I liked 80% of the show and annoyed by the rest

I really do no like cliff hangers when there is no plan to make a second season, I am really annoyed spending 40+ episodes to have an ending like this, At least some of the bad people loose, but the end was not satisfying at all. The person I disliked the most was still there and getting what he wanted

Now for details, the acting was ok. The ML and FL were cute but not very good. The ML smile was almost annoying at times., and not appropriate for the situation. The rest of the cast was fine, but some of the acting was borderline painful. There were some bright spots (Xiao Yan's father. Medicine Elder, and the head of the school)

The music was mediocre to bad, I read somewhere they compared it to Nintendo music. I thought that was odd, but then I heard it! The were was no real theme, the music was all over the place so it wasn't;t quite edgy like The Wolf or Ashes of Love, nor was it "classic" like The Untamed or TMOPB. It was one of my least favorite music.

The story was actually very good and interesting. The pacing was great for the first part, it started to drag around episode 30 basically when Xiao Yan goes to the desert after having been kicked out by the family and Yun'er becomes the dragon mother. It then picks up momentum again the last few episodes, but then the ending was left you waiting. Again, if there was season 2 that's fine but not when there are no plans to make season 2.

Now for the parts that I liked......I liked the story line with the school and Xiao Yan's friends. I mean who doesn't like to look at Xiao Zhan. The members of X NINE are not great actors (except for Xiao Zhan of course) but they were still fun to watch. Xiao Zhan's father was great. You aren't sure why he does some of the things he does. but he is truly one of the best people and stays honest and true unlike 90% of the people on the show, The BEST thing about the show was by far the Medicine Elder, Yao Chen. Baron Chen was just amazing at playing the role. He was by far the highlight.

For me the best parts of the show where Medicine Elder, I kind of wish they just made the show about him, and Lin Xiuya (which is the character played by Xiao Zhan). I wished they were in the story more.

Read More

Main leads are both way too much and there are better detective dramas.

This will be one of the shortest reviews. I found the ML annoying and the FL lead equally annoying, Their were written as cartoon characters and never fully developed. I do not understand at all how these two became a couple or why. So it is really difficult to watch the show. The cases were sometimes interesting and sometimes down right simple. There are better detective dramas for anyone interested that have a better storyline around the cases. Basically for me it didn't work as a romantic comedy, nor did it work as a Sherlock Holmes type detective story.

The only thing I liked in the drama was the second ML who was the police inspector. His character had depth and some growth. He was the only reason I gave the acting score a higher mark.

Overall ok to watch, but I cannot imagine sitting through this show again.

Read More

I'm ignoring the ending

So I am going to ignore the ending - which would totally change the review - and just review the rest of the drama.

The best part of the drama was the acting. The FL played the character as smart and a little naive but never annoying or silly. The ML was the typical stoic lead, aka boring, but at least you saw personality and feelings in his portrayal. The second ML had the biggest growth in character from silly, playboy type to angry captain, to cold hearted and unbending person, and the actor did a good job.

I really liked many of the secondary characters and wished they had more time on screen.... especially the Yuan Song the 13th prince, even his crazy sister, Prince Nan Liang, and the the MLs best band and body guard (we was my favorite)

For some negatives (besides the ending) is that the story was a little confusing and characters were not always fleshed out. People would come into the story, then disappear to either never be seen again or seen like 20 episodes later wen I did not even remember who they were. It may be odd to say, but the one episode which changes the life of the second ML (trying not to add spoilers) was the best few episodes. In general there are a lot gf bad people that seem to win, but in the end the bad people get their just rewards although a lot of non-bad people also end badly. I am still traumatized by the body guard / best friend of the male lead.

There were times when the drama was slow and I found my interest waining. The FL is often not any where near either ML but I just look at this drama as more political intrigue with some action and some "romance" but it really is a political power struggle drama. This would have been OK if there was an ending with a payoff and instead there is the cliff hanger of all cliff hangers and no season 2. By now all of the actors have moved on and it was soooo long ago I do not see it continuing and if the replace all of the actors, what would be the purpose.

Would I rewatch - probably no. Would I recommend - maybe.

