mei
between reality and daydream
visually gorgeous, but still missing something
Opening this review by saying that I love this director's works and My Journey To You is, to this day, one of my favourite c-dramas ever, so, needless to say, I waited for SO long for this show to finally air. My high expectations basically hit the sky.
The aesthetic, sceneries and cinematography of Fangs of Fortune don't come as a surprise: they are simply gorgeous and I really can't think of other dramas (during this or in the previous years) that are equal to it (except, of course, for this director's other works).
GJM always has a clear and fixed idea of how things should be shot and how they should look and, so far, it's always been consistent. Just one look at one scene and the viewers can immediately tell it's one of his works.
That's what hooked me with MJTY and I was just all too happy seeing it in this drama as well. C-dramas often tend to have... “issues” with the cinematography, the lightning and colouring, the camera work (let alone the CGI), so when it comes to this area, Fangs of Fortune is already a level above the others and it looks professional and eerie in the best possible way.
I admit, the ghostly white powder on the actors' faces always kind of takes me aback, because it's very VERY pale and in certain shots they either look like corpses or, thanks to skin smoothing as well, you can't really see their full expressions, but in this case it fits the tone of the drama and I think a different make-up would look weird and too much in contrast with the dark aesthetic.
Wigs and costumes are of very high quality and the texture, the details (ex. the fish scales in the fish demon's robes) the colours, EVERYTHING, really set them apart and a lot above others costume dramas... costumes.
Every character has its own styling and the outfits and hairstyles really help with making them all the more unique and alive. The stylist department really deserves all the appreciation and an award for their work.
If not for the plot and the characters themselves, I'd recommend this drama just for how good it looks.
(Little parenthesis for the soundtrack: it really works. I read comments where people were not happy with it, back when the show still had to air, but so far so good. Especially the modern song they use during fight scenes. Unexpectedly, it fits with the vibe and choreography of those sequences and it brings them out even more. When I think of the OST, that's the very first song that comes to mind, so it really left a good impression on me).
Now.
Onto the things that still don't sit quite right with me and the reason I scored this one a 7.5 (for now, will most likely change it as I watch more episodes – hopefully).
First of all, especially in the first couple of episodes, the scenes are way too jumpy and “messy”, so much so that I had to replay a couple of parts because I couldn't really understand certain things and the show just lost me. Was it a dream? A memory/flashback? The way it's edited and quickly jumps from A to B back to A is very confusing. They're not smooth cuts.
Granted, it got better in the last episode I watched (ep.5), so it's probably just a problem of the first part and it got fixed as it went on. Again, hopefully.
The second thing is the humour. Most of the times it actually gets a giggle out of me (the actors' comedic timing is always on point and their expressions alone are enough to make the joke work) and it's just in such contrast with the somber scene at play in that moment that it somehow works very well and I can only appreciate it. But some other times... they REALLY play into it, to the point that it feels kinda weird and out of place. Cringe, even. To make an example: the way the young boy, Bai Jiu, keeps screaming or fainting. After a while it gets repetitive, old, and his character doesn't feel real anymore. Hope he'll hit some character growth and won't shout as much. I really liked young master Xue's character in MJTY and, albeit so young, that actor really can play more serious roles.
Humour in this kind of dramas is a fine line to walk and I think, up to this moment, MJTY kept that balance a lot better.
Third thing, which is mainly what caused the 7.5, is something I cannot quite explain with words, but I can't help feeling whenever I'm watching this drama: a sense of emptiness. Of something missing, not being there.
It's really more of a personal feeling, but there are certain scenes where I really can't help but feel like I'm watching something empty, like something should be there, but isn't. Like I'm reading the draft of a book and some paragraphs are still missing or aren't finished yet. Where MJTY felt more organic and grounded, FoF is a lot more staged, a gorgeous cover wrapped around blank pages.
Sometimes it has to do with the scene in general, sometimes with the way it cuts from one shot to the other, the lack of music and overall sound or just the characters. I know they are interacting with each other, but it's as if there's this wall that divides them. One thing that really irks me is how often (especially the villains) they just... stand there and let the main leads finish their thing, whether it's talking among themselves or preparing for action.
