Arsenal Military Academy (2019)

What a handsome squad!

Wholesome drama, great acting, great storyline, great villain and a really mischievious Xu Kai!
What more could a drama asked for??

While we were served with so many good woman-pretend-to-be-man drama like the legendary hanazakarino kimitachie (both Japanese- Horikita Maki and Taiwanese ver -Ella Chen), to the beautiful you (kor- park shinhye) and sunkyunkwan scandal (kor- park minyoung), NOBODY, I REPEAT, NOBODY DOING IT LIKE BAI LU!

From the swag, and the way Xie Liangchen carry herself, you would think she is truly a man. Just you know, a little bit shorter and smaller. The way her voice tone also perfect for the character. It give an appearance of a calm but principle man. Even when she became Xie Xiang, it doesn't look ridiculous.

Xu kai oh xu kai. When I wrote this, I have just finished The Legends and I wholeheartedly like Xu Kai better in this. Guy can act, I give him that. He made the show entertaining. Although sometimes he can get annoying, especially when it comes to teasing Liangchen. His facial expression and gesture is to die for, (ya know when he winked???)

Worthy mentioned about this drama is the roller coaster unrequited love.

Gu Yanzhen > Xie Xiang
Shen Junshan > Xie Xiang
Shen Tingbai > Qu Manting
Qu Manting > Gu Yanzhen
Huang Song > Xie Xiang

Half through this drama, I was wondering if the pairing ever got together and luckily, they did! In a manner that just flow naturally, it felt like they just come back to where they belong.

Storyline:
The reason why it wasn't a ten because this damn storyline on the first half of the series. While I venture into the drama knowing who the main CP is, even I got confused of the Shen Junshan-Xie Xiang and Gu Yanzhen-Qu Manting. They seems to have more screentime and moment with the 2nd lead than with each other. At one time, I swore I felt guilty rooting for Qu Manting and Gu Yanzhen.

I'm not someone who like slowburn but suprisingly, I can deal with this one voluntarily. I didn't even skipped or fast forward. It just that the drama kinda failed to tell us exactly how Xie Xiang ended up discovering her love for Gu Yanzhen. I mean, what was the specific moment?
I know she never really like Shen Junshan like that. We all see that she only like him for reminding of her brother. But half of the drama, I did wonder if Xie Xiang/Liangchen is going to fall for our male lead or not. And when she decided she is, I just couldn't pin point why. Like YOU FIND THAT GUY ABSOLUTELY ANNOYING BEFORE AND NOW YOU LIKE HIM?? WHY?

Anyway, as a period drama enthusiast, I find this drama very good and worth remembering. The costume is great, the idea of patriotism is superb. You had people of all walk of life fighting for their country whether its the military soldier, bussinessman, students, or secret society. It is a good reminder on what it was like during that time. And I appreciate that a lot.

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One of the best cdramas ever

I was avoiding Arsenal Military Academy for a long time because the theme really doesn't speak to me, but decided to give it a try due to high ratings and XuKai playing one of the leading roles. And boy, I'm so glad I did! It's really one of the best series in terms of plot, production, and well-written characters that make the series so good. It's really all about people, relationships, emotions, and complicated choices they have to make due to their own reasons, beliefs, or life situations.

○Amazing acting○

First, I have to say that acting is truly superb in the series, From the slightly tired and discouraged army veterans and teachers in the academy (who still do their job out of duty) to passionate youths, who are all about taking action, even if it means sacrificing themselves for the greater good. I'm not a fan of this type of patriotism as I believe all life is precious and one shouldn't just throw it away, but in this world, there is a place for everything, and the series made everything very believable, and everyone's reasoning worked too well. You start really feeling what each character is all about, so their actions just made sense.

○Loveable characters○

☼ XuKai's Gu Yanzheng goes from a troublesome teen to an equally troublesome military student, but we see his growth and passion, and how manly he becomes, without ever losing his identity. His playful and mischievous side is always amazing to watch, and the way he expresses his love for Xie Liancheng is both funny and heart-warming. He's not afraid to be himself no matter what he does, even when acting like a kid.

☼ Xie Liangchen, portrayed by BaiLu, is figuring out what really matters in life after her brother's death and even goes so far as to take his identity, trying to understand him better (and as a result, to understand herself). I don't think living someone else's life is a good idea, but while doing so, one can discover a lot about themselves - and that was the path she chose. She became stronger and turned into a great fighter just because she wanted to - so she could help others and protect her friends. She's definitely not the usual girly type of girl, I guess that's why she and Gu Yanzheng clicked so well together.

