Lie like a dog.

This is a very solid police procedural about a female-led investigative team that employs polygraph technology to solve crimes. Haunted by a 12-year old and very personal cold case, Ling Ran is a workaholic truth seeker who is after justice for both the victims and the survivors of violent crimes. This is a very driven character that fuses her own instincts and observations with signals from the lie detector to sniff out and drill down on suspects who lie like a dog.

The cases are based on real life cases that occur when common human fallings collide with social pressure and a spate of bad luck. They are quite simple with straightforward with often predictable solutions and some plot holes. But they are curiously addictive nonetheless and this is what sets this otherwise unexceptional police procedural apart. While at surface it looks like Lie to Me, it is actually a lot more like CBS's Cold Case, one of my all time favorite crime series. The stories are dark and sad and they feel very real. The magic of the narrative is that it brings the victims back to life - they have secrets, hopes, dreams, strengths, weaknesses; they all love and are loved. Regardless of how ordinary and humble their existence is, they are missed and their loss is a devastating blow to someone. All but the last case moved me to tears.
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The team dynamics are well written, well portrayed and enjoyable but overshadowed by the victims' and their survivors' haunting stories. I think Mo Xiaojie and his connection with the homeless orphan stole the show and gave this character the kind of growth and dimension that is missing in team leader and titular truth seeker Ling Ran's characterization.

Ling Ran is scarred by a 12 year old cold serial case that makes her the way she is but unfortunately this is not explored until the final case. As such, I find aspects of Ling Ran perplexing and never quite connected with her. This ends the drama on a final case that just doesn't resonate as hard as the earlier cases. I would prefer they opened with the final case and ended with the first case. This would have better established Ling Ran's backstory and made her more understandable and relatable. The first case is also one of the best cases and the one with the least dark ending that asks the question whether one ought to lie to protect the innocent, which would be a fitting note to end this drama on.

I only rate this a 7.0 because it really isn't the best, most intriguing and thrilling crime series out there. But it is quite well made and there is a lot of heart in the cases that will touch you in a lingering way so it is definitely worth watching.

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Saved by the long haired devil in Prada.

This is one of those dramas with many, many flaws but somehow still manages to be so very enjoyable to watch that it commands higher ratings than it deserves. It is also one where for me, a secondary lead playing a dark character completely steals the show and wins my heart.

This is the story of Hua Qiangu (Zhao Liyang), a cursed orphan who has a tendency to attract demons. She is rescued from angry and fearful villagers by a powerful immortal Bai Zihua (Wallace Huo) who after many trials, reluctantly accepts her as his disciple. Of course they can't help falling in love but if the master disciple relationship is not obstacle enough, she is also fated to be his calamity and it is his duty to suppress the demon goddess within her by killing her. They come regularly in conflict with factions of the Demon Sect, who are out to steal a number of magical artifacts that when put together unleashes the demon forces. When her master Bai Zihua is mortally injured, Hua Qian Gu goes on a quest to recover all of the artifacts regardless of the consequences. This is a result of the machinations of a mysterious antagonist that results in a good surprise plot- twist.

As a couple Qiangu and Zihua would have worked better if Wallace Huo had not appeared to be icy-faced practically all of the time. He is a good enough actor that he must have just been a bit lazy in this role. As a result, his Bai Zihua came dangerously close to crossing the line of being cruel and indifferent to Hua Qiangu. I was still rooting for them as a couple but there were many moments where he really angered me. This made Hua Qiangu seem a bit silly for being so devoted to such a cold fish when she was surrounded by so many other more worthy suitors. Huo's rather flat performance left the door open for the secondary leads to steal the show and indeed they did. Andy Zhang was really very convincing as Dong Fang but it is Kyle Ma's Sha Qian Mo that shocked and awed.

I would probably have given this show a 7 or 7.5 without Ma's Sha Qian Mo. He was equally compelling as the fearsome and deadly Demon Lord as he was as Hua Qiangu's tender and protective Sha Jiejie. He is a total fashion diva that embraces his feminine side, pulls off these colorful, exotic and unambiguously female outfits and hilariously exchanges beauty tips with Qiangu. He would sadly advice her not to love her callous sifu so much despite sagely knowing she wouldn't be able to help herself. This was one of the characters from the show that really resonated with me and saved the drama. I'd like to see this actor again in some better roles!

The overall story-line is very interesting it moves at a nice pace for the most part and then at the end the story gets garbled, a bit confusing and then it ends abruptly. It is as if they ran out of time or something. This is really absurd because they wasted hours and hours on this super annoying, whiny CGI caterpillar character that turns into a noisy, talkative and thoroughly irritating girl. The directors and scriptwriters really deserve to be spanked for wasting time they did not have on this now hopefully unemployed actress. This could have and should have been a much better show. Still while rushed, the ending was not as terrible as some have described as the two leads did manage to click well in the finale. Its is still overall enjoyable and worth watching.

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A song of fire and ice.

This drama feels like an angsty adolescent modern romance that was dressed up in historical costume and wrapped up in a few wuxia tropes. Some of the ideas and characters are quite fresh but ultimately it is weighed down by cliches and an insipid plot. 

