labcat

Average rom com with some mystery

Apart from the romance plot involving 3 couples, part of the story is about their investigations into some clandestine activities involving using people to experiment on drugs without their consent.

The series starts of pretty well, but the romance parts of the story and the investigations are not very nicely integrated. The main characters, Bai Yu and Wu Xia, are investigating separate cases (the death of Bai Yu's father and the apparent death of Wu Xia's brother) that have them pursuing the same targets. That's fine, but when we see a focus on the romance, the investigations disappear into the background, only to appear again whenever the writers feel like it. Additionally too little is shown of how Bai Yu's father died or what caused Wu Xia to think that her brother has been killed. I'm left with the impression that this is a clumsily executed attempt at heightening the suspense before the revelation. The limited revelation seems so deliberate that it's yelling "We can't give the story away yet!"

As for the characterization, most of the main characters are likable, the sort one is likely to find in a rom com but with some degree of complexity. Still, I'm left wondering how Bai Yu's teacher became his teacher, what she's doing as a dancer (is it a cover for her actual activities), and why she is on his side in going after the one who has killed his father. At times, she seems to have a personal vendetta against the bad guys, but there is a lack of elaboration and sometimes she seems to be simply around to help Bai Yu. (Also, what has she taught him? I have the impression that she is his martial arts teacher, but we don't really get to see her showcasing her skills.)

Then comes the plot twist of sorts when the mastermind behind the clandestine drug experimentation is revealed. It is a twist that one is all too likely to see coming, so much so that there isn't even any effort at making the moment of revelation seem shocking. It's a pity that the writers have not channeled their energy into the investigations plotline. It makes for a fairly interesting story, and the "twist" regarding the mastermind can be avoided altogether. After all, despite serving to weave together different events, the twist makes the tone and characterization rather uneven.

Love Like White Jade is an ok rom com if it happens to be your genre, but don't expect anything exceptional from it. It is best enjoyed when you want something light and sweet without a focus on heavy, dark themes.

Read More

Starts off promising but ends up being average

Yet another Medical Examiner Dr Qin series? This one isn't the best, but at least it feels better than another one that I gave up on because it felt a tad too pretentious.

Dr. Qin is in Longfan City to help out with a (serial) murder case that bears a striking resemblance to a murder he witnessed as a kid. Along the way, he helps solve several other cases. The series starts off fairly well, with the discovery of a decapitated body; the dynamics between the main characters seem rather promising. Although the cases involve murder, there seems to be something lighter in the way the relationships between the main characters are portrayed. This is almost reminiscent of the 2016 Dr Qin drama starring Zhang Ruo Yun, but there is barely any development except for a romance between Dr Qin and a police officer. The actor playing Da Bao is really cute but not given a significant part (though Da Bao was more important in the 2016 Dr Qin drama).

The series get a little boring after a while: the main serial killer case is suspended when another case happens, then the serial killer kills another person, then attention falls to yet another case. There is an attempt to connect some of the cases, but the result is not very impressive. The main serial killer case is probably supposed to be the most interesting, but it seems carelessly written. Major spoiler:

The serial killer is adopted at the age of 10, some time after his father. The father was killed fifteen years before the serial murders. This means that he is at most 25 years old when he commits the murders. However, 6 years before committing the murders, he is already a successful doctor who is almost married to a reporter--what? at the grand old age of 18-19?

In the end, the attempt to establish connections between main serial killer plot with the other cases and what has happened 15 years ago is ambitious but a failure. It would have been better to simply let the cases be unconnected and have stronger story for the serial killer. For much of the series, the scenes featuring the serial killer (even just in dreams) are done in horror-movie style. It works at the start in terms of showing how Dr Qin remains traumatized by the murder he has witnessed as a kid. However, it becomes stale after a while.

As with other Dr Qin dramas, a part of the story is about Dr Qin's father. I was expecting something interesting about why Dr Qin's father left the family years ago, but there isn't anything really interesting about it. This is a pity for the actor playing the father is rather good and could have handled a more interesting role.

