1Cat's paw.
The disturbingly elegant and noble Lan Jue, courtesy name Peizhi, is the picture of a rising young Vice Minister of Rites. Beneath his urbane facade, he conceals a burning purpose to clear his father's name in a two-decade-old treason case. In this quest, he is quite bendable with regard to the means that justify his ends. He is stymied at each turn by Zhang Ping, an impecunious scholar, noodle maker, and truth seeker. Zhang Ping is convinced Peizhi is a villain and is determined to bust him. Peizhi is cynically amused by Zhang Ping's naive righteousness and impressed with his deductive talent. He means to make use of him if he can and if not, dispose of him. Watching Zhang Ping go from being Peizhi's cat's paw to someone he raises kittens with is the best part of this drama for me.This high-production-value drama conjures a sinister, suspenseful aura that permeates the stylish, lavish existence of the Dayong elite. Everything from the set design to that ridiculously mysterious and beautiful opening dance, to Peizhi's floaty diaphanous costumes, to Peizhi's long, sensuous unbound hair reflects, elegance, refinement, and impeccable taste... aside from Song Weilong who obviously drew the short style straw starting with the rigid wig and the way his outfits look like they were slept in. It is no wonder Peizhi's old flame is less than impressed with the goofy, big-boned, toothy peasant with a big nose to boot that Peizhi traded down to. It does require suspension of disbelief considering how utterly appealing both the ardently devoted Mowen and frostily sophisticated Shulin are. The only explanation is Peizhi must be an eyelash man.
This is a bit unusual for the mystery genre in that it is far more of a character-driven story than it is plot-driven. As far as the cases go, they are well executed and unfold more as procedurals. Outside of certain aspects of the main conspiracy, the viewer is not given a fair chance to solve any of the cases. There are plot design shortcuts such as resorting to the water illusion trick to bridge memory gaps and uncover long-lost evidence and there are logic holes, such as crime scenes staying undisturbed for too long. While the over-arching conspiracy is well conceived with decent twists, it is not that original. The villains reveal themselves early on so it is also anti-climatic. But for once I don't really mind because Jing Boran's Peizhi is just too bloody distracting. How can a man look so damn indecent, almost naked with just his hair unbound? And my mouth goes dry at the subtle multi-partied flirtations - those deep searching and revealing looks these gorgeous men keep exchanging with one another. It is such a big upgrade from the typical stunned dead duck stare of conventional romances. I freely admit my brain went on strike so often I am grateful the solutions were just spoon-fed to me.
This drama is superbly well executed and gets all the important things right. Any shortfalls in the plot are made up for in excellent character design and heartfelt, immersive performances by the cast. Jing Boran and Wang Duo deliver standout performances but even Song Weilong, whose acting is still a work in progress, is so well cast he just somehow fits this Zhang Ping character. It is a shame that his scenes with Jing Boran obviously suffered heavy cuts. After all of the build-up, I was really looking forward to seeing Zhang Ping and Peizhi shine in the final arc. Instead, it is pretty much hijacked by Shulin's unfinished business with Peizhi and his abandonment issues. Everyone else including Mowen and the emperor is sidelined. As much as I love Shulin's complexity and Wang Duo's phenomenal acting, I have mixed feelings about the final arc. The tone feels a bit off and succumbs to a tad too much cliched, dog's blood melodrama. I think that Zhang Ping's newfound pragmatism and epiphany that the right outcome can be more important than the truth is fitting. It demonstrates enormous character growth even though justice proved to be ultimately elusive.
Moral of the story: Don't be a cat's paw - be careful who you date!
Overall a feast for the eyes and the senses - 8/10.
Was this review helpful to you?
