Primarily Focused on FL's Storyline

This "2 part" drama, I'm going to review separately on here because I feel part 1 is different from part 2. Watching it solely for Wu Lei as he's one of the people I follow. I love him in these commander roles plus the man can have chemistry with a pet rock at only 22 years old. I never read the source material so I'm sure many of the novel readers will disagree with me and that's ok.

Pros: LBY played by WL never disappointed when he hit the screen for the very short amount of time he was in this part. Not only was he lethal and ruthless but he also knew who he wanted from nearly the first episode and was just bidding his time for the sake of the familial politics working around him. He however was also not without flaws and that showed a lot at the end of part 1. CSS/NN played by ZLS was always on her game though also a flawed character. I really appreciated how smart she was without the need of traditional learning. With so many odds against her, she still not only managed to survive but make something of herself.

Other favorite characters included NN's brothers, third uncle and aunt, LBY's guards, Yang Yang, QiQi, emperor and empress. All were very helpful and caring where most of NN's family fell short. Ah Yao was alright but just a sweet kid and I'm glad he was maneuvered accordingly out of her life. Music, costumes, scenery, and that part of production was quite beautiful and I enjoyed that very much. Also the comedic elements helped move many of the slower scenes along.

Cons: This part of the story was slow; like snail paced slow to the point where it was very draggy. I ffw a lot of NN's family drama in the beginning episodes because it was legit yawnsville. I get that they were trying to show how hard she had it and all but it was just too much. The only bright spots were when LBY came into the picture or she traveled to Hua County. Otherwise, it was all very similar and lackluster.

Really poor characters were all the Princesses especially princess seaweed who's whining just made me want to stuff said seaweed down her throat. All they did was bully NN and with the same old tired crap, like ladies can y'all sing a different tune? You're all boring. Mommy dearest took the cake and the award for worst mother of the year and I couldn't deal with her; dear lord what a horrible woman. I'd say she was the main antagonist of part one. Dad was ok but essentially had no spine. YS aka pompous ass didn't need any scenes. He is a contender for NN's heart but each of his scenes were just of him being an asshat to the woman he liked.

Just a lot of unnecessary tropes and cliches, in this first one. I know all of the meat and potatoes will be in the second one but I do wish that the first part had an even backstory on the ML not just a rinse and repeat of FL's crappy home life dynamic, it would have helped a lot with what's coming and made the first portion more even keeled.

Would I recommend it? It's beautiful and if you're a fan of any of the leads or support and are ok with a really slow start, then sure, I would. Because I'm looking forward to part 2 and what it has to deliver.

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Chinese Justice League for the WIN!

I don't remember why I had originally put this in my watchlist probably because the concept seemed interesting and I've seen a good chunk of the cast previously in other dramas. The fantasy element was always fascinating and so it was the Chinese Justice League for the serious WIN!

Pros: Favorite character was definitely the demon grand marshal NTEX. I had only seen the actor in one modern before and I was blown out of the water by his performance here; he's improved by leaps and bounds and is totally suitable for costume dramas. He literally delivered every ounce of his character until his dying breath and then in spirit. Not a perfect character; made a big mistake, had flaws but absolutely won the hearts of everyone. WG was in close second as it was his storyline of becoming essentially the mortal God of War but through trials and tribulations and even death but returned to triumph at the end. For him it was from power to slave to slowly developing into a very formidable force of freedom. Everyone he met along the way, became his friends and allies. He grew his anti-immortal army slowly but once they joined hands, they were awesome. WG and NTEX's friendship/brotherhood was my absolute favorite. Them two shared a brain cell when it came to strategies; that was so cool!

Other favorite characters were Ah Lan, Uncle Ziyu, grandpa, SX, Bei'er (though her appearance was very short, it was meaningful), precious dragonfly and even ZQ plus the last real Sage who took over governing that realm afterwards, SX managed to flip him to the good side lol (their funniest portion was as they were both just hanging in that space above everything until the undying bird left SX's body to join WG and took them two riding its tail; made me laugh as I thought they were both dead but nah they were just chilling in the immortal lounge lol). All the leaders of their respective clans were great. As for villains, hands down favorite was GM aka Hannibal Lecter. Dude was the comic relief for the show; the actor nailed his character so much, the other actors would try to make impressions of him during their BTS and he would do like standup comedy for them in character. He was a trip and I personally wished he stuck around longer than say the cackle queen, I'll speak about her below. It was my first time seeing Jeremy as an antagonist and he delivered though he was only around in a few episodes. I think that could be a great niche for him if he ever returns to acting (which given the recent interview he did, isn't out of the realm of possibility, though he wants to also try directing after spending time with his family). His character HL was a tunnel visioned obsessed with love King of the Immortals who finally got his comeuppance via WG.

