*BEST OF 2020* *JUST GIVE IT A TRY*
*IT JUST ENDED* T_T T_T T_TThis drama shows a side of Life which we don't see much on TV, the struggle of life.
I think there will be at least one character to which you will feel relatable...
*ASIDE FROM*: usual Action, Thriller, Rom-Com drama
THIS is a lot different and Great Show
~IN MY OPINION "THE BEST FAMILY SHOW I HAVE EVER SEEN."
~All the different characters and their issues and how each of their issues are solved throughout the drama is so satisfying, I Haven't seen it in a long time...
~ It Helps u gain confidence in your-self and convey advice about growing up, a life of adulthood, psychological issues, what life is in Reality...
YOU CRY even if you don't want too
YOU LAUGH even IF you don't want too
that's just how lighthearted this drama is...
~GONNA MISS IT BADLY how I Bought IQIYI VIP PASS for it and how I used to wait daily for the episodes air... T_T T_T
~I felt so relatable to Ling Xiao and Qi Ming Yue.....
~The Bond of the sibling shown is so Touching.
~A person like Li Ba should exist in our life as well
Father so supportive
Caring neighbor
Loving Friend
~Its been So long since I have watched such a heartwarming drama
~A Drama which made me cry so hard AT ITS LAST EPISODE Tear OF Happiness... TvT
~this drama contains so many feelings...
hats off to the writer who wrote such a beautiful story and so many touching dialogues.
~I hope whoever reads this Review will Watches this Drama
~*JUST WATCH* it till EP3 and if you liked it, then continue after EP3
~I PROMISE YOU, YOU WON'T REGRET IT ;)
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This review may contain spoilers
Sensitive, optimistic and even cheerful. No spectacle, and yet the 2 hours somehow fly by.
"Innocent Witness" does not really want to serve any genre. (I assume, in Germany it would have at best as been shown in Television only. Significantly, the movie never made it to European cinemas. Yet, it was shown on the big screen in South Korea and was also shown throughout Asia and Australia. It actually won a whole series of respectable awards. On the list are 55th Baeksang Arts Awards, 39th Golden Cinema Film Festival, 40th Blue Dragon Film Awards, 6th Korean Film Producers Association Awards, 27th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards and 39th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards ... Those various awards were given for the characteristically sensitive, emotional storytelling and presentation."Innocent Witness" isn't kitschy, it's calm. The story does neither live from driving tension nor offer any dazzling action, just a calm, unobtrusively touching story. The viewers spend a lot of time in the courtroom. However, Law & Order might very well form the framework, but this does not determine what the story is actually about: Communication and reciprocal understanding can only really succeed if you unconditionally focus on the personal world of others, not only your own. This is often forgotten because we think we can easily understand each other when your world and mine seem so similar. (As if we could simply take sameness of a life context for granted.) However, even life perspectives would be similar, this can still not be considered ´mutual understanding´ either. This is mere prejudice. That could work, often does, but doesn't necessarily have to. Most of the time it might fit, so there's rarely a reason to question my personal approach to the world.
"Innocent Witness" is provocative here, because the other person is a young girl with an autism spectrum disorder. In order to reach an understanding, the lawyer and everyone else have to get involved in the world of the protagonist and (arduously?) learn to understand the events and happenings from her perspective. The confrontation with the autistic worldview (in the service of the story quite strikingly, but effectively implemented) may seem crass for most people at first glance, but basically it only demands what we should actually get do in EVERY encounter with every person, with whom we exchange ideas. That is: get involved. Eventually, we are reluctant ... as long as it works otherwise even half-way and the misunderstandings don't catch up with us all too painfully at some point...
