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Loved the Philosophical Undertones!
I have not watched period chinese or korean dramas before as period dramas are not my thing; but i am decidedly enjoying this show. There are several things that I loved:i. the characterisation of the ML, who is emotionally damaged and has his inner turmoils to handle and hence comes off as gruff and un-trusting as that is his psychological defence mechanism, not to add that he does face identity crisis over his identity of a half-human and half-demon but his gradual softening is heartwarming
ii. the philosophical undertones; there are a few episodes that i absolutely loved--the one with the water demon for instance when the audience and Miaomiao both come face to face with Mu Sheng's demonic side , or the one when the four leads tackle dowager consort Zhao in her dreams, or the episode when inside Qilian mountain the main leads confront their inner nightmares
iii. the attempt the show increasingly makes of deconstructing the human/demon binary
iv. the CGI--terrific. really adds sheen to the narrative
v. the attire, really attracted to the traditional attires and fabrics
vi. the meta-ness of the narrative, specially from Miaomiao's perspective
The ending of the show felt a bit of a let-down but overall the show was good enough for me not to be underwhelmed completely.
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Interesting premise, Boring execution
I dropped the show almost reluctantly at episode 7 but i had no choice, i was bored.While the show had its charm, it ultimately couldn't hold my attention. The handsome male lead and surprisingly realistic gym scenes were definite highlights—it’s rare to see fitness depicted with this much authenticity in a rom-com setting. The show balanced hilarious, over-the-top humour with heartfelt moments in the beginning, and when it clicked, it clicked.
However, that spark wasn’t consistent. The tone started to feel forced, and what initially felt like conscious exaggeration for comedic effect eventually became repetitive and boring. The female lead, despite being written as quirky and passionate, just didn’t land emotionally for me—something about her lacked appeal or depth. It felt like the story was trying to do a lot without fully committing to any of its threads.
Overall, it was a fun concept with a strong start, but to me it was a missed opportunity in execution. With tighter writing and more balanced character dynamics, this could have been a standout.
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paper thin plot saved by good performances
I loved the first two episodes but by episode 3 the paper thin plot seemed too evident. Still I watched till ep 5.This is definitely a well made show in terms of production and acting but the tropes are all too common; especially after watching and loving "Love Game in Eastern Fantasy" this show seems a few shades poorer.
From ep 4 i started fast forwarding scenes and by the end of ep 5 i knew i did not want to watch it any further.
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decent world building in a show where second leads are keeping me hooked
i am on ep 11 and i am finding the track of the second leads(the Void Prince and the Void princess) really interesting. somehow i am not able to invest my interest fully in the Empyrean Prince and the Empyrean Consort.however, I am liking the world building in the show--all four realms are shown nicely.
my only wonder is the over emphasis of violet/purple colours in the sets and clothes. does this have any symbolic significance?
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nothing new except the Male Lead's charm
The show has a common premise and one does not go into the show with high expectattions. despite that, however, it is watchable. primarily because of the main lead who is good looking and acts well. there are a few places which take us by pleasant surprise but one should not expect anything majorly surprising. As it is a short series, things happen fast in the show.Edit: dropped the show at episode 10 because I realised i did not want to waste time with a show like this
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Glad the Show Saw the Light of Day (review till ep10+ upto ep 16 + upto ep 36)
I thought I shall wait a while more but couldn't help myself writing this review--the characters are well written and the acting is very good--by the whole cast. But the actor who plays ML--Tan Jian Ci--is an excellent actor--one of the finest actors (in ML roles esp) I have seen in dramaverse (not confined to C drama alone)--he is so good with his micro-expressions and is extremely natural on screen. Even till Ep 10, on so many occasions I forgot I was watching acting on screen.It is a comforting story and I really hope there are none of the silly break-ups and angsty characters that are brought in in many shows for no reason excpet to lengthen the show's duration.
I also hope the leads have a healthy relationship all through.
Oh did I say that the FL Wang Churan is so beautiful!
The show does look dated at times--given the kind of big budget chinese shows we are getting to see these days--and yet it makes me glad to think that the show actually was released eventually and did not lie in cold storage without seeing light of the day.
on ep 16
I like it that the exes are kind of dealt with swiftly in these episodes though i am afraid the Gui Lili character may again come back to trouble (the typical way we see in c dramas but i hope not). The relationship is building up and it isn't apparent initially but the ML is also healing like the FL just that the ML has much better EQ (something the FL also acknowledges)--i like it how in 2 episodes we see both the leads facing their exes and what a contrast in their responses.
