This review may contain spoilers
Had rather high expectations, but show fell flat halfway through
I've been wanting to watch this show ever since I saw the trailer, as the genre is mystery (which I love), and I have to say that the scenes and sets are really beautiful.Luoyang actually started off really well despite the first 2 episodes making me giddy watching it, then suddenly, it slowed down and the storyline became a bit odd from the middle (right after the reveal of 十六夜).
Basically, the good parts for me were the beautiful sets, the acting and certain parts of the story including the uncovering of truths and fighting at the back (not the ending ones, the last few episodes were ridiculous).
So, the bad points - A big issue for me was the excessively loud and creepy woman singing/screaming (?) BGM that appears too many times (basically whenever each mystery is solved / each truth is uncovered), and that BGM always comes out too loud and drowns everything else. It was so excessive that the BGM alone successfully made me 出戏 a couple of times.
Next, it is kind of disappointing how the assassin who "succeeded" 十六夜's role in the secret organization does not really have a presence/character per se. I kinda expected more from the villians, although I have to say I didn't expect Er Lang's brother to be one of the impt figures of the secret organization (I cannot rmb the name now as I finished this show at the beginning of the year lol) until after something happened and it got obvious.
Next, who can forget - the highly irritating Liu Ran and her unfortunately useless, trouble-creating family. It seems to me that the Liu family exists to serve as an obstruction and destroyer to everything.....😓 (Though I have to say, I was sad when her father died).
The anticlimactic and ridiculous ending was the highlight of the stupidity of the Liu family. I don't understand how her stupid brother can infiltrate the security and hide somewhere to assassinate Wu Si Yue's brother. It. Doesn't. Make. Sense. 🧐
Lastly, it's basically connected to the above - I don't understand why must Wu Si Yue be killed off...? Was the director just trying to create a really emotionally sad scene at the end and hence it happened...?
In any case, the last few episodes were so draggy although everything is already obvious, hence I think it's really unnecessary. The pace was slow even when I watched the last few episodes on 1.75x speed mode. I'm guessing, maybe, the editor(or director) wants to make the death of Wu Si Yue a highlight and 意难平 for viewers, but it's really... Unnecessary and kind of stupid (sorry to say that).
All in all, despite my many complaints (lol), I conclude that this show is really still worth a watch, but probably not a rewatch (at least not of the whole show).
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This review may contain spoilers
What a terrible ending. As I had feared.
The same team that did Longest Night in Changan. That show also started great and ended poorly.I feared it here and unfortunately same result. Argh... Why can't they do a proper ending instead of such stupid twists and turns at the end. Just stupid.
Too bad. I thought it was so smart in the beginning. And action was great and design.
Man.. its like every Novoland series. Just never can end well.
It was good up to episode 30 I think. Then just became kind of stupid.
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Ancient Terrorism
I think this drama is underrated on Mydramalist. It is an excellent production and a very enjoyable drama.A father and his daughter tried to approach Baili HongYi (acted by Wang YiBo) to report a conspiracy and were killed in a back street of Luoyang. HongYi's father was a commoner who rose to become the Minster of Works. Subsequent to the event, HongYi's father was murdered on HongYi's wedding night. Were the incidences related?
Gao BingZhu (acted by Huang Xuan) grew up in the Ignoble Ghetto where criminals and their descendents were condemned and placed under restricted movements. Seven of his mates who were his best friends were killed by a group of mysterious masked attackers when they left the Ghetto with him on a stealthy fun trip.
Wu SiYue (Victoria Song), an imperial guard and niece of the Empress regnant and therefore a nobility, was escorting Princess YongChuan when armed fighters tried to assassinate the Princess.
These three different individuals from vastly different background were investigating these three different crimes. Their paths crossed and they realised that the crimes were linked to the same terrorist group - the Spring-Autumn organisation. This terrorist organisation was supposed to be exterminated years ago and the head of the movement was imprisoned and had gone insane. Who was now leading the group? And what were they up to? In his insane babble, he mentioned a Hidden Phoenix.
The style of the drama footage and cinematography reminded me of the 24 hours in Changan - with the crowded narrow streets and rather dark background - a very realistic portrayal of an ancient China city.
The drama would keep you intrigued as each investigation led to dead ends as the people involved were either killed or committed suicide, or there were more than met the eye every time it seemed they had found the 'mastermind'. And there were always the unexpected attacks as the culprit tried to fool and kill HongYi and BingZhu.