"Innocent Witness" pushes the audience to this realization with persistent, warm, quiet tones in a determined and consistent manner. At the beginning there is the girl's question: "Are you a good person?". In the end, the lawyer comes to the realization: "I want to be(come) a good person!" The movie portrays this process purposefully, but quite unspectacularly and without any particular cinematic originality. The gait is characterized by a loving grunt, like a basso continuo, which bathes the punchlines in a warm light and holds the story together on an emotional level. This, however, without wanting to be difficult or too serious. The lacrimal gland is not necessarily strained either. On the contrary, there is also room for a smile, for joy and a good mood.
In short, the essence of the KMovie is the wonderful dynamic between lawyer and witness. Up-and-coming talent Kim Hyang-gi shines in her role as an innocent, often for her autism bullied, young school-girl. Veteran Jung Woo-sung, on the other hand, as a once ambitious human rights lawyer, neither fish nor meat, still single at almost 40, who has gotten a bit off track and becomes seductive because he needs money for his father's Parkinson's treatment. They stumble a little awkwardly into their interpersonal encounter, each in their own way. Dealing with their own feelings and those of others is not their strength. Nevertheless, out of the given need to get involved, a peculiar friendly relationship develops slowly, quietly, subtly, sensitively and sustainably. Initially however, it is quite an ambivalent dynamic. The attorney's original intention is anything but pure at first, when he wants to vet the only witness who claims to have seen his client's murder. In his approach to the witness, he is only concerned with his case and the question of how seriously he must take the witness for the course of his case. The unexpectedly blossoming friendship has an unfair origin that gradually overshadows the encounters. Nevertheless... The two mimes of the protagonists as well as one or the other supporting role have well-earned all their awards, as they embody this dynamic magnificently.
Apparently, the mission of the movie is that people with disabilities are also people with dignity, who we should/must take seriously. Ultimately, however, the mission even goes beyond and demands respectful, serious encounters with EVERYONE - regardless of their origin or clothing, health restrictions or age. We usually avoid those who 'tick' differently, because it seems exhausting and inconvenient to really get involved with someone, e. g. to actually listen, to genuinely want to understand... because this sometimes requires having to question myself and my self-evident attitudes, assumptions and perspectives. It's easier to just take my own worldview for granted on the basis of prejudices as well as superficial encounter and project it onto those around me. Conversely, such an attitude can actually lead to my life becoming superficial... comfortable, pretty, nice and shiny maybe, but superficial...
So, this is a KMovie that plays a lot in the courtroom, but whose verdict on right and wrong is less about the actual legal case - it becomes a mere side issue. It is rather about demanding an honest verdict on our individual ways we interact with our fellow humans: Am I a good person? Am I really listening? Am I truly open to encounters? Are my priorities in life sincere?
"Innocent Witness" doesn't really serve any genre, and yet the story, told in all simplicity, is touching, optimistic and even cheerful. No spectacle, and yet the 2 hours somehow fly by.
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ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND PAINFUL DRAMA EVER
I knew this drama would have a sad ending from the beginning but WOW.The story is so well written, the acting is SO GOOD and the OSTS are amazing (specially Winter of May). I loved every second of this drama even though I cried my eyes out with the ending.
Go Minsi did a really great job as Myeong Hee, I've never watched a drama with her and she blew my mind! Lee Dohyun also did a really great job as HeeTae and their chemistry was one of the best I've ever seen.
Knowing that Myeong Hee was missing for 30 years and that it took that long to find her body broke my heart. I really hoped that MyeongHee and HeeTae would have their happy ending because they've been through so much to be together.
This show made me you so sad and powerless but at the same time made my heart flutter. I wanted to get inside the screen and protect all of them with all my heart and it hurts so much to know that this was based in a real story and that there are people that are still missing.
I'm really glad I got to watch this drama and I'm really glad I got to know more about the Gwangju Uprising. My condolences to the people of Gwangju that had to get through this event and thanks to "Youth of May" to made us know about it.
