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Very minor spoiler in this review:I came to this series with hopes for some badass supernatural in a historical period but ended up with mainly lighthearted comedy, heavy romance, and just a bit of drama. It had potential but it was cluttered with both hits and misses.
Felt a pang of wanting to drop this within the first two episodes because the initial love story just didn't make much sense for multiple reasons. I needed to fill in justifications many times in the plot to continue watching. Example: For a being that supposedly has lived thousands of years, why would he feel the intense need to save his first human who wasn't really suffering that much comparably or even deserving of it? Love at first sight? Instead of being wise in all his years, he was too foolishly naive.
There was also almost no background story to many of the key characters which was really disappointing. The excess time spent on the romance and interaction of the second couple should have been spent on giving others some more depth. Although their coupled scenes weren't bad, I still fast-forwarded through a good portion of it. Fortunately the female lead was actually likeable, although they did water down her character near the end.
The transformation of our supernatural beings was just sad and really not believable when those around them supposedly became overly fearful of their "monstrous" image. They verbally tried to portray their "powers" as being overwhelming but it really fell flat when none of it really came into play during the fights. But at least it didn't fall into the tacky category.
Although there was little explanation of anything and the plot didn't flow very naturally, what saved the series was the camaraderie of all of our characters. The development of the relationship with our second couple was done much better than the first one. It was still fun to watch and I laughed out loud plenty of times. It's a good one for those looking for romance/comedy but not great for those looking for something with more action.
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The first few episodes were a bit lackluster as the tragedies were done in an over-simplified and overly dramatic way. But it does start to pick up in quality once the king comes into the picture. What makes this series a bit different from some in this genre is that although there are the usual politics, it doesn't feel quite as heavy. It helps that there are plenty of humorous characters and moments to help break up it up. There is also a unique incorporation of a women-only investigative team, so there is some "detective" aspect to it as well.
The majority of the actors does a great job in their respective roles. I want to list them all to emphasize this but there's just too many. Instead I'll discuss the only actor that was obviously mediocre, and she happens to be one the series is titled after.
The Dong Yi character stayed relatively flat even when her status changes and although I think this was intentional, it gets old. This may not have been as glaring if the actress was better with micro-expressions or was more versatile with them. She makes the same few expressions ALL the time no matter what the situation is and it becomes more and more noticeable. It didn't help when they used a freeze frame of her with her usual eyes wide opened at the end of most episodes. Why they thought this would be a good cliffhanger is beyond me.
The other aspects that are off is how no one ages appropriately and time skips are pretty abrupt. As an example, one minute someone stated they were pregnant and minutes later, the baby was in their arms. Some portions of the episodes are binge-worthy and sometimes there is a a bit of a drag but it does move along.
Don't let this deter you from giving this one a try though especially if the female lead doesn't bother you as much as it did for me. Although she was a bit mono-toned, she's surrounded by many interesting characters that make up for it.
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Is the script written so poorly at times that it is just corny? Yes.
Does many of the elements in the story make sense most of the time? No.
Does the special effects look super low-budget at times? Yes.
However, I surprisingly found myself continuing on to the next episode and the next without the thought of dropping it. Because despite having to shrug off the major flaws, it was still an enjoyable watch. I laughed at times, teared up ever so slightly at times, and rooted for the camaraderie within the team.
The bromance was sweet, using the undeniable formula of pairing opposite personalities. This was one of the obvious draws from the series but the rest of our "superhero" team was fun to watch as well, each one with their own supernatural or intelligence skill set. It should be noted however that although I still enjoyed Zhu Yi Long's acting here (more in The Story of Ming Lan), he really should have learned how to swing a prop sword better.
The mini-plots within the underlying one can feel a bit blotchy but the overall one still wraps up well enough. There was also just enough intrigue for me to follow through to the end. So if you're one who can overlook some of these issues and not ask too many questions, it was a fun one to sit through without having to use much brain power.
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As with many superhero stories, you go in knowing it will be more entertainment than realism. The concept is great, especially since I have a soft spot for vigilantes but the execution in this one wasn't done well. Because it revolves heavily around the taxi, it does have a hint of resemblance to Batman (which they reference themselves in the series). The first couple of stories were satisfying and the exaggerations went well with that dab of comedic undertone. However, it just felt more and more lame as they entered heavily into the cloud-based firm revenge. While the script being overly basic can be overlooked, when the characters themselves began to lose their flavor, that's when there's really not much else to look forward to.
