Moloch1994
A must-watch show for history buffs!
DISCLAIMER: This review was written in two parts. Scroll down for my second half of the review under the "Edit" subtitle.
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I have only seen 45 episodes so far (which is about half of the series). I might change my opinions later. But here are my thoughts at the moment:
Chen Jianbin as Cao Cao is amazing. I think, if the whole show was about him, I would've probably given it a 10. Then again, I do appreciate that it shows us all sides of the conflict. When it comes to the story, I think the worst thing about this show is that they didn't make me care enough about Liu Bei and Zhou Yu, who are seen as the leaders of the factions that oppose Cao Cao. I think, a show like this must make every side look equally interesting. But, unfortunately, to me Liu Bei looks ingenuine and pretentious, while Zhou Yu looks narrow-minded and immature. Zhang Fei is probably the character I dislike the most, which also makes me dislike Liu Bei even more for employing him and treating him like a brother. I feel like, in real life, Liu Bei would be the one person I'd identify with the most, but in this show I root for Cao Cao. So, as a result, every episode that is focused on the character of Cao Cao feels like a great episode. Whereas episodes about his enemies can be somewhat boring. However, even at its worst, the show is still pretty good.
When the show shines though, it REALLY shines. Some of the dialogue and monologue can be not only exciting to watch but also genuinely enlightening. I have not read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, so I assume a lot of that comes from the book. But the way it was integrated in the show was brilliant and seamless. Also the show features A LOT of characters. It introduces everyone with a subtitle, which at first I didn't like. Then I realized, you can just not pay attention to most of them on your first watch, because the most important characters you will remember anyway. But the presence of all these additional characters makes the show that much more rewatchable.
Another gripe I have with the show is the color palette. Everything is so blue and grey. I know they're trying to go for realism, but it results with even sunny days looking kinda depressing. It also causes a lot of confusion in the battle scenes, as you don't know which troops fight for who. In the Story of Han Dynasty every faction was distinctly colored in their clothing and banners. This may not be the most realistic approach, but it works. I wish Three Kingdoms did the same.
And for my final note, I wanna praise the music. While the intro theme might feel a bit out of place at first with its heavy opera-style singing, the rest of the score is so god damn beautiful. There is a couple of compositions that, whenever they come by, touch me deeply in my heart. Needless to say, this serves perfectly to enhance the emotion conveyed brilliantly by the actors (Chen Jianbin especially!).
In conclusion: I have not seen that many historical shows. But among the ones I've seen, this might just be the best one. Most historical shows tend to be rather mediocre. As a history buff I cut them some slack. This one does not need any slack, it's a great show. I will absolutely be watching it to the end. I doubt I will have to edit this review though, I think the issues I have with the show will not be suddenly resolved, but the level of brilliance is not likely to fall either.
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EDIT: I have completed the show, and now I will leave a comment on the second half of it.
I was correct in saying that neither the show's drawbacks nor its brilliance would change in the second half. However, I still felt the need to address the remaining episodes. Because, while my rating still stands, the story structure undergoes some massive changes. I must admit that, after most of the original characters die off, the show becomes pretty lonely.
On the Wu side, after Zhou Yu dies, no interesting characters are left, except for a brief appearance of Lu Xun, which was a pleasant surprise. After that, Wu is completely out of the picture, and we only hear about it in third person. In Shu-Han we are left with only Zhuge Liang, as the single character that's a delight to follow. And as for Wei, with the death of Cao Pi, Sima Yi emerges as the main force driving the story forward (and as my new personal favorite).
So, as the ending draws nearer, the show becomes almost entirely about the struggle between two characters: Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang. While it might feel a bit of a downgrade from the way the show started with a multitude of characters, it also means we get to see only the most exciting parts, and none of the boring or annoying ones. The show suddenly becomes more suspensful and less "fun" (in a good way). This change of pace also feels very appropriate. As it takes a long time to watch the show, as you progress, you feel the time pass. As you see characters you've grown to love get old and die, you reflect on where you started from and where you are now. And the show reacts accordingly. We can see Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi constantly refer to the past and have flashbacks right to the very end. Which makes the last episode incredibly impactful.
The ending of the show is executed PERFECTLY! I honestly could not imagine a better ending. It puts to shame most other shows I have seen. It carries all the weight of the entire show on its back, and that gives way for a cathartic conclusion that pretty much wraps up all the storylines with a series of twists and some gorgeous metaphors. And although in a way I'm glad to finally have finished this massive epic of a series, it is a bittersweet feeling, as I'm sure I am gonna miss it a bunch. How am I gonna go about my life without the daily wisdom of these military masterminds? I have no idea. But oh well, just as the Han Dynasty had to collapse and the Sima-Jin Dynasty had to emerge (only to collapse soon-after) I must move onto the next show until I also find my way to the oblivion.