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I liked the story, it was very entertaining...wait „like“ is a understatement...I LOVED IT. I loved the chemistry between the chracters. I loved it, how they could solve any problem and got new friends. Let‘s talk about my „they“ in the last sentence. The whole cast was amazing. Ye MuXi, the female lead, monitor of the class, my favourite chinese female actor and a very cheerful and joyful (i think both adjektive mean the same but who cares?). And then there is Liao Dan Yi, the male lead, intelligent guy and the opposite of Ye MuXi. And then there is the whole squad, where everyone of them is uniq.
There is just one point in this show, which I didn‘t understand and like. Whenever there was a singing scene, the singing got dubbed. I was a bit stupid, but can live with it.
In summary, I really enjoyed it and recomend it to all who want to watch a comedy school-life drama with fantasy and much much more.
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Feel good drama with mature characters and honest conversations
This drama filled my heart. This is what I would categorise as a "feel good" drama.The characters clearly were not living fairytale lives and had their hardships and traumas to overcome, but the drama never dwelled on all that pain and sadness. We saw an honest attempt with characters reflecting on their lives and trying their best to live for the moment. It wasn't about forgetting the past and ignoring it, but rather accepting what happened and counting blessings for the people left behind, the time they currently have, and the future they can build.
This is why I love J-dramas so much, because it is not the plot or dramatic points that drive the characters, rather it is the other way round with characters driving the story.
I absolutely loved every character and couple in this drama and I would recommend this to anyone looking to watch something light yet healing. Watching this made me feel a little less lonely.
Special mention to the leads who really hit it out of the park with their acting. So much expressed through their eyes, and emotions. I teared up (out of happiness) at so many of their moments <3
All in all (and I rarely say this) - THIS WAS PERFECT.
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Her Dream was her Best Investment!
First of all, why is this drama so underrated? Like it deserves more!! She was told that "you cannot do this" but she made the same person say "you did it well". Master of my own is not your simple business drama with blah-blah-blah about stocks, that up and down graph, office deals etc. It's a story about growth, huge character developments and a slow burn mature romance you would cheer for.Master of my own is adapted from the novel "Please Call Me The Director" (请叫我总监) written by Hong Jiu. Directed by Yao Ting Ting, it's a very unique storyline in it's genre.
Let me list what this drama is worth checking out for —
The female lead – she gets kicked, looked down upon and left completely devastated until she gears herself up to fight for her dream to be an Investment Director. What I love about her is she sticks to her principles no matter what. She is especially cool and beautiful at some points. Can't help but shout like a proud mama "You go girl!"
The story – surprising that this is the best Business genre Cdrama I've ever seen. Most of the business themed dramas do upper talk and group meetings in the name of business but this actually goes into little detail. It's not boring and embedded with the character's story. I love how they mentioned all the projects and what an investor thinks before giving money to them. "All" investors aren't emotionless machines who want profit, some do care for a new startup and are willing to take risks. And who doesn't have ups and downs but motivation, hard work, passion shines through this drama.
The male lead – okay. I agree he is just a big jerk in starting and I felt the urge to punch him hard so often but still let me say this to the upcoming viewers, give him some time. He won't disappoint you much in future. He becomes likable slowly.
The Acting – not a big fan of any of the cast but they were so satisfying. Ning Meng by Tan Song Yun is the definite highlight of this drama. The way she looks cute and bubbly and then she transforms with suits and dresses, you can see through her aura. Lin Geng Xin as Lu Ji Ming is suitable for this unique CEO role. The rest of the cast, special mentions to Su Xin and Gong Bei Bi who were great as Ceng Yu Hang and Shi Ying respectively.
The slow burn – slow burn romance lovers like me who enjoy a beautiful friendship and companionship turning to love would enjoy this drama. They don't have those cliche moments at all. It's just a basic understanding and magic between them where enemies turned lovers is like icing on the cake.
Now what still takes away 1 star from it —
It's probably because it became slow in the middle or maybe because I have no intention to rewatch this drama. Okay it was special for Tang Song Yun and her role Ning Meng but rewatching won't happen…
So I am going to remember this drama for the motivation, character developments and the little Ning Meng who does big tasks.
