Worst Wuxia Drama of The Year

The production team has gravely assaulted the intelligence of the viewers and I’m a sucker for completing this lowly rated drama; all I had wanted was to find out who the super villain was. This drama has the same vibes and settings of a wuxia drama in the old days: bad plot, bad script, bad acting, bad screen play, bad camerawork, bad special effects, bad props, etc. I suspect that it was made years ago, only to be released now. Plot holes are everywhere making the whole drama leaking like a sieve. The beautiful posters of the main characters are really misleading, directly telling us don’t judge a book by its cover.

What I Like:
• A strong male lead character Chu Yun Xiao (Cai Jun Tao) who is strong and intelligent. He can fight with his fan and hit his opponents’ accupoints rendering them unable to move. These are very typical technics in a wuxia story.
• A genius doctor Leng Xing Chen (Zhang Nan) who can cure all ills.

What I Don’t Like:
• Super bad plot and bad writing. In trying to make the plot more fascinating, instead the poor script and screen writings have made the twists and turns even more frustrating to watch. The writers don’t even bother to cover the plotholes, and simply brush them over hoping viewers won’t notice. What looks like a mystery in the beginning with all the killings turns out to be inconsequential. The logic is bad and the actions are simplistic. The characters keep repeating their lines, saying the same words. At times, they're dumb like hell, at times they can see the future.
• Bad acting. The facial expressions of the actors are totally incoherent. The actors are unnatural, stiff, and overact. Most characters are not developed properly and are inconsistent, making them frustrating to watch.
• They use the same actor to play mother and daughter, they don’t even bother to make the mother look slightly older than the daughter.
• Camerawork is everywhere and haphazard.
• Fighting scenes are inconsistent. Sometimes Chu Yun Xiao can fight against hundreds of people and disarm them all; other times he can’t even fight a lowly servant even he’s not hurt himself. This inconsistency applies to many supposedly skilled martial art heroes who vow to fight and to protect, later end up dead or captured.
• The carelessness in dubbing is glaring – viewers can hear background voices of workers, script flipping sounds, some dialogues are inaudible, the mouth/voice not synching.

My Verdict
Watch at your own peril. Not recommended. Multiple times I had wanted to kill my TV. Don’t let your TVs or computers suffer the same fate as mine (my TV still survives).

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Struggle and Life of an Entertainment Artist

As always, Deng Lun's performance is top notch. And for that matter, Ma Si Chun is amazing. She is so natural and herself. I love Ni Hong Jie's and Han Tong Sheng's performances too. They are just like your everyday neighbors going about their everyday life. There's no pretense; everything is as it is.

All of us can relate to the story. Everything and everybody is realistic. There are no super wealthy and powerful people. There are no super nasty antagonists. It is just a story about normal people living a normal life. It is also the story of the arduous journey of an aspiring actor. Deng Lun has acted as if that's his own story, the struggle he has gone through himself before he achieves what he is today. It makes me wonder, what has Deng Lun lost himself, if any, over the years in his quest for success?

The story dwells deep into our own soul searching. What are we willing to sacrifice in order to realize our dreams? What do we really want in life? The road to success is usually laced with temptations. What is the price are we willing to pay to get it ( success)? Many people do feel lost and unhappy when success comes to them eventually. By then, many also realize they have lost what they love the most in their life - their family. Many have their regrets, but usually it's already too late.

The morale of the story is to know where to draw the line to safeguard what one values the most. Choosing and giving up a dream is very hard to do but maybe necessary.

As the saying goes, "Flowers can bloom again, but people cannot return to their youth ever". Hao Ze Yu (played by Deng Lun) initially interprets this as, "Don't waste time during your youth, go achieve your dreams". Not until he loses a loved one that he finally realizes the phrase actually means, "Treasure the people around you". What a valuable life lesson for us all.

Great drama! Great watch!

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Two thumbs up. Strongly recommended!

Finally, I completed watching this drama, almost 6 months after its airing. My delay in completing this drama was not only because it’s a long drama of over 70 episodes, but also for other reasons. This is a drama that is totally different from most other historical dramas – in visuals, sound effects, costumes, etiquettes, how people speak, how real families lived more than 1,000 years ago, to name a few. Unlike most historical Chinese dramas which emphasize on its beautiful eye-catching costumes, unreal politics and dramatic effects, “The Story of Ming Lan” tries to depict how the Chinese society was like more than 1,000 years ago. The producers even used the sepia tone effect to capture the mood, making it even more so authentic. How accurate such depiction is to actual life in that era perhaps only historians can tell.

The real reason for my delay was how much I relished this drama that I didn’t want to simply skimp through the episodes without truly understanding and appreciating every nuance of the story. I researched into Chinese history of the Song Dynasty, in particular during that era, and tried to understand its social ethics and geo-politics.

The period depicted in this drama is a very interesting one, with political turmoil and constant worries of foreign invasion from the north. All these political upheaval and socio-cultural scenes were captured realistically in the drama.

I love the OST of this drama, sung at the end of the episodes. The lyrics (also the Chinese title of this drama) was from a poem by a very famous female poet, Li Qingzhao, during that era. She was a rare breed, not only living in a suppressive environment in the Chinese society, also in the world. Her poems were mostly very free-spirited or of care-free style, something unthinkable from a woman of that era in that society.

