An Entertaining Prequel That's Not As Good As Its Sequel

Dashing Youth is the highly anticipated prequel to the dark horse hit, The Blood of Youth. Did it live up to expectations? Is it as good as its sequel? No and no. But it's still a good watch. If you're a fan of The Blood of Youth, you will want to see how things started and what the older generation of martial arts masters were like when they were young. Dashing Youth revolves around Baili Dongjun, known as the Liquor Deity, and the best martial artist of his generation. The drama follows his adventures and relationships with the people he meets in his journey to become a renowned martial arts master. Most particularly, it focuses on his bond with his best friend and later nemesis, Ye Dingzhi, the leader of the Demon Sect, and also known as Ye Yun, the son of the famed General Ye who fell into ruin after the latter grew too powerful for the emperor to tolerate.

The story centers around bromance with some hetero romance here and there, which I didn't care for to be honest. But those pairings have to happen because these characters have to produce the next generation of martial artists that are going to be featured in The Blood of Youth. Honestly, the bromances are the best part of this series. The relationships are quite engaging and the male characters are not only well-written, but are also portrayed by capable actors who have face cards that would be the envy of any boy group existing today. Hahahaha. Suffice to say, I watched mainly for the eye candy. Sorry, not sorry!

Unfortunately, it is also a cautionary tale of love and tragedy, and a friendship that turns sour because of diverging paths and differing ideals, so that's where the melodrama comes in. Ye Dingzhi's obsession with exacting revenge on the people who wronged him and his family, and taking back what was once his proved to be his demise. By nurturing his hate and insisting on taking back the woman that was once betrothed to him eventually caused his destruction and tainted his friendship with the one person who truly cared for him. His love for Yi Wenjun started a war that almost destroyed the kingdom and forced him to fight Baili Dongjun whom he treated as his beloved little brother. Yi Wenjun is basically the Helen of Troy of this story, the face that launched a thousand ships, so to speak. Obviously, I despised everything about her. Hahaha. I saw her as a selfish woman who only thought about her desires, using Dingzhi to rescue her from her gilded cage and abandoning even her children when it suited her. The other female characters are either meh who contribute nothing substantial to the story, or are even more hateful than Wenjun. So, I decided to just treat them as baby mommas for my pretty boys. I noticed the writer of the original novel can't write good female characters, which is actually typical for fight shonen manga/anime series where this story was clearly patterned from. But no matter, I was still entertained for the most part although I had to take a break from all the melodrama between Dingzhi and Wenjun.

Baili Dongjun, contrary to what most viewers of this drama think, is actually a great lead character. He starts out as a spoiled, bratty, and privileged youth who know nothing of the world, but becomes a reliable and admirable hero by the end of the series. You get to witness his character growth as the series progresses and that, to me, is good writing. Hou Minghao plays him to perfection. Granted that Minghao is not exactly a great actor, Dongjun fits him like a glove and he makes an effort to improve his acting skills with each new role he takes on, so I give him props for that. He Yu as Ye Dingzhi is equally good. He exudes a boyish charm that suits the character's persona before he turns to a darker path, and he also has enough gravitas to project the sadness and anger that weigh heavily on Dingzhi.

The rest of the cast are great in their respective roles as well. The 8 young masters of Beili are basically the historical wuxia drama version of the Taiwanese F4 but better because they can actually sing and are far more good looking! Hahaha. My favorites among them are the androgynous beauty Liu Yue played by Zhu Zhengting, Jun Yu played by Tong Mengshi from Joy of Life fame, and Lei Wujie's dad, Lei Mengsha, played by Wanyan Luorong from I Am Nobody. He made me laugh the most, he's practically a walking meme. But it was Xia Zhiguang as Sikong Changfeng who really stood out to me. His sense of valor and loyalty to his friends made me love him. Zhiguang is an accomplished athlete and martial artist so among all the cast members, his fight scenes looked the most believable to me. He really did learn how to handle that spear like a true expert. Another actor that got into my radar while watching this show is Xue Ba Yi who plays the White Haired Deity, Qi Xuan. I got a newfound respect for that character and I now understand his motivations after watching Ba Yi portray the younger version in this prequel.

In terms of production quality, this drama doesn't look cheap at all. You can tell they spent most of their budget on the special effects. The fight scenes are CGI-heavy, which I didn't mind personally because it was like watching a live action version of a shonen anime. However, unlike the Blood of Youth, it lacks the wuxia-style fight choreography that made its sequel stand out among other wuxia dramas. But I must admit, I would've appreciated more actual fights. I rather enjoyed the fight sequences in the Blood of Youth.

Dashing Youth also has a weaker and more convoluted writing. The plot progression in the beginning is a bit slow and it focuses too much on the love angles instead of showing some of the more vital parts of the story. To make everything fit into 40 episodes, they had to settle for exposition dumps in the form of narrations instead of actually delving into those scenes. I was disappointed because I was looking forward to getting to know the original four guardians of Tianqi, how they came together, and how they protected Beili. But they barely have screen time in this prequel. The ending also felt rushed to me. And that's why I think they should've managed the pacing better instead of dwelling on the romances that are merely plot devices. The politics are less overt than in The Blood of Youth, which I felt was really the strength of that sequel series. I wish they could've dealt with the political aspects more instead.

The music is way better, though. The opening theme is hands down the best I've heard in any C-drama thus far. I liked the OST of The Blood of Youth, but this prequel series has a more banging soundtrack imho. Although both series are set in the same universe, I liked the cinematography of the sequel better. It has a more magical feel to it for some reason.

But despite its flaws, I still think it's a cool series and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys anime-esque live action dramas that has lots of cool-looking special effects and endearing characters with interesting powers. Though not as strong as its sequel storywise, it is still a great standalone drama.

