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Crouching Lianhua, Hidden Xiangyi
Who are you ... and who do you want to be? The question of identity is the driving force behind the motivations of the characters and the story. It's also the key attribute that made this show a very enjoyable watch. Mysterious Lotus Casebook (MLC) stuck to a clear identity. It's a bromantic (no BL) adventure seasoned with humor, intrigue, and heartfelt moments. While this may not sound like such a revolutionary concept, MLC deserves praise as much for delivering on that setup as for what it didn't do‒sabotaging the story with aneurism-inducing fillers and hackneyed tropes.
**Ex-Sective Summary** (for the Sect Leaders busy plotting Jianghu conspiracies or watering veggie garden):
--Why you should watch:
1) interesting, likeable, and consistent main characters with decent casting and acting;
2) Intriguing story, flowing pace, polished production, and steady tenor/mood;
3) solid bro-mistry and no hos to come before/between them. Seriously, if you are grossed out by all the gratuitous romance derailing otherwise reasonable plots, this shows steers clear of it.
4) But even if you are a romance-junkie, you will still love it, as demonstrated by the numerous testimonials in comments and reviews ... and because you're a Bossbabe that needs no romance.
5) Steady diet of wuxia action not sullied by horrendous CGI or amateurish choreography.
--Why you shouldn't watch:
1) You are a romance-zombie that must MUST feed on the brains of hetero lovers. Or innocent bromance just doesn't quite scratch your BL fujioshi itch.
2) You love procedurals and actually want to watch for the case-solving. They are not the core of this show, but mostly just serve as plot device.
3) You want NiF level strategy/plot, Joy of Life level (for native speaker) humor, or classic Wuxia style fighting. Sorry MLC will likely fall short.
All in all, this is fun, easy watch that most audiences of this site will enjoy, even if this isn't your typical genre.
PS: I may return later for a deeper dive into why this drama is more Li Lianhua than Li Xiangyi. And if you think my scoring is too low, just add +2 to please your soul.
**Ex-Sective Summary** (for the Sect Leaders busy plotting Jianghu conspiracies or watering veggie garden):
--Why you should watch:
1) interesting, likeable, and consistent main characters with decent casting and acting;
2) Intriguing story, flowing pace, polished production, and steady tenor/mood;
3) solid bro-mistry and no hos to come before/between them. Seriously, if you are grossed out by all the gratuitous romance derailing otherwise reasonable plots, this shows steers clear of it.
4) But even if you are a romance-junkie, you will still love it, as demonstrated by the numerous testimonials in comments and reviews ... and because you're a Bossbabe that needs no romance.
5) Steady diet of wuxia action not sullied by horrendous CGI or amateurish choreography.
--Why you shouldn't watch:
1) You are a romance-zombie that must MUST feed on the brains of hetero lovers. Or innocent bromance just doesn't quite scratch your BL fujioshi itch.
2) You love procedurals and actually want to watch for the case-solving. They are not the core of this show, but mostly just serve as plot device.
3) You want NiF level strategy/plot, Joy of Life level (for native speaker) humor, or classic Wuxia style fighting. Sorry MLC will likely fall short.
All in all, this is fun, easy watch that most audiences of this site will enjoy, even if this isn't your typical genre.
PS: I may return later for a deeper dive into why this drama is more Li Lianhua than Li Xiangyi. And if you think my scoring is too low, just add +2 to please your soul.
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