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Underwhelming leads
Ever have one of those series that are just interesting enough to click to the next episode but when you set it aside for a few days, it becomes unmemorable? This is one of those for me. The most interesting thing in the series for me was the involvement of supernatural beings and getting to the mystery of our main lead.The main issue that brought down the intrigue for me was both the male and female leads. The acting for both were subpar and they both had very limited facial expressions, which also caused a lack of chemistry between the two. The female lead character itself is quite mundane and already into episode 22, yet she still hasn't added much value.
It's a shame because the supporting cast did a great job carrying the leads. And I am curious on diving deeper into the lore of the supernatural but dropping it for now. May potentially try again at some point if there's nothing else.
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Better than expected
I previously dropped this series because the type of costuming just isn't my style for historical settings - especially the long stringy bangs. But after having been able to complete Blood River, I decided to try this one again and I'm glad I did.While this style of series isn't usually my cup of tea, the characters were pretty charismatic. The cast does have a mixed bag of acting skills but it manages to work out as a blend. The plot flow lagged in some areas but it picks up the pace and keeps up pace until the end. There are plot holes but at least they attempt to explain them. And while it isn't the most unique story-line with too many convenient events, it's still an good one to try if you enjoy watching a group of loyal friends who banter together, fight together, and grow together.
One flaw that was the least acceptable was that there was zero chemistry between the ML and his love interest. But thankfully, romance scenes are kept at a minimum. And while there are plenty of corny moments as usual with this series style, there were also some really well done scenes that had me rewind just to watch again. So while this doesn't land on the higher end of my watch-list, it is a memorable one and it blessed me with many smiles and laughs.
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More annoying than humorous
It's too bad the FL's character is such a turn-off, which has nothing to do with the actors themselves. Otherwise, the production is gorgeous and there is intrigue in the plot so far but of course, I've only made it three episodes in.The body swap scenario really came too quickly before the personalities of the ML and FL were really established. So while it's supposed to be dramatically humorous, the FL's behavior after the swap doesn't come off as funny for me but rather intensely annoying and unnatural. She's another one of those females who is obnoxiously demanding and supposedly fearless but really just selfish. Despite be afraid of "demons" and having been raised in a family that should understand the mannerisms of the court, it just doesn't make any sense for her to act like a spoiled three-year old child the entire time with no sense of self-awareness. I don't understand why they decided to change her character like this because she was totally fine before the swap.
With AI and easier access to creating better special effects, I'm hoping this doesn't become a new trope with upcoming series. Also getting tired of the whole female tripping or falling and then being caught in slow motion by the male.
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Excessive and forced
I really wanted to like this series particularly because the male lead does have a good look for the roles that he plays. Unfortunately, I also dropped his other series (Fangs of Fortune) and now I'm also dropping this one. And after this, he seems pretty one-note or maybe he just isn't being cast well.The pacing is really slow and the ML/FL interactions are just ridiculously overdone. The whole staring at each other closely in the eyes and excessive seduction scenes this early on are likely for fans who like these actors for their looks. The main plot hints towards something more interesting but definitely not enough to bypass the over-dramatizations. Too bad as the rest of the cast have been decent but it plunders if the ML/FL aren't impressive.
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This review may contain spoilers
The positive. The team has a nice bond between them and it has a fun vibe. Got a few laughs out of it.Started the series in the mood for a bit of the supernatural but this didn't quite cut it unfortunately. Reminds me of anime live actions where it tries to but fails to capture its essence. That's in my personal opinion of course, since taking an imaginary world of endless possibilities and trying to bring it into the "real world" is a daunting task.
I think they tried so hard to incorporate a little of everything that no one bothered to actually sit through it to consider whether any of it made sense. It's like let's just make it look cool and hope no one notices. There are times when things can and should be overlooked but if even the actions scenes felt mundane, it accentuates everything else that much more.
- A high school kid (as usual) has become the team's main hope to defeat demons and despite having a zero fighting background, he ramps up almost immediately (of course). How did the supernatural spirit survive without him all this time?
- The detective who has amnesia knew enough facts about his prior life but apparently spent the last seven years not caring to look into it? He knew he was a detective and at which station but again, never even met the female detective who signed off on his suicide case? Nope, didn't get emotional or care until he met the high school kid who reminded him of a business card he had in his pocket.