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Wuxia As It Should Be

The Blood of Youth is what live action anime/manga adaptations should be. Sure, it has its flaws and I have some gripes here and there, but it is still one of the best fantasy series I've seen, full stop. The story revolves around a young disgraced prince who was exiled and had lost his martial arts abilities, and his pursuit of the truth and justice. Along the way, he meets like-minded people and together they become celebrated heroes as they uncover a sinister plot that could very well destroy their world. It might seem tropey and simplistic enough but the political machinations and chess-like games the characters play are reminiscent of dramas like Shogun and even Game of Thrones, making it far more complicated than you think it actually is. The fantasy elements in this drama are what really drew me in from the get-go. The setting, the martial prowess of the characters, their magical weapons, and powerful inner forces reminded me so much of anime series like Gensomaden Saiyuki, Bleach, and even Fushigi Yugi. The swords that have consciousness of their own, especially, made me think of the zanpakutou of the shinigami in Bleach. In fact, one particular sword technique looked very much like Byakuya's Senbonzakura to me. If you're an anime fan like me, you would definitely appreciate this aspect of the drama.

I'm glad that the Chinese have at least given me a truly enjoyable series akin to the shonen anime I so love watching. As I've said, it is not a perfect series objectively speaking. The length of this drama is one of its strengths but also its main weakness. Because it spans 40 episodes, the writers had enough time to build this rich pugilistic world of warriors with incredible powers, and flesh out its multi-layered characters. But it's also because of its length that the narrative seems to have lost its way somewhere in the middle with story arcs becoming convoluted and the previous buildup being ruined, resulting in some pivotal events feeling unearned. Some of the characters are forgotten and some are pushed into the limelight for no logical reason, while some supposedly important characters are introduced only halfway through the series with minimal to zero character development, making them a lot less significant and endearing. And then there's the underdeveloped romance. But as far as the writing is concerned, those are my only real complaints. The rest I can forgive.

One of the highlights of this series is the stunning aesthetics and cinematography. I immediately fell in love with the design of Snowfall Villa, Xiao Se's inn in the middle of a snowy countryside. The cinematography has a surreal and fairy tale-esque look to it that I can't help but want to live in that world. The visual effects could've used a little more polishing but they are more than sufficient for a drama series of this scale. I was actually surprised they were able to make it look that good! The costumes are a tad bit too colorful for my taste at times but I suppose the style suits the world of bold and adventurous youths. The fight choreography is superb! It's not as poetically beautiful as the one in Word of Honor or stylistically cool as Mysterious Lotus Casebook's, but they did remarkably well with the action scenes in this drama. Kudos to the actors who worked their butt off to make the scenes believable and aesthetically pleasing. The music is one of the best parts of this drama. The song Wind by Yu Zhao Yuan is quite possibly the best theme I've heard in a C-drama. But I'm probably biased because it's a pop rock track, which is relatively uncommon in C-dramas and more my cup of tea.

The characters, for the most part, are so well-written that at some point, you start to think of them as your friends and you become attached to them, growing fearful that some of them may not come out of their battles unscathed. That's how endearing they become as the series progresses. But I do have some beefs here and there, and it mostly concerns one female character that I wished wasn't part of this story at all. Ji Xie is a far more interesting character and yet she barely gets any screen time let alone character development. What a waste! I also wished they didn't do some of the characters dirty. Tang Lian and Wuxin are my favorites apart from Lei Wujie so to have them sidelined was gravely disappointing. There's a season 2 so perhaps these characters will get their due respect.

Overall, this is one very well made drama that deserves praise and certainly could use a sequel or sequels in the near future. It is based on a series of novels so they do have a wealth of material to work with. A season 2 is already being planned and it has a prequel series featuring the older generation of heroes like Baili Dong Jun.

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The most anime-esque C-drama ever made!

If I didn't know any better and if the actors do not speak Chinese, I would think that I Am Nobody is a Japanese live action drama adapted from a popular shonen manga. From the get-go, it's quite obvious that it has the DNA of an anime series with its quirky characters, anime-ish plot, over-the-top acting, and all around weirdness. In fact, this should be the standard that anyone looking to create live action adaptations must try to equal or surpass. I really enjoyed this drama. It has an interesting enough plot, characters that you will feel invested in, great comedy, moving emotional beats, awesome visual effects, cool music, and top-notch fight choreography. It has all the elements needed to make a very good drama and it is, it is a gem even among C-dramas I've seen thus far. It doesn't have the usual vibe of a C-drama because as I've said, it feels more like a Japanese creation. True enough, the original comic book from which it was based on was adapted into a Japanese anime called Hitori No Shita, which I plan to check out when I have the time.

The story revolves around people with special powers called Outsiders. Think mutants in X-Men but meaner and more obsessed with gaining powers and immortality, which is a trope in wuxia stories. These clans of powerful beings are all fighting to get their hands on the Eight Supremes, which are the most coveted powers invented by eight geniuses of their kind. Zhang Chulan is right smack in the middle of this conflict as everybody is after the enigmatic powers that his grandfather supposedly bestowed on him.

I initially watched this for Hou Minghao. And I'm happy to find out that he plays the best character in the series. Albeit his Wang Ye is only a supporting character to Peng Yuchang's Zhang Chulan, it is Wang Ye's laidback and lazy genius charm that grabbed my attention from the start. Zhang Chulan has his moments, but he is basically the typical shonen MC very much in the same mold as Naruto, Goku, Yusuke, Recca, and many others. He's a bit of a dumbass, pervy, and downright gross sometimes. Wang Ye, on the other hand, is more like Nara Shikamaru, who is my favorite Naruto character. Feng Bao Bao played by Wang Yinglu is another interesting character in the world of the Outsiders. She's like the Wolverine of this world. Her character's history is one of the highlights of this series. The other characters start out uninteresting but they become endearing as the drama progresses. Again, this is the advantage of having 20-something episodes to flesh out these characters and make them relevant no matter how small their roles are. It also gives the writers time to develop the story and properly adapt the source material. This is something that I wish the Japanese entertainment industry would consider as they have a wealth of material from their manga and light novels to work with. It's just too bad that they do not see the potential soft power they can attain if they consciously make dramas and movies that they can export as well and not just focus on their local market.

I Am Nobody is a highly entertaining series. It doesn't matter whether you're an anime enthusiast or not. But I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys anime. My only complaint is that it's too short! Yes, 27 episodes are not enough! But a season 2 is underway. I heard that it's just going to be 12 episodes so that's a bummer!

