I Watched It So You Don't Have To!

It’s astonishing how average and mid modern dramas have gotten. This shouldn’t be normalized, it’s borderline criminal and just continues to prove that it’s young kids that’re writing these storylines and handing them to teenagers to select actors and direct the dramas. This drama in particular (just like any other to be fair) overlooks the viewers, thinking we’re all stupid and I don’t know if this is as a result of the actors’ sheer incompetence or just the basic shortcomings of this storyline. For one, the actors keep showing us subtle hints of what’s about to happen making it really easily and at best ‘basic’ to predict how things pan out 10-20 episodes later.

The beginning (episode 1-4) to be fair had me hooked as I expected a lot from the lead pair following their astounding success in Princess Agents and honestly speaking it’s been underwhelming, and the saddest part is this is not new to most of us, we’re pretty much used to these average shows. The storyline is WEAK, all over the place, and lacking a sense of direction. Loads of pointless scenes taking up most of the screen time (this isn’t new tough), and most scenes just lacking the gravity of maybe what the writer would’ve wanted to be depicted. Take for example “The Extra natural Heaven.”, it looked just like any other mortal palace AT BEST and throughout the entire drama I never even understood what the extra natural heaven looked like, just some blue mountains drawn in Adobe Illustrator and rendered into the footage.

The CGI was another aspect of the drama that I thought was all over the place as well. I got the sense it was all designed by an overworked drunkard. There didn’t seem to be any kind of articulation in the CGI or any form of distinction. I’ll just save your time on this: The CGI is rubbish basically.

And finally, on to the acting which wasn’t that bad to be honest mainly from the lead pair but beyond that it was such an average or less than average display. The storyline doesn’t seem to help out and compensate for the average actors at times instead all I saw was them getting more screen time. And then the amount of the times the FL got saved by the ML were countless that it even got boring and predictable. You could literally see it coming miles away. LAZY WRITING!! I think the Western women will have to skip this one lol.

It's the first time I’ve seen two useless episodes in a drama that had me question WHY. They were better off just ending the drama at episode 37 but guess what, they needed to remind us of some annoying and irrelevant character and give her a happy ending. Them shamelessly adding two episodes to the drama simply because they needed to build up a quick love story for the woman in red (couldn’t be asked to search for her name) that no one cared about and hardly even remembered. To this point I’m still wondering why they did that and as if that wasn’t enough, they spawned a new character (potential husband to woman in red) that they just shoved into the last episodes and left it for us to figure out his background or even who he is. Honestly do these guys thing we’re this thick.

Just to sum this up, this drama suffers from lazy incompetent writing that’s been given a platform and a reckless director who couldn’t be asked to get more from the actors.

Read More

It's Getting Worse and Worse

I’ll start by saying that I have recently not been the most optimistic about where C-dramas are heading, it just seems to get worse and worse by the year. Never mind I’ll elaborate. At first, I never wanted to write a review based on the first few episodes because as you know things can change in the latter stages, and at the time of writing, it’s 10 episodes left on the entire drama but I just couldn’t keep these thoughts to myself and decided I’d share them at least on the spot. This is mainly because I expect no sharp turns or surprises ahead.
For a start, I see everyone going on about how this drama has been so intense, entertaining, and all that but for me, I just honestly couldn’t tell you what’s happened to C-dramas recently. There are a lot of people that shouldn’t have even made it to the latter episodes of this drama for me, a lot of plots should’ve been resolved much better and faster, the supposed villains were in all honesty laughable and now my narrative that Xu Kai only acts in the very best C-drama seems to be in the mud. CDRAMA HAS MASSIVELY FALLEN OFF. The character Xu Kai has to be dominant in some way shape or form whether intellectually, in terms of strength, or authority, as he has been in his previous successful dramas, he’s not just any actor as many previous dramas have proven, and by using him this way you extract his full potential but I just don’t get why some producers or even however is in charge of selecting actors don’t try and fathom this. Portraying him as a normal character just hasn’t worked with the likes of Snow Eagle Lord, Royal Feast and even this drama, and I really do hope many other dramas he features in take a lesson from this. I massively emphasize this because Xu Kai is my favourite actor at the moment, and I just cannot bear to watch a blatant decline right in front of my eyes.
The acting was decent and as it has been the theme recently, the storyline was average at best. Where’s the smart funny Xu Kai we all fell in love with? Where’s the meticulous planning? Why does the ML have to be slow to recognise danger and why doesn’t he seem to learn from mistakes? All these are flaws in the storyline which I’d say was WEAK and that’s with trying. The ML and FL were fantastic for me, Vincent He (Pei Yuan), and He Zhong Hua (Gu Xiang), just to mention a few of the fantastic support actors, were all just doing what they do best and that is acting their roles to their fullness. As for Gao Han (Liu Cheng Feng), it was a poor casting that’s all I’ll say.