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One of the best Historical Drama in Korea! MR. QUEEN.
Im really hooked in this Drama. Complete genre (drama, action, romance and comedy) All Mr. Queen actors are impressive!!! They do their job well done!!! Especially Shin hye sun and Kim jung hyun. They really fit into their character!!!! And their chemistry is sooooooo undeniable!!! They really complement each other!! I can't imagine any actors can play their role like they did. KJH is really an adlib master!!!. The king's character suits him. SHS is an excellent actress too!!! She gave us a Roller Coaster emotions!!! This literally an ALL IN Drama!! One of the best historical korean drama I ever watched!!! Highly recommended!!!! Mr. Queens staff are all amazing !!! Especially the writers and the Director!!!❤️❤️❤️ They really deserve an award!!! Good Job! MR. QUEEN!!! ❤️❤️❤️Was this review helpful to you?
Acting/Cast- The cast of this drama is relatively new, so I've not seen any of them before. However, each one of them left a remarkable mark on my memory. As a fan of the book, I admit I fantasized the leads to be more good looking as per the description of the characters. I was also disappointed with the cast before watching the drama, but boy did they change my perception. Both main actors were very good at their parts, played with such subtle chemistry and understanding and I totally bought their version of Luo Zhi and Sheng Huainan. Special mention to the guy who played Zheng Mingrui. He was so amazing at his role that I really felt for his character. Soo good. All other actors pretty much played their part really well.
Music- LOVED the music of this drama. Both the beginning and ending theme was amazing, especially the end song was really cute and captured the essence of youth so well.
Re-watch value- Definately gonna watch this drama again.
Overall- I might be biased because i already read the book few years ago but this drama is worth the shot and i hope more people watch it.
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Like a mucus bath.
Don't be fooled by this drama's engaging start - a hint of intrigue, the promise of adventure, a powerful secret weapon, political conspiracies aplenty and a heart stopping romance between a intrepid princess and a valiant guard. After about a dozen thrilling episodes this drama turns so icky that it feels like a mucus bath.Instead of the incomprehensible Rebirth For You, this drama's real title should be The Story of Miaorong. Because over 30 super long episodes (50+ minutes), practically all of the screen time is hijacked by the deranged machinations of the female and male love rejects' pathetic, slimy and absurd schemes. Every time you are about to jump ship out of frustration, they will throw some sugar at you with some sweet scenes between Bao Ning and Li Qian but make no mistake, the very boring actress that plays Miaorong gets MOST of the screentime. The final insult to the injury is this smart couple becomes stupid and their devotion and absolute faith in each other devolves into angsty and immature misunderstandings toward the end. The promising plot threads and interesting antagonists are left largely under exploited while the writers strive to bore us to death with every silly, malicious cat fight and scorned lover trope ever conceived of. This is a total waste of both Ju Jingyi and Zeng Shunxi's acting talent and is little more than a shameless exercise in letting second rate actors get too much exposure.
If you are die hard fans, watch about the first twelve episodes and the last one or two. All the rest can be skipped but my overall recommendation is to save some brain cells and not watch this at all. This is my shortest review ever to avoid wasting any more time on this abomination. Rating 3.5/10.0.
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What I loved most about this drama is that the story just kept getting more and more extreme as it went on, and I just kept getting more and more sucked in! For 32 episodes I couldn't wait to see what crazy thing would happen next so, unlike other viewers, I was never really bored. I also liked that all of the major characters had a dark side, or were flawed, which made them a lot more interesting.
Lee Dong Wook's Jae Wan was a fun character to watch unfold, even though he was damn near robotic. This drama is basically his tragic story, and it's a doozy! At first I was turned off by how cold he was, but I liked him more and more as more of his story was revealed. Eventually his need to keep his composure seemed haunting.