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Another Live Action Version That Doesn't Live Up To Expectations

I've read the light novels and seen the anime and they are both quite entertaining. This live action iteration, however, isn't. I have so many beefs with this that I can't begin to explain how disappointed I am. First off, the movie doesn't dwell too much on explaining how this world works, the many prominent clans, and their powers. It just gives you a brief narration about it in the beginning and then that's it. The characters seem to exhibit tattoos whenever they use their powers, which I found distracting and unnecessary. For a fantasy story such as this one, I found these specific choices severely disappointing. If you're not too familiar with this world and story, there might be some things that you'll find confusing and inadequate. Not to mention that it packs so much stuff in just barely 2 hours, making the pacing of the film far too fast for the uninitiated.

Second, the casting, as a whole, is pretty solid. Imada Mio as Saimori Miyo is a good fit. The rest of the cast did what they could with what they were given. Although I wish they had given some of these characters more fleshing out. Koji was reduced to practically just the neighbor who helps Miyo. His love and devotion towards her non-existent. Yuuki did what he could with what little screentime he was given. However, I think the casting for Kudo Kiyoka is off. First of all, he is NOT what I had imagined for Kudo based on the manga and anime's descriptions. He is supposed to be a beautiful man, almost too pretty to be a man, and Ren is not that. Sure, he's attractive, but not the kind of drop dead gorgeous as the anime and manga suggest.

I found Watanabe Keisuke who plays Arata more appealing and engaging. But that's just me. Meguro Ren is simply not my type. I'm sure he is a fine young actor and has displayed some fairly good acting skills in his other works, but in this movie, I find him very much lacking. Kudo may be stoic at times but he shows very obvious facial expressions even in the anime. Ren sticks to portraying the typical tsundere character and rarely shows emotions, even the way he speaks makes him look so uptight and constipated. And I found it weird that he's the only one who wears a silver wig when everyone else has their natural dark hair. They could've gone with his natural hair color, he would've looked better and less jarring in a long dark wig. They could've chosen Okada Masaki instead and his age gap with Mio would've been better considering Kudo is almost ten years older than Miyo. Plus, he's a more seasoned actor who could've better pulled off the nuances in the emotions that Kudo displays imho.

Third, the movie is marketed as a romance and yet I don't see a clear romantic chemistry between the leads. I may be biased as I've never been fond of Ren's casting for Kudo and there's the fact that I am not into romantic stories so maybe the cynic in me just can't see it. Last, the production value of the movie is superb, from the set designs to the costumes. It boasts eye-catching cinematography and dramatic camera angles. The production is definitely the best part of this movie. The costumes, sets, cinematography, and camera work are excellent. But the writing and plot, not so much. Whoever decided to change the subplot about the grotesqueries and the last battle was most likely thinking about the budget constraints. They probably spent too much on the costumes and sets that they ran out of money for the special effects. Instead, they wrote about insects found in the burial grounds infecting humans and turning them into zombies. WTF?! But I suppose they didn't have enough budget to recreate the grotesqueries so they just opted for humans possessed by grotesqueries??? Whatever. I think it cheapens the story.

And another change that I found incredulous was turning Miyo into some kind of Mary Sue who could do anything and save everyone. She doesn't have that kind of power. She might have the potential for it but definitely not powerful enough to pull off that kind of feat with her present abilities. Her powers lie in dreams, she can enter the dreamworld, influence other people's minds and even see glimpses of the past, present, and future. But the powers she exhibits in this movie are too ridiculous to even comprehend. Then there's Arata's powers that aren't fully explained in the movie either. The anime does it well by having him duel Kiyoka and defeating him by creating illusions. In the movie, it's just one expository scene after another. Show don't tell. But I guess the writers don't care for showing things but would rather tell. It saves time and budget, after all. I am so disappointed with how they handled the “gifts” and the grotesqueries. They didn't even get the love story right as I barely see any kind of “romantic” moments with the leads. I can see why this was a hit in Japan, the production alone is appealing and it features two of their promising young stars. But it's vastly inferior to its anime and manga counterparts. I'd probably watch the sequel too just to see if it has improved, but I'm not hopeful.

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A Live Action Remake That Could've Been Better

Let me start by saying that I really enjoyed the anime version of Oshi No Ko. I thought it had an interesting enough concept and I loved that they showed the dark reality of the showbiz industry in Japan. But this live action version is a hot mess. I only watched this out of curiosity because I wanted to know how they'd adapt certain aspects of the story. I haven't read the manga so I don't know how it ends. I heard the ending is divisive to say the least. We'll see.

The story is about the most popular J-pop idol, her life, her achievements, her children and the people she affected, and her tragic death. But it also has bits of magical realism and fantastical elements in it since there's a reincarnation angle. Anyways, I can't really delve further into the plot because I've already spoiled a lot just by giving a brief background. Let's just say that the story is full of twists and turns, intrigues, scheming characters, murders, and disturbing events. In other words, it has a lot going on.

The anime did quite well in juggling all this, but the drama, with just 8 episodes in total, didn't. In fact, it nearly made it unwatchable for me. Like practically every anime live action done in Japan, it tries too hard to be like its animated counterpart and that's why most live action adaptations fail. Having (supposedly) naturally blonde-haired Japanese characters is way too uncanny valley for me. They look so unnatural in their blonde wigs, like dollar-store cosplayers attending an anime convention for kicks. The plot progression is weird and confusing with exposition dumps and mostly narration ruining the flow of the story and making it downright cheesy.

Thankfully, the acting was mostly good. I did like the two female leads and the actresses they chose to play them. The male lead is kinda cute. He reminds me so much of the Chinese actor, Xiao Zhan, so I can't complain. I hate how they infantalize women in this, though. I understand that many of them are teens. But come on! Do Japanese teens actually act and speak with annoying baby voices like grade school kids?! Yes, I know that's how it is in the manga and anime, but you see, this is live action where realism is important to sell your story and make it more relatable to the general audience. Japanese filmmakers/writers, in general, seem to have missed that fact. If only (mostly) fans of the source material, J-drama fans, and domestic viewers can understand and appreciate it, then it's not very well made. This is why Japanese media, for the most part, aren't suited for international consumption. They tend to stick to their own style of filmmaking and storytelling, and focus on creating content solely for their local audience.