Despite the flaws, the series is average fare that is worth a watch if your expectations of a drama in the genre is not too high? But there are certainly better ones to watch.

Read More

Absorbing tale of political intrigue with interesting characters and elements of wuxia

Political intrigue is not everyone's cup of tea, but this series does it in a way that will be appealing to a lot of people. There are plenty of conniving characters in the story, but it's not the kind of story that will leave one with a dreadful sense of cynicism or the idea that people are all merely making use of one another to achieve their own aims. Instead, there are characters we can appreciate, even those who are not on the side of the protagonist.

For a story that involves so much scheming, it surprisingly has a subtle central message about kindness. Xu Feng Nian is a reluctant potential heir to his father's important position, one which the ruler is both dependent on and heavily guarded against. His father is a master of covert plots and can be merciless with his enemies, but is essentially not a bad person. Xu Feng Nian is actually very similar, but he is reluctant to sacrifice the people he cares about for "greater" ends like peace in the country: basically he wants to have his cake and eat it. Nevertheless, it seems that his attempts to do something different from his father end up being whatever his father has planned for him to do in the first place.

If the story is not handled properly, we might just end up with a bland story with a lot of scheming characters we don't care about. But in Sword Snow Stride, the protagonist is bent on tempering his actions with kindness. So while the political intrigue is an unfortunate aspect of his life (and the lives of all the other characters), the solution, it seems, is not to run away from it but to be great at it without losing one's kindness and sense of justice. Quite importantly, though it is not overly emphasized, Xu Feng Nian is saved by his/his late mother's kindness at a critical juncture towards the end.

One thing that strikes me as being particularly well done is the sentimental aspects of the story, particularly the protagonist's relationships with the other characters. Surprisingly romance is not given a whole lot of attention although it is there. Instead, Xu Feng Nian's relationships with his father, his siblings and even his deep friendship with a servant who dies early on in the story are finely blended into the story of what he has to/wants to do before he succeeds his father. Almost every character who plays a relatively significant role has a distinctive personality (and mind you, there are many, many characters). This is a sign of a really well written script.

There are more treats for the audience. The wuxia elements of the story practically ventures into xianxia territory, and the fight/swordplay sequences are beautifully choreographed (even if perhaps not altogether innovative). Some might find the sequences of the greatest martial arts masters a little over-the-top, especially when they can affect nature or open some celestial gate, but I don't think it mars the story in any way. Perhaps it is related to the theme: the most powerful masters of martial arts are mostly not the ones who wield power or connive whereas the masters of political schemes do not always have physical prowess; eventually a balance of both may be necessary even for noble political aims.

There is likely a second season given the viewership ratings that the series has garnered. On its own, however, this season ends satisfactorily. It is certainly possible for further developments: who is the woman who helps Xu Feng Nian several times while purportedly wanting to kill him, what is happening with the Wudang Sect guy at the end of the story, will the two baby tiger "monsters" that Xu Feng Nian has adopted have an important role to play, etc? Despite all the loose threads that can lead to a Season 2, Season 1 ends in a surprisingly satisfactory way. It does not give the sense that it ends in the middle of nowhere or resort to some sort of bizarre cliffhanger that makes us doubt our understanding of the entire season. It is not an easy feat to strike the perfect balance between having proper closure for Season 1 while keeping things just open enough for a Season 2 (so that Season 2 will seem like a natural extension), but this series has managed it.

Read More

BL with a concept that has potential but ultimately falls flat

Cute actors, a nice song and relatively high production value do little to salvage a weak story that is conceptually quite fun.

There is some tension between two actors, Play and First, who are supposed to act as lovers in a series. They don't seem to get along very well but at the same time, they seem to be attracted to each other. This could have been a story about how Play and First develop feelings for each other while acting as lovers, with some sensitively depicted feelings of confusion on their part. However, it turns out to be a mess with scenes of squabbling without strong indications of their romantic feelings or other emotions.

There are also clichés and stereotypes. To make matters worse, the side characters' dialogues are often pointless or at least lost in translation. Although there are only 5 episodes in the whole series, a lot of time is used for unnecessary scenes.

