Tientsin Mystic 2 (2020)

Not Really There!

I've been watching Tientsin Mystic Season 2 since February, and I only finished it now - because the beginning and middle parts of the season are really DRAGGING. ? The first 12 or 16 episodes could have been summarized to around 6 to 8 episodes. The exciting parts were all crammed in the last few episodes.

I watched season 2 because season 1 was great. The lead actor for season 1 was Li Xian, while the lead actor for season 2 is Jin Shi Jia, and I don't know who this guy is. ? The reason I watched season 2 was just for continuity's sake. My logic is like, "I watched Season 1! I gotta watch Season 2". Jin Shi Jia's acting is OKAY, but if the lead actor were Li Xian, the acting would have been great. Jin Shi Jia lacks the OOMPH! Li Xian's acting is like 8 or 9, while Jin Shi Jia's acting is just around 6 or 7.

The rest of the actors are still those in Season 1: Zhang Ming En, Cici Wang, Charlene Chen, and Tang Yi Nuo (funny guy, this one!). Well, they're good actors. But I just couldn't stand the villain (played by Wang Fang) because instead of appearing smart, he seems like an idiot who just got lucky. The villain is very good with chemistry, and he knows martial arts because he was trained in the Dutch army - so he is supposed to be impressive. But I am not impressed with him at all. They should have cast a better actor. The other villain (they're partners) played by Serena Zhang is more believable and impressive. Well, it should have been better if she were the main villain, and the other guy is just the sidekick.

Well, whatever! I finished watching it AT LAST! I give it a 5.5/10.

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Very meh.

This season took forever to properly get into the mystery and thus the first half, to first two thirds dragged a lot.
The characters were all miserable and not much happened, only for everything to be resolved in the last few eps.
It's not a terrible mystery, but I wish it got going sooner.
The new De Guo is not great (especially his over-dubbing) and although I'm not attached to the old actor, this one didn't do it for me.
Zhang Ming En keeps convincing me he's not good enough of an actor to pull off a main role. I liked him in Mystic Nine, but whenever he gets more space he reveals his lack of range. Charlene Chen looks visibly bored most of this season. Cici Wang is...there.
Just generally it was not a super enjoyable watch.

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A decent follow-up that perhaps tries too hard in some ways

This sequel to Tientsin Mystic isn't as good as the first season despite an obvious attempt to rev things up.

I found the casting change a little hard to get used to: the most important character in the series, Guo De You, is played by a different actor in Season 2. To be fair, Kingscar Jin who plays the character in Tientsin Mystic 2, has done quite a competent job. However, he gives rather different vibes compared to Li Xian who plays the character in Season 1. Whether it is intentional or not, the roguish side of Guo De You is amplified a little too much by Jin. In contrast, Li Xian's interpretation of the character in Season 1 juggles the playful, righteous and sentimental sides of the character with more nuance.

I must say, however, that the actors who play the villains (some better hidden than others) in Season 2 are very compelling. They steal the show from the main characters in many ways. The actor who plays the governor (not really a key villain) is particularly good with the part, exuding a subtly sinister aura even when he is at his most harmless.

The storytelling in Tientsin Mystic 2, however, is not as good as in Season 1. The story itself is actually quite interesting, but it seems to have been worked into a climax early on without any denouement in sight. (It's like bringing water to a boil only to leave it boiling for the long time before finally using the water for its intended purpose.) I also found the tensions between Guo De You and Ding Mao that crops up in some parts rather unnecessary. The same goes for the tensions between Ding Mao and Xiao Lan Lan, his girlfriend. At times, it feels like the writers are clumsily creating tension for the same of doing so.

Another flaw of Season 2 is how it emphasizes the "scientific" explanations of all the occurrences even if the explanations seem rather labored (such as the explanations for Guo De You's ability to use smoke to trigger visions that help him investigate crimes and for how he loses this ability). Season 1 has a more touch-and-go approach to this, making it easy to ignore "explanations" that stretch the limits of credulity. Season 2, on the other hand, takes itself too curious.

Tientsin Mystic 2 is bound to alienate some fans of the first season. It is watchable, but it does lose some of the charms of the first season.

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Short pov

CHARACTERS: First of all, what I really liked about this show is that it didn't change many of the characters from S1, which is really appreciable. S1 was pretty good in castings. The bond I made with them was not disturbed in this season, so thank you. BUT. The replacement of THE MAIN ROLE-GU DE YOU, infuriated me at the first half while I kept adjusting gradually afterwards. He was the very main character of this entire series. I completely bonded with Li Xian as Gu de you. But this replacement totally disrupted the connection.

STORY & ACTING: Storywise......it was neither too bad nor too good. It was.....just an average investigation story with relations to previous season. It's not a rewatchable drama in my pov. It doesn't holds the charms to attract the viewers to watch it again. Though,if you want to you can (if you are great fans of any of the actors/actresses)
Now coming to acting, it was also average in my pov, nothing too extraordinary.

MUSIC & COMEDY: This perspective needs to be improved a lot. The osts are not at all attractive. I don't even remember a single tune of it even though I watched it just some few minutes ago.
Okay...Comedy part was surely good. Comedy part was pretty good that kept every episodes quite interesting.

SUSPENSE &TWISTS: Umm....maybe it was the only thing that kept me going to know who the real mastermind is. Yeah, I indeed was shocked to know the results, tho I did suspect that person at the beginning for a while. Overall story suspense was surely above average.

RELATION-SHIPS: This......was my most favourite part of this season. I totally connected with every relationships made-specially Ding Mao and Gu De You's sworn friendship. I fawking loved their brotherhood, the way they had their journey from hated fellows to bosom brothers. Lanlan - Gu Ying, Gu De You - Gu Ying, Yusi - Ding Mao, Captain Fu - Ding Mao - Gu De You.....and so many more. I loved how all of their relations improved in this season.

OVERALL: It is an okay okay drama that "always keeps the ending DISAPPOINTING" - if you know you know!

EXCLAIMATION: Eagerly waiting for S3!!

- I know it wasn't a detailed review. It was just a short review on how I viewed every part of this drama as to be liked or disliked.
Hope this helps.🙂

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Is teinstein mystic season 2 good or season 1?

Ok so basically. Ive finished both seasons.
And im really disappointed in season 2.
Season 1 was amazing. The storyline was great. The characters and casting line was great.
Not missing out the storyline. It was smooth and went step by step without any exaggeration.
Season 2..i feel it was too messed up.
Everything was exaggerated.
Mainly what disappointed me at the start was that season 2 had no li xian. Same character but different actor. Do you think having different actor for the same character we would feel the same way as season 1?
No..but ok since i enjoyed this drama. I somehow watched. But atleast shouldve casted li xian resemblance because he did not resemble at all. The acts were different. Didnt get the same feeling as 1.

And li xian and ciciwang matched well and had a good chemistry in season 1. And we as the audience...have imagined them as a couple. And sudden change of actor. Would obviously not convince us.

Anyways leaving that.
The storyline is boring. Its exaggerated. Its not smooth at all. Its all cut in scenes. Feels like a mess. And ending was so not clear. Like what even happens. Its so confusing. So yeah very disappointed.
Atleast in season 2..main leads had to get married and shouldve had more romance which was missing. So didnt give the vibe.

So overall...both seasons r pretty good.
But season 1 was more better and understanding compared to season 2.

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