Arsenal Military Academy (2019)

Republican-era Mulan

Welcome to the Republican-era Mulan. Arsenal Military Academy is a gem. Seriously. Usually c-dramas drag on forever (ie, the Legend of Fei...), but not this one.
TL;DR Brotherhood, action, realistic depiction of female trying to disguise as a guy, strong leads, good character development.

Why I like AMA:
1. Brotherhood--Xie Xiang/Liangchen and her relationships with her classmates is such a brother bond. They treat her like one of them and she treats them like her brothers. If you watched Mulan 2020 and was disappointed in Mulan's relationship with her crew, Bai Lu's performance shows what should've happened.

2. Action--the suspense and action is plentiful. Although not realistic (especially cleaning a loaded gun ??? maybe I'm just being critical) it is entertaining to watch a girl fight equally alongside men and deal the same damage.

3. Realistic depiction of females--The FL Xie Liangchen could pass for a feminine guy or a tomboy. Although Xie Liangchen was strong compared to the other girls, in the academy, she struggles to keep up with her male classmates. She deals with humility for being "weak," but it only encourages her to work hard to pass physical tests. In shooting she excels. She deals with periods, with loss, and emotions, but she's a REAL, STRONG GIRL and PICKS HERSELF UP. Girl got grit.

4. Strong Leads--Hands down, Bai Lu played Xie Liangchen so well. Liangchen is tough, emotionally and physically, and can go from polite female to tough guy within minutes (depending on how fast she can change clothes lol). She endures hardships but overcomes them. The ML, Gu Yanzhen (Xu Kai), is a playboy and likes to do what he wants. He's rich and from a powerful family, and he doesn't mind losing face. Although he seems to not care, he has his priorities to which he is loyal.

5. Development--as the drama progresses, the characters mature. Gu Yanzhen learns the reality and cost of fighting for what you believe in. Xie Liangchen realizes that secrets become sticky. Shen Junshen (Li Cheng Bin) learns that power can corrupt and people change. Even annoying characters learn what it means to put others before yourself.

Summary: Arsenal Military Academy is about a girl named Xie Xiang (Bai Lu) whose brother attends a military academy. He dies before his graduation, so she joins the academy when it reopens to honor her brother and country. She takes her brother's name (Xie Liangchen) and disguises herself as a boy. At the academy, she makes friends (or enemies) with her classmates and they go through a lot together. Life for her gets difficult as she struggles to keep her hidden identity. If she is discovered...

Verdict: Watch this Republic-era Mulan. Do it! You won't regret it!

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This is my first movie of Xu kai and Bai Lu! loved the acting. At times it felt though female is kick ass character she is still sissy. It was more like she just came to AMA without giving much thought about she will be day and night sharing her space with guys. For e.g. when there was a shower scene and she who is too short was still hiding and feeling shy which was hard to understand. Also female lead came across as she wanted to please everyone. She is going on dates with HS and SJS at the same time and she knows she has no interest in either of them why mislead them??? couldn't understand. Towards the end when she made her decision that she likes our ML i liked her resolution and she standing by him. Also it was refreshing to see what a ML always don't have to be standoffish and serious. It's okay to be silly and impulsive too. That was breaking the pattern of all powerful ML's. Over all a good watch.

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Really viewable for those who are interested in Chinas history of the early 20th century

Although (of course) this series comes along as love story with nearly everything we can expect from a Chinese drama series, this one is different. For me with less (to no) knowledge of the history Chinas that led to e.g. the revolution, the timeline in 1915 with the political complex situation, the relationship to Japan etc. brought me to learn a bit more about it.

The storyline is of course dramatic with all we can expect to see. From bloody warlords, samurais, the brave hero's of the play, royals and important families you have nearly everything; love, fight, tears, comedy, adrenaline and adventure. Embedded in the look of the beginning of the 20th. century (i guess we see designs of the 1920th).

Is a 48-series worth the time to follow the story? Yes. I am currently at no. 40, but really enjoying it.