- The prosecutor was irritating from the beginning and she could have been written out completely with minimal impact.
- They try to humanize your mains by incorporating some type of trigger that causes them to relive their traumas but the way it was executed just made them again, lame. For a team that is supposed to be superior and calmly collected, and who's been doing this for a while, a whistle from some traffic cop is going to cause your main dude to pass out? Then your female main who's seen that online video over and over again in the past, is suddenly so traumatized by coming across it again during a job that she just abandons ship and locks herself up? While trauma does impact someone for a lifetime, this was incredibly excessive.
- The sister's suicide. They paint her out to be a sweet, loving person. But anyone who has enough right mind to make a last meal for a loved one, tuck a blanket over them, and then decides to publicly jump off a building and plop herself horrifically in front of the same loved one, is just a selfish ass.
- Oh, how the flashbacks were misused much too often. Instead of adding anything to the plot, they were just fillers to prolong the minutes. I also didn't buy into the dramatic music that tried to convince the audience into thinking the scene was eventful.
If they had maintained the same pacing as with the first couple of stories or didn't reduce character developments, it would have been much more entertaining. Unfortunate.
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Okay, I really, really tried and wanted to finish this series. Accepted that this was the feel of a daytime soap opera where everything is dramatized and nothing really made sense or flowed well. They threw in as much dramatic effects as possible with car chases in miraculously empty highways, doppelgangers, coincidences that should only occur in a town with less than a hundred population, etc. It really did no justice for two of the mains portrayed by Ji Sung and Kim Min Jung, as they are the only ones to look forward to on screen. The rest of the mains were incredibly annoying and hypocritical and were a really poor balance to the "Devil Judge". They come off as arrogant and self-righteous fools who only create more problems than solve any. They whine, cry, criticize, and complain but have no abilities to do anything about the situations, and yet they end up relying on the same ones they continuously bash over and over again.
Even ignoring glaring issues like with the Park Jin Young character who is supposed to be a judge idol but yet, he can just casually go on his investigations without being recognized? Or the fact that while he apparently worked so hard to become a judge (even though it was handed to him), he gave attitude to his employer over and over right off the bat? And despite being overly vocal about being lawful and moral, he judges his boss pretty much immediately, plants a listening bug in his office, and then invades his privacy in his own home while he was being taken care of? Then there's his equally arrogant cop girlfriend who illegally provides him with information and equipment.
What finally made me throw my hands in the air in defeat was when that incompetent and useless cop girlfriend decided it was a fantastic idea to approach a mob of troublemakers by herself, leave the handicap niece in the car, and expect things will go smoothly just because she whipped out a gun? Then, when the guys come to their rescue, she turns around to point a gun at the uncle because he's pissed off and has the assailant by the neck? Then says she's going to arrest HIM instead? Furthermore, the niece also acts up like her usual prissy brat self even though she's the one who called him begging for help?
There's just too many annoying aspects to list and I can't stand characters who want to juice the hell out of their life traumas as if they are the only ones in the world who have them. The overall plot had good potential and Ji Sung and Kim Min Jung carried their roles well, but the annoyances from the others have become overwhelming and I'm done trying.
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Rewatch review...
My initial review of this series came at a time when I was just getting back into C-dramas and was highly critical of the lack of depth with the more modern evolution of them. But after a few years of watching enough of these more modern series, I've grown more accustomed and decided to re-watch this one again. My initial score was an overall 6 at the time.I've upgraded the score this time around to be closer in line on the comparisons to other more modern series. And while this one still has its flaws, it was more enjoyable this second time around having become more forgiving with accepting the quality and having seen plenty of more horrendous ones.
Pros:
-- The friendships are very endearing in this one. Particularly between our main protagonist, his disciple, and his former "enemy". The supporting cast also do a pretty good job with building up their bond.
-- It's nice that while there is a main underlying mystery to uncover, the series follows a variety of cases that are solved by the ML which keeps the plot flow moving along.
-- Thankfully, the romance aspect in the series is kept at a minimum.