- Ignoring the corny theme of spirits choosing human grim reapers and living in a white room, the grim reapers only exorcise demons but only the ones who commit violent murders? Who takes care of other demonic predators then?
- Having been given instant superhuman strength, what was the point in dramatizing the detective doing calisthenics on the bars? It would be impressive for a normal human but completely pointless for him otherwise? And worse, it hints that the high school kid who was handicapped for years and never worked on his physique is actually the stronger one in strength?
Only being four episodes in, the reason for dropping it isn't even about the inconsistencies because it could have just been categorized as entertaining. However, the flow was just all over the place. You couldn't really tell if you should find the serious moments amusing or if it was meant to be taken seriously. Then the obvious scenes that were meant to be serious transitioned with poor timing or just didn't make sense. If they focused more on the fighting demons aspect instead of trying to incorporate multiple genres right off the bat, I might have made it through more episodes.
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Started off well until it stopped making sense
The production quality is great and the acting is above average so far. The pacing of the story is going well and is actually quite interesting. So why am I dropping this so early on? Because the entirety the plot is meant to be around the FL and ML - and the character of the FL is making less and less sense.The FL was quite charming initially but they built up the relationship between the two far too quickly and she gets away with too much. It stopped making sense when she suddenly starts acting incredibly arrogant in front of the princess when she only just met her. Then she feels comfortable throwing tantrums in front of the ML despite his "reputation" and not knowing anything about him. The Queen kills a maid for touching her candle yet the FL has no repercussions for setting her dress on fire? And she sneaks out of the mourning hall just like that without anyone trying to stop her? Despite her not wanting to die but yet acting with such shameless fervor and not actually even being intelligent about it... just killed her character for me. When the little prince dies, she has no empathetic reaction to it despite having met him. Then approaches the ML and just quite simply asks him if he's the culprit? They severely emphasized how easily people are killed for nothing but the FL just happens to get away with this narcissism? Having experienced being a concubine previously, one would think that she would know to at least pretend to be humble.
It's a shame because it has nothing to do with the actors but rather the character they are trying to paint. If they wanted it to be humorously believable, then they should have just gone that route fully instead of the very somber setting for the first impression.
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They tried to incorporate a bit of everything into this when it comes to martial arts, the supernatural, detective work, etc. but didn't execute well. I initially overlooked the less than average acting, fight scenes, and the odd modern music attachment because it had a lighthearted, comedic undertone but there were just too many fails in the plot and character builds. One example is you have a character who is supposed to have some type of super strength but yet they couldn't get themselves out of being tied up with normal ropes? There just isn't any consistency.
The one positive is that at least the costume-work and makeup wasn't as tacky as I've seen in some of the other historical series. Whenever I attempt to watch series in the historical era and they change the image of the leads into a boy-band looking outlier, it usually lays the groundwork of someone trying too hard to appeal to other cultures or the younger generation. Fortunately, they weren't too heavy-handed in that aspect here.
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Note to Self
I've tried watching this twice. Despite reviewers having listed The Untamed, Guardian, and Winter Begonias as recommendations (all three that were enjoyable), this series really doesn't have the same feel at all to any of them. But I should have known to not trust recommendations when it comes to BL-related series.There's nothing outrageously terrible about this series. Dropping it for the same reasons why I've dropped many other well-known and relatively highly reviewed ones. The dialogue and interactions between all of the characters are just unnatural and cringe. It's not necessarily an actor or plot issue, but perhaps it's just how some Chinese series are directed or maybe partially due to the dubbing. Similar to the flow of older American soap operas- it's just not believable. And while Guardian also had tinges of this flaw, the two MLs had much more chemistry and the plot moved along more smoothly.
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Dropping only because of the female lead
The production of the series is quite well done and the plot is quite intriguing so far with a lot of mysteries to uncover. I'm also not adverse to stories that have misunderstandings or tragedies, but I do need to be able to at least like the main leads. In a second attempt to watch this, I just can't stand the female lead. All of the other characters are fantastic so far but because the female lead is a core character, it just isn't happening.She had a tragic start to life but was fortunate enough to be saved by her master. Yet she acts like a spoiled brat who's overly obsessed with him. Although I'm totally fine with characters who start off ignorant and eventually grow into themselves, she is a different situation. She was raised by her master and grew up in a hidden sect... she should know better than to ignore his orders and the sect rules over and over again. She was also very aware how important the emperor was to her master. Yet her selfishness decisions not only caused her master and disciple brother to be almost beaten to death but almost immediately afterwards, she STILL decides to attempt to assassinate the emperor WHILE fighting her injured master in order to do so. Her annoying repetitive excuse and justification around her loyalty to him because he's her savior is just total bs. And not sure if this is due to the actress' acting skills or intentional but her character also feels narcissistic. While she is supposed to care about those around her, her face is consistently monotone.