It's still the very beginning, though, so it'll probably smooth out and feel more natural and complete with the episodes to come, but right now it all feels too disjointed, especially when the narration clearly slows down or stops altogether to focus on the appearance of the characters or the beauty of a certain shot.
(I know this criticism basically goes against my praises of the aesthetic and cinematography of this director's works, but I can't deny he can be VERY pretentious and all too often puts looks above substance).
I still don't have much to say about the characters themselves, because we still don't know them much yet, but some impressed me more than others and for others I hope they'll grow and get better with time.
I'm very curious about Zhuo Yichen, although Tian Jiarui's performance so far is a little... lukewarm, when compared with the work he did on Gong Yuanzhi in MJTY. I like how Yichen can be both fierce and shy/awkward, but he didn't give much aside for that (so far). I know he's a more than capable actor, so I'm sure the character will grow on me, but right now... not there yet. It probably also depends on the way the make-up and hairstyle always make his expression look very tight, as if he can't move his face much - or just got a face lift. But, aside from that, I'm curious to find out who he really is. I have this headcanon where he is, in fact, a demon, given his blue eyes and his whispery voice (I noticed only demons have it, which is a nice touch and detail) and the constant nightmare of becoming one. I want to see whether I'm right or wrong.
I was pleasantly surprised with two performances so far: Neo Hou and Chen Duling.
I always found Neo Hou's acting to be quite stiff and struggled a lot not to see the actor beneath the character, so I am impressed in the best of ways with this role. He is shining and brings Zhu Yan to life. And although at times the character himself isn't very consistent with the way he acts and reacts, he really works for me and got me hooked from the very beginning. Hope we'll get to see more of his layers, like his darker and more serious and dangerous side, but also his sensible and “sad” personality, because he really wishes to die and I really want to 1) know why and 2) see HOW the actor will showcase this part of the character.
For Chen Duling, I've only seen her in two other works, where she played either a minor role or a supporting role, but in both cases she was nothing but a woman who fell into sadness and depression because of her lost lover, so I was a bit worried about Wen Xiao. But I really love her so far and she's really growing on me. Right now I can easily say she's my favourite among the main roles.
Last but not least, I hope we'll get some proper world building this time around. GJM's works always tend to lack a lot on this department and so far the world of FoF hasn't been fleshed out that much. Granted, I'm only at episode five as I'm writing this review, but I was really confused at the wheres and how much time it takes to move from place x to place y.
I wish they gave us an impression of space and moving spaces like, for example, Mysterious Lotus Casebook did. Its world building isn't much richer and extended, but it has some substance at least and the characters won't just appear back at a certain place (ex. the archives of the bureau) as if through sci-fi teleportation.
I think that's all for now. Might come back to this once the drama is complete.
UPDATED REVIEW WITH FINAL THOUGHTS:
After so long since I'm done with this drama, I still don't fully know and understand how to feel about it – hence why I'm putting an end to this review only now.
I don't think I ever struggled so much with being objective with something I watched before.
I'm usually very critical and strict with dramas, movies and books and I easily draw a line between objectiveness and subjectiveness, but with Fangs of Fortune... a struggle, as I said.
It has many many flaws and the ending was such a complete mess (storytelling wise) that I wouldn't be able to rate it above 5, with all in all a plot without substance – at times non-existent –, repetitive storylines and undercooked villains and worldbuilding . And yet... the hold this drama has on me is still strong and it won't just let me go.
After The Untamed, I had yet to find a drama which would stuck with me long after the epilogue and I wasn't really expecting FoF to be my new “obsession”.
(I loved My Journey to You a lot more and I can easily say it is one of my favourite dramas ever, but it didn't click the same way; after I was done watching it, I didn't interact with the fandom nor looked for edits and other material revolving around it).
The concerns/problems I pointed out when I first wrote this review did not dissipate – in some cases it actually got WORSE –, so I won't waste time in repeating myself.