I won't deny the show is going the almost predictable way, I just hope they don't spoil things with the typical silly exes and even sillier breakups.
on ep 36
The last leg of the show was honestly disappointing. It made me wonder if it would have been all right to wrap up the show once the leads (ML and FL) become a couple officially and then may be an episode or so that shows their lives together, with even a potential time lapse of sorts. The way the FL decided to sell the house, the way she ignored the ML and the way ML had to try to get her attention felt really childish and pretty inconsistent with how the show had panned. I really enjoyed the show till about ep 30/32 but the last bit felt really forced. It is also something i have noticed in chinese dramas--how they butcher a decent show with some pretty inconsistent things towards the end.
However, overall the show was a decent watch--if the ending episodes would have been better I would have liked to rewatch it some day. One last thing, though, I really liked the sitcom like vibe the show gave when the scenes were in the home. That actually was the strength of the show despite its fairly predictable arc. And so selling the house seemed bad writing as an audience.
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Gorgeous hero and Stylish fight sequences stringed by random plot devices
On my 13th episode, I am kind of unsure what to do.I absolutely loved the first 5 episodes--Yang Yang's fight sequences when he is revealed as the "Imperial Cat" Zhan Zhao was fabulous. Though i liked the actor who plays FL in The First Frost somehow here she doesn't seem to fit into the scheme of things (remembering the FL and ML of Pursuit of Jade).
Yang Yang is Gorgeous and carries the show along with the actor who plays Bai Yu Tang.
But on my 13th episode, the show seems more like a series of stylishly choreographed and shot fight sequences (at one point--I was even reminded of the back to back fight sequences in the film The Raid)--also the slo mo during intense action scenes and the bordering-on-the-funny bromance dialogues in the middle of a fight (think of the one where there are two Bai Yu Tangs in the latter's island) et al are reminiscent of Indian commercial films with great fight sequences (think of the Baahubali for instance).
Anyway, it wound't be exaggerating to say that I am watching the show still, fast forwarding at places, just to see how it goes as it is evident Yang Yang has put in (as has the show put in) a lot of efforts for the fight scenes. Even then, goes without saying that the show is turning out to be a series of fight sequences with a gorgeous ML made to look gorgeous further on screen stringed by literally random plot devices (that are kind of outlandish, in spite of the necessary suspension of disbelief) and I don't know how much further I can carry on, unless there's some real meat in the plot.
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A Tempest in the Real Sense of the Term
This show kicks up a real tempest as it navigates the murky waters (and unfortunately considerably real waters) of the South Asian geopolitics. To a great extent this show felt like any of the top tier shows we have been used to in American Television/Cinema. But the nicest part is that the show does not ape the West in any way; it still feels Asian, grounded, South Korean even, if i may say(though I am a non-Korean). The cinematography and colour pallettes deserve special mention as the soundtrack. The narrative is interesting, specially each of the main characters dreaming about being someone else (someone they hold dear to themselves). However,it is the acting department that scores the highest for me. The relationship between the leads is crackling. Each single actor delivers a stellar performance.It is true, though last 2 episodes specially ep 9 feel very rushed and everything seems to come to an end way too smoothly and swiftly, but i strongly believe that is an opening for S2 of the show. In 2012 a Hindi-language film called Gangs of Wasseypur was made and released as a 2 part-film. Based on coal mafia in northern-central India, the film (parts 1 and 2) had a total runtime of 5 hours 19 minutes. Though the premise and treatment are very very different, somehow the end of Tempest reminded me of the way Gangs of Wasseypur part 1 ended. Open-ended with a lot of possibilities. Therefore, here's hoping Tempest also has a part 2, rather Season 2.
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A window to the China the world does not much know about
I have just completed one episode and I could not resist expressing how lovely the show is. It is cinematic in its treatment, the cinematography, natural acting, stunning visuals...I am so looking forward to watching the remaining episodes.This is a China and people the world does not know much about beyond the news about unrest that trickles out to the world.
I had to pause at several places to start reading about Xinjiang, about Altay, about the Uyghur language and in just one episode the show is opening a window to China that outsiders like me barely know about.
I am hoping that as episodes pass by I can give higher scores to the story and overall to the show.
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What a warmth-laden, well written show (a.k.a Wallace Huo is handsome!)