Curiosity Kills The Cat
“Curiosity kills the cat” refers to Zhang Ping (Song Weilong), the Ramen Detective who, time and time again, places himself in great danger in determining to find the truth. Together with the elegant gentleman Lan Jue (Jing Boran), who initially seems like a “fu hei” (black belly) because he crosses the line which Zhang Ping tenaciously upholds, their fate intertwines and they solve cases after cases which provides them with more clues and leads them to unravel a greater conspiracy. The whole drama is intense and fast-paced, sinister with danger lurking in every corner, spurred on by the background music.Acting:
The drama is adapted from the novel "The Case of Zhang Gong" 《张公案》written by Da Feng Gua Guo, on the encounters of the naïve, honest and upstanding Zhang Ping, and the diplomatic and graceful Lan Jue. I love both portrayals. Jing Boran has a natural air of elegance and grace. His Lan Jue is brilliant and convincing. At times of his torment and uncertainty, viewers feel for him and his sorrow. Song Weilong has a boyish demeanor and fits the character of the naïve Zhang Ping. His acting here is very believable and lovable. The other cast members are equally good, especially Wang Duo''s Gu Qingzhang who is mysterious and evil-ish, Guo Cheng's Chen Chou who is a true friend, and Hong Yao's Wang Yan character which unfortunately is only one dimensional.
Plot:
The plot is layered with plot within plot and plot twists. Here we have a power-hungry Empress Dowager, a seemingly useless Emperor, a perverted royal blood who would do anything to get his revenge, an upstanding official who is forced to compromise his integrity due to the rot of the system, and a scholar who is obsessed in solving unsolvable cases. What seem like unrelated cases all lead to a big conspiracy. The attention to detail is laudable, with spectacular crime scenes leaving clues for the discerning eyes. The lavish use of hallucination, hypnotism, illusion and deception further enhances suspense and mysteries. There is also a hint of BL for Lan Jue and Gu Qingzhang which further fools the viewers with Zhang Ping’s reaction. It’s only revealed at the end that Lan Jue is a widower with a son. I’m grateful that there is no infuriating Mary Sue characters.
Music:
The opening music, “Red Bloody Fog”, is interesting, mono acoustic drum beats add on the mystery and suspense. I am actually very impressed by all the OSTs and the background music. Some tunes are upbeat with hope, most are sinister and dark, depicting imminent danger, evil and death. The OST “The World is Blessed” gives viewers an image of the common scenes on the street of the ancient time in the ancient city. The vocals accompanied by piano depict the simple life of the commoners, upbeat, and filled of hope for better tomorrows. I even love the tune sung by Zhang Ping’s shifu, “The Cow Wakes up to Eat the Grass”; I find myself humming to the tune repeatedly. There is an extended use of drums to give the feel of something ominous coming. The drop of each beat signifies a find of a jig-saw piece for the puzzle. The music can be mesmerizing, like the tune “Demon of the Heart”, sending listeners into a trance. In darkness and despair, there is hope because there is a person like Zhang Ping who insists on finding the truth as depicted with his tune on “The Ramen Detective's Noodles”.
My Verdict
A great watch for almost everyone. Don’t miss this wonderful drama.
Bravo!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Spliced Jigsaw Puzzle
This spliced jigsaw puzzle drama was originally only picked up to see Jing Boran in costume as I'd seen him in a modern and he did a great job here. I liked the overall mystery and intrigue. But it definitely had a bunch of flaws.Pros: Peizhi which was Lan Jue's (JBR's beautiful portrayal) courtesy name was all around favorite character from his line delivery, to his expressive eyes, and as many have mentioned almost effervescent long locks of hair and ethereal clothing. He carried the charm, grace, and elegance of a man more worthy of the nobleman position than those around him. JBR did a fantastic job playing the hallucinations bit, it was very believable and authentic. The only really noticeable bromance in this series was between him and Mowen (an actor who redeemed himself tenfold for me after a drama a few years back that I dropped because of his insanely stalkerish vibes). Here the long, almost like drinking from a waterfall looks between these two characters, the not so subtle backup and care was very good to witness. Even though Mowen went off to fight and disappeared from the story until the ending, he made a huge impression as a man that would have Peizhi's back through thick and thin.