It is painful to see how women were oppressed and suppressed in the orthodox conservative Chinese society, and such treatment of women is still prevalent in many modern societies. The glaring injustice in gender inequality is so entrenched in most cultures that it is literally an uphill battle if one wants to change it. Sadly, a lot of the enhancers for the inequality are also women themselves. On the brighter side, the current trend in women liberty is very encouraging especially in the western world. I hope, we will one day, truly achieve equality for all.

This drama is truly a gem, and one deserved to be watched and relished by all.

Two thumbs up. Strongly recommended!

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What Really Matters

This is a real-life story with characters who may realistically reflect ourselves and people around us. It has intense office politics with people trying to backstab each other and unreasonable demands from their superiors. It explores the relationships between couples who are trying to achieve their ultimate goals, and in the process, losing everything. It tries to answer the question: What really matters?

Story Overview
This is a story about three best friends, their relationships with their respective partners and their struggles living in Shanghai. One is a workaholic - ambitious, independent and magnanimous. In the process to achieve her dreams, she sacrifices her health and the thing that means the most to her: the man who loves her and she loves. The second one is a mother who wants the best future for her daughter hence immerses herself into everything she can possibly do for her 4-year old. In the process, she is blinded by everything and destroys her own happy family. The third girl is an ultra-materialistic girl who works as a waitress and spends all her money on handbags and fashions. She constantly seeks out the best suitor - wealthy and handsome. In her quest for the fattest goldfish, she doesn’t see the little angel fish waiting silently right beside her.

The second part of the story details how the three friends pick up their shattered pieces and rebuild their life. Li Siyu (Liu Shi Shi) realizes failure is the mother of success, and it is not success that she should seek relentlessly, but it's the process of achieving it that she should relish in. Zhang Zhi Zhi (Kan Qing Zi) realizes that she needs to build her confidence by enriching herself so that she doesn't need to depend on anyone. Gu Xiao Ling (Chen Ya Ting) realizes that life should not be dictated by wealth and let herself becoming a slave to it. The ending is very appropriate for all the main characters meeting their own fates: the ones who persevere get rewarded and the ones who go under the law get punished.

There are many conflicts we may encounter in our own life and in our relationships: career or family; should a woman marry for financial security or for love; should a man marry a woman who is only interested in his wealth; should a woman give an adulterous husband a second chance for the children’s sake; should a person remarry even if he/she still loves the other partner deeply (who may have died or being divorced); must a person get married; should a woman be dependent or independent; what criteria should be used to find one's life partner; should a woman consider giving everything for the family a sacrifice and if so, should she sacrifice for her family?

This drama brings out all the flaws in us as humans. There are moments one can be easily tempted and go off rail, as in Liu Yang (Peng Guan Ying) but fundamentally, he's a good father and a good person. Lei Hao Wen (Li Ze Feng) is also a good person who is kind and magnanimous, and a good friend who can be counted on. He just makes a wrong move out of desperation. Li Siyu has a lot of flaws too despite of all her qualities; she is too ambitious and high risk taking which may not fare well with many men including Chen Yiming (Zhu Yilong). And for Chen Yiming, like others, he has his flaws - he is over confident at first and loses all his confidence later and become insecure. I can identify myself with many of the characters here.

Like the characters in the story, many of us do lose ourselves from time to time. We make bad choices and set wrong priorities. We let materialism blind us. In answering the question what really matters, perhaps couples can work out their issues and avoid the pains like our characters are suffering in this drama.

Acting
Liu Shi Shi is a veteran actor, therefore, I judge her more stringently than how I judge younger actors. She gives a very good and convincing performance here as Li Siyu but occasionally I find her facial expressions confusing. Others may argue that this is good acting because in real life, one may need to subdue one’s expressions but still conveys the emotional messages. For me, Liu Shi Shi still hasn’t done this very well. In contrast with Zhu Yilong, as Chen Yiming, he manages to convey to the viewers all his emotions, without really that many facial expressions. A lock of his brows, a tilt at the corner of his lips, the sad look in his eyes, the flashings of his lashes – all these convey his emotional states and Zhu Yilong has given a 100% performance here.

The Message
Often in pursuit of our dreams, we get lost in the forest. We equate success with prestige, wealth and power. We replace our common sense with materialism, and in the process, sacrificing things that are most precious to us.

Ultimately, this story sends us a message: life can be complicated or simple depending on how we want to make it. It can and will be complicated if we have too many demands (eg. prestige, wealth and power); it can and will be simple if we look at what really matters in life, away from all the materialism.

My Verdict
This is a drama about life. No light-headed cute romance. No comedies. Everything is as how we live life ourselves - struggles, tears, broken hearts, failures, divorces, the craving for success, unemployment, capitalist greed, shady business dealings, office politics, work pressure, extra-marital affairs etc. It's a very down to earth and realistic drama for a very mature audience. It helps viewers look at themselves and ask questions about life. It is a thought-provoking story which should be enjoyed by all.

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Cutest Dark Lord Ever, Amazing Intense Love

Love Between Fairy and Devil has probably given the viewers the cutest and most desirable Dark Lord of the three realms, not to mention a gorgeous God of War of the Heavenly clan as well. Between them, a love triangle ensues. The vivacious little orchid fairy who is kind and optimistic, living with the Heavenly clan, chooses the Dark Lord instead, a love that is forbidden, almost like a Romeo and Juliet romance. Within the first episode, I fall immediately in love with the story, the characters and the acting.

He wants to protect her with all the power he has; she wants to be treated as equal, sharing joy and pain with him. What follows is a beautiful love story of a ruthless dark lord with a gentle and loving fairy who eventually melts the heart of the devil who has no emotions.

