GOOD ACTING CANNOT EVEN SAVE THE DRAMA

As the headline said, good acting cannot save the drama.

Good part:
The opening had one of the best c-drama opening I ever watched. Even better than the all time fave ancient drama AOL and L&R.
The depiction of Gods and Goddesses shadow (Idk what they call) is just so majestic. i haven't seen such CGI that I would just go gasping 'Wahhh!!'
The battle scene (and CGI accompanied them) between God of War Mingye and Devil God was beautifully executed.
The way they CGI'ed Devil God power including the eye arrow, the big fire circle behind him just made it believable that he was the strongest of the gods.

To be honest, i'm not a big fan of both Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu but undoubtly they have skills.
Luo Yunxi acting is superb, as both Devil God and the pitiful Tantai Jin and of course Mingye. I have seen him in AOL and he definitely can act. Since I watched this drama after Love Between Fairy and Devil, the comparison is just as clear between Luo Yunxi and Dylan Wang character as both were respective Devil who indecisive whether he wants to become a good guy or a bad guy.
I have seen Bai Lu few works before, Arsenal military and the one where she is a demoness to name a few. This is one of the weakest I must say. Or maybe I was actually affected with how stupid her character was.
With that being said, here's the many bad part:
The dream, is too long. The battle between Devil God and Gods is fucking two episode. It was great and all, but it shouldn't last two damn episode that I was waiting when they will wake up.
After episode 5, the drama just kind fell really really really flat that by episode 15, I was wondering what the hell I am watching. There's romcom here and there in between but it just got so draggy by the time I'm at the current episode 26.
Mind you, I usually just skipped a few parts when it got draggy but this time it also got so repetitive.
The same all misunderstanding game but you recycle and change a bit after more than twice it just got so frustrating. Like someone said, there is no character growth at all. And after 26 episode, shouldn't Li Susu at least hesitate in doing stupid things to accomplished her mission??
Why the hell would you, after all the 'promise not to leave him' and 'stay by your side forever' betrayed Tantai Jin in a broad daylight?? For Xiao Lin whom you know for sure wouldn't be killed by TTJ.
I mean, why???
And what the hell is wrong with Luo Yunxi makeup?? Its just white powder and pink eyeshadow too visible on his eyes, making me wonder if they trying to potray TTJ as a sick person.
And isn't it dumb that everyone knows TTJ can use demon power but y'all just go ahead and send your army of mortal human who had no power at all to attack him with a sword?? A sword??! Against the guy who can command demon power from afar without physically touching you??
And this guy Nian Baiyu, is a great assistant but why haven't he shown his power??
Ye Qingyu is another character that at this point of drama I just thought he shouldn't be given a screentime because of how useless he is to the plot of the story. You thought he was gonna be important because he sits with Prince and talk about this whole utopia world but ended up getting too hungover a fox demon.
Then there's Ye Binchang who's the actor played her made it so believable that she's this conceited woman, psychopath due to unfair treatment she received as a concubine's daughter. Talk about being totally ungrateful. After all, her family is still a wealthy and known family, and she still ended up marrying a prince but woman still victimized herself.
I think that they took Ye Binchang/Tianhuan villainess too far tbh. She didn't even have a self contradiction or dilemma after wake up from the dream and just decide, hey, I want to be the bad guy. I'm glad when the her story about two love lines uncovered in front of everyone and finally they wanted to close the chapter with her being stripped off her title and become a maid.
But no, they decide they wanted to make her killed her grandmother for no concrete reason. I mean yall know she was so conceited after the revealed betrayal on Xiao Lin, but yall decide to let her go home and not be careful around her?? That's stupid.
Tbh, there's so many plot hole that I could just point out that would make this show unbelievably stupid and frustrating.

And right now as i am writing, i'm contemplating whether I should drop this or not.

Read More

What a handsome squad!

Wholesome drama, great acting, great storyline, great villain and a really mischievious Xu Kai!
What more could a drama asked for??

While we were served with so many good woman-pretend-to-be-man drama like the legendary hanazakarino kimitachie (both Japanese- Horikita Maki and Taiwanese ver -Ella Chen), to the beautiful you (kor- park shinhye) and sunkyunkwan scandal (kor- park minyoung), NOBODY, I REPEAT, NOBODY DOING IT LIKE BAI LU!

