The Cute Kid Carried 2/3rds of the Show w/Help from the Leads

I have seen some of the cast in various shows before but this just looked like a rom-com that I may have enjoyed. To be honest though, it was very underwhelming. The reason it got the score it did was because of how messy the script was and that I essentially had to ffw most of the 28 episodes. The child actor was the best thing out of the entire show and he was smarter than his parents and all of the adults combined. He legit carried 2/3rds of the series with help from the leads.

Pros: Not too many of those here sadly. As I mentioned the kid actor would probably be favorite because he would be the voice of reason for his parents and their constant quarrels. The leads had a great chemistry when they were together and there was decent comedy. The supporting cast was actually good (save for gorilla glue) when they were by themselves. But when the script started throwing them together at random, it went down the drain. The story had a lot of potential from the past to the present and growing and understanding, it just threw too many monkey wrenches into the mix which will be discussed below. I liked the flashbacks at the end of each episode as it explained what happened 5 years ago in detail.

Cons: So much potential in this script but it was wasted. The past and present at first, it was understandable why both leads would be at odds but then once things started to become clear we still had an FL that refused to let go of her narrow-mindedness and it would just be this constant 1 step forward, 2 steps back. The amount of times something needed to be said or a kiss happen and they were interrupted went from silly to tropey and boring. Felt like their second chance start being interrupted by CJJ and back to the bus accident we went was more of a filler then anything else because it brought the leads to odds again and it either shouldn't have happened or placed earlier so it was more cohesive. It was so mismatched and out of place that it seemed like they ran out of how to move onto a proper reconciliation and needed to throw something in there that was already over with and understood.

Both support couples getting together was so confusing and ridiculous. One ran over her younger dude with a car and then turned into a cougar ravenous after her prey and the other happened like a very bad whiplash. One moment SML is finally going to confess to the FL after 4 years of hoping she'd randomly like him, the next he really likes gorilla glue, baby voiced, stalker chick and is ready to turn himself into a pretzel to show his affection when he couldn't utter two words towards FL. It was so out of any realm of understanding and just beyond confusing. I didn't feel chemistry between either couple. They were literal fillers when they--sans one--could have just been great friends and support systems to the leads. This was essentially two very forced romances on the audience that didn't need it.

What in the what was up with the villain? He wasn't even on anyone's radar other then being a lewd and womanizing bastard and then in the last literally 6 episodes they turned him into a viper of a monster that was ready to sexually assault, run over, beat up, harass, extort people, kill dogs, and lord knows what else. That Ding dude was a more believable villain than CQR because from his first appearance until his arrest, he was a predator. But they didn't do that to CQR, who didn't even appear in a half a dozen episodes. There was no evolution to his character, so to go from like 0 or maybe a 3 to infinity in antagonist land in literally under 10 episodes was ridiculous and a disservice for a person playing a supposedly important antagonist character. There were many other plot holes like this.

The literal flip of FL from "we're not meant for each other" to "yep, we're together", was too spastic and sudden. It could have been done way smoother. ML had promised her a zillion times already that he'd take care of her but only when he spoke for her to CQR after she'd beaten him up, then she was like "ok I'm yours." It needed a much smoother transition. No wonder in the last two episodes ML's heart started to give him problems again. She was so busy with her own life and world that it never even dawned on her that he was in trouble, even when his sister told her that he would hide things so not to worry others. Like that angered me because everyone was feeling bad for the FL but in this case, the man has gone above and beyond and you supposedly love him so much but you can't tell that he's not being honest with you? And you know so much about the heart and whatnot? It was quite unbelievable.

Would I recommend it? Only if you like messy plots. But personally only reason it got this score is because of the adorable kid. And I'm not rewatching this again. A lot of folks liked it and more power to them but it's not for everyone.

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Out with the Ancient & In with the Modern

Finally this elf on a 2 year shelf saw the light of day. I watched this primarily because of LYN and his character as this was again a different role and character for him plus I believe this was his first real foray into martial arts characters. I also knew QJJ from a previous series and a few of the supporting characters. Ironically though they never had a scene together here LYN plays sworn brothers with ZME in Eternal Brotherhood and that was filmed back in 2021, while here the latter was Lucky's Shifu. In any case, I'm glad I watched this as it it was all about out with the ancient and in with the modern.

Pros: They didn't skimp on the martial arts here. That was my number one favorite thing in this entire series. Every episode had at least one great fight be it long or short, the quality was fantastic. From camera angles to the fights themselves. Everyone went all out. Considering they used some actual history here (which I only knew through speaking with others), it looked pretty authentic and believable. From costumes to sets everything was very well done, even the accents of the different region's characters was a nice touch. Favorite OSTs were LYN's and his with JF who played HQ (his lady love). LYN has a very wide range in his vocals so to have someone who can not only match him in harmony, Melody, and power, was impressive to say the least. They made the song sound like something from a powerful western genre.

When it came to favorite characters, I liked MSD aka ML or QJJ the best though ZBF played by LYN came in right on his heels. I like how we didn't know exactly when MSD switched sides because he was always so private and secretive about it, even struggling with it a bit. ZBF was morally grey because of his ambition but a protagonist nonetheless. He was willing to give everything up to live a peaceful life at the end, it's a shame they never got a chance. MSD and ZBF though started out on opposite sides, still respected each other and towards the end there was even a bond between them that was obvious. When these two would lock swords, it was a feast for the eyes. I'd rewind a lot of their fights because that's how awesome they were. Other favorite characters were Gege, LL, Lucky, Getai, the monks, some of the members of ZBF's sect that died, even HQ though she started off whining, she never wavered from her support of ZBF even choosing to die with him.

The story was ever winding and moving, you never felt bored or like it was dragging anywhere. They only found the treasure at the end but the entire thing was about it though with other things too. The ever changing alliances between good and bad also kept things interesting. Not to mention the cheesy introduction that was placed as the opening credits in some of the episodes. When good characters perished, they were given a send off of small clips and a song of how they affected us as viewers or what they wish had happened as opposed to what did. Some really left you feeling the way they died was unfair although you knew the body count would be large. Those clips left you teary-eyed. The show overall was good.

Cons: At first I wanted to add WJL to the pros as he was an important part of the trio and finding the treasure, I really didn't like the way they wrote the character at the end. He was the most stubborn of the three but also the most gullible, naive, and ultimately just plain stupid. He never evolved, in fact he got worse. It was like yes he could recite laws and scriptures but he never knew what any of them of them represented or truly meant. He was dumber than a donkey and it caused him to kill people without even thinking. I hated the way he killed ZBF and HQ (who was technically innocent in his charges to begin with); he executed them by gunfire and a battalion of people; ZBF was severely injured and WJL didn't even fight him sword to sword like he did ZBF's juniors but ambushed him; it was an embarrassment. He went back on his promise to MSD and ZBF in regards to the seal. He literally became the very thing he supposedly despised. The writers really did his character dirty. I would have understood if he never understood why the revolution mattered and stuck to his ways but the fact that he never really understood the very things he learned and became the absolute worse of himself, was de-evolution. In the beginning, he seemed funny because he was like a cat with nine lives, but at the end he just became a repetitive monkey and I was very glad he off'd himself.