Chong Xuezhi (Chen Yuqi), the young mistress of the Flame Hall seeks to restore the reputation of her sect and atone for her father's atrocities after going berserk from improper cultivation of the Lotus God Nine Stance Technique. Behind vocal condemnation, the other sects covet this technique and scheme to acquire the manuscripts by fair means or foul. They are manipulated by a mysterious antagonist who aims to bring the sects under their control or eliminate them. The playboy master of Moon Valley Shangguan Tou (Luo Yunxi) is tasked to protect the naive young Xuezhi and along the way, they fall in love. Perhaps not the most original plot but decent enough that with proper execution could have be an entertaining wuxia romance. 

I have a soft spot for flawed rakish characters like Shangguan Tou, who is not your typical c-drama male lead. I had to turn up the air-con at the intensely flirtatious, almost seductive way he heatedly eyes and teases Xuezhi in the beginning. But this is one complicated dude - he blows hot and cold as he has commitment issues due to an unhappy childhood and unresolved issues with his father. He loves to engage in long winded and repetitive introspective conversations but doesn't communicate or listen to good advice. That just leads to endless rounds of pointless talking. Sigh! In the end, I found this character frustrating - just too high maintenance, emotional, headstrong and uncompromising. That said, Luo Yunxi's breathtaking ability to wear his heart on his face kept me going through the draggy parts.

Although naive in the beginning, Xuezhi is a stronger, more straightforward character - she is proud and dignified when Tou rejects her, she gets on with her life and is generally a good decision maker. She seems weak in the end because Tou is so adamant that everything has to be his way. It is actually Tou who is too distracted to stay one step ahead of the enemy and makes emotional and cliche noble idiot decisions. It cracks me up when even the loyal Wuming questions his judgement. While clearly Yunxi is the stronger and more nuanced actor (and so devastatingly handsome), both roles were well acted and the OTP has good chemistry. It is not their fault that their interactions are so frustratingly written. Their characters are also very young and written to be extremely immature and inexperienced with relationships despite their authoritative positions. This is a challenge because visually both leads are well past their teen/young adult years. 

The drama starts strongly but quickly loses momentum. The main problem is the romance between Tou and Xuexi advances too quickly and is so consuming that the rest of the external plot is repeatedly tossed into limbo while the OTP (internal plot) jumps through a bunch of romance cliches - he's dying, he's not ready, love triangles galore, silly misunderstandings, she's dying... to the point I kept wishing one or better yet, both of them would jump off a cliff. Their fated affinity or yuan fen (缘分) must not be that good because every time they get together, one ends up at death's door! Their moods are also out of sync - one blows hot while the other blows cold. It is a real question whether this is a couple that lasts.

The relationship arcs are such big digressions that by the time we get on with the conspiracy, the story picks up but never regains the lost momentum. The rest unfolds rather hastily and deals with interesting characters including Muyuan and Qingmei more cursorily than they deserve. It is a shame because there were many good characters in this drama but once they serve their purpose, they are killed off with impunity. Along the way, the plot morphs into a political conspiracy rather than a wuxia and the only bombastic thing about the so called legendary martial art technique is its name. The main antagonist's motivators are not compelling and that actor shamelessly knocks off Chen Kun's Ning Yi mannerisms. The actor does not have the right face for some of the more dramatic expressions and just ends up looking like a bizarre and creepy clown. The external arc ending is not satisfactory and in my opinion, justice is not served. 

All things considered, if you fast forward through the middle bits, this wasn't that bad - there are some moving scenes, generally good acting and a fabulous looking OTP. But in hindsight, the fire and ice theme of the drama is a dead giveaway; when you add ice to fire all you get is a bunch of hot air that evaporates into nothing of substance. 

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Princess Weiyoung is like comfort food - tried and true but pushes all the right buttons.

This was truly a very enjoyable drama from start to finish - I was pleasantly surprised by how it managed to captivate me. The underlying plot itself is not special - it is a revenge drama about a Liang princess whose family was executed after being framed for rebellion against the Wei kingdom by the Prime Minister's wife's powerful Chiyun family. She assumes another identity (Weiyoung) and infiltrates the Prime Minister's household as his second daughter of lower birth to a common mother. It has some clear parallels to Nirvana in Fire but the main protagonist is a clever young woman and her "revenge" is more reactive as opposed to proactive and calculated. Another difference is there is a big romantic element, it is more light hearted, fast moving and less complex. However, this is nowhere near on the same level and maybe it captivated me because my expectations were not high.

The casting in this show was superb - literally all of the characters good and evil did a remarkable job with their roles. The two main leads are a real life couple and the chemistry between them is undeniable and heart warming. The male lead plays a powerful young Wei prince who is so enamored with Weiyoung that he is willing to give up his kingdom and his life for her. I think of the two, Luo Jin (Taoba Jun) is the better, more charismatic and versatile actor. Tiffany Tang's Weiyoung was clever, resilient and completely adorable but her performance was undeniably aided by the overall strength of the supporting cast. There were quite a few villains in the show - ones that you will love to hate (Prime Minister's wife and her nephew); ones that were so ineptly evil you had to laugh at them (Prime Minister's eldest son and daughter); and the more complex, ultimately pitiful ones that had some good in them (the Nan-an Prince and his lover). The Prime Minister's wife has the most evil villain eyebrow movement I have ever seen outside of a cartoon. And you will learn how evil and hate can take the form of such a lovely and innocent face. I found myself moved to pity for some of the villains even thought they satisfyingly got their just deserts, which speaks to the layered complexity of the characters. There are two charming supporting couples whose story lines did not deviate much from the main plot and did not go on excessively. Finally the show kept to a bare minimum the childish, petulant and immature female role stereotype that ruins many otherwise good shows.

