Horror Stories of Tang Dynasty (2022)

Fun Wuxia/Mystery with Buddy Cop Comedy Vibes

Surprise delight of 2022. Even though Su Wuming is a disciple of Dectective Di, I think I liked this even more than the Detective Di movies I’ve seen (!) because as much as I love Su Wuming, the genius detective trope is a little played out for me. Giving him a great foil in Lu Lingfeng made the whole thing more enjoyable.

The writing for and acting of the two leads was an absolute delight to watch. They had great buddy cop chemistry that really elevated the whole drama. Female characters were pretty well written and realized, and some of the villains were downright enjoyable (creepy ghost guy, you looked like you had so much fun!)
Production values were fairly high across the board - sets, visuals, costumes, sound, for what could have been a very cheap drama. Everything seems to have been done with care and attention to detail. Though the plots are a little silly sometimes, I didn’t mindat all because they were entertaining.
Also tw to people like me who are sn*ke phobic - uh there are lots of scenes you will need to skip in the second mystery.

The drama starts at the end (!) which was an interesting way to wrap the whole thing up, but also an odd choice because they ended up basically reusing most of the first ep for the final episode.
In between there are several loosely strung together 'supernatural mysteries’ that our guys find themselves solving in different places all across the country. Each mystery is only slightly more difficult to solve than your typical Scooby Doo plot, and similarly any supernatural element is soundly debunked by the end. But the mysteries themselves are almost beside the point because watching the leads is so entertaining.

Pros: writing, acting, chemistry between leads, production values, almost no romance (a pro for me)

Cons: easy 'mysteries’, almost no romance (if you're into that sort of thing)

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rambly thoughts + such a dark horse drama!

Serious review: man... this is honestly my favorite drama that's come out in the past three-four years. I really didn't expect it because it wasn't pushed by IQIYI as a big IP/hot drama, but picking this up was honestly one of the best choices I've made when watching cdramas! As someone who LOVES mystery dramas with a large cast, this really hits the mark with its tight storytelling, great pacing, and lovable characters. The cases take around 3-4 episodes each, giving the writers enough time to not only flesh out the case but also how our Scooby-doo gang is connected or affected by each case. You learn more and more about each character through the cases, which is a rare thing to have BOTH character development and a great mystery in dramas these days. The production, costume and set design, the dialogue, all of it is soo beautiful and easy on the eyes, making for a comfortable but gripping watch. Since I'm updating my MDL a year and a half later, psst, I'm on my third rewatch. The hold this show has on me is no joke.

Rambling (unserious) thoughts:
LU LINGFENG…….. MY HUSBAND (jk) but he’s so…. argh he’s literally so hot the way he’s literally hotter than most leads in a ROMANCE drama like my guy is in a mystery/suspense drama and lu lingfeng has more rizz than someone who is supposed to be hot. but lu lingfeng on the other hand.. he fits the role so well. he has that kind of 英俊 appearance fitting of a young, upstanding general and he has a little bit of cuteness about him heehee

the cases are fun (watched most episodes all the way through without skipping and its not too scary and i really enjoy the vibe the show has.

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An excellent drama - Outstanding and Atmospheric

Excellent Drama in the same frame as 'Tales of the Unexpected', Eerie, Sinister, Ghostly, Uncanny, Suspenseful, Supernatural, and Unsettling ... Outstanding and Atmospheric.

It is not often that one sees such a great suspenseful murder mystery Chinese drama worthy of the title "Murder Mystery" in the same frame as Tales of the Unexpected, the British television series that aired between 1979 and 1988. Each episode told a story, often with sinister and wryly comedic undertones, with an unexpected twist ending. Every episode of series one, eight episodes of series two, and one episode of series three were based on short stories by Roald Dahl collected in the books Tales of the Unexpected. Who is the Murderer … The Murderer is Whom? Creepy, Fear and Unease, Bluffing Clues, Shuddering, Unexpected Twists??

it exceeds expectations by far, it is compelling, full of intrigue and zest, on the edge of the seat contemplating what next, bluffing clues, unexpected twists, suspicion, doubt, horror and more over …fear and unease for what might unfold next?! Thus goes without saying … this is an outstanding Murder Mystery, right from the outset, setting the scene … the distressing murders, the apprehension, the disbelief that draws the viewers in, to the fast pace that leaves the viewers grasping in discomfort. As the Master of Suspense Thriller Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) famously said “Always make the audience suffer as much as possible … There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it”. The actings are exceptional, convincingly believable, giving the extra edge that extraordinary natural talent brings is something that cannot be argued and is what makes great actors stand out … Very much looking forward to Season 2

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Maybe a little less emphasis on strange

I'm late to this series because costume dramas is not my go-to. To be honest, there are more trash than treasure in recent memory. However, they have good reasons to renew this drama for season 2 and 3.

As the show has been out for 2 years, I'm not going to do a detailed review but rather some thoughts and observations.

1) they are all pawns in the game of throne. It is done reasonably well without too much grandstanding.

2) the bromance is real. Yes, one is the brain while the other is the brawn but the junior partner is learning to use more of his brain than his muscles. Their chemistry is a highlight.

3) on the other hand, the real romance storyline is weak. It is all about reaching an understanding. Very prim and proper. There are cute moments but don't expect much in way of skinship. At least there is no second leads to complicate things. BTW, the banter at the end of the last EP between the 2CP is surprisingly wicked. ;)

4) the murder mystery side is decent. There are times when it is intriguing but there won't be any gold star for original writing. At least the A-plot is coherent rather than just a mishmash of random encounters just so that they can stumble on bodies after bodies. However . . .

5) there is an over-reliance on quasi supernatural elements. I understand superstition and folklore plays an important role in ancient China but all the crimes are committed by humans so you quickly learn to see past all the mumble jumble. Giant animals also play too big a role. They pop up whenever the show needs a set piece fight or some smoke and mirrors to distract us from a weak plot point. Which brings us to . . .

6) a heavy use of CGI but not always to good effects. The quality ranges from acceptable to laughable.

7) the River God plot was very impactful and advanced the A-plot on several fronts. Yet it has some of the worse contrivance about crocodiles. It made me facepalm.

8) similarly, the production value is a mixed bag. Most scenes are acceptable if a bit standard issue. They probably didn't invest a lot of money thinking that it will just be another idol drama. Hopefully, S2 and 3 will fair better.

In the end, I enjoyed this drama more than I expected. Even with all its faults, it is still one of the more watchable series to date and I'll definitely check out S2.

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Magical, mystifying, dripping in rich culture and history

Strange tales of Tang Dynasty is originally a book written by Pu Songlin during the Qing Dynasty, which makes it more than 260 years old. There are so many adaptations of this book's stories but this drama's version is my favourite. These drama showcases quite a few cases and in the journey also manages to put together a very lovable cast.

The first case is of a kind of black tea that everyone in the imperial capital is addicted to but it actually causes hallucinations. Here we meet our detective duo. The older Su Wu Ming (the brain) and the younger Lu Lingfeng (the brawn). I loved their chaotic banter so much. Political upheaval forces them to leave the capital and go south, where they chose to stick together. They cross several places like Nanzhou, Ninghu, Luoyang, before returning to the imperial capital Chang'an. They solve mysteries every place they go, and make the lives of the local people so much better.

But obviously the duo is incomplete without the most lovable team ever. Pei Xijun who is in love with Lu Lingfeng and leaves her house to follow him. She is a brilliant painter and her portraits are often crucial to solve the cases. Chicken Fed, a beggar our duo randomly picked up, who turned out to be a genius doctor who knows everything. Chu Yingtao, a girl from the Jianghu, who can best her way to solve the case (also Su Wuming's love interest). And lastly Xue Huan, an adorable kid Lingfeng takes as his disciple. Without this half harmonious, half chaotic, but fully funny cast this drama wouldn't be so enjoyable.

I even like the smallest of the minor roles, like the guards and soldiers. Yes they all have actual personalities in this drama. Another thing I absolutely love about this drama is every character is well thought out. There's no villains just for the purpose of being evil. Everyone has their reasons. The crown prince and the princess are such complex and well written characters. Even the emperor that only appears for a few minutes in the last episode seems to have his own motives.

The bgm and ost are really good. The cinematography fits well with the story. It's beautiful, sometimes eerie, sometimes dreamy, sometimes magical. Very befitting the plot of the drama.

One of the only detective dramas I have watched without skipping a second. Highly recommended. It has mysteries, supernatural stuff, slight horror, sweet romances, hilarious moments and also emotional moments. It has everything!

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Worth watching

The acting of the cast was really good, especially the two main male leads and the child actor, Anson Shi. The stories of the cases and the relationships between the main leads and main supporting actors were interesting enough to keep me watching right till the end without getting bored. I particularly like the humour and cleverness that the actor playing Su Wu Ming brought to his role, which clearly shows that he is a seasoned actor. Watching the character Lu Ling Feng transform and mature as the drama progressed was also enjoyable, The complementary talents of Pei Xi Jun and Fei in helping the main leads solve the cases, and how Xue Huan was able to soften the arrogant Lu Ling Feng were delightful. Was surprisingly impressed by the performances of Zhou Jun Chao and Anson Shi. This is a drama worth spending time on.

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Slow at the beginning, but it grew on me with each episode

Very good series, enjoyed it!! For me it was 'slow' at the beginning, but it grew on me with each episode.

I loved the characters and actors did a great job in portraying them. Character building / development, especially with Lu Lingfeng.

Everything felt just right and the cases were interesting with a fitting resolution to all of them. Taking into account that this is not based on a novel but on several folk tales, it is well scripted and produced, especially the illusions that features throughout the drama.

Ost and sound effects well placed and appropriate. Must honestly say that the cases, illusions and visuals took all my attention and can't really recall any particular song that caught my attention.

Can't wait for the second season to be aired. According to news filming was just completed and we will hopefully see the characters in action early in 2024.

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This drama is a wuxia-style detective drama, based on tales from the Tang dynasty. The cases are loosely tied together by the group of 5 characters (six in later episodes), who will solve these cases, culminating in trying to stop an usurpation of the throne.


The story:
* I like the cases, which usually take several episodes to solve. They are engaging, and it's easy to follow Su Wu Ming's and Lu Ling Feng's train of deductions -- until it isn't because the audience doesn't get all of the information in time, for a more surprising twist. Which I can live with, it's not as if other detective series haven't done this too.
* The cases are not solved quickly, it's a series that has quite a few red herrings, and solving the case is often enough helped by finding out motivations of the suspects.
* Usually, there are one or a few aspects in the cases that can't be explained rationally by Su Wu Ming, and seem a bit supernatural. I like that it's open to the audience's interpretation if it's truly supernatural or if the people of this era just don't have the knowledge.
* When things get dangerous, and there's fighting, then the scenes don't tend to be very long. I not able to say say much about the choreography, but it seemed solid. It found it interesting that Lu Ling Feng usually gets help if he knows that there will be a fight, and does not try to be heroic and take fights on his own, if he can avoid it. The most dangerous of enemies are usually taken down only because there's a communal effort.
* I love the banter between Lu Ling Feng and Su Wu Ming -- and how their relationship evolves so that they know what the other thinks just by looking at each other.
* While I loved the portrayal of the crown prince and the Princess, who were very ruthless and loyal to family at the same time, the nationalism was obnoxious, as usual in Chinese dramas. Seems that Tang (China) just can't do anything wrong; it's always only singular black sheep who have been led astray, never the system.
* The plot point about Lu Ling Feng's background was a bit contrived. But since they did not milk it too much (and also served a point both for the plot and for Lu Ling Feng's characterization), it was all right.