I'm also disappointed that they took out certain parts and replaced them with far inferior substitutes. One very good example of this is their decision to not adapt the 2.5D stage play and turn it into a drama instead. I understand that the auditorium where the play was held no longer exists in Japan so they can't film there anymore, but they could've just used a regular stage. Stage play adaptations of manga/anime are massively popular in Japan. The drama could've capitalized on that and even promoted them to overseas fans by showcasing that industry in this drama. That was actually one of my favorite parts of the anime because it gave me a glimpse of how stage productions are done in Japan. Instead, they turned Tokyo Blade into a cheap live action drama and gave the actors uninspired and awful-looking costumes. They even changed the story of Tokyo Blade. Was it because of budget constraints? I don't know. I just can't get behind this change.

The dialogues are copy paste from the source material. But most of them fell flat for me because the scenes just didn't have the same impact as the ones in the anime. The payoff wasn't quite there either. The music I just didn't care for. Save for some of the rock songs used for the opening and ending themes, the music is utterly forgettable. As a matter of fact, I had to skip some of the “music video” type scenes because they felt so out of place imho.

This live action drama could've been brilliant if they had done it justice, made it more grounded and realistic, and had a better script, not to mention a more capable director at the helm. But sadly, it pales in comparison to the anime because it doesn't try to do something uniquely different. I wouldn't have minded slight changes to the plot and characterizations as long as they could make it work. They also crammed way too much stuff in just 8 episodes, making the drama feel rushed and underdeveloped. This is your garden variety live action adaptation that further justifies the idea that some things should not be turned into live action at all.

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The Best Godzilla Movie Since The Original

I saw the theatrical version earlier this year but I waited to see the black and white version to write a film review, so this is technically a review of both versions. Godzilla Minus One is a cinematic achievement, especially since it was made with a meager budget at just under 15 million USD, but it made at least quadruple that worldwide. Many have praised it as the best Godzilla movie since the original 1954 version and I am inclined to agree as I've seen quite a few Godzilla movies that came after both made in Japan and Hollywood, and they simply don't measure up to this movie helmed by Yamazaki Takashi.

This Godzilla goes back to its 1950's roots and is set in a war-torn Japan, centering around a dishonored kamikaze pilot suffering from PTSD. The black and white version really brings you back to that era and I found that it gave everything a more sinister look to it, making it more frightening. The story deals with the horrors of war and how nations at war throw away the lives of their people as if they're trash that needs to be disposed. It also questions the need for people to sacrifice their lives for honor and country, and why honor means you must obey orders even though it is clearly wrong. It throws shade at how the Japanese government mishandled the war and treated its people poorly. It's a story of despair but it's also about hope and starting over. I was specifically moved by how two of the characters in this movie went from hating the central character because he failed to die to save his countrymen, to urging him to live and believing that he deserves a second chance at happiness. This movie doesn't lack heroism either. The valor shown by the Japanese people who just survived a disastrous war as they fight for their futures made me tear up a bit. As the Cap said, he doesn't like doing the dirty work but somebody's got to do it.

It's an almost perfect film from the moving story and well-written and relatable characters, to a beautifully designed and terrifying Godzilla that's just a force of nature. The visual effects could've been better but considering how much money they spent on creating them, they accomplished quite a feat. I especially loved the sequence where they were being chased by Godzilla in the water. That was definitely a nod to Steven Spielberg's Jaws. Sure, there are some suspend your disbelief type of stuff in this movie, but they're forgivable because the movie as a whole is a beautifully orchestrated symphony that can move you to tears, stir up anger in you, strike fear, and make you feel that there is good in humanity still. Amidst the darkness and ugliness of war, there is beauty in life and human connections. The greatest lesson that can be gleaned from this story is that as long as there is life, there is hope.

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A Moving Story Told From The Eyes Of A Cat

I originally wanted to read the book version of The Travelling Cat Chronicles or Tabineko Ripoto, but when I found out Sota Fukushi is playing the lead in this movie adaptation, I thought it might be worth my while. And true enough, it was! The movie is narrated by a cat named Nana and he tells the story of his life with his human, Satoru. It starts out pretty light and funny, so I mistakenly thought it was one of those feel-good stories. Halfway through the movie, I already had an inkling that it's more than that. And boy, I ended up doing my ugly cry! I kept thinking about my dog and how he would feel if he had to sit and wait for me every single day and not see me or even hear my voice anymore. I wonder if he'd look for me. Those who have ever owned pets or loved animals like me have always dreaded the time when we have to say goodbye to our beloved best friends or children, but very few of us have ever thought how devastating it would be for them to not have us around anymore. This movie explores that and it's written from the point of view of the cat, making it all the more touching and emotional. I recommend this movie to all cat lovers or pet owners in general, provided of course that you're in the right mindset.

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A Near Hit But A Miss All The Same

In Blossom is a murder mystery historical fantasy drama in the same vein as Mysterious Lotus Casebook, so it grabbed my attention from the start. As it is a dark fantasy, it features witchcraft and body-swapping, although it doesn't dwell too much on it, much to my disappointment. It focuses rather on the theme of inner beauty and a love that transcends physical appearance. The female lead is a coroner and the male lead is the town's magistrate, and together they solve crime mysteries and bring criminals to justice. It's basically an episodic type of series with an overarching plot just like Mysterious Lotus Casebook. I loved that drama, so I thought this would really hit the spot.

It has spectacular gothic cinematography that I found edgy and enthralling. The sets and costumes do not look cheap, so I assume that this is not a low budget series. I especially love the look of the male leads in their intricately embroidered garments of dark blues and blacks, highlighting their tall and slim figures and making them look regal and statuesque. Great choice of costumes indeed! The soundtrack and musical scores are also pretty impressive, especially the theme used for Zhuo Lanjiang and the Silver Rain Terrace.

Liu Xueyi as Pan Yue is the epitome of a romantic hero, devastatingly handsome, loyal, honest, kind, valiant, and wise. Xueyi is one of the most versatile Chinese actors I've seen thus far, transitioning from protagonist to antagonist and vice versa with ease. Pan Yue is definitely his best role yet as he was able to showcase his dramatic abilities as well as his physicality in the fight scenes.