Without giving anything away, there were some good twists in the story that sees friends turn into foes. I did think that there was excessive plotting against Weiyoung and maybe one or two of those plots could have been eliminated. Nonetheless due to the strength of the cast, any repetitiveness it was barely noticeable because everyone was such a pleasure to watch. Objectively speaking the plot isn't that original but it has all the elements of a true crowd pleaser: it moves fast, it will make you laugh it will make you cry; it will make you love, it will make you hate and it will surprise you a few times.

[KIND OF SPOILER BUT NOT REALLY A SPOILER ALERT]


One of the best things about Chinese drama is that a happy ending is not a foregone conclusion. Hollywood still doesn't get it - when its a foregone conclusion that it ends happily ever after everything becomes predictable and forgettable. This one will keep you guessing and hoping to the bittersweet end and maybe that is one of the reasons why it lingers with you.

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The curious case of Bambi in the headlights.

The short mini-series format is fantastic for mystery and intrigue. I have been meaning to explore this promising genre for while. I chose Day and Night due to its strong international reception. Although it delivered in terms of an intriguing plot and decent script, the overall execution was poor. It starts out as a mystery/suspense but ends up like just another cop drama.

The plot is built around former lead investigator Guan Hongfeng's secret mission to clear his fugitive twin brother Guan Hongyu, who was wrongly accused of brutally murdering an entire family. Hongfeng conceals Hongyu, who covers for him at night while he wrestles with his fear of the dark. That they are identical twins gives wide scope for multiple fun plot twists, something the writers took advantage of. Back at the crime investigation department, the twins alternate as Hongfeng to secretly try to solve Hongyu's case while assisting with ongoing investigations. There is only one conspiracy to uncover; all the other cases are presented as police procedurals so we only have to keep track of one set of clues for the one big whodunit. There were too many side cases - the drama ended up morphing into an action oriented police thriller with great high speed chases and fist slugging action. The one good, meaty suspenseful, whodunit conspiracy I was so looking forward to ended up taking a back seat. The many other excellent cop thrillers out there sets a high bar, relative to which this is at best a mediocre effort.

Where this drama crashed was with the uninspired acting by a B-list cast. The lead actor (Pan Yue Ming) only did a decent job playing twins - this is hard to do but it can be a fun, challenging role for a more versatile actor to shine in. He was good at conveying a barely discernible difference in mannerisms between each twin. But while his Hongyu was engaging as the more outgoing and charismatic twin, his portrayal of the introverted, cerebral Hongfeng fell far short. This character should have more intensity and quiet gravitas; an intellectually intimidating veteran detective with a giant secret instead of a lethargic, sleep deprived, monotonic and mostly expressionless character. Zhouxun (Wang Long Zheng), Hongfeng's ex-partner and successor as head of the department was well acted. He came across as a politically savvy, mercurial, cunning and suspicious friendemy of Hongfeng but tended to over-act, notably the temper tantrums. The critical casting error was Liang Yuan as Zhou Shutong, Hongfeng's rookie newbie mentee. This actress thinks rookie is synonymous with vacuous and that best describers both her performance and her favorite facial expression. This destroyed the chemistry of the entire cast - they couldn't interact with her nauseating deer in the headlights Bambi routine. Consequently, there was no convincing team dynamic between the cast. This rapport did eventually emerge and feel natural in the last 10 episodes, notably in scenes with no Shutong. Unfortunately Shutong got a lot of airtime as her role closely touched all of the lead characters. They should have just cut their losses by turning her into the victim of a serial killer.

The final episode was excellent, ending the show on a high note although only part of the conspiracy is revealed. There is no hard air date for the sequel and few details. Given the mediocre execution, I would not be surprised if it never eventuates. I am only mildly curious to find out what really happened so I won't be crying if it never happens. Overall this is an ok watch, it didn't live up to the hype for me although I will watch a few more in this genre.

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How to top an already phenomenal first movie.

Brotherhood of the Blades 2 is one of those rare second movies that I liked better than the first (which also rocked). In this prequel, the younger Shen Lian stumbles upon a larger political conspiracy in the middle of an assignment to eliminate a controversial artist. The plot falls more along the lines of a mystery with just the right number of plot twists and betrayals. While the action scenes are still bloody, intense and masterfully choreographed, there is a better balance between close up lethal swordplay, suspenseful cat and mouse evasions and gripping high speed chases.

The plot in the prequel is easier to follow and more interesting to me. The cast is stronger and the characters are deeper and have to grapple with more inner conflicts. The three main characters - Shen Lian (Chang Chen), Lu Wen Zhao (Zhang Yi) and Pei Lun (Lie Jia Yin) have agendas, loyalties and morals that are at times in outright conflict, making them alternately allies and adversaries. Yet they are bound by a certain code of conduct and mutual empathy shared by those who are ultimately just expendable chess pieces. Chang Chen's Shen Lian silently brimmed with intensity from barely suppressed defiance, to lethal violence, to cold calculation and to longing and desire in this movie. Lie Jia Yin as Pei Lun was his perfect foil with his nonchalant mocking insolence and casually deadly innuendo. Their chemistry as both friends and foes was spot on - I could not get enough of them. In the first movie, the third male lead, his sappy love interest and the female lead were insipid superfluous characters. This second movie doesn't have any notable weak links in the cast. In fact all of the supporting characters were exceptionally well acted.