The battles were pretty great for the most part. The Justice League was very cool while the band of thugs were extremely cocky for their own good. Which most of the time was their undoing. The rock music during the big bad fights was the best and all costumes, sets, and even CGI I won't complain about because it was good. That last fight when WG merged with NTEX's spirit as well as that of the demons and the undying bird to finally kill HL was the best part of the entire series.

Cons: Unfortunately, though the FL (BC) started out as a strong and independent woman, she soon devolved into a whining mess whimpering "A Gou" so many times per episode it started to hurt my head. Like there were times she just needed to zip it. It seemed that was her only line for a long time. There was no chemistry between her and WG no matter how much they wanted to force it upon us. They were fantastic as brother and sister though; that's what they should have kept it as. I hoped that her possession would invigorate her character but in that one she was very robotic and when she was returned she was still a blubbering mess. Like where was the awesome, resourceful woman we met? We wanted her back! The writing was off there.

That ending was so jacked up; ok lackluster wedding whatever but then BC just up and dies in the middle in front of everyone? What even? Why? You knew she went through a lot during the final battle especially being used to build that iced transformer (that part of the battle made me roll my eyes and laugh. The cyclops and his friend vs HL in giant iced transformers was very ridiculous and thankfully short lived. Seemed like an episode filler not something important) obviously used up her life span. So why not tell WG about it sooner? Nah, it's better to tell him just before you dissipate on your wedding day in front of everyone. Just seemed heartless and out of character for her. So that entire end portion of the episode was beyond unnecessary. There were other ways for WG to walk around to the different clans and say goodbye or check up on them. They could have done it together and it would have made so much more sense as they just wanted to live in peace. And that snowman cabin last 1.5 minutes scene where the door automatically opens but there's no one there though he smiles? The open ending was a crock of BS, at least show her face smiling back at him. Was that so hard? It ended in Xianxia style though this was not that genre at all.

The cackle queen, lord help me. The actress plays a great antagonist don't get me wrong, but that voice and that cackle was horrifying. It made her sound like a Halloween store plastic wicked witch. Anytime an antagonist cackles, it completely takes away from their evilness. They need to stop writing that into series. The best villains are those like HL who can look through you and you'd get a chill up your spine. Her death was anticlimactic as I wish WG had finished it instead of HL otherwise it looked like she had a self-redemption thought process before she finally croaked.

A bit too much talking; I agree with several people. The battles needed to continue not pause for a boatload of speechifying. It would take away from the fierceness of the fight or battle. Same went for several deaths, we didn't need long speeches right beforehand from some. Also it reminded me of Snow Eagle Lord and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers when they chucked the moves on screen with giant letters; extremely unnecessary. The characters were yelling them out as is.

Would I recommend it? Despite the many cons and the unsatisfactory ending, it was still a good watch. Besides these thoughts are mine, you may feel it was great. So decide for yourselves.

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Great Adventure, Chemistry, both Roosters were the MVPs!

What first drew me to the drama was its tomb-raidery vibe and MZY. I knew two other actors from previous series, granted it had been nearly 4 years since seeing Jin Han in my first ever cdrama, so it was good to have him on screen again. This had great adventure, awesome chemistry between the leads (normal, adult kissing! Rare find in a cdrama nowadays), and those roosters were the real MVPs!

Pros: This will probably be the first drama ever where the livestock comes in line one of the pros if anywhere at all; but those roosters were great for both comedic purposes as well as being ridiculously smart and helpful. Loved how the first several episodes were built around creating the characters and building their world. The chemistry between the two leads was from the moment they met and it felt real as you'd expect between two adults regardless if this had supernatural or other elements. Their conversation in the closet about cooking one of the roosters when it spied on them and then ran was hysterical.