Read More

I will start with categories....
The music was Ok not memorable although there were times when the music reminded me of another shows OST so that confused me, I haven't felt the need to download or listen to the OST
The story was typical Chinese romance with some cultivation. Nothing really interesting or new. So good if you like that sort of show with silly female deciding between 2 male leads and always needing to be saved. I will say that is not my favorite thing and I really cannot stand the silly female leads and I feel like she was silly and annoying like 90% of the show.
Acting well lets say there was one really good actor and the rest were just OK. the Li Hing Yi portrayal of Shangguan Qiu Yue was outstanding and why I gave the acting higher marks. Rosy Zhao played Chun Hua the same as her other acting parts so nothing new just a stupid overly sweet girl.
What I liked and didn't like, since there was not a lot of really good things about the drama was the character of Shangguan Qiu Yue. He was not perfect and not bad or good just really trying to live in a world of hypocrites. He was fascinating to watch. I personally did not feel the chemistry between him and the FL lead, but others did. I really liked Fu Lou and You Si. In fact they were my favorite couple and the only time the show even made me a little sad. I would have rather they be the main story! I also liked 2 of the people hanging with the second male lead, Qin Liu Feng was fun and made the boring and too long scenes the them at least something to watch. I also really liked Feng Cai Cai, she showed the most growth and depth of any of the characters other than the male lead. I really did not understand why the character of Leng Ning was there or her purpose other than Qin Liu Feng had a crush on her and she dressed like a man carrying a sword, but then never did ANYTHING the entire time, plus there was nothing to like about her. As for Xiao Bai the second male lead. He didn't bother me as much as other people. He played the typical stoic hero who cannot show his feelings, but I thought the actor was fine since that is the character. I've seen much worse with the stoic person being portrayed.

Which brings me to female lead Chun Hua who was basically silly borderline stupid the entire time. I would rather Shangguan Qiu Yue end up with Xiao Bai! I find it interesting that even strong females are portrayed as needing to be saved by a man (Love and Redemption, Miss Truth) or just plan silly and annoying (Ashes of Love, Flames Daughter, etc, etc,) Plus every "romance" has silly misunderstandings and switching back and forth, Just one of the things that annoy me. I like shows almost based on the least annoying female character.

Rewatch not for me but if you do not mind the type of female character and the typical triangle then this is the drama for you. If you are looking for a strong and intelligent female lead and an interesting story, then skip this and watch something else.

Read More

I was really looking forward to this movie, and sometimes that is a bad thing. The fact that after finishing I liked the movie and am planning to watch again, is the real reason for my rating.

The story is about a heroic priest Qing Ming who is one of the 4 called to protect the earth from the demon snake. He respects and comes to be friends with Bo Ya as they try to prevent the demon scale from being freed. The two main leads were well cast and their acting was great. Although I have to say Wang Duo as He ShouYe and Olvia Wang as the the Princess stole the movie. They were fantastic and without giving spoilers they were the two I felt the most connected to. I believe that is because their characters were more fleshed out vs the 2 main leads. It would have helped to have a little background on the 2 leads, they mention things that happened to them in the past but it's like an afterthought to fill in the blanks. Adding more background would have made the movie longer so that may have been a decision.

As for the movie, the visuals and special effects were outstanding. They were definitely a star of the movie.

I heard that the filmed the second movie at the same time, so hopefully that will be outs soon and maybe allow more background on the 2 main characters. There are other versions of the story that have been made. I wonder of anyone has those and can compare? I know there is a versions coming out with Chen Kun soon. Mark Chao vs Chen Kun, that will be a tough decision.