Also two thumbs up for the strong, yet paradoxical female lead character - a brave and independent woman with a voice that will not be suppressed but who yet loves not that wisely. Ever at fault with a damsel in distress, Shen Lian's reluctant yet burning infatuation with her had me squealing with delight. I was shocked however to discover Yang Mi's truly awful real voice - it is thin, reedy and at odds with the strong character she portrayed. She pretty much owes all her success to her voice dubbers and undoubtedly this is why she hasn't graduated to the big screen despite her popularity and success. Still there is something inexplicable about her that connects with all her leading men and Chang Chen was no exception here.

Overall a fantastic movie to revisit, one that is hugely satisfying for any Chang Chen and/or Lie Jia Yin fans suffering from withdrawal after 2019's top dramas.

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The Adventures of Shanghai Holmes

This drama unabashedly sets out to create a Chinese Sherlock Holmes that is an upgrade from the original. I wish they had not done that but that changes nothing about how awesome this drama is. Set in the lavish sophisticated glitter of 1930s Shanghai, the glamorous surface visuals stand in sharp contrast to the darker and more ominous undertone of its citizens' dark side. The production borrows heavily from recent popular Sherlock Holmes movies and dramas. This is most notable with the OST which sounds uncannily like parts of the OST from both the movie and the BBC hit drama but has the audacity of being well... just better!

This fun and engaging drama follows gifted police consultant Luo Fei (Bai Yu) and his sidekick rookie female detective Qin Xiaoman's crime solving adventures. They are aided by forensic doctor Ben Jieming and criminal psychologist Dr. Huo Wensi under the eagle eye of Detective Supt. Shawei. Despite the overt allusions to Sherlock Holmes, this is really a crime solving team that is a bit of Elementary in the two leads combined with a bit of CSI and a bit of Criminal Minds. Despite the requisite sharp intellect and deductive talent, Bai Yu's Luo Fei is far too sociable, too stylish, too charismatic and way too relate-able to qualify as an iconic Chinese Sherlock Holmes. His interpretation lacks a defining obsessive eccentricity and that dispassionate deductive logic that is the quintessential Sherlock Holmes.

Nonetheless, the humorous antics of the all too human Detective Luo as he falls for his gamin and plucky young sidekick are simply delightful. Xiaomin is a strong, smart and tenacious female character who can kick ass but is also not afraid on occasion to just be a girl. I really like that about her. What I like less is how condescending Luo Fei is when explaining certain deductions to Xiaomin - all that "Elementary my dear Watson" crap is such an overused and passe preamble to a "this is how it went down" walk-through in this genre. In general, all of the lead roles are colorful characters that were well written, well developed and well acted.

What impresses me most about this drama are how well written the cases are and how they come together in an overarching larger plot. I devoured the Complete Sherlock Holmes when I was twelve and have probably read every critically acclaimed detective out there since. I am not that easily wowed by just any old whodunit. These cases are intriguing, cleverly crafted, largely original with cheeky allusions to many of Holmes cases, both famous and lesser well known. They were mostly crimes of passion, where we end up feeling rather sorry for the perpetrators following the great reveal. In this sense, the cases are much more Agatha Christie than Arthur Conan Doyle.

The approximate three-episode per case format is just the right length to properly develop the backstory to each crime and the potential suspects. However, the production rushes through some key interactions, as if they don't really want the viewer to have enough time register what happened and think things through carefully. A really good whodunit lingers to the point of actually rubbing it in your face. The casting is also a bit off in the cases. For example, if there is to be a femme fatale in a case, she has to look the part. It is like saying Mrs Peacock seduced Professor Plum in the Conservatory - all you get is a big fat eye roll and yeah, right. Replace that with Miss Scarlet and then its oh yes, of course she did, that tramp! I suspect that the producers just don't understand that part of the big hook in this genre is the audience really does want to have a fair shot at more or less figuring it out. And between the rushing (every episode is really only about 30 mins) and the misleading casting, they are kind of cheating a little bit. But its not a big issue, just don't hesitate to rewind if you think you missed something.



[MILD SPOILER - PROCEED WITH CAUTION]




The way the cases converge towards the end is marvelous (and original) and builds towards a Reichenbach Falls like moment as a final homage towards Sherlock Holmes. Arthur Conan Doyle was bored with his creation and had intended to kill off Sherlock Holmes. I don't think that is the intent here - I think it this is clearly angling for a second season but even if that doesn't happen, I think the ending is excellent and can stand as it is.

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False face must hide what false heart doth know.

The biggest draw of the Disguiser is its best loved Nirvana in Fire cast. Paradoxically, this spy thriller could not be more unlike Nirvana in Fire yet at the same time, it cannot be more like it. Boiled down, it is another memorable bromance built around a family that sacrifices for a worthy cause; in this case the kind of country they want for their future generations.

Set in 1940s Shanghai during the time of the Japanese puppet government, the prominent Ming family is caught up in the struggle between Japanese, KMT and CCP forces. Ming Jing, the matriarch is formidable in terms of how fiercely she both disciplines and loves her three brothers, whom she raised. She is the family peacemaker and the one the brothers deceive to protect. The Ming family hierarchy is hilarious - both Ming Tai and Ming Cheng fear oldest brother Ming Lou, who is in turn terrified of Ming Jing.  Since the youngest Ming Tai is Ming Jing's favorite, he is actually the most powerful brother! Although both Ming Cheng and Ming Tai are adopted, their bond exceeds that of most blood siblings and the individual relationships between the four siblings are well dimensioned and developed. The remarkable chemistry between this veteran cast effortlessly draws us into feeling a part of this amazing and perfectly imperfect family.