Ni Ni is absolutely gorgeous and you obviously have to get over that but it quickly becomes apparent that she's also one hell of an actress. BY is also quite good as the traumatized yet exceptionally intelligent desert guide. When they combine, this power couple of brains and brawn in reverse, they can outsmart just about everyone. Their 3 sidekicks who go with them into the desert and then later the two that they meet in the pass all do their part and are quite convincing; my least favorite was Fei Tang in the beginning but I liked his maturity evolution. I'm glad they all lived at the end though Gao Shen's life was forever changed and our FL was the bionic woman scorpion queen.

I have to talk about the gorgeous scenery inside the pass especially the many moons in the sky. This is a particularly favorite aesthetic of mine so I was always pleased when they spent time outside in the desert there. But everything from the CGI to the OSTs were on point in this drama. The stories told within the pass were so great too.

Even though I had originally wanted to watch this drama for MZY, not knowing what her role would be, her character falls in both the pros and cons for me. She started off as being what an antagonist should be; ruthless, though her motive was yet unclear, the beginning was good. She was a good spy and her initial start was good. Also liked how she had several plans going at once to win (the Chang Dong heartstring thing, the fake Gao Shen plant). The rest I'll talk about in the cons.

The real tragic character here was Jiang Zhan played by Jin Han. At first he was thought to be an antagonist because he was on Long Zhi's side trying to kill FL. But when it was revealed that she had cast a spell on him and the pain he had to go through when the memories came flooding back, he chose to take his own life, but the witch didn't allow that, then he was forced to live like a dog as her hostage. Finally with YLX's win, when he was finally free, he realized the cost of that freedom and he went out on his own terms because as he said, they couldn't go back to the past. He always felt he was weak and now he'd (though not by choice) betrayed the only woman he'd ever loved, there was no real way out for him. It was acted really well and you felt for him.

Cons: Quite a few things bugged me here; for starters the randomness of the old man storyteller and painter characters. The way they were flung into the series broke the already unsteady pace of the show due to its bizarre schedule. Yes, it was done supposedly due to censorship but it was unnecessary because no one in their right mind would go running to the desert to try to open a dimension. Even if people were to believe in that, at the beginning of each episode it specifically says the show is pure fiction.

Where the character of Long Zhi went downhill was her actual motive which though was about power and jealousy, it seemed quite childish and unbelievable. The character after the initial peak constantly sported a 15 year old 'tude. During the stand off between her and YLX with Scorpion Eye and the giant scorpion, it seemed like LZ herself lost all of her ruthlessness and kept clutching at her clothing as she was trying to order the gang to kill YLX. If you looked at the differences between her and YLX, you could almost switch their characters. YLX was unyielding and her stare could grind one into bits. I feel that maybe this role was a bit too hard for MZY. Personally, first time seeing her in an antagonist role. She lost all of LZ's ruthlessness in the second part of the end.

Also what played against her was the fact that the ending was super anticlimactic. Great build up to a fight or war that never happened. All the big fights were either in flashbacks or somewhere in the middle. It was basically send all of the exotic creatures away with the big snake giving the orders, and then have Scorpion Eye just blow some Feathered Guards up and capture them without much muss or fuss. Then they all sit at the negotiation table to save Chang Dong and go for a life of peace and prosperity for the next 3 years. Everyone lives and reunites but we get the couples in the painter's mind's eye with Gao Shen actually becoming a puppet to save his life and DL as cartoon forms together being the new transporters in and out of the pass. They couldn't even get a normal ending. These are the reasons this otherwise great drama got an 8.5/10.

Would I recommend it? Yes, if only for the leads chemistry, the smart as hell roosters, and the story itself. This is a very different kind of drama than what I've seen and despite the cons, I enjoyed it a lot.

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Take Me Home, Country Road. To the 1 I belong, 10 Years Later, My Wife & Child; I am Finally Home.

The title of this review I spoofed from John Denver's classic song as I felt it fit the overall narrative. Wasn't going to pick this up originally because it appeared too slow, but it was exactly what I found that I needed. A mature reconciliation of first love with two great actors. It wasn't perfect by any means but the love story was quite admirable.

