Meari21

Hopefully, they'll release it on Netflix worldwide. But original iQIYI dramas rarely get picked up by Netflix. Mysterious Lotus Casebook has been released practically everywhere but not on Netflix and that drama is massively popular.

I'm 9 episodes in and I am seeing so many anime tropes and similarities in this, and that's probably why I'm loving the vibe so far. But it's also one of the reasons why some may not be into this, especially those who are not used to watching anime. This style is not common in C-drama, after all. The demon Zhu Yan, from his manner of speech to his demeanor and the way he carries himself, is very reminiscent of immortal characters from anime like Hell's Paradise. Then you have the typical tsundere tormented swordsman with a demon-slaying sword, the sorceress-type with mysterious powers, and the female warrior, an expert archer. And then the comedic relief characters: the scaredy-cat medical prodigy ala Tony Tony Chopper from One Piece, and the demigod cook who also happens to be a little pervy. Each of them have a specific role to play in this team. The tonal shifts are very anime-coded. No matter how dark an anime gets, there's always a comedic break to keep things light. If you're not used to that, I can imagine why it would be annoying. The pacing and constant flashbacks remind me of Frieren. That anime is character-driven so it doesn't have a very strong plot, but it focuses on character development, camaraderie, and life lessons, much like this drama. I'm also reminded by darker shonen anime like Chainsaw Man that start out relatively lighter, but become much darker as the story progresses. The music inserts, stylistic fight scenes, and sweeping cinematography are anime-esque as well. I won't be surprised if the director and writer admit they were heavily inspired by anime when they made this drama.

He is sexy AF!

As an anime fan, I absolutely loved I Am Nobody. That is the gold standard for shonen anime live action adaptations imho. I know some people would argue that the Rurouni Kenshin movies are the best adaptations, but those are far easier to adapt because the story is more grounded. Shonen series like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen are not so easy. I Am Nobody showed everyone that it can be done if you actually commit to make a live action drama that spans several seasons, invest a significant amount of money in it, and cast the right actors to play the characters. It's no wonder the One Piece live action was a hit despite its flaws.

Well, I just discovered this guy from Fangs of Fortune. I came for Hou Minghao, but ended up loving him more as Zhuo Yichen.

Agreed! The Blood of Youth and even Dashing Youth are great live action adaptations that have the DNA of Japanese anime. But the crown belongs to I Am Nobody. That series is the most anime-ish C-drama I've seen to date and I loved it.

Exactly! That is precisely why I am loving this. I think they balance the comedy and darker stuff well, but that's just me. I mean, I am a One Piece fan and that anime is the king of tonal shifts.

I don't mind the tonal shift. Most Asian dramas and Japanese anime have this and it's been a tried and tested formula. I actually enjoy the comedic aspects of the drama, it shows that they're not taking things too seriously. The plot progression is a bit slow, and honestly, the story itself is not that intriguing, so putting some comedy makes it a lot less boring than it would've been. I would like to see a legit dark fantasy horror drama in the future, though.

Alright, after 5 episodes, I can honestly say that I am loving the vibe of this drama so far. My expectations just went way up! I love the demon-hunting team, especially Bai Ju, the overreacting medical prodigy. I went into this blind only knowing that it's a Hou Minghao-led drama. But I ended up discovering Tian Jia Rui. His character is so dope! The fact that he has to stain his sword with his own blood to make it more powerful is very anime-ish. As an avid anime-watcher, that excites me because it's like watching a really cool live action adaptation. The action choreography is cool as well. The soundtrack is so lit, especially Liu Yuning's song that plays when Zhu Yan and Zhou Yichen first encounter each other. And of course, Hou Minghao is delightfully devilish in this. I never thought I'd see Minghao portray a dark, flirty, and mysterious character and nail it! As I said in my previous post, he would make an excellent vampire. Hahaha

Agreed! The lovable ensemble cast and anime-ish elements are also reminiscent of I Am Nobody.

This drama convinced me that he would do well in any kind of dark fantasy role where he plays an immortal anti-hero type.

I still can't comment much about the drama itself as I've seen only one episode so far, but this I can say, Minghao is great in this! I've always thought he looks like an AI-generated image with perfect features. His character design and styling makes him all the more ethereal-looking, which is perfect for the role. And the way he speaks adds to the dark aura he exudes. I can't help but think he would be great playing a vampire. Yes, give him a vampire role please!

This has been getting a lot of negative reviews from fans of the game because they claim it's vastly different from the game they know and love. I'm glad I'm not familiar with the source material because I enjoyed the first episode.

From the first review of hers that I saw years ago, I have never agreed with anything she has to say, so I've never taken her seriously. I watch some of her videos every now and then just for kicks and I always end up chuckling because she sounds like an idiot half the time when she talks about the technical aspects of a drama. It's one thing to have preferences but it's another to criticize something you don't really understand to begin with or spread hate simply because you don't like something. She acts like she's an all-knowing holier than thou reviewer who can make or break a drama. But having said that, I do appreciate her inside knowledge about certain practices in the industry and the source material, and of course, her Chinese background. Seriously though, I don't trust C-drama reviewers in general because my tastes don't normally align with theirs and most of these reviews are very subjective. Not to mention almost none of them have film backgrounds, so to me, they're not really reliable reviewers.

This is one of the best dramas I've ever watched, period! I'm hoping for a season 2. They certainly can write more stories since it's an episodic type of drama. Plus, the drama has won a ton of awards and is massively successful in Taiwan.

He is classically handsome. Definitely one of the most good looking and talented Asian actors ever! But criminally underrated.

I think I would know whether I can understand the plot or not, don't you think? So far, I have no idea about the history between the characters and how Yanbing got his primordial spirits. Those parts I know nothing about because I didn't watch the prequel. I may have to watch it if I feel the need to do so, or if I can't find a complete plot summary. But for now, I'm good. I'm not confused... yet.

Ruipeng does have a deeper and more masculine sounding voice, his Lei Wujie was dubbed by someone else in fact. But I'm not sure if this is actually him voicing Cao Yanbing. It has a slightly different tone from his real voice.

Probably not. I don't think this is a direct sequel. If it is and I need to understand some parts then I'm going to watch the prequel.

I agree with you on the lack of chemistry part but I think Kim Young Dae is alright in this. I just do not like how he supposedly falls in love with Shin Min Ah's character and yet we are never really shown how, we are just told. We are given "lovey dovey" cutesy scenes between the couple, and yet they feel forced and unearned. I'm watching this drama mostly because of the second couple. I lose interest whenever the scenes go back to the main couple. I also think Shin Min Ah should have played a character her own age. A much older independent woman who didn't want to get married would've been far more interesting imho. I hate that they made her 33 years old in this. There are very few K-dramas that revolve around much older characters. They do cast actors in their 40's but they give them younger roles. I don't get it. It's as if they're afraid people won't watch if the story centers around an ajumma.