LAJ who played the spy aka "lady love" of WJL was probably the worst character in terms of over acting and being horribly unconvincing. If it had been anyone but WJL, she would have been dead long before the third to last episode. I think she was miscast, simple as that. You had all of these actors in both good and evil roles that were nailing it and then you had her and it just fell flat.

Felt like the ending was rushed because they really had to step up the body count; so it took off with YHJ the money whore taking his sect mates, & officially betraying ZBF by severely wounding and nearly killing him twice (second time they were saved by MSD and Lucky), followed by the annihilation of the sect and ZBF and HQ's murders at WJL's and army's hands, bald asswipe general's death, then Lucky, LL, the Japanese spies, and finally WJL himself. All in a span of 2 episodes. Way too much, plus they located the treasure and still had time to give all of the good characters their send offs. They could have spaced that out way better.

Would I recommend it? Despite the flaws as each drama has something; I really enjoyed this one very much. If you like a good storyline, with great martial arts, this is the story for you. Enjoy it.

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Great until the Last 2 hours of the Live

This season was exceptional because of the addition of the international dancers. Each episode made you laugh and cry. However, as expected by many, the very obvious scripting and rigging of the finale sent the weakest (though still talented) member of Team Boom to win. The scores for the battle section were ridiculous in range and they didn't focus at all on the stronger/better dancers. With so many highly talented international dancers with decades of experience; China still couldn't let one of them win. Because of this, though I watched the live the majority of it and woke up at 4:45am for it, I couldn't watch the last 2 hours. It just wasn't fair. And therefore, it doesn't get a solid 10 from me.

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An Academy Award deserving series!

This is the 4th Chinese drama that I’ve watched but it is by far the best. The professionalism and chemistry of all of the actors is hard to beat. Coming from the US, being a writer of fiction myself, I love the amazing character development. The directors and producers absolutely did a fantastic job with casting. I’m one of the few fans out there that do not view WYB and XZ or their characters as a couple though I understand that’s what the novel said. Instead, theirs is a brotherhood and bond rarely seen nowadays and brings memories of the 1940s and comrades in war (and I mean that for both the actors and their characters). The younger generations today aren’t used to this. I do wish there was better continuation within the series as many scenes were a bit out of whack. Thank you for a wonderful series Tencent that I can’t stop rewatching since mid-December! This series deserves an Oscar because it rivals many shows on TV from many countries especially here in the US. I can’t wait for Oath of Love, Legend of Fei, Doulou Continent, and every other production these young and talented young men will do. A million times thank you!

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Life Imitating Art In Amazingly Realistic Detail

Tissues, tissues, and more tissues. This show absolutely blew my mind. I knew the premise but still the acting and accuracy were unforgettable. I wasn't familiar with the leads, just a few of the support but they took this show to a whole other level. For me it was life imitating art in amazingly realistic detail.

Pros: I know ALS well as one of my great aunt's had it and ironically I diagnosed her a day before her doctor did at the nursing home. But she was in her early 80s and it was her leg for 4 out of the 5 years. We lived in different countries so by the time she was diagnosed, she only lived several more months. But here was different; you had a young guy and taking on something so devastating just absolutely broke my heart. I love how they handled it with professionalism and grace. Both lead actors did a superb job as did most of their loved ones and coworkers. Plus bringing in an actual ALS specialist as opposed to just an actor to play the part was very smart.

Where I said life imitated art was because I've got a chronic illness though without an expiration date; when LT's disease was getting bad I felt like he was living my life. I was bedridden for 2 years, it nearly killed me, I know wheelchairs, ambulance trips to the ER 6 times a month, crawling on your hands and knees to the bathroom, falling, tremors, all of that. Even now when I've had a setback and when he had given up all hope and rolled into the river and AZQ stopped him, it was like my mom and me. Her yelling at me not to give up and me saying I want to meet my grandfather in heaven because like LT, I lost my grandfather over 3 years ago but to a tragic accident that every first responder in my city still remembers; it was the catalyst for this setback. Like LT, my grandfather raised me so he was a father and grandfather though I have a great mom unlike LT who's mom needed tweaking. So many similarities, you can imagine how hard watching this was but at the same time, it was too beautiful not to. When the setback occurred I had just finished all of my classes in my PhD program, was/am an honor student and was set to start my dissertation; now I've spent 4 years nearly trying to get back to school to finish my degree without success...yet. Just like LT having to see his dreams go down the drain; it's too much. In case people are interested, the illness I have is called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or ME for short; I've got a slew of others but this one is the life/death sentence without treatment or a cure and affects 20 million people worldwide (for further information please visit www.MEadvocacy.org). Enough about me.

It was refreshing to see how LT's company and boss stood behind him and with him every step of the way. The OSTs were wonderful and LY's perfect portrayal of LT especially towards the end as I saw a lot of Stephen Hawking's mannerisms in his performance. I would absolutely give him some best actor award. LLY (AZQ) was super woman; her quiet grace was so poignant even when she was constantly quietly crying; she would be the voice of reason even towards adults. Wise beyond her years. I'm so glad how parents evolved and understood their negligence or their children's strength. Also CGP, I mean my lord, this man had to shoulder his best friend's secret for so long, I was afraid he was going to have a mental breakdown. He shouldn't have ever been given this burden, which I'll talk about in the cons.

Cons: This story would have gotten a rare 10 from me though I wouldn't be able to rewatch it, but a few things I feel just could have been changed. For starters, I understand not wanting to be a burden to your loved ones probably better than many but when you're living on borrowed time and you can see things getting worse, those loved ones like your girlfriend deserve the choice of staying with you or not. That breakup was so unnecessary and than the best friend has to shoulder it all, isn't fair to people. LT wasn't given a choice with ALS but then he turns around and shuts out the one he loves the most? Is there a difference? Everyone in his life was devastated when they found out and angry and they deserved to be. He should have said something. Because they could have mitigated things 6 months earlier. He wouldn't have worsened so fast as the doctor said, mental stability is everything in these kinds of situations. I don't agree with his choices then. If it was an illness like mine, ok sure, time is all we have even when our bodies spiral out of control but ALS is a ticking clock, no luxury of time.

Secondly, I'm sorry but I couldn't take XHD. She never spoke normally, not once. She was either whining, yelling, or acting like a self righteous know it all; that time she blamed LT for cheating and CGP threw her out of the restaurant and told her to get lost was the best thing he did. She was out of line and just a mess. Than throwing them together romantically was unnecessary and zilch chemistry between the two to boot. They made her character way too over the top and it was jarring. Couldn't our FL have a sane friend?

