her line of thought is linear, naive, and simple but also logical, no ill-willed, and …simple.

On the other side of the coin, Yuan Zhong / High Priest is guarded, deep, and complex. He has multiple layers and doesn’t let people get close. This is due to his experiences. By right, he should be respected for his heroic deeds of saving his clan. But he is also feared by his immense power that he took to save his clan. Hence, he is the embodiment of duality in the story.

Of course, main characters are only one part of a good story. I love that the supporting characters have their own theme of stories that is solid enough for its own. They don’t exist only to push the stories along. Mei Shan is my one of my favorite supporting characters - who doesn’t love a happy go lucky person who has his wise sides. Having him around is a delight, as noisy as he is. I love the way he views life - as light as he can enjoy himself, as serious as he can gain mastery and enlightenment to survive over thousands of tribulation trials for several decades.

It’s not only Mei Shan’s story that’s intriguing - there is Tanyin’s master’s story, Xie You, on his 1000 year obsession in search of answer because of his love for craft; there is Pei Jiu / Lu Chen and Yunniang star crossed lovers story of heartwarming and pity; there is Qian Lin’s story in search of family for his family.

I love stories that have the little flickers of humor and the double entendre. Like AvenueX’s review, it’s probably the most normal logical xian xia we can get with all the scientific theories imbued in the crafts. It makes for a rather familiar fantasy story.

That said, a story that is overly philosophical can be too much, especially when the ending is so…normal of what we find in typical xian xia genre. Meaningful discussions that were a tad too long; humor that seems to disappear midway through; star crossed lover story that is too typical. Also, a story is only as good as its villain. The villain can be seen from a mile away. While a good enough “origin” story and a good foil to other characters’ story themes, I find the finale and resolution a little lackluster. It has the general problems that might deter the general audience - poor choice of attire, color grading, and passable visual cinematography.

All in all, philosophy and xian xia is your thing, worth to check the story out. On the philosophy side, it has discussions and questions that are worth thinking about. On the xian xia side, it has fresh elements included in the story that makes it a fun watch. It’s deeper than it looks.
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“ It depends on how you define it. What you feel pity about, may not be what the person defines as pity.”

“Don’t try to figure out others using your own morality.”

“From different perspectives, the perception of good varies.”

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Blossoming well, with the right care

A snowy night. A fated encounter. A book of records. An arrow shot.

And then, young Dou Zhao woke up from a dream that seemingly foretold her entire life. The book of records and the new birthmark she got seemed to tell her not to take this lightly.

Will things be different this time?
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It’s yet another rebirth themed story. But with well paced exposition and pacing of the story introducing the characters and background, I quickly immersed into the story. Dou Zhao quickly got into my favourite female characters list, with her wisdom, emotional maturity and capability. I like that her outlook in life which, influenced by her grandmother, went beyond palace politics and family entanglement. Even if that was hard to do with her family lineage, Dou Zhao always tried her best to protect and to live her life well.

I enjoyed the romance progress between these two for the most part - from strangers to comrades to admiration to couples. Different from other rebirth story themes, Dou Zhao in “the first life” had minimal involvement with Song Mo, our male lead. And the book of records she held only consisted of poems that require Dou Zhao to unravel the meaning. The blossom did well to highlight the exact moment and dialogues between Dou Zhao and Song Mo shared which prevented the latter from heading towards the path of no return as life kept beating him down. Whether the dream that Dou Zhao had of them was their past life or not, Dou Zhao became the guiding light that Song Mo needed in this life.

While I really liked Meng Zi Yi’s and Li Yun Rui’s CP and their chemistry, the after marriage scenes in the middle did felt a little flat, losing the sparkly tension in the beginning. I am alright with innocent secondary school kids cute fluffs, but the whole everyone is preventing me to kiss my wife troupe is a little overused. What I usually look forward to in an idol romance drama funnily felt like unnecessary fillers for me. They still have quite the improvement when it comes to their acting, especially Meng Zi Yi - but it’s good enough to make me believe and root for Dou Zhao’s and Song Mo’s romance.

Some parts of the story were a little choppy. The change of sides and motivation for some of the characters also felt abrupt and too easy, though highlight scenes were given to these supporting characters. What’s fortunate was Director Zeng’s resourceful and the cast’s dedication, from actors & actresses to screenwriter, making this point negligible. And thankfully, the last part of the story picked up the pacing and intrigue we had in the beginning, closing most of the loops and questions.

Speaking of Director Zheng, the cinematography of the Blossom was one of the more one of the more revered ones we have seen in a long while. Though it’s Director Zeng’s first long filmed television series, he utilised his best strength to enhance the visual storytelling of the shots, giving Blossom a fresh look and nice upgrade in the voluminous ancient idol romance genre.

All in all, the Blossom has grown well this winter, with each and everyone’s care. It’s Director Zeng’s first long firm production; it’s Meng Zi Yi and Li Yun Rui’s first leads show; it’s a story which talks about enduring the storms and grow strongly with a little help from others - and they all deliver.

Hope all these will win this cast another collaboration.

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What flower is this? Fourth Lady seemed to cherish it a lot.

‘Purple wreath (九重紫)’, a type of wildflower. Duke Heir doesn’t have to worry about it, it can endure countless storms and can grow strong independently.

I believe that it can, but I also believe that it will blossom quicker with a little help.

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