Lee Da Hae as Ah Mo Nae was extremely annoying, even as she started to mature, but I thinks she was a great character. Kudos to the actress for making me want to smack her through the screen several times. I also really loved the forbidden romance between Jae Wan and Ah Mo Nae, especially early on when it was technically "very" forbidden. I think they had great chemistry, although they do much more crying than flirting.
Lee Duk Hwa as Lee Joong Goo had not a single ounce of redeeming quality in him, so It was fun to watch where his extreme evil would lead. Just when I thought he couldn't get more cutthroat he would surpass his last action tenfold. I thought he was excellent.
My favorite character by far was Kim Hae Sook as Baek Mi Nyeo. It took a lot of range to pull that character off. She was manipulative, mentoring, backstabbing, sympathetic, ruthless... she'd make me drop my jaw one minute and boo-hoo cry the next. Very few actresses can pull off a role that crazy, but she definitely did. It's not the most realistic character, but again, that's why this drama was so much fun.
There is nothing subtle about this drama, it is melodrama at it's finest. I loved the cast. I loved the music. The writing may not be perfect, but considering all this story tried to take on, I was impressed.
32 episodes is a huge commitment, but I didn't mind because I didn't want it to end. I would also watch all 32 episodes again, which should tell you how much I enjoyed it the first time. I definitely recommend this to any one who likes their dramas to be filled with DRAMA in ALL CAPS.
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WORTH THE WAIT ?
The series hit differently when you cast a seasoned actors.Hats off to Nonkul for the perfect representation of Jom.
The softness, gestures, mannerisms and such, just pefect!
The arrow went straight to everyone when he started asking “What did I do wrong?”.
The sobs and the tears are so natural. Not overly dramatic that it gets irritating.
So far, the expectations were met. Hope it maintains momentum.
Congratulations YYDS and Dee Hup for this wonderful series!
Another masterpiece!
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This review may contain spoilers
Don’t dread the ending, enjoy the journey!
Princess Agents has most definitely been my favorite drama of 2017. I have been waiting for a long time to write this review and many a times I almost gave into the urge to gush about it to everyone but unlike some impatient little boogers, I decided to wait for the drama to completely air first. I'm glad I did.Even though, Princess Agent's story remained interesting from start to finish, it was the cast and characters that were the essence of the show.
Everyone who knows me, knows that I for one have a lot of love for my lady badasses and Chu Qiao was the definition of a badass. She was brilliant, witty, an excellent fighter, loyal to the bone and fully determined in her beliefs. Nobody could boss her around and she always stuck to what she thought was right. Watching Zhao Zanilia on-screen has always been a pleasure. She's such a versatile actress and her effortless elegance along with her sincere charisma never fails to make her acting seem extremely natural. I loved Chu Qiao so much and her fighting scenes always blessed me with these unexpected bursts of adrenaline rush that left me jumping around in excitement.
One thing I absolutely hate in Chinese dramas are the robotic and emotionless male leads that are perfect in every way and while, YuWen Yue started off as being cold and aloof, he soon began to win hearts with his unadulterated devotion towards our girl. He's someone who's not afraid to express his honest feelings and show his vulnerable side and that is what made him so endearing. Lin Geng Xin put out the acting of his life and was able to easily deliver YWY's innermost emotions without having to do much. The chemistry between Chu Qiao and YWY was simply electric.
Princess Agents was Kung Fu made sexy and these two characters communicated their every feeling with it. Every time these two were in a room together the temperature rose a few considerable degrees until everything felt hotter and a lot more sensual.
However, even though I was wholeheartedly rooting for YuWen Yue, my love for Yan Xun wasn't insignificant in any way. Dou Shawn brought to life, with his stunning acting, an unforgettable character. His transition from a reckless, know-no-better, kind-hearted prince to a cruel and blinded by vengeance duke was heart breaking. No matter what he did, it was so hard to truly hate Yan Xun because he was a man shaped by the scars of his life; someone slowly losing grasp of the humanity that defined him and it was all just such a shame. With his sharp eyes and an even sharper jawline Yan Xun slayed the hearts of the viewers without even trying.