GJM, I find, tends to repeat the same mistakes in all of his works (especially when it comes to executing the last episodes, pacing and focus are all over the place and the quality and coherence seem to drop) and I don't believe it's ever going to change, at this point.
But I still got one (and a half) new complaint I would like to briefly present, so bear with this review a little longer.
My half complaint is more of a very personal preference and that is: I wish they showed us more of the demon hunting bureau gang bonding and spending time together.
The found family vibes are i m m a c u l a t e, the very highlight of this drama and a breath of fresh air that really sets FoF apart from most of all other series, but they didn't take much time to actually build that friend/family relationship and I think the real reason it worked so well is due more to the actors rather than the writing.
ALL of them were phenomenal in their interpretation of the characters and the chemistry they had with each other all throughout the drama is simply top-notch. BUT if the cast members were not as good at their job and just as close IRL, I doubt the squad friendship would have been as impactful to the viewers.
First of all, they don't spend much time together while on screen and most of their interactions have to do with solving problems and fighting threats (and, even in those cases, they usually go their separate ways or split in two/three groups based on whether they are lead roles or support roles).
I might remember wrong, but I believe we only got one scene where they are all together, just relaxing and being young, and that is during the fire-water dance between Zhu Yan and Zhuo Yichen. Other than that, we know they are close friends because
a) actors chemistry
b) they keep TELLING us they are friends and family and
c) the very moving and beautiful scenes where two characters are sitting down and going through their emotions, fears, worries and just talking about life.
I love love love the final result (which is the most beautiful and at times chaotic found family one could ever ask for), but I wish the journey had been slower and better paved – perhaps with more solving cases.
More show, less tell, especially while they are becoming friends.
Now, onto the main complaint.
Wen Xiao.
I'll start by saying that, to me at least, it makes sense for her not to fight.
She's a scholar and wasn't born nor raised in a military setting like, for example, the Pei siblings, so her strengths lie somewhere else and I agree with the decision to keep her out of combat and physical scenes – although in the very first episodes she was pretty agile herself and could use her poisoned knife to bring damage and subdue her opponent... but it's also true that the "enemies" became stronger with each episode, so, as I said, her not being a badass warrior makes sense.
She is smart and cunning and her mind and words are her weapons (as showed so many times – just think of how cleverly she dealt with Li Lun's trick questions and how well she understands demons and their behaviours).
Her brain and curiosity, those are her true weapons, not a sword nor arrows, so I really didn't find it weird for her to keep away from big fights.
If she did intervene, she would have probably got herself killed and put others in danger in order to save her reckless a**.
But she was horribly sidelined as a character and that's what I really didn't like seeing. She was so promising at the beginning, but she never really hit a character growth and always felt underdeveloped and focused on, to the point where she spent most of her scenes sitting on the floor and crying. We never really got to know of her past before and after becoming a disciple of the Goddess, how she dealt with her father's death, her new life...
I kind of agree when other fans say she was probably written in the story just to pass censorship, because I can't deny the characters of the two male leads were built with a lot more care and nuance – and had just more screen time and scenes, be it together, solo or with the other members of the bureau.
But I'll end it here, this has gotten too long of a review.
To conclude, Fangs of Fortune is, since episode one, a character-driven drama, so never expect much from the plot (in some episodes there really isn't any at all). But, as long as you realize that, you'll find this a drama worth watching, so I'd still recommend it.
If you prefer dramas with little to no plot or don't mind its lack of substance or want to give it a try despite the former, I'd say go for it, there's a high chance you really won't regret it and will actually fall in love with this one.
The characterization and chemistry of the main leads and friend group are of the best I've seen in a drama so far
the acting never falters and is always the top, from main characters to simple guest roles
the cinematography and the costumes/character designs are nearly incomparable, especially when it comes to the demons
the OST and its lyrics are so good and full of meaning (you'll definitely end up saving at least one in your playlist)
and I could write a whole paragraph about the dialogues of this drama. How deep and with sensible and important messages some of them are, how poetic and well written (and delivered), how impactful and never cringy.