As far as spy thrillers go, this is suspenseful, fast paced and action packed. While the action shots are visually thrilling and artistic, it is quite incredible that protagonists seem to be completely bullet proof and villains take way too many fatal shots to die. The overall plot errs on the side of being overly intricate and fails to convince that so many pawns have to be sacrificed so callously to ensnare the enemy. That said, some of the most powerful, shattering scenes are at the moment of truth when it dawns on the players they are pawns and when the villains realize they have been played. All the villains are introduced early on and are layered characters with their own individual strengths and weaknesses that make them very, very dangerous; especially Wang Ou's gorgeously unstable, oddly naive and sadistic Wang Manchun. This casts an shadow of imminent peril around our beloved Ming family's idyllic private moments.

The way Jin Dong portrays Ming Lou, a double agent whose "false face must hide what false heart doth know" stands out among superb performances all around from this exceptional cast. He wears many hats - traitor, patriot, mastermind, mentor, disciplinarian, manipulator, liar, brother and family man. His true feelings and loyalties are revealed only in almost imperceptible changes in expression or gestures as he fluidly manipulates his chess pieces into doing as he wishes. He is the picture of sincerity and devotion as he turns the deadly Wang Manchun into a giddy, lovesick fool with his sweet loving lies. Alas, she misses that flicker in his eye that says he actually loathes and pities her. He keeps Ming Jing in the dark to protect her and only lets Ah Cheng get the closest look at his game plan and true intentions. I don't know why Wang Kai always gets saddled with the role of the most loyal but most obtuse one but I get Jing wang vibes every time is onscreen. I am glad this time he is teamed up with Jin Dong and not Hu Ge. I love their relationship - Ming Lou is at surface a tough mentor but by communicating outcomes, he actually gives Ah Cheng agency to execute his missions as he sees fit. His approach with Ming Tai is completely different - he keeps him at a strictly need to know level and at arm's length but gives him the most difficult tasks with much more limited degrees of freedom to make decisions. Ming Lou is an incredibly complex, smart character but not unrealistically so that things always go as planned. In this high stakes game, the enemy is not stupid and is capable of learning from mistakes. Some of the most riveting moments are when the brothers are cornered and forced to choose between family and their mission, their ideals, their country.

Hu Ge as the sophisticated, dashing and deadly assassin Ming Tai aka the Scorpion takes the meaning of eye candy to a whole new level. Paired up with his life and death partner, the vivid and lethal Yu Manli, they cut a flamboyant and bloodthirsty trail through the highest echelons of their enemy. Hu Ge delivers some extraordinary and memorable moments as Ming Tai, notably his love hate relationship with his lunatic, radical mentor Wang Tianfeng and his complex bond with Yu Manli. However overall, I did not love some aspects of his portrayal and how this character was written. Although I don't mind Hu Ge playing the 20 something Ming Tai initially, this character must be able to grow up and mature, which he does masterfully to become the leader of his espionage unit. It pains me to complain about Hu Ge and to be fair, he was short-changed by the scriptwriting and casting. But the frequent regression into his younger self; a spoilt, pampered and immature youth doesn't sit well with me, especially towards the end and after everything he went through. It does not help that his arguably unnecessary love interest Cheng Jinyun is portrayed by a complete plank of an actress. They did not connect and the romance was so irritating I kept hoping she would tragically run into one of the many stray bullets flying around. Casting a mannequin would have been better than this boring and totally expressionless actress. This is made more stark by the fiery, intense and palpable connection between Ming Tai and Yu Manli. Song Yi absolutely stole the show with her insane, bad-ass articulation of this psychotic, relentless assassin And her chemistry with Hu Ge is off the charts. She is the character I cared the most about in the drama, the one that scared me and broke my heart at the same time.

While hardly the masterpiece that was NIF, this is still an excellent drama and a wonderful way to reconnect with a fantastic cast. Not to mention... ahem... Hu Ge in black tie... I rate this a solid 8.5.

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If you don't know me by now.

This is another enjoyable light romance that has many amusing moments but is overall lazily written and doesn't bear close scrutiny. If there is a hidden message, it is that going for the brainy sister can change your life in the best of ways whereas choosing the reckless* one and can well end it. [*I could use a much more accurate word but since its just the first paragraph, I restrained myself].

The overarching plot is centered around the mysterious Ruyi Pavilion, at surface a purveyor of unique jewelry and the finer things in life. Fu Xuan and her younger sister Fu Rong are daughters of a mid-level magistrate and disciples of the enigmatic Liu Ruyi and assist her in crafting Ruyi Pavilion's celebrated designs. Fu Rong is plagued by prophetic dreams of a tragic future with Prince Su and while trying to ward off this inauspicious future, she instead catches his eye. After a number of hilarious encounters as they get roped into unraveling the secrets of Ruyi Pavilion, they fall for each other. Does this couple have what it takes to overcome an emperor's disapproval, unscrupulous political rivals, deadly love rivals and ultimately an ill-fated destiny itself to stay together?

The plot around the secrets of Ruyi Pavilion is fresh and promising and the drama starts strongly, aided by the wonderful chemistry between the leads who worked together on the much loved Legend of Yunxi by the same production team. Sadly this production mostly cruises on audience indulgence as the writing fails to hold up and the intriguing backstory and some of the more promising plot threads are never exploited to their full potential.