The main characters are not properly developed and they appear temperamental and inconsistent. One minute First is laying his head on Play's lap and the next minute they are squabbling. The story pretty much begin in the middle of nowhere, and it is not clear how the two male leads meet, why they don't seem to get along and how they starting having feelings for each other.

Then a love triangle is thrown into the story as another guy, Pluto, is in love with Play. The love triangle isn't altogether pointless. Ironically, the Pluto/Play part of the story is told in a much better way than the Play/First part of the story. At least we know how they meet each other and Pluto's affections are unambiguous.

Read More

Funnier than the main series

This special episode, which features only Adachi and Kurosawa, does not advance the story any further, but it is a nice addition to the series. If you like the series, this episode is a good addition to it, especially if you watch it immediately after watching the series. There's actually more humor in this episode than in the main series as we see Adachi and Kurosawa's colleague trying to find out why they are so close and draws and unexpected conclusion. I also like it that there's an indirect reference to Adachi's mind-reading power (which he has lost) as he now can't read Kurosawa's mind and find out what he likes but he is still slowly learning to understand Kurosawa better.

Read More

A lot of recycled scenes as flashbacks, but used reasonably well

There are really too many "recap" scenes in this special episode as a journalist and Wakamiya go around talking to people related to past cases. But while the many recycled scenes are indeed excessive, I do think that they have been used strategically at times to show, for instance, Wakamiya's attachment to Shishio ("Sherlock"). It is just that there is really no need for so many of them or for them to be so long. The revelations of the other characters who are thinking back about the past will require some flashbacks, but they could often have been shorter.

The criminals' reactions to the journalists can be interesting, and the presence of the journalist trying to write something about Shishio is intriguing. But ultimately, we get more questions. Is the journalist up to no one or is she really someone who is grateful to Shishio for his help in the past? We don't have conclusive answers. Where is Moriya (the villain) and is the man claiming to be Moriya in the last episode of the series really Moriya? One thing we do know eventually is whether Shishio survives the fall into the sea in the last episode. This is revealed at the end, but again: what has happened to him? We don't know. More questions. So please give us a Season 2?

Read More

Can there be more cuteness and sweetness in a BL?

Rarely do I find a BL that makes me feel equally for both the male leads. The character settings may sound familiar: we have a guy who has a crush on another but tries his best to keep it a secret, we have a guy who has little confidence in himself and sees himself as just a person who cannot be more ordinary and nondescript. But instead of putting both of these into one character and having the diffident guy as the one in love with someone handsome and popular, we have the handsome guy secretly in love with the one with a low self-esteem. And simply with this move, we don't have the usual trope of a practically toxic handsome guy finally falling in love with the long-suffering ordinary person. Instead, there is plenty of sweetness throughout.

I can empathize with the handsome man who assumes the other person isn't interested in him but finds it harder and harder to just remain colleagues with him, and I can identify with the feelings of the diffident man who assumes that no one would ever be interested in him. This story of two really nice people falling in love with each other and getting together is touching without making one feel miserable (well except perhaps for the fact that the fiction will not be one's reality). It is light-hearted without resorted to senseless humor.

The side couple is similarly cute though their personalities are different. And there's a cat. Two cute and sweet BL couples and a cat and a pretty good story: it is hard to ask for more when watching BL. Even the friendship between Adachi (the one who lacks confidence) and his best friend, Tsuge (one half of the side couple) is so adorable. And while one of the female characters is interested in Adachi, she is not used as some sort of evil woman who goes between the main couple. Instead, she is genuinely supportive of their relationship.

This is how you make a heartwarming BL series. You don't need passionate kissing scenes or tons of bare flesh or a story full of twists and climax full of tension. Just use this as a textbook example. I'm not even asking for a second season. I'm asking for more BL series like this. They are not going to be the only BLs I love or the only things I watch, but I do want such series around to watch when I'm feeling down and need something to give me some warmth.