Normally, I despise love triangles. Primarily because I'm almost always more inclined towards one of the male leads and then all the romantic scenes with the other just piss me off. However, deciding between Yan Xun and Yuwen Yue was such a hard thing to do because they were both fully committed towards their love for Chu Qiao. Whenever my heart was cheering one of them on, there came fluttering a scene with the other man that melted by insides. Chu Qiao had significant history and a strong bond with both of them and by the end of the show, I was almost praying for YX to mess up in some way so she could go to YWY.
Another actress whose work needs to be commended is Li Qin. She played the role of the extremely annoying, holier than thou, too stupid to live princess and played it in such a way that she was still tolerable till the end. Chun'er, time and time again made me want to bang my head with the wall. Not only was she extremely naive and selfish, she always ended up making a tragedy out of herself. She had everybody bend over backwards to save her worthless ass from her own mistakes and then she chose to blame others for her failures. All of her schemes always failed and it ended in her being utterly humiliated. So it was only because of the brilliant acting that by the end of the show the watchers still harbored some sympathy for her. Li Qin is undeniably talented and her portrayal of some scenes often left me open mouthed.
Backed by stunning visuals, a hauntingly good soundtrack and a gripping plot-line, Princess Agents was a treat throughout. It had me waking up at 7 am every morning because I wanted to see the new episode as soon as the subs were released. It had me watching entire episodes in raw form just because I was too impatient to know what happened next and it had me wishing away my weekends because I had no episode to look forward to then.
All in all, this review clearly shows how much I loved this drama so you must be wondering why then, did I not give it a solid 10? That is where we address the elephant in the room. Up until most of the show, I was willing to give it a 10 without a second thought and then came the outrageous ending.
The drama ends with the worst cliff hanger in Asian Drama history with absolutely nothing resolved. It's like the thing that you've been looking forward to throughout 67 episodes finally appears and when everything is at its peak, the show ends and your celebratory moment is snatched away from you. However, it would've been all okay if a second season with the same cast had been confirmed. Then this horribly disappointing finale would've been converted to a powerful episode that filled one with anticipation for the next season but that is not the case. The news for the second season is muddy at best and there's a high chance that the actors for the show will be changed out.
That is what makes millions of viewers so angry and devastated because this seems like a huge injustice. A disrespect to the drama, the actors who worked their ass off and the viewers who had been wholly attached to the story. What we wanted was closure but instead it was like we were handed the short end of the stick. The last few episodes were filled with unnecessary filler trash and the writers cramped everything into the finale, shoved all of it under a rug and dusted their hands with it.
This is the reason why this show could have been something phenomenal but ended up having its head cut off due to poorly planned decisions made on the behalf of the Princess Agent's team. Just like in the show the foul actions of an insecure King ruined the lives of many, the reckless actions of the drama creators eradicated many hopes.
I myself felt betrayed. The ending was like a personal offense and all the hours invested into the drama suddenly felt wasted. In that moment I wanted to give it a 4/10 rating out of rage, which is why I completely understand the low reviews and the hate comments. Once you see the ending, slowly you start to judge the entire show and downplay everything about it. All the things that seemed so great before, start to leave a sour taste in the mouth. However while I understand it, doesn't mean I would do the same myself because even if I had known beforehand the way it was going to end, I would have still chosen to watch the show. Because upon further thinking I realized that for me being on this journey with these amazing characters and creating a bond with all of them, alone was a great experience and discrediting the whole show just because of the ending seemed unfair.
So if you're considering watching it, don't dread the result rather enjoy the process.
Good Luck!
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This story is supposedly based on a true story and can I just say this is a complete tear jerker. My friends kept pushing me into watching this and even though it's sad, I am so glad I decided to watch it.
