This review may contain spoilers
Must Watch Series
The bromance is strong in this one and I have no complaints! The friendship between these people are always my favorite part of these series.If you have been an avid viewer of the series, then you will really like this adaptation. Even if you haven't watched the other series, you will still understand the overall idea of what they are talking about. So, this storyline is supposedly set after lost tomb 2, however due to differing production companies and other logistical stuff, the story plots don't flow smoothly from one series to another and has a bit of a time gap. Despite that, if you watched the other series, you will get hints of events here and there and can connect some dots.
In this series, the story plot thickens and more secrets are unravelled for Wu Xie and his team to find, mostly revolving around the Nine Families and Xiao Ge. It gets pretty confusing at times due to so many unanswered questions, however it does get my brain moving coming up with possible theories. The acting by the actors are phenomenal, I especially liked the actors that portrayed Wu Xie and Xiao Ge. I think this is my favorite Xiao Ge portrayal. But man am I glad to see so much xiao ge and wu xie interactions, I was a bit sad that there wasn't much interaction between the two in previous series. Also, xiao hua and hei yan interaction was not something I expected but loved.
Overall, this is a solid storyline where a group of friends set out to seek the missing memories of a friend and along the way happen to unravel hidden (not so hidden) secrets. It was an enjoyable watch and I really loved it as an avid Dao Mu Bi Ji fan.
So, I most definitely recommend this series to people if you like this genre and/or the actors that portray these characters!
***Ending Spoiler ***
The ending is a cliffhanger, however, I kind of expected that already because the author of the book is notorious for that and the previous series are also like that. The end leaves me with more questions than answers, like did the team leave the mountain unscathed, what is Wu Xie planning to do with the mask, and is this all set up by the elders? However based on what I read from the book I do have a small idea of what happens. However, after watching Reunion (set 12+ years later) and tomb of the sea (7-8 years later), I can already tell what happens to them.
* * * * * *
Happy Watching!
Was this review helpful to you?
Definitely a gift for DMBJ novel fans
Ultimate Note final thoughts:I remember being extremely suspicious of the cast and the length of the drama in the beginning.
However after the trailers got released I felt a bit more positive.
Then the first ep got released and I was utterly speechless with the amount of info they squeezed in one ep and how fast paced and how much they followed the novel.
Of course there were a few things that were changed to increase the screen time of some characters, but it was handled really well and it even added more depth into the show.
We feared that everything was going too smoothly and we prepared ourselves for the worst. However, it never came? The show was consistently delivering and even improving in the many aspects.
Even though the ending was an open ending, it was quite fitting considering the final book was not included, they were still able to fit in information from book 8 and even fan theories. They were able to lay out everything in a way that was easy to digest.
They were able to make us feel happy, sad, scared and worried about our main characters.
They showed us more than we ever thought we would get.
The sets were amazing and the graphics was good enough to considering the budget constraints. What appeared to me is that they knew where to put more attention in and where to put less.
Also I noticed the awkwardness in the filming mainly showed up when it was mundane scenes where they were not going into tombs or in the wild.
This Iron Triangle is definitely my favorite, we see them growing together, developing an unbreakable friendship after so many life threatening situations.
Now onto the actors,
Zheng Shunxi: I was the most skeptical about him at first, I've heard bad reviews about his previous acting and that didn't give me a good impression. I then watched Journey Across the Night and was impressed with him and I could see him as Wuxie then. And then his performance in UN definitely surpassed my expectations. He acted really well as a innocent but also temperamental Wuxie, a Wuxie that is hurt and has grown throughout the series. And lastly and more importantly is his emotional scenes were always very well done and it's a blessing he was able to act as Wuxie.
Xiao Yuliang: I knew him from Shahai, and honestly there was not enough of him to know if he would be good enough or not. At first I was surprised with how much emotion he was expressing in UN. I sometimes forget that Xiaoge is human just like everyone else, he is good at having a stoic face, but he still feels pain and happiness. I am glad he brought Xiaoge up to life, I could see what he was feeling and thinking when seeing his Xiaoge. And his action scenes are such a delight!! It's so different seeing action scenes performed by someone with some martial arts background! Also the contrast between his irl personality and Xiaoge is really impressive too, it shows how much of a good actor he is.
Cheng Fangxu: first thought seeing him was, he is not fat enough!! But when he started speaking in the trailer I already knew he is Pangzi himself! I liked how he was not here to only bring in the comedic effect, he was here like a mentor to Wuxie, he in many ways influenced Wuxie's growth as a tomb robber. There were times were his acting was a bit exaggerated but it was for comedic effect and I am completely fine with it. What I like the most, is how he himself is such a good older brother to the other two.