One of the main problems is that this drama lacks that one, good, well developed and multi-faceted villain. Many of the better villains and interesting grey characters in the story get killed off quite early and we are left with a mastermind with lame motives. He is revealed early on but his plotting with respect to Ruyi Pavilion doesn't seem to have a real end game. He is such a poor excuse for a villain that I couldn't even be bothered to hate him. As for side characters, despite her annoying voice, I thoroughly enjoyed Princess Xihe; or more specifically Xu Jin's gut-busting facial expressions and terse rebuffs that spoke volumes. Initially I was both intrigued and charmed by Xu Ping/Duke An and was so looking forward to a rare, enjoyable triangle. It is unforgivable that sloppy writing turned him into a creepy Phantom of the Opera-like character with mommy issues.

In this drama the second couple stole my heart over the lead couple. Both characters and their relationship develops in a more convincing way. His desire to pursue the more mature and responsible Fu Xuan is the catalyst that pushes Wu Baiqi to set aside his resentment, grow up and work hard to prove his potential. He trusts Fu Xuan with his mother's legacy, which also unlocks her dreams and he brings out a more fun loving side to her nature. Adversity strengthens their relationship and they grow from it and are so natural and fun together I couldn't get enough of their moments.

Unlike Wu Baiqi, Fu Rong is an immature and over-indulged character at the beginning that shows minuscule development. Ju Jingyi's beauty and charisma can only go so far to make up for shortcomings in how the character is written. Fu Rong cannot fight yet she allows her low survival instincts take over and charges recklessly into one dangerous situation after another. Luckily we can always count on Xu Jin/Prince Su or Xu Ping to be conveniently around the corner to rescue her. Like all selfish brats, she does as she pleases even if it is inappropriate or if she knows it hurts Xu Jin's feelings or is against his interest. Unlike other viewers, I understand why the emperor considers her a most unsuitable consort for his son.

Nonetheless as a couple, Fu Rong and Xu Jin have a sparkling, lively chemistry that still seduces me into rooting for them and forgiving their faults. Ju Jingyi's brilliant comedic flirtatiousness is so seamlessly in sync with Zhang Zhehan's answering glimpses of mischievous, amorous appreciation behind a severe façade it is no wonder that this is an OTP that melts hearts. But their relationship is frustratingly developed - even when their goals are aligned they at best work in parallel independently of each other. Xu Jin over indulges her and is over protective of her at the same time. Although Xu Jin is allegedly the love of her life, Fu Rong doesn't trust him and repeatedly jumps to the most heinous (and retarded) conclusions about him. This was forgivable early in their relationship but it is really disappointing to see her doubt him after he risks his life for her time and again. My favorite part was the look on her face when Xu Jin tells her off and pretty much gives her the spot on "If you don't know me by now..." speech. Its just too bad that our lovable doormat was once again just being a noble idiot but his biggest saving grace is he manages to suffer successfully without spitting blood. In the end, I am not convinced this is a couple that lasts because unlike Fu Xuan and Wu Baiqi, adversity seems to pull this couple apart and not together; thus the whole is lesser than the sum of the parts.

Despite the poor writing, the main characters are so lovably portrayed that I enjoyed this drama immensely. That said, I cannot in good conscience rate this higher than an 7.0 maybe an 7.5 if you are a die hard Yunxi fan (I did not watch Yunxi).

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Spy candy

Let me cut to the chase - Autumn Cicada is a complete train wreck. But aspiring screenwriters should be inspired by this - if this script managed to be produced with a cast of decent actors and even aired, there is hope for anything!

I watched this because I like spy thrillers and it is set in my city, Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation. Ren Jialun as the male lead Ye Chong is admittedly an added bonus. It does start with a bang as Ye Chong, a major in the Japanese military is almost exposed as a Chinese spy code-name Autumn Cicada the day he is posted to Hong Kong. I suspended disbelief at the wildly improbable backstory as to how a Chinese patriot managed to advance to the highest ranks of the Japanese military but as the plot unfolds I quickly realize that that is on a relative basis, not that ridiculous. Isolated and cut off from all known contacts, he gropes around trying to figure out who is friend and foe and who betrayed his codename. We see him pondering a lot with suspenseful music in the background- every grumpy angle of Ren Jialun's thinking face is vigorously and closely explored so if you are a fan, this is spy candy galore!

Evidently the original female lead dropped out due to a convenient pregnancy that saved her from playing He Ying (Li Man), the most useless character in the show. This boring whiny wallflower was so incompetent she couldn't even successfully get herself killed. Her greatest accomplishment is saving one person at the cost of eleven others. I told myself that if this inept and reckless character survives, it would qualify the drama for a fantasy tag. Needless to say there is zero chemistry between her and Ren Jialun. The drama's only saving grace is the sparkling chemistry between Liu Huan's Chi Cheng and his infuriating and flamboyant wife Jin Xiang (He Dujuan). I really love this couple, they are the only reason I continued to watch the show. Indeed Liu Huan stole the show - his ability to convey crippling fear of discovery behind a facade of a suave businessman sharply contrasted with Ren Jialun's (too) cool as a cucumber Ye Chong. As much as I like him, this is not one of Ren Jialun's better works.

