Acting is Fantastic........Plot not so!

First of all I want to begin by saying that I haven't been one of those people waiting for years for this show. I watched UWMA for the first time last year and found out by accident that Boun and Prem were getting there own spinoff a few months before this aired. Maybe this makes me see things differently to those who have had the long wait. I don't know.

Having watched 8 episodes though here are some of my thoughts.

The acting and chemistry between the two leads was fantastic as expected of these two, and quite frankly after 8 episodes they are the only reason I haven't dropped it yet. I don't know what to say about these two except they keep getting better and I hope get some better shows in the future.

As before, in UWMA, the costumes, music, lighting, filming, and yes even the use of silly noises in places, is all great and adds to the enjoyment and fun of the show.

Now moving on to the problem I found with the show, and I say problems because it's actually a few things that all seem to come from one central point. The Plot!
By episode 8, I expect our main couple to be moving forward by now, however in this show they aren't.......they are still going round in circles. Win has mentioned the 'boyfriend' word once but team just dismissed it and neither of them have bought it up again, so they are both in this limbo of not actually knowing what they are to each other. Also what the plot seems to be stuck on is how much the show is its own entity and how much it follows UWMA. When I say this what I mean is that Dean and Pharm get quite a lot of screen time in this show (as opposed to in UWMA when Win and Team got fairly little), to me this seems unnecessary as they have already had their show and unless the plot is going to change their ending, then we all know what will happen with them. It is simply wasting time that could be used on our leads.

Another problem is that on one hand the show recreates some of the scenes from UWMA, trying to link itself tightly with its parent show, then goes and catapults in new characters that were not in UWMA at all. This wouldn't be a problem if not for the fact that two of these characters build one of the side couples, one member of which is a first year swimmer the same as team, and known by not only Team and Pharm but Win and Dean as well. The other is a semi famous actor who is in Team and Pharms year also............yet we are expected to believe that these two were in the background of UWMA but never mentioned, not even by the queen of gossip herself, Manow. It just doesn't make sense.......is the show trying to link itself tightly with UWMA or stand on its own.

Lastly the plot has introduced far too many side couples, there is Dean and Pharm (who I have mentioned before), Manow and her boyfriend, this couple I can understand as many people want to see her get a happy ending, but then their is the third side couple I mentioned above who have been introduced for this show and just overwhelm the story with too many side plots.

Most people came to watch this show for the leads Boun and Prem and maybe to see the cast reunited once more, but the writers, directors, etc seem to have got completely out of hand with things and are ruining what could have been a great show.

Before I finish I would like to state that when mentioning characters I am not speaking about the actors abilities. All the actors in this show do their jobs brilliantly, it is simply a case of some of the characters either do not need the screen time they are given or to be in the show at all in my opinion.

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Good.......but one small annoyance.

I have been binge watching this show for a few days and have enjoyed it so far. Those who say the ML isn't good looking enough for the part only have to look at the chemistry between the ML and FL to see why they got paired together, it's fantastic. The 'Villain' of the four main guys Lu Yun Qi is played very well, as in you constantly want to smack the character very hard with something heavy. Also the two brothers of Zhu Zan are hilarious and they make up a perfect kind of comedy/action trio as the story progresses.

One thing I am beginning to get a little annoyed with though and hope that they solve soon is the Jui Ling/Zhu Zan dynamic. I don't know how long the writers are going to keep up with the whole 'lying' thing but it's wearing thin and honestly sending the character of Zhu Zan a little mad at times. It is also making the character of Jui Ling look a little heartless and part of me is not wanting her to end up with the ML at all. She has seen him breaking down infront of the memorial, heard him calling her name when he was in pain and seen him quite a few times saving her life......yet she still doesn't tell him the truth.

Other than that annoyance though the acting is great, the costumes are fantastic and the music is spot on. I will defiantly be watching this to the conclusion when I will update my review

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Depends of if you can make it past the start or not!

This is one of those drama's which definitely gets better as it goes along, but first you have to get past one huge hurdle..........the start!