Lastly, this was small but it would have been less confusing if they posted the time jumps on the screen. No need to make a big deal out of it but just subtly noted because it was confusing where we were especially once LT was diagnosed.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely; just with a whole stock of tissues. It's like one of those artistic films that just takes a place in your heart forever. I know it did in mine.

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Dumpster Fire that Sank Faster than the Titanic

The first absolute flop of 2024. This is what happens when great source material is essentially thrown out the window and absolute garbage is written instead with maybe 3%-5% of the book like the names of the characters and a few of the similarities but that's it. I only wanted to watch it for WRC who played SML and the great story of the female general. Instead what the audience got was a dumpster fire that sank faster than the Titanic.

Pros: Give all of the actors their dues; even with this hot mess of a script, they all did a great job as their respective characters. The costumes, OSTs, scenery, and the 10 minutes of screen time that WRC (CYQ) got in 36 episodes along with the FL (AM); their chemistry was really great as microscopically as it was shown. The fight scenes in the beginning were very well done. More of that was needed. Since the ending was so ambiguous; even though AM turned CYQ down in front of like everyone (which otherwise would have looked like she was "colluding" with the enemy again) at the end and rode off into the sunset supposedly alone, I do believe that this time she rode towards him as the rest of the time he was pursuing her. Who could resist that kind of proposal? A Marquis with an entire army just to ask her again to be his wife. What bolsters this opinion is that for the first time ever she wore pure white, had her hair down just like CYQ did and she crossed the river heading north. So I will take it as her understanding who really had her best interest all this time at heart and would let her be free. Also they shot a second ending where supposedly she meets him in a forest after she leaves and they set off traveling Jianghu together. I would have preferred this ending but according to the leads apparently even they didn't know which one would be used.

Cons: Dear lord, where do I begin? Literally everything that wasn't mentioned above. How can someone take such a fantastic story and turn into a mess of epic proportions? What was wrong with the first female general being the story? Why force the rather ridiculous romance of ML and FL on us when there was literally nothing between them? She and Xiu'er had a greater connection ~insert massive eye roll here~! Why did it turn into ML's story? He was a joke, a fool of a playboy that by the mid-end turned into no less villain than the first emperor. He had no contemplation of taking of human life; only his own mattered, everyone else be damned. This wasn't "Fighting for Love", it was "Fighting Bullshit on Screen."

The crappy palace politics and the twists with Mu Bai or whatever his real name was and the empress who apparently grew a heart and brain overnight. So unnecessary and just dragged this already giant mess into an even bigger abyss. Why kill Tang Ge? And the anticlimactic end to CQ. I can't form sentences on this absolute scale of destruction of a solid story. I hope Beimo returns and conquers Nanxia so their people would live in peace and away from the royal madness as it seems Beimo has it more together and their people aren't subjected to the crap Nanxia does.

The amount of loose ends is staggering. I stopped trying to figure them out halfway through because they legitimately gave me a headache. Very few were actually tied. This macaroni art Frankenstein project wrapped filming in December of 2021 and people were waiting only to be sorely disappointed a little over 3 years later. I truly hope WRC gets better scripts and projects in the future; he deserves it. This was a great injustice to him and his character because essentially everyone but the ML were relegated to support cast even the FL and it was her story!

Would I recommend it? Absolutely not. It'll piss you off especially if you read the book or know anything about the original IP or if you're watching for some semblance of integrity or intelligence, none of which exists here. The entire production team screwed up on a stratospheric level. Just run!

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Dream A 40 Year Dream

Only watched this for Xiao Zhan as I'm not a fan of heavy propaganda dramas usually from any country. I also have seen both LQ and LRL in other dramas and knew they were good actors and could handle pretty much any role. When I do these reviews, it's always from not just an audience member standpoint, but also as a writer/author. So I am impartial to everyone and everything. I don't like the new title of the drama so to me it's always been "Where Dreams Began" and here XZ aka XCS dreamed a 40 year dream.

Pros: This series had a great flowing storyline where you didn't have any filler feeling episodes except for maybe the final 2. Favorite characters were tied with the leads; XCS and TXM or LQ. But at the same time they were also in the cons which I'll explain below. XCS was a man who unwaveringly followed his ideals even when more experienced in life people told him that his ideals would make him lose and regret those who felt inferior to him. After he overcame his physical disability post war, he was even stronger mentally. TXM was the epitome of quiet strength. She was his rock, his anchor even when they weren't yet together, before he realized any of it. Women like her are incredibly inspirational. Not only did she push him but herself.

Many people didn't like YGH and HHL due to their selfishness and cowardice but I did because they were the two morally gray ones in this story. Characters can't just be black or white, they need layers, to be able to evolve in whichever direction. We wouldn't necessarily want them in our lives but as characters on the screen, they were fascinating. The rest of the crew of QT, YQ, YF, DL, Amao, the other guy whose name I don't recall, plus certain parents, uncle Dong were all very awesome characters and all of the actors whether I found their characters necessary or should have left sooner, did a superb job. CHJ was actually the best antagonist out of the batch because you saw his corruption over time as opposed to Heizi, who though I liked as a greedy, money hungry character was too repetitive in his crimes and just came off as downright stupid.

Sets, costumes, OSTs, accents all of that was appropriate for whichever time period you were in.

Cons: Though they were trying to portray the 70s and onward over there as best as they could, much was unrealistic. Though I loved both XCS and TXM, as someone else mentioned in the comments, these characters don't exist in real life. They are too perfect in their ideology and no one on earth is flawless. They came off as their own versions of Gandhi and Mother Teresa. Trying to portray that in a slice of life type of story, essentially takes away from that slice of life. LSY was just there for too long and got away with too much. The actor did well but to have him constantly let go or wriggle out of the law while other people like QT who did legal work lost everything wasn't fair. It made the law look useless especially in such a high propaganda filled series. Those two just didn't jive. The constant nepotism became nauseating.

I will speak about the propaganda; I knew what I was going to watch but what--as someone who was also born in a socialist/communist country which no longer exists so I actually know what I'm talking about--kept throwing me off and having the scenes take a hit, was not that it was used but WHERE. In all of the military, government related and whatnot scenes, totally understandable. But when the characters are just having fun together shooting the breeze or being romantic with their significant others and the speechifying starts, it is eye roll worthy because literally no one did that ever in any country. When there are family gatherings or two neighbors meet up or something everyday, propaganda speeches do not happen. You'd sooner ask about a child's health or if they went to the movies, so that's where it was way too much.

The fact that there were multiple time jumps and we never knew where we were. It could be anywhere from a few months to a few years. One viewer had to research and write out a timeline in the comments. People shouldn't have to do that when watching a series; a small note on the screen would have sufficed. The SARS epidemic in the final two episodes was also unnecessary. They could've wrapped it all up nicely around the CNY episodes because otherwise it felt like this plot was just chucked in there last minute and was quite rushed.

Would I recommend it? If you are a fan of any of the actors and like a nice flowing storyline until that end. I think all of the actors did a superb job; very pleased with that.

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Will the REAL Hero Please Stand Up!

