Classic Confucius Thought
Morality:1. CONFUCIUS GENDER EQUALITY. "EDUCATION KNOWS NO CLASS DISTINCTION".
Ep.15. 17:53,
Qi Wang(Prince Qi/Pei Zhao), uses it for,
- first to let the girls study,
- later to let Su Ci manage the detective department.
In Liang Dynasty,500AD. 1,000 years after Confucius lived, in 551–479BC.
2. AMBITION.
SOME HUMAN HAS AMBITION BEYOND THE EXISTENCE, ENDED IN FATALITY.
- Prince Yun is the emperor and Prince Qi uncle. He has ambition to overthrown the emperor, ended his life by his step nephew sword,Xie BN, in the Throne Hall.
- All noble girls who have desire to marry Prince Qi, ended in danger.
BUT, WHEN WE HAVE THE AMBITION WITHIN OUR EXISTENCE, SOMETIME IT ENDS IN SURPRISING, JOYFUL LIFE.
Su Ci, just has ambition to uncover her parents and ethnic betrayal case, without ambition to marry Prince Qi. Later, she gets the answer and also meets her husband in working, Prince Qi.
EXPOSES ZHANG LING HE AS HIS DEBUT.
- It works well. We can not believe MH is his first acting, even he does not have acting background.
- Suitable choice, ZLH character matches with Qi Wang. In real, he is serious, humble although comes from good background. In one of his China TikTok,he can act little flirt virtually. In acting, Qi Wang is serious but flirty to Su Ci, also can be flirty when disguissing in brothel.
- Many Behind the Scenes published. Many watchers hope the next season, the life after Qi Wang and Su Ci marriage.
FOLLOWS CLASSIC STORY ELEMENT.
@ Balance.
Placing comedians as balance. Ru Shuang and Xie Bei Ning have funny relationship, balancing Qi Wang and Su Ci serious case.
@ Everything is in balance and NATURAL. Romance, working, kissing, talking, comedy, serious.
@ The theme is morality.
@ The setting place shows ARTS as expression tool.
POSITIVE POINTS.
DEEP MEANING, NOT BORING, EASY TO WATCH.
It seems light drama but the fact, has deep meaning. Because it follows classic story, talks about morality.
TREATMENT to CREW VERY GOOD.
Treats ZLH well, guiding him some difficult scenes, when kissing wildly in cart,
or,
he has to tease Chen Yao in library ep.20? Watch the BTS also.
Much food for crew, ZLH tells in an interview.
They seem happy from the begining to ending. The director, Li Xiao Jiang and BTS crew have pleasant personality.
LOW COST, OPTIMAL RESULT.
We can see they really save budget but it can perform well. Sets the scenes outdoor much. Just in small area,it shows war, horse riding, lake, cave, even small waterfall, tomb.
In low budget, they can do artful scenes as an important tool to play viewer emotion.
Ep..? in cloudy rainy day, gloomy Qi Wang sitting in his gazebo with deep thought, slowly Su Ci in girly white clothing, coming across the garden pathway with a white umbrella, to console Qi Wang.
Ep..? Near a small waterfall, Qi Wang and Su Ci sitting side by side, talking about their relationship journey.
NEVER FORGET OLD LIFE.
They like celebrating daily matter by food, sitting talking at home. No need a restaurant. All homecooked by Fei Yuan, the little attendant. Good food good taste, happyness comes.
_ _ _
LACKS OF
There is distraction, too many crime cases, while they also have big political intrique to overthrown the emperor.
There are some scenes to stress the emotion.
- By exposing rape cases more than one case. For me rape case is enough for one case, the other case can be kidnapping or "almost dying"crime.
- By exposing Su Ci sudden,too emotion, without investigating. She stabs her sword to hurt/kill Qi Wang, right after she hears Qi Wang and his confidante talking about her parent betrayed case and she thinks Qi Wang is the killer.While, SC is a smart detective leader.
The ending part becomes too cramped because too many cases before.
