Excuse me as I lie in a puddle of my love for these three dorks.

The best part of this drama is undoubtedly the three MLs and their friendship/relationships with each other. They are the essence of the drama and why it’s so enjoyable. Li Lianhua, the clever, seemingly apathetic pathological liar (liarhua. Okay sorry) who would rather plant vegetables than return to his previous glory. Fang Duobing, the hotheaded, endearingly loyal young detective who never knows what’s going on. Di Feisheng, the arrogant, snarky enemy-turned-frenemy who is seemingly both selfish and selfless.

It’s their chaotic fights and witty banters and Fang Duobing being constantly tricked that define this drama and make it so comforting. But Li Lianhua also forms such precious relationships with the other two MLs: friendship with Fang Duobing and vague friendship/frenemyship with Di Feisheng. Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng are both so in love with Li Lianhua, and I mean, same. But all jokes aside, this drama served me exactly what I had been looking for—beautiful platonic relationships that go just as deep as romantic ones do.

Only (personal) complaint in regards to the character dynamics is that I wish Di Feisheng got more time with the other MLs. The drama was more focused on Li Lianhua and Fang Duobing’s friendship, so DFS spent a lot of time away from them, and I would’ve enjoyed some more trio moments.

Cheng Yi is also a joy to watch in this. This is my first drama of his, but I’ve still heard lots about and seen lots of his acting ability. From the casual nose-scratching to Li Xiangyi’s pompous demeanor to pain-filled eyes to witty remarks, Cheng Yi nailed Li Lianhua and Li Xiangyi alike.

As for the plot, the cases were interesting! Each case usually gets about 2-3 episodes, with occasional episodes in between dedicated toward moving the overall plot forward. It’s fun to watch Li Lianhua crack open each case (however unrealistic they may be) and string the clues together. The overarching plot, however, was rather weak. This drama fails to draw the watcher into the main plot with 1 dimensional, classic maniacally cackling villains and an unsophisticated world domination conflict. It felt crude and unoriginal. I think it would’ve done much better as a drama about solving cases and growing personally along the way.

One thing I did appreciate about the plot was Li Lianhua/Li Xiangyi’s arc. He did feel overly righteous and self-sacrificing at times, but I enjoyed seeing how he dealt with his past and how he moved on. I do wish there was a bit more self-forgiveness involved (which is why I would’ve preferred a plot more focused on the characters’ personal journeys rather than whatever dumb outside conflict they created).

Highly recommend if you’re looking for lovable characters, lots of chuckles and smiles, and some interesting murder cases! Plus some mean sword dances. Cheng Yi really danced like he had bills to pay.