This drama is adapted from the novel "Cang Lan Jue" which was also made into an anime. According to many readers, the drama version is more enjoyable and the Dong Fang Qing Cang character is better written and developed. For me, I'm totally sold by this character. Here we have a Dark Lord that tries to save and protect his people, a heavenly realm that swears to kill all those it considers as evil, and a a fairy who heals and wants peace for all realms.

Void of feelings, the Dark Lord Dong Fang Qing Cang (played by Wang Hedi aka Dylan Wang) is such an amazing character. Being the strongest and most powerful of all the characters with his deadly hell fire, he is overbearing and atrocious. Wang Hedi’s acting is so good and convincing here. He has the rare charisma of being cold and authoritative, but not being stiff like a robot that is usually portrayed by many other actors. His facial expression is simply amazing with a hint of evilness (妖气) and yet at times, viewers can feel his resignation and turmoil within. The actor is very good looking. He can look very serious and arrogant, with large eyes that can look devilish, so he looks very frightening when Dong Fang Qing Cang is in a rage. But at a flip of the switch, he can look totally silly and harmless like a hush puppy. At only 23, Wang Hedi's acting is very mature. I really love his portrayal of the Dong Fang Qing Cang character and he has aced his role hands down; no others can match him. Together with an incredible CGI team, the result is a perfect Dark Lord that everyone fears and loves. I don't have enough of his scenes and for once, I wish the drama had been longer.

Xiao Lan Hua, literally means Little Orchid, played by Yu Shuxin, is equally believable. Yu Shuxin has a very girly, pure and innocent look, and with her ethereal beauty, she is perfect for the role as a little fairy. Her acting is natural and convincing, but when it comes to becoming the Dark Lord as he possesses her body, she is lacking a bit; she looks more like a half-sleep dream walker. Luckily there are not that many of such scenes and she hasn't brought the story down. Xiao Lan Hua later transforms into a goddess who has a totally different personality, and Yu Shuxin manages that role very well; she is very convincing. Many viewers also commented on her voice which she self-dubbed. I find her voice suits the role very well as a little girl who is so pure and innocent.

This drama also gives us a gorgeous second male lead, Chang Heng played by Zhang Linghe. The actor made his debut in 2020 in Maiden Holmes and has since made several well-rated dramas. As with Wang Hedi, Zhang Linghe also plays two characters in this drama: the cold, aloof ethereal God of War, Chang Heng, and the warm and flamboyant human character, Xiao Run. Both roles are being executed convincingly and flawlessly.

Everything about this drama is well thought out for most parts – the script writing, the directing, the camera work, the CGI, the costumes, and most of all, the selection of actors and their respective acting. The storytelling is cohesive and intelligent, and the costumes are so well designed that by themselves, tell the story of our characters visually. The dialogues are funny and cute especially those that uttered by the Dark Lord. The music is beautiful, in particular, the instrumental tune blown by the grey character Ron Hao (played by Xu Haiqiao) on the flute. The music brings out the melancholy and yearning for a loved one, with a love story that is sad and beautiful. The plot is easy to understand, and yet, there are twists and turns that sit the viewers up. I really love the conceptual architecture of Xiao Lan Hua's abode which is surreal and aesthetic.

Re-watch? Absolutely! I would never have enough of Wang Hedi's scenes here. The story is dark and serious, and yet it is also tear-jerking and full of humors and very funny. It captures the viewers' hearts and emotions. After the final showdown and climax, the ending seems a bit lackluster and disappointing. Proper justice has not been done for Dong Fang Qing Cang to vindicate him from some of the killings he hasn't done, and another character escapes with impunity. As with most Chinese dramas, the writing of the final two episodes weakens with a lack of imagination, and is not as compelling as the beginning. I wish the production team had been more creative with the final scene, instead of a mere banal line of, "I'm back". Nonetheless, it hasn't reduced my enjoyment. Overall, this is a great watch and strongly recommended. MUST WATCH!

TWO THUMBS UP! BRAVO!

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Racism Stems from Ignorance

This drama is touching a chord of our current society on the racial issue that has been propelled to the forefront of our lives and is compelling all to come to its reckoning. As we can see gradually from the drama, racism stems from ignorance. This is the story about the human race and the Kunwu race, and their hatred for each other. As always, the human race is the destructive race, killing as many of the Kunwu as possible because humans feel that Kunwus are atrocious and bad.

After the killings, many Kunwus are left scattered, scared and hopeless. Their only hope is to raise their king, who has been sealed by the human race for 10 years, from his slumber so that the Kunwu race can be freed again. Of course, the human race fights tooth and nail to stop this from happening. At the end of the story, the human race realizes their flawed perception of the Kunwu race. Indeed we can all live harmoniously together in peace if we treat each other more kindly.

Su You Lian (Wu Jia Yi), a holy girl from the Kunwu race, comes to live among the human race in the Moyun Academy where the Dragon King is kept sealed. Her mission is to wake the Kunwu King. There at the Academy, she meets Li Xuan (Xu Kai) who is the protector of the human race. Unbeknownst to both, Li Xuan is half human and half Kunwu. They both fall head-over-toe in love with each other, and their conflict renders them in emotional turmoil.

The whole drama almost revolves around life in the Academy. It starts off with a lot of comedies as Li Xuan is an untamed kid and Xu Kai’s acting is fabulous. However, as the story progresses, the later episodes become more somber, and Li Xuan becomes serious as he grows.