This was the first real wuxia drama (not a romance) I have ever seen and I've always been very interested in what a traditional wuxia would be like. Because every drama is marketed as one but really isn't. Other than that, I was watching primarily for Liu Yu Ning and secondarily for Meng Zi Yi as they're two people that I follow. I also knew of Joseph Zeng from previous works. As I'm not a novel reader, I can only review from a viewer's prospective.

Pros: My favorite character was Su Meng Zhen, followed closely by DFJ because both were complex albeit totally different characters. One was righteous from the moment he appeared on screen to the last breath he took while the other was very morally grey but fiercely loyal to his loved ones and went out like a champ on his own terms. I loved the brotherhood when it was formed and all those at Sunset House that surrounded them. Just about every character was complex and evolved in their own way; some took longer then others.

The story was more dark though they definitely had their happy moments. The fight scenes that were shown were pretty good though I wish there were more of them. Another fantastic point that many dramas fail to do is gradually introduce characters so the audience can understand what their purpose is. More often then not, characters are thrown in and no one remembers their names or why they're there, but here it was a very nice and even keeled introduction of each.

LC played by MZY was done fantastically; she went from sheltered flower to losing just about everything and everyone she had ever known overnight. She had to grow up fast and figure out how to survive without losing every part of her soul. She never gave up on SMZ until the end and left with him in a sense. Their love was just that strong. XY was another terrific female character; the woman wore many faces but she had a strong iron will and loyalty. Plus a much more realistic connection/chemistry with the ML than the FL. Other favorite characters were SMZ's advisor Wu Xie and other members of Sunset House, WXS' Master, the guys from the North like Big Beard, official Liu, and Martial Uncle Zhang.

The lead of the drama was a younger version of SMZ but it took him a while to grow into his own. Still, WXS did end up being one of the heroes of the series as the writers wanted him to be. For me, personally though, though he was a hero he wasn't THE hero, that title would have to go to both SMZ and DFJ as together they made the perfect hero. But that's just my personal opinion.

Now, to the man for whom I was watching this series; BCF was a great character in the beginning. He never hid his ambitions nor his true intentions. The problem was that everyone around him chose to ignore them or thought they could change him. When he whiplashed into a complete maniacal nutcase (that I'll talk about below), LYN was still very convincing as one so I cannot stick him into the cons, though I do wish it was done totally differently.

I really loved the OSTs, they were incredibly powerful especially the hard rock one and the one sung by LYN and Joseph. Costumes, sets, all of that was very detailed and beautiful. The ending was a complete surprise from what I had expected and for once I actually didn't look at spoilers before watching. But even though it wasn't a blood bath or a copout like many different sides theorized, I actually do like the way it ended; I'm glad every evildoer got their comeuppance even though some took it upon themselves to finish the job. But the flashback to all characters come and gone as the group of travelers ride through mountains and waterways was a very nice touch to the end. And even the person coming to run Sunset House, made the right kind of sense.

Cons: Let's start by saying that hair department was smoking something heavy because most of the leads and some of the support ended up looking like animal control K9s; it was a hot mess and looked absolutely horrible. Truly wish they had just kept things typical costume drama simple and didn't need to over complicate things with some avant-garde Westminster applicant do. If they wanted to show that a character had matured or changed, a simple edition of an extra braid down the back or something like that would have sufficed. It just made the person look comical and it threw the entire look off.

Whatever the hair department was smoking rubbed off on the screenwriter because she turned a great potential villain into a nut job. Now while LYN did a great job playing the nut job, he could have just as well been given an actual villain to play. That's why I solely blame the screenwriter for this unmitigated debacle that took the majority of the score away from this drama. Furthermore, instead of gradually developing him, the switch was flipped and he just lost all of his humanity. There was no rhyme or reason for how or why it happened so quickly and this was done within the last 8-10 episodes; the excuse was flimsy and didn't hold much water. Afterwards, when he was on screen be it for his bizarre as hell wedding or killing innocent people out of spite while he would cackle maniacally (that evil cackle belongs only in witches in Halloween shops, not dramas), felt like a completely different series. How can an antagonist with so much potential be so epically screwed up?

If that wasn't bad enough, we had an FL that spent more than half of the series pouting, crying, whining like a self-entitled spoiled brat. Most of her scenes up until the time she and WXS got married I had to ffw. I questioned the necessity of even having her in the series because it was about a sworn brotherhood after all. Every other woman was there as needed and powerful and this character was almost like an afterthought. Even when she was helping save WXS' life, it was like if she just kept quiet, things were a zillion times better. If she wasn't in the scene or episode, she wasn't missed in the slightest. Even in the last episode when SMZ got his wish and died, everyone was crying and it was such a raw, powerful moment and yet as soon as she opened her mouth to pitifully cry, it made one cringe because it sounded like one of those windup old dolls. Why couldn't she just cry silently like XY was doing? WXS was howling with grief as was Wu Xie and they deserved to do so. By letting us hear that baby-cry in such an overwhelming moment was a real shame.

Slimy playboy dude was a real psychopathic villain; the trouble with him was that he spent too much time talking and bragging though his depravity was evident until his dying breath just like Hannibal Lecter and his brother. It was also obvious that he was the rapist from the moment it happened. I stick him in the cons because though he ended up being the most disgusting villain that everyone hated, he still didn't have enough proper screen time to showcase who he was. It was like he had multiple personality disorder but even he didn't understand it. Also really wish the battle between him and DFJ was shown. That was a real miss by production. I understand their whole thing was to make WXS be the "hero" to kill slimy playboy dude in order to get the paper, but the majority of the damage done to him was by DFJ and we, as the audience, deserved to see it. A lot of fight scenes were either copouts or just not shown. I'm going to guess that it's because production didn't have a large budget but they could have definitely figured out a way around that since this was a wuxia after all.

Would I recommend it? For novel readers, probably not because there's a heavy diversion and not a lot of cohesion between the two. But for people who like wuxias, have never seen one, like a story of brotherhood that goes wrong, I would. This was my most anticipated drama of the year and though it had a lot of pitfalls and massive shortcomings, I still enjoyed it very much and therefore have no regrets.

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After 2 Years and 4 months......It Was Well Worth the Wait!

Just as the title of this review says; this drama was very much worth the wait. Xiao Zhan is one of the people I follow and looking forward to him in this mature and modern role was spectacular. I have so many emotions carousing through my system right now; relief, elation, sadness, completion, pride. This is a very high caliber modern drama. Mentally, I've been thinking about this review for days, so now I'm going to try and put everything together here.

Pros: This drama was filmed in 2019; so much has happened since then. I loved Xiao Zhan and Yang Zi's friendship in real life because it translated as very honest and believable chemistry on screen. Both Gu Wei and LXZ were honest and good though humanly flawed characters. If they made them all perfect and cute without problems, they wouldn't have seemed so real. The seeming harshness of the parents, displayed cultural differences in a way anyone on earth would understand because once the end was being rounded up, their feelings not just harsh words started to be more completely understood.