Read More

Thought-provoking but not a film with mass appeal

The Chinese title of this short film is "The Distance that Isn't Heard" (which can either refer to the distance between people who don't hear each other out or literally "inaudible distance"). We have the story of a gay couple in a society which has achieved (more or less) equal rights for gay people and in which people have become more accepting of homosexuality. But even without the hurdle of a lack of acceptance, can two men who are attracted to and love one another overcome differences in political outlook?

The good thing about this short film is that it does not have an in-your-face message or preach anything in particular. It shows the relationship between the two men, but there may not be a clear point to discern from the scenes which are nonetheless beautifully shot. The film is open to interpretation. Its strength may also be its weakness, however. It may come across as being a tad pointless or somewhat pretentious in adopting a needlessly disjointed narrative structure.

If we consider the film to be about love, it is easy to think that when one is in love with another person, one won't care about the other person's occupation. But is it love if one does not even know the other person's occupation or has not made an effort to find out? When one of the main character yells "I can't hear," is it literally that he can't hear what the other is saying because of the noisy environment or is it an indication of a refusal to hear another person out when the latter is on a different side politically? (There is perhaps an answer suggested in the scene where one shouts "I can't hear (you)" and the other shouts "I *also* can't hear (you)".

Read More

Standard fare that entertains without being too heavy

Radiation House has, in my eyes, a niche audience. I'm a little averse to watching medical dramas because the illnesses alone can be rather depressing, and it's hard to strike a balance between light-hearted and being serious about the medical issues. In a way, this series strikes a nice balance--it is quite entertaining in a predictable way, and there are funny moments and yet it is something that can be taken seriously enough. After a while, the lack of ever-heightening tension and the repetitive structure of each episode can be comforting. Unfortunately, this also means that it is not going to work for people who hope for more nuanced characterization, plot development and a stronger discussion of social issues.

There is something about a lot of Japanese series that charms me even when the series are not outstanding in any particular way. Maybe it's the little touches that make some characters endearing even when there is nothing very significant about the little touches. I like how the hospital's director "treats" members of the staff with a wide range of purportedly healthful beverages, including insect poop tea (this is not made up by the writers--there really is such a tea).

I think the series also involves quite a bit of medical knowledge even though it is probably very unrealistic about the way hospitals function. While the story has a focus on radiology technicians and the importance of their work, it is ironic that the "technician" who stands out turns out to be someone with a medical license, undercutting the message that the specific expertise of technicians is really important. What the story does succeed in doing, nevertheless, is emphasizing that the commitment to and the pride one takes in doing one's work, whether it is regarded by others as important or unimportant, can make a difference in people's lives.

It is hard to heap a lot of praise on the series. While the individual episodes can be forgiven for follow a repetitive and predictable structure without much development, the romance plotline that spans the entire series can be faulted for a lack of real development or a satisfying ending. This is despite the fact that the male lead becomes a radiology technician because of a promise he made to a girl as a kid.

Ultimately, this series is reasonably good entertainment. It's like street food that happens to taste good enough to be enjoyed, but if you judge it by the culinary standards of fine-dining establishments, you can find fault with it. It is best to know and appreciate it for it is. It's nice, and I will go back to the stall again (there's the second season), but I know there is much better food out there that perhaps one does not have the luxury of tasting every day.

Read More

Supernatural powers, comedy and wasted potential

This can't really be considered Season 1 because it ends in the middle of nowhere.

In fact, it also starts in the middle of nowhere. The story is rather confusing at the start. Until now, I'm still wondering if there is an Episode 0 that I missed or something. There are too many things in Episode 1 that take quite a number of episodes to start making sense of. How Wei Yi Chen loses most of his supernatural powers is eventually explained but not really shown--there seems to be missing scenes. It would have been nice to see what Wei Yi Chen could do or had done prior to losing most of his supernatural powers, but there is nothing directly shown here.

It is possible to continue watching with some knowledge something about the protagonist's goal of finding his stolen notebook, until one pieces the fragments into a picture that remains incomplete. It isn't really a torturous experience to watch the series, but it seems to me that there is a relatively good story that does not get told fully.