Ohh boy those first few episodes are tortuous and I can see why people have mixed opinions on this! The FL is saved by the ML 10 years before the series begins and meets up with him again in the first episode. She has spent 10 yrs making herself into someone worthy of him and is determined she loves him and belongs at his side. She does all sorts to get his attention, including putting herself in danger. Lets get one thing straight right away, if the ML acted the way the FL is acting........it would be straight up stalking behaviour, but somehow because its the female people think it's cute. Also in those first few episodes the FL is not in love with the ML, as she doesn't know him, not even his name. She is obsessed with the man who saved her and needs a therapist, not a relationship!

However if you can get over those first few episodes then it does even out a lot. The relationship does become a lot more healthy and based on knowledge and respect rather insane obsession. Although the two careers are not depicted mega realistically they are done quite well, and certainly well enough for the show. The other members of the cast are all good in their respective roles, and the characters enjoyable. The animals used in the show are amazingly well trained and work well with the cast. The music is ok but doesn't jump out at you.

All in all it's a good drama that makes you feel good. IF you can get past the severely messy start.

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COMMUNICATION in a Chinese drama!

I love this drama. It is a nice drama about an adult relationship between two hard working adults, it could be argued they are both workaholics but there we go.

There are none of the normal clichés about them breaking up, falling out, someone thinking another is cheating,,,,,,,,etc.......because this pair actually TALKS to one another! something which is amazing to see in a Chinese drama.

The two leads are amazing and only seem to have more chemistry as the show progresses.

The only fault I would find with the show is the end, not because its bad but because in the last two episodes we hardly see our main couple together at all, in fact they hardly speak to each other even though they are in the same place. All through the show it has been about their relationship and how they communicate with each other to make the relationship last, and yet in the end two episodes that gets completely thrown out the window and you feel like you are watching a Chinese version of Apollo 13 or something, a completely different show. We finally do get our leads back together right at the end but I do feel the deep space arc could have been done much shorter and still allowed for a proper ending for our leads, it was a little disappointing.

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(Original review)

I have only just finished episode 8 as I am waiting for English Subs (I don't speak enough Chinese yet to follow it all without them), however saying that I can already pink up on a few things which I think will make this show great.
The first thing is the actors. YY and DD are fantastic actors on their own, but put them together and they just seem to explode of the screen, saying this they spend very little of the first few episodes together. The show is very slow at introducing the characters so it relies heavily on the two actors on their owns. DD's character Jingjing is very girly and giggly (and lets face it a bit of a klutz at times) but it really shows her abilty as an actress that she can pull off this type of character just as well as she can the kick ass, strong ones.
On the surface it seems YY is playing the normal over achieving genius he has played so often. But the real skill in his acting in the part of Yu Tu is the subtlety he brings to the part. He shows uncertainty, confliction, all those emotions a normal human would have if they are unsure if they have done the right thing.
Moving on to the story. It is a slow burn beginning so if you like shows where the action begins right away or if the two main characters fall straight into each others arms by episode 2 then this won't be for you. There is alot of story and background that is spelled out even before the two meet, and then it is only over an online game.
As I have seen said in other reviews. This is not an Esports show, it simply has a game/Esports element to it.
However I will be following the show all the way to the end and if you like the kinds of shows where the payoff to the slow burn beginning is worth it then I really recommend this show.

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City of cliché

I watched this show to the end and personally I enjoyed it. Although there are bits which I couldn't help getting on my nerves. First though the positives.
1. The chemistry between the two leads was great, you could really feel that connection of Feng Shi Zhen and Rong Jia Shang, especially in the episodes when it seemed JiaShang's love was not reciprocated and the pain the two characters went through both together and because of each other.
2, Acting. The acting was fantastic from all concerned, the villains and 'heroes' (if I can call them that) where beautifully played and you could really see the struggles each character had to go through to decide if were going to fall on the side of right and wrong.
3. Costumes and locations. The Rong family mansion was such an amazing location but so where the other locations they used, you could tell someone had put some real effort into looking for them. The costumes as well were perfect for each character and allowed for some individualism while still being similar as most outfits of this period seem to be.

Before I move on to what bugged me about the drama I will mention the OST. There was only one song that stuck in my mind from this drama, about using all you luck to find someone and all your power to keep them. The rest of the songs were a bit nondescript to me and that is surprising as Chinese dramas usually have great OST's . However this was not a good or bad thing.