Pros: Both JBR and ST or LC and GX respectively held their own and then some. He looked at her like she walked on water from the first glance in episode one. I was glad the break up happened before the series and we got an understanding of it in flashbacks. But the story was about two adults that had healed especially reconnecting with one another because we knew that once this happened, they would never let each other go again. Now 10 years later and more mature knowing what was needed and wanted, was a lot easier to attain. LC was like the perfect man with a dangerous profession. He cooked, cleaned, could fix anything and everything, was incredibly attentive; he treated GX like a goddess and above everyone else. She was his one and only treasure. Who wouldn't want a man like that? He looked very handsome in his uniform. Both resolved that if they didn't reconnect, they'd never marry anyone else. That's pretty intense love and a connection seldom seen. Though mostly all of the flashbacks were from GX's POV, the last episode belonged to LC and it showed he noticed her way before the official introduction. I do wish that was placed somewhere in the middle instead.

Her best friend and husband were wonderful people and friends. And the kid was literally the best wingman ever! I loved his maturity and helpfulness. The supporting cast were all awesome individuals and the bonds formed were very obvious. I also wish they had balanced his job more in the story; secret missions I understand but they really didn't go too much into much of it even if it was training. For me personally though not enough was shown, the wedding episode I considered the last one. It brought things full circle.

Cons: The second couple was an underdeveloped afterthought and they had no chemistry. They should have just been kept as friends and it would have made much more sense. It felt very forced. The last mission we saw of LC's which had him gravely injured but no explanation was ever given seemed like things were left out. When his captain died and he was grieving his loss in the beginning, we saw that sequence on repeat but why couldn't it be shown how LC got injured? For as much talk of propaganda, what was most unrealistic in the SWAT team that they portrayed was that each SWAT officer had to be a bomb technician, K9 trainer, sniper, hostage negotiator, etc. and that's just not how it works. You can't be an expert in each field, there are too many components and too high a probability of things going wrong.

The constant spotlight in the background of their kissing scenes was very annoying; there was never any lead into a love scene though she did get pregnant somehow. That's pretty strange for a modern drama. Sure, censorship and blur it out but have a lead in so people didn't think they were always sleeping separately or fully clothed. But probably the biggest whiplashes were the leads fathers and how they got ridiculous redemption arcs that came straight out of nowhere. One was an alcoholic, abusive bastard who essentially sold his own son for money he borrowed and lost that all of a sudden became a saint acknowledging all of his mistakes and the other who was a cheating deadbeat also without warning became a caring father and no one stopped to question what just happened? These were my issues with this series.

Would I recommend it? Yes. It's very slow burn but different than other dramas because they were reconciling and growing together as adults now as opposed to kids. Their moments together and there were many were just too stinking cute so don't miss the opportunity to watch this if nothing else for just a true love romance.

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37 minute Film Better Written Than Some Series

Was recommended this by a friend and as I have seen MJTY recently so have become aware of GJM's writing and direction style. Only 37 minutes told the story of two lives and how they became intertwined due to fate. The leads felt their characters deeply and it showed on screen. And there was a proper ending, which was nice. You felt everything one should feel in the dark settings but also hope in the future or at the end rather. Enemies to friends, then protection, facing adversity together, making a sacrifice for the other's safety. But not all is what it seems as the at the end reunion was made even more important and special.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. As mentioned above, just 37 minutes was written and acted better then some series with double the episode count.

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20 Episodes 10 Minutes Each w/1 Smart & 1 Dumb Lead Each

First time watching this type of drama where the episodes are 10 minutes each. Wanted to check it out because the ML I've previously seen in antagonist roles, so to see him play a protagonist was too good to resist. If you're a TBOY fan, you'll understand. I love Republican Era dramas as they're beautiful when it comes to costumes and sets. This review will be short. Again thank you @Lian for providing subtitles on Kisskh; couldn't have watched without your phenomenal work!

Pros: ML or FGY is very good at being a hard ass and a stubborn one at that and here it played to his advantage very well. You got to see the character's vulnerability, trying to save his childhood friend at all costs even when said childhood friend was a total moron. If I hadn't seen him play ruthless asshats in TBOY and Destined, I would have thought he was just really good at being deceitful while trying to save everyone that mattered to him. Though SML or HWJ finally grew a brain cell in the last episode and I really liked the church shootout sequence plus the actor played him well, I can't really find much else in the pros with him. LTT was a good addition for as long as she needed to be. Costumes (when they weren't oversized), sets, OSTs were beautiful. The comedy was good for the most part.