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This review may contain spoilers
Super fun mysteries + cute, romantic couples = light-hearted detective show
Woww, I loved this show so much! It does a great job in not adhering to tiring tropes such as evil second female lead, super nice second male lead, love triangles/unnecessary entangelements, etc. Watching this show made me feel at ease with how wonderful the main and secondary couples were, how well they worked together, and how much they loved each other. It was balanced with an intricate mystery that the characters worked to solve as they grew together.PROS
❀ It had a couple of well-done tropes | Including hidden identities and revenge for family. Each mystery the team solved became a step towards solving the main villain's plans, which made for a solid storyline that I didn't get tired of.
❀ A+ teamwork | I don't have enough words to express how much I love the main team that comes together. We have a detective (FL), general/prince (ML), martial artist (my fave himbo), poisoner (wish we got a character arc for her), and chef (so cute). Perfectly balanced with a fun/friendly dynamic. I absolutely loved their camaraderie and antics.
❀ A+++ romance | Phew... I ADORED the romances. It was so nice to see how gentle, kind, and loving the male lead Pei Yan Zhi was. He first encounters the female lead Su Ci while she's investigating and is impressed with her... after that, their fates become intertwined. Su Ci is a dedicated detective who is observant and sharp-witted. Her keen eyes are a great complement to PYZ's sensitive hearing. She's pretending to be a man to figure out the truth behind the death of her Bai Liang clan in the past, which has to do with a sinister plot going on.
❀ Don't change the woman, change the society | The script had inspiring female leads that you really want to root for. I loved how once PYZ realizes SC is a woman, instead of trying to mold/change her into someone who conforms to society, he makes plans to change society itself so she can fit in. Wow,,, the dedication.
❀ Mystery plots were pretty well-done | While the detective work was pretty superficial (conjectures based on observations and such), I like how they were all related to the bigger plan going on. The villain wasn't the most developed, but he made for a satisfactory antagonist to beat. There was also surprisingly good fighting choreo too!
❀ Aww @ the brother relationship | I liked how the kid emperor was good bros with PYZ rather than wary of him for wanting to take the throne. The whole time, PYZ is loyal to the emperor without need for any rewards and in general tries to stay away from court politics. We stan a humble and smart male lead.
❀ Another bullet point for the romance that made me gush | When the leads get together, I love how physically close they were and how well they worked together to solve crime. Also, A+++++ kiss scenes. There's not a lot, but a couple of them were quite swoonworthy.
❀ Happy ending that makes you want more | The ending is definitely satisfying but I would have loved some extra episodes of the characters doing more detective work. Their teamwork is just impeccable!!
CONS
✕ Misunderstanding level: 3/10 | There's a (kind of) necessary misunderstanding that lasts for literally an episode. It's a grave misunderstanding for sure that was caused by the FL's momentary emotional response, and it gets resolved super quickly. No misunderstandings just for the sake of screentime.
OVERALL
While this drama was more romance-centric than mystery-solving, I liked it exactly like that. The characters' antics always made me laugh and the female leads had a subtle, quiet strength that was really attractive. This is best for a light watch where you can gush at the characters and their romances with detective work in the background.
(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)
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Cute level headed couple & friends on a crime solving journey together
This show features a crime-solving cross-dressed heroine on a journey to avenge her clan. Although the cases and mystery aspect wasn't extremely well written, it was enough to move the plot forward and showcase the characters and their relationships. This is one of the only shows where I've seen the leads actually staying together for the entirety of the show. The ML and FL both have a brain which they often put to good use. The group of friends with different strengths helping each other out was very pleasant.Chen Yao is my favourite cross-dresser. Even though she doesn't actually look like a man, she is more convincing with her posture and demeanour than most of the rest. The ML is new and really handled it well for his first time. The chemistry and kisses between the leads are wonderful and totally what you'll like if you want a romance fix.
Overall I'd say this was a very pleasant show, great for when you don't want extremely long-winded complex plots or extreme emotions. A fun show!