Xiao Zhan's acting ability made me forget that this was filmed before Ace Troops and ADLAD; the 8 hour, 15K line theater play. Each emotion, each mannerism, action, was on point with where the character had to be at the time of the series. I know he is a perfectionist himself and therefore already criticized his own performance from top to bottom; but as a viewer, a novelist/author, former scriptwriter, and very detail oriented human being, I truly didn't feel he could have done a better job. With the script he was working with, plus all the complicated medical terminology, heavy emotions, given flaws, he brought Gu Wei to life; into a three dimensional existence. He's a very versatile actor that I think can handle any genre, any role be it a protagonist or an antagonist; the latter of which I would love to see in like a Republican era crime drama.

YZ was a very believable 21 year old considering she was older. That's hard to do sometimes especially for more mature people. Her emotions especially in those last episodes were gut-wrenchingly felt. I felt she portrayed a cellist very convincingly (I played the violin in elementary school and therefore know how all strings hold their bows; she did everything properly). This was a good role for her; I do however hope she takes more out of the box roles as this seems to be a fairly common genre for her. She can definitely expand her horizons.

The OSTs were beautiful and magical. Usually I ffw them in the beginning or end especially for the credits but in this case, XZ's solo and their duet were just so heartfelt that I would listen to them each time. I always love it when actors sing their own OSTs, it just gives a drama extra soul.

The plot of the leads was fascinating and realistic; it never dragged at any time and honestly didn't need the filler characters nor their issues. When a plot or a character's actions draw heated discussions/debates in the comments, it means the drama is doing exactly what it's supposed to by making people think and want to talk about it. Papa Lin's cancer arc was the hardest and most heartbreaking of all because not only was it tastefully and realistically done, but it hit close to home as I've lost several very close friends to cancer; so tissues were needed in that sense.

Loved behind the scenes and the "Little Theatre" at the end of every other episode between Gu Wei and LXZ; even in the most angst ridden times, those moments provided us with glimpses of their times on set and into the characters' relationship even when they were at odds with each other. It was a great touch.

Cons: All of the 3rd wheels; lord almighty. When I need to ffw a great drama like this because of all of the truly not evolved and useless characters, it will take a hit in my rating of it. I think I've reached a new high of nicknames created in this drama, though some did evolve; the others thankfully were fazed out in the end. Dr. Gorilla Glue and Dr. Scrooge surprised me the most with being able to evolve and be actual allies and friends to GW, not just hot tar and a sanctimonious prick. Arrogant violin dude actually just needed to be let down before he was able to switch over to a mature human being who gave LZX some great advice.

The worst however remained Dear Abby Wannabe and Ms. Faux Victim; their characters and plots added literally zilch to the series; most time they did more harm then good. I understand young but not useless with absolutely no comprehension of reality. I never read the novels so have no clue if these characters were very prominent; but dear lord I wish the screenwriter never used them or sporadically without their plotless issues; the main plot was already so full and rich; this was just an absolute nuisance.

Would I recommend it? 100%! This is the type of drama you would want to watch with your friends, family, or even alone as most of us do. It has a little bit of everything. I want to thank the entire cast and crew for a truly special series. I will rewatch the cute moments and this drama will forever be in my heart and soul. Bravo!

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Republican Era Smorgasbord with a Macaroni Art Script

Can someone please explain to me what I just watched? Only picked it up because WRC aka SML is one of the people I follow and I've never seen him in this genre. This genre is always beautiful but this series had very few pros. It was literally a Republican era smorgasbord with a macaroni art script.

Pros: Obviously favorite character was the reason for watching in the first place and not dropping after the first 7 or 10 episodes. WRC or ZY can play an arrogant person with a gaze that describes "if looks could kill" to a T. I hope he gets the chance to play a serial killer someday, he'd nail it. Republican era genre actually suits him quite well. Here, I was very glad he challenged himself to actually cry in regret, sadness, and it was quite gut wrenching. Him being killed off in the last episode even though we knew somewhere by episode 18 that they were setting up for a second season, was also powerful. He was a tortured soul, hell bent on revenge and after losing his soulmate, that was the only way out for him. He was truly and finally free. Usually, I'm not a fan of SML's getting killed off but in his case plus how bad the script was, I was actually quite glad. His words that he got to reunite with his beloved just as he passed, was literally the perfect ending for him.

Republican era genre is always stunning in visuals, costumes, sets, and colors and this was no exception. All of the acting/actors were very much on point (save for a glaring issue with the leads that will be discussed below) even when everything else wasn't. OSTs were not memorable. That's it for pros.

Cons: I truly hope I can remember every problem with this Frankenstein script. Since I mentioned the leads, let's start there. They were good at their parts, I have no qualms with the actors themselves but why cast an ML that was nearly 20 years older in real life then the FL plus add aging makeup on him when you're claiming they're close in age. Since they met when they were kids and you're clearly showing two children several years apart and then as adults when they reunite, he's in his 40s while she looks barely 20. Because of this, there was no chemistry whatsoever and even when they kissed, it seemed like two friends who were dared to do it. Furthermore, men and women who were clearly younger than him portrayed themselves as teachers and older friends and it stood out like a sore thumb each and every single time.

The script was a choppy mess with loose ends that were forgotten two scenes later and never explained or finished up. This is what I managed to piece together about this series; the antagonists ultimate goal was to create a new world of slaves via a zombie apocalypse by releasing some mutated virus created 16 years ago off of actual doctors who were fighting the plague; all of those doctors and their families were set up to be the reasons the plague happened and massacred. The children that survived were either mercifully adopted or abducted by the very organization that was behind the massacre and turned into trained--in republican era version of Lord of the Flies--assassins through torture and other means with no memories of their lives or even if they had family in the world.

All of the actors were children from that street who were friends at the time grew up to reunite and try to take the organization down one block at a time. Problem was that you never knew whether you were coming or going. One scene had something about gangs and drugs, next scene forgot about the first one and was now looking at mysterious documents that everyone was looking for but what they were and why someone would have them, never explained. One moment a character appeared drugged next moment she was fine, never explained. How did two of the characters end up in the middle of the woods and where?

It literally looked like this as you were watching: Mysterious documents, random assassins, gangs, drugs, cage fights, equally mysterious and random massacre 16 years ago, revenge, partnerships and 3 couples that can’t figure Jack out. Though someone said it seemed like the script was created out of bullet points, to me it felt like when you fill a bathtub with water and then open the drain. You get that whirlpool tornado effect; well chuck all those plus a half dozen other things in that whirlpool and send it down the drain. 80% of what happened didn't make a lick of sense even with flashbacks of plans made. And they want a 2nd season? No thanks, hard pass!

Would I recommend it? No I wouldn't. If it wasn't for WRC and this being his first Republican era drama, it wouldn't have been on my list nor even get this high of a score. It was entertaining nothing else. It shouldn't be called "Wonderful Hand" because that's some twilight zone title; instead it should be called "Frankenstein's Macaroni Art Attempt." Stay far away from this.

