Pegasus (2024)

no road is too long if you have good company - or a fast car.

As a self proclaimed lover girl with no interest in cars really, I had almost zero expectations going into this. But to my pleasant surprise it was a lot of fun, adrenaline packed rally scenes and I did not miss romance at all.

Hu Xian Xu is a great actor, he's so much fun to watch as both Lin Zhen Dong and the spirit of future Zhang Chi, who are very different from each other. He breathed new life into the original story of the "Pegasus" movies. I also liked how there was no big secret about his dual personality but rather it was embraced and therefore even funnier.
Generally in terms of acting, this had quite a high quality with only one exception in my opinion.

The team spirit of the "Speeding" Race Team was great, their jokes with each other were heartwarming and I can totally feel why future Zhang Chi was so pressed on them staying a team. Both on and off track each team member has their own personality and need for another. They laugh, fight and grow with each other and always push forward.
The car racing, especially the many desert and rough terrain scenes were epic and gave me goosebumps multiple times. You can tell they spared no effort and money to get the best racing shots and you can be sure there is not just one race, but rather they're always accompanied by their passion for racing. I liked that the drama knew what it was and stuck with it.

Although it started as the story of Zhang Chi's spirit from the future in Lin Zhen Dong's body trying to change the outcome of his life, around the halfway point, the real Lin Zhen Dong starts to get the most character and skill development. A new dynamic was formed and it gave the drama another push to move forward.

In terms of "romance" there are 2-3 episodes with more focus on Zhang Chi and Xiao He, but again the team really made for half of those scenes and other than the letter, there is nothing really romantic about it. It felt quite natural tho, so no complaints on that front. Zhang Chi (in LZDs body) making sure to push present ZH towards her was funny.

One more thing I want to mention is, I was surprised at the lack of national pride. A drama about national and international car racing to determine who is THE best driver, would surely have some of that in cdramaland, right? Nope and I give it two thumps up. - Over the years I got sensitive towards that and so I able to enjoy it even more, as the goal was to prove the Individual drivers' strength and ability, rather than saying "it's all for the country". It was heavy on car racing being the dream of the team and the drivers, rather than gaining some sort of national merit.

Music:
Absolutely fantastic OST! "No Fear, No Regrets" and "Consequences" are straight bangers, while "Destination" is just the perfect amount of sadness and power, that it landed on my "rainy drive" playlist faster than Lin Zhen Dong drove, when he borrowed the buggy to race Yuan Dao, LOL

A fun to watch drama about team spirit, trying to make up for past regrets, drifting scenes that will make you go "that's hot" and good pacing for the most part. It's not perfect but a good watch regardless - maybe just skip the last 5 minutes.


ENDING SPOILER

In terms of the ending let me say this:
I need to stop writing reviews straight after finishing a drama because I'm always emotionally charged but I have a feeling I'll feel bittersweet about the ending for a while. As expected certain things happened and the last 2 episodes had some real tearjerker scenes that were extremely well done. I could really feel Zhang Chi's emotion when he held Ye's helmet and the moment with the car a few minutes before that, goosebumps!

The actual ending was too fast, too furious in my opinion. The bad guy was dealt with way too rushed and I had to go back and check why. Then one moment I was happy, seeing how the one thing ZH from the future came back for turn out right but the next second I remembered how Dakar was somehow just brushed over and 2027 didn't look much different. From the previous 26 episodes it really looked like this alternate timeline turned out so differently but they barely gave us time in the end to realize that, except for three things, everything was the same and there was loss nonetheless - the ending feels a bit like whiplash because just when I realized that, we got another post finale scene! (insert mandatory waking up scene for transmigration dramas). I mean I did see it coming but still.. they could have at least XH explain her ring, because from the very last moment at the hospital bed, it very much gave us sad ending and I don't do well with those.
I have to give them at least a little credit because they did make a final cut, with the screen going dark and a motivational message dedicating this drama to everything you love and then "bad" ending happens - so I guess you can separate these two endings.

Edit: there seems to be VIP special on Youku with a few more minutes that basically confirms that this story is set in a world where multiple timelines / a parallel universe exists.

Overall it was a lot of fun, adrenaline rush 1000x and it really gets you rooting for the team! - not a boring moment and a good mix of comedy and growth. Just do yourself a favor and skip the last 5-6 minutes (basically the scene after the screen goes dark with "to everything you love")

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Hu Xianxu never disappoints with his acting skills..