The big disappointment and annoyance for me however was the story. It started out great and even something as cliché a revenge plot based on 'your (insert family member) (insert crime) my (insert family member) ' seemed to work ok. It also was ok that it took 30 episodes to get the 2 leads together properly as there was so much going on with the other characters that you didn't miss it that much. Then the great writing seemed to go on strike for a while and cringeworthy stuff began. in the space of a few episodes we had two side plots that went nowhere, one based on 'we love each other but we are brother and sister' and the other one was a repeat of the 'your (insert family member) (insert crime) my (insert family member) ' the first of which had just been cleared up.
To me these cliché side plots simply were not needed and only served to waste time for a few episodes when the story could have been moving forwards into something more interesting. I understand they were used to allow the plot to move forwards but this could have been done in another way without the added clichés. It let down a very good show and I can see why some people are giving this lower scores.

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Cast good........story not so

I wanted to like this show. However the problem for me was the FL. She didn’t come across as strong in the face of adversity but rather cruel and manipulative. By the time I stopped watching she had already figured out the ML was her ex boyfriend and that he loved her deeply. She had even said herself once that he was away overseas when the ‘incident ‘ behind the whole plot happened so couldn’t have been involved. Yet she still uses his emotions and feelings for her not only to get information from him but to steal from him!
I understand the FL is supposed to feel conflicted but giving her the knowledge while acting this way just makes her seem cold and calculating, deserving no sympathy at all.
On a plus note the cast where good, the music I liked but the story really let it down.

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Not dropping it yet..........but its close

Lets first start by saying the acting is great. I have liked Shawn Dou for a while but never seen the female lead, Chen Du Ling in anything before. She was pleasant surprise but I feel could have been more so if the script had let her be. Which leads me to my main problem so far with the show and the reason I am struggling to keep watching. Although I am not dropping it yet its a close run thing at times.

Call me silly if you like but after 16 episodes I expect some type of character development in the main leads. Our ML, the third Master Bei Chen has had alot of character development. He began as a irresponsible playboy and has become a high ranking soldier who who is more than capable of using his mind to stand up not only to the warlords of the era but also protect his family. However the same can not be said for the FL Hang Jing, which is were the drama gets annoying.

Hang Jing joined Bei Chen's family when the show began as her father and his were good friends. Hang Jing's father has basically treated her as his own daughter for years, and yes she did get bullied by the ML and his sister early on which didn't leave a good impression, but the FL has always had a sense of 'i know what's right and no one else does' about her. She even allowed the very family who had protected her for years to get in serious trouble because she was protecting a rebel friend of hers who tried to kill someone in their house! Then when she found out the ML had gotten into serious trouble for rescuing her she instead chose to trust the rebel, who she knows is lying to her, over the man who has done nothing but protect her. where is the logic? Plus she says she will take responsibility for her actions but only wants to do so on her own terms, that isn't taking responsibility! The girl has not moved forwards in 16 episodes, very short-sighted and only thinks about her own needs, constantly getting people around her in trouble and seemingly not bothered that she does until she is forced to face it, even then she faces it as least as possible. Over all the actor is good but the character is not likable and has had no growth.

The costumes and the cinematography are great in this show, so are the actors. But the one badly written lead serves to uproot the whole drama if it isn't solved soon.

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Can someone give this FL a spine please? (updated on completion)

OK so I have finished the show now and my original worries about it came true, to a certain extent. The FL character only seemed to grow a spine in the last few episodes of the drama and by then she had let so much wrong happen to so many people that she really wasn't likable anymore. I understand where some people are coming from with saying she was basically traumatised and bullied herself.......but I guess personally I expected some character GROWTH over the duration of the drama, and hardly seemed to happen. Yes she would stand up to people in certain situations, but as soon as her family got involved she was stright back to meek and pitiful.........it got a bit repetitive and a bit pathetic towards the end. As did the fact she focused on what she gave up to be with the ML rather than what she got from being with him. She was just an unlikable character........although the actress herself was great at playing her.

The rest of the show got much better though, I just wish they could have written a FL who wasn't so 'woe is me aren't I a victim in everything', the actress deserved better.