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This drama could have been so phenomenal, reminding me a lot of Mr.Sunshine in a way.
There were a lot of chatacters but they all had amazing potential in a war and politically tensed context.
The first part of the drama, bascially the first 20 episodes were really light and fun, and the chemistry between the leads was amazing and hilarious.
The cross dressing part was also much more realistic here than in any other drama ive seen.

The second part of the drama focuses on the war context with a very patriotic propaganda which i would have been fine with if the plot actually had a focus.
I felt like the drama was teared in bits and pieces with a little bit of romance mainly embodied through the love triangle that i found incredibly annoying,
the scattered events only showing that chinsese are good and japanese are bad,
and the side storyline of each character which kinda got lost in the sauce.

I couldnt get through the entire drama, the scattered narative with only patriotism as focused outline of the story bored me. Which is super sad cause the two main leads did an amazing job and their personal dilemma and will to protect their loved ones facing a war context could have been an amazing development from light to dark times in the drama.
I think its still worth watching for the actors performance and chemistry, but i got frustrated when i lost interest.

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Main Male Lead doesnt have role / contribute to the storyline even after halfway through the drama

Im quite frustrated with the drama actually. im halfway through the drama but main male lead doesnt have many important role in the story and rarely or didnt participate in any major plotline compare to his fellow main lead, except he only there as a love interest to female lead and involve in romance or fun part of the story, which by then is not that many scenes. This is a military drama and need seriousness, the character can have this immature vibes, however it depends on the story to inject depth to this type of character slowly. Look, Ive seen Xu kai in the legends, and here he potrays an opposite character, so i know he is a talented actor that can express his character excellently. But the drama didnt justify him enough to develop the depth of his character or involve him in the story. The drama didnt utilize this talented actor yet promoted him/this character as the main lead / couple alongside main female lead. For example, there are many times/scenes that 2nd male lead saved female lead or have that serious moment while main male lead didnt know that his love interest is in trouble. 2nd male lead have dominant upper role halfway through the drama that sometimes i think 2nd male lead should be the main couple because his involvement with female lead looks more realistic in life, compare to the main male lead whom have random involvement with her at times and always playful and immature without having serious outlook on his character (scene which can spark enough interest to female lead because female lead has more complicated side that needs reliable male lead- its not very realistic in a military drama to have male lead that always joke around and didnt get serious enough). Thats why i think viewer can't feel stronger chemistry between main couple compares with 2nd male lead and main female lead whom developed enough chemistry to spark viewer interest for this couple.

For me, main male lead character can be playful, quirky, immature but usually this type of character (even in rom-com) have serious side about him that others dont know. They can develop this side slowly and put some serious scene and inject maturity into the character so that he can be put in major plotline. Halfway through the drama and yet this male lead was left behind in any major plotline (like he doesnt know that female lead is investigating something or troubled with something while the other 3 main lead and villain including support role already in the mainstream plot, like wth happen with the story that he was left behind at the important part that all the characters / his peers have start getting involved yet he still not knowing anything - and sometimes i feel like he doesnt care for it). His character is like this support role that people only comes for fun part and takes for a joke but doesnt want to get him involve in most part of their life. Sometimes i feel this character doesnt even qualify to be made 2nd male lead in this drama. Wth that during the mission main male lead can still play around and the important point is he doesnt contribute anything to the storyline's progress. You see main lead can still be playful and immature but reliable, but he is playful but unreliable at the same time. He always jokes around and doesnt take things seriously. I think if they put any character or the main male lead died, it didnt affect the story at all. To be fair, the main male lead actually felt more compatible with 2nd female lead in terms of chemistry because he have more serious scene and depth with her, though im hoping his character get more serious from time to time. Of course there are few scene that fluttered your heart and give second look at main male lead, but somehow its not enough to develop this character to be taken seriously and to be relied upon. This is not the fault of actor or the acting/performance, rather that this character didnt have enough serious scene and intimate moment to develop the character for the audience/viewer.