- Mei
The aesthetic, sceneries and cinematography of Fangs of Fortune don't come as a surprise: they are simply gorgeous and I really can't think of other dramas (during this or in the previous years) that are equal to it (except, of course, for this director's other works).
GJM always has a clear and fixed idea of how things should be shot and how they should look and, so far, it's always been consistent. Just one look at one scene and the viewers can immediately tell it's one of his works.
That's what hooked me with MJTY and I was just all too happy seeing it in this drama as well. C-dramas often tend to have... “issues” with the cinematography, the lightning and colouring, the camera work (let alone the CGI), so when it comes to this area, Fangs of Fortune is already a level above the others and it looks professional and eerie in the best possible way.
I admit, the ghostly white powder on the actors' faces always kind of takes me aback, because it's very VERY pale and in certain shots they either look like corpses or, thanks to skin smoothing as well, you can't really see their full expressions, but in this case it fits the tone of the drama and I think a different make-up would look weird and too much in contrast with the dark aesthetic.
Wigs and costumes are of very high quality and the texture, the details (ex. the fish scales in the fish demon's robes) the colours, EVERYTHING, really set them apart and a lot above others costume dramas... costumes.
Every character has its own styling and the outfits and hairstyles really help with making them all the more unique and alive. The stylist department really deserves all the appreciation and an award for their work.
If not for the plot and the characters themselves, I'd recommend this drama just for how good it looks.
(Little parenthesis for the soundtrack: it really works. I read comments where people were not happy with it, back when the show still had to air, but so far so good. Especially the modern song they use during fight scenes. Unexpectedly, it fits with the vibe and choreography of those sequences and it brings them out even more. When I think of the OST, that's the very first song that comes to mind, so it really left a good impression on me).
Now.
Onto the things that still don't sit quite right with me and the reason I scored this one a 7.5 (for now, will most likely change it as I watch more episodes – hopefully).
First of all, especially in the first couple of episodes, the scenes are way too jumpy and “messy”, so much so that I had to replay a couple of parts because I couldn't really understand certain things and the show just lost me. Was it a dream? A memory/flashback? The way it's edited and quickly jumps from A to B back to A is very confusing. They're not smooth cuts.
Granted, it got better in the last episode I watched (ep.5), so it's probably just a problem of the first part and it got fixed as it went on. Again, hopefully.
The second thing is the humour. Most of the times it actually gets a giggle out of me (the actors' comedic timing is always on point and their expressions alone are enough to make the joke work) and it's just in such contrast with the somber scene at play in that moment that it somehow works very well and I can only appreciate it. But some other times... they REALLY play into it, to the point that it feels kinda weird and out of place. Cringe, even. To make an example: the way the young boy, Bai Jiu, keeps screaming or fainting. After a while it gets repetitive, old, and his character doesn't feel real anymore. Hope he'll hit some character growth and won't shout as much. I really liked young master Xue's character in MJTY and, albeit so young, that actor really can play more serious roles.
Humour in this kind of dramas is a fine line to walk and I think, up to this moment, MJTY kept that balance a lot better.
Third thing, which is mainly what caused the 7.5, is something I cannot quite explain with words, but I can't help feeling whenever I'm watching this drama: a sense of emptiness. Of something missing, not being there.
It's really more of a personal feeling, but there are certain scenes where I really can't help but feel like I'm watching something empty, like something should be there, but isn't. Like I'm reading the draft of a book and some paragraphs are still missing or aren't finished yet. Where MJTY felt more organic and grounded, FoF is a lot more staged, a gorgeous cover wrapped around blank pages.
Sometimes it has to do with the scene in general, sometimes with the way it cuts from one shot to the other, the lack of music and overall sound or just the characters. I know they are interacting with each other, but it's as if there's this wall that divides them. One thing that really irks me is how often (especially the villains) they just... stand there and let the main leads finish their thing, whether it's talking among themselves or preparing for action.