Read More

Most Annoying Drama winner

Let me start by stating this up front Bai Lin is the single most annoying character I have ever seen in a TV show. She has literally passed Bai Feng Jiu from TMOPB as the character I hate the most (and that is saying a lot). While Bai Lin was not the main character but a friend of the FL, she ruined an already not mediocre show to the point I actually hate the show. I feel sick whenever she is on the screen

Now for the the actual show. The story is a hot mess all over the place. it was an ok show and then i think it didn't know what to do and then just deteriorated to the point of awful. The show has been labelled a grown-up romance and more real life. To some extent that is true. The main FL is middling to annoying. She has really no depth and there could have been so much they could have done with the character. Like the pressure of having her father being a hero and how she couldn't live with the expectations. Instead of that they went the easy route, the ML is a workaholic, oh wait now he is an alcoholic (although they showed him drinking vodka, wine after the play, and the drink while on the diving vacation which is crazy), oh did we mention he has anger issues and bit his cousin when he was younger, oh and he is borderline autistic and cannot express himself. The victim FL is perfect while the ML is the cause of all of their issues. I mean that seems realistic, After the first couple, their is Bai Lin the most annoying, screeching and yelling female and her abused boyfriend. I mean in this case he was clearly the victim. Then their is Song Qi Qi having an affair with a married man.... sorry but I do not feel sorry for her. I hate the whole husband cheats cause he is unhappy and his wife doesn't understand him. It's disrespectful to marriages and wives. The only character i actually liked was Zhao Xiao Tang, although I think she should have followed her dream and study abroad.

EDITED - the ended was even more all over the place. should have stopped watching at like episode 12

Acting was mediocre to terrible. The only bright spot was the ML. I mean the character was all over the place but his acting was spot on when he was autistic, alcoholic, angry, etc. I think the character must need therapy, but I appreciated the acting. Again the actress playing Bai Lin should give up acting.

Music and production were just blah, nothing special.

The one thing I did appreciate was at least it was a college show where they took classes. That was a nice change,

Overall - probably the worst C-Drama I have ever watched. I wanted to give rewatch value 0

Read More

Watch for Ye Hua and Bai Qian

There are already a lot of reviews explaining the story, so I am going to concentrate on what I feel and my scores.

The story for me is 2 scores really. The story of the main characters Ye Hua / Mo Yuan and Bai Qian, and then the other people. The story and writing for the main story is well done and one of the best written around. The other storylines are all over the place, I love all the Kunlu brothers and their stories (16th brother and demon princes, love the demon tribe stories with crazy Xuan Yu and Li Jing., 4th brother and Zhe Yan, and even the hateful Sun Jin and heavenly Lord. The part of the story I could not stand was Bai Feng Jiu and Emperor Dong Hua. I started of thinking they were ok, but I ended up cringing every time they were on and hoping the scenes didn't take too long and we could get back to the other characters.

The acting was again hard for me and depended on who you were talking about. I will say all of the cast was great from Sun Jin and Heavenly Lord, who did so well at making me dislike them, to demon princess, the kunlun boys all really top notch. I adore 3rd Uncle and Chen Lu. I thought Venmo Gao was good as the Emperor Lord playing the stoic but I still feel character. My biggest issue was with Dilraba Dilmurat and the character of Bai Feng Jiu. I found her acting to grate on my nerves. I'm not a big fan of the whole I am young and innocent and the way she played it made the character annoying, I have a hard time watching her in other dramas now cause she just seems to annoy me. Ying Mi as Bai Qian is great, she does not have the widest range but there are times she impressed me and she really captured the difference between Su Su and Bai Qian, and even when she played "Xuan Yu". The perfect actor score really comes down to Mark Chao as Ye Hua and Mo Yuan. His acting is incredible. Watch the changes in Ye Hua before he meets Su Su, while he is with Su Su, after he loses Su Su, and then while wooing Bai Qian. His facial expressions and his eyes are even different. The scene when 2nd prince is trying to save his Snake love, he just looks on with a passive I do not get this. When he is with Su Su he seems like a young kid in first love with such a happy and easy smile. Then there are the heart wrenching scenes losing Su Su and afterward. Gone are the passive I don't get it stares and they are replaced with stares to burn a hole through Su Jin (but she is too dense to see it). Finally is the more cautious Ye Hua with Bai Qian, he's smiles are there but there is almost a sadness and less freedom than with Su Su, You know an actor does a great job when you feel worse for ye Hua than Su Su / Bai Qian after he takes her eyes away and she jumps off the terrace. If you are not sure watch episodes 27 when Ye Hua wakes up and refuses to drink the amnesia liquid to (best scene) stabbing Su Jin, then episode 28 when heart broken Ye Hua burns Su Su's cloths to make a fake Su Su but then is clearly an amazing but sad father to A-Li, and then episode 29 when he sees Bai Qian. In 3 episodes that was an amazing range of acting,

The music is great. I listen to the OST all the time. Remarkably my favorite piece of music is after Ye Hua meets with Heavenly Lord (having stabbed Su Jin) and he is walking back to his palace, is not in the OST. The haunting music along with the world weary expression and slow gate of Ye Hua make the scene so moving.