The main antagonist in this show Miyamoto, Ye Chong's arch enemy, is the smartest and only quasi intelligent character in the show. He figured out right away that Ye Chong is Autumn Cicada and was also onto Chi Cheng and the other spies very early in the game but everyone else was too dumb to believe hm. And yeah, even though this should have been obvious to both of them, our two heroes spend most of the drama circling each other warily but the lightbulb just doesn't go on. I was really unimpressed and frustrated with their spycraft and general lack of common sense and intuition. And despite the repeated attempted brainwashing from the suspenseful background music, there is nothing thrilling or suspenseful about watching such bungling spies. Even the ending was predictible and not remotely moving. If anyone is concerned that this may be a propaganda drama, don't be. It is actually a scathing almost insulting depiction of the Chinese spies during this period.

I actually suspect this must be a spoof. It is such a bad drama it is actually quite funny. And yes, there are many, many good looking eye candy actors in this show in dashing costumes. This is one that can be played in the background on mute during those interminable conference calls we endure while working from home.

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Cinderella and an unlikely fairy godfather

This is not my usual type of movie, I picked it up out of curiousity on a plane and was pleasantly surprised. The plot is simple - it is about the relationship that develops between a disabled middle aged divorcee Leung (Anthony Wong) and his caregiver Evelyn (Crisel Consunji), a Filipino domesetic helper. Leung is initally harsh to Evelyn; he is embittered by the random accident that led to the loss of his wife and son to another marriage that took them far away to the US. But her kindness and dedication eventually moves him to empathize with her plight, which is sadly all to common to the large Fillipino domestic helper community in Hong Kong. They come to care deeply for each other and find joy in each other's company in an otherwise bleak existence. Although they are so very different in terms of culture and background they even had to learn each others' language to communicate, what they both have in common is a kind and generous spirit. As a person who no longer has dreams, Leung rediscovers joy and meaning in life in making Evelyn's dreams come true even at great cost to himself. This is a very simple and humble production but the acting by both lead actors as well as the small supporting cast was really strong. And the script was well done, with a lot of humor that brightened up the mood along the way. It is both a sad and happy movie although the plot was somewhat fairy tale like or improbable but that is all I would say to avoid giving it away.

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The pen is mightier than the sword.

This is a very entertaining action fantasy movie with absolutely stunning world building and production design. Unlike this year's more pretentious Dream of Eternity, this is much more than a showy demonstration of cinematic pyrotechnics. This production truly breathes life into the absolutely amazing animations and convincingly fuses them with live actors who are actually in the moment and evoke a sense of imminent peril. This drama spent two years in post production and it is clear that a lot of care went into the visual effects that sweeps one into an addictive, thrilling virtual reality fantasy game world.

There are two main plot lines to this action loaded story within a story, the first takes place in the real world and the second in a fantasy world. The spectacular Lei Jiayin plays Guan Ning, a distraught father who is searching desperately for his daughter who went missing six years ago. He is tasked to assassinate an online novelist Kongwen who is writing a fantasy novel about a young warrior's quest to bring down an evil overlord Redmane. At the sweep of a pen that is mightier than the sword, the two plot threads fuse into an epic, action packed showdown. What stands out is the crazy, creative energy in the action sequences and how they snuck in some really wild, ingenious and unconventional moves that wowed me. I absolutely loved Guan Ning's almost superhuman ability to throw rocks, that was incredibly entertaining to watch.

Despite the intense action orientation, the narrative is not secondary to the action and the humanity at its core shines through as a result of superb acting by Lei Jiayin, Dong Zijian (who plays Kongwen) and the very talented Yu Hewei. This is a cast you can't go wrong with... except for the insipid Yang Mi, whose character was not necessary to the plot and her wimpy voice yet again had me wishing they dubbed her. I don't know why Lu Yang always makes such terrible casting choices for his female characters.

While it doesn't dot every i or cross every t; the backstories of some characters could be tighter, there are minor plot holes and logic flaws in the real world antagonists, overall it is a very cool story that broadly hangs together. This movie takes a bold swipe at both China's communist past and capitalist present - it is very obvious the major corporation with the Aladdin's lamp logo in the present plot is Alibaba and Redmane's red army represents the Red Guards in the fantasy plot.

This is a great way to indulge in two hours of pure escapism. I give it 8.5.

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Fifty shades of grey.

I expected this to be just another undercover narcotics cop drama. Which it is -  but still it hooked me from the very first episode. A sudden explosion sends Gan Tianlei (Ou Hao) into an 8 year coma in the middle of a decade long deep undercover mission to infiltrate the Ceasar drug organization. When he wakes up, he has no memory of his teenage daughter and her mother and only retains shadowy images of the events leading up to his accident. As his memory returns in snatches, he grapples with where his true loyalties lie and whether he had crossed over to the dark side. Ou Hao really shines in this role - he is heartbroken, moved, bewildered,  cunning, disingenuous, inscrutable, conflicted and enraged at all the right moments. His fight scenes were also really gripping and jam packed with raw, powerful fist-slugging and high impact kick action.

The main characters in this drama are extremely well written - they are multi-faceted, imperfect and complex such that the lines between protagonist and antagonist are frequently blurry. In particular the reluctant chemistry between Gan Tianlei and Che Lizi  as they encircle each other warily at times as allies and at times in combat is the best, most fascinating portrayal of the conflict between black and white and the fifty shades of grey in between. The drama throws them into moments where they are stressed into revealing themselves and their true priorities in the split second choices that they make. Both actors Ou Hao and Xu Hongjie are nuanced and compelling in the way they articulate themselves; theirs is the best frenemy bromance I watched in 2020. The entire ensemble cast delivers a very strong performance in terms of the rapport of the anti-narcotics force and the depth, length and endurance of their relationships and loyalties to one another. The collegial humour and comradeship pulls you in with sketches that are equal parts funny, cynical, nostalgic, light and dark and makes vivid what anchors Gan Tianlei as he walks the line between dark and light.