Wu Jia Yi is a fantastic dancer. Her dancing scenes in the beginning episode are mesmerizing. As Su You Lian, she is tormented as she knows she’s not supposed to fall in love with the enemy. I love Wu Jia Yi’s acting. She depicts a Kunwu character so well as she exudes that unspoken charisma.

There are multiple love triangles here, but both Su You Lian’s and Li Xuan’s love for each other is unwavering despite their conflicts. A lot of time is spent on the emotional turmoil undergone by Su You Lian and heart brokenness by Li Xuan.

Once Li Xuan discovers his own true identify and Su You Lian completes her mission, the story comes to a conclusion very quickly. Like many other Chinese historical dramas where endings are shoddy with characters being written off in death, this drama follows that path. But to my surprise and perhaps to placate the viewers, the dead characters are somehow, miraculously resurrected.

Overall, this drama is not exceptional but watchable as it’s a mixture of being light and humorous to occasional heart wrenching. The CGI is like what you see in a computer game; in fights, people simply jump up and off the roofs and everywhere on the screen. The plot is pretty straightforward and easy to follow. Though not perfect, I have rather enjoyed it.

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Cutest CEO in Love

This is a sweet, sweet, sweet romance comedy. It also has a love triangle, or love square rather. Basically it’s a story of a want-to-be female actor meets cold, wealthy, young, good looking CEO and both fall in love rather quickly. The storyline is cliché and tropey. However, I have to say I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the whole drama because of its wonderful actors. If you have watched My Girlfriend is an Alien, this drama has the same vibes.

Ye Fei Mo (Lawrence Wong) is perhaps the funniest cold CEO I’ve ever seen. Lawrence Wong the actor is not that tall compared with contemporary Chinese actors, but he is extremely good looking with a crazy physique. He definitely has the charisma of a successful CEO who doesn’t come under the control of his family. I really enjoy watching Ye Fei Mo’s hilarious and silly meanness and bossiness, and his unreasonable demands which can be changed as according to his whims. As much as we hate an authoritarian government, being bossy in a jealous boyfriend can be cute to watch, though not tolerable in real life. Ye Fei Mo rehearses his lines, or his expressions repeatedly to find the perfect one, and the process is simply hilarious to see such accomplished CEO overthinking such trivial matters because he’s head over heels in love. Lawrence Wong delivers every time with his little hidden smirks here and there. His tenderness mixes with bossiness is really a joy to watch, and I laugh out loud each time. Lawrence Wong’s crying scene is epic; he’s so convincing, perhaps the best crying from a male actor. Great acting.

Ye Fei Mo’s love, Wen Xiao Nuan (Xu Hao) is a pragmatic, down-to-earth, hardworking girl trying to save the legacy of her parents’ theater arts. Xu Hao is a wonderful actor. Her portrayal of Wen Xiao Nuan is authentic, lovable and convincing. Perhaps an accomplished ballet dancer in real life, Wen Xiao Nuan’s intensive training is executed beautifully with actual dance movements by the actor herself; she has great poise and she is simply amazing.

For once, I love a powerful wealthy CEO’s mom, Big Princess (played by Li Ying) as nicknamed by her son Fei Mo. She’s shrewd and knows her son inside out. There are a couple of side couples with rather deep character development. I really enjoy watching the Gu Yun Zhou character (Wu Hao Ze) though the acting part is not top notched. Having said that, we can tell the actor is working hard to bring out his best performance, and I commend him for that.

This drama also reminds us the power of social media. It can create as well as destroy, especially in the entertainment industry which is the setting of this drama. One of the main flaws for me, apart from some of the logic, is perhaps the outfits of the actors. It appears that they wear the same outfits for days and for various different events (I understand that they may have shot the scenes on the same days, but still, these are the little details Chinese dramas tend not to take care of). I also find the complexion of the actors almost totally whitewashed. Though looking beautiful without blemishes, they look very unrealistic.

The last scene of the last episode reveals the identify of the mysterious girl with the “birthmark” who has also rescued Ye Fei Mo from drowning years ago. This is a great ending with all loose ends closed, rewards awarded and justice served.

If you want a good laugh and don’t mind the repeated storyline, this is a good drama to put on your to-watch list.

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When You Live, I Live

This is a long awaited drama of Ren Jialun after Under The Power. Ren Jialun’s characters have normally been cold, few words, serious and somber. In this drama, Ren Jialun plays a totally different character from what he normally does. Nalan Yue (Ren Jialun aka Allen Ren) is chatty, silly, and playful. It’s really fun to watch the other side of the actor and I have enjoyed this face of him.

The story is about two young people from two very powerful but opposition sect families falling in love. Her family has annihilated his whole family and he wants revenge, but they’re so in love with each other and they’re in a dilemma. As the events unfold, we begin to see how much the two leads’ love for each other, making the title Love A Lifetime very appropriate.

At the beginning episodes, I was totally flummoxed. I wasn’t sure if I were watching a rom-com or a serious wuxia/xianxia story; I had expected a more somber drama. Things, including deaths, are taken lightly. There are a lot of comedic scenes. As the story progresses, plot holes surface everywhere with low level logic. The plot is in fact quite shallow and predictable, made worse by the poor editing which is disjointed and confusing. I’m utterly confused by the characters. Their actions do not match how the characters have been developed. When the situation calls for seriousness, the people act funny and silly; when it's supposed to be light-hearted, they talk as if they are in mourning. Most of the comic relieves are mis-timed. Their dialogues are shallow and simplistic, lacking common sense and not matching up to the situations. By the end of the drama, I still can’t bring myself to hate the supposedly most vile character – Mo Huan. In fact, she’s my most favorite character. To me, she’s a badass, despite how fearful everyone are feeling towards her and how despicable she is from their mouths. She’s supposed to be evil and atrocious, however her actions on screen contradict that. Even though she has her ulterior motive, she has rescued almost everyone. I would rather she kills or dismembers those who betray her to fit into her fearsome title, instead, we get her telling them to go and whack themselves 20 times.