The characters are often silly. This works to enhance the humor at times but also makes many characters hard to take seriously or feel a lot for. But all too often, something is set up only to be abandoned, like building a part of a nice building only to abandon the project. For example, the misunderstanding that Wei Yi Chen and Duanmu Hao are a couple is used to generate some humor but just when one is expecting this to be developed further, it seems to have been abandoned suddenly.

If you enjoy shows featuring people with supernatural powers while having some comedy, this may be for you. But you may have to brace yourself for confusing moments (especially at the start). You will probably still end up feeling that the show has a lot of wasted potential even if it is entertaining in some ways.

Read More

Undefinable but rather entertaining comedy that could have taken itself more seriously

The ratings I'm giving are pretty much nonsensical. This series is pretty hard to review. It is a low-budget series that can be improved in quite a number of ways. The choreography of fight sequences, the editing and cinematography are not exactly impressive. On the other hand, there can be a lot of fun in story of a college for people with supernatural powers (which are determined by their star sighs).

The absurdist and often self-reflexive humor with frequent allusions to Chinese pop songs can be entertaining even though the extent to which it works in the middle of the more serious scenes is debatable. While it is often a good thing that the story is not presented as one to be taken seriously, it seems that the production team has gone a little too far with this at times. It feels almost as if they merely decided to have fun, thinking that they can't possibly make anything great with the limited budget and other constraints. Yet, if they had just moderated the absurdism somewhat, the series would have been much better. I loved how the series focuses on the more glamorous characters while making a statement about the underdogs who are ignored. The minor characters who refer to themselves as minor characters brings to mind how even people who are not in the limelight or center of attention are often neglected. There is also the a character with the power of invisibility to good effect--he appears only occasionally (enough for us to remember) and reminds invisible until Episode 28 when he is revealed to have been quietly protecting the main female character. In life, many people go unnoticed, whether it is because of their personality, their class status or other reasons, and this is shown in a suitably understated manner.

At its best, the series makes use good use of whatever resources it has. The product placements, for instance, are often used in a way that enhances the humor. Apart from the premise of a battle of people with supernatural powers, there is the romance between the main male and female characters and even hints of BL in a comedy that is rather hard to define. I think the story was a little too rushed in the last few episodes--the beginning contains too much unimportant stuff related to the competition in the college and could have been made more compact so that the story can end properly. Perhaps a Season 2 was being considered, but I doubt it will be done.

Read More

Good basic story that isn't delivered all that well

It may be worth noting that a number of the characters in this series seem based on the characters in Gu Long's Chu Liu Xiang novels, but the names have been modified. The protagonist, instead of Chu Liu Xiang, is now Chu Yun Xiao. Those who have been acquainted with Chu Liu Xiang may just be able to enjoy the series more than those who start watching with a blank slate.

The series starts somewhat abruptly, without spending time for the exposition of the main character. This is one of the instances of having a protagonist that the audience may not care much about. Perhaps those who know Chu Liu Xiang would have a different reaction. Other aspects of the production also make the series less engaging than it could have been. For instance, the dubbing isn't very good--it's not that the voice actors are bad, but this is one of those series that keep bringing to my consciousness that dubbing has been done.

The characterization also seems a little haphazard. We know Chu Yunxiao is really close to his two buddies, but we don't see why. One of his buddies, Hu Wan Hua, isn't a very consistent character, but not in the sense that there is character development. Ji Xuan Yuan, the other buddy, is more consistent (and probably the most likable of the characters). Chu Yun Xiao himself switches from being frivolously flirtatious to being faithful and devoted in love. Chu's love interest, the female physician, Leng Xing Chen, also vacillates between being jealous and being understanding when she sees Chu with other ladies whom he has no interest in.

The weaknesses above are rather unfortunate because they get in the way of what is overall quite an interesting story. Although the revelation of the identity of one of the villains in the last episode doesn't come as a surprise (we can practically see it coming starting from Episode 1), there is a nice revelation about how and why he has become villainous. It is just that the delivery of a nice story in concept may leave quite a lot to be desired. The pacing is fast, which is not a bad thing, but it is also so hurried towards the end that there are loose ends that are not tied.