For about three quarters of the drama, the pacing is excellent and transitions seamlessly between suspense, action, comedy, tragedy with a few good twists and reveals mixed in at all the right moments. Then the drama peaks in an epic showdown between the remnants of the Ceasar group and the Tan family that had succeeded them as drug kingpins. And that is where the drama could have and should have ended on a high note. Up until then, my rating was an 8.0 with an eye towards 8.5. But in the final arc, it seems another writer took over. The mad scientist Lu Mingxiong is another decently written grey character but falls far short in comparison to Gan Tianlei and Che Lizi and the dynamic becomes more like two's company, three's a crowd. His relationship with Gan Xiaoyuan was so oily even the drama admits as much. It is clearly intended to set the stage for another season that sees Gan Tianlei, the ultimate undercover cop go after an international drug ring. I really didn't enjoy the final short arc that felt long, which is why this ends up an 7.5 for me. That said, Ou Hao has really impresses with his acting in this and in The Eight. I believe he is the best up and coming actor I came across in 2020.

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How to make a quick buck off of a super successful TV drama...

I watched this out of mild curiosity when I was in China on business and could only get into iQiyi. It was barely entertaining and nowhere compares to the TV drama Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms. The storytelling was chaotic and difficult to follow because they pretty much just cut and pasted together all of the best moments and lines between Bai Qian and Ye Hua from the TV drama and then re-shot it with different actors. Everything else was hurriedly compressed into what time was left so it will be incomprehensible to anyone who doesn't know the story line.

The actors who play the two leads, they are both beautiful people and had pretty good chemistry but still fell short of Yang Mi/Mark Chao. Liu Yifei's Bai Qian was way too young and sweet-natured to pull off the role of feisty goddess queen of the fox tribe. And Yang Yang's Ye Hua was very handsome in a very, very pretty way but as an actor he has nowhere near the emotional range and intensity of Mark Chao. They made for an adorable pair of young lovebirds but their relationship didn't build any substance before they were pretty much hooking up. In fairness to the actors, its difficult to impress when the no story-line jumps around and there isn't any real character development. One change to the story I did approve of is that four beasts become one beast and they kill it off together. That was kind of cool.

Alibaba had money to throw at this so the sets were visually stunning as were the costumes (and also more revealing). But the whole thing didn't come together in a good way. Had I watched it first I would have avoided the drama. I wouldn't say the movie is yuck but it is a rather obvious attempt to make a quick buck on the back of the success of a mega hit TV romance.

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Mission Impossible

I picked this one up because I quite like Vin Zhang as an actor - he has a certain intensity that in the right role could be quite powerful. I was quite excited to see he him cast as the male lead and as the first emperor of China Qin Shi Huang no less! I also (rightly) suspected that Dilraba Dilmurat would pair up quite nicely with him as the female lead Gong Sun Li.

After getting about halfway through this, I realized that the good chemistry between the leads just really wasn't good enough to hold up the challenging story-line that doomed this drama from the start. The lovely Dilraba/Sun Li had the misfortune to catch the eye of the tyrannical Qin emperor. Being all powerful, he tears her from the arms of her childhood love Jing Ke and makes her his concubine. He keeps her by his side by adopting their child and holding him hostage. Despite all of this, we are supposed to be moved by his persistent and not always tender efforts to win her heart. As the Qin emperor, Zhang was mercurial, suspicious, petty and jealous - often coming across like a petulant rejected teenage suitor. Despite his personal intensity, Zhang was not able to round out these lesser qualities with the requisite gravitas of such a powerful emperor. Don't get me wrong, I still think Zhang is a promising actor but the character that he plays is not an innately likable one.

Switching to Dilraba, she also had her work cut out for her - how to betray her love and eventually succumb to such a petty tyrant and not alienate the audience? To make it more palatable, they cast some completely vapid, limp noodle of an actor to play Jing Ke, supposedly the love of Sun Li's life and the father of her child. Needless to say, there was even less chemistry between Jing Ke and Sun Li so we didn't even get a good and convincing triangle. A jealous misunderstanding set him down the path of falling for someone else with the heartbroken encouragement of Sun Li. All I could think was wow, this girl has bad taste in men and they (Sun Li and Jing Ke) were really not that into each other. The rest of the cast was rather insipid and didn't really resonate. There was some silly assassination sub plot that Jing Ke is likely in on (yes kill the tyrant that stole your wife and child) but I didn't get far enough to see it play out. Don't think I am missing anything.

And finally of course there was the requisite palace harem cliche of beautiful women doing their absolute worst to each other - oh yes of course they picked on Sun Li. I can usually tolerate some of it but in this case it was just the last straw. In hindsight, I should have known better than to spend time on this and I have much sympathy for the leads. To begin with, the plot is a super challenging one in which none of the lead characters can possibly come off in a good way. It didn't help that the script writing and character development was shallow and completely not up to the formidable task of making wife snatching romantic. In this regard however, my irritation is squarely aimed at the scriptwriters and not the actors. Their job was literally mission impossible. Instead of self destructing, hopefully they both (and I) make better script choices going forward.

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