-- Multiple people undergo some level of character development which was appreciated.
Cons:
-- As with many other modern series, the dialogues sometimes feel shallow and predictable.
-- The resolution to the cases are a mixed bag. Some are intriguing as they try to consistently add a twist but others feel too convenient (easily finding the item they need or coming across a hint they just happened to overlook).
-- There are some sections where it felt like the scenario moved far too quickly and other sections that dragged on for too long.
-- Because there's so much going on with the series, it left a lot of room for plot holes.
-- (Slight spoiler) I would have preferred the ending of the original novel even if it is pretty depressing. There's a time and place to keep certain endings open-ended but it felt a bit pointless in this one.
The acting and action scenes are also pretty average but nonetheless it's still enjoyable. Of the main MLs, Li Lian Hua was the most convincing but also because he's usually cool-headed. The actor for Fang Duo Bing didn't emote very well but he manages to still be quite charming and was a much needed character to really make the series come together.
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The narrative starts off pretty well but the overall plot declines steadily thereafter. The crime-solving aspect of the series is subpar and there's pretty much no character development. Based off the camera work, it has a low budget feel, which wouldn't matter as much if all else was done well. But it's as if they tried to take all the ingredients that are successful in other crime series and mashed it all together hoping for a well-done dish. All the characters remained one-noted and you don't get attached to any of them. I thought the concept of helping the dead would have been one of the highlights but they also don't have much value. Unfortunately, it didn't cut it in the entertainment or emotional triggering areas.
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A second watch review
The series is just as good as I remember so I've kept the score the same. Although there are plenty of crime series out there, this one shines for multiple reasons:-- The lineup of actors are fantastic and they all mesh really well together. The bonds between the group is weighed heavy but this is also why it feels real.
-- Although the series revolves mostly around the mystery of a violent crime, almost each episode just slowly peels off one layer of the unknown at a time with great pacing.
-- There are many times I really want to reach into the screen to grab the arrogant and young male lead... and just shake him really hard. His actions and mentality were so irking but you will eventually empathize with him as his past unravels and as he learns to face himself.
-- Although the situations feel quite depressing at times as you are introduced to many individuals with some heavy and complex trauma that they live with, it also manages to create a nice wrapping of warmth. Our "darker" male lead will also give you quite a few laughs just because of who he is.
-- Although a tad gruesome at times maybe for some, there isn't an over-dramatization of crime scenes. It isn't one of those that tries to play CSI but it still respects common sense. I really appreciate this actually. It didn't need any of the unnecessary addition for it to be intriguing.
My only nits are that they sometimes repeat flashback scenes a little too much but this is probably needed if you aren't binge-watching. And as mentioned above, the young lead just irks you quite often with his personality for quite some episodes but also as mentioned, he does make up for it well. Highly recommended for those who enjoy crime dramas without all the showy aspects. Even at a second watch, I still didn't feel the need to speed up any of the episodes.
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Mixed feelings
We all know crime series are dramatized for entertainment. I'm usually happy with it as long as there aren't any glaring laziness or sloppiness around the lowest bar of common sense. This one was done relatively well in terms of how they analyzed and resolved the different crime cases. And because the cases are mostly episodic, I don't fault the speed of the resolutions either because they did a decent job in wrapping each one up. However, around the underlying case that connects the two male leads together - this one leaned toward some goofiness.Nevertheless, I quite liked the character of Shen Yi and how his life evolved from his experiences. I even enjoyed how he uses his extreme artistic and analytical skills to help solve pretty much every case. And if my art classes were taught the way he taught his, I think I might have deeper appreciation of art in general. But... I'm not the biggest fan of his partner and this is what made me want to drop the series a couple of times. Although they tried to cast him as a hot-headed but capable detective, his hypocrisy and inability to empathize was annoying for me. They had him learn to trust Shen Yi over time to but he had pretty much no character growth at all. He didn't give a crap about how his words impacted Shen Yi's youth when he unfairly blamed him for everything. Then instead of developing a real connection as partners, it just felt like he was using him and protecting him for his own selfish reasons. He never tried to understand Shen Yi's pain and only cared about his own.