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Chinese Game of Thrones with a Great Brotherhood

I've been anticipating this one for a long time; now not saying I had high expectations especially since it sat on a shelf for nearly three years. Now that part one is over, I feel something is missing. Watched primarily for LYN and I knew a few other of the supporting casts though not the other leads. But the vibe of this was the Chinese GoT with a great Brotherhood.

Pros: I loved the brotherhood; them three together on screen or when they could know what the others were thinking when they were so far apart. The comedy in the beginning was nice. LYN played ruthless DiLin very well and yet had a soft spot only for his two sworn brothers, his precious wife and unborn child. The rest of the world be damned. Pretty proud of him as the role was done early on in his career. SYL was the sexy hero of the trio and the woman he fell for molded him to a T. Their sexy time was very well played and left my iPad smoking. ML was the goofball with the secret ninja powers not even his brothers apparently knew about. He comes off as a playboy but has a great strategic mindset; so he's their hidden weapon.

Part 1 revolved around the GoT like power struggle and rebellion of one of the older keepers of the country. As well as the invasion of North Clan who are barbaric in nature. The one in control however was the one who pitted people against each and was the real mastermind to keep power for himself. Even ML's Shifu who never planned on rebelling was made a pawn of just so the old fart could stay in power. The old fart chief who looked feeble and sickly was really hellbent to keep everything to himself; doesn't matter who he destroyed and how. He had DiLin kill one of his "most trusted" spy's entire family just so they wouldn't form an alliance later against him. The actor played a very conniving and scheming antagonist pretending to be a protagonist very well. But all of that scheming, has made him more enemies than I'm sure he's aware of. His main phrase was "I trust you the most." That's how you knew he didn't trust you at all. Thankfully two out of three brothers have figured out that he is not who he appears and are very wary of him.

The budget was definitely on the lower side with major edits done plus a title change but the GoT low lighting atmosphere and that kind of world setting was only missing a few dragons and looked really cool. OSTs, costumes, scenery otherwise were all on point. I really hope they release part two soon.

Cons: One word: Ning! Her character though as completely unimportant as it was took up so many episodes, we feared instead of it being about the brotherhood, it'll be about this royal poodle gorilla glue and her childish crush on ML. While I understand this story had to show her childish behavior but not for 15 episodes. Oftentimes, only one brother would make it into an episode and it grated on everyone. The 12 year old tantrums she would throw thinking the entire planet—especially the nails on chalkboard "Xiu gege" she would whine—revolved around her and her needs was mind boggling. Her country was at war where people died left and right but all she could think of was the pretty dresses she hasn't worn etc. She ran away from home just to whine to the ML about how he had to cater to her like she was on some vacation while the man was trying to keep people alive. It was disgusting and she had way too much screen time where for a while, the story hiccuped a lot. Instead of wasting time on her, they could have told more about the brothers upbringing and how they became sworn brothers in the first place. Would have been far more interesting. Or even on the story of North Clan and why they couldn't keep still in their own territory. Anything but her. I hope in part 2 she takes a very serious seat in the back row.

The fact that there was more talk than action other than the very beginning and ending, we can attribute to the low budget as I would have preferred more fighting scenes then just the aftermath with explanations. Or after DiLin massacred an entire battalion, he just stands there, covered in blood. Would have preferred to see that actually play out as opposed to what we saw, same with SYL's battles.

Would I recommend it? Despite the lord awful Ning and lots of talking, it's actually a pretty decent watch and does grab your attention. It is an OE as there's a part 2 that's apparently already been filmed and needs to be released; so hopefully soon. I say give it a go.

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Rollercoaster of Emotions w/a Wicked Witch

Watched this for Yang Yang and the first responder/natural disaster aspect it. I followed this drama as it was filmed last year and was very much looking forward to it. For the most part, it didn't disappoint. It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions and even had a list compiled for the most hated character.

Pros: Favorite character was SY or ML; his bark was worse than his bite. As a captain at a fire station, he had to be cool and aloof but he was kind and caring to those whom he cared about the most. When it came to FL that was the only time when he could forgo the world. In the beginning, she chased after him and he didn't want to give in because it meant she might find out the truth. The chemistry between the two of them was very believable. Loved the fire station gang, the other doctors and nurses, and was extremely sad when they lost DP closer to the end. That scene really did require tissues. All of the characters were very well evolved throughout. FL's adoptive brother was creepy as heck for his obsession but I am glad he was given that out towards the end so they could remain family. SJ was very important to the series and to the audience and ZBB played him very well. When he left and was replaced by someone else, all those emotions and changes really made it real.

Who could forget the wicked witch of the west aka the adoptive mom of FL as the main antagonist. I have to give the actress props for acting as well as she did; none of us could stand her. Furthermore, she's only 59 in real life but makeup made her look 70. We all hated her so much, I created "The Kill List" in the comments and the other watchers were very creative in how to kill her. We got to 17 ways and as promised I'll post it here:
"The list is back ONE LAST TIME! We need to kill the wicked witch. So, let’s see how many more ways we can kill her! Our end list looks like this:

1. Drowning in her own pool
2. Melting her with high pressure water
3. Throwing her in the river
4. Leaving her broke and desolate without any power.
5. Leaving her to suffocate when her office building goes up in flames.
6. Broke, desolate, without power in a sewer line.
7. Leave her in the mountains with lots of poisonous snakes and things.
8. Skin her alive.
9. Alpaca pushes the bookcase on her head in a smelly apartment and runs away while WW starves to death and loses her dignity because no one saves her.
10. Gets accused of treason and tortured then executed.
11. Death by 1,000 tarantulas.
12. Tie her to a chair and drill holes into her ever so slowly until a vital organ is hit.
13. Glue her barefoot to a chair and the floor, let the sprinkler system douse her with gasoline and chuck a lighter at her.
14. Suffocation by firefighter foam.
15. Drink snake venom while being whipped.
16. Send the picture and frame into the wicked witch’s head instead of the floor like a missile.
17. Leave her trapped in the tunnel during the typhoon; rescue everyone else."

The comedy was also good and the FL finding out the truth was much needed. I'm happy I got spoilers from the novel readers on when the series would deviate or not, but though not the same issues as in the novel, SY did suffer extremely at the hands of the wicked witch and her connections and I'm proud of FL for growing a backbone and standing up to that crazy old bat! I do wish ZM made her kneel all the way though. Sorry not sorry.

The rescues for the most part were very realistic though I wish they used stunt doubles for many of those scenes instead of doing it themselves. I remember seeing the explosion balcony scene when it was leaked online last year after filming and it was nuts. Both natural disasters were alright, though I wish they used more expensive CGI for them. OSTs, costumes, sets and locations were all on point.