I personally wouldn’t recommend this drama for the above reasons because I think they were just trying to extend it for as long as possible. Each pretty much after the around 15 episode-mark felt like the drama was reaching the climax only for the actors to, for example, ignore the priority, turn a blind eye to something crucial, do something absolutely irrelevant or even add an unnecessary scene just so it could make up the drama episodes.

Read More

Ever watched a C-Thriller?

Forget C-Drama, this was a C-Thriller. I’m lost for words with those last 10 – 12 episodes. It was full of ups and downs, deaths all over, it was crazy. The writer literally went rampant in an attempt to kill all actors. Well, at least the crew survived and delivered this fabulous act. I honestly couldn’t tell you if this was out-of-the-box unorthodox writing or a rushed end because this drama seemed to overdo certain things but then later there seemed to be the acknowledgment of, We know what we’re doing.
Quite admittedly those first episodes were a bit underwhelming, and I felt that some scenes were just a bit over the top especially with the guards taking their tops off to impress the FL, that was unnecessary I thought because the message had been put across that FL was gorgeous, it was unnecessary to make it that apparent. My highlight of this drama was the first 4 episodes and the last 12 and I think it was for many of the viewers. It would be best if you watched to fathom what I’m talking about.
I liked the development of all the characters in the drama namely the princess/prince, everyone grows into their persona to become these selfless people and I’ve to give the writer and all the involved crew their flowers. Recently we’ve seen many dramas that’re let down by the production team or the writers, in other words, there’s no coherence between the way the writer envisages their content and the ability of the actors and production. In a year of crap dramas, at least this hasn’t been a letdown.
This drama had as many plot twists as a roller coaster riding through a twisting labyrinth. My goodness and then the music just slotted in perfectly. As I said what I enjoyed most was the growth of all the characters and maybe some other things like the CGI, and voices, came in secondarily. I even didn’t feel bad following the deaths of basically all the main actors, that’s how good this drama was and kudos to all the involved staff, you’ve rescued the year to some extent.
I think this goes on to show what these writers are capable of if they indulge in some not-so-stereotypical writing and think outside the box, not just copying each other’s work and using different actors for the same old storylines. I encourage more dramas like this where I do not necessarily have to guess what’s happening at the end. It’s gotten boring.

Read More

PERFECTION IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT!!

I'd proudly claim to have watched every "possible" popular fantasy C-Drama and I mean the ones that include the realms and so on; Three lives three worlds: Ten miles of peach blossoms, the pillow book, Love and redemption etc. But again I'd have to say , this is the most perfect one I've watched. Everything in this drama was measured to enoughness and perfection. Less drag, the cast was solid, acting was one of the best in C-Dramas, the music and finally the storyline which was say a gorgeous and unique one considering some C-Dramas try to try to replicate it but to no avail.
I've so far rewatched the drama 3 times I suppose . The music is just so in line with the acting and the editing, costumes just get the C-Drama lover in me on board and going.

It's definetly not worth a watch but rather a MUST watch. You really cannot just turn your back on this draama or realistically drop it. You'd be out of your mind really! Don't be fooled by the ratings by the way as they're not accurate and not everyone reviewing these dramas understands and they can sometimes be blockheads in reviewing because they sometimes rush, But all in all, it's a drama definetly worth your time or money.

Read More

DRAMA IS GOOD BUT........

I'll start by saying this is a very good drama, am not taking that away from it. Love the cast especially Dylan Wang and his personality of thinking he's always right and powerful as in Miss the dragon.The Arbiter hall is something else, it looks fantastic as well as the heavenly palace. The fact that demons or the demon lord, you can say are far stronger than the heavens which stereotype is rarely displayed in such dramas for those who have watched a buch of them.
Two or a number of things let me down in this drama; Why are the costumes so weird? I don't understand where everyone's sudden love for them is coming from, really, the God of wars costume looks like a young kid's toy and again why is the moon supreme's costume so bulky? Really tries to get to my nerves but I think I'll get on with it sooner or later.
And finally, the female lead, Oh dear! Why is she so.....? I think the best way to describe her scenes is cringy really, I'm sorry, I know that many of you find her amazing but not for me. That's the script anyway, nothing to do. I'd have dropped this drama by now if not for the ninth episode that kept on and the music and the male lead plus the magic, loved it.
It'd be a nice drama to watch before you watch other xianxia masterclasses because you would be let down by kind of gap in between them.