The final revelation of the Hidden Phoenix was a surprised although I had suspected he was associated with the terror group earlier in the drama but did not expect him to be so high in command. As BingZhu said to him at the last episode, he hid himself well.
The theme songs were alright. I particularly like 天机 (Heavenly) - the melody and the lyrics very aptly set the mood and described the story.
What makes this story more appealing is it is realistic and probable. The madness that drives a group of people to kill individuals and mass murder resembles the terrorist movements today. The emotional riots that happened in many cities, that were either politically motivated or instigated by rumours and conspiracy theories, and hijack suicide flights into buildings are all examples of the modern day terrorism. A group of people who believes they are marginalised by society or the enemies, or has ambitions beyond reality can all fall victims to extreme actions. Also, there were no flying swordsmen or ridiculous strange energy transfer remedies for a change - these add more interest to fantasy dramas but look rather strange in historical dramas.
I watched the drama a second time before I wrote this. I must say that I appreciated the story and cinematography more. However, since I already knew the real mastermind and what was going to happen next, it took the suspense out of it. And without the glamour of beautiful sceneries and backdrop, it did seem a bit more dull. The head dress for the Empress regnant was also a bit dull.
The cast portrayed the character they acted very well. As for the popular Wang YiBo, he did very well acting the serious nerdy engineer who was very bright in science and analysis, but did not quite know how to handle social situations. He was however more glamourous as the the Lan WangJi in the Untamed and more handsome in the Legend of Fei where he smiled a lot more.
Aside from the lead actors/actresses, the support cast was really good too. Bai Lang (Jiang Long) who was the friend and sidekick of BingZhu was funny and added a lot of humour to the drama. Prince Dong Chuan (Liu Duan Duan) was the most upright, well-meaning and capable out of the bureaucrats but was always undermined by the terror group. They were among the outstanding ones.
However, the last episode is a bit of a let down. I think they killed the wrong person - someone capable and righteous. I would have chosen to kill the mastermind or the whiny feather-head who always got into trouble instead. And the idiotic murderer got away from death sentence - it was all so wrong.
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Recommending you to give Luoyang a chance
As a big Cdrama fan who has liked only two historical dramas this year; The Rebel Princess and The Long Ballad , though I have watched many other dramas but ended up dropping them at the end, I got interested in Luoyang at first bcuz of Wang Yibo, then when I watched the press conference, what caught my attention was the huge budget and big production. In addition to the great support from Luoyang city itself, as the drama aiming to talk about this city, and shows the significance of its historical aspect too. So kinda started to have some interest In this drama for all these reasons too.Will start by the musical opening of this drama which is magnificent, bcuz it shows in glimpses the great cinematography and CGI in this series.
The Story:
Its very solid plot. It would engage you into the story from the first episode and keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. You find yourself repeating scenes not skipping or fast forwarding them to keep up with the suspense and chasing the possible clues.
And interestingly its not a dry drama but you will have sweet and funny moments that will be going on with the flow of the plot.
I liked also how everyone of the main 3 characters has his/her own perfect exposure in unfolding their own stories till the moment their roads to be crossed with each other. And this goes the same to the secondary characters where everyone of them is shining through his/her role, no matter how short screen-time or exposure s/he has. Also I liked the great development in every character, and how the dynamic is going on in between them. And a unique feature this show has is giving a space to the female characters to be a ruler as the Empress here and a female inner guard without crossdressing into men’s wear.
About the Romance?
Usually I’d love to have romance in the drama I watch but this one has been very interesting to watch so I didn’t care much about it. But it seems we will have light romance.
The Cast:
Honestly at first when I looked up the casting list, I did feel any chemistry between them but when I watched the press conference I was surprised in very good way by their harmony and chemistry. Now after watching the 6 eps all I can say, they all are perfectly casted.
The production:
I believe you wouldn’t miss this one even if you didn’t follow the news of the drama since the beginning or didn’t watch the press conference. Its very evident in every single scene. It feels like you are watching a movie not a drama!
The OSTs:
They all are good so far specially the ending song. Wishing it would be released soon as MV.
The promotion:
iqiyi doing great job in promoting the drama and going all out in doing so 👍🏻
Have to mention that the fighting choreographies are so great and very interesting to watch.
Also the lighting in this drama is very outstanding bcuz it’s emphasizing the strong correlation of luoyang to the light in the history.