Until the end of the drama, I still cannot say I love the 2 main leads. Their personalities are simply confusing. I do enjoy watching Nalan Yue – at least he’s everywhere rescuing everyone (everyone seems to have the ability to teleport). But I can’t say the same for Rong Hua (Zhang Hui Wen). Her acting is lacking. Her facial expression is plainly blank, and she’s stiff; she’s so unnatural that her body language is all wrong. Despite they’re lovers, I don’t feel any romance between them. There's no passion and the relationship feels platonic.

I do enjoy a lot of the sword fighting scenes by Ren Jia Lun and Lin Yuan. Their wirefu scenes are very good especially for Lin Yuan, descending from above like an ominous devil in red. I have also enjoyed some of the dark humors.

All in all, I have not relished this drama as much as I would like to have. Though I love the underlying message – power blinds – which applies appropriately even to today’s politics, the plot is all over the place. Poor screen play, poor script writing, poor logic, this drama has failed to capture my emotions, hence, a disappointment for me.

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Light-hearted with Laughter and Tears

Watching The Starry Love in the context of today’s discord world of hegemony, I couldn’t help but relate it as a satire of the current world’s geo-politics: everyone wants to be the hegemon. The heavenly and the demonic realms are the two superpowers here in the story, trying to take on each other to dominate. The heavenly emperor is selfish, corrupt, and atrocious (sounds familiar?) while the demonic king is the equivalent but with a different ending (you may ask why).

Despite its heavy undertone of geo-politics, this drama is light-hearted. Along with its main plot, it also depicts the issues faced by many parents today: even the god, demon and beast people have parenting problems. Shao Dian You Qin (Chen Xingxu) falls in love with Princess Li Guang Ye Tan (Li Landi aka Landy Li) whom he couldn’t wed because of a bridal switch; he defies his father and runs away (kind of). The Third Prince of the demonic realm, Chao Feng (Chen Hailiang aka Luke Chen), falls in love with Princess Li Guang Qing Kui (He Xuanlin) who is meant for the regent, and they elope. Even the crown prince of the animal realm, Di Lan Jue (Qin Tianyu), constantly defies his father and leaves home. (Therefore parents, you are not alone.)

The ideas of bridal switches and cross racial marriages (in this case, cross realms) are not new. How all these are being put together with heaven switching into hell, or mortal switching into animal realm, takes some imagination, brilliant storytelling, acting and cinematography. As the story develops its characters, jokes almost take over to show the audience the individuals' personalities. It captures various human relationships, such as the kind and loving mothers as in the heavenly queen and the demonic concubine (Chao Feng’s mom) with their sons, contrasting the atrocious fathers as in the heavenly emperor and demonic king, the bonded sisterly relationship, the friendship and platonic love between the main characters etc. The drama is full of funny dialogs (the dialogs between Chao Feng and his side kick are some of the funniest and loveliest) and paradoxes, and yet it also comes with heart-felt wrenching pains in separation and deaths.

In terms of acting, a big applause for the whole cast for putting up a brilliant performance, from the main leads to the supporting. I fell in love with Chen Xingxu (Shao Dian You Qin, Mei You Qin, La Mu, Wen Ren) in “Goodbye My Princess” and here, he lives up to his expectation. He has matured a lot since then (Goodbye My Princess). Playing five distinctive characters, Chen Xingxu aces them all, with the final character an embodiment of all the previous four. As always, he is totally immersed in his roles. Though not listed on the Top 10 most popular Chinese actors, Chen Xingxu is one of the best young Chinese actors.

Li Landi’s acting is convincing and she has an adorable badass charisma which viewers love. As Ye Tan, Li Landi makes the viewers empathize with all her misfortunes and cheer for her courage. She has delivered a very lovable Ye Tan and has an undeniable chemistry with Chen Xingxu.

The second couple’s story is well developed and beautiful. As the ever-loving sister, Qing Kui is graceful and beautiful. I really love He Xuanlin’s portrayal of the character whose love and sacrifice are very convincing. Last but not least, I want to commend Chen Hailiang’s portrayal as Chao Feng. This is his first role as a main lead. He exudes the charisma as a kind, but at times, not so nice, dark prince (like a bad boy), and I love it. This is a complex character stuck in a tormenting environment for survival and Chen Hailiang nails it, with a lot of ironies and humors. Bravo!

My Verdict
The Starry Love is a very enjoyable drama that captures laughter and tears. Most of the characters are lovable and the selection of actors for the roles is appropriate. The costumes are beautiful - ethereal looking for the heavenly realm, dark and gothic for the demon sect, animalistic for the animal kingdom. The use of CGI is heavy but done realistically and appropriately.

Overall, a drama well done for all to enjoy.

Don't miss it. Bravo!

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Depressing

"Faithful" serves as a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by women throughout history, from ancient times to the present day. In eras past, when a woman faced violation, the blame often fell squarely on her shoulders, while the perpetrators went unpunished. Though progress has been made in the modern world, women still bear the burden of proof, while powerful individuals can wield influence and wealth to evade accountability, even in the face of multiple accusations. This injustice persists in our society, regardless of cultural or temporal context.