It's still the very beginning, though, so it'll probably smooth out and feel more natural and complete with the episodes to come, but right now it all feels too disjointed, especially when the narration clearly slows down or stops altogether to focus on the appearance of the characters or the beauty of a certain shot.
(I know this criticism basically goes against my praises of the aesthetic and cinematography of this director's works, but I can't deny he can be VERY pretentious and all too often puts looks above substance).
I still don't have much to say about the characters themselves, because we still don't know them much yet, but some impressed me more than others and for others I hope they'll grow and get better with time.
I'm very curious about Zhuo Yichen, although Tian Jiarui's performance so far is a little... lukewarm, when compared with the work he did on Gong Yuanzhi in MJTY. I like how Yichen can be both fierce and shy/awkward, but he didn't give much aside for that (so far). I know he's a more than capable actor, so I'm sure the character will grow on me, but right now... not there yet. It probably also depends on the way the make-up and hairstyle always make his expression look very tight, as if he can't move his face much - or just got a face lift. But, aside from that, I'm curious to find out who he really is. I have this headcanon where he is, in fact, a demon, given his blue eyes and his whispery voice (I noticed only demons have it, which is a nice touch and detail) and the constant nightmare of becoming one. I want to see whether I'm right or wrong.
I was pleasantly surprised with two performances so far: Neo Hou and Chen Duling.
I always found Neo Hou's acting to be quite stiff and struggled a lot not to see the actor beneath the character, so I am impressed in the best of ways with this role. He is shining and brings Zhu Yan to life. And although at times the character himself isn't very consistent with the way he acts and reacts, he really works for me and got me hooked from the very beginning. Hope we'll get to see more of his layers, like his darker and more serious and dangerous side, but also his sensible and “sad” personality, because he really wishes to die and I really want to 1) know why and 2) see HOW the actor will showcase this part of the character.
For Chen Duling, I've only seen her in two other works, where she played either a minor role or a supporting role, but in both cases she was nothing but a woman who fell into sadness and depression because of her lost lover, so I was a bit worried about Wen Xiao. But I really love her so far and she's really growing on me. Right now I can easily say she's my favourite among the main roles.
Last but not least, I hope we'll get some proper world building this time around. GJM's works always tend to lack a lot on this department and so far the world of FoF hasn't been fleshed out that much. Granted, I'm only at episode five as I'm writing this review, but I was really confused at the wheres and how much time it takes to move from place x to place y.
I wish they gave us an impression of space and moving spaces like, for example, Mysterious Lotus Casebook did. Its world building isn't much richer and extended, but it has some substance at least and the characters won't just appear back at a certain place (ex. the archives of the bureau) as if through sci-fi teleportation.
I think that's all for now. Might come back to this once the drama is complete.
UPDATED REVIEW WITH FINAL THOUGHTS:
After so long since I'm done with this drama, I still don't fully know and understand how to feel about it – hence why I'm putting an end to this review only now.
I don't think I ever struggled so much with being objective with something I watched before.
I'm usually very critical and strict with dramas, movies and books and I easily draw a line between objectiveness and subjectiveness, but with Fangs of Fortune... a struggle, as I said.
It has many many flaws and the ending was such a complete mess (storytelling wise) that I wouldn't be able to rate it above 5, with all in all a plot without substance – at times non-existent –, repetitive storylines and undercooked villains and worldbuilding . And yet... the hold this drama has on me is still strong and it won't just let me go.
After The Untamed, I had yet to find a drama which would stuck with me long after the epilogue and I wasn't really expecting FoF to be my new “obsession”.
(I loved My Journey to You a lot more and I can easily say it is one of my favourite dramas ever, but it didn't click the same way; after I was done watching it, I didn't interact with the fandom nor looked for edits and other material revolving around it).
The concerns/problems I pointed out when I first wrote this review did not dissipate – in some cases it actually got WORSE –, so I won't waste time in repeating myself.