Zhang Ping was like-able though he was just a bit too forceful until faced with adult personal trauma. Mr. Lan as he called Peizhi, would always fuss over him like a mother hen. It felt more like a teacher/student relationship than anything else or an uncle and nephew growing together. Other favorite characters included Chen Chou the best friend of ZP who was literally like a leash to a constantly runaway puppy, Shifu, the emperor who was probably the most forthright and intelligent unlike his ruthless adoptive mother. The empress dowager was a very convincing and great antagonist who you wanted to put out of her misery the moment you met her. The aides of Peizhi were great men too.
The cases started off as open and shut or leading to a greater conspiracy which Peizhi, Mowen, and then ZP as well were trying to solve; absolve Peizhi's father of erroneous treason charges and learn more about ZP's own humble beginnings. However, the deeper into it we got, there were more questions than answers. The jigsaw puzzle grew instead of shrank.
Cons: ZP really had to constantly wear pajamas and walk around like he was either pissed off or stoned. Other emotions didn't exist or couldn't manifest until much later. What was the deal with Shulin? He came out of nowhere and already knew how to find Peizhi. He kept saying he'd been planning his revenge for 10 years. So what about the other 10? His whereabouts were never explained. Where did he get so much money to pull off everything he did. Bringing him into literally the last 8 or 9 episodes with totally new information then had previously been known was a whiplash. Even his supposed shared affinity with Peizhi just seemed off. The man was as ruthless and insane as his biological mother. He turned this mystery drama into essentially a silly Halloween movie.
Which begged another question; when they switched babies; who did the baby that would become the emperor belong to? Was he just kidnapped from somewhere? Why the need for the last minute fake empress gab? Back and forth. They rushed so many things, that it felt like you were running to catch up with a new and confusing development. Not to mention the opening credits were just stuck in wherever without a solid beginning. Though many questions were haphazardly answered, many things were not or forgotten altogether. It did seem like the latter half of the series was more or less just spliced together to find some form of ending balance.
Would I recommend it? Actually depends on how you feel about the genre. I liked the majority of it and it always kept me guessing especially when I was tremendously confused. So try it for yourselves and see what conclusion you reach. Perhaps you can solve this puzzle on your own.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A mockery and travesty of justice! With possibly the most whitewashed ending I have ever seen.
This could have been an excellent drama had it stayed true to its original spirit, premise and accomplished it's goal of seeking justice and closure. I think there was a running theme in the drama on how a criminal act could never really tell the entire story. We got that on the numerous crimes that were commited in this drama and investigated by Lan Jue and his band. And I agree, the criminals in this show through the investigations of our leads were caught, confessed their crimes, and explained their motives. Everything was brought to light. Yet what happened in the end?For a drama that begun on the premise of searching for truth and justice. In the end we got a giant cover up in the guise and in the fake mask of doing the greater good and choosing the lesser evil. What a bunch of intellectual nonsense!
For once I wanted the meddlesome and scrupulous Zhang Ping in the early drama to come back to at least expose this charade. Nope we didn't get that in the end. Zhang Ping joined Lan Jue in abandoning all manner of ethical considerations, honesty and objectivity. Instead of revealing the truth they covered it up. I'm sorry justice was not done in this drama. Yes the Dowager Empress and his real son who turned evil got their deserved end but the real truth of the conspiracy was never revealed. And that for me is the true injustice. Everyone was faking it in the end. Our leads got their benefits and rewards. An impostor in the throne is now free to call the shots. In the the end the truth was buried for good. There was not an ounce of honesty and sense of justice remaining in our leads in the end.
Was this review helpful to you?