Following the loss of her best friend, Lin Rulan (Hu Yixuan), Meng Wan (Janice Wu) seeks retribution for the wrongs committed by Wu Lian (Qiao Zhenyu) against Lin Rulan, herself, and numerous other girls at the Embroidery Academy. Meng Wan patiently awaits seven years to attain the status necessary to infiltrate the influential circle of individuals crucial to her plan to bring down Wu Lian.

Meng Wan assembles a group of six like-minded individuals, all of whom have crossed paths with Wu Lian and are determined to settle their scores with him. Their collective goal is to ensure that Wu Lian faces justice and to prevent him from causing further harm to young girls. Despite his history of abhorrent behavior, Wu Lian has thus far evaded punishment. Meng Wan is resolute in her mission to hold him accountable, so that he can no longer inflict harm on anyone else.

The story unfolds in a captivating back-and-forth timeline, blending present-day events with pertinent pieces of the past for added depth and context. This approach not only maintains clarity but also infuses an extra layer of intrigue compared to conventional storytelling formats. As the drama approaches its climactic confrontation with the villain, the narrative attempts to provide a rationale for his actions based on his traumatic childhood experiences. While his eventual fate is anticipated, this attempt at justification seems unnecessary to me and, for some viewers, could even be deemed offensive as this is an obvious case of whitewashing.

The Chinese title, "The Nine Virtuous Ones," encompasses the first seven individuals, while the additional two remain less evident, having not initially stood alongside the others. The acting is generally commendable, though certain scenes suffer from lackluster execution. Notably, during a pivotal moment involving a burning of one of the “seven”, the urgency to save her is blatantly missing. Some logical inconsistencies and plot holes are apparent.

The primary story concludes at episode 24, with episode 25 presenting an alternate tale centered on the same characters, exploring a what-if scenario. Everything in this alternate reality hinges on Wu Lian, speculating how events might have unfolded differently had he not experienced a troubled upbringing. The notion that predatory behavior may be attributed to a traumatic childhood is a subject of ongoing debate. Personally, I find such a narrative unconvincing and, at times, chauvinistic.

My Verdict

The story mirrors a present-day "Me Too" scenario, wherein a predator of young women enjoys impunity through collusion with corrupt officials. The powerful evade justice, while the victims are left voiceless, shattered, and even deceased. Sadly, this system still persists in our lives today, where wrongdoers often evade consequences and show no remorse. Due to potentially distressing content, viewer discretion is advised.

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How to date the mother of your son, again

Children can bring stress to some couples’ relationships, but they can also mend relationships. In this story, it is the child that brings a pair of estranged lovers back together again and rekindles their love for each other. The storyline is not new, but the acting of the whole cast, and the chemistry of the couple and child are amazingly wholesome and endearing. The love for a child can motivate any parents to seek courage and perseverance.

Min Hui (Wang Yuwen) is a single mom with a child who has a congenital heart disease. She is also a talented artificial intelligence developer, leading a team in the development of software for use in hospitals for heart disease patients, a project that is very close to her heart. Her company is seeking finance to bring the product to market. As a foreign venture capitalist, Xin Qi (Wang Ziqi) returns to his hometown to seek for worthy ventures to invest in, and they meet.

Turns out, Min Hui and Xin Qi were lovers five years ago. They separated because Min Hui had lied to Xin Qi about her identity, and when she confessed, Xin Qi could not forgive her and left. After they meet again in present day, Xin Qi is still bitter with Min Hui. When he sees her with other men, he is even more bitter, thinking she is a slut. Somehow, he cannot let go of her because he is still in love with her, and she him. Like Min Hui’s son, Xin Qi also suffers from a congenital heart disease. When he finds out that he is her child’s biological father, he is elated, and moves into her apartment with an excuse of making up lost time with his son.

Their son, Min Quan Quan (Cui Yixin), is the most adorable child. Intelligent and cooperative, he has been longing for a father, and now that he has one, he loses no time in bringing the parents together; he is always there to defuse any rows between the adults.

Everyone has acted very convincingly here. The child actor Cui Yixin produces some amazing acting for a kid of such a young age. His Quan Quan character is so cute that viewers just fall in love with the child. I love how he interacts with his screen father Wang Ziqi as if they are real father and son. They hug each other like a sandwich in bed, doing everything just like real father and son do. I wish in real life, all fathers get to be so intimate with their sons.

Wang Ziqi’s Xin Qi is funny and very lovable. In the initial episodes, Xin Qi is bitter and cold, then later, he becomes relaxed, funny, playful and protective. Wang Ziqi’s portrayal is perfect. Likewise with Wang Yuwen’s portrayal of Min Hui – strong and levelheaded but can be vulnerable when her child’s wellbeing is being threatened. She is believable with good acting.

This drama produces 2 very sweet side couples and a pair of egregious antagonists. The backstory runs in the last few minutes of each episode, giving viewers the background story of Xin Qi’s and Min Hui’s relationship five years ago. The official soundtracks are beautiful and memorable.

My Verdict

This is a wholesome and sweet rom-com revolving around a very cute and delightful child, adding more love and fun to the story. A wonderful watch for the whole family. Don’t miss it. Recommended!

Bravo!