It's quite unfortunate because I would definitely want to keep watching for the story and the rest of the characters (hence the higher score). But my dislike for the female lead is only going to be aggravating especially when it's already know how many of those around her treat her with sincerity... she's one of those characters who is totally undeserving.
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Unreliable Review
Since the series is being dropped only after three episodes and because there was nothing offensively bad, this should be considered an unreliable review.The main reason I'm dropping this is because I just wasn't able to connect with any of the characters or buy into the events. It wasn't so much the actors but the flow of the plot and the dialogue. It felt like a storyteller who's telling what should be an emotional narrative in a monotone voice. The reactions and aftermath of every turning point didn't feel quite natural and the character growth of the ML wasn't very impressive.
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Not bad, but...
The series has a good structure overall with respect to the cast and plot so far (as far as an episode 3 goes). But the series is titled Maiden Holmes where one would expect a clever and competent FL. But despite the FL being somewhat intriguing by showing off her capabilities right from the start, once the main ML steps into the picture, she melts into helplessness. It was "somewhat intriguing" because there are also inconsistencies with the solution/results to the initial case results, brushing over much needed details and requesting the audience to just accept the brilliance of the FL.The case inconsistencies can be ignored to a degree but by episode 3, there is already an excessive amount of physical contact scenes between the ML/FL to force feed the beginnings of their romance. Which would also be acceptable if it weren't at the cost of character deterioration as the FL now needs constant rescuing. Additionally, the closeness between the group (i.e. the woman about to be sacrificed) was unrealistically instantaneous. It's a shame because there is a decent amount of chemistry with the actors/actresses.
I would be been pressed to continue watching but after hitting up the reviews and confirming that the FL never ends up redeeming herself, it was a definitive drop for me. Would have give it a lower score but I'm sure this aspect wouldn't bother other viewers as much and the FL character is really my only issue with the series thus far.
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Enticing Beginning
The first few episodes were great-- loved the cast and the pacing drew me in immediately. The action scenes were done well and I was super excited to come across another potential binge. But I decided to drop this relatively early because I'm already seeing signs on how they are going to direct the development of their romance. Instead of creating a more natural and gradual bond between the two, they have already slotted in heavy flirtations much too early. Because they did such a great job on who the ML and FL were as standalone individuals initially, their characters were really diminished by this. The constant abuse directed at one another to try and convince you of their status as enemies is really not believable.This disappointment has given me the desire to re-watch The Double instead to help fulfill the unsatisfied build-up.
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Unreliable review
This is likely an unreliable review as I only managed to get through two episodes. But the two episodes were enough for me personally.The initial scene was relatively intriguing but the actions of our main made no sense from the get-go. Let's say he slaughtered everyone because he was trying to be completely obedient to what he was asked to do. Yet he makes a scene about his regret, and then manages to leave the organization by doing self harm. If those he assassinated were really that important to him to begin with, couldn't he have just done exactly this to prevent himself from being a part of the murders? He makes another scene about how his self harm is part of his redemption, yet when the pain flares up, he does everything he can to ease the pain. Then the odd transition of wearing some mask to disguise himself so he can just drink his life away and be a bum... is pretty distasteful.
Insert the female who starts a fight with him, after an odd and awkward obsession to communicate with a bum. As if she's a two-year old who has never seen bums before. The fight causes damage to the carts of innocent bystanders, and they just prance off as if they are supposed to be respectable good folks. Insert again, some wealthy kid who also just coincidentally happens to be obsessed with befriending the bum out of nowhere after having met him for two seconds. Only for his family to be slaughtered later and this bum just decides to watch for a while until suddenly trying to step in at the last second to be a savior. Insert yet again, the male companion of the aforementioned female. The fight scene between the two is a dramatized dance rather than an actual fight.
Yea... no matter how good the costuming or background is. There's nothing that can redeem these details in only the first two episodes.
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