The second male lead played by Li Ge Yang is also impressive. I never thought that this idol could possess some serious acting chops. I greatly enjoyed his interactions with Xueyi that I started to ship them. His character's relationship with the second female lead also helped draw me in because it started out as an unrequited love and I'm such a sucker for that. I watched the drama for Xueyi, but stayed for him. This kid will go places if he continues to get good roles that will allow him to show his skills.

Unfortunately, this is not a perfect drama and I do have some gripes. First off, the casting of the female lead was definitely not inspired. Ju Jingyi is quite possibly the worst Chinese actress I've seen. I first saw her in The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion and the girl has the acting range of a potato. I thought that her then co-star, Zhang Zhehan, completely overshadowed her in dramatic scenes and Zhehan is not even on the same level as Liu Xueyi in terms of acting skills. So her being paired with Xueyi in this drama is an absolute travesty. She looks stiff as a board next to Xueyi in their intense and dramatic scenes. The disparity between their acting skills is glaringly obvious. Then her long spider-like eyelashes, glittery eyeshadow, and glossy lipstick just take me out of the drama. Girl, those things didn't exist in ancient China!

Another major beef I have with this drama is the pacing and editing. The first part is pretty solid imho, but with 10 episodes left, it lost me. They could've ended this drama with just 25 episodes. I am convinced that C-dramas have difficulty sticking the landing. Most C-dramas I've seen have questionable endings. This is probably because they always want to have an open ending for the possibility of a season 2. But it kinda sucks when you watched 50 episodes only to find out that the series ends with no resolution. I think this is the C-drama curse that they just can't seem to shake. As far as I can remember, I've only seen a couple of C-dramas that gave me satisfactory endings.

The fight choreography in this is only passable. But I suppose it's understandable considering it is not a wuxia drama unlike Mysterious Lotus Casebook and Word of Honor. But I do wish they invested more in the action scenes because Li Ge Yang and Liu Xueyi can definitely pass for martial artists. This was a wasted opportunity imho.

Overall, In Blossom is an entertaining drama full of suspense and intrigue. But it lost its steam right at the end and the less than desirable acting of its female lead left a sour taste in my mouth. This could've been so much better had they opted for a different actress and shortened the series. I would rate this a generous 6.5 out of 10.

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The Dragon Boy and His Mortal Beloved

For a xianxia idol drama, Back From The Brink is pretty good. In fact, I was happily surprised by how good it is. I actually expected it to crash and burn so badly I would have difficulty finishing it. Well, it did crash and burn right at the end, but it was good for the most part, in my opinion, so I'm not too disappointed. After all, I didn't expect much from this as it is an idol drama and I just wanted a light and fluffy romance to cleanse my palate. Little did I know that I would like it so much and even shed a tear or two because of the emotional beats and well-acted scenes.

The story revolves around a powerful dragon spirit named Tianyao who was isolated in his kingdom for a thousand years, so he was oblivious to the struggles of his fellow spirits. In this fantasy world, spirits and humans are mortal enemies and lowly spirits are hunted and enslaved by the powerful Taoist cultivators. Think wizards and witches enslaving demons to become their familiars and do their bidding by using magical spells and traps. Tianyao falls in love with a human woman named Suying, who covets his dragon scales as they can grant immortality. She eventually betrays him and renders him disabled and almost at the brink of death. In his desperation, he manages to take his heart scale containing his inner core and throw it into space to prevent the woman from completely stealing his powers. His heart scale falls into the hands of a young child born with a heart defect and it miraculously heals her, allowing her to grow up into a healthy young woman named Yanhui. She grows up to become a cultivator herself, but one who doesn't understand the hostility between humans and spirits, so she is deemed a traitor by her own kind. Without his dragon powers, Tianyao is forced to take his human form and live without his powers as a mortal. He crosses paths with Yanhui and enlists her help in finding his missing dragon parts that were scattered all over the mortal world by Suying. This is how their journey starts and as the story progresses, more secrets are revealed, and I did enjoy some of the plot twists. I was attracted to the plot because it initially reminded me of the love story between Haku and Chihiro in Spirited Away. There's something about a dragon boy falling for a human girl that just gets me.

The production value of this drama is nothing to write home about, it is after all a low-budget series with clunky CGI, passable cinematography, and cheap-looking sets. But I didn't mind because it suited the vibe of the drama for some reason. The CGI used for the fight scenes are not too bad, though. I rather liked the dragon fire special effects. But the music is awesome! The opening theme has an Evanescence sound to it and the ending theme by Liu Yuning is perfection! I also liked Hou Minghao's contribution to the soundtrack.

The writing, though, could've been better. It has great world-building and the social commentary about racism and discrimination is a good addition. There are also very moving moments in the drama that can make you tear up and some beautiful life lessons worth pondering on. But the positives end there, I'm afraid. The drama starts strong but falls off somewhat in the middle and then completely goes off the rails at the end. For the life of me, I don't understand why they had to end it like that. But I have to give the writers props for tying up some loose ends. Just when I thought something is an obvious plot hole, they come up with something that kinda explains things and makes it logical... sort of. Not to say that there are no plot holes at all because there are plenty and I still had to suspend my disbelief several times. It's just a shame because this drama had the potential to be soooo much better.

As for the acting, I really loved Zhou Ye in this. She is one of the few Chinese actresses that I find undeniably pretty and not annoying (thank god!). Although I think she still has a long way to go in terms of acting skills, I believe she did well as Yanhui and I rooted for her all the way! She has great comedic timing, too. I love her with Hou Minghao! I swear, they are a match made in heaven! The moment I saw them together, I felt their palpable chemistry. I don't think I will be able to see them paired with other people without complaining that they just don't fit right with anyone else. At first, I didn't think much about Minghao's acting but he eventually proved that he has some acting chops hidden somewhere just waiting to be uncovered. Then there's the fact that he is quite dashing. He and Zhou Ye make a gorgeous couple. I just loved seeing them onscreen. The rest of the cast are very good as well, no complaints here. The villains are so good that I wanted to kill Suying and her vile sister. Suying could've been made a sympathetic villain instead of a complete lunatic, though. When the truth is finally revealed, I actually felt some sort of pity for her. But she could've been written and portrayed in a way that would've made her more relatable. So again, this is a problem with the writing.

