A delightful detective series with lovable characters

I love crime mysteries so i decided to watch this. No high expectations as it was not hyped by any media outlet. But to my delight, it surpassed most if not all the dramas I was watching at the moment. It has no traffic stars to draw audience but as you watched it, it grows and grows to be a favourite. It relies on strong/tight plot line, fast pacing, humorous dialogues, excellent acting and interesting antoganists. Yes, one can guess quite accurately who did it or how it happened. Yet there was a freshness to the storyline...which I can't explain. I was not bored nor tempted to fastforward any scene. I sympathized with the characters and chuckled at their wittiness. I proudly watched as the younger ML grows in character as if he was my own 'child'. No character was redundant nor silly. The ending tied up nicely yet it hints that there is more to come.. If it is developed into a regular series (like the American detective shows), I will watch it. The only sore point for me was the CGI as I am used to better ones but it is acceptable. Yes, I will rewatch it when I run out of good shows to watch.

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The Saga Continues

First of all, the production and crew did a most satisfactory job of continuing the story which most of us waited with baited breaths - 5 long years! For most part, the sequel is very well done - 90% of the cast returned which is pretty amazing as this cast is like a dream team; the acting is superb except for one (guess which one) ; the plot lines are still witty, intriguing and captivating; and the side characters and their stories are still heart -wrenching or rib-tickling. Overall, I love it and would recommend it to those who want more than idol dramas filled with troupes, passable acting and beautiful people.

First of all, the high quality of actors is evident. This show has actors with real acting chops. They may not be all aethestically attractive but boy, are they charismatic, even riveting. I could take my eyes off them as they were full of life. Yes, I'm talking about those playing the side characters! Secondly, the scriptwriter knows his craft, having to adapt the orginal works to make it palable for the modern audience and to ensure the flow of the story.

I still love my favourite characters. I wish I belonged to the Fun (Fan) family. I wish I am a nepo baby like Fan Xian with so many father figures. I wish I had 'friends' who would lay their lives for me. I wish I could change and impact the people around me for good. There were so many 'feel good' moments. Then there are also the heart-wrenching ones - I cried for the Jins, the Censor, the scholars, Shijia town and lots more. I cried with a tissue box in front of me.

Lastly, the impact - long after I finished watching, I kept thinking about it. Is my country like the Qing Kingdom? Are the common folks short-changed? Is there a double-standard for the rich (and powerful) and for the poor common people? Do we need a anti-hero like Fan Xian and his gang?

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