So overall, the main reason why I watched the series was because of Shen Yi and the episodic crime cases. These two factors kept it entertaining alongside good and steady pacing. There was pretty no room for lag as they jumped into cases almost immediately after the prior one is resolved. It also isn't one of those where everyone involved is melodramatic which is a nice change. If they had only done a better job with Du Cheng's character, I would have given this a higher rating but also note that this aspect was a personal pet peeve.
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Slightly overhyped
The main highlight of the show is our actors and particularly our three main male leads. They did a fantastic job in their roles for such young folks and were really able to emote well. The other main draw is the bond between two of the male leads and the way their friendship develops so naturally and in raw form.I can see why this series is so highly rated. A story of bullying in various forms and how people can snap when pushed too far. Then there's the friendship with the lonely ML who did his best to simply keep to himself and for the world to just leave him be versus the sincere ML who would be the first one to make him genuinely smile for the first time. The dialogue between them are also written really well.
But what I didn't like about the series is the plot flow and the situations they kept finding themselves in. It's not that it isn't realistic but there were certain scenes with plot holes and certain people they zoomed in on initially but then just dropped out of the plot completely.
The takeaway from the series and from personal experience - Let insecure people hang out with other insecure people where they'll eventually take themselves out amongst each other. They really aren't worth much investment and they aren't worth feeling sorry for. And if someone is willing to betray you even once for even a minor matter, no matter what the reason, they definitely need to be kept at a distance. But if you're fortunate enough to find a friend like the two MLs, just one of them is worth a lifetime.
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Good premise with a strong start
I've been really exhausted of the whole reincarnation or transmigration theme and was wary of attempting this particular series for the reason. But thankfully, the reincarnation aspect wasn't deterring particularly I think because it wasn't another one of those modern day office worker who gets sent back into history. At least this one is within the same time period.The plot was quite intriguing in the beginning and the concept that the Fl and ML lead completely different lives previously was actually very appealing as well as the way fate linked these two strangers together. It was also nice to see a pretty competent FL who stayed steady through the series although they still placed a slightly too heavy of an emphasis on her role. And as for reviewers who criticize the ML for not being as capable, they likely haven't experienced severe trauma before. I praise the FL for her abilities but her painful experiences pale in comparison to the ML which is why they actually do make a great match. He has been betrayed in the worst of ways and has experienced heavy loss back-to-back but yet was still incredibly capable on his own even before he met her. As the FL mentioned, he's the type who directly faces on his foes instead of going the roundabout manipulative way. And she is someone who couldn't trust men anymore because of her parents astray relationship. She offered him compassion which eased his anger and he opened up her trust. Their skill-sets combined is what makes them formidable.
Although the underlying story was decent, the plot did feel draggy at times and the dialogues between the main couple started to feel repetitive. The dialogue and scenarios also started to slowly get more corny compared the strong start in the beginning. Because of this, I started to disconnect emotionally towards the latter half. I think if they had focused more on the supporting characters and their backgrounds instead of so much screen time of them just hanging out... it could have really been elevated.
Nevertheless, it's a still pretty good watch for those who enjoy a strong couple who strategize together against their foes and have run out of other series within this micro-genre to try.
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A lightweight drama
Of all the "female general" themes where the woman disguises herself as a man, this isn't the best but it's also far from the worst. And the female actress did a pretty fantastic job in being believable in her different personality modes. The story itself is relatively straight-forward with a decent plot pace. You have a few tropes here and there with a doppelganger and situations that just happen to be placed perfectly with everyone happening to come across someone. But it's also a series that you aren't supposed to take too seriously and one to just enjoy for the characters and their interactions.While it's slightly a little too heavy handed on the number of couples and their romances for me personally, it was still at least done in an acceptable way. It's also one of the few series where I really think the 2ML is a much better fit for the FL. There is some chemistry with the main ML and the FL but there was just so much more with the 2ML. Especially because he's far more capable and was also the only one who immediately appreciated her for herself unlike the main ML. So the few drops of tears that fell from the series were for the 2ML.
I think this is a good series to try if you're looking for a good balance of genres between politics, romance, humor, etc. There isn't anything that is done too heavy-handed and there aren't excessive melodramatic tragedies to sit through. Most of the actors did a really good job in bringing out their characters and while the series isn't one to be the most memorable, I still appreciated its entertainment.