But as a whole, this was a good watch. I had fun watching this and I fell in love with Tianyao and Yanhui. I loved immersing myself in this world and I felt sad leaving it. I just wish they had tapped into its full potential because the story is solid, the characters are layered and interesting, and the world that the original author created is rich with lore. But just the same, I will miss my dragon boy and his mortal beloved.

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A Beautiful Mess

I'm not gonna lie, writing this review wasn't easy. I had to carefully organize my thoughts because I didn't know where to start. Fangs of Fortune is one of those dramas that either made me gasp because of how beautifully made it is or drove me nuts because of the all-over-the-place plot and contrived writing. It's highly divisive precisely because of that. It's either the fantastical world and its characters endear themselves to you or you hate everything about it with a vengeance. I am right smack in the middle, though. I can't hate it but I can't say I loved it either. I feel that if they had stuck with their bromance plot from the get-go and not added in romance, it would've been better. Or if they had changed it completely and just turned it into a romance drama, reducing the second male lead's importance in the plot by writing out the Ying Long and Bingyi subplot, this could've been better too. One thing is for sure, this drama will forever be engraved in my mind as one of the most stunningly filmed work that made giggle like a schoolgirl and obsess over the characters for days on end.

The story centers around a 34,000-year-old great demon named Zhu Yan (or Zhao Yuanzhou) and how his fate changes those of people closest to him. Like most xianxia and xuanhuan dramas, it's set in a world where demons and humans exist and racism is rampant. The demons are seen as inherently evil, while humans are supposed to be the so-called good guys. But nothing in this world is purely black and white and so both races are portrayed to be capable of doing both good and evil. The struggles and conflicts stem from such xenophobic thinking from both sides.

Zhu Yan was born as a vessel of malicious energy, meaning he absorbs all the excess malice that exists in the world to keep things balanced. But his gentle and kind nature makes him resent this. Even more so when he finds himself falling in love with humanity and the mortal world. This very fascination for mortals draws a wedge between him and his best friend, Li Lun, who has no love for mankind. Their falling out leads to a lot of strife and suffering for those around them.

The story itself is nothing new. As I've said, this has been done countless times before. But what makes this drama compelling for me was how particular dialogues were written and scenes were executed whenever the subject was about discrimination and racism. Oddly enough, my favorite parts of this drama is when characters sit down and just have meaningful conversations about life and such. And I'm such a sucker for the found-family trope that it really resonated with me. It blew my mind how provocative some of the dialogues are and how much depth the drama has when many of the scenes felt like they were hastily and lazily written and things were getting retconned left and right. Writing isn't this drama's strong suit, but there are some gems here and there. And I noticed that the ones that are written and executed well are those that involve the two male leads, Zhu Yan and Zhuo Yichen, and the anti-hero, Li Lun. Most of the major plot ploints involve the three of them. They even end up fighting in the final boss fight together. What does that tell you? If this were a true romantic story, it would've been the main couple fighting together.

Unfortunately, this was marketed as a romance with a female lead that is criminally underdeveloped and a subplot centering around her that is as mindboggling as her addition to this story. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike Wen Xiao or the actress who portrays her. My issue is with her seemingly lack of value to the story unlike the other main characters. First of all, the concept behind the Baize goddess is already iffy to me. Why is there a need for a mortal woman to be given the powers of a goddess to regulate demons and monitor their comings and goings to the mortal world when the goddess herself could've done that? Being human herself, there is a possibility of racial discrimination with her favoring the mortals over demons even when it's the mortals that are at fault. The real goddess would've been a more just judge and a more powerful one to boot, someone who can actually deal with demons and not fall ill from a plague or die pointlessly after being accidentally hit by a sharp object. The function and powers of this mortal goddess are not clearly defined, and if I'm honest, I would say that they keep retconning things to fit the narrative they want to tell. How the next generation of Baize goddesses are chosen is unclear as well. Why was Wen Xiao chosen anyway? Yes, she has compassion for both demons and mortals, but then I'm pretty sure she's not the only one who feels that way, so why her?

And apart from her, all the major characters in this story, especially among the 6 members of the Demon Hunting Team, only her story doesn't quite connect with Zhu Yan's. Zhu Yan's fate directly or indirectly affects the fates of Zhuo Yichen, Pei Sijing, Bai Ju, and even Ying Lei. All of them reach this point in their lives because of Zhu Yan. Zhuo Yichen was only the second son and was not even meant to inherit the Cloud Light Sword but because Zhu Yan slaughters his family, he becomes the lord of the Bingyi clan and the most powerful wielder of that sword for generations. Pei Sijing loses her brother because of Zhu Yan's feud with Li Lun. Bai Ju loses his mother and vows to become an accomplished doctor because Zhu Yan causes a rift in the balance between the mortal world and the Wilderness. Ying Lei is afforded the chance to pursue his dreams of becoming a chef in the mortal world because his grandfather (and Zhu Yan's mentor) feels that it's important to give his grandson the choice that Zhu Yan never had. Even Li Lun becoming a full-blown villain and wreaking havoc is caused by his misunderstanding with Zhu Yan. Wen Xiao, on the other hand, is chosen to be the next goddess for reasons I still don't quite understand. Her fate is more tied with this drama's big bad. The quest to finding the Baize token, it being broken, her fixing it, and it poisoning her are nothing more than plot devices. You take those out and you would still be left with a solid plot that could've been better if they had focused more on Zhu Yan and his relationships.