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-Original review-

I enjoy Yang Yang as an actor and also this genre of TV show. So I was looking forward to watching this. At first it was a great show with the history of the two leads balanced well with the action of the firefighting job Yang Yang's character does. However as it goes on that balance slips considerably, and it's all due to one thing........the FL character.

This FL character is one of the most annoying, naïve and spineless characters I have seen in a while. Herself and the ML where together 10 yrs before the show began and she broke it off, not just that but she was nasty about it, all because of pressure from her family. 10 years later she still likes our ML, who is now a firefighter. Only for some reason she seems to think he owes her an entire history of what he did in those 10 years, as well as taking point in any relationship they may have. This logic escapes me, especially when her family (particularly her mother and brother) are still set against the ML and caves in every time they open their mouth.
She is a character who wants the ML but doesn't want to take any risks whatsoever so for some reason thinks he should do it for her. She has no backbone to stand up to her family, who are oppressive and abusive (her brother obviously wants to be more than just a brother which the mother has figured out but is ignoring) The FL is always playing the victim, when her own actions do nothing to make the ML feel her words can be trusted.
I don't know why such a character got written but I do hope that, in the last half of this series she grows up and learns to stand on her own two feet.

Except for the one character, the rest are well rounded and fun. The serious sides of their jobs can be seen, but so can the humanity of the people behind the uniforms.
The music is nice and the costumes are well done, although sometimes the CG makes you wince.

All in all a decent show.......we will just have to see how the second half goes.

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A love it or hate it drama!

This will be one of those dramas that becomes one of your favourites of 2022 or one you drop after the first episode (if you last that far). The simple reason is the style of the show. For me the style is great, it makes the show stand out from many other dramas, but I can see that being an issue for many people.

As with many shows this one has its own world with its own rules and you slowly get introduced to it. There are misunderstandings mostly due to Xu Kai's character being new to the rules himself but we get introduced to them gradually. The tone of the show (for me) is what sets it apart from other shows. It's somehow dirtier and more down to earth than other shows while still keeping the the martial arts Sects and ideas. There are no cultivators, simply people with good gadgets and lots of years experience.

As of yet they have been talking a lot about the KunLun mountains but we haven't actually got there and I hope the show doesn't change too much when they do. It's definitely an interesting show and I love how all the actors are portraying their (for once) three dimensional characters.

I can see why some people wouldn't like the show though and this kind of thing wouldn't appeal, but if everything appealed to everyone then we wouldn't need the range of shows we enjoy.

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A pleasant surprise

Having completed the series this is an edit on the review I did while still watching the show!
The show only got better as I watched it. Xue Kai as Chessman was amazing, although you did want to throw things at the TV at the characters attitude at times (but I think that was part of the idea:). The interaction between Chessman and Smiling only gets better and the interaction with the five main actors of the team does to. The main OST is great and the whole just travels brilliantly from one part to another without seeming to bog down as some Chinese shows can do in the middle.
As for the rest of my original review I stick with it. I'm still not a big fan of the game CGI used in the show but that's a small thing compared to everything else it does so brilliantly. I do admit that having to begin reading the novel some things are beginning to make a bit more sense regarding the game in the series than were explained, but that does not take away any enjoyment I got from this great show.

(Original review)
I must admit when I came across this show I was of two minds if I should watch it. I have loved 'The King's avatar' and 'Love 020' Since they came out and wasn't sure if this could reach the same level. I'm glad to say that even though it didn't reach that high bar it wasn't because it couldn't it was because it doesn't seem to even try. This show is happy going it's own way and doing its own thing which I find great.
The chemistry between the two leads is great and really carries the show so far. The almost constant bickering between them while at the same time seeing Chessman obviously falling for, and protecting her all the time, is sweet. The story is good but the actors make the story really come to life in a believable way. The supports and second leads are just as great, with smilings best friend giving her great advice that doesn't always work, and the other guys in the team giving reactions that are hilarious.
The music is fun to, being upbeat and modern. One thing I don't enjoy is the type of CG used for the gaming, its very cartoonish and the rules of the game are not spelled out clearly so its hard to understand how it could ever be a real esport. However as I said at the start this is one of the ways this show goes its own way, it never even tries to make its CG realistic but rather goes in the opposite direction.
This show is defiantly worth a watch and I will be looking forwards to the new episodes.

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