Rewatch value for me is I watched the entire show, rewatched it again in its entirety, and now I continually re-watch but just the parts I like. I find it more enjoyable skipping all the scenes with Bai Feng Jiu! I basically watch all the scenes with Si Yin and Mo Yuan, Su Su and Ye Hua, and Bai Qian and Ye Hua. Anything with A-Li, who is adorable, 3rd Uncle, 4th brother, well pretty much every scene not related to Bai Feng Jiu and Emperor Lord.

Read More

Typical modern romance with a few good points

I had heard from several people that this was outstanding and one of the best shows, so maybe the problem is that I was expecting more. Instead it was a typical romance. Starts in high school, they had "current" interviews with the couple and then major flashbacks to high school, then a separation and misunderstanding, and finally they get together. So nothing new or really interesting. It was fine but that is all.

What I did like... the chemistry between the FL and ML was great, I guess that is why they were married for a time in real life. I loved the relationship between FL, Zhao Qiao Yi, and her brother, Zhao Guan Chao. In fact I loved the FL's family. Her mother and step-father may have been the best part pf the show and they were what I enjoyed the most. I also liked I guess what would be the third couple - Fei Da Chuan and Cheng You Mei. I thought they were adorable.

What didn't;t work for me so much.... none of them looked like high school students and about 1/3 rd of the show was set in high school especially the brother. The FL was the typical not so bright, ditsy but happy girl that chases after the aloof smart ML. I really do not like silly FL and she would seem ok and then morph back into the silly girl almost talking like a 5 year old to the ML.

What I absolutely found annoying was the way they portrayed Zhao Guan Chao as a doctor. Maybe having doctors in my family, they were not that immature in grade school as he was as a doctor. It seemed really inappropriate to me. That was more of an annoyance since I liked him bit they should have given him another profession. What I disliked most of all was the second FL Hao Wu Yi. I absolutely could not stand her. She was a spoiled brat most of the show, when she finally grows up I couldn't;t have cared less and did feel any sympathy for her since she was a horrible daughter and the mom was non existent the whole show so why care. Plus I didn't feel any chemistry between her and Zhao Guan Chao. They should have just let him be an awesome brother and son, which he was.

Just goes to show how everyone has their own opinions to shows.

Read More

Nice fluff show

Just completed Gi Gi Squid and found it to be an enjoyable fluff show. was it the greatest show ever, no but it was enjoyable and for the most part very well done.

I found the flashbacks and the back story fo Gun / Solo / Appledog a bit confusing and in the end, I'm still not sure why Gun was mad at Solo for choosing to take care if his daughter, who had health issues, over CTF and it sort of made him difficult to like. Fortunately the Li Xian was great playing Han Shangyan (Solo) so you still like him. In fact he was the best part of the show. Yang Zi plays the female lead Tong Nian. I had hoped for a little more depth for the character (a female getting her doctorate in computers) but instead she was mostly a silly and immature female lead, not sure if that was writing or Yang Zi's acting ability. Tong Nian can have been so much more impressive, but it felt like they were afraid to make her too smart and string... like the whole she was also an internet singer made no sense to me, Really those 2 are my only issues with the show,

I really enjoyed the K&K club and the groups interactions. I appreciated that they spent time on One, 97, Grunt and many of the team members so you knew who they were and were rooting for them. They each had a unique character and story and it was not ignored in favor of just the main couples romance. I liked the I guess second couple as well, Mi Shaofie and Sun YaYa. I thought they were adorable together, One of the best things was each character was well defined and not just background. As for the main couple...I already likes Li Xian and after this role I am a bigger fan. He was able to express all of the complexities of Han Shangyan and watching him come to terms with his past, forgive Solo and himself, move forward and open himself up was well done. FL was typical with some moments of brilliance. I cannot say I am the biggest fan of Yang Zi I find she plays the same almost one dimensional characters, and I cannot tell if that is typecasting or her limited acting ability,

I'm about to watch season 2, but not is sure that will be as good with the focus on Appledog (and a different actress) and Wu Bai. Wu Bai was fine cause he was barely in the season 1 and Hu YiTian is not one of my favorites.