--------------------------------------------------------------
I have only seen 45 episodes so far (which is about half of the series). I might change my opinions later. But here are my thoughts at the moment:
Chen Jianbin as Cao Cao is amazing. I think, if the whole show was about him, I would've probably given it a 10. Then again, I do appreciate that it shows us all sides of the conflict. When it comes to the story, I think the worst thing about this show is that they didn't make me care enough about Liu Bei and Zhou Yu, who are seen as the leaders of the factions that oppose Cao Cao. I think, a show like this must make every side look equally interesting. But, unfortunately, to me Liu Bei looks ingenuine and pretentious, while Zhou Yu looks narrow-minded and immature. Zhang Fei is probably the character I dislike the most, which also makes me dislike Liu Bei even more for employing him and treating him like a brother. I feel like, in real life, Liu Bei would be the one person I'd identify with the most, but in this show I root for Cao Cao. So, as a result, every episode that is focused on the character of Cao Cao feels like a great episode. Whereas episodes about his enemies can be somewhat boring. However, even at its worst, the show is still pretty good.
When the show shines though, it REALLY shines. Some of the dialogue and monologue can be not only exciting to watch but also genuinely enlightening. I have not read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, so I assume a lot of that comes from the book. But the way it was integrated in the show was brilliant and seamless. Also the show features A LOT of characters. It introduces everyone with a subtitle, which at first I didn't like. Then I realized, you can just not pay attention to most of them on your first watch, because the most important characters you will remember anyway. But the presence of all these additional characters makes the show that much more rewatchable.
Another gripe I have with the show is the color palette. Everything is so blue and grey. I know they're trying to go for realism, but it results with even sunny days looking kinda depressing. It also causes a lot of confusion in the battle scenes, as you don't know which troops fight for who. In the Story of Han Dynasty every faction was distinctly colored in their clothing and banners. This may not be the most realistic approach, but it works. I wish Three Kingdoms did the same.
And for my final note, I wanna praise the music. While the intro theme might feel a bit out of place at first with its heavy opera-style singing, the rest of the score is so god damn beautiful. There is a couple of compositions that, whenever they come by, touch me deeply in my heart. Needless to say, this serves perfectly to enhance the emotion conveyed brilliantly by the actors (Chen Jianbin especially!).
In conclusion: I have not seen that many historical shows. But among the ones I've seen, this might just be the best one. Most historical shows tend to be rather mediocre. As a history buff I cut them some slack. This one does not need any slack, it's a great show. I will absolutely be watching it to the end. I doubt I will have to edit this review though, I think the issues I have with the show will not be suddenly resolved, but the level of brilliance is not likely to fall either.
--------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT: I have completed the show, and now I will leave a comment on the second half of it.
I was correct in saying that neither the show's drawbacks nor its brilliance would change in the second half. However, I still felt the need to address the remaining episodes. Because, while my rating still stands, the story structure undergoes some massive changes. I must admit that, after most of the original characters die off, the show becomes pretty lonely.
On the Wu side, after Zhou Yu dies, no interesting characters are left, except for a brief appearance of Lu Xun, which was a pleasant surprise. After that, Wu is completely out of the picture, and we only hear about it in third person. In Shu-Han we are left with only Zhuge Liang, as the single character that's a delight to follow. And as for Wei, with the death of Cao Pi, Sima Yi emerges as the main force driving the story forward (and as my new personal favorite).
So, as the ending draws nearer, the show becomes almost entirely about the struggle between two characters: Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang. While it might feel a bit of a downgrade from the way the show started with a multitude of characters, it also means we get to see only the most exciting parts, and none of the boring or annoying ones. The show suddenly becomes more suspensful and less "fun" (in a good way). This change of pace also feels very appropriate. As it takes a long time to watch the show, as you progress, you feel the time pass. As you see characters you've grown to love get old and die, you reflect on where you started from and where you are now. And the show reacts accordingly. We can see Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi constantly refer to the past and have flashbacks right to the very end. Which makes the last episode incredibly impactful.
The ending of the show is executed PERFECTLY! I honestly could not imagine a better ending. It puts to shame most other shows I have seen. It carries all the weight of the entire show on its back, and that gives way for a cathartic conclusion that pretty much wraps up all the storylines with a series of twists and some gorgeous metaphors. And although in a way I'm glad to finally have finished this massive epic of a series, it is a bittersweet feeling, as I'm sure I am gonna miss it a bunch. How am I gonna go about my life without the daily wisdom of these military masterminds? I have no idea. But oh well, just as the Han Dynasty had to collapse and the Sima-Jin Dynasty had to emerge (only to collapse soon-after) I must move onto the next show until I also find my way to the oblivion.
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