GJM, I find, tends to repeat the same mistakes in all of his works (especially when it comes to executing the last episodes, pacing and focus are all over the place and the quality and coherence seem to drop) and I don't believe it's ever going to change, at this point.
But I still got one (and a half) new complaint I would like to briefly present, so bear with this review a little longer.
My half complaint is more of a very personal preference and that is: I wish they showed us more of the demon hunting bureau gang bonding and spending time together.
The found family vibes are i m m a c u l a t e, the very highlight of this drama and a breath of fresh air that really sets FoF apart from most of all other series, but they didn't take much time to actually build that friend/family relationship and I think the real reason it worked so well is due more to the actors rather than the writing.
ALL of them were phenomenal in their interpretation of the characters and the chemistry they had with each other all throughout the drama is simply top-notch. BUT if the cast members were not as good at their job and just as close IRL, I doubt the squad friendship would have been as impactful to the viewers.
First of all, they don't spend much time together while on screen and most of their interactions have to do with solving problems and fighting threats (and, even in those cases, they usually go their separate ways or split in two/three groups based on whether they are lead roles or support roles).
I might remember wrong, but I believe we only got one scene where they are all together, just relaxing and being young, and that is during the fire-water dance between Zhu Yan and Zhuo Yichen. Other than that, we know they are close friends because
a) actors chemistry
b) they keep TELLING us they are friends and family and
c) the very moving and beautiful scenes where two characters are sitting down and going through their emotions, fears, worries and just talking about life.
I love love love the final result (which is the most beautiful and at times chaotic found family one could ever ask for), but I wish the journey had been slower and better paved – perhaps with more solving cases.
More show, less tell, especially while they are becoming friends.
Now, onto the main complaint.
Wen Xiao.
I'll start by saying that, to me at least, it makes sense for her not to fight.
She's a scholar and wasn't born nor raised in a military setting like, for example, the Pei siblings, so her strengths lie somewhere else and I agree with the decision to keep her out of combat and physical scenes – although in the very first episodes she was pretty agile herself and could use her poisoned knife to bring damage and subdue her opponent... but it's also true that the "enemies" became stronger with each episode, so, as I said, her not being a badass warrior makes sense.
She is smart and cunning and her mind and words are her weapons (as showed so many times – just think of how cleverly she dealt with Li Lun's trick questions and how well she understands demons and their behaviours).
Her brain and curiosity, those are her true weapons, not a sword nor arrows, so I really didn't find it weird for her to keep away from big fights.
If she did intervene, she would have probably got herself killed and put others in danger in order to save her reckless a**.
But she was horribly sidelined as a character and that's what I really didn't like seeing. She was so promising at the beginning, but she never really hit a character growth and always felt underdeveloped and focused on, to the point where she spent most of her scenes sitting on the floor and crying. We never really got to know of her past before and after becoming a disciple of the Goddess, how she dealt with her father's death, her new life...
I kind of agree when other fans say she was probably written in the story just to pass censorship, because I can't deny the characters of the two male leads were built with a lot more care and nuance – and had just more screen time and scenes, be it together, solo or with the other members of the bureau.
But I'll end it here, this has gotten too long of a review.
To conclude, Fangs of Fortune is, since episode one, a character-driven drama, so never expect much from the plot (in some episodes there really isn't any at all). But, as long as you realize that, you'll find this a drama worth watching, so I'd still recommend it.
If you prefer dramas with little to no plot or don't mind its lack of substance or want to give it a try despite the former, I'd say go for it, there's a high chance you really won't regret it and will actually fall in love with this one.
The characterization and chemistry of the main leads and friend group are of the best I've seen in a drama so far
the acting never falters and is always the top, from main characters to simple guest roles
the cinematography and the costumes/character designs are nearly incomparable, especially when it comes to the demons
the OST and its lyrics are so good and full of meaning (you'll definitely end up saving at least one in your playlist)
and I could write a whole paragraph about the dialogues of this drama. How deep and with sensible and important messages some of them are, how poetic and well written (and delivered), how impactful and never cringy.
- Mei
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