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Good drama under the radar, recommend to watch
I started watching it because the FL Sebrina Chen.Up till now i have been watching until episode 13, i will recommend it to anyone who are interested in Chinese drama. Definitely one of those good drama under the radar.
One thing I am surprised is that this is the debut drama of the ML. He nailed it for his first drama, the charismatic he deliver in this character is very well. Another potential rising young actor.
Sebrina Chen, she is good too and I have just started following her in her drama My Unicorn Girl, both are her disguising in male character.
The story is moving well, not dragging yet until now and fast tempo in a good way. We will see how it turns out to be in the coming episode.
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Unbelievable Female Lead who pretends to be smart
Perhaps this is an unpopular opinion, seeing that many viewers seemed to like this drama. But not for me. After watching this drama for a few episodes, I just could not get into the story. I just cannot believe that everyone cannot see the FL is not a man. She even has bust and wears red lipstick. Okay, perhaps that's the stylist fault. But I just couldn't get over that she is just bitchy, rude and arrogant. How am I supposed to be convinced that she is like Mr. Holmes? I know Sherlock Holmes is also arrogant in his own way, but I don't see him as mean; I see him as rather blunt and impatient.... hahahaha. I digress. Anyway, I dropped this drama because I don't find the story and investigative cases engaging enough to stay and watch.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
HUH?
I read the synopsis and thought that this drama would be good. However, I found this drama fairly "huh" and boring from the start. I tried to continue with it to let it build up and intrigue me but as I continued watching, I simply felt annoyed and frustrated and disappointed.What I didn't like:
- The ML is cute but he didn't have a lot of chemistry with the FL. I know that I'm sort of early into the drama but things did not seem to be the way I would like...
- The FL seems constantly shocked by the ML. I expected a smart detective like her to be more composed and shrewd. It was strange and jarring to watch her being so startled by her interactions with the ML.
- The 2nd ML and 2nd FL - I do not know if I can call them second leads - were insufferable to watch. Their acting wasn't good and the man appeared like a big, bumbling idiot.
As I couldn't continue watching it, I decided to drop it and move on to other dramas which probably appeal more.
[I respect other reviewers and their individual choices. There are plenty of dramas out there to suit every taste. Direct your support or lack of to the drama itself. If you support this drama, good for you and please continue to. Please write your own good reviews. If you do not support this drama, please also write your own review. I am just a reviewer. We are reviewers. Not personal attackers. We review. We do not attack. Reserve your opinions for your reviews and not for the reviewer who is responding to the drama itself and not to other external aspects. I am responding to this drama that I have watched and I am not personally attacking any actor or actress in real life. It is all based on this particular drama only/ this particular reel life only. I do not know the actors and actresses in real life and I am not hating on anyone. This is my honest review on this drama which I have tried watching.]
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Not bad, but...
The series has a good structure overall with respect to the cast and plot so far (as far as an episode 3 goes). But the series is titled Maiden Holmes where one would expect a clever and competent FL. But despite the FL being somewhat intriguing by showing off her capabilities right from the start, once the main ML steps into the picture, she melts into helplessness. It was "somewhat intriguing" because there are also inconsistencies with the solution/results to the initial case results, brushing over much needed details and requesting the audience to just accept the brilliance of the FL.The case inconsistencies can be ignored to a degree but by episode 3, there is already an excessive amount of physical contact scenes between the ML/FL to force feed the beginnings of their romance. Which would also be acceptable if it weren't at the cost of character deterioration as the FL now needs constant rescuing. Additionally, the closeness between the group (i.e. the woman about to be sacrificed) was unrealistically instantaneous. It's a shame because there is a decent amount of chemistry with the actors/actresses.
I would be been pressed to continue watching but after hitting up the reviews and confirming that the FL never ends up redeeming herself, it was a definitive drop for me. Would have give it a lower score but I'm sure this aspect wouldn't bother other viewers as much and the FL character is really my only issue with the series thus far.