Read More

TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!

I couldn't believe my eyes. I'm geniunely fuming. I'm literally lost for words. I cannot describe the hype I had for this drama just a month or so after Heroes. We are in 2022 people and we are getting such output from the modern day screenwriters. This is a prime example of a small man in a huge suit; the cast was brilliant and I won't take that away from them as they did their best to fulfil their parts, the music was bang on as it was the right music for the right type of drama and the effects just came in time, the editing was also bang on but they were all let down by the story. That story writer let them down massively; You literally cannot turn your back to your actors and the rest of the team like that.

Let's first delv into the story: It was basically drag and you kept going towards the wrong road but you kept on still. The story hits me like one written by an arrogant or amateur writer, am sorry! That's how I'm feeling right now. I would kindly want to know why that young girl (Xiaomei) was kept in the drama for that long and even given all that screentime and why was she playing the role of an adult. Then we go on, why did those two young kids suddenly become an issue in the climax episodes then theree's also the medicine sect story with the silly disciples who were to be honest introduced poorly to the story. My main issue if you're to ask me is the useless side stories (Maybe it's what the story is all about: "Side story") in the drama. The mistakes in this drama put straight: The Feng Tiannan story shouldn't have gone on for that long, Guinong and his wife carried on for too long, The medicine sect disciples were really pointless Xiaomei's role misplacement. And that's just a tip of the iceberg.

To sum this drama, it's just poor. Poor from the writer and the rest of the team had to try their best to get the drama into line but it was too late for me. I carried on watching because I wanted to see the last episodes of the fights. The drama itself is definitely not worth your time - you serious drama watcher. It's just like Legend of the nine tails fox if you have watched.

Read More

FINALLY AN ORIGINAL IDEA!!!!??

I say this drama is one of the best and I clearly mean it. The drama itself is not any special from any of it's predecessors in the historical martial arts genre and it kinda looks the same as any other drama clearly but only a deeper insight into the drama opened my eyes.
One thing I'd like to put across is that this is probably te last drama of this type that we'll ever see. Don't get me wrong, there will definitely be better dramas than this but the storyline was one of a kind. I mean, it wasn't as stereotypical as the rest and I'd even stretch this to saying it was an original idea. You look at most dramas and all they encircle is a kingdom or a sect but this one just seemed to be hanging in the air with no or less strings attached to royal families and other ideas from the dramas before. It was a masterclass so to say for such a short drama that basically aimed at doing it's own thing and I rate that highly.
It's a very much worth your time drama and massively recommend it. I have nothing much to say but please watch this rare and distinguished drama. Trust me you'll love it.

Read More

A distinct storyline! Is that too much to ask?

Ladies and gentlemen, I’m officially fed up with these recurring stories. They may as well just make one drama and give it different names. It’s frustrating at this point, the acting, the storyline, the actors themselves, and the CGI to be fair has always been at it and you’ve got to give credit where it’s due. For me, C-drama is on a proper downhill and pretty much has been for the past couple of years.
The genre XianXia is enormous, and you cannot tell me each time we’ll have to watch repeats of other dramas, it’s so cliché having to watch a drama and being able to predict what is gonna happen. What happened to the impressive voices, eye-catching Male and female leads, the distinguished storylines like Journey of Flower? And I’ll just say it, this thing of petulant and trying-to-be-funny actors has to stop, it’s boring and it gets annoying at times with how long it carries on and how much screen time it takes up. As for the FL, I’m a huge fan of Zhao Lusi when she’s playing a role that brings the best out of her, Who Rules the World directors understood that perfectly, and for me that was her best-ever performance I have seen to this day. The ML lead does not fit this role, or the storyline doesn’t fit the ML, whichever way you want to put it, he shouldn’t be playing this role and that storyline is mid. The turning point is what is doing my headin’ the most. It was just like any other normal scene and all of a sudden it was something huge. Come on! Where’s the build-up? I get no feeling that something story-changing is about to happen.
And before I even forget, what was this writer thinking about when he decided to hand us a ML with such little spiritual power? He’s a true god for God’s sake!!
Personally, I’ll keep on watching this scrap and I have to anyway because I have no other drama to watch but I highly advise you to do something more productive with your time. I haven’t found this drama interesting enough to keep me exuberant waiting for the next episode. It’s instead just happened to be another of many failures of the C-drama industry this year.