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有法无天 The Rule of Law

It seems many viewers miss this wonderful series because it was released with all the episodes in one go unexpectedly. Despite its cheesy title, Miss Chun is a Litigator, this is a very enjoyable short drama with not many fillers. Every scene is important that leads to the next. The plot is not too complicated, but the background of some main characters is mysterious, creating excitement for the viewers, spurring on the story. And not to forget to mention the three gorgeous male leads, this is a great series for all.

Chun Tumi (Sabrina Zhuang) is a young girl passionate about federal and local laws. From childhood, she has immersed herself in reading the law book that was written and passed down by her late mother. She becomes very well-versed with the laws. One day, she was forced to defend her father in court because no one else would. There, in court, she is noticed by two court officials appointed by the Emperor. They recognize her talent and want to recruit her. After giving her a deal she can’t resist, she becomes an important member of the judiciary team which is responsible for combing through past court cases to make sure none is being misjudged.

Unlike most other female actors who are usually cute, pretty and flamboyant, Sabrina Zhuang has a solemn demeanor that makes her a good fit for the Chun Tumi character as the character is a rather mature and serious person despite of her age. Sabrina’s acting is believable as a litigator with her matter-of-factly face and calm composure during her litigation fights. Most of the cases involve further investigations which are not shown nor explained, but Miss Chun somehow manages to present the evidence in court.

The three main male characters are amazingly good looking. The writer teases the viewers by showing seemingly all three have love interest for Chun Tumi. All three have a mysterious background which is not revealed until very much later.

The first mysterious character is the Ye Cha (Huang Junjie) character. He’s disguised as a horse footman hired by Chun Tumi. He is cold and quiet, and always hides behind a large farmer hat. He seems to have an interest in Chun Tumi as he always appears in places around her, hidden away, watching and helping her secretly. Huang Junjie’s portrayal is acceptable, but I don’t like how he squints his eyes most of the time to look serious and cold. Ye Cha is introduced right at the beginning, then disappears most of the time, or hidden lurking somewhere, until in the middle of the drama. The focus of the male character shifts to Han Wuwei (Fan Zhixin) and has been on him right from the start to the end.

Han Wuwei is my favorite character. He is a military general, playful, insightful and a very good swordsman. He has no qualm with decorum and seems to appear everywhere where Chun Tumi goes. He is the one who first notices her talent and incorporates her into his team. He seems to have a love interest in her, but puzzles viewers how the relationship later develops. His actual identity is mysterious until the later part of the story. Fan Zhixin is sunny and flamboyant and has acted very well here as Han Wuwei.

The third male character, Kang Zhengyuan (Qin Tian), is a judiciary official authorized by the Emperor to travel around the country to look through closed cases to ensure they are being done properly and justly. Qin Tian’s portrayal of the no-nonsense Kang Zhengyuan is convincing, making him a well-loved character. He and Han Wuwei give the viewers a lot of sweet bromance and it’s interesting to see the men banter.

My Verdict
This is a very enjoyable drama about the ancient judiciary system, justice, and litigation, with a mix-ins of wuxia and conspiracy from a dark group. Finding out the actual truth is important but very difficult. It is hard to distinguish between good info or fake news. Even if a truth is almost 100% truthful, a small percentage of untruth can lead to a devastating outcome. This is the scenario our characters must tread carefully to preserve justice.

Season 1 scrapes the surface of the secret group and stops short before any alluded royal palace power struggle. Though some scenes skip abruptly, it hasn’t destroyed the story or the plot. By the end of the drama, there is a plot twist and Han Wuwei seems to have turned dark. This is a cliff hanger and whets viewers’ interest for Season 2.

Great watch! Don’t miss it!

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Back To The Future

This drama is similar to Michael Fox's Back to the Future movie in the 80s whereby he returns to his parents' teenage years and tries to fix his parents' meeting of each other. In this drama, Li Jinbu (Sabrina Zhuang) is also trying to fix her mother's choices so that she (her mother) could turn out to be a more achievement oriented person, and eventually chooses the right partner who doesn't abandon her when she has a child (Li Jinbu).

Li Jinbu's mother, Li Qingtong (Amy Chen), is a single parent. As a 17 year old high school girl, Li Jinbu (Sabrina Zhuang) is angry at her mother for messing up her own life by not working hard enough while at school and for going out with an irresponsible man who impregnates and abandons her. For unexplained reason, Li Jinbu returns to the time when her mother was also a 17 year old teenager in high school. She determines to fix her mother's life which she figures will eventually translate to the betterment of her own life in future.

However, things are not what she thinks and don't work out how she plans. Through spending time with her teenage mother, Li Jinbu comes to understand the experiences her mother has gone through that has made her what she is today. In the end, she learns to appreciate her mother for her determination to provide a better life for her.

The story is heart-warming and delightful. It depicts school days and youth, family and dreams, friendship and puppy love, growing up and, overall, life. The acting by the whole cast is fabulous, especially Amy Chen, and the cinematography is excellent. The character building is one of the best I've seen. The story telling is simply marvelous. This is a wonderful drama that makes one feel good and helps us to look deeper into ourselves. It deserves our time. Don't miss it.

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Part 1 of a Wuxia Thriller with Romance & Comedy

I love this drama. This is such a great watch. But obviously it is only a very small part of a long story. Accordingly, Li Mo Bai would have to compose 300 poems and solve 300 crimes. So far in this drama, he has solved probably fewer than 10 cases. There is no indication when the following seasons will be released, if at all. As such, though not ending with a cliff hanger, the main antagonist is still at large and the massive conspiracy is still not uncovered.