This movie is just an amazing story about ones first love. It teases you with so much happiness and then just stabs you in the heart with sadness. I think it hurts a little more inside when you realize this based off true events.
I loved the cast. I really liked Miura and Yui together. There were those awkward acting scenes but I've grown used to them after watching so many dramas. But their chemistry was pretty good. I liked the supporting cast as well. Their characters were shown just enough and all blended well together.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone and if you are still iffy about watching this, just watch it..with a box of tissues of course
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We don't need another hero.
This is a dark, intensely melodramatic classic wuxia about heroes. The Chinese title 说英雄谁是英雄 (Speaking of heroes, who is a hero?) asks the question who is a hero 英雄/yīngxióng? What is distinctive about this story is that there is no main protagonist. It is left to the audience to decide which character(s) are heroes. Although novelist Wen Ruian is not considered to be in the same league as Jin Yong or Gu Long, there is a cynical provocativeness that distinguishes this best work of his. The martial artists or 大侠/dàxià, featured in this are swordsman known for their legendary weapons. Despite 江湖/jiānghú lore about their great feats and relative prowess, 一山还有一山高, there is always a higher mountain so the outcome to any encounter between these fighters is not known until actually put to a test.Li Muge's brilliant camera work evocatively captures the essence of a wuxia from the wild vastness of the terrain, the spirit of adventure, the air of intrigue to finally, the profound sense of fatalism and impermanence. Yet despite the stunning aesthetics, the fast paced and bloody fight scenes are over choreographed and somewhat lacking. The action scenes mostly comprise of discontinuous slasher heavy shots that are stitched together to end in exaggerated fierce posing by the combatants. There seems to be a lot of slashing around without capturing the flinch inducing violence and intensely muscular swordsmanship seen in shows like Lu Yang's Brotherhood of Blades. The two final fight scenes are powerful and much more satisfyingly executed with the right mix of violence, emotion and intensity.
This drama's ensemble cast delivers nuanced and polished portrayals of memorable characters such as Chen Chuhe's charismatic Su Mengzhen and Meng Ziyi's heart rending Lei Chun. The diversity and eccentricity of jianghu's denizens from the flamboyant Fang Yingkan, the staunch and astute Yang Wuxie, the hilariously coquettish Zhao Xiaoyao , the fanatical Lei Mei , the wily Lei Sun and the enigmatic Di Feijing anchors this wuxia. Naturally the performances of the three young idol actors who represent the next generation of martial artists, suffers by comparison in such formidable company. While both Zeng Shunxi's Wang Xiaoshi and Liu Yuning's Bai Choufei struggle visibly in more complicated scenes, they deliver credible performances overall. Besides, Bai Choufei is a difficult role that would challenge many seasoned actors. As for Yang Chaoyue, her acting mantra must be "when in doubt, just pout" because besides crying, that is what she does best in every scene. Even though Wen Rou is a superfluous and archetypal character, she has many well written comedic moments with the advisor that disappointingly fall flat in execution. I won't lie, the idol actors failed to convince me of any of their relationships or make me care much for them. I find Su Mengzhen's bond with Yang Wuxie far more compelling than Wang Xiaoshi's with Bai Choufei.
The story opens with the young and decent Wang Xiaoshi's first foray into jianghu, tasked by his shifu to deliver a mysterious box to Su Mengzhen, the young master of the House of Golden Wind Drizzle (House Drizzle). Along the way he forms a fast friendship with the deadly and ambitious Bai Choufei and the well-born, pouty and marriage evading Wen Rou. Together, they head to the capital, seeking fame, fortune and adventure. Near the city, Wang Xiaoshi and Bai Choufei save Su Mengzhen from an ambush and the three become sworn brothers. Thus they find themselves allied with House Drizzle and pitted against their arch-rivals, the Six-Half Hall. The high-minded and valiant do-gooders are drawn to House Drizzle while the less scrupulous, commercial and profit minded converge at Six-Half Hall. There are formidable martial artists and yes, heroes at both sects; neither is completely good or bad they simply live by different ideologies.