Ever since Hikaru No Go Live Action got recommended to me by YT..I have been a fan of Hu Xianxu from then on. I searched his Filmography and got to watch most of his dramas that were still available online. He gives life in each of his characters. And him being Lin Zhendong/Zhang Chi shows how good of an actor he is. The way he switches between characters in just a snap and how he makes them so different is just amazing.

So glad I checked MDL recently and found out about Pegasus. Because watching ep.1, even though it can be quite confusing because of the really fast pacing. It was pretty engaging (bonus: Hu Xianxu is really handsome when he's Lin Zhendong). I also like that he didn't really get any love interest. Because I'm not so much into love stories. Which is also one of the reasons why I liked HNG as well (I know it's supposed to be somewhat of a BL).

This drama made me laugh, cry, got motivated and so many more. I hope this gets more attention outside China because the production in itself is topnotch. And the actors fit so well with their roles. BTW, so happy that we got somewhat of a Shi Guang and Hong He reunion. Would have given this a 10/10 for story if not for the scenes where I felt like aren't necessary for the story which were made to be longer than they have to be.

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Another HXX amazing performance in a heartwarming sports drama again!!

This show is truly lovely. At first I checked it out cos the premise sounded okay but mostly for HXX (whose acting I totally love from HNG) but the story ended up charming me. At some point in ep 4 I thought I'd drop the show but then I figured I wasn't watching the show, just one person so I decided to genuinely watch the entire thing. And I loved it.
I had no expectations whatsoever and hadn't even glimpsed the movie it's based on but it was such a simple yet exciting story and though I'd wondered what drama they could squeeze out of a car racing story, not only did they have a story, it was organic. Never felt forced or ridiculous to me.

The car races looked real and exciting and I kept wondering if they had actual cars and racers in this locations. It was not a cheap looking thing at all. Infact it looked less real when they were supposed to be driving like regular civilians on the road 🤣

I'm glad I watched this show. HXX's acting is still one of the best I've seen across all the Asian dramas I've watched. There's a realness to his characters that I enjoy. There were times I thought he was a better Zhang Chi than the original (who I felt was more quiet and more like LZD). Ep 23: the treadmill scene was sooo good from an acting perspective.

Manager Ye is a close second in favorite characters, he was so warm and caring that he was hard not to love.
The entire team was sweet too. And I liked how they handled ZC's and Xiaohe's relationship.. I skipped some of it but it didn't feel inorganic at any moment for me. I just didn't need to watch it but I approved.

There were truly funny moments and warm moments and also sad ones that brought tears to my eyes.
Side note: It's funny but what broke me down was when ZC did the sweeping thing for LZD with Ye by his side in ep 27. I don't know why, but something about that sacrifice was what finally had me crying 🥺.

For a show I almost dropped, it has turned into a 9/10 for me. It wasn't perfect and HNG still has my heart but they told they story they wanted to tell, dropped me off at a place where I feel satisfied and happy I got to inhabit their world and get to know them for a little while and that is something no show has done for me in a while.

So thanks to all who worked on this, they should be proud. I watched this exclusively for 3weeks and all I have is respect and ♥️. Questions might come later but for now, I'm basking in the love.

Looking forward to HXX's next project Tientsin Mystic.

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Back to Initial D-ream

What’s your dream?
Let me ask in a different way - what’ll be your dream if you can go back in time?

Zhang Chi, a professional car racer who unexpectedly found himself back to 5 years ago after a serious car accident, never hesitated one bit - he raced to right his past track record. There’s 1 slight problem in this dream, instead of going back to his past self, his consciousness got into Lin Zhen Dong, a “fu er dai” who will become his fiercest competitor on car racing in time to come.

Time travel transmigration stories are nothing new. I, for one, am a fan of this genre and have watched many series. What makes Pegasus stand out among this common story setup?

First thing first, great casting choice - Hu Xian Xu who plays 2 roles as future Zhang Chi and young Lin Zhen Dong is perfect. He is that kind of actor that can captivate the audience to care for the characters he plays and story. This alone contributes to a lot of enjoyment of Pegasus as we immerse ourselves into the world of professional car racing through the pairing of a veteran car racer and potential budding rising star.
‘Future’ Zhang Chi’s main motivation was to change his fate, after given this “2nd chance” in this alternate timeline, while young Lin Zhen Dong found himself unable to deny his growing interest towards a sport he wanted to stay away from since childhood. All these nuanced feelings and character development of 2 different characters were portrayed well by Hu Xian Xu onscreen.