☼Shen Junshan stole the spotlight many times and their love triangle with Xie Liangchen and Gu Yanzheng was really believable as all the male leads were great at portraying complex emotions. Xie Liancheng really needed to get to know herself better to understand what she wanted and whom she liked. Shen Junshan is a more reserved type, but very manly, gentle, and protective. I just feel he was more of a traditional guy and Xie Liancheng was definitely not a traditional girl, according to the choices she made in life, that's why she was drawn more to Gu Yanzheng (well, and there's also love that works in mysterious ways:)

☼I also adore Qu Manting - she's brave, open, and free to do whatever she wants no matter what other people think. For a woman back in the day I can't imagine that was easy, especially without the support of the family. In many aspects, she acted like a spoilt child and demanded love and attention from other people, but she was also fearless and I could see that she and Gu Yanzheng really had a lot in common and could become a power-couple if it was real life and not a scripted performance. They both were always open about their feelings for each other and other people, they said what was on their minds and acted passionately on a whim, which sometimes led to dreadful consequences. People like that aren't afraid to live (or to die) and they do everything to the maximum of their capabilities. That's why their love is also fiery, passionate, and grand. Qu Manting wasn't afraid to make grand gestures for Gu Yanzheng (her saving him from the wedding was a total blast, it was really one of the best episodes ever with their fake relationship, although her love was quite genuine), just like Gu Yanzheng wasn't afraid to do grand gestures for Xie Liancheng (him playing the piano in the candlelight right inside the military academy was just beyond stunning, attention-seeking, but also genuine). I also feel that Qu Manting was avoiding Shen TingBai for a long time because he could actually make her happy, but in a different way, with fewer fireworks and fiery emotions. For some reason she was avoiding him, going for Gu Yanzheng who was obviously in love with someone else. In the end, though, I guess she realized that love can be different as there are different kinds of relationships (that don't always have to explode in your face all the time).

☼The story of Huo Xiaoyu, who is far more than just a bartender owner, and Guo Shuting, was tragic and amazing in many aspects. I don't want to spoil it, but so many characters in the story are inter-connected and their past and present, all is written beautifully in the plot.

Anyway, all these love triangles made for a very captivating watch with lots of truly funny moments. Given the theme of the series, I was surprised at just how many cute and fluffy scenes this drama has, especially with the theme of cross-dressing. Naturally, Gu Yanzheng was openly acting like a man fully in love, not caring that his love interest looked like a guy to everyone else. This is one of the most endearing aspects of his character, and also the reason for a handful of hilarious scenes. It's a pity the director had to cut lots of romantic moments, but even without the kissing scenes, all the romances in the series are beyond enjoyable (but do watch a few cut scenes on YouTube, they are too precious).

○The atmosphere○

All the costumes, osts, and scene decorations deserve an honorable mention, too. The production was amazing and very life-like, and I especially loved everyone's styles. Gu Yanzheng was like a cool military-esque male model dressing in style every time. He was really something else, also because he came from the upper class and could probably spend more money on stylish outfits. Qu Manting's dresses were attention-grabbing and worthy of a star singer. You could always tell by her outfits she wasn't just an ordinary woman - she had a presence and wanted to grab attention with her looks as well. Huo Xiaoyu exuded charm and elegance whenever she was dressing up - she just had a special aura about her, and the designers made her look even more stunning.

○Conclusion○

This drama is just too good in many aspects. I recommend watching it even if you're not a fan of the military genre - it is so much more than that. With brilliant acting, stunning scenes, lots of love and drama, this is definitely one of the best series about human relationships and life in general.

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I loves every single character n cant stop crying over the last few episodes... it still hurts.

I loved both Bai Lu n Xu Kai chemistry, its so strong n loving it. Such a cute couple. Xu Kai is such a snobbish rich man son with political power n his rebellious character is so funny, his love towards Bai Lu were so open n funny yet so sweet at the same time.

I liked how other characthers so well, their circle of friends are so fun... loves the rich girl character too. She's strong, demanding yet very real. She's who she is. I just loves all even those who played as villain.

I wished the ending could have all of them enjoying their happy hour time together...

Highly Recommended!