Cons: The storyline though understandable was edited very roughly. It went from as serious as a heart attack to comedy club funny in 2.5 seconds and it just made things very shaky. I wish we knew who the other characters were played by like the antagonist, the traitor, the girl who helped them out. Plot hole of HWJ being basically brainless to all of a sudden possessing extraordinary martial art skills and being able to fire a gun in the last few episodes was very questionable. For a good portion of it, you wanted to hit him with a desk for just being so stupid, it hurt your own head.

Would I recommend it? This series is really one of those in between ones that you watch when you're bored; it's short and sweet. But I am glad though short and small, I was able to see DK in a protagonist role for a change. He needs more of those and I hope he gets them in normal length series in the future.

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Cute & Corny Rom-Com

I was watching this only because I follow CYC and XYL; I knew CYC could hold his own in a costume drama but was interested how XYL would fare and his acting didn't disappoint. Going in, I knew it was a low caliber drama so CGI and whatnot wouldn't be very expensive looking. Still though, the story looked interesting.

Pros: As expected, CYC in his character and development went very well. His portrayal of the immortal with few emotions who slowly learns how to feel and love, was very well executed. I really liked the plot and its progression was very well paced. XYL as the cute 3rd wheel did a good job in this rom-com of sorts. I liked how he wasn't made to be some evil, jealous buffoon as many times in these love triangles/quads this happen. His character genuinely felt love towards the FL but at the same time, he understood when it was time to give up and move on. He didn't stick around to badger her, but gave his blessings. Even when he learned the secret about the ML and others being deities, he still wouldn't hurt FL by disclosing the information. I felt his character, though like every other, with its own flaws, was evolved very well.

It took me a while to warm up to the FL, because though intelligent and witty, she couldn't speak like a normal human being but instead screeched like an entitled howler monkey. Only when she started speaking like a woman did her character make more sense and I was interested in seeing where everything would go. Her cousin Ah Jing and Li Fu were probably the oddest balls in the entire thing; to me it felt like they switched genders but their match up was a good one though way over dramatically done.

Last favorite characters were grandma, who honestly had "selective" dementia and understood way more than she was letting on. Even in the last episode when talking to the sky she said "but he has to go back soon" so she knew what was going on before many others did; her character was one of the funniest and forthright out of the bunch. Xiao Ya's two servants were very cute too.

Cons: Thanks to the help of another viewer (@Jamilla), we were able to come up with a nickname for a particularly horrible and unnecessary character; Tong'er aka "Thing 2 Gorilla Glue". Entitled is an understatement; this whiny, stalkerish, chick with a voice of a prepubescent child clung onto ML like they had some sort of predestined arrangement written in blood. It was a one-sided love or obsession rather and she stopped at nothing trying to get him including nearly killing the FL twice. Because of her nonsense, the story took a serious hit in both the rom and com sections. There were enough subplots to keep the story interesting without the necessity to add such an absolutely useless character. I was very glad when she finally disappeared.

XY's father was one weird dude; I know it was slapstick comedy but nothing he did was funny to me. It looked forced and quite dumb actually. The OSTs weren't memorable in the slightest. Usually, music stands out but not here. The styling of many of their clothes was very off. XY's entire wardrobe looked like it belonged on a teenager and not a woman of marriageable age. Poor XYL's wig looked like a pineapple because of all the knickknacks they had stuck in it; everything was swinging every which way and it was quite distracting. His costumes always looked one or two sizes too big. Budget for production was definitely on the lower side. Considering all of that, the fact that he was still able to portray the character as believably as he did, makes me look forward to even more great things from him.

I like the 3 extra episodes in the end but they would have been a lot better if they were incorporated into the actual series. The last two episodes were very angst filled because everyone knew that CY had to return to heaven no matter what. Literally squished into the last 10 or so minutes was him leaving and all the sadness and then later him returning 3 years later the same way he arrived the first time with only Li Fu knowing who he was. That is essentially how they ended the series and it was both confusing and bizarre. Now if they took the extra episodes and made one extra episode explaining how somehow within that time, everyone remembered who he was and so forth, it would have made a lot more sense. Because there was very little cohesion in how the ending happened. It was very abrupt and left one going "that's it?" Better editing would have done wonders.

Would I recommend it? If you're a fan of CYC and/or XYL than yes, regardless of the other stuff, both actors did very well. I do wish they had better quality scripts. Also the plot itself was interesting and the development went smoothly; misunderstandings were resolved relatively quickly. So it's a pretty decent drama to watch.