All too soon, it becomes clear that Bai Choufei's unrestrained ambition and world view is incompatible with that of Su Mengzhen and House Drizzle. This man has a massive chip on his shoulder and his ambition tragically exceeds his ability. Thus his bottom line is flexible and he is willing to get what he wants by fair means or foul making him better suited towards Six-Half Hall. His desire for Lei Chun, a woman who only has eyes for Su Mengzhen, further fans the flames of his resentment. It is inevitable that Bai Choufei succumbs to his worst instincts to become the kind villain I love to hate; one that I can ultimately somewhat empathize with and understand. Sadly, this is where the screenwriter inexplicably decides to whitewash Bai Choufei and rob him of his free will. What follows is one of the worst character assassinations ever. Bai Choufei, a strong minded, unapologetically ambitious and arrogant character is reduced to a mentally unstable puppet of a corrupt government official. He becomes so unhinged, despicable and pathetic that he is little more than a rabid dog that has to be put down. What a waste. None of the other villains really step up; both Thirteen Doom and Fang Yingkan had potential but are too cursorily dealt with at the end and their motives and some of their actions not satisfactorily explained. That said, Thirteen Doom will always be a bit of a hero to me just for gagging Wen Rou.
The ending bloodbath between the sworn brothers is predictable and inevitable. At this point, Li Muge gives in to his love for melodrama and sprays dogs blood over everything with wild abandon. I was nonplussed at the tragicomic drawn out twitching after going splat death scene that eventually just made me laugh. I expected Su Mengzhen to play a more active role in the finale but his decision was already foreshadowed. He explains himself with his parting words 独立三边静 轻生一剑知 which Tencent simply translated as "The fearless brings peace for many but dies a death that's lonely." Those are incredibly fitting parting words for Su Mengzhen that those who love him can understand and must accept. It is actually a beautiful, famous ancient Tang poem with deep meaning that I will hide in a spoiler in the comment section of this review. The ending was good albeit overly melodramatic for my taste.
Which comes back to the conversation about heroes or 英雄/yīngxióng. When all is said and done, a hero does not have to fit the conventional wuxia hero in terms of righteousness or chivalry. It is enough that they are true to their own ideals and thus the hero of their own story. For me, Di Feijing is unambiguously the hero of this story. In his own way, he is no less chivalrous than Su Mengzhen and between them, they maintained a stable balance of power in the capital. He is the one character that is consistently true to his ideals and lives to protect those he loves. I find his chemistry with Lei Chun to be the most natural and moving in the drama. He is the only character who truly and only loved Lei Chun. Tragically Su Mengzhen is the only one that Lei Chun loved even though he did not love her quite as intensely or as selflessly as Di Feijing did. They are the three characters I cared the most about in this drama. I still don't forgive Li Muge for short changing me of Di Feijing's and to a lesser extent, Thirteen Doom's ending combat scenes. It is not enough for me to know that justice is served, I wanted to see it happen. As for Wang Xiaoshi, he is at best a work in progress. Even though he did his best to fix things, he also ineptly set in motion many of the events that led to among other things, Lei Sun's downfall which snowballed into this giant, tragic mess. If he is a hero, we don't need another hero. In any case, as Lei Chun discovered, heroes are not there when you most need them. Best be your own hero.
I have very mixed feelings about this drama. I think I am mostly disappointed because it could have been so much more had the scriptwriter and the director stuck with the novel and not succumbed to whitewashing and dogs blood melodrama. Thanks to the substance and depth of the original works however, it still a good watch if for nothing else, the stunning aesthetics. This feels like a 7.5/10 for me but I bumped it up to an 8.0 because Di Feijing (Yang Tong) is such an unforgettable character, he stole the show as far as I am concerned.
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