The rest of the cast also did a really good job and I am extremely grateful with everyone from this team. This is one of the most beautiful gifts a DMBJ fan can ever receive.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Best Bromantic Lost Tomb Adaptation
I was hesitant at first to watch it Because I've watched The last one aired 2020 Reunion the sound of providence and it was amazing with very Mature Cast and great production despite of some episodes that were little boring but overall I loved the two seasons of Reunion the sound of providence and I didn't think this one will Top it with younger cast and very different Cinematography BUT.......How I was wrong to jump into misjudging it ,,,, It's the Best really ... Outstanding Story with amazing Bromance and well selected actors playing the characters very fresh and vibrant energy
they suited the characters personalities each and every one of them perfectly
I'm still watching it and It's coming to it's end next week and I loved every episode and every scene
I Recommend it so much
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
When Indiana Jones meets Harry Potter and Lara Croft--Great as A Stand Alone
When Indiana Jones meets Harry Potter and Lara Croft. This is a very good stand alone action show. Yes a lot of questions left unanswered as well as a bit of a cliffhanger but there is hope to return Zhang Qi Ling and the team because Wu Xie would never just let his soul-brother perish. I am not interested in any of its prequels or sequels unless the cast was exactly the same plus I noticed that some of the sequels were aired before this which doesn't make much sense. I do wish that for this last expedition, Wu Xie and Zhang Qi Ling weren't split up. I don't think there could have been a cliffhanger otherwise. The con aspects were that there were characters that made an appearance and then disappeared without rhyme or reason that didn't pertain to the show.Though I started watching for LYN and his character Shades or Mr. Black didn't disappoint as an opportunistic dork, it was the actor that played Zhang Qi Ling that got my attention. He did a fantastic job as a monosyllabic Kung fu master because of the way he was able to emote with his eyes be it annoyance, fear for his friends, or any other emotion. That's very hard to do in acting when there aren't a lot of lines. The young man (Xiao Yu Liang) playing this role is a novice to acting as he's part of some boy band but he was very convincing. I wish there were more scenes of him and Wu Xie and they left Fatty somewhere behind. That dude just had way too many lines and got annoying quickly. I saw some ppl complaining about too many episodes. Actually, I wanted more. Joseph Zeng also was able to do a great job as the inquisitive nerd with a knack for solving riddles and getting ppl out of hairy situations. It was great to see him in this role aside from the one he's currently in that's not doing him any justice. I really like all of the special effects in this drama and the martial aspects as well.
I also liked the friendship between Shades and Xie Hua. Though in the beginning it seemed very annoying, it grew and developed into respect even when you wanted to smack Shades upside the head, he was still quite dorky. These actors do a great job portraying their characters and making each scene believable no matter what. I wish they continued this series with the same main actors because their chemistry was undeniable. I know I want to see more dramas with Xiao Yu Liang as he has a future in the industry.
I would highly recommend this as a stand alone drama even though it has a cliffhanger ending; it's one with hope.
Was this review helpful to you?
One could mistake it for a censored romance.
I want to start by saying this review is written by an extremely casual viewer of the Tomb series. One that does not care for the release nor chronological order and never even attempted to try to grasp and follow the overall story. I hate it for a fun, easy to binge watch adventure, nothing more, nothing less.What I liked about the drama? The characters and the dynamics between them. While this Wuxie did not seem enough “Wuxie” to me (compared to other Tomb shows I have seen), he did grow on me and his interactions with other characters were some of my favorites.
Zhang Qi Ling, or as I call him Emo Boi, was the visual cherry on top. Let’s get real - the character has not much to offer in terms of depth. Even if his story is interesting and complex, because the character himself does not really show much reaction to it, or to almost anything around him, what we are left with his looks, fun fighting scene and the (bro)mance with Wuxie. I am not complaining though - because of his extreme personality, his interactions with character are always fun to watch.
Hei Yan Jing and Xie Yu Chen were the other heavy bromance duo - at times their bromance seemed more like a romance even when compared to Wuxie and the Emo Boi. This dynamic was one of the most enjoyable to follow. They were both confident and skilled, which made them true aces of the drama. Not to mention the perfect compatibility of one wanting money and the other having enough to spend.
I do believe they did Ah Ning and Xiu Xiu dirty, and they could have been a more vital and important part of the plot and the story. Technically we know they are capable, but somehow they were always put on the sidelines…
On the good aspects - quite an improvement in terms of CGI. Not gonna lie, I actually like the bad special effects in earlier Tomb shows, but getting a bit more visually pleasing ones this time is a nice change. Especially appreciate the mixing of practical and special effects - this is the best way to get good results.