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When Indiana Jones meets Harry Potter and Lara Croft--Great as A Stand Alone

When Indiana Jones meets Harry Potter and Lara Croft. This is a very good stand alone action show. Yes a lot of questions left unanswered as well as a bit of a cliffhanger but there is hope to return Zhang Qi Ling and the team because Wu Xie would never just let his soul-brother perish. I am not interested in any of its prequels or sequels unless the cast was exactly the same plus I noticed that some of the sequels were aired before this which doesn't make much sense. I do wish that for this last expedition, Wu Xie and Zhang Qi Ling weren't split up. I don't think there could have been a cliffhanger otherwise. The con aspects were that there were characters that made an appearance and then disappeared without rhyme or reason that didn't pertain to the show.

Though I started watching for LYN and his character Shades or Mr. Black didn't disappoint as an opportunistic dork, it was the actor that played Zhang Qi Ling that got my attention. He did a fantastic job as a monosyllabic Kung fu master because of the way he was able to emote with his eyes be it annoyance, fear for his friends, or any other emotion. That's very hard to do in acting when there aren't a lot of lines. The young man (Xiao Yu Liang) playing this role is a novice to acting as he's part of some boy band but he was very convincing. I wish there were more scenes of him and Wu Xie and they left Fatty somewhere behind. That dude just had way too many lines and got annoying quickly. I saw some ppl complaining about too many episodes. Actually, I wanted more. Joseph Zeng also was able to do a great job as the inquisitive nerd with a knack for solving riddles and getting ppl out of hairy situations. It was great to see him in this role aside from the one he's currently in that's not doing him any justice. I really like all of the special effects in this drama and the martial aspects as well.

I also liked the friendship between Shades and Xie Hua. Though in the beginning it seemed very annoying, it grew and developed into respect even when you wanted to smack Shades upside the head, he was still quite dorky. These actors do a great job portraying their characters and making each scene believable no matter what. I wish they continued this series with the same main actors because their chemistry was undeniable. I know I want to see more dramas with Xiao Yu Liang as he has a future in the industry.

I would highly recommend this as a stand alone drama even though it has a cliffhanger ending; it's one with hope.

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An Honest Review

Obviously, I watched this for Xiao Zhan. I also knew this was his first drama and that the thing was low budget, so I wasn't expecting miracles. It's been in my "plan to watch" list for a while. Was it good? No. But it wasn't an unmitigated disaster either. His acting and that of the SML were the best out of the bunch. It was like if Harry Potter met the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers with a side order of the X-Men; also just without much of a cohesive plot nor any character development and really bizarre melodramatic characters. The villains were too stupid to ever put together anything really impressive. The 7 minutes of BTS footage after each episode was sometimes more entertaining then the episode itself. It's not something I'd rewatch but I would recommend it for younger audiences who like cheeseball types of dramas. But Xiao Zhan's acting abilities shone through even then at the very beginning of his acting career. I'm really impressed how far he's come in 5 years since the airing of this series. I can't wait to see more of his dramas in the future.

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Pandora's Box

This Pandora's box of a psychological thriller was something I picked up after a trusted source suggested it and I read the premise. It reminded me a lot of the dynamic of "Under the Skin" only there it was a cop and a sketch artist and here it was a cop and a hypnotist. I've never seen anyone from the cast before, so as always went in without any expectations or preconceived notions.

Pros: As always the dynamic of the two ML's had to develop as one couldn't just blindly trust a stranger especially when law and crime was involved. The cases all early on suggested a very rich and powerful psychotherapist that was also a psychopath was the main villain. Even though the people committing the absolutely horrible crimes had their own reasons, they were essentially vigilantes which goes against all forms of societal justice. Yes you feel bad for some of them and who they were trying to protect, but killing innocent people like Xiao Liu, the officer just trying to do his job, was not justice. It was greed and self pity. Both ML's were struggling with inner demons related to the same case from 10 years back and I did enjoy their back and forth as they tried to figure that case out amongst all of the others. Finding their balance of trust as cop/consultant and friends was often heartwarming and often frustrating.