A PERFECT MISMATCH
Honestly, 2022 wasn't the best even if on record it polled the highest number of BL series that aired and hit our big screens. It was awful that of all series that were expected to air in 2022 from China never made and since the success of WORD PF HONOUR and KILLER AND HEALER back in 2021, I was very worried that I wasn't expecting too much since A league of Nobleman aired having made its way through the rigid severe BL censorship of China's NRTA, in fact, news of its release on YouTube hit me hard the past couple of days.
Anyway back to the point of interest, even though the series doesn't really have the highest budget you are in for a rollercoaster ride, the chemistry between the Make leads is so on point and they have the cutest gazes they share that Will just blow you away, on top of that the storyline being original is filled with a remarkable twist that evolves from a mere investigation to a relationship that brings the two main characters together.
additionally, there are tropes that I feel tired of in the BL industry like bodyguard issues and Senior Junior plots, the sudden mixture of suspense makes the story worthwhile while I also found myself in love with the fact that our cute BL couple might not seem like it but they are perfect polar opposites that fit their characters just right and give us a kinda hard to get feeling which I really love.
I can't ignore that some scenes are hilarious but I fear any moment from now I might end up spoiling it. However I appreciate that the drama is mature, acting well executed and the cast is lovely and lively the OST at times makes me feel like crying but this is a *bromance* that will get you screaming your lungs out.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Superb Chinese Historical Drama
A League of Nobleman was a superb drama. It was also intriguing, entertaining, and amusing. I think the cinematography, CGI, music, and costumes were remarkable. The cinematography was practical and realistic. Some of the costumes were dapper and exquisite. The actors and actresses look good in their costumes.Speaking of the actors and actresses. The ensemble cast was a match made in heaven if you know what I mean. The main actors had great chemistry. All the actors had great chemistry with each other.
The main actors acting performances were splendid.
You know what I like about the main protagonists, Lan Jue and Zhang Ping. I like that they weren't warriors, fighters, or immortals. They're just humans with strengths and weaknesses. They are just humans trying to get through life.
Zhang Ping's detective skills were fantastic. He was intelligent and clever. He solved cases like they were nothing. Not only was Zhang Ping smart and clever, but Lan Jue was also smart and clever. The crime cases were visceral. There were some visceral moments in the drama that left me breathless. The twists throughout the drama were clever and unpredictable. The season finale was bittersweet.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Captivated BL Mystery Drama with Disappointing Ending
Storyline: The twists and turns plots will keep you engaged till the end. The quartet's (Lan Jue, Wang Yan, Zhang Ping and Chen Chou) stories were fun to watch...until the last twist when Gu Qing Zhang (Shulin) showed up...The last plot just didn't make sense when Shulin turned into a villain after spending over a decade as Lan Jue's very close friend. It was real disappointing to see how Empress Dowager got away with all the crimes she committed. Would have been a better ending if Lan Jue could help his friend whom he knew over 10 years accomplished the goal of taking Empress Dowager down rather than supporting her lies and helping her get away with all her crimes...what a pity. The fact that Zhang Ping with the straight forward personality who obsessed with truth would bend at the end and told lies for the empress just doesn't make sense...Acting: The quartet did an excellent job in their roles. I also enjoyed Gu Qing Zhang's acting.
Music: Nothing to write home about.
