Like ATJL, ????? is a story about a journey--romance isn't even on the foreline of the story, it's about the four main characters, each with their own flaws, character faults, ostracized by society in a varying different amount of ways, coming together and learning, bonding through their journey that started out with the purest motive at heart -- stealing back the gold from a corrupt official to give it back to a dynasty so that the general populace could be saved (even if the king was useless and terrible).
With a great story arc that makes sense and has good, fleshed out characters, there's a good balance of humour, fun times, upsetting moments and splash of romance between the main female lead and male lead. From the start to the finish, although a bit dated and the filming techniques a little tacky due to the age of the show (it was filmed in 2010 and broadcast in 2011), The Vigilantes in Masks is a very very enjoyable film that has high rewatch value due to its palatable story arcs, great fighting and action scenes, plus incredible acting by all of the characters, from the main characters to the supporting characters. You might even notice some of the younger, more current generation of actors in this show (like Guan Xiaotong). This is a story brought to you well fleshed out and wonderfully acted by a great number of China's most well known golden era of actors and actresses (who have all pretty much reduced their dramas and workloads by now), and a highly recommended watch as a whole.
With a great story arc that makes sense and has good, fleshed out characters, there's a good balance of humour, fun times, upsetting moments and splash of romance between the main female lead and male lead. From the start to the finish, although a bit dated and the filming techniques a little tacky due to the age of the show (it was filmed in 2010 and broadcast in 2011), The Vigilantes in Masks is a very very enjoyable film that has high rewatch value due to its palatable story arcs, great fighting and action scenes, plus incredible acting by all of the characters, from the main characters to the supporting characters. You might even notice some of the younger, more current generation of actors in this show (like Guan Xiaotong). This is a story brought to you well fleshed out and wonderfully acted by a great number of China's most well known golden era of actors and actresses (who have all pretty much reduced their dramas and workloads by now), and a highly recommended watch as a whole.
Both have similar wuxia elements, for lack of a better word. Each with a central character that leads the narrative or the team. And each of those characters has strong sidekicks who fight with them. If you like Sword Snow Stride, I highly recommend The Vigilantes in Masks, it is a gem, one in a million. Also a little spoiler, many people believe that Sword Snow Stride although needs a second season, it has a satisfying ending for season 1....just to let you know, The Vigilantes in Masks, has that explosive satisfying ending as well, plus it was great along the way throughout.
I think the trailer made the show too serious and did no justice to the show. The story has plenty of twist to it and keeps you going till the end.
The Grand Theft team has different magical skills and power to enable them to steal from the rich and give to the poor. Although this is their motto that is totally not the focus in this series. They get forced into a plot that requires them to steal the Kylin horn for the wicked and evil An Lu Shan and the Grand Master Sorcerer.
As the team is a group of thieves, they are always chased after by the constables, mainly officer Xue. However, the twist comes when the team teams up with Officer Xue solve his case of mummies killing which ends up landing them together as a team instead. This is also when Officer Xue falls in love with 3rd Sister. Their lovey-dovey romance is really quite cute. Officer Xue is a stubborn and rigid character ends up changing as he starts to learn and adapt to situations from Third Sister and the Li Tian that things are not what they seem.
The funny parts in the show are the brothers, 3rd sister's romance, Li Tian's romance and the grandma's dementia parts. It's also great fun watching Er Di and Xiao Di working together in mid-air. Another romance in the show is Li Tian and Hua Ling. Hua Ling is a die-hard OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder) about cleanliness and Li Tian is a "messy and dirty" guy, likes to litter and not bathe, etc. Yet Hua Ling is totally in love with Li Tian.
There are lots of fun and adventure in the show. The twists in the story along the way also makes the show exciting and interesting. Oh, there's pretty much Season 2....just need more viewers for this season though.
The Grand Theft team has different magical skills and power to enable them to steal from the rich and give to the poor. Although this is their motto that is totally not the focus in this series. They get forced into a plot that requires them to steal the Kylin horn for the wicked and evil An Lu Shan and the Grand Master Sorcerer.
As the team is a group of thieves, they are always chased after by the constables, mainly officer Xue. However, the twist comes when the team teams up with Officer Xue solve his case of mummies killing which ends up landing them together as a team instead. This is also when Officer Xue falls in love with 3rd Sister. Their lovey-dovey romance is really quite cute. Officer Xue is a stubborn and rigid character ends up changing as he starts to learn and adapt to situations from Third Sister and the Li Tian that things are not what they seem.
The funny parts in the show are the brothers, 3rd sister's romance, Li Tian's romance and the grandma's dementia parts. It's also great fun watching Er Di and Xiao Di working together in mid-air. Another romance in the show is Li Tian and Hua Ling. Hua Ling is a die-hard OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder) about cleanliness and Li Tian is a "messy and dirty" guy, likes to litter and not bathe, etc. Yet Hua Ling is totally in love with Li Tian.
There are lots of fun and adventure in the show. The twists in the story along the way also makes the show exciting and interesting. Oh, there's pretty much Season 2....just need more viewers for this season though.
These two dramas are so similar, I'm surprised this recommendation hasn't been made before. The romance is lovely, but not the main focus. The sense of fellowship is endearing. The story is organized into arcs that develop the underlying story and help along character development. They both have a fair amount of action, and intelligent scheming. If you liked one, I can guarantee you'll like the other.