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A crime genre overlayed with charm and silliness
This was an entertaining and charming series that encounter multiple crime arcs with our group of feisty individuals. The main character highlight would be Dongbang Yu Bin who really showed great leadership over the team. The pacing was pretty steady with each arc taking up two or three episodes. The crimes themselves were somber but the approach to resolving them included a mixture of over-the-top humor as well as a more intricate analysis from Dongbang. I appreciated how they highlighted the clues to his method allowing the audience to actually think for themselves a little.As for the team, my biggest gripe is how little character development there was with them. It would have been great to have seen a more toned down incompetence with the new leadership. But at the same time, their flaws also makes them quite realistic as it's hard for people to change. The leadership approach from Dongbang is also really well done. He doesn't try to change them and never even really punishes them for their mistakes. Instead, he finds ways to work with their strengths and simply accepts their weaknesses. Nevertheless, it seems the producers just wanted to really emphasize the humorous aspect to it instead of finding a better balance. With this note, they also could have toned down on the bodily function scenes because after the first or second time, it stopped being funny.
Overall, this is a good series to pick up if you want to see a feel-good team bond who tackles multiple crime scenarios and have a few laughs along the way.
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Should have been shorter
The first half of the series was pretty good. It's one of the rare ones where the female lead is actually truly able to hold her own. The beginning is action-filled with the assassination theme before it teeters heavily into war scenes and palace politics. But here's what trailed off for me:-- The female lead was a tough character initially but she softens heavily once she acquires a family and a lover. Although you still see some of her initial traits throughout, she does change quite significantly.
-- The chemistry was there between the ML/FL initially but after they FINALLY get together, there was too many lovey scenes of them having repetitive small couple talk. I skipped through a lot of this.
-- Although there were plenty of traitors as with the typical palace politics, it was nice to see some steady loyalties between the characters and particularly with the unloved Empress. But they really just offed too many people and the antagonists got off way too easy.
-- The plot was initially also pretty intriguing but it gets more and more muddled. The insertion of the couple's happy times also weren't really placed very well especially after so many deaths. There was also some random inserts of characters that felt really off like the youngest son's love interest. It's as if she was a filler for the sake of balancing out the tragedies.
-- And man, over 50 episodes were way too long for the point the story was trying to make. After uncovering too many layers of masterminds, it started to get numbing.
-- The poisoning aspect was also really over-repetitive.
-- The last episode was completely unnecessary and should have been left out.
Overall, it's one of those series where you feel compelled to finish because there are enough interesting characters involved and you've become invested. I did choose to make the effort to speed through the latter half for completion.
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Memorable with unique setup of mysteries
The start of the series was fantastic with the depiction of an every day couple living out their lives normally to suddenly getting drawn into the unfolding of many secrets. The unexpected turn of events will have you on the edge of the seat in anticipation of what is going down. After reading the summary, I had held off on this for a while because it sounded like another merchant-political driven story line that will drag on around this "ship case". But this definitely wasn't the case. Although it does hover over a main arc, the leads encounter numerous mysteries that are individual cases on its own. And though not perfect, the mystery plots here are done much better than some series that are specifically geared for it.It's actually quite refreshing as well to see a couple who came from different walks of life. One from the streets and one with a scholar background. It depicts how despite the one "more sheltered" would have no idea what it feels like to grow up in the ghetto, he was still quite capable of protecting his wife in his own way. As for the rest of the family, while it's quite convenient for each member to have different and high capabilities, it is refreshing to see how each member actually had value to add.
The main flaw for me was the plot flow does start to slow down quite a bit after the initial arc. But not really to the point where you will feel the need to speed up the scenes. It just takes a different shift from the initial impression. I also do wish that more time was spent on the aftermath development of the relationships between the characters. There were many established bonds that kind of fell of because they wanted to continue moving the plot forward. So while events do trigger emotions, it was more of a tear or two instead of heavy tear-jerking. The ending also didn't feel completely satisfactory but I still appreciated that it wasn't a complete tragedy of even more deaths.
The other two nice perks with the series is that 1) I expected it to be completely somber but there is more than plenty of humorous moments that will make you smile and bond with the characters and 2) the tidbits of the historical facts with the Song dynasty at the end of each episode was a nice touch.
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