Talking about Wang Yibo , he is owing Baili character, and I can’t see anyone but him playing this role. He is definitely showing his growth as an actor through #BailiHongyi . And here as a fan, I feel so happy he got a chance to be part of this great drama
Finally wanna say if you are fan of historical genre for any Cdrama or Kdrama, I highly recommend you to give Luoyang a chance and I could guarantee you 90 % you will like the drama bcuz its a complete package has it all.
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So much wasted potential :(
This show is pretty to look at with an intriguing opening 9 episodes and that really feels like that’s all it has to offer. I was so excited for this drama and I wanted so much to like it, but the result feels empty and cold.The characters and plots really fall off after episode 10, with plot twists being thrown up for seemingly no reason, too many easy and unconvincing ‘coincidences’, and ‘super emotional moments’ that made me either roll my eyes or laugh at their absurdity. I really wanted to love this show but 14 episodes in I’m not rooting for any of the characters, nor do I feel I know much about them or why they’re doing what they are (and in a ‘these characters are poorly written and inconsistent’ way and not in an ‘intriguing’ way). I’m sure we’ll get a new villain reveal soon but so far every antagonistic character has been cartoonish and too easily defeated. No one truly feels like an equal to the main characters which makes the stakes feel very low.
I think one major issue behind characterisation on this show is the creators pushing romance plot lines too hard. Wu SiYue was one of my favourite characters and held so much potential for standing on her own two feet and being a strong willed person and a good fighter but the second she started her romance plotline with gao bingzhu that all fell out the window and now she just follows him around and cries a lot. It’s a real shame because I was really rooting for them and shipped them before - that scene where gao bingzhu confides in her at the graves of his friends genuinely made me tear up, and it’s degenerated to.. this. I also have so many issues with the other main romance of this show. Baili hongyi and liu ran’s entire relationship just makes me feel. Nothing. Or at least nothing positive. They’re presented as childhood friends and yet she literally blackmails him to marry her? When he has expressed on numerous occasions that he has no interest in marrying? And then when he wants a divorce after [redacted spoilers] she gets all upset? Initially how hongyi treated her came across as a little unreasonable but the more time passed the less I sympathised with liu ran. It didn’t help that her character never developed any depth past.. being in love with hongyi.. but not even her actions really ever showed why ? I just know this show is going to make them a happy couple by the end and at this point the thought of that just makes me want to drop this show altogether. Developing on baili hongyi’s ‘cold’ and ‘emotionless’ personality and showing his capacity for love could be a really strong character arc but nothing about this romantic setup gives me the impression it will be. I’m not always the hugest romance person and can often ignore it but it feels so pushed to a point where it’s jarring and disruptive and makes the entire viewing experience less pleasant (even when it’s still minor in the plot currently ?)
I have other things to say but I’ve ranted enough..
Overall I love these actors and I loved the premise of this show but I’ve felt really let down in the last 4 episodes to the extent I felt compelled to write this review. Im really hoping the show turns around and changes my mind :(
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Best Chinese Wuxia Drama in 2021
< Best Chinese Wuxia Drama in 2021 >I already watched all episodes
Luoyang’s plots are so interesting and make me keep watching on it ! So addictive on it !!!
Editing / special effects / cinematography are great !! Scripts are Fast pace also , not boring !! Original voice used also !!
Director can manage to promote Luoyang’s ancient capital , Luoyang’s food, really well.
I like BailiHongYi’s costume also - really make Baili is so aesthetic.
my boy Yibo is really talented in acting.
Yibo can portray details with his eyes completely in the last scene of episode 12.
Although I m Yibo’s fan, I like Huang xuan’s acting .
He is really good at acting as he is a senior actor also.
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The weeds are everywhere, set fire to them
This is the story of three people from very different backgrounds that are investigating the same case for very different reasons, with the backdrop of Empress Wu Zetian's rule.Gao Bingzhu(Huang Xuan) comes from the bottom rugs of the society (even lower than slaves). He wants revenge for his friends' death. Baili Hongyi(Want Yibo) is the son of a minister but he himself isn't interested in politics. He wants to find out the mystery behind his father's death. And Wu Siyue(Song Qian) is the assistant head of Inner Guards. She- well she just wants to protect the general public.
And all three of them are against a mysterious organisation called Four Seasons Clan. Nobody knows what this clan is, where it is based or who works for it. So they're left to investigate an invisible enemy. Which is really difficult given all their leads are mysteriously killed by the clan itself.
