The Mirage

A sci-fi mystery with thumping music

This show has a historical setting with fantastical elements, but rather than typical Chinese “fantasy” (like xianxia or xuanhuan), it feels more sci fi. I think this is largely due to the nature of the phenomenon under investigation, but it’s also partly the vibe set by the music and cinematography. It kind of reminded me of steampunk even though it isn’t really.

This story features a band of friends, a genre I always find fun. They are not actually friends to begin with- for at least half the show, they are guarded against each other and keeping secrets- but I think this made the show more interesting and kept me on my toes.

I especially like how the members of the team all have different relationships with each other. It’s more realistic that each person has meaningful interactions with several other people, rather than, say, just the one person they’re destined to have a romance with. It does however mean that no special relationships or themes really stand out, so that all the bonds across the board feel a bit weaker. And as for romance, there is maybe a faint hint of it but not much more.

The characters themselves have distinct enough personalities and roles, though perhaps one too many of the badass type. I liked them all but there wasn’t anyone I absolutely loved. I think they are developed just enough to make you care, but not enough to make you truly attached. I do like that the show is gender-agnostic about who can fight well, and it’s a fun touch that different people have different weapons and fighting styles that fit their background and body type.

The main star of the show is probably Cao Sheng. He is the brains of the operation- excellent engineer, great memory, can see through schemes, etc. He also comes up with the most elaborate plans. I feel like half the show is about his intricate schemes which require lots of planning and preparation.

But Cao Sheng is not the only schemer. This show features tons of intersecting plans and counterplans so that you never really know who will come out on top. And while all these different schemes are flying at each other, our protagonists are trying to figure out what is actually going on.

While watching this show, I felt like I was in a constant haze of confusion. Clues and truths are revealed bit by bit and sometimes they are incorrect. Similarly, the schemes and counterschemes are revealed piecemeal and out of order, with plenty of misdirection in between for dramatic effect. It’s too many “plot twists”- eg layer upon layer of, "But WAIT!!! this side actually anticipated what that side would do!"- it’s hard to keep track of it all. This might make it good for a rewatch, though it’s kind of ironic that a show being extra confusing earns it a high rewatch score.

In some ways the show also feels a little bit slow because it takes so long (almost the entire show) to uncover one mystery. And this mystery is so complicated that there’s no point along the way where you feel settled and solid. Somewhere along the line I just started to get a little fatigued. It was too long spent being confused, trying to keep track of too many things, not sure who is good or bad. And the overall tone is kind of heavy, despite some flashes of humor, so it was a lot of constant suspense, like a background hum of stress.

That said, I still found the show overall entertaining. It is fun to watch the elaborate schemes unfold, and the overarching mystery is pretty interesting. There are even some well-done emotional moments along the way that had me leaking tears, and a bit of existentialism which comes up just the right amount to make you feel touched and a little bit sad. As for that stress- well Cao Sheng is really smart, so things often work out ok.

For the acting, I thought it’s decent. I think some actors tried too hard to be badass, but it’s also partly the ethos of the show. You can see it also in the style and cinematography, like with tableau / frozen moment type scenes paired with thumping music, clearly trying to create badass and dramatic moments. Well, it mostly worked on me, I thought it was pretty cool most of the time.

Speaking of the music, I REALLY liked it. It’s mostly background music (songs are rare) and a fairly distinct style- heavy beats, some of it getting almost techno-y, even songs for happier moments are quite melodic- so it might not be for everyone, but I really liked it. I thought it set the moods really well.

Actually the overall production of this show is a lot better than I expected for something of this length. There are quite a lot of extras, and enough real horses (but all too obvious when it’s faked, lol). I also really like the costumes and styling, which are practical and make sense. The costumes are color coordinated but you don’t get, for example, sparkling bits and jewelry on characters who are supposed to be fighters.

I also like the fighting. I love how all the different weapons are used well and they match their users. Heavy weapons look heavy and the lighter weapons are used with speed. The choreography is good and the blows look solid, if a bit sped up at times.

Overall I think this is a good show. Despite some fatigue from too many disjointed clues and layers of schemes, I still found the overall mystery interesting and the interactions between the group endearing, with a good hint of pathos. It’s also fun to watch this style of sci-fi which is less common in Cdramas (especially historical).

ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS





If you ignore the post-credit scene, I think this is mostly a happy ending. The seemingly dire situation is resolved with only one big sacrifice (not counting Tongtong, who by the end was kind of my favorite character). It’s Lin Han, who at least seems to find her peace first.

But Cao Sheng’s rapidly worsening and life-threatening illness is not cured. For some reason none of the other characters seem that worried or even mention it.

The post-credit scene sets up for a sequel, by introducing new troubles and intrigue, including Cao Sheng fainting again. I guess the point of making this a post-credit scene is that if the sequel doesn’t happen then you still get a complete show, but I think leaving Cao Sheng’s illness untreated is still a cliffhanger either way.

Read More

Story gets better ~12 ep in

Not your A list traffic actors but the story is more interesting IMO. I started watching for Rain Lu. She was so wonderful in "Butterfly Lovers" that it was nice to see her in a non short drama. ML is however is more suitable for supporting roles as Bu Hai's mysterious character stole the show. The other 2 Female characters are also very good. Story gets better ~12 ep in but eventually got a bit too complicated ep 20 on. There's just a lot dialogue = too much reading subtitles.

If you like:
- Supernatural story line
- Solving mystery
- Fight choreography

This could be a good choice. If you are looking for hot coupling CPs and side CPs, then this is not it.

Read More

Recommend if you're interested in a mystery sci-fi drama and don't mind a budget production

Steer clear if: you want romance or good visuals.