I mean look, its halfway through the story, this supposed to be near or at the climax part of the drama. At this point, the drama should have shown us the viewer what to look forward on every character for the rest of the plot. If you (the production) want to have strong love rival in the drama, at least give both love interest (or any character at all) same chance to develop their chemistry. But for me this is not love triangle or anything, they do the opposite - they strengtened the 2nd male lead character and story towards female lead, but abandoned the main male lead character development at all. Not even that, the main male lead (for me) doesnt have enough strong point to be called the main lead. Because the drama doesnt show that he is reliable or can be relied upon when he needs to.

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Good story, Great cast, lotsa death and Little-to-no Romance

Started this after The Legends cuz I loved the on-screen chemistry between Xu Kai & Bai Lu.

I binge-watched up until the last few episodes & then needed a break cuz they did one of my fav characters dirty. It's a show w/heavy pro- Chinese/anti-Japanese propaganda since it was set in the early 1900s, lots of military-style operations & plot-developed events that developed pretty decently, plotting & back-stabbing & power struggle, great natural comrade-chemistry w/a bit of love-sick pursuit tossed in alongside it and really strong female characters. Our main girl is NOT the strongest character, even. There are actually two other more mature FLs who nail the different ways of being a bad-ass lady boss. The men are attractive in addition to XK & I think I have a new crush on the chairman in glasses. (That one sure snuck up on me; dang!)

Sadly, even though the chemistry was simply adorable between the leads, there was little romance. I say this because I will be 100% up-front about the fact that I watch dramas for the romance but if a story is good & the characters are good, I'll stay to watch even if my original intention isn't fulfilled. :) A good story is a good story. :) For those in disagreement, I will say he DID romance her as he was pursuing her, sure, but they cut out all the kiss scenes & even though he helped her & protected her as a mature man might, I never got the grown-up-guy-in-love vibe from him. Yes, their chemistry was super cute. But he was like a little puppy, wanting to chase her round and give her licks to show he liked her and get attention from her. It was cute but it went nowhere during the show, mostly due to editing & other plot developments. I did enjoy the way he teased her, though. OML. It was just too long of a show since a) I usually don't care for military dramas and b) I wasn't satisfied with the way they eventually got together BUT I finished it because all the other characters were GREAT. I mean, really great. The story started to lag in the last 1/3 (typical) but then things progressed quickly at the end, as the cadets teamed up to take care of business. Satisfying explosions, people die who should die & it's all wrapped up neatly in a bow.

Opening credits song is pretty cool & some other decent OSTs help but I would not watch this again. I didn't skip much, though, which is really sayin' somethin'...

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Aside from the visual candy. the overall storyline was interesting to watch. It typically focuses on a military training, patriotism, love triangles and friendship. Barely any typical romance or skinship.
The cast did a wonderful job, they're all great actors.
However there were a few things that irked me.
Gu Yan Zheng played by Xu Kai. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to watch this drama because I finished The Legends where Xu Kai and Bai Lu were also main leads. I was also a fan of Xu Kai, however, I really dislike his character here. I've never disliked a main lead so much to the point I don't want him as lead. Why? His character's personality is very irritating, immature and annoying. He doesn't care much about the consequences of his actions at all. He's basically blinded by love. He also annoys the female lead like a 10 year boy crushing on a girl. Its ridiculous. Sure, they're cute but I rather have Xie Xiang with Jun Shan than Gu Yan Zheng. Aside from his irritable personality, I really love his hair styling here; even the clothes from this era looks marvelous on him! When Gu Yan Zheng is serious, he gets serious and is able to kill people with accuracy. His skills are top notch despite his laziness and goofiness. I admit sometimes I like his character when he's goofy but there were times when I really think he needs to stop. haha

As for Xie Xiang played by Bai Lu, her character was interesting. It was funny to watch her run back and forth as herself and as her "brother." I like that she somehow reminds me of Mulan, she may be weaker than the other military comrades, however she has the speed to knock you out! There was even a mission she managed to handle all on her own! BRAVE and STRONG woman! I like that she's able to fight back with men and not be your typical weak, timid, female lead.
She's not the only girl who showcased how strong she is. :)

The cinematography is beautiful. I don't usually like this era because of the war talk gets boring but I love the clothes, the old, rustic buildings, the cars and even the home decor! Although there were some scenes I notice were filmed with a green screen which was a bit disappointing. haha I guess its to be expected.