I've said this before, this is a BL/bromance drama in disguise. This was never meant to be a romance. But for fear of the project getting shelved because of China's proverbial censorship axe, they felt the need to write in a female lead and pretend that there's actual romance. I don't mind slowburn romances, but when the drama ends without even a single kiss between the couple with their sweet moments few and far and between, that's not romance, at least not in terms of C-drama standards. The fans of the main CP can delude themselves all they want, but I firmly believe that Wen Xiao was not supposed to be part of this story at first and the romance is an add-on, like an extra side dish for good measure. Hence, the major events in this drama involve the male leads, and the last story arc and most important part of the series is all about them and their bond. Yes, it's unfair and I blame the writers for this. But let's be honest, there's no way in hell that this drama would've seen the light of day if they hadn't included a hetero romance side story with all the obvious BL elements they added into this. If you're familiar with BL/danmei, you'll see the tropes and signs. If not, then you'll probably just dismiss them as healthy male friendship. I'm pretty sure they cut some scenes down to minimize the “bromance” because I saw some behind-the-scenes photos of the male cast acting out scenes that aren't included in the finished product. If they had just done a purely romance drama, they wouldn't have this problem either. But they can't seem to decide which direction to pursue and so what we got is a beautiful mess of a drama that had the potential to be truly amazing and unforgettable.

Nothing beats this drama in terms of visuals, though. From the first episode, I was absolutely taken by how the sets, costumes, and cinematography looked. The opening fight sequence was so stylistically done that it made me want to watch more. Guo Jingming may be a lot of things, probably a real piece of work in real life, but damn, he knows how to make a stunningly crafted scene from the meticulously curated backdrop to every movement of the actors. I have never seen such a visual feast in a C-drama quite like this! I appreciate how this drama tries to be different and I seriously want to see more dramas like this. Sadly, I don't think this style of filming appeals much to Chinese viewers. I think it would've been better received by international audiences.

The cast, for lack of a better word, is great. I have no complaints about the actors. They did what they could with the material that they were given, and some even went over and beyond. I never expected to become so attached to this ragtag crew of demon hunters, but I did. I sorely miss them, especially the comedic moments in the earlier episodes.

Music-wise, this drama boasts of some of the most memorable songs in a C-drama to date, at least for me. I find the choice of songs very refreshing. I don't hear this kind of music in many C-dramas. My only complaint is the music plays a little too loudly during dialogue-heavy scenes. Whoever edited the sound must've been deaf. Like dude, we can't hear them talk! Turn it down a notch, will you?! It must've driven Mandarin-speakers crazy.

The overall production value of this drama is top notch. I think they used a led screen for the backgrounds which actually looks better on screen and most likely helped a lot with the acting too. The visual effects are some of the best I've seen in a C-drama. The costumes and makeup are so on point as well. None of it looks cheap. If I didn't know better, I'd say this was an S+ level drama.

As a whole, this is an entertaining drama that wowed me with its stunning visuals, elicited emotions I never thought I'd feel watching an idol drama such as this, and left me wondering why I became so emotionally attached to characters that don't exist despite the flaws in the writing. That's why I'm giving it an 8 and that's a generous rating coming from me.

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The Superhero Series We Deserve

Moving is the K-drama and slightly better version of Heroes in terms of writing and characterization. In fact, it is the superhero series we deserve and one that Marvel and DC wish they had concocted themselves. It's one of the best written K-dramas ever made, that's for sure! It boasts of a riveting plot, relatable characters, and visceral action scenes that are downright brutal and reminiscent of Oldboy.

It centers around two generations of people born with superhuman abilities. The plot thickens when agents from opposing organizations start hunting down the previous generation of these “gifted” humans and eliminating them one by one. As the story progresses, the secrets and political conspiracies and machinations of those in charge are uncovered, revealing a plot so sinister that goes all the way to the top.

What I like most about this drama is how the characters were written. None of them are insignificant to the plot, each of them play a part in the story and they're all given their day in the sun no matter how small their roles are. Even the villains are humanized, making them more sympathetic and relatable. Come to think of it, there are no real bad guys in this drama. Each of them are given clear motivations so although you may disagree with their choices, you learn to understand them when you put yourselves in their shoes. And of course, the fact that actors were superbly cast to play these characters contributes to their overall appeal.

The production quality of this series is something that I wish to see in all K-dramas. The production team didn't build a “fantastical” world filled with designer-brand-obsessed people, annoying and laughable product placements, and meticulously curated fancy sets that defy logic and realism to create the illusion of luxury and wealth even when the characters are supposed to be poor. This K-drama formula has always bothered me and turned me off, so whenever I find dramas such as this, I thank my lucky stars because they are few and far between. The world of Moving has none of those, it is gritty and grounded despite the fact that the drama is a fantasy. It shows you the good, the bad, and the ugly side of humanity and the imperfect world they live in.

As I've said, all the characters are great. None of them are wasted. None are mere fodder. But I just have to mention Lee Mihyun, Kim Bongseok's mother. She is the epitome of a great female character. She's badass and highly intelligent and she makes smart use of her powers. But she's also undeniably flawed and vulnerable. She's no Mary Sue. She gets hurt, she miscalculates, she makes the wrong decisions. She's a loving and concerned mother who would die for her son and she's also a wife who's longing for her husband. She's proof that you can write a tough and uncompromising female character without giving her masculine qualities and taking away her femininity. Pay attention, Hollywood! This is how you write a true girl boss!

I seriously can't heap enough praises on this series. I would've given it a perfect 10 if I didn't feel like some parts dragged a bit and wish that they could've written certain episodes differently. Also, I found some of the powers kinda dull and repetitive. But that's just me. That is totally subjective so take it with a grain of salt. If you still haven't seen this drama, go watch it now. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well-written story. If you're a fan of the superhero genre, this is a must-watch.

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A Lovely Remake

You Are The Apple of My Eye is a Japanese remake of a Taiwanese movie and it is a wonderful coming of age/slice of life type of story of high school life, close-knit group of friends, and first loves. Yamada Yuki plays Kosuke, the martial arts enthusiast who finds studying and going to school mundane and useless, until he meets and falls in love with model student Mana, played by Saito Asuka. Their relationship is complex as they are the exact opposites of each other and so their romance has always been rocky from the start. This line hit me hard, though. “Thank you for falling in love with me.” How many times have I heard that in my lifetime?! Too many! Hahahahaha.... Our teen years really are the best days of our lives but the growing pains, heartaches, and lost chances also suck big time! I love Kosuke's interaction with his friends the most. The four of them are probably the best characters in the whole film. I'm glad I decided to watch this despite my initial misgivings. I might watch the Taiwanese version next.