The romance:
* Is almost non-existant, but not completely. There are two couples, Pei Xi Jun / Lu Ling Feng and Sun Xue Ning / Su Wu Ming.
* The first couple is all right. I don't like (het) romance very much, so I'm usually very critical. But here, it works, in my opinion. Pei Xi Jun, yes, is completely infatuated in the first episodes, and a bit annoying about it. But that is toned down later on, to the point that there are almost no romantic interactions between them for most of the series. We get small interactions between the two young people though, that show that the attraction is definitely not one-sided, but it's more that Lu Ling Feng thinks he has more than enough reasons not to pursue anything with her.
* The second couple though. Oh man. That was definitely NOT needed in any way. It doesn't fit with the character of Su Wu Ming as we knew him until that started, and overall, it feels more like a "no homo"-type of romance than actual interest. Su Wu Ming was *very* close to Lu Ling Feng, so authors might have felt they had to counter that. That romance arc really diminished my enjoyment of the last episodes. Again, a forced het romance where it shouldn't be.


The characters:
* Su Wu Ming, the brains in this series, has little to no character development. He is, basically, the same intelligent and shrewd detective over the course of the drama. He feels very one-dimensional, and probably is supposed to be the good hero, who can do nothing wrong -- but I feel that there could have been more behind the facade of the humble genius that just wasn't explored.

* Lu Ling Feng, on the other hand, evolves from an arrogant, "hit first, talk later" general to a thoughtful gentleman with great potential as an official of the state. He is much more fleshed out than any of the other characters. That his actor is good looking also does help, I admit it.

* Pei Xi Jun could have been an annoying one-train-of-thought kind of girl. She wasn't. After the first few episodes, she calmed down a lot. She still stayed headstrong during the whole drama, following her goal of marrying Lu Ling Feng -- but she also knew where to push and where to retreat for a bit. She has grown up very sheltered, as a girl of noble birth, but still faces danger with a strong heart. Also, with her special skill, she was a valuable member of the group, without whom cases could not have been solved, not just a follower-on.

* Sun Xue Ning is a superfluous character, and it hurts to say that about a female character, because I'll always want more women in my dramas. But she doesn't bring anything to the group (we already have a fighter with Lu Ling Feng, and knowledge of poisons is covered by Fei), apart from being the romantic interest of Su Wu Ming. Her character is also the one where the typical macho tendencies show most -- she is both the fearless warrior woman and still has to be protected and shielded by the stronger men who try to send her away from danger "for her own good". Whenever there's a fight and both her and Lu Ling Feng are there, she is relegated to the side and has to protect the weaker characters. Oh, and also, in one fight, her clothes were torn so one of her shoulders was bared -- that has never happened to Lu Ling Feng. Strange, huh? And in this case, I don't care about historical accuracy. Either write your strong female fighter so she is equal to the men or don't write these characters at all.

* Another intriguing character is Master Fei ("Chicken Fed"). He brings the knowledge of the healing arts (and with it, the knowledge about anything poisonous) with him, as well as the much needed comedic relief. It's unfortunate that, even though we get to see part of his back story, his interesting past is never fully explored. Maybe in the second season?
* Xue Han was cute. Not much more to say. He had his bit of development, but remained a supporting character.

Overall, if you're there for intriguing mysteries and plots, then this is definitely a drama for you. If you are there for the romance or for cool fighting scenes, then not so much.
I admit, because of the misogynistic treatment of Sun Xue Ning, I won't rewatch it and probably also won't watch the second season.

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Surprisingly Enjoyable

The summary on the site for this series doesn't do it enough justice. There really isn't anything negative to point out: the actors were charismatic, the story flow was done well, the action scenes were good, and nothing was under or overdone.

There are multiple mysteries involved that are relatively standalone (where it isn't being forced into being related to the overall plot). Because of this, I never felt the need to time-skip at all for the entire 36 episodes. The mysteries are interesting with some dark undertones and an added touch of the supernatural. The comradery between the main crew is warm and fun which helps create a balance. An added bonus is that any romance mentioned is relatively minimal and doesn't have any overwhelming scenes as many other series.

For those who enjoy watching supernatural elements along with case solving as I do, this one is highly recommended. I'm looking forward to season two.

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