cyau723

I finally finished. I found and watched the last four episodes outside Netflix. I must say I am a little disappointed that I had guessed right. The show surprised me a few times with the twists and turns as the mystery unfolds, but the ending itself was a bit predictable. Still, the acting is spot-on, and the passing of the torch from Lao He to Xiao Ran to Xiao He is so touching. It was a great bittersweet ending to a tightly plotted and engaging show.

I started last night and have binged through all 8 episodes. This show is awesome! It hits all the right spots for me - good fast-paced action, great cast chemistry, no whiny annoying characters, and no romance.

There is so much negativity these days. I miss this kind of straightforward old-fashioned wuxia action with justice and camaraderie and kindness to less unfortunate at its core.

Nostalgia aside, I love that the FL is not interested in romance until she has a chance to see the world and decides for herself what she wants. I love the bickering and playfulness and mutual respect between the cat and mouse (ML and SML). I am eagerly and impatiently waiting for more episodes.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I think the last 4 costume drama I watched has poisoned/sick ML. I don't like the trope in general but I don't mind it here. In the older Justice Bao shows , the only way to get Zhan Zhao is to poison or drug him (so it's not the first time :P )

I am not a big fan of that. But ML fight scenes are so great as with him in that shape, so it's probably necessary for him to not be at full power to create some suspense.

Yes, I have seen those and Kenny Ho is my favorite Zhan Zhao :) Second for now is Vincent Chao from Seven Heroes and five gallant (from 1994?) but Yang Yang is getting close. His fight scenes are so awesome and I love the "I am noble but can be sneaky if needed" vibe.

I agree. Technically, Bai Yu Tong isn't safe either. I have not seen any adaptation that dares kill off the mouse but given the original work, it is not impossible

I am so excited. I have loved Justice Bao and Zhan Zhao since my childhood (in the 90s). I watch almost all shows inspired by or related to these characters. I just binged the 1st three episodes. The action and pacing are great. Yang Yang is top 3 on my favorite Zhan Zhao list. I can't wait to see what his chemistry will be like with this show's Bai Yu Tong. The rivalry and friendship between the cat/mouse is usually one of the big highlights for me.

I started watching Monday and I'm now caught up (finished 19). Having to wait a day for each episode is going to be so painful!! The show is so good. I want to know if my suspicion is right!

I am not liking the 2002 timeline as much as the other two. It started well and then slowed with the Xiao He storyline. Even if it's important to the overall story later, I find her as a teenager annoying and the arc boring. They already introduced the trafficking idea in 2015, so that storyline just feels like an unneeded distraction from the central mystery.

This is such an engaging show. I binged the first 14 episodes in 3 days. It has kept me guessing and I can't wait to see what the truth is. I have my suspicions but we'll see. Few shows can surprise me and this one is shaping up to be one if those. Kudos to the screenwriter. The cast did an amazing job too. I feel so bad for He Yuan Hang. I wish episodes will come out more quickly....

I really liked the first season. I finally get around to watching S2. But for some reason, I find the two leads very wooden this time. I don't really see any chemistry. It's been a long time since S1, but I remembered thinking the two being cute together before. It's like they are trying too hard to act lovey-dovey. Hopefully they'll settle in and act more natural as the show goes on

This show started so well. The story is engaging and fast paced and the chemistry is good. But like many cdramas I have recently watched, the final arc went way downhill. A lot of plot elements doesn't make sense; and the resolution of the mystery of the treasure was a letdown. It’s like they ran out of ideas towards the end.

I took a break to accumulate episodes so I can binge. I love the characters and chemistry but the cases have been quite predictable and the pacing feels uneven. Some cases are engaging and move quickly, some just drags on.

We are finally getting some clues about the FL's family case, and the very next one (the "white god" case) felt like a filler that isn’t that interesting and doesn't advance the main plot. It just killed the momentum. They have 8 episodes left and I worry the show will rush the ending like most cdramas I've watched recently.

But the student was talking to professor about the opportunity to mass produce the drug and he said no. That is why the student planned to set up new shop, and the professor reported him.

Even if the original drug isn't the exact same as the one the professor made for research, he is behind the new drug that is being massed produced. Why do they need the old formula when the new one is supposed to have improved properties? It does not make sense.

It was shaping up so well until the final few episodes. How did the master drug maker not know his own formula and need it from the ML? I don’t think the plot of the final case made sense at all. It's a real shame that so many cdrama I've watched recently have anticlimactic endings.

Some additional recs:
Kdrama - Crash, Face me.
Jdrama - don't call it mystery
Cdrama - love me if you dare, Dr. Qin (especially 1st season just don't watch when eating) , Checkmate
Australian show: Harrow
US show (same actor as Harrow): Forever

I second most of the recs - especially Mysterious lotus casebook, strange tales of tang dynasty and wanted detective.

A few more for variety: (i) White Cat Legend if you like supernatural elements with your detective drama, (ii) Mirage if you don't mind low budget and like a single overarching mystery that is a unique, refreshing and fast-paced and genre blending and (iii) sleuth of ming dynasty if you like awesome SMLs supporting a great detective ML who is otherwise clueless.

Yeah, I am pleasantly surprised at how much I am liking this show. I especially like that it's a modern day Justice Bao re-imagjnation. It's familiar in a refreshing way.

It makes me nostalgic for shows with straightforward clear cut good vs evil characters. Most shows these days go for complex/ mysterious/ anti-hero type leads.

I am on episode 8 now. You are both right. The flower case is definitely faster pace and more interesting than the first case (which ended in ep4). The leads are starting to make a great team. I especially like the con they pulled, though that might be because I'm partial to the ML's white-haired disguise :P

I just started the show. This is my favorite genre, but for some reason, I can't get into it. The visuals are nice and I like the leads, but the opening mystery is a bit boring. Maybe it's because I just finished the mirage, which is low budget but refreshing and fast-paced. This show seems slow and like a mix of other shows I've seen before like strange tales of tang dynasty and imperial coroner. I will keep watching and hope the story picks up soon.