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Another Live Action Iteration I Shouldn't Have Watched

I finally managed to finish Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar after trying several times. Unfortunately, my initial assumptions were right, this is a dumpster fire of a movie that should never have been created. It is an insult to Arakawa Hiromu's manga and a slap in the face to FMA fans everywhere. The first one was already a tragic anomaly much like the disturbing chimera that was Nina Tucker and her dog, but this is not even a successfully created homunculus, it's nothing more than a distorted version of the author's original version.

Most of the cast members are capable actors in their own right, but they do not fit their respective roles, not even in the slightest. Yamada Ryosuke is so ill-fitting for the role of Edward Elric that I rolled my eyes every time he tried to do Ed's “angry chibi” mode. Just because he's short like Ed doesn't make him suitable for the part. Mackenyu as Scar is tolerable but still ridiculous. Mackenyu sporting a “brown” face was too much for me to bear. He just did what he could with what he was given, though. Fujioka Dean may be handsome but he is NOT Roy Mustang, faaaaaaaarrr from it! He practically does nothing except look cool and that is not the character I know from the manga and anime. Honda Tsubasa is painful to watch as Winry Rockbell. Whoever thought this girl can act must be high on drugs. I've seen her in quite a few projects already and she has the acting skills of a potato. Watanabe Keisuke as Ling was alright, probably the best casting decision they made for this movie because Ling is supposed to have Asian features and one of the few characters in the story who should be played by an Asian. The rest of the cast are even more 2D than their 2D counterparts, the anime characters have more depth imho.

The action scenes are laughable, so many cuts in the scenes that you hardly see the movements at all. Don't even get me started on the special effects. *groan* I promised myself to try and enjoy these live action movies but I simply can't. The plot is all over the place. Characters appear out of nowhere and they have their own agenda but their subplots don't add up and come together at the end. I'm convinced the writers smoked weed when they wrote this shit and it was the bad kind of weed, too.

Sorry, but this is a prime example of what NOT to do when making a live action version of a popular anime. I'm not one of those people who thinks anime should never be made into live action as I've enjoyed some live action iterations in the past. But this is not it. It's not because of the goofiness of the anime, it's the horrible writing, execution, casting, and acting. And most of all, it should remain largely faithful to the source material despite some of the changes that need to be made for this medium. However, most of these live actions are just money grabs and are done by people who have no love for the original material. These movies should be burned and forgotten, or better yet, exiled beyond the Gate to be tormented for eternity.

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A Waste of a Good Concept and a Great Cast of Actors

I had such high expectations for this drama and had hoped that it would be better than Liu Xueyi's previous project, In Blossom. But sadly, it's subjectively much worse. Even though he is paired with a more capable leading lady in this and has better chemistry with her, the writing just isn't up to snuff. The drama crashes and burns pretty much from the get-go. The first few episodes are kinda interesting. A romance between a domineering and borderline psychotic leading man and a badass female lead determined to end him is something I haven't quite seen in a C-drama before. Alas, the drama only plays with the concept but never fully realizes it as if afraid to explore a truly toxic romance.

The story is a jumbled mess. I didn't know how to make of it and I got the feeling the writers didn't know what they wanted it to be either. It's like a patchwork of different subplots that don't seamlessly fit together. The transitions from one story arc to another are badly executed and the writing is filled with overused and melodramatic tropes that I wish would disappear from dramas altogether. The drama also runs a little too long. It should've ended by the 25th episode. But instead, they let it drag on even though there's practically nothing else to tell. I blame the writing for this, they should've gotten better writers to adapt the novel. The cast, in general, did what they could with the material given to them. Although I wish they had chosen other actors to play certain roles, I was satisfied with the cast for the most part. It's a shame because they could've made something far more engaging with this plot. The only thing that made this drama watchable for me is Liu Xueyi's acting that is always on point.

The production is pretty decent. Kudos to the costume and makeup department for the styling of the actors. The music is alright. The soundtrack and musical score don't really stand out to me but serviceable. But that's about it. I don't know what else to say about this drama. I had it to put it on hold after I finished watching the 23rd episode because I completely lost interest. It dragged so heavily by the last few episodes that completing it was agonizing. This is simply not my cup of tea. They wasted a good concept and a great cast of actors.

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Of Modern-Day Ninjas and Their Possible Existence

I finally finished House of Ninjas after a lot of cursing and chants of "Kill Kill Kill". As a whole, it is a great series that showcases the shadowy world of the enigmatic shinobi, revolving around the fictional descendants of Hattori Hanzo, the famed shinobi who was a loyal retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu. The series captured my attention because there have been very few movies or shows that elaborately depict modern-day ninjas and do it in a more believable or conceivable fashion. I give credit to the writers of the show for creating such a rich world of ninjas filled with colorful and relatable characters (except one). Kaku Kento is an absolute badass as Haru, the skilled but reluctant shinobi who refuses to kill and rebels at the idea of complete subjugation from the government that employs them. Kora Kengo is equally brilliant as his conflicted older brother. And of course, there's their beastly dad played by Eguchi Yosuke who is known for playing Saito Hajime in the Rurouni Kenshin movies and Ichigo's dad, Kurosaki Isshin, in the Bleach live action. But I think my favorite is definitely the grandma even though I found Riku adorable. In fact, I loved most of the characters, including the villains like Yamada Takayuki, because they are so good in this. I loved everyone except Ito Karen (I don't want to search for the actress' name) whose damsel-in-distress and nosy reporter character just bugged me from the get-go. My god, I have never wanted a character to die so bad! 🤣 All she ever does is get herself into trouble and have Haru rescue her. Her pursuit of the truth gets her in deep shit and all because she wants to know everything. Not everything that is kept in the shadows should be brought to light. There's a reason why it is being kept secret and most of the time it's because it will only cause more harm than good to reveal it. She is basically like a cat whose curiosity almost gets her killed. She is such a waste of space. I am hoping they will leave her out in the succeeding seasons and introduce a different love interest for Haru. As for the fight scenes, they are well choreographed and executed, especially the boss fight between the brothers. That was so cool! Kudos to the stunt team and action choreographers for crafting some of the coolest ninja action I've seen in years. Looking forward to the next season, but please, no more Karens.

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