Second, any charming sports series has great rivalry relationships to root for. Hu Xian Xu generally pairs well with other actors and actresses he works together with. In Pegasus, Hu Xian Xu and Wang Yanlin work well together onscreen as young Lin Zhen Dong / future Zhang Chi and young Zhang Chi. There are lots of facets to this pairing due to the setup of the story, making it fun for both actors and audience to watch.
One thing I like about Zhang Chi’s character - he’s action-oriented, adaptable, and quick witted. There’re always some form of “fish out of water” moments in time travel and transmigration story. Refreshingly, I enjoyed watching how ‘future’ Zhang Chi navigated this situation - no dwelling, no over explanation on his incredible “foresight”, no care of people’s perception of him and his odd behaviours. I guess that’s why he is a successful professional car racer.

Third, I love the plot of this time travel transmigration story particularly - ‘future’ Zhang Chi was not able to right all his regrets even with his foresight. Some unfortunate events still happened, in a different way. Sure, it’s a dream (literally), but no, you still can’t have everything your way. This made for a realistic, closer touch to life. Psychologically, it also made Pegasus more interesting as audience got thrown a curveball - yes, we all like some doses of surprise, even the most dogmatic of us.

The last icing of the cake is the lovely team spirit and camaraderie among the characters. Pegasus has lovely cast overall. Fei Chi Car Team is the main beacon, the racer-trio cross team between Zhen Dong, Ai Fei and Ao Duo was a pleasant touch. Professional race track is a niche sport after all. Pegasus manages to balance the reality on securing sponsorships and characters’ determination to stay on track with their passion.

With 28 episodes, Pegasus has a fast and tight pace. This leaves for a lot to be desired. Then again, when it comes to racing and working towards your dreams, try not to blink.

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When perfect casting meets a great script!

2024 start off with a dump of bad C dramas then came Pegasus and made me have faith in C Dramas once again. This is going to be one of the best this year. Kudos to the writers/directors/actors!

Loves: (literally everything!)
1. Hu Xian Xu (LinZhen Dong) - Been a fan of his ever since Hikaru no Go. Seeing him reunite with Zhao Hao Hong as his side kick again was icing on top. HXX is amazing! You can see his micro expressions switching from 2 personalities in one shot. Definitely he studied Wang Yan Lin's expressions & gestures.
2. Wang Yan Lin (Zhang Chi) - I've seen him in some crazy supporting roles over the years but nothing where he can truly showcase his acting abilities. Now I can't imagine another actor playing Zhang Chi.
3. Supporting cast - Many familiar faces. Solid acting, great casting all around.
4. Actual script - Interesting fun story & good pacing overall. Great characters. I love how there aren't any single minded bad characters.
5. Production Quality/Lighting/Makeup/Music. Real voices, normal talking, no crazy make up, definitely refreshing! The music hits with scenes.

Imperfection?
I really didn't need Sun Yu Qiang's side story to be so long. Could've used that time to focus more on the main story.
Wished for more episodes focused on the fun supporting characters like Li Ao Duo & Ai Fei the rival race car drivers.
Minor unplausible insta show up at the right moment scenes.
Muted showdown Dad vs Son.
Rushed ending. I wasn't disappointed at the maybe happy maybe sad parallel world ending but it was just too rushed.

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One of the best asian sports series of 2024. Hoping more people to watch this masterpiece.

tinatamad akong mag wikang ingles XD maganda po etong drama. subaybay ako gabi-gabi. mahusay na aktor c Hu Xianxu, ganda nya magswitch nang character. gwapong bata din, lahat po sila mahusay. napanood ko na din last ep 28 neto, wala nga lang sub x____X pero papanoorin ko rin kapag na update na sub episode 25. pinanood ko na kase di nko makapaghintay sa ending hahaha. WALA NGA PARTNER si ZHENDONG, c ZHAN CHI lang. sana lahat. hahaha

rewatch ko lahat previous eps neto kase nakakatuwa. gayang gayang talaga ni Zhendong yung character ni Zhang Chi. at ngumiti na rin sa wakas c Yuandao, palaging nka simangot. XD pang asar c Aoduo pero mabait din namang bata, pinatira c Zhendong doon sa flat niya.

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