The best thing about this drama apart from the suspense is the cinematography and overall production quality. The camera work in this drama is exquisite. The choice of music is pretty unique but fits well with the theme of the story. I love love the sets, especially the interiors, it's really beautifull. The characters are individually good.
One problem I have is Wu Zetian's character. I understand that it was probably a creative choice but I must say I was hoping she would die/ be deposed by the end of the story, which never happened. In this drama she is really a useless but ruthless empress that only knows to order people around. She wants to control others but is so dumb she repeatedly ends up controlled by others. She keeps on trusting the wrong people every single time.
Anyways I love the supporting cast too! Shen Fei, Prince DongChang and Bai Lang are my favorites. I like how the villains are not over dimensional. You will really sympathize with them.
The Romantic plot:
Gao Bingzhu and Wu Siyue: I adored their friendship and kept rooting for them since their first encounter. But when they finally got together I wanted to skip the scene lol. It just kind of felt unnatural (which is only natural given their characters)
Baili Hongyi and Liu Ren: Now this is what I call character growth. They started off as total odd balls. Hongyi had zero interest in her while she blindly kept chasing him. She went through so much. At the end Hongyi was not only not so cold anymore but he learnt empathy, and how to express his emotions. He truly changed for the better all thanks to her. It wasn't until the last episode that I realised he wasn't the only one who changed. She changed too. She was no longer chasing him blindly instead she learnt that slow but steady wins the race. She learnt to trust! I love how they developed it felt really organic.
The small side love story between the dancer Pei and Liu Ren's younger brother was so idiotic. I know it's a plot device but they both are unlikable and so is their connection.
Overall definitely watch if you are into historical thrillers!
P. S: loved the intricate workings and the mysterious vibes of Wu Zetian's Secret Guards. I love how they are portrayed from start to finish and ofcourse it's head.
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Watch Longest Day in Chang'An instead
I loved Longest Day in Chang'An (though not a perfect drama) so I was excited for Luoyang, since the screenwriter was the same. Unfortunately, the things I didn't like about Chang'An were multiplied and increased in Luoyang, which is to say: unevenly developed characters, poorly constructed character relationships (specifically M/F relationships), unnecessarily 'twisty' plot twists and an unsatisfying ending.I kept watching mostly because Huang Xuan was such a compelling actor - this was my first time seeing him - but all the other mains were flat and boring. Though I don't blame them entirely, it was partially a script problem - I never thought any character would fail the Bechdel test as badly as Song Yi's character did. Both M/F relationships had no chemistry and seemed to add little to the plot.
Good parts were the cinematography (though not as good as Chang'an), Huang Xuan, and a few of the minor characters.
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A drama to look into
This is my first time writing a review for a dramaI will break it down by only the main characters and what I liked and disliked about the story
To be honest the reason why I decided to watch this drama was because of my current favorite actor Wang Yi Bo so I am biased towards him. His character was good but I think there is still room for improvement; from his facial expressions, the way he delivered his lines was a bit hard to hear at first but got better throughout the drama; but it was nice to see a different side to him from his previous drama "The Untamed" which didn't give him much dialogue, so it was a treat to hear Wang Yi Bo talk a lot in this drama. It was good to see he had great chemistry with his other co-stars and for those who have not watched his other dramas "Legend of Fei" and "The Untamed", its worth it to go and check it out.
For the actor Huang Xuan; I am not as familiar with this actor so I can't really compare this work with his previous dramas; but he is a character worth looking into as I think he did an amazing job in bringing out Gao Bingzhu. At first he is hellbent on revenge only and working alone to solve all his problems, but then as the story progresses, his character has a change and has learned to not only work with other people but learns to care for them too.
For the actress and only female lead and only female guard of the show, Victoria Song did a good job. My impression of her is limited as I only know her as the singer of the Kpop group F(x), so this is my first time really watching her in a drama. She was the only female of a government service, but that did not stop her from being able to bring out her character and lead people to fight.
The part of the storyline that I liked
1) the suspense grabs your attention the moment you start watching the drama
2) the OST is nice; sometimes I think the music doesn't fit the drama but it was not the case this time
3) the fighting scenes are well done; well played and keeps you on your feet, feels like if you blink you will miss the good part of the fighting scenes
4) only towards the end did i really know who the real "mastermind" is; and that is what i enjoy about a drama; not for them to give away who it is too early then it's no fun to continue watching
The part of the storyline that I can't say I disliked but I think maybe could have been excluded
1) the little bits of romance could have been excluded from the story as I don't think it needs to be included in this kind of drama as it doesn't fit the genre; not all good dramas need to have romance for it to capture the attention of the audience
2) some characters in my opinion where not really required to complete the drama but i guess they were there for a reason; i won't spoil it.