I had started the show soon after it dropped though I put it on hold for some time, and came back only recently. So my review is in three parts here (after Ep1, after Ep 7 and finally after Ep 16).Ep1: I saw Wallace Huo on the poster and decided to click and watch it.
I don't know how this show will pan out--Chinese shows seem to have more budget now than before and in ep 1 the show gives off a glossy tint--with everything shiny sparkly (like the netflix shows we get to see nowadays)
I am not sure about the FL, haven't watched her before but she is beautiful.
But the highlight for me is Wallace Huo who plays the Male Lead. At 45 the ML looks as smouldering as he was the first time I saw (in his show as Bo Jin Yan). Ep 1 of Why is He Still Single (WIHST) was funny and I was laughing out loud at several places. The only thing that keeps nagging me at the back of my mind (after ep1) is the kind of eccentricity they're showing the ML has--at moments he doesn't look eccentric he looks a wierdo...anyway, let's hope the show doesn't disappoint as a lot of modern c-dramas have in recent times.
Ep 7: I am on Ep 7 now and I have already had several laugh out loud moments. As the show is progressing, I am increasingly feeling for the ML. Basically he is a genius, aloof, eccentric but childlike person, with a heart of gold, high IQ and...very very lonely. This loneliness stems both from his introvert nature and from the fact that he probably doesn't find anyone who matches him in wit sans, as increasingly evident, the FL. I am liking her nature, she is refreshingly real, warm, and gives the ML the much needed life lessons he needs to get and (ahem!) that he seems to listen to as well. As someone in their late 30s this show is resonating so well with me. It is indeed a real, a very real take on present-day urban lifescapes.
Ep 16: I just completed the show and I have to admit, it has been one of the most real experiences I have had,I mean I forgot I was watching a drama, it felt like I was watching and navigating experiences and people I knew. The show is not plot-driven and at no juncture does it seem to mistake itself to be so. It is essentially a character-driven show and at the same time manages to show different aspects of modern-day urban relationships. Apart from the organic growth of the ML and FL's relationship, the portrayal of the dynamics of friendships, the professional relationships, everything was refreshingly real...in a way I haven't seen in dramas as such in a long long long time.
Like I said above, the ML and FL are close to my own age is, i.e. late 30s and being independent, career-driven but with roots grounded in family values, I could so well relate to the characters, especially the two leads and their discussions. The show's strength lies in the dialogues and the incredible performances of the cast, headlined by Wallace Huo. It is his performance that prevents the ML's character from becoming a wierdo--what I had expressed right at the beginning (in Ep 1 above). As time progresses the show portrays how Yuyu's bluntness and dedication to his work is a veneer that covers his vulnerability and loneliness. He basically is afraid of being hurt and lonely, while Ye Jia also is afraid of being hurt (given her family background and failed relationship). What I also loved is how the show debunks certain tropes (and myths) about relationships, but in a subtle way. Xiaoman and Wen Shu's relationship for instance, initially almost made me think of the SML and SFL. But then Wen Shu and Xiaoxiao's relationship unravels, gradually, and as audience we see how they are in such a stable relationship, practical supportive and they can actually teach the older characters a lesson or two about relationships. Likewise, the show portrays how Xiaoxiao is a mature partner in her relationship as she desires to meet Xiaoman and afterwards they become besties. Wen Shu and Xiaoman's relationship is pure friendship with no romantic associations(though Xiaoman, coming after a bad break up inclines towards Wen Shu's attention initially and after meeting Shu and his girlfriend has to call Ye Jia to overcome what she admits as a hint of jealousy). This and so much more add to the refreshingly real portrayal of life--without any sugarcoating nor any unnecessary angst nor melodrama.
Yes, I do feel Xiaoman's character is given quite a bit of screentime (reducing which would not have harmed the show but she is like the filter through which the audience sees the characters). At several times it occurred to me that Yuyu and Xiaoman's story could be a love story (what we can expect after our dramaland experiences) but again the show portrays the almost filial kind of relation between the two and tbh it is a bit disappointing to see how it pans at the end. But then again, it is not simply Xiaoman but we as audience that gets to see what an incredible man Yuyu is and coupled with his handsome face his good qualities shine.
And it is this that shines at the end--when he finally lets Ye Jia inside his home and shows her how he had her in his heart for so long--that he had been designing his house thinking of her but was too scared to be confident that he could do it the best way he wanted to do for her. His romantic side, his softness, his warmth, his kindness, and his deep dependence on Ye Jia shines and brings a fitting warm end to the show.
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