Chun Jia Xiao Jie Shi Song Shi (2023)

An appealing lawyer.

Chen Tumi grew up studying the Tang legal code with her mother's handwritten notes. It was her only link to her dead mother. When her father is wrongly indicted for a crime, she defies convention to defend him in court. She is an appealing lawyer both literally and figuratively. Her determination, intelligence, and logical arguments catch the attention of powerful actors including Crown Prince Han Wuwei and Kang Zhengyuan of the powerful Dali Temple (judiciary). She is quietly aided by the mysterious Ye Cha.

Similar to the Justice Bao stories, the legal cases in Ms. Chun is a Litigator deal largely with the common people. The cases are quite engaging and easy to follow with well-written and satisfactory outcomes. The court arguments are livened up by the amusing and friendly rivalry between Prince Han and Official Kang. While it is a bit of a Mary Sue kind of setup where everyone falls for Tumi, this funny and lighthearted quadrangle never gets annoying. Tumi is such a breath of fresh air - although she is young and inexperienced, she is clever and logical. She is able to seek and accept help without seeming weak or coming across as a damsel in distress. I am pleased to come across this very natural and charming young actress Zhang Dafei who has many interesting roles in upcoming dramas. The bromance and hilarious banter between Han Wuwei and Kang Zhengyuan is another very entertaining aspect of this drama. I checked this out because of Huang Junjie and found myself delighted and entertained by the chockfull of eye candy that makes up the charismatic young cast.

This drama's greatest shortcoming is that there are obviously many cut scenes or arcs. This affects how the larger conspiracy unfolds and leaves open some plot points. Some of the character and relationship development also feel uneven. Both Kang Zhengyuan and Ye Cha are well designed personalities that didn't get fleshed out enough. I would have liked to see Tumi interact more with Zhengyuan as he shows her the ropes in terms of judicial process. While saved by the clear spark of attraction between them, Tumi's relationship with Ye Cha seems to advance too quickly. Finally Wuwei's persona appears to take a baffling darker turn towards the end. While this wraps up well enough, there are enough unanswered questions and open plot points that beg for a second season. I would rate this higher than 7.5 were it not for the fact that it leaves a slight unfinished taste in my mouth, though not enough to ruin the drama. This drama is a lot of fun and the cast is simply a joy to watch. I am looking forward to season 2 but there is no need to wait to start this as it seems intended to be an ongoing episodic series.

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An under rated drama with interesting storyline

This has some romance but it is very discreet and more to do with a girl named Chun Tumi’s journey to become a litigator in ancient times. The production is actually quite good as it looks to be low to mid budget.
There are humorous moments but what kept me interested is the logical way Tumi argued her way out of difficult ancient court proceedings and upheld the law for the common folks .
The storyline is devoid of troopey characters ( a big plus) and the storyline is interesting.
Originally I started watching because I really like Fan Zhi Xin in “The lethal man”! Want to check him out in a period drama.
He was simply outstanding in that short drama. His two co stars here Jun Jie and Sabrina Zhuang made the story came alive.

The attraction is the storyline and also decent directing. Even though there are no kiss scenes ; somehow the romance came through and seemed ok for this drama. I would like a Season 2 to wrap up and progress the romance between main CP.

The bromance between Lord Han and Lord Kang is quite heart warming. It has been awhile since I enjoyed a low keyed romance drama! Enjoy and I would recommend this for anyone looking for something different from your normal rom-com.

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有法无天 The Rule of Law

It seems many viewers miss this wonderful series because it was released with all the episodes in one go unexpectedly. Despite its cheesy title, Miss Chun is a Litigator, this is a very enjoyable short drama with not many fillers. Every scene is important that leads to the next. The plot is not too complicated, but the background of some main characters is mysterious, creating excitement for the viewers, spurring on the story. And not to forget to mention the three gorgeous male leads, this is a great series for all.

Chun Tumi (Sabrina Zhuang) is a young girl passionate about federal and local laws. From childhood, she has immersed herself in reading the law book that was written and passed down by her late mother. She becomes very well-versed with the laws. One day, she was forced to defend her father in court because no one else would. There, in court, she is noticed by two court officials appointed by the Emperor. They recognize her talent and want to recruit her. After giving her a deal she can’t resist, she becomes an important member of the judiciary team which is responsible for combing through past court cases to make sure none is being misjudged.

Unlike most other female actors who are usually cute, pretty and flamboyant, Sabrina Zhuang has a solemn demeanor that makes her a good fit for the Chun Tumi character as the character is a rather mature and serious person despite of her age. Sabrina’s acting is believable as a litigator with her matter-of-factly face and calm composure during her litigation fights. Most of the cases involve further investigations which are not shown nor explained, but Miss Chun somehow manages to present the evidence in court.

The three main male characters are amazingly good looking. The writer teases the viewers by showing seemingly all three have love interest for Chun Tumi. All three have a mysterious background which is not revealed until very much later.

The first mysterious character is the Ye Cha (Huang Junjie) character. He’s disguised as a horse footman hired by Chun Tumi. He is cold and quiet, and always hides behind a large farmer hat. He seems to have an interest in Chun Tumi as he always appears in places around her, hidden away, watching and helping her secretly. Huang Junjie’s portrayal is acceptable, but I don’t like how he squints his eyes most of the time to look serious and cold. Ye Cha is introduced right at the beginning, then disappears most of the time, or hidden lurking somewhere, until in the middle of the drama. The focus of the male character shifts to Han Wuwei (Fan Zhixin) and has been on him right from the start to the end.

Han Wuwei is my favorite character. He is a military general, playful, insightful and a very good swordsman. He has no qualm with decorum and seems to appear everywhere where Chun Tumi goes. He is the one who first notices her talent and incorporates her into his team. He seems to have a love interest in her, but puzzles viewers how the relationship later develops. His actual identity is mysterious until the later part of the story. Fan Zhixin is sunny and flamboyant and has acted very well here as Han Wuwei.

The third male character, Kang Zhengyuan (Qin Tian), is a judiciary official authorized by the Emperor to travel around the country to look through closed cases to ensure they are being done properly and justly. Qin Tian’s portrayal of the no-nonsense Kang Zhengyuan is convincing, making him a well-loved character. He and Han Wuwei give the viewers a lot of sweet bromance and it’s interesting to see the men banter.

My Verdict
This is a very enjoyable drama about the ancient judiciary system, justice, and litigation, with a mix-ins of wuxia and conspiracy from a dark group. Finding out the actual truth is important but very difficult. It is hard to distinguish between good info or fake news. Even if a truth is almost 100% truthful, a small percentage of untruth can lead to a devastating outcome. This is the scenario our characters must tread carefully to preserve justice.

Season 1 scrapes the surface of the secret group and stops short before any alluded royal palace power struggle. