Cloudini
Up in the clouds
The lack of reviews on this gem here on MDL pains me, so here I go~
Story:
Admittedly, it's a lot to take in. You're thrown into the middle of the bustling capital Chang'an for 24 hours, and, boy, it's a long, long day. Buckle up 'cause every detail and every face matters. The first half is action-packed, intense, and thrilling. The chase to find the ultimate mastermind and prevent mass casualty is an exciting rush to be in the moment. The plot then slows to unravel the intriguing conspiracy, leaving you speechless and chilled to the bone. Also, in this latter half, it shows the grim reality of politics. Even when an immense threat is upon Chang'an, the various powers, who are supposed to unite to fight against it, are wary of each other and more worried about themselves than the foundation of any regime, the people.
I grew tired of the plot twists revolving the identity of the ultimate mastermind, but the journey of realizing his identity was the least of my worries was... Painful.
I'm not a fan of constant flashbacks. I'd rather have the past shown to me in one go. This drama, however, presents pieces of the past just enough to give you vital information that explains characters' actions. It works out well. Furthermore, you'll slowly understand their dreams and beliefs. The past war the Eighth Squadron fought became one of my favorite parts of the drama. Just see for yourself.
"I am a solider." - A line and its entailments... So beautifully brutal.
Characters:
It's an ensemble cast. Everyone is important whether they're on the side of the conspiracy or not. I enjoyed the morally gray characters because it's realistic. We're all selfish human beings, both good and evil, and that has never changed. As long as something serves our interest, let's go and do it. Some characters, mainly Zhang Xiao Jing and Yu Chang, may seem inhuman with their abnormal strength, but this is forgiven since it adds excitement during the action scenes. Ultimately, there is a lack of character development. These are stubborn characters who are firm in their beliefs. In the span of 24 hours, well, old habits die hard. You do see them gain some enlightenment though.
Tidbits:
It's aesthetically pleasing. I found the street scenery of Chang'an absolutely mesmerizing. I appreciated the consistency of blood, cuts, and bruises on the characters in each scene. The fight scenes are a little clumsy but look natural enough. The parkour scenes had me laughing. I felt no strong attachment to any major character. More than any of them, the common people who only had a few scenes or lines captured my heart. And that heart was stomped on over and over again...
Conclusion:
You definitely need to pay attention to every scene to get the full experience. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes to be in pain. Yes, I said it. What started as a simple good vs. evil battle. What started as people painted as purely heroes or villains. It turned into something more dark and bleak than I thought it could get. Who you root for in the beginning may not be the same in the end~
Story:
Admittedly, it's a lot to take in. You're thrown into the middle of the bustling capital Chang'an for 24 hours, and, boy, it's a long, long day. Buckle up 'cause every detail and every face matters. The first half is action-packed, intense, and thrilling. The chase to find the ultimate mastermind and prevent mass casualty is an exciting rush to be in the moment. The plot then slows to unravel the intriguing conspiracy, leaving you speechless and chilled to the bone. Also, in this latter half, it shows the grim reality of politics. Even when an immense threat is upon Chang'an, the various powers, who are supposed to unite to fight against it, are wary of each other and more worried about themselves than the foundation of any regime, the people.
I grew tired of the plot twists revolving the identity of the ultimate mastermind, but the journey of realizing his identity was the least of my worries was... Painful.
I'm not a fan of constant flashbacks. I'd rather have the past shown to me in one go. This drama, however, presents pieces of the past just enough to give you vital information that explains characters' actions. It works out well. Furthermore, you'll slowly understand their dreams and beliefs. The past war the Eighth Squadron fought became one of my favorite parts of the drama. Just see for yourself.
"I am a solider." - A line and its entailments... So beautifully brutal.
Characters:
It's an ensemble cast. Everyone is important whether they're on the side of the conspiracy or not. I enjoyed the morally gray characters because it's realistic. We're all selfish human beings, both good and evil, and that has never changed. As long as something serves our interest, let's go and do it. Some characters, mainly Zhang Xiao Jing and Yu Chang, may seem inhuman with their abnormal strength, but this is forgiven since it adds excitement during the action scenes. Ultimately, there is a lack of character development. These are stubborn characters who are firm in their beliefs. In the span of 24 hours, well, old habits die hard. You do see them gain some enlightenment though.
Tidbits:
It's aesthetically pleasing. I found the street scenery of Chang'an absolutely mesmerizing. I appreciated the consistency of blood, cuts, and bruises on the characters in each scene. The fight scenes are a little clumsy but look natural enough. The parkour scenes had me laughing. I felt no strong attachment to any major character. More than any of them, the common people who only had a few scenes or lines captured my heart. And that heart was stomped on over and over again...
Conclusion:
You definitely need to pay attention to every scene to get the full experience. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes to be in pain. Yes, I said it. What started as a simple good vs. evil battle. What started as people painted as purely heroes or villains. It turned into something more dark and bleak than I thought it could get. Who you root for in the beginning may not be the same in the end~
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