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Best quality drama I have seen so far

This is for sure the best quality drama I have seen

<3 Actors
The main cast is brilliant. The 4 mains characters were all cast perfectly, the main girl Xie and the main guy Gu have a great chemistry and both played their roles with brio.
2nd set of main characters Shen and Qu are both excellent as well. Qu's character could have been annoying but her facial expressions and changes of mood were delicately done and she managed to make her character quite endearing.
All side characters including the main villain are also great, you get attached to so many of them and don’t get disappointed at any point by their performance

<3 Story
The story is not always simple, like most dramas it’s always problem after problems after problems! Sometimes maybe a little bit too intense especially towards the end where many side villains are introduced.
But overall it’s very interesting, I actually made a lot of researches regarding this era while watching as I thought it was really captivating (pre-World War I).
The main love story is also really endearing, and the actors and writers made a great effort at adding a lot of humour around the cheesiness of some lines which made it very believable (a lot of times I related to side characters reacting to Public Display of Affection)
There are obviously some “short cuts” but these were much less problematic than any other dramas I watched before

<3 Fa Mulan
The “Fa Mulan” classic girl/guy story was more believable than in some dramas I have watched before, though sometimes I was like: “come on”
However the main character is strong independant woman which was really refreshing. I liked that they had to save her a few times, but she also saved her friends by using both strength and intelligence (not only intelligence).
She’s got a strong will power, like a lot of main actresses in dramas but this time she doesn’t hid behind men for help, she’s solving things by herself or using her team and this is soooo good to watch

<3 Open minded show!
Even though, there is no real homosexuality happening in the drama, there are actually a lot of reference to it. The drama is quite "open minded" about it and I thought brought a pretty fresh eye by promoting a “and so what” attitude towards men couples instead of other characters just making fun or being weird about it! I thought this was also really refreshing.

<3 Costumes/set/Visual effects
Great great effort! The set is amazing, such a perfect location, the houses, the dorms, canteen, bar, houses all are really well chosen.
Costumes were really good, only thing I thought could be better was the choice of some shoes/boots. Maybe very similar to historic costumes I didn’t not look closer to this.
Visual effects were average ok, better than any drama I have seen so far.

<3 Music
Was good overall.
Towards the end when it get patriotic though it gets a bit too cheesy.

< / 3 Patrio tism
You don’t feel it too much in the first 2 third of the movie but last 5/6 episodes it gets really intense and too cheesy. This has been my only real issue with the drama. An equivalent of Avengers Captain America if you want, about saving your country, being proud to kill people, hating on some political views well intended to please the government in place in 2022… It was too much, and you feel it which takes you out of the drama story a bit as you can feel it’s been edited to please “some” people

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Overall Great Characters

I found a few of the characters a little annoying, but they all have their redeeming qualities. You have the rich guys Gu Yanzhen and Shen Junshan who have opposing personalities, but believe loyalty and friendship is the most valuable commodity. And then you have Huang Song who comes from much poorer roots, but is high-achieving in his own right and aspires to be successful and support his family. At the center of it all is Xie Liangchen/Xie Xiang who disguises herself as a man to attend the academy. This lends her into ending up in a lot of peculiar situations. Even though she doesn't perform as well as her classmates at first, her bravery shines throughout the series.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this series to anyone, particularly those who love drama, action, and some comedic LOL moments.

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My first review

Story: That's super epic
Cast and their Performance: Except the main hero Xu Kai, all others did well. In this drama, Gu Yan Zhen (Xu Kai) was depicted as a drunkard and useless loose talker. It is surprising that Xu Kai, the most fan-friendly character on the show, plays such a small role in such a serious combat battle series.
Performance Appraisal: I think Bai Lu (Xie Liang Chen), Gao Yu Er (Oda Hiroshi) and Liu Min (Huo Xiao Yu) did a great job, and they are the series' leads. Liu Si Bo (Huang Song) and Toby Lee (Shen Jun Shan) are also highly committed to their roles. In this series, Hong Yao (Shen Ting Bai) is my hero without a doubt. As always, he performed his role to the best of his abilities. Despite having a lot of screen time, Jia Yi (Qu Man Ting) had little opportunity to show off her acting ability.