So my final recap is decent story, not too complex but has some plot holes and unexplained things. Acting was really good, FL is typical but ML was fantastic, Music was great.

Read More

If you like typical college romance with no surprises - this is the show for you

The show is basically about 2 people Yan Ke and Xiong Yi Fan who met briefly in high school, although Yan Ke thinks Xiong Yi Fan was a boy at the time, and meet again in college The show starts with Xiong Yi Fan wanting to profess her love for Yan Ke but things do not work out, The show is a series of misunderstandings and missed chances until the 2 finally figure it out.

Nothing original about the story. Of course the met in high school, an if course they both like each other but it takes awhile before they both admit it. Yan Ke does figure out she wasn't;t a boy in the first few episodes. That part was amusing. There are some serious moments where Xiong Yi Fan is cyber bullied about her being a tom boy, Generally though it is a typical college romance with nothing to make it different.

Acting was fine especially Xiong Yi Fan. I thought Yan Ke was serviceable, nothing amazing. The supporting cast were all good. I especially liked the actor playing Bai Yu Ze - I believe it was his first role. He did a good job playing the romeo, runaround type but when he started to change you really could feel along with him. The parents of Yan Ke and the father if Xiong Yi Fan were all good. I wish w had seen them more.

Music was fine, sometimes it was too often for a shorter show to have a music interlude and stalled the events.

If you like a light romance with no surprises then this is the show for you.

Read More

Make sure you watch extra episode 37

I have to say had there not been the "extra" episode 37 I'm not sure my final overall score would have been this high. The show ending was the worst ending since Princess Agents (actually worse).

As a recap, Zhou Zi Shu in an effort to end his life in peace and repentance reforms the seven nails torture on himself to leave The Window of Heaven, basically a gout of assassins for the Prince of Jin. He only has a few years to live but at least he would be free. While traveling he meets Wen Ke Xing a mysterious man. It turns out Wen Ke Xing is the leader of Ghost valley and at odds with the martial arts world and "heroes" , After the murder of the Zhang family, the only surviving son, Chen Ling, is entrusted to Zhou Zi Shu. The three become a family and travel together, unraveling the secrets and corruption on the martial arts world and their tragic histories on the road to redemption. Of course the "heroes" are not that heroic and the "ghosts" are not all evil. Eventually the tragedy that was Wen Ke Xing's life unfolds and how he is related to Zhou Zi Shu and all of the "heroes" . Unfortunately the plan he put in place to right the wrongs of the past have consequences.

To start with the story is a little confusing and a lot of characters are brought in and not fully developed. I admit I was lost with the back story from 20 years early and who all the people were. I had to re-watch a few times to get the idea of how the current leaders were integrated with Rong Zuan, the immortal Ye Bai Yi and Wen Ke Xing's family, Plus some of the heroes come and go and I forgot who they were by the time they reappeared. Also, somehow the Prince of Jin was involved (that was never really explained) and there were other "princes" but not sure if this was an effort to get to the throne, The story line with the 3 main leads was very good, a long with the second couple Gu Xiang and Cao Wei Ning was very well written.

The music was just alright. Nothing spectacular. I look forward to music and not just songs and since the composer was the same as for The Untamed I was hoping from some really amazing music but have to say even during emotional scenes the music didn't really leave an impression or add to the scene, so that was disappointing,

Finally, the ending was not my favorite thing, WARNING this is the spoiler part. The last 2 episodes were horrible, I mean stop when everyone is happy. I get the that Zhou Zi Shu removed the nails after he thought Wen Ke Xing died, and therefore had a short time, but the second last episode killing Gu Xiang and Cao Wie Ning was just heart wrenching. I mean they were so happy for their wedding and then it was just a blood bath, and they way Cao Wei Ning died from his master was awful. Then you have the end with Wen Ke Xing basically using all of his body and soul to save Zhou Zi Shu. The show "ends" with all of Wen Ke Xing's meridians destroyed, his hair all white, and he hands limp losing Zhou Zi Shu grip as he collapses. I mean I was so depressed and annoyed, but then I found there was a special episode 37 and that made it better. Although not for Gu Xiang and Cao Wei Ning!