Everyone on Team Luo was essential even the one they lost and the one that transferred in. They not only formed a formidable task force but their care for one another was just a very bright spot to see even when things seemed to get out of hand. The main villain's true motive didn't come into focus until the last few episodes but it didn't take away from his viciousness nor depravity. Which made him a great and absolutely psychotic antagonist. I wish we got to see more of his psychological disfunction throughout the series; I spent many years researching serial killers like him and he reminds me a lot of Dr. Harold Shipman and Ted Bundy in his ability to essentially hide in plain sight and yet be this series version of Dr. Death. He used others to commit crimes for him never getting his hands dirty until the last one. His ability to manipulate those around him was in line with him refusing to take any responsibility for the crimes that started everything. He played God though he was dying and thought he was in the right until the very last breath he took. Other than needing more time on screen, he was a great big bad wolf.

The OSTs were on point and I also liked the flashbacks as the audience got to understand what had happened or why certain things went a certain way. Everything was placed just right. I was pretty neutral on LFP always having lollipops with him or LF handing them to him later because that was his own psychological way to handle anxiety after the death of his mom.

Cons: Ok I'm getting this out of the way but who's idea was it to give LFP a Hobbit wig? The thing was absolutely atrocious and made him look ridiculous. Was it in order to show him during and after his prison term with a bowl haircut looking somewhat normal, because when he ran or moved fast it was so obvious it was glued to his head, it just didn't help with concentrating on the scene. Wardrobe in general for him was a few sizes too large and just didn't fit his character. Wish they kept him in the tone of less is more.

Why didn't a single officer carry a gun with him unless told to do so? Xiao Liu did bring a gun but LF didn't in the episode Xiao Liu was killed. Wasn't part of being a police officer that you had to always carry your service piece and know how to use it? Go to target practice, make sure you always are up to date with knowing how to use your firearm? Plus, never enter a cave or any other unknown location without backup? That entire part of episode 10 was completely unbelievable in police procedure in any country. I have seen this in a few of their series where the perps had weapons but the cops had zilch. A gun fired for an officer's safety doesn't mean use of deadly force. The perp is trying to stab you, shoot the knife out of his hand. A survivable and light wound for him, but you're alive. Guess they had to kill off Xiao Liu in that one because even when LF called his name in that tunnel, Xiao Liu could have called for help but didn't and that was such a huge loophole. LF always using his martial arts only when others have pipes and knives was just unreal.

I mentioned this in the comments but LFP getting 7 years (served less) for manslaughter. It should have been involuntary manslaughter as the big bad didn’t give them a choice other than suicide by cop plus stopping the bomb attached to LY. That should have been probation max. That made a whole lot of no sense to me and I often feel that their criminal laws give a greater punishment to protectors than perps.

Lastly, I wish LFP was shown doing more hypnosis in the series and where we really got an understanding of how it worked on a smaller scale. But that wasn't much of a con.

Would I recommend it? I absolutely would. If you don't look at this from a procedural perspective and can overlook the annoying as hell wig, this is actually a pretty engaging and entertaining series. I'm glad I watched it. There's an extra episode with links in the comments too.

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Royal Outwitting

Watched this solely because I follow MZY and wanted to see Jeremy act. I'd have to say that I liked the second part of the series way more than the first. It was all about who was smarter and could outwit whom.

Pros: The series didn't have a shortage of people trying to get one up on the other but LL and YS were very well matched though all the slapstick things I did fast-forward. The costumes were beautiful as was the music and sets. I really liked how LL made friends even out of her "enemies" so most of the support were awesome like her maid and his assistant, the guards. YH was a really tragic character but I'm very glad he survived though I disagree with the decision of his to make YX think he was dead. Both deserved each other's love as they were essentially alone in the world other than their friends. I have faith that as they both grow in their independence, they will find their way back to each other. One was essentially sequestered most of her life from the outside world and the other was a tortured slave that had to fight on two fronts. Other than our leads, these two deserved a happy ending more than anyone else. RIP Uncle Song; now that's a real hero.

Cons: Didn't like the fake illness of FL in the beginning at all. The fake coughing was so obvious, anyone with half a brain saw through it. There were different ways of writing to show weakness without being so idiotic about it. Once they got rid of it, the series took on a stronger stance. The last episodes felt rushed; the introduction and subsequent reveal of the mastermind felt lackluster like even though they blurred him out most of the time, you knew it was him. The only real surprise of a villain was the consort that barely had any screen time so it didn't seem to jive with the story. All of her actions, seemed like an afterthought. It was abhorrent that though HT made an attempt on the CP's life, he wasn't dolled out any punishment but instead was just allowed to portray a victim going back to his country. He had no heart so there was no love for the FL; allowing innocent people to die for his greed, should have had him at least in prison. At least the CP killed the mastermind, though a poisoned arrow would have been more appropriate given what he'd done to YH all his life.