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Amazing Chinese Drama

I really really love this drama! The actors are excellent and the story as well. Whenever someone ask me about what's best chinese drama, I always recommend this Arsenal Military Academy. Not just about romance, but also drama, action, and patriotism. This drama also makes me cry. The friendship role of the actors are natural, I really really recommend this for everyone to watch. I love Bai Lu, Xu Kai, Wang Yi Zhe and Toby Lee. As well as Huang Song. What makes this drama amazing is their history with the Japanese, how eager military student to fight for their country

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I think this show is rather unique with its plot by mixing it up with action. It’s been an enjoyable ride.

Pros:
- the chemistry with the cast is undeniable. Even the 2nd lead has great chemistry with Bai Lu (lead girl)
- action-packed
- great acting from everyone, especially the main antagonist and Xu Kai (just in scenes where he’s not phoning it in)
- great main and supporting characters
- for the ladies and the gays, the amount of good looking men in this series is just unreasonable. Even their extras are oozing with looks and sex appeal. It’s like they put all the good looking men in mainland china and added them to this show.

Cons:
- it can get quite dragging considering the amount of episodes.
- the development for some characters are not that much, but some development for other characters are quite good.
- ending for me is quite rushed which I think could have been improved if they did not drag a few episodes before. This is I think is one of my biggest disappointments of this drama. A lot of characters just didn’t appear in the ending anymore. And the lead couple’s ending was just too rushed.


General points:
- if you’re looking for a lot of romance like similar shows like Love in the Moonlight, you will be a bit disappointed. While it is marked as romantic, and the lead couple are known to be paired always, it is taking a bit of a backseat to the plot (which is about the Japanese encroachment, and the danger that it’s causing in Shuyuan)
- it’s about 30% true romance, about 20% comedic romance that isn’t really romantic, and from buildup of the love triangle. But do not expect any abundance of romantic displays like other dramas. 50% of it is about character exploration for other cast members, and of course the main plot.
- great acting from the cast. The only thing disappointing is Bai Lu’s lack of effort to be manly. She’s so obvious sometimes, which is unrealistic.
- do not take it seriously. That’s the main rule. This is not to be compared to other dramas that pride themselves with top-notch plots and storylines. It’s still a romance/comedy/action type of drama but a lot of fantasy to it (like Bai Lu passing as a man). It also has a few plot holes and stupid subplots like a lot of typical dramas of this caliber.

It is still enjoyable and is one of those dramas that is a feel-good watch. There will be deaths, and they’re going to hurt. But overall, it’s still a light drama For me. The action is icing on the cake.

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I enjoyed the overall storyline and character relationships. It was one of those shows where I couldn't stop watching. A few specific things I really enjoyed:

Strong female characters:
Obviously the main lead, Xie Xiang is a force of her own, training alongside and competing against men in the academy. She gets a lot of support and help from the leading male characters but is never a damsel in distress. Qu Manting, despite being spoiled and demanding, is a woman who also defies patriarchal norms and is determined to make her own living. Huo Xiaoyu’s story as a single, older woman that commanded so much power and respect made her really impressive.

Acting:
Xu Kai does well as the narcissistic and goofy Gu Yanzhen. There are a few serious scenes where he is furious, and his anger was so palpable on screen it was frightening. Toby Lee as Shen Junshan was fantastic. The way he displays the character’s emotions behind his refined and somewhat restrained character where spot on. His facial expressions so perfectly displayed those mixed emotions. The main villain displays this juxtaposing girlish charm with chilling murderous intent and it was perfect.

Costumes:
I am no fashion expert but the costume design was beautiful. Especially the elaborate dresses that Qu Manting and Huo Xiaoyu wore, but also the suits that the men wore were all pretty dapper.

Huang Song:
He’s just the most loveable, wholesome character.

A few minor grievances:
In the first episode, Gu Yan Zhen displays pretty awful behaviour. While drunk, he harasses Qu Man Ting, grabs her and attempts to kidnap her. My initial reaction to this was that it was pretty violent and disrespectful behaviour to a woman, even though to him it all seemed to be a joke. This initial impression made it really difficult for me to appreciate his character as someone who could respect women for the first half of the show. I realise the character was introduced as a delinquent to give him room to develop later on, but I wish the writers chose a different way to introduce their main male lead.

When questioning the sexuality of the male characters, they were asked “are you ill/sick?.” This is probably a reflection of how same-sex relationships were viewed in the context and is no fault of the writers, however it was something I disdained.

The main villain had a complex and sad backstory which were only superficially discussed. I feel that looking into this backstory in detail would have been worthwhile to provide more depth into the character's vengeful motivations.

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