I can’t really talk about the plot in terms of good or bad, because I honestly did not pay enough attention. Wu Xie was looking for the uncle and following the clues, while at the same time trying to discover the past of his (boy)friend Zhang Qi Ling. Others getting involved, because they are either loyal, want money, get dragged into it or are searching for immortality. Basically the same story all Tomb dramas have. It is one long journey, so it makes sense.
That said, I know close to nothing about all the details about each Tomb and the importance of specific journeys. Did it bother me? No. I simply gave up trying to follow the story for various reasons (change of the cast makes it hard to remember the characters, the shows drop not in chronological order, some shows overlap timeline and it makes it hard to understand what happened when) and just enjoy each of these dramas as a stand alone ride.
The acting was good. Zeng Shun Xi did great, especially with more emotional scenes. The chemistry between the whole cast was top notch. I did at times feel like Xiao Yu Liang was a few times quite close to losing it and at least smiling, during the more funny scenes - the disadvantages of playing an extremely stoic and detached character.
Directing was one of the most spoiled ones I have seen in Tomb shows so far. I enjoyed the way they presented the lore with the drawing like animation and I’m sure I would appreciate it even more if I actually cared about it.
Overall, it was a fun ride. Ultimate Note can be easily watched as a stand alone show, and I’m sure it holds even more entertainment value if someone grasps the Grave Robbers universe as a whole, at least on some basic levels.
Was this review helpful to you?
This was truly a delight!
I am an avid fan of the book series and I have watched every single adaptation. I can honestly say that this was actually the best one of the bunch. It was really surprising because I didn’t think any of the LTN series (past and future) will be able to compete after Sound of Providence (Zhu Yilong and Huang Junjie really made the Pingxie pairing for me—or so I thought!). Instead, this one surpassed Sound of Providence. The writing actually made sense and was not all over the place! There were no fillers, and they really made good use of the 36 episode allotment. I wish they would have made this one longer instead.If you have read them, then you would know that the books mainly focus on Wu Xie, because the story is told from his perspective and we are limited to his narrative. So naturally, all the adaptations would focus on him, even if nothing of note is really happening. This adaptation broke that mould by showcasing the stories and perspectives of the other characters that actually help move the plot, even if it doesn't involve Wu Xie. We get a glimpse of the other side where we get to see how the other pieces fit into the puzzle!
The chemistry between all the actors—main and side characters—are amazing! I wasn’t expecting much from them when I first heard of this (because like I said, they’re competing with ZYL) but they actually made the characters for me, even more than ZYL and HJJ did. They fleshed them, and the relationships between them, out perfectly, in my opinion. Best Wu Xie and Xiao Ge relationship ever (I mean, Xiao Ge was angsting hard after Wu Xie in this, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, that in itself should already tell you how good it was). Pangzi was actually portrayed as the third pillar of the Iron Triangle, instead of just someone who is there to serve as comic relief. I mean, he still was the comic relief, but we actually got to see him be the strong, competent and important Pangzi that he was written to be.
And then we have Hei Yan Jing and Xiao Hua. I have to be honest, I was actually looking forward more to see the Wu Xie- Xiao Hua (XiaoXie?) pairing, but when I got a Hei Yan Jing- Xiao Hua pairing instead, I found I'm actually here for it. I jumped ship real fast! We do see some XiaoXie moments still, of course, given their close bond/friendship, but it wasn’t as memorable as JingHua. Huo Xiu Xiu and Ah Ning are the most natural out of all the ones who portrayed their characters. Smart, strong and competent women, anyone?
The soundtrack was also perfect. I cant really speak to how well the lyrics fit, since I don’t speak Chinese, but I found its incorporation really fluid. I almost forgot they are just there as an accompaniment—I mean what do you mean they don’t do background music in real life? It just fits! Like they were meant to be there when they were, based on what’s happening.
This was a definitely a great watch, and one I would highly recommend. It is probably one of the only two of the adaptations that I can actually see myself watching over and over again. I only wish that we can get a second season with the same exact cast, because I WANT MORE! But given the adaptation’s history of switching actors every series, it most likely wont happen…and that makes me really sad.
Was this review helpful to you?
help
I just got done watching the ultimate note where Wu Xie disguises himself as his uncle the episode 36 ended right when it was getting lit the question I have is are they going to make a season 2 where Wu Xie finds zhang qi ling and Wang Pang Zim ??? I cried so much in this friendship in this absolutely the best acting I have ever seen there is a lot of comedy in this series some id the episodes were so funny I was cough laughing. I. just have a feeling if there is a season two that it is going to be more litWas this review helpful to you?