Be prepared for:
• allowing it quite a few episodes to ‘warm up’ before the story becomes engrossing.
• waiting until after the credits in the last episode - There's more of the story.

Positives:
• A high opening Douban rating of over 8/10 drew me (and others judging from MyDramaList) to the production.
• An intriguing premise and plot.
• Grows to become a gripping mystery-thriller with twists and turns.
• Adequate acting.
• Accomplished action scenes.
• Enjoyable to see the lead squad develop trust and loyalty, leading to character development.

Negatives:
• The earlier episodes are not attention-grabbing (the Douban score made me stay).
• Everything looks terribly cheap, especially the costumes and makeup.
• An unusual premise, but with cliché wuxia stereotypes.
• Open ending? Most things are wrapped up, but I hope there'll be a season 2.

Read More

Underdog drama with well deserved high praise and ratings on Douban

This drama landed on my watchlist after one of these Tiktoks about underrated shows sparked my interest.
Zero regrets. Quite the opposite.
I finished it a few days ago and I am still in a mood, where I want to climb on a rooftop and tell through a megaphone everyone with functional ears, how surprisingly amazing that drama was and that they should hurry to watch it, because it deserves so much more recognition.

Is it one of these dramas, where everything is perfect?
No.
It obviously operated on a small budget and it didn't come with an idol cast to drew in the viewership by names alone.
But that's the only draw back of this show.

While it starts a little slow and takes its time to introduce the characters, if you give it a moment, then the unfolding mystery will get you hooked and the storytelling just keeps serving until the finale.
Not one dull moment in between. 👏👏👏👏

The plot is plotting with unexpected twists, which will have you guessing, what to expect next, nearly until the end. With a bunch of intriguing protagonists, whose character development and growing friendship was satisfying to watch. You will fall in love with these guys and root hard for them to succeed.
It is really a unique mix of mystery/sci-fi/wuxia drama.
In short:
Story top.
Acting top.
OST top.
The smaller budget got sometimes more obvious during the CGI scenes. But that didn't take from the overall experience.

Perhaps one word to the male lead.
In a more conventional drama he might be better suited as a supporting actor. But here it works out.
All leading characters were evenly written into the story and felt as important main characters.
I loved it.
I highly recommend it.
Watch it.

Read More

Wow! A very high performance in all levels.

At first, I would’nt even know where how to start this review, there are a lot of things to commend. I know it’s not a big budget drama, as well as not is a famous or long awaited production, with not stellar names in it’s cast, so there wouldn’t be to much hype at its premiere. It’s a shame, maybe, and the number of reviews here is a proof of that. But…

Wow! Wow! Wow! I’ve been completely hooked with this drama, you bet. Everything here works at near perfection, in all levels, yeah. Performance of the actors, setting, costumes, and, more important, the script. I think this is the best script I have seen in years, I can state that with no problem. It is very enjoyable, it flows naturally and the different plots are converging nimbly, lively, with no unnecessary subplots (at the first of the show, later the situation changes a little and the plot become more muddled). But even in the final episodes, all really flows and there are no tedious scenes of people talking, and talking, and talking more. Here there are action, a lot of action.

The performance of all actors in this show is superb, without discussion. There is no a weak point in that level, including the ultra-secondary characters. Step by Step…

Rain Lu as Zheng Qian. When the Rain Comes (that the Beatles sang, hahaha) everything improves. She is the real star of the show, oh yes. She is also surprisingly very very beautiful, and her outfit as a hunter and a woman warrior is really charming.
Jin Zixuan as Yunniang; what a beautiful performance by this young actress, I was really impressed by her acting skills. She is very funny, shameless in her ways, and her action scenes were wonderful, yes.
Yang Yu as Xie Jingtang. Oh, my God, this man stole the show completely with his comedic skills, wtf! Is a hidden and unexpected gem of the cast; his funny faces, gestures, and the role of his character is really amusing to watch. Thumbs up for the actor.
The other leads of the show are equally commendable, of course. I can’t recall a more epic character than miss Lin Han, wow. Super serious, always angry, her action scenes were a little marvel, just like the character of Feng Buhai, oh, what a man. I’m in love with him and his strange relation with the wild girl Yunniang. Maybe the ML, Fei Qiming, is the weakest of the cast, but still his performance is top notch.

The key factor in all of this lies in the relationships between this 6 characters, the trust among them, and the subtle interest that sometimes seem to appear but which doesn’t not have development (thank God, there are no romance here).

And, the best of the best: the ultra feminist approach that the entire serie has. Here, there are no a damsel in distress, all women here is brave, adds value to the plot and almost all of them knows how to fight. Here, there are 6 Leads, 3 men and 3 women. Only 1 ML can fight (Feng Buhai), and then there are 3 FL, all of them with impressive fighting skills. And even more, there are a lot of lackeys, general or support warriors who are women. In the final battle, the three female leads stage a extraordinary performance, wtf; the last 2 episodes are great and really amusing, with an astonishing ending. As a woman, I like to see women in this kind of characters, it’s what I enjoy the most, really proud of her performances. I think there is no another drama with this level of women empowerment, it’s true.

SPOILER ALERT--- :-P
There is only a little flaw –for me- in this entire show, Spoiler alert (read at your own risk, hahaha). The blending with light elements of sci-fi on the plot. I would have prefer another kind of explanation to the presence of the Mirage (I’m not a fan of science fiction, my mistake indeed) but is bearable because this kind of stuff -scifi- has not much development in the drama, and all the scenes are in a traditional setting.

In conclusion, a nearly perfect show with nearly perfect performances; if you want entertaintment and a plot that is some kind of different to the usual wuxia plots, here it is The Mirage. And the best of all is… There is a post-credits scene, a cliffhanger and the possibility of a second season. May Buddha (or JC) hear it!

Read More