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Très bon drama mêlant investigation et romance
Un très bon drama mêlant investigation et romance, avec une FL forte et intelligente (ça change :) et un ML beau comme un dieu !!ML (Wahouuuu ......the ML really handsome and lets be honest but his acting in the drama was really good for a newbie).
L'histoire est bien ficelée, finement racontée et les acteurs (novices pour la plupart) sont excellents.
Les 2 romances sont très cute et avec des baisers réalistes (a lot :) :)
j'ai passé un super moment et j’espère revoir très vite tous ces jeunes acteurs à l'écran.
I’m just so surprised this didn’t get as much review as I expected. In one word : WATCH!
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I rapporti interpersonali al centro
Già mi pare di sentirvi: Oh, no, un altro di quei drama dove la ragazza si traveste da uomo per vendicare la famiglia! Ed è proprio così, e la cosa sarà fonte di guai e risate, ma è solo una piccola parte di quello che è questa piccola perla di drama, ingiustamente sottovalutato.Se vi piacciono crimini e misteri, indagini e scoperte, complotti e colpi di scena, non potete esimervi dal dare una possibilità a questa serie. Costumi e ambientazioni sono consoni alla storia, ma gli attori sono magnifici.
La coppia principale, ma anche le spalle, sono veramente belli e, soprattutto molto bravi. Ma questo sarebbe nulla, se non interpretassero personaggi di spessore. E invece, non possiamo fare a meno di amare, per esempio, il principe che cerca di convivere coi problemi causatigli dal suo shock post traumatico, nascondendosi dietro una falsa nomea di innocuo dongiovanni per sopravvivere agli intrighi di corte.
E’ una storia che narra sì anche l’evolversi di rapporti di coppia, ma che verte molto anche su legami fraterni, grandi amicizie e rapporti di fiducia reciproca. Nel frattempo, si svolge una vicenda ricca di suspense e copi di scena. La lunghezza è media, perciò non siamo costretti ad assistere a circonvolute e noiose vicende relative a personaggi poco interessanti che stanno lì solo per allungare il brodo. La storia procede relativamente spedita, tenendoci incollati alla sedia in un crescendo continuo fino al soddisfacente finale.
Una serie da guardare. Davvero.
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Grandes personajes
Esta historia es entretenida desde el principio; pero su fuerte son los personajes, la protagonista Su Ci es una chica inteligente, fuerte y luchadora, y aunque por los traumas vividos en su pasado, logra poder confiar en las personas que la quieren y ser un apoyo para ellos también; el príncipe Qi es una green flag andante, no sé de que otra manera describirlo, es amable, considerado, apoya incondicionalmente a Su Ci, pero jamás la hace menos, al contrario, reconoce y esta orgulloso de su fuerza y juntos logran avanzar en todo lo que se proponen. Los personajes secundarios también son increíbles, el pequeño cocinero Fei Yuan es super tierno y adorable, siempre siendo fiel compañero del príncipe y de todo el grupo; Ru Shuang es otra chica poderosa y una amiga increíble, super talentosa en su labor y muy inteligente; y Xie Bei Ming es un chico tan lindo, adorable y leal, no solo con su amada, si no con todo su grupo de amigos; ambas parejas son hermosas, tienen mucha química y se ven hermosos juntos. Lo mejor de todo es la buena comunicación que hay entre los personajes, porque generalmente los problemas se dan por falta de esta; aunque obviamente hay malentendidos, los personajes buscan solucionarlos o ayudar los otros a hacerlo, en un círculode amistad muy confiable. El final también fue muy bueno, ya que soluciono pronto el conflicto y no por hacerlo de una manera apresurada, si no que ya desde mucho antes, venían uniendo todas las piezas para lograrlo; por lo que a diferencia de otras series se puede disfrutar de más tiempo de "la vida feliz" de los protagonistas y eso es algo que me gusta muchoWas this review helpful to you?