Yet another Tomb installment
I started this drama on a whim last week, and did a marathon watch over five days. At the home stretch, I suspected that Ultimate Note would end at a dead end. The pacing was neither slow, nor fast. Some of the dialog was silly and unnecessary. I am disappointed that they did not finish the drama in thirty-six episodes. They should have added six episodes, and cut out the frills, to wrap up the Ultimate Note mystery. If the production company supports the project, they should start Season 2, and complete the story. They should keep the same cast for continuity.I watched Mystic Nine, Tomb of the Sea and Time Raiders, so I was familiar with Nine Gates and a few of the characters. My favorite actors were Pacy Wan (Pan Zi), Liu Yu Han (Xie Yu Chen) and Joseph Zeng (Wu Xie).
The reason I picked the drama was because of Liu Yu Ning, who I have been watching in Long Ballad. His character is mysterious, but annoying.
Was this review helpful to you?
in love with pingxie
GADD!!! I didn't know I would be this attached to this series. At first, I watched because of Joseph Zeng (I love him so much and I love his acting in previous dramas). But then I started to like the story and where they are taking us in the story. I really really shipped xiao ge and wu xie so hard, like I'd be eager to see their interactions. They make the cutest pair! I didn't realize this was part of a series adapted from the novel. But then it inspired me to watch the other dramas too. Watched The Lost Tomb 1&2, and so far i think this one had the best cast and acting. I really loved how each actors portrayed the characters well. I'm definitely looking forward to watching the other dramas in the series and of course I'm looking forward to watching the casts other dramas.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I just finished watching this series. it tackles finding the mysteries and secrets behind the past. I just love how the actors portray the characters perfectly for me this is one of the best adaptations. I love the story and settings, they showed the traditions and cultures that china which makes us learn about them. So let us talk about story, I've really felt that they just cut it. it is worth it to watch this series because it covers all the genres it makes us cry, curious, happy, sad, in love, shocked, and many more. I also love the moments that the wushie and zhang, huolong and shade/black, they showed us a bromance or a low key romance.
i wish that there will be a season 2 with the same actors portraying the characters, hoping that they will release or publish a continuation.
Was this review helpful to you?
Must Watch
This is one of those dramas that deserve my full attention. It is entertaining and engaging. Most of the materials are value added, so I feel good about the time invested in this drama. The acting is very good. The chemistry between the actors is good. I checked out the other dramas that are related to this one, and I was super disappointed. The other series have poor special effect, costumes, etc. The setting for Ultimate Note is beautiful. I dropped all of them. If they make another drama related to this series, please keep the formulas.Was this review helpful to you?
Impressive but far from perfection
First of all, this is a pretty good introduction to the theme of 'Tomb Raiding' genre in dramas.The production quality was okay and the direction was confusing at times, with weird screen transitions and time skips that pushed the story along further in the drama. There was a lot of information that went over my head because I'm not familiar with the original source material and this is my first time watching anything related to the franchise. I will say that the effort from the actors and CGI was good and that the writing and placement of '2-D characters' was annoying. I'm talking about the minor, filler characters like the background actors and mostly the women. All of the female characters fit into an old stereotype of 'pretty but temporary' - can't get in the way of brotherhood. (Except Granny Huo, she's a riot and I would have loved more of her and A-Ning in the show. Like, seriously, please give me more versatile women in this drama please!)
Even the henchmen and lackeys were expendable too. I would have liked to see more action in the room transition sequences and the archaeology details or reference points for the tombs they were raiding and better organization from a group of professors that have been on multiple expeditions, if the script is correct. It looks like the budget for the drama was big but not sufficient since these rich, young people are suppose to be the current generation and legacy of affluent families that have unlimited amount of riches to fund these life-threatening trips but why does everyone have a phone from the early 2000s? Flip phones, really?!
But I liked the small moments and the big grand ones of tomb reveals and history lessons (folktales?) shared in the story. I wasn't too impressed by this drama, but it does make me want to see more related media about Tomb Raiding in the future.
(Also, the age of the main character is suppose to be older than 30!!??! I don't believe it! When he mentioned that his 12th birthday was in 1989, I stopped and realized - wait what? He's not a fumbling, inexperienced but cocky and clever young college grad student like I thought he was?! It made more sense why everyone babies him in the show, if he was that young. His cousin even joked that 'his cleverness has to make up for his lack of physical prowess'. Insane. And the fat-shaming is only something I've seen done so normally and publicly like I do in Asian dramas. Specifically Chinese. It might be a cultural thing but it's still hard to digest that the character's name is 'Fatty' and nothing else.)
Was this review helpful to you?
