In a year when I’m getting far more out of C dramas than K ones, Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty still manages to be a standout. It’s been hailed an underrated treasure where its been seen and indeed, I don’t disagree. While the title and cast might not inspire hordes of viewers to take a peek, it is a worthwhile entry into the crime genre. What makes this series shine ever so brightly is the meticulous and painstaking world building. Of course the show wouldn’t be quite as entertaining without the core male characters, Lu Lingfeng, Su Wuming and Fei Ji Shi who are wonderfully penned to be as alike as chalk and cheese. There are female characters too but are relegated to support roles and love interests. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that they aren’t needed because they do have significant parts to play especially those within the investigative team, the joy of watching this 36-episode drama is not found in their exploits.

The world where all these crimes are staged bears a strong resemblance to the Tang dynasty probably during the second reign of Emperor Ruizong due to the presence of the powerful Princess Taiping and her equally powerful nephew, the crown prince Li Longji. The politics matter quite a bit as it influences how the lead characters navigate their way around key crimes involving nobles and the royals in Chang’an, Nanzhou and Luoyang. After cracking a major case involving the sale of a tea with dubious ingredients in the capital city, Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming are banished for their good work to the south. One has the feeling that it’s done in part so that Lu Lingfeng can get his delightful growth arc and for the two men to do some much needed cleaning up in these places.

Both men are observant and intelligent but the advantage that Su Wuming has over Lu Lingfeng is the passage of years — wisdom and experience and the privilege of being the only apprentice of the great Di Renjie, the great Tang statesman. It becomes increasingly evident that the older man is meant to instruct the younger in the error of his ways and turn him into a law enforcement officer worth his salt. Lu Lingfeng, who begins his career as a martial arts pugilist, embarks literally and metaphorically on a journey that sees him go from being a rigid arrogant hothead to a far more circumspect, methodical and adaptable detective. There's even an old-fashioned nobility that comes across as quaint. To further assist him in that goal of growth is the persistent Pei Xujin, his love interest who is an accomplished artist in her own right. While the two don’t have the type of chemistry which raises the temperature in the room, some of his character building (on hindsight) does depend on having her hanging around especially when she has her young family retainer Xue Huan in tow.

Along for the ride is the obligatory physician Fei Ji Shi whose greatest pleasure in life is boozing and chomping on chicken. Despite his bedraggled appearance he has real skills and useful medical/scientific knowledge that comes in handy in various cases. He is entirely his own man, wandering in and out of the narrative largely at his own convenience.

Strange Tales is unabashedly a classic detective story modelled after the golden age era. The quirky Su Wuming has the shrewdness of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and the self-deprecation of Peter Falk’s Columbo. He is certainly the man to have around when the bodies pile up and the culprits are nowhere to be found. What distinguishes this show from others in the genre are the science-fiction/ fantasy elements. The weapons used to perpetrate these murders are often tools of another world although the investigation process is grounded in the familiar strictures of the genre.

What keeps the show from being deadly serious and unerringly enjoyable is the humour. It is a funny show and the show does have fun at the characters’ expense. But the dialogue is for the most part witty and there are genuinely hilarious moments that emerge from an intelligent script. It’s certainly and easily one of the best things I’ve seen this year.