If you can overlook the shortcomings of the series, it may well be worth a watch. However, it is probably necessary to moderate your expectations.

Read More

Lacks originality but quite decently done

I was reminded of Love & the Emperor when I started watching this series as both are about a female protagonist who enters a game world. While Love & the Emperor suffers from some problems with its switches between "reality" to the game world, My Queen largely avoids such problems at the expense of making the "real world" quite redundant. Why not just tell the same story without making it a story within a game the protagonist is playing? Sure, there won't be the moments when the protagonist is self-consciously analyzing the plot and commenting on the clichés, but that's not really a big loss. If the plot is full of clichés, it doesn't really help to have the protagonist openly calling a spade a spade.

The series has its entertainment value--expect some laughs, but don't expect it to move you to tears or make you think deeply about life. (That can be a good thing if all you want is something light enough to escape into.) One of the countries in the world of the game is supposedly one in which women are dominant, but don't expect any interesting feminist thought coming from the story. Somehow, even in a world where women are dominant, women from the palace somehow have to go out dressed as men? Think too much about the story, and you will likely be disappointed. Just sit back and enjoy the flight of fancy if it happens to be your cup of tea.

Read More

A bit of lighthearted fun with some twists and turns

Love's Outlet is this company that exists in a parallel universe of sorts. It has the power to sell you love from the person you want love from, in exchange for one of your positive attributes. There's quite a bit of fun that is possible from such a premise.

The story has some interesting turns but they don't always work well. The BL that turns out to be nothing, for example, doesn't really work. In the first place, if Xiao Chuan (second male lead) likes the same girl (female lead, Jing Xue) as You He (first male lead), the scene of Xiao Chuan waiting forlornly for You He in the rain doesn't quite make sense. Additionally, there is only a rather weak explanation for You He's temporary shift from being in love with Jing Xue to being in love with Xiao Chuan. Supposedly, it is because Xiao Chuan bought Jing Xue's love after You He bought it, so Xiao Chuan will get You He's love first, according to the contract. Even though the terms of the contract may be ridiculous, there is really no reason for Love's Outlet to include such a clause when it can simply make the second buyer wait for his turn.

Perhaps there was an intention to let the story take a BL turn, but for commercial reasons, this was not done. After all, the potential audience may be smaller. Also, to keep viewers guessing how the story would turn out, the series cannot be marketed as BL, but BL is usually marketed as BL and drawing non-BL fans into the series only to give them a BL series is likely a move that is too risky commercially. I still like how the story turned out, but I think the whole story would make more sense if it had a BL turn. The potential for plot twists would still be present even if the series is BL.

(On a side note, Jiang Dian is really charming as Zuo You He. I see a lot of people swooning over Wayne Song who has a supporting role, but I find Jiang Dian cute as the male lead.)

Read More

All the building up to idontknowwhat

The abilities and resourcefulness of the main villain (or is he--we are kept guessing throughout) are very much fantastical despite being framed as some sort of scientifically explainable phenomena. If one gets past this, one could appreciate the story a little better. Then again, case after case of serial killings seem to be a build-up for something bigger as the cases are always half-solved, and it seems that the main "villain" is planning something big--perhaps something that would even call into question his supposed villainy. Then the series ends. It seems that there is supposed to be a Season 2, but I cannot help feeling that there should be more to Season 1.

The censoring of the BL content isn't helping much. In a way, the BL has been sublimated into bromance, but that is rather thin too. The two main characters clearly care a lot for each other--Bai Yutong's concern for Zhan Yao, in particular, is obvious. But their quibbling seems a little random. The story starts with them being rather hostile to each other, but suddenly they also seem to have good rapport. Then, randomly, they start being hostile to one another. With better exposition at the start regarding the sort of relationship they have, the vacillation between rapport and hostility would have made more sense. The side "couple", Bai Chi and the magician, actually work better, with more overt hints of romance though it cannot be too obvious thanks to censorship.

It seems that there will be a Season 2, and I'm piqued enough to watch it if it ever comes out. But I don't know if I will lose my patience if it turns out to be more building up without amounting to anything.

Read More