S.C.I (2018)

The drama was good to watch for 2 main reasons. Acting and Looks of the Lead roles!

Otherwise I feel the storyline is lacking depth. There is much history between the two lead roles which is not clearly defined. Dramatization of certain parts seems too extravagant and doesn't seem realistic. And the story feels rushed. 40 episodes would have been a more comfortable stretch if they had dug into the main characters a bit more.

The music was good, however not addictive. When I listen to its title track, I immediately do not connect to the 24 episodes that I saw. In many other dramas like Guardian, GOT, Scarletheart, Prison Playbook, Legend of Chusen, etc; their OSTs are very addictive and recognizable.

But still, it was a great one time watch. ENJOY!

Read More

Gosh, what a ride this series was. My favorite parts were definitely the Zhan Yao & Bai Yutong arcs - their scenes and arcs together and also Zhan Yao’s storyline with Zhao Jue - and then the Bai Chi & Zhao Zheng stuff because that was really hilarious. I didn’t like the bits about Bai Yutong’s sister and the pathologist guy.

I loved how much fun the leads had with the series, the BTS vids were funny as heck and Gao Hanyu & Ji Xiaobing seemed to click from the get-go. Thanks to that, their scenes together, Bai Yutong & Zhan Yao’s relationship, were all the deeper and funnier and sweeter, too.

And then there was Zhao Jue, of course. Every episode that he appeared in was a real treat. His creepiness, his darkness, his obsession with Zhan Yao! And the fact that Bai Yutong was very aware of it, of how dangerous Zhao Jue was and that Zhan Yao was somehow drawn to that guy… Such fascinating stuff!

I’m so glad that there’s going to be a second season and I really hope that they won’t mess it up. The teaser at the end of the final S1 episode was so very, very tantalizing! If they actually go in that direction, it will be a real treat!

Read More

This is one of the amazing Chinese dramas I've watched. I watched it mainly because I loved the concept of psychology, and having studied Psychoanalysis and its criticism I was intrigued by this series. They way they brought psychology into the story was exceptionally good, not cliché (at least to me) and it keeps you definitely on hold. Season 1 ended as a cliffhanger... and I really hope season 2 will be out soon.(I pray there is a s2, else I'd break my head thinking about it)
Talking about the music it was pleasing, and the acting...definitely amazing. The story is connected throughout and it takes a bit of time to finally process what is happening. Because from the beginning till the end, it has a single plot line... deviated into several sub plots. Unexpected plot twists and character entry does make it even more refined. The acting is definitely admirable and them being eye candy is a cherry on top. The series is short, but as said, a season 2 is expected. Let's hope there is.
P.S: The episodes are available on YT with Eng subs

Read More

Not A BL ....

Sadly this is not a bl but a bromance between a phycologist & a Detective.

Although the casting and the ML were really well matched, and the storyline and investigative process was good, the stories for me started to drag on, it was like no sooner do they get closer to finding out who is doing the murders, they take several 100 steps back.

Know even though I did like the leads, I did feel that Zhan Yao protects Zhao Jue and casually converses with him despite knowing how many people he has killed and the extent of his deviousness. In fact he is more kind to and speaks more nicely with him than with Bai YuTong.

the story was sub-par, and just didn't flow, In my opinion, the first 8 episodes were amazing, but then is started to fall short, I think they could have gotten away with 12 episodes or maybe 15 but 24 were just way too long for this kind stretched out drama.

Overall: This is a hit and miss drama, you either watch for the eye candy or just skip through the unnecessary parts!!!

Read More

AMAZING!!!!

Story
Now sometimes the clues and stuff they got from things were confusing. Like sometimes I would like track of names or certain clues. Otherwise I love the story. I especially love the bromance.

Acting/Cast
The cast for this especially the leads were amazing!!! I also loved the badass characters that the women would also have.

Music
The music was always fitting. The theme songs they used were all bops that I listen to religiously now.

Overall
So great tho the bromance is little is still so good. Kind of similar to like NCIS or Criminal Minds (for a comparison to English shows). 10/10 I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Read More

Good in parts - very pretty to watch but the plots aren't always coherent

It's an entertaining enough drama but there are things about it that make it difficult to suspend disbelief and just go with the flow.

The main characters are pretty enough and also engaging when together but the supporting characters vary widely in terms of both their usefulness to the series overall and acting ability. Likewise the storylines vary in how believable they are, with the last of this season being about human experimentation, with some really poor acting from guest cast. As is often the case with a lot of Chinese dramas, the supporting female characters are left with little to do and minimal character development. I'm not 100% convinced that you could tail someone without them spotting you, even in Hong Kong, driving a white Lamborghini with plates that say 'SCI'?