Li Mo Bai (portrayed by Fu Jia aka Fingal Fu) is a genius poet. His attention to the tiniest details has also made him a first-class investigator second to none. He is able to look at things beyond the surface and from all angles. All these qualities have made him the best investigator and forensic expert around. For years, he's been trying to find out the truth behind the killings of his whole family. When murders begin to surface around him linking to his poems, he is implicated. To prove his own innocence, he takes up the cases and vows to find the truth. In his journey, he meets the love of his life and a wonderful friend in another.

Fu Jia is amazingly good looking. As Li Mo Bai, he exudes the air of a no-nonsense scholar and yet he is also an incredible martial artist. I really love watching him as a romantic poet who loves wine and yet, is deep as an ocean. Fu Jia's portrayal is so good that has made me love the character so much.

Dong Nan has a mission: to get into the palace with whatever means so that she can get the rare medicines she needs to save her granny. During her quest, she meets Li Mo Bai who falls in love with her and would help her in every way he can. Li Bai Rong's portrayal is very believable, as a strong, hot headed and unpretentious Dong Nan who is fond of using poison on her adversaries and even friends. Countless times, Li Mo Bai and Yan Dan Qiu (Wei Ran) have been harmlessly poisoned by her. The encounters are hilarious.

Nian Nu (Wei Chen Liang) is Li Mo Bai maidservant who has survived the massacre and grown up together with him. They are very close to each other. Nian Nu is in love with Li Mo Bai, but to him, she's a family. She's heart broken when Li Mo Bai falls in love with another girl. Yet, she stays by his side, helping him whole heartedly without asking for any returns. Wei Chen Liang's Nian Nu is the kindest 3rd person in a love triangle I've ever seen and her portrayal is perfect.

Yan Dan Qiu (Wei Ran) is the clown in the group. He is funny and cute, and lightens up the grueling story of the horrendous murders and crimes. He is an indispensable character that helps Li Mo Bai solve all the crimes. I really love this adorable character and Wei Ran's portrayal is simply amazing and believable. Together, they form the squad. They work seamlessly together, one complementing the other.


My Verdict
This is a great wuxia story with great intelligent characters and plot. I really love the use of poems that are made into riddles that our protagonists try to solve in order to solve the crimes or mysteries. The antagonists are cunning and murderous which make the whole story exciting as both protagonists and antagonists try to outwit each other. Dark jokes are brilliantly written with the murderers being murdered themselves. This drama would have been a solid 9.5, if not a 10, from me had it not been this short and incomplete with too few solved crimes. I’m patiently waiting for the next seasons to see more crimes and mysteries being unfolded by the squad with the play of poems.

A must-watch!

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Honor & Dignity

Ip Man 4 is the fourth and latest sequel (most likely also the last) of the Ip Man movies by Donnie Yen.

All Donnie Yen’s Ip Man movies take the same format – Ip Man would be challenged to prove his Yong Chun Quan (or Wing Chun Kuen in Cantonese) is just as good as the other Chinese wushu (martial arts). After he has proven himself, comes a foreign power or non-Chinese martial art challenger, challenging the Chinese wushu. All various sects would then unite and try to ward off the challenger. However, during the unjust process, all Chinese wushu falters; Ip Man is the only one left standing and he stands up for all.

In the first Ip Man movie we see Ip Man fighting a Japanese Colonist Karate expert; in Ip Man 2, Ip Man fights against a British boxer; in Ip Man 3, again he fights a boxer, this time the American Mike Tyson; and in the latest Ip Man 4, after proving himself in the San Francisco China Town with the Tai Chi Grandmaster, he stands up to the American bullies and fights a US military Karate expert. And of course Ip Man wins in all the challenges.

Coincidentally, Ip Man 4 was released during the pandemic crisis. Many countries, especially the western nations, have started to blame China for the crisis and demanded hefty reparation costs. As the whole pandemic begins to unfold, the accusation becomes obvious - it seems that most western nations feel threatened by China and the pandemic crisis serves as a perfect excuse to banish China in order to stymie its amazing growth, albeit temporarily. Unwittingly, the story in Ip Man 4 becomes a heroic story standing up against the bullies, and is enjoyed by many.

I fell in love with Donnie Yen’s first Ip Man movie. Donnie Yen has a stoic and calm charisma and portraying Ip Man as a Yong Chun (Wing Chun) Grandmaster, he brings Chinese wushu to its ultimate pinnacle. Donnie Yen is believable, giving everyone around him a sense of trust and security. One can really depend on Donnie Yen’s Ip Man to protect one’s life. All Donnie Yen's fighting actions and moves are just breath-taking, authentic and amazing. With the calm and somber look on his face when under threats, Donnie Yen's portrayal of Ip Man is confident and composed with honor and dignity - an unmistakably proud Chinese spirit. One doesn’t grow tired of watching him. In his traditional Chinese Cheongsam (long robe), Donnie Yen has the best authentic look of a Chinaman whom I have come to love watching.

As Ip Man 4 has become the epitome of East versus West, Chinese versus Whites, The Bullied versus The Bullies, it silently depicts the current standoff positions of China and America. In the movie, it has a short reprise of Bruce Lee when he was still Ip Man's student living in California (Bruce Lee was an American).

Overall, Donnie Yen is indisputably one of the best Chinese wushu master actors. His fighting scenes are authentic and believable. He commands an air of honor, trust and compassion. Watching him fight is perhaps the most exhilarating experience a viewer can enjoy from the screen. For myself, I still consider the first Donnie Yen's Ip Man movie to be the best of all the Ip Man stories.

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