Would I recommend it? This is a series for those days when you just want to watch something semi-lighthearted. So if you've got those days and you like the actors, you'll get your proper fill.

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A Very Different Yet Inventive Variety Show

Very rarely, if ever do I review variety shows. I watched this one solely for LYN and the fact that I like the whodunnit factor. The show's 30 episodes were very well scripted and even when the cast went off script, it was great and funny. I won't rehash the synopsis because it's all there. I enjoyed it very much, from the mysteries themselves, how each character was somehow connected to each of the first 7 mysteries and then the rather twilight zone-ish last three weeks trying to find out who the mole was in the group. I loved how they all came together to solve the crimes and then at the end of each case the legal and psychology professor Dr. Ma was invited to speak about all of the legalities involved in each case from both that and the psychological perspective. It was quite fascinating (for me especially as law is one of my backgrounds and I like to see how other countries function legally). I would totally recommend this show, it's not scary in the slightest. It's fun and funny, with even some tear jerking moments towards the end. The only cons are that the subs are AI-generated and product placement with full speeches happen at least once an episode, otherwise a really great and fun show that I hope returns next year with the same cast; they really have a great connection together.

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Misunderstanding, Misinformation, Misleading, Misinterpretation; Just an Overall Miss

Have never seen the leads before this so was interested to see how they did. All I can say is that I hope their past and future work has better scripts than this absolute mess of one. The novel readers made it sound great and interesting with a new concept but instead it was a misunderstanding, with misinformation, misleading, misinterpretation, basically an overall miss.

Pros: Literally the chemistry of the leads and second leads, working relationships. The business aspects of it as it showed how different firms worked. Some comedy. That was it! The actors did as well as they could with the shredded mess they were given. I under no circumstances fault them.

Cons: Who in the 21st century still writes FL's with zilch EQs? Nearly 30 episodes of 36 revolved around a misunderstanding so absurd I don't know how it was even pulled off. FL took some dumb chick's who broke up her already ridiculous relationship words as gospel instead of finding out the truth as she was supposed to be some brainiac reporter and with that proceeded to act cringey beyond belief trying to get close to ML a CEO at new but major company. The bestie with her dumb as bricks advice that made things worse when she couldn't make her own life work made you want to scream.

When the truth came out finally, the FL still didn't reveal it to ML even though both had genuinely fallen for each other. Their relationship was originally built on a lie and once exposed it naturally crumbled. The FL was a selfish, self-absorbed moron that I wouldn't have forgiven as easily as the ML did. This show could have been made just fine with 24 or 26 episodes. The dragging of the ridiculous lies and misinformation, was unnecessary.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely not. This is probably one of my shortest reviews but nothing after the leads got back together even redeemed it for me. I am watching BL in a costume drama right now where she's killing it and I hope to see Dylan in the future in a great written drama. Save yourselves the aggravation and just run.

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Should be called "Scripted Street Dance of China"

I originally came only to watch Yibo as I'm a big fan but I fell in love with many of the dancers and am now following them on Weibo. And the bond that they all formed, be it the four captains or all four dance teams. They really supported each other through the highs and lows of each episode. Sadly a lot of the battles and picks and rules changed on the fly over each week so people who threw towels each week could barely keep up. The last episode especially had a cruel moment where they pinned Bouboo against Yan Kai and used Yibo's song "Wugan". It was beyond disrespectful and everyone knew what the show was doing. They had more then enough dancers from the other teams to split it fairly. No other team had to dance against one another. But the sweet moment came when Yan Kai still won the entire competition. No matter who the winner was, I wish the show had not played fans and dancers as well as captains for fools. They still had high ratings because of the captains. The dancers knowing something would happen in the finale, many opted out of the resurrection towel dance even though we fans voted for them. I am glad however that friendships and bonds were forged among everyone that will last a lifetime. I just wish that part hadn't left such a sour taste in my mouth and I watched nearly all 7.5 hours of it live.

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