Rewatch Value: Although the first time was great, I won't go back and rewatch like some other great dramas.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A Delightful Dose of Gentlemen
On paper A Noble League of Gentlemen is a show that’s… in the vernacular… very much my jam. It feels like we’ve been waiting for this one for the longest time. It’s first and foremost a whodunit that is set in a politically-charged imperial court where a ruthless Empress Dowager rules behind the scenes with an iron fist. The show inevitably ventures into the realm of political negotiation which raises the stakes for the show’s primary sleuths. It’s clear too even from the start that survival (political or physical) takes precedence over the truth. The detective side of things reminds me of a television favourite, the UK series Jonathan Creek — certainly in its use of illusion and misdirection all throughout the series. The show, I believe, is at its best when the team are solving cases and getting deep into the weeds of how the perpetrators got away with it. This is where the writing shines in its eye for meticulous detail.I started this for the very charismatic Jing Boran. I last saw him in The Psychologist (and its concluding follow-up He Dun’s Happiness) where he was one of the show’s bright spots. In my opinion he’s even better here when his versatility is given room to breathe. Jing Boran is Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Rites, Lan Jue (style name: Peizi). Much of the show sees him solving mysteries in the capital of Great Yong with Song Weilong’s Zhang Ping that seem to have links to a horrific series of events 20 years earlier in a place known as Moluo Village. On that occasion Lan Jue’s father was accused of treason and was executed accordingly. The son, however, is now on a secret mission to clear his father’s name. The relationship between Lan Jue and Zhang Ping is born out of suspicion and conflict but when they find common cause, it’s Mycroft and Sherlock against some rather formidable foes. And yes, there is a Moriarty lurking in the background pulling strings. It took me a lot longer to warm up to Zhang Ping whose rigid adherence to rules makes him impetuous and lands him into all kinds of proverbial hot soups — an appropriate metaphor considering that he runs a noodle street stall to pay for his living expenses. He comes to the Big Smoke as a scholar studying for the imperial exam while moonlighting as a detective who sticks his nose into everything suspicious for love of truth. At times he’s a bitter pill to swallow. But the sugar that helps the medicine go down is the repeated acknowledgement by the script that this is a flaw and backs that up with actual consequences for his busybody restlessness. He’s trying to be a black and white guy in a world of grey power plays. It’s akin to playing his own game in someone else’s backyard with no clue as to what their rules are.
As the title suggests, this is a male dominated cast that is unabashed in it celebration of masculine archetypes — father figures, mentors, protectors, warriors, brothers — just to name but a few. The beauty of this show is that it isn’t just about the leads Lan Jue and Zhang Ping. It’s a team effort that is underpinned by a brotherhood that transcends status and wealth. Deep connections can be made not just among intellectual equals but even between masters and servants.
The inclusion of the mysterious Shulin so late in the story feels like a double-edged sword. The actor, Wang Duo, is very good at drawing out the character’s complexity and yet even with all the nuance in the performance, his part in the narrative and its resolution ends up far less satisfying than it might have been because the show is determined to say something about the corrupting tendency of absolute power. The resolution is logical for the show that transpired but one is left wondering if making justice a casualty in all this is worthwhile for the individuals who worked so hard to gnaw at the truth.
It is hard to say much more without giving away spoilers. While there are seemingly disparate cases, it becomes increasingly obvious that they are intertwined. As a rule I have nothing against Bad Guy plots making bombastic statements about the world. However, it has to be done well. When it isn’t done well, it’s like moustache twirling villains doing a monologue and bragging giving their adversaries time to get their act together. It’s about theatre. Restoration takes a back seat. The purpose too with the Bad Guy plot is to create a moral dilemma — an unnecessary one — that’s probably meant in part to be a coming-of-age moment for Zhang Ping.
This is one that I found thoroughly immersive and beautiful to look at. I’ve heard that this was heavily censored but this is one occasion I had no problems with the editing because I never felt that I was missing out on anything essential. In fact, the pacing of this show not bogged down by fillers or detours was very much my cup of tea. Frankly I wish more C dramas would be equally disciplined in its storytelling.
Was this review helpful to you?
Acting wise, Jing Boran half carried this show, I'm sorry. His portrayals of Lan Jue is just so natural and flowing. His beauty and elegance is so soothing and the way he smoothly changes from being soft and elegant to crazed and half mad with revenge is just too good to see.
Chemistry wise, Lan Jue with Mowen and Shulin gives off a great give and take dynamics. With Zhang Ping there's this feeling of on and off dynamic for me, like it's there but very slow and subtle,and sonetimes before you're done seeing it it just ends(?), people say it's because of the editing but I'm not sure.
