Sol1056

The characterizations make so much sense to me. They've had 17 years of misunderstanding, hurt, and resentment. Neither of them will be able to move forward until they're able to fully unpack the walls between them. PWX confessing about how he *used* to feel is a big step in that direction, and it's also necessary for LR to process that before she could even consider how he feels now, or even how she feels.

Almost twenty years of estrangement is really difficult chasm to cross. Reconciliation's not an overnight thing, and I have huge respect for a storyline that knows not to rush the process.

Uhhhh... in ep23, when the Madam is talking to the official, did it look to anyone else like her cleavage was all the way to her belly button? I think her dress is supposed to be a very soft blush color, except I can't actually see it because it blends with her skin so well. It's so the opposite of what I expect to see (especially in a c-drama) that it's proving completely distracting.

By episode 15, look like the Duke's in my favorite kind of ML mode (with Gu Ting Ye being one of the most well-known examples) -- he's not moving a finger. He's just sitting back and totally enjoying watching his love interest utterly obliterate whomever is getting on her nerves. When a FL's assured (and legit) competence makes the ML fall even harder, now that's what I call romantic.

In that case, might as well say LLTG re-used the trope straight out of TSATB, with Wallace Chung. A gag as old as time.

Every time there's a scene with the grandmother, I keep thinking: boy, if only Minglan's grandmother were here. Heads would ROLL. None of this polite smiling and hoping heads fall off on their own!

It feels like "block your way by stepping in the direction you step, back and forth several times" is a much-loved dance move in the show. Starting to feel like a running gag...

Oh, I'm not unfamiliar, so much as just tired of the trope's overuse!

I think I'd forgive it more if he were given at least some personal quirks or interests, like teasing his subordinates, having a dog, or playing an instrument, or just something that indicates a personality. Something! Instead he's only ever laying around with seemingly nothing to do other than sometimes striking a dramatic pose after cartwheeling through the air.

You'd think head of special police would at the very least be drowning in paperwork, right? The result is he appears to have oodles of time on his hand and nothing better to do than get in her way. Or strike dramatic poses.

Four or five episodes in, and this Duke Su is really starting to bother me. Are we supposed to find him attractive for being so goddamn nosy about something that really isn't his concern? He's established she's irrelevant to his main mission, yet he continues to act like he's quite free to interrogate on things that are not only none of his business, but equally irrelevant.

Does he turn out to not be the main love interest, or does he get knocked down a few pegs (or more like a whole ladder) at some point? Because right now he seems more like a stalker, if the stalker's a cop with all the power and none of the oversight.

Not even halfway through the first episode, and clearly they'd rented the wirework system and by golly they were gonna get their money's worth. Along with the blowers (for those wonderful wind-blown twirling shots) and the dust/smoke effects (makes kicked-in doors all that more impressive), and boy are the foley guys hard at work, too.

I personally think it's a bit much by my taste, but I do have to give the filming crew props for fully committing to the bit.

FoF = Fangs of Fortune (vs the alternate name that I actually prefer) -- https://kisskh.at/755301-the-story-of-mystics

Re-watching while I'm waiting for FoF to finally drop, and despite knowing the answers this time around (as to the various schemes, I mean), there are parts that make even less sense, now. Especially when characters stay 'in character' even when no one's watching -- even our intrepid little spies drop the act when they're alone or it's just the two of them.

But the cinematography's still so well-done, the actors are all pretty, the clothing and sets are gorgeous, so who cares about logic anyway? >.<

Personally, I recommend just stopping at the 3rd-to-last episode, or around there. The last two episodes seem to mostly be a whole lot of bathos and exposition, including for characters who were never onscreen. (Looking at you, extended cameo.) And the second half of the last episode is utterly pointless.

I've seen her be more lively in some roles, so seems like she chooses these flat-affect roles on purpose. Maybe she just finds them more fun, easier, idk. Y'know, the way LYN likes to die before the end. Guess everyone has their own quirk.

I finally figured out the one word that fits the director's style for the vast majority of his work in the past ten years: PORTENTOUS. He's quicker to fall down than to get up when it comes to payoffs, but boy is every work stuffed to the gills with hints and insinuations. Absolutely portentous.

oh for crying out loud, why does the boy keep choosing scripts where his character suffers the most!?

Well, someone spoil me at least in this one detail: is this yet another series where LYN's character doesn't make it to the final closing credits?

Well, seeing how I know I've seen at least two dramas that were finally released years after being ready (went back & checked: ~3 yrs and ~5 yrs), it's always possible at some point this might be trotted out. But at least in the mid-term, I'm not betting on it.

Ugly got shot during that threeway and died, while Bad couldn't shoot b/c Good had removed the bullets from his gun. In the end, Good and Bad each get half the gold.

I'm just waiting for someone to say the line, "There are those with guns, and those who dig. You dig."

So far, pretty skillful retelling of The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly but set w/in run up to and/or ongoing internal Chinese strife (not unlikes GBU's setting being mid-Civil War). GBU is three men looking for stolen confederate gold: Ugly learns the name of the guy who knows the gold's location; Bad learns the location; Good learns which grave it's in. So Good and Bad have to cooperate, while Ugly is right behind them. Also, Bad and Ugly both have gangs, while Good is working solo. Any of this sound familiar?

As for the soundtrack, that echoes of Morricone's iconic theme show up when the little constable arrives on the scene, seems to me he's clearly the Good. Except that in this case, he's not the Man With No Name, he's the Man Whose Name No One Seems To Care About. Being a backwater hick from the Chinese equivalent of Podunk, Kentucky.

So I guess that makes Mu Qing the Bad, and Bufan the Ugly? Problem is I can't remember which of them actually does want to get the treasure to Sun Yatsen (Wen). If the storyline doesn't break too far from its inspiration, then Good and Bad should split the treasure and part ways, after they both take down Ugly. Frankly, GBU is three guys very much each in it for himself, while Heroes is three guys, none of whom are doing it for themselves.

*ponders*

Episode 4, at around the 15-minute mark, there's a fight scene. It starts like usual bgm, and quickly includes a bit of Chinese opera, very faintly, blending in... and then it segues around the 16-min mark, and stg that's the opening theme to Good, Bad, and the Ugly. Wanh-wanh-nah-nah, once or twice, and then a bit of the guitar lick that follows. It's not loud about it, but it's unmistakable, and it absolutely cracks me up that when we get it is when our beleaguered but determined little constable is kicking someone's ass. Fistful of Dollars, you betcha.