Cons: Though the wicked witch was a great antagonist, giving her a redemption arc unlike the novel was garbage. I felt it was just bad and the drama took a hit for that; because there was no way anyone who's done that much damage to other people should just be forgiven without any jail time that we saw. So in my head, I pictured after the last episode, she'll be found guilty and sent to prison.

The ridiculous propaganda and where they put it was really bad. Like who carries their brigade's flag to the scene of an earthquake? This ain't the Olympics. You're there to rescue people not parade around. And considering how often the speechifying occurred in the middle of really random conversations, you'd think they'd be a bit more knowledgeable in first aid like CPR. How is it that in a fire and rescue house, there're no paramedics or EMT's? Yet the fire department is responsible for crowd control which is the police's job. It was all very confusing. You have two different numbers for police and for the fire department. But when you need all three, then what happens?

Also very obvious that the aftershocks many times were done by the actual actors shaking themselves and the surgical equipment plus table. The typhoon seemed to just be like a bad flood instead of what really happens inside a typhoon/hurricane. It was like they could just drive when they wanted and the wind and rain would stop periodically. Like I mentioned above, CGI needs to be better. So that also bumped the score down.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. The story is for the most part well done other than those cons which you can more or less overlook. The cast did a great job, so get ready for a rollercoaster ride of emotion with a wicked witch in the center.

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Brilliant Class 8 of Comedy & Youth

Was watching this drama for 3 people I follow; WRC, ZFX, and Zhang Li. Wanted to see all three in completely different characters then what I've seen from them before. And I have to say, all three gave me great performances. Let's get into it, shall we?

Pros: This was only the 2nd youth drama I've seen and the first one also had WRC in it. What stood out was the actual plot; it wasn't just the usual trials and tribulations of students but threw an idol and the entertainment world into the mix. I enjoyed all of the nuances of combining these two totally different worlds together.

By far my two favorite characters were Lin Sheng and Su Man played by WRC and Zhang Li respectively. They also were the perfect example of a work in progress couple; a nice and steady evolution of their relationship. Their moments together on screen were just too cute. They were literally the perfect match from day one. I actually preferred them over the main leads relationship (more on that one later). It was my first time seeing WRC in a role where his character wasn't in some shape or form arrogant. He needs more of these kick ass take names but do it with a genuine heart types of roles because I am fearful he'll get typecast. Zhang Li, I first saw in Luoyang and loved her sociopath serial killer character and when I saw she was going to be in this drama, I wanted to see more of her. She did great; Iron Lady with a soft interior and fiercely loyal and caring about those in her life.

ZFX played the adorable nerdy math teacher Chen Liu San and did it so well that you just wanted to hug him no matter how many math equations he spouted out in a fraction of a microsecond. I think this role was perfect for him considering his age. Whenever he was on screen, it made you smile.

Who could forget the kids? They were truly an amazing and hysterical bunch. This series wouldn't have the same charm if they weren't exactly who they were. Their antics and fierce protection of their teachers and each other was heartwarming. Everything was resolved no matter how large the problem was. That cast of kids was truly diverse in age as the youngest was 15 years old at the time of filming and the oldest was 30.

The comedy was spot on almost every time; I liked the slice of life aspects very much. From fighting over idols to learning about what mattered most and caring about family. The ML was like a piece of music himself; started off as an arrogant ass but then gradually evolved into a mature man who took responsibility for stuff. I think when it comes to real character development and evolvement, his did the most.

Cons: This series could have done with only 35 episodes. It had a lot of inconsistencies that were never quite explained including why on earth did the FL break up with the ML over some BS public opinion when she spent the first at least 10 episodes yelling and kicking his and anyone else's ass that pissed her off? It made no sense whatsoever.

I have to say this is the first drama where I had to ffw the FL because of her complete lack of communication and understanding; resorting to violence when she didn't get her way. They tried to make it come across as comedic but it was abusive. You don't just start beating on someone if you're upset with them. I legit laughed when in a later episode she mentioned she might be bipolar because that would definitely explain the extreme mood swings. They never followed up on that, but I wish they did because she needed anger management at least if not medication and therapy, pure and simple. Yet around her sister she acted meek and powerless; it made zilch sense.

The series started to drag in the breakup episodes and lost a lot of its cohesion which also knocked down my rating of it. Instead of creating angst with an in-cohesive break up, the plagiarism plot could have been introduced. It's such an important aspect and needed to be pursued and developed more instead in like literally the last 4 or 5 episodes. Mu Chen was literally a useless character until episode 36. And where did Wei Lei go? She's on a set somewhere and that's it? No rounding out her ending.

The ending could have been done better with XDN releasing his album and the students being proud of their special song; instead it just ends with Mu Chen leaving the industry to clean pianos somewhere and XDN's blurry figure returning the following year to teach the students again. It deserved a way better and more complete ending for all involved.

Would I recommend it? I actually would despite the many flaws. Especially if you're a fan of any of the actors. The plot, acting, comedy, friendships, and relationships (for some) were all great. Definitely give it a go.

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An Absolute Slam Dunk of Sweet Victory!

All Xianxias should be like this! PA redemption and a perfect score across the board, which is incredibly rare for me. Obviously watched for both leads in this reunion that blew many dramas out of the water. This was an absolute slam dunk of sweet victory!

Pros: Literally everything! Though I never read the novel, those that did made it obvious that this series followed the novel by about 98% which is very rare. The novel had a solid storyline and this kept it exactly there with apparently lots more comedy. Comedy was good here. Even in the somewhat angsty scenes, it was ever present. Both leads (SL and XZ) delivered stellar performances and their connection started literally from episode one and the mortal realm. Their love transcended all three realms. All of the characters were very layered; though some needed evolution and growth where originally they were annoying. SL playing the powerless chicken while the human XZ takes care of her was just hysterical. Once she returned to the immortal realm, though she still had that prearranged marriage to that annoying FRJ (who up until the end when he finally grew up, I really wanted the maid to hit with her broom), XZ who I nicknamed Mr. Clingy as he clung to her like glue--when he still didn't understand that he was falling for her--and all of their interactions were gold.

There were 3 tragic characters in this story (all done extremely well by their respective actors); MF, and SL's parents. I know people hate on MF about his betrayal but he had no choice as we saw and he explained just before he took his own life. His identity didn't leave him the choice of not betraying her (by killing his own friends in the military but you could tell how much it affected him after the fact) and though at first he was brought up on hatred, it was because of her that he learned about love. But he refused to kill her or harm her and even when possessed fought against the demon FS to help her escape post her "death". If he had the choice, he would have betrayed the demons a long time ago. His own father didn't care about him; which as SL said, he was heartless. MF's only reason for existence according to the two demons was to be a spy and used as a body shell for both. Quite sad and unfair. Her mother was right about being shackled by your identity. Both parents fell in love despite dad being a demon and completely harmless but even they couldn't be saved from the demon emperor. Dad voluntarily had to become the fire seal to keep all the demons in that abyss and mom died shortly after childbirth. Even XZ was shackled by his identity until his death but freed by his long gone friends in rebirth. A fun fact; the actor that played FL or SL's dad, also played opposite ZLY in JOF as someone who was in love with her. And this was also their first collaboration since that show only they played father and daughter here. To have her father save her life through self sacrifice at the end was beyond touching; only time they got to meet each other face to face.