Read More

WE SHOULD BE USED BY NOW...

Correct me if I'm wrong but the quality of iQIYI dramas is now becoming a serious concern to me and probably a number of others. It's come to my observation that nearly ninety percent of the dramas released by iQIYI aren't on par with its competitors in WeTv and Youku who by the way usually release hits. You don't have to look so far, the most recent banger from Youku has been Immortal Samsara, falling into your smile, Ashes of love and Love and redemption, WeTv on the other hand also airs Ancient Love Poetry, Love like the galaxy whilst iQIYI releases My heart which was a flop, thousand years for you which faired quite well but I still thought the graphic and filming area were a bit off. And that's the other thing, for some reason most dramas that air on iQIYI are filmed in not so fitting environments. I definitely not saying iQIYI drams are poor but it's to my concern that they release competitive dramas so seldom, yet their competitors are doing it more often. I really liked Dance of the sky empire, The great ruler, no boundary which were actually aired on iQIYI.

But enough of that, let's discuss the currently airing drama that we've all longed for, for almost an entire year. I was hyped up for this drama and I’ve got to put this out there that it didn't disappoint. If at all you are watching this as one of your first dramas, then this should be a good and worthwhile drama. The cast was lit, I really loved it. Having Chen Yu Qi as your support actress is a bit ballsy and it faired decently. Vin Zhang (male lead) did well, and we shouldn't be criticising him so much as he has taken on an entire new role of being quite talkative and naughty, he actually did well. And of course, not to go unappreciated was the female lead, Xu Lu who was absolutely brilliant. The rest of the cast played their roles fittingly well, the antagonists were fantastic.
The story was a magnificently written and of course it's the stereotypical ordinary guy goes to an academy and cultivates to surpass the rest -ish, which I by the way love and can never get enough of. However, despite the fact that the story was brilliant, I noticed that it was being rushed. Much had happened in the first few episodes that I thought the drama was nearing the end. Much is exposed in the first few episodes which I personally thought could have been held for later. The romance between the male lead and female lead could've have been delayed at least to the sixth episode but it is what it is, and the current episodes have so far impressed. Lu Li's senior is the perfect antagonist, she does well in all her films, I actually like her performances. We just have to keep watching to see how the drama fairs going forward. It's definitely a worthwhile drama, that unquestionable unless you have your personal agendas against the actors but except that, the drama is, I wouldn't say among the best but it's hovering between C-B ratings category. And please try to be realistic when rating this drama though, I usually see unrealistic ratings given to the drama as if the people rating have no knowledge about Chinese Dramas, so please don't rate if you know little about the subject. Thank you.

Read More

FANTASTIC!!!

Now I know this review is a bit rushed but hear me out. It's my first time reviewing a c-drama and I have definetlty watched several; from Eternal love to Love and Destiny, Ancient love poetry e.t.c I kinds specialise in fanatsy dramas, cultivation, realm stuff and so on to be precise. This drama is a good one to watch, personally, it's marvelous but considering the larger picture and judging from the few episodes I've watched so far, it's still behind on the C-drama scale putting into consideration that it cannot reach the high cielings set by it's predecessors like Eternal love (Three live three worlds: Ten miles of peach blossoms), Love and redemption and Ancient love poetry which with not doubt were pure masterclasses.
I'm taking nothing away from this drama, as I said; Absolutely love it, love the casting as some time was inserted into the cast selection unlike the storyline that was a bit rushed: Like how did all those Gods die so suddenly, the Demon war in the start was wierd as well and had a larger impact that it seems to have meant to. All I mean is that part is a bit rushed.
Graphics, acting, cast, LOVE IT!! Nice drama to watch if interested in heavenly, mortal, immortal and demonic stuff and if you're a fan of Cheng Yi plus that white haired guy (He Zhong Hua) who seemed to have mastered the techninque of producing masterclasses whenever he acts.
Yeah Try it out.....Definetly recommend it.

Read More