Plot wise, it's pretty neat and simple, where they're solving this small cases, only to realize its building up to the big revelation that ties up everything. It's done very well. The episodes are also not too little, not too much, just the right amount.
If you like a simple historical chinese drama with a procedural mystery theme, this might be your show.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Could have been better
Between 6.5 and 7 starsThings I liked:
1) Intro OST and soundtrack - Weird thing to point out but I just remember raving about the intro song multiple times when I started watching this drama. It gave me Hannibal vibes. It's so dark and creepy and fits really well with the thriller/weird/sometimes scary nature of the show. Also, I enjoyed a lot of the plays and singing scenes within the drama and the music in those scenes were all really good and fit well with what was going on.
2) Bromance - Not really bromance but more the relationships between Zhang & Mr. Lan, Zhang & Chen Chou and Mr. Lan and Wang. Each pairing worked so well together and I loved how they took care of each other and were loyal/protective of their friends.
3) Costume - Loved the clothes designs specifically between Lan and Zhang. Very handsome actors and seeing them.in beautiful outfits was a plus.
Things I didn't like:
1) Poor revenge plot - Final 'bad' guy (Shulin) was really just a victim like the 'good' guys (Zhang and Mr. Lan) and the good guys should have worked together with him to get their revenge instead of betraying him. It just seemed so hypocritical that they decide to stop his revenge when episodes ago, they too were desiring revenge but by the end they were claiming morale high ground and leaving the bad guy to die.
I am so peeved about this because I just feel like Shulin became a scapegoat. Zhang and Lan ended up reaping the benefits of the revenge they originally wanted without having to actually carry out the revenge themselves. Instead, Shulin does it and gets hate for it while they clean up his mess and then they can carry on with their lives since Shulin's revenge had, to some extent, helped reveal the truth they themselves wanted to share about their wronged pasts.
I didn't agree with Shulin's method of revenge (specifically just the part that put the innocent citizens at risk) but Zhang and Mr. Lan could've at least worked together with him to modify the revenge plot instead of just cutting him off. This leads to my next point:
2) Lazy writing - Use of clichés to create drama and move the plot along instead of being consistent with the characters' personalities and writing in line with that. Also, during case investigations there were so many coincidental situations that led to cases being solved or a clue being discovered that just seemed so unnatural and made my eyes roll.
3) A little bit unlikable main leads - Didn't really like Mr. Lan's character for most of the early episodes and that made it difficult to want to continue watching the show. Also, Chen Chou was such an annoying character in the early episodes. I only started to actually like the guy much later and towards the end.
Overall, I really had a hard time finishing this drama. I rewatched a few episodes almost 3 times bcos I kept dropping it in the middle and had to go back to remind myself what happened. I played most of the episodes at 1.5 speed and was really on the brink of just dropping the drama. I enjoyed the investigations and the set up of the cases, I enjoyed the friendships between the leads, and that's about it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Beyond my expectations!!!!
The plot was good and the script was well-written. I can follow it easily, without any confusion. I like the characters ZhangPin and LanJue; all they care about is justice and getting answers to why their loved ones are dead. I like how they work together as a team to support each other to reach their end goal. The interactions between them were funny, happy, and sad---when they lost trust in each other and parted ways. However, they came back and understand each other more.I also like the side characters, like Mowen and Chan Cho; who were the friends of the main leads. ^^
I was shocked that the villain is Shulin and finding out about his revenge plot. I was sad that Shulien got his revenge, but he lost his best friend, Lan Jue, and himself. In the end, he's all alone. I'm upset that the empress dowager never admits to her wrongdoings for mistreating her own blood. She's more like an evil stepmother that is hungry for fame and power.
I also love the bromance between Lan Jue and ZhangPing :)!!!! Their bromance was so cute and makes me fluffy lol.
Yes, the cinematography, pictures, and arts were all beautiful and amazing to see. Love the CGI effect as well.
Definitely recommend it and will always be one of my favorite bromances to watch :).
Was this review helpful to you?