I recommend this drama if you like military hot guys, watch girls whoop ass, and love between friends.

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Happy ending but simple

Story was based on the Chinese and Japanese conflicts which happened in the 20th centuries. So it may be a true story so if I see it as a true then I can't say much about the which I don't like because director also becomes helpless at this situation . He has to show the way story was .
Bit if it is not a true story and director pick the concept of Chinese and Japanese conflicts and how much Chinese people suffer because of this so he could give some more romantic scenes among the couple and her brother's story also . Except last two -three episodes ,it was not clear that who got female lead though by poster of the drama we can guess but still this had create confusion.
My favourite chay of the drama is Qu Man Ting . She was just Fabulous in the drama.

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This drama is a masterpiece.

I love the story overall. I watched it for about seven times already and I still enjoy it. I love the characters really especially on how Bai Lu fits the role. The flow of the story never disappoints me. I highly recommend this drama to anyone who loves rom-com, yet the drama is more on the mixed genre; action, romance, comedy, thrill, and adventure. More KaiLu drama please.
I love the story overall. I watched it for about seven times already and I still enjoy it. I love the characters really especially on how Bai Lu fits the role. The flow of the story never disappoints me. I highly recommend this drama to anyone who loves rom-com, yet the drama is more on the mixed genre; action, romance, comedy, thrill, and adventure. More KaiLu drama please.
I love the story overall. I watched it for about seven times already and I still enjoy it. I love the characters really especially on how Bai Lu fits the role. The flow of the story never disappoints me. I highly recommend this drama to anyone who loves rom-com, yet the drama is more on the mixed genre; action, romance, comedy, thrill, and adventure. More KaiLu drama please.

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Awesome amazing will rewatch a million times

I originally watched AMA after watching the legends. However I was a little hesitant because I hadn’t ever watched something like this before. My doubts quickly disappeared. This drama is so good. If it’s not my favourite it is definitely one of my top 5.

Xu Kai and Bai Lu did an amazing job I absolutely loved both their characters. All the side plots and side characters were interesting too, I rarely found myself bored with them. Occasionally I was a bit disinterested but that was mainly when the main plot was really roaring.

I have now watched AMA twice in the span of less than two months, both times I binged it. Even on the second viewing I couldn’t stop myself from watching.

Overall it’s a great show with action, a great plot, interesting characters, and a romance I can get behind.

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a little touching scene

the storyline was not so bad. I used to be familiar with military dramas in western movies involving women. They were usually nurses or female soldiers. In this drama, getting a female trainee in the dormitory for men could be impossible. First of all, a women would be through the physical checkup. I don't think Chinese military is that sloppy or careless. Though I feel very sorry for Chinese people over the invasion of the Japanese army, depicting our army looks rather too rough. Of course, I like the male lead , but I felt he showed off too much there. His friend's relationship with the flower shop owner was quite touching. Their scene was a minor thing. But, in another site, I found another woman has the same idea as me. Also, the soundtrack for passing by the tomb by her was short but unforgettable. I loved the background scenery such as streets, towns, or the regular pub.

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Review on this Drama if you dropped it from the first episode

When i first saw or watched this drama back in 2020 i dropped it from the first episode because i didnt like the characters but now ive been admiring Xu Kai's acting and looks, i planned to watch it again and it was good and not bad as i thought. This drama has romance if you like romance but it comes as a support of the story so i guess thats why it wasnt in the genre or in the tags of this drama. The characters and roles were all funny. And like any other dramas if theres a happy and joyful scene, a tragic scene comes in. Some of your favorite characters may die and some may not.


I like the villains role. Its a girl and theres not many Girl Villains in dramas. but this one played out so well. Now i really really really like girl villains because i think they are all misunderstood and this one showed ot really well. Although we might not know what her plan really was or why she did all of those things but i think she was a puppet of the japanese.

I think this is it for my review. I hope you find this review helpful and you enjoy the drama

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