Other great characters were all of the generals, SMY, the maid, lady Jin, Luotian, QY, and eventually FRJ. Each played great roles in the overall story and the lives of our leads. The demon emperor had very few scenes in later episodes and he did ok as a villain; maybe if he played a bigger part in this story, he would have been considered as more but it was FS that offered main antagonist vibes during the entire show. Which being played by this actor who's known for comedic roles was quite a switch up though he was convincing.

Every inch of this show from costumes, CGI, OSTs (LYN's song and two of the BGM's were my absolute favorite), sets, were spot on. Nearly every episode had you rolling in laughter but it knew when to taper that off into seriousness or a bit of angst. I love this modern take on ancient costume drama; the one liners, innuendos, going against the grain, everything was well done and executed. You were invested in the leads and there were no misunderstandings, no annoying guerrilla glue third wheels that spoke in a prepubescent voice and pouted, no tropes, or unnecessary angst. Also no love triangles though SML or MF did love SL, she made it clear right away that no way and that was that. They still fought side by side until the betrayal and even then he was still willing to risk it all to save her. Only other couple were her parents short lived story and the best friend God who was going through trials on earth with the same two women every life cycle but even he was freed. It was so refreshing to see just one couple and the arc of their story as it revolves around times of peace, war, and so forth. Only two full rebirths no more and the ending was great though I wish they spent less time on Lady Jin and her love life and showing them two with her pregnancy and their friends and family in his mortal backyard as it was said in the book. But his proposal and her dropping the baby bombshell leaving him speechless and then chasing her around in the snow was still really awesome. Their love really was eternal.

Cons: I don't think I can call them cons here but more like slight inconsistencies. Like who was MF's mom? Did she even exist or was he born from fire like SL's dad? Or hatched from an egg? The demon emperor didn't have a body towards the end and because MF self sacrificed, his body couldn't be used for his father. But how did he ultimately disappear? Because after FL broke the seal and took off out of the abyss, we never saw him again. Was he in FL's body when he fought XZ and ultimately purified by XZ and SL? Wish that was shown better. And I didn't like the Heavenly Emperor; just as you think he got the point, he turns around and says or does something that makes you want to just send him into that abyss. Only in the second to last episode did he seem to be a bit wiser. Honestly that was it. No other cons.

Would I recommend it? 110% yes! Literally floored me from start to finish. I didn't skip a single thing. An absolute must watch if you want to laugh, giggle, cry a bit, and just enjoy yourself. One of the best dramas I've ever seen out of any country. Forever put into my watchlist.

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The Long March of an Excellent Drama

The story itself intrigued me but I only knew and was watching for Dilraba and LHK. What I got out of it was so much more. I will begin with outlining the pros then the cons. This costume drama has been moved into my number 2 position and added two more actors to my following pile on Weibo.

Pros: The cast was absolutely superb. Our main leads were completely equal in everything they did. CG was a general in her own right and never played second fiddle to the ML. Everyone knows that Dilraba can and often plays strong characters so, I expected nothing less from her. Leo Wu, amazed me as it was the first time I'd seen him act in anything. For a 21 year old, to be able to play Ah Sun in such a regal and powerful way, was very impressive. Ah Sun was a man who knew his strengths and weaknesses and was able to let CG be the woman she was without belittling her. It's not often that in these costume dramas women FL can be as equal if not more powerful at times (take the rescue scene in episode 48) then the ML. Also showed how CG touched everyone's lives she met and the good ones followed her especially came to aid her in that episode (the assembly of the kitchen sink) when she needed it most.

Our second leads, though they had smaller scenes, did develop very slowly. Leyan's character was very annoying until mid way through when she finally had gone through all of her trials and tribulations; then she had a quiet grace and could formulate a plan or an idea without crying. And ice cube aka Hao Du I wanted hit with a frying Pan for a long time for trying to kill CG but after the slap heard around the world and great speech made by a now totally different Leyan, he started to melt (and his nickname got changed to ice melt). I only knew of Liu Yuning from the variety show "Our Song", so I knew he was a wonderful singer but now I found that he is a great actor as well. He was able to go from a cold-blooded puppet of his father to a hero and loving man to Leyan and a really great ally to CG.

Many of the side characters like the celibate one aka Shuyu who some people didn't think grew much, I felt he matured a lot himself though he was a sad character for not ending up with the woman he loved but maybe he won't be celibate forever and meets someone in Chang'an someday. LHK's Master made me laugh because it was the direct opposite character of the one he played in CQL and it was a great change for him. Every single character belonged in the show, for however long they were supposed to be. I do feel sad for Mimi's sacrifice because her character was truly a tragic one where though what she did was heroic, she would never get to be with the man she loved and her brother plus her friends. To have such a tragedy happen in the second to last episode, was very overwhelming, but I could see it was done to remind characters and audience of how precious life really is.

Khatun or bitch devil from hell, actress did a wonderful job playing the Wolf in sheep's clothing. Turned out that she was actually worse than the Khan himself having killed three out of four. To be able to play such an absolutely calculating, deranged character takes a lot and I command her for that.

The fact that nearly every stereotype and trope that you see in their dramas both costume and modern ones were disregarded was a pleasant surprise. Every misunderstanding was ironed out fairly quickly no matter how complicated and confusing between all leads and even the side characters. Things weren't just piled on and then hurriedly untangled in two episodes at the end but as things went along, things were solved. It was great to see.

I loved the OSTs as they fit each couple and the stories to perfection. Everyone got the song and power of their characters within all. The growth of all characters and their travels to get to their proper places both physically and literally was done well.

Cons: The horrible cartoons that were placed instead of every major battle and even for other shots was very obvious that production didn't have a lot of money. They lost so many nuances because of them and they should have used more CGI instead of that if it was such a problem. The blurry kiss and birds taking over was another negative. I don't know why it happened as some people here claim it's in his contract to not kiss until he's 21 and his parents run his studio while others say netizens were responsible for it; whatever the reason, it could have been done differently, though the forehead kisses, hugs, and all the love aka "like" shown through actions, did make up for it. Finally, the ending in my opinion wasn't satisfying in the least. More cartoons and our main leads in different places as a bird flies over them watching. Yes, I understand they are free and together but I personally felt that if they had them both on horses standing together on a hill overlooking the grasslands would have been more powerful. Like this power couple are looking over their world that they helped save, would have been the perfect ending to this series.

The pros way outweighed the cons. No series is 100% perfect. I will be rewatching my favorite episodes and scenes for a while and this drama is an absolutely recommend from me and many others here. I'm very glad I got a chance to watch this and meet some awesome people in the ever growing comment section. Congratulations to the cast and crew on a very successful airing! Bravo!

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