So what I did like, was the story line between Zhou Zi Shu and Wen Ke Xing with their "son" Cheng Ling. I Loved Wen Ke Xing's relationship with Gu Xiang. I felt the main 5 characters were well developed, all likable even if not perfect, and you really felt and understood their relationship.

The best thing about the show was Gong Jun and his portrayal of Wen Ke Xing. To say the least he was a complex character. Not really bad but he did bad things to get revenge / justice for his parents and the child that we was. Raised in a cruel world he assumed he was not worth saving and he would take the world down with him. Then when he meets Zhou Zi Shu and realizes that someone does care and that there is something fro him to care about and live for, it is bittersweet as he is concerned that if Zhou Zi She and Chen Ling know who he is the he would lose everything. Gong Jun managed to convey all of that, the edge of madness, the bitterness, the silly and playfulness, in the portrayal. This is right up there with Mark Chao as Ye Hua in TMOPB and Xiao Zhan in The Untamed. He makes this show well worth the watch.

Just make sure you stop before episode 35 or find a copy of the extra (and short) episode 37.

Read More

Not worth the time

I started watching this and all I could think of was how did this get such high reviews?

The story of a "monster" immortal whatever being brought back to life by the FL's blood and then they become roommates. Since he had money that never made sense. In generally the seance ML and the FL's best friend we there only interesting characters. The FL lead was generally silly and annoying, with some redeeming moments. The ML was one of the worst actors I have ever seen. The stoic, unemotional ML is standard in Chinese dramas but he never managed to make you like him at all.

I admit by episode 10 I kind of lost interest and I was looking forward to this being over.

Also, the created a cliff hanger for a second season but then had different leads for season 2 so it was like 2 different people.
It's the worst clog hanger - after Princess Agents which didn't even get a season 2.

Read More

I think I liked it but I am confused

Let me start by saying I am confused. Overall I think I liked the show but I have never been so confused about a show in the past. Like exactly why did the emperor kill the eldest brother and how did Lord Bo and Fourth brother find out? Why and when did Ma Zhaixing become so ill she only had a few days to live? When did MA Zhaixing become a martial arts expert and stronger than everyone, I think that takes more than a couple lessons. It seems like they cut out major parts of the story and confused me to the point and rewatched episodes to see if maybe I missed something. Also I have never been a second lead person. Many people find them more interesting than the lead, but I always see them as serving a purpose and never route for them - except for this show. Ji Chong is by far the best character.

Story was about a boy (Lord Bo / Wolfie) raised by wolves who befriends a girl (Xing Er / Ma Zhaixing) circumstances separate the two and Wolfie is adopted (meaning tortured and abused) by the emperor. Eventually Zhaixing's family is killed by Lord Bo's troup. The two meet again, misunderstand one another, then Ji Ching comes into the story and saves the show. Eventually they are honest with one another but well I'll let you watch for the ending. Story is typical misunderstandings although Lord Bo is confusing, apparently he was helping people all along but there is no sign or evidence. They tell us he always was protecting the people from the crazy emperor, but we never see it or any proof so I guess we just have to believe it. What I liked was the comparison of Lord Bo and 4th brother's toxic relationship with their father the emperor and comparing that to Ji Chong and his relationship to his dad the King of Jin.