There's a particularly annoying sub-plot about Bai Xin Tang and Gong Sun Zhe that was both annoying (she basically stalks him) and also nauseating (to the point where I started fast forwarding through their scenes together). I was a bit confused about Xin Tang, to be honest - the show seems to suggest she's also a police officer (maybe I misunderstood this?) but we never actually see her working and she also has bodyguards?

Overall: not the worst show I've seen, it managed to keep my interest all the way through, and the overall eye candy level helps immensely when the plots start to waver.

Read More

Shortly coming on the heels of watching Killer and Healer, this drama probably did not meet my expectations. If I had watched this first, since it was released prior K&H, it could be a different story, but I did not. For this drama, the eye-candy did help, because it is probably the main reason why I finished this show the other being curiosity. The drama tried to pass off as an intricate who-done-it, but it ended up convoluting the story. There are glaring plot holes and illogical set-ups (not sure if the drama's fault or the way the book was written). The show tried to also incorporate some romance but fails due to the stalky FML.

Read More

A comfort mystery/thriller

S.C.I. made me so happy. The arcs were so interesting and engaging and I love forensic psychology, so this was super fun for me to watch. You don't get bored watching S.C.I. The scenes between the second main couple are so bad but they're just so hilarious that it's kind of fun to watch them. Baizhan is the perfect bickering childhood friends-to-lovers couple and I love the combination of their skills in the criminal investigation field. Although the characters are slightly different than they are in the book, a lot of the dialogue is word-for-word, so I’m not upset there. Also, I tend to view book characters vs tv characters as different entities of the same mold, so I think both portrayals of most of the main characters are great. I’m not mad about the fact that a lot of the male characters in the book are female in the drama because the plot isn't different, most personalities aren't different, and Ma Han and Bai Jin/Qintang as females are just so badass and my gay little heart collapses at the mere sight of them (especially Ma Han with [her] precision rifle). Ma Han is definitely a win for the bisexuals >:) S.C.I. does have some flaws such as a rushed progression of events making processing major things difficult, introduction of characters that feel a little irrelevant to the plot and/or make it more confusing, and wonky transitions. Also, the arcs aren’t super cohesive, like we just kind of jump from one thing to another and I feel like Zhao Jue was just thrown in there to have something that pulls us back to the main plot, but we easily lose sight of what that plot is supposed to be. I feel like so much more could’ve been done with Zhao Jue’s character, he’s so interesting! Despite these things, S.C.I. is a great combination of mystery, fun, romance, action, and is a very interesting look into the psychological aspects of criminal investigation and violence. It’s a lot like Hannibal the TV show in theory, just wayyy more lighthearted, romantic, funny, and less intense. Would definitely recommend.

Read More

Firstly,the casting of the characters for the respective roles in the drama was apt and perfect.Kudos to the casting director/team.
The story was good in terms of the cases and the investigation processes. The disappointing part about the show is the way in which Zhan Yao protects Zhao Jue and casually converses with him despite knowing how many people he has killed and the extent of his deviousness.In fact he is more kind to and speaks more nicely with him than with Bai YuTong.
Bai Yu Tong is really protective of Zhan Yao and even in the middle of being in the battle field or dangerous missions looks out for him at the same time balancing his responsibility towards his duty exceptionally well. Any one messing with or hurting Zhan Yao will never find favor with him. On the other hand Zhan Yao knows that Zhao Jue hates Bai Yu Tong and would go to the extent of hurting him yet he continues his increasing bond with him.Zhan Yao's attitude towards Bai Yu Tong who is concerned for him is actually hurtful.He snaps at and rants at Bai YoTong even when he is being concerned for him. The friendship in the show is one-sided on Bai YuTong's part. All Zhan Yao cares about is proving his superior brain power, analytical and physiological skills and Zhan Jue. With a colleague/friend like him Bai YuTong doesn't need an enemy.
There are no actual bromance scenes/parts as such as seen in Guardian' or Killer and Healer'. Infact they describe and refer to each other as colleagues. Any friendship scenes arise out of care,love and concern on Bai YuTong's part.His loyalty to Zhan Yao is absolute.
All the other team members including the forensic doctor are great and their dedication towards their duty is commendable. Also they respect and are absolutely loyal towards Bai YuTong. They are a great and exceptional set of team members with each having their own set of skills and unlike Zhan Yao the deputy team leader none of them bonds with or is obsessed with a devious person like Zhao Jue.

Read More