From the swag, and the way Xie Liangchen carry herself, you would think she is truly a man. Just you know, a little bit shorter and smaller. The way her voice tone also perfect for the character. It give an appearance of a calm but principle man. Even when she became Xie Xiang, it doesn't look ridiculous.

Xu kai oh xu kai. When I wrote this, I have just finished The Legends and I wholeheartedly like Xu Kai better in this. Guy can act, I give him that. He made the show entertaining. Although sometimes he can get annoying, especially when it comes to teasing Liangchen. His facial expression and gesture is to die for, (ya know when he winked???)

Worthy mentioned about this drama is the roller coaster unrequited love.

Gu Yanzhen > Xie Xiang
Shen Junshan > Xie Xiang
Shen Tingbai > Qu Manting
Qu Manting > Gu Yanzhen
Huang Song > Xie Xiang

Half through this drama, I was wondering if the pairing ever got together and luckily, they did! In a manner that just flow naturally, it felt like they just come back to where they belong.

Storyline:
The reason why it wasn't a ten because this damn storyline on the first half of the series. While I venture into the drama knowing who the main CP is, even I got confused of the Shen Junshan-Xie Xiang and Gu Yanzhen-Qu Manting. They seems to have more screentime and moment with the 2nd lead than with each other. At one time, I swore I felt guilty rooting for Qu Manting and Gu Yanzhen.

I'm not someone who like slowburn but suprisingly, I can deal with this one voluntarily. I didn't even skipped or fast forward. It just that the drama kinda failed to tell us exactly how Xie Xiang ended up discovering her love for Gu Yanzhen. I mean, what was the specific moment?
I know she never really like Shen Junshan like that. We all see that she only like him for reminding of her brother. But half of the drama, I did wonder if Xie Xiang/Liangchen is going to fall for our male lead or not. And when she decided she is, I just couldn't pin point why. Like YOU FIND THAT GUY ABSOLUTELY ANNOYING BEFORE AND NOW YOU LIKE HIM?? WHY?

Anyway, as a period drama enthusiast, I find this drama very good and worth remembering. The costume is great, the idea of patriotism is superb. You had people of all walk of life fighting for their country whether its the military soldier, bussinessman, students, or secret society. It is a good reminder on what it was like during that time. And I appreciate that a lot.

Read More

Great acting but seriously bad editing

I create an account just for this review. Drama had seriously big potential to be a hit drama with the base storyline that they had until you suddenly get slapped by the really2 bad editing especially in the last few episode.

Let's face it, we don't have much of a great badass female character and Lu Zhao Yao just happened to be my favourite. Bai Lu embodied Lu Zhao Yao that I can never see other people play the character. She just has that aura and natural charisma. I wish show had treated that better.

Our Li Chen Lan is, well. I love Xu Kai, deeply throughly with all my heart but wtf did they do to the character???

They had all this awesome pairing by half of the series only to ended up none by the end.

Last few episode would make you wonder wth just happened. Even with the last episode, I was like what???
Some people said they had planned for different ending only to change it at the last minute but what the heck is that? I'm just gonna pretend the last episode didn't happened and we ended with episode 54 in the sword tomb.

Lu Zhao Yao and Li Chen Lan has all the possibility to become the most powerful couple but we don't even get that. After episode 35 or something, Li Chen Lan just become a damsel in distress who often need to be taken care of and Lu Zhao Yao is the caretaker.

And while the drama revolved around Wan Jun sword, we never really get to see what happened to that thing at the end. Like all the powerful power just went away like that????? Seriously??

This poor direction just rob us of all the possibility that could make this (of the drama not the acting) drama a successful one.

I'm saving all the compliment for battle moment of episode 54 when Lu Zhao Yao alone battling with Li Chen Lan demon. Doesn't that make you cry?? The love was overpouring in her eyes, trying to save the man she loves who no longer recognized her. That moment alone, deserved a standing ovation. I feel the hurt she felt. And when she stabbed him, God... The looks on her face is just ... Make me feel all the bad editing and execution quite worthwhile.

Drama worth to watch if you want to see some good acting (and if course Bai Lu and Xu Kai) but please be open to every possibility of getting confused and frustrated over the editing and the weak execution of trying to potray whatever the drama is trying to tell you.

Read More