Character wise.... I didn't really understand Lord Bo and they never really fleshed him out. Everything was almost second hand so I cannot say I was attached to him at all. Zhaixing was typical FL, a little silly in the beginning and then after bed events becomes cold and sad all the time. I loved the characters of Yao Ji, who was imprisoned with Lord Bo and while she seems bad is really a good person. I also loved Princess Bao Na, she was a breath of fresh air and played the silly princess to perfection. She could border on getting annoying but then managed to pull back. Fourth brother was adorable as well. Which leads me to Ji Chong who I adore and want him to have his own show. We meet him as a care free bounty hunter and then eventual find out who he really is and why he became a roving bounty hunter. You ACTUALLY see him helping people and he supports EVERYONE and puts them first, helping all of them get what they want especially Zhaixing. I can say I'm glad she doesn't end up with him cause she didn't deserve him. Princess Bao Na had the best line talking to Ji Chong, roughly "You're the coolest man I've ever seen". I couldn't agree with her more

In all the acting was well done. Everyone acted their parts well. Lord Bo was a little confusing at times, but I blame the script more than his acting ... unless it was bad acting choices.

The OST is very good, although the music was a little distracting within the story and almost jarring at times. It does not seamlessly blend into the show like 'The Untamed" but I do enjoy the music and listen to it frequently.

Would I rewatch ... maybe for jJ Chong or to see if I can understand parts that seemed to be skipped.

Did I like it? Yes but maybe not for the reason's I was supposed to. Like at the end all I wanted was for Ji Chong to be happy so why I liked the show was proportionate to Ji Chong!

Read More

Which Yin Yang Master to Chose

It's really not fair to compare this to the Yon Yang Master: Dream of Eternity that was also just completed but I really cannot help but think of both when reviewing this movie.

Let me start by stating I am a huge Chen Kun fan and also a Mark Chao fan so I was looking forward to see how both portrayed the character. I was not disappointed in either portrayal. Mark Chao is an expert on emotions and making you feel for the character without even speaking, while Chen Kun is a master at complex characters that are neither a hero or a bad person, just watch his masterful portrayal of Ning Yi in Rise of the Phoenixes. As for the rest of the acting, hands down Dream of Eternity was better in my opinion - Olivia Wang and Duo Wang were absolutely fantastic. So I found the A=acting of Yin Yang Master to be acceptable but not great for Chen Kun.

I saw another review say the two movies is like comparing a Marvel movie to a Star Wars movie. I agree with that but maybe not in the way it was intended. Which leads me to the story. I felt this version of the story was more about special effects and less about a story. I was never invested in Qingming and Boya's friendship, in fact I was never even sure they were friends in this movie other than one drinking evening. Also, the relationship with Qingming and his master, never felt fleshed out. I felt more in the first 10 minutes about Qingming and his master in Dream of Eternity than I did in the entire TheYin Yang Master movie. The stories are very different.

Finally rewatch value, I have really no inclination to re-watch The Yin Yang Master. When I finished I simply thought OK. I have already watched Dream of Eternity four times.

If you are a Chen Kun fan than you will enjoy his exceptional and nuisances performance. If you like special effects than this movie is well done and definitely goes further into the demon realm.

Read More

2 different TV shows

After completing the drama I have very mixed opinions. The story is about a brilliant criminal psychologist and the just out of college assistant that he hires. The two work together to solves cases which evolve into one giant case. That is all I will say on the story for those planning on watching.

First the acting is fantastic, well at least Wallace Huo, who was just incredible as the main character playing a wide range of emotions throughout. I gave the acting a high rating because of him and what I consider the other 2 leads or his inner circle. The issue is that the "american" actors were terrible and I have no idea what the accent was they were speaking with.

Now for the critique. I absolutely loved the first half of the show. The main character was interesting and his interactions with his assistant and his bff where funny and really well done. The cases were interesting but what kept you going was the relationship of the 3 - Bo Jinyan, his assistant and love interest Jian Yao, and his best friend Fu Zi. Once it morphed the larger case it was less about the characters and more about the big bad person. While I watched and was semi-interested for the last like 8 episodes, I missed the first part of the show which had humor and characters. Bo Jinyan became something different as he became involved in the case and his interactions with his assistant / girlfriend was almost non-existent.

Although, I did laughed out loud at how badly the FBI was portrayed - I mean using a towel to wipe up blood does not remove DNA traces, and I am not sure I liked the implication of the last scene. So there was some humor in the last story arch - it just wasn't;t supposed to be funny,

So overall a 7.5 - first 15 or so episodes were great and I would re-watch, the second half was just ok.

Read More