Overall; if you like dramas that are full of suspense, intense and awesome fighting skills and good actors and actresses, then I would suggest give this drama a shot.
~S~
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Luoyang could have been better leaving you wanting more
Completed this series. This series started out really well with the intrigue of the mystery and solving problems. Love the trio dynamic. This got lost somewhat in the middle with some force romance that isn’t really needed. I end up thirsting for more trio working together but it never came close. Could have been better yet not keeping you hydrated enough.I still rated this series as a watchable series and better than many series out there. The production is actually really good. The cinematography was perfect. A lot of scenes look like art.
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Uncovering the secret of Luoyang
Gao Bing Zhu,a person of low social status gets himself involved in a controversy and has to prove himself innocent. In the process,he meets Baili Hongyi who is trying to discover the truth behind his father's murder and Wu Si Yue,who despite her high social status,gaurds the city and is highly skilled in martial arts.Together the 3 of them embark on a treacherous and dangerous journey,despite their initial differences,unearth a shocking conspiracy hidden under the city of Luoyang and in the journey,develop a strong bond of trust and friendship.
Huang Xuan,Wang Yibo,Song Qian and Song Yi and all the cast brought life to this otherwise confusing,yet intriguing plot.
The first few episodes mainly focus on development of the plot and it takes a bit time for us to understand the whole situation and what's going on in the city.
Once,the story progresses,all the initial concepts start to fall into places and finally the discoveries start to unfold in a startling way.
The final twist could be told much more elaborately,rather than being rushed.
Except this flaw,other things were good.
Also,the plot could be written in a better understandable way,at least in my perspective.
Overall it is a highly recommended ancient mystery investigative drama .
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This review may contain spoilers
Good one
This is so intense and fast pac like there's so much happening, yet I don't feel overwhelmed. Very big production, the money that went into this was huge. The attention to detail is mind-blowing.The acting is great, Huang xuan doing wonders, happy that he's able to showcase his acting here. His crying scenes are heartbreaking. Wang yi bo doing a fine job, looks pretty good. In fact everyone's visuals are great. His and Huang xuan's characters only had one thing in mind..revenge, that changed as the story progressed.
Song qian is nailing her role, her character is strong and smart. Her fighting scenes so fun to watch, her status doesn't hinder her from doing what she feels is right. She mostly uses that to her advantage. Song yi is adorable, Liu ran is the best wife that Er lang could have asked for. I would say that among the mains she has the highest EQ. She is able to help Er lang with that. She is just getting unnecessary hate, i agree that some of the things she does it questionable but the girl is in love and love makes people do stupid/immature things. Every time she is ignored by him, my heart hurts for her. Glad that Er lang started to treat her gently, like she is quite understanding. I would say that her character development was pretty good. I found their cp on the cute and innocent side while Si Yue and Gao Bing Zhu on the mature and intense side. Main problem between the cps is communication. The lack of it created unnecessary problems for them.
As for the supporting roles, my favourites were Bai lang, Shen fei, Yao niang and Yunzhi. Liked how whenever they showed up they just ligtened the mood, especially Bai lang, the man is so funny and he does it with ease. Shen fei and Yunzhi both priotise their masters (friends) happiness first. Shen fei always helping and protecting Er lang in every way he can. Regardless of how crazy it might be, he is always there for him. Yao niang was awesome to watch wished she had more scenes. The empress is feared by everyone, she holds so much power its frightening. I definitely did not like Liu feng, he was annoying, selfish and a waste of space.
I like how everyone was connected, each character protrayed well. The casting choices were good. The chemistry between the cast is great. The fighting scenes are pretty well done. The characters are complex, not necessarily easy to read. No one is set and stone, from the mains to the side characters. The plot is intriguing, captivating and clever. I like how everyone is trying to outsmart each other. No one is written dumb, like they have brain cells and the logic is there. It is quite fast paced but the flow of the plot is not affected. In fact that makes it even more appealing. It got me anticipating what is coming next. There is balance in the plot, no plot device is overshadowed by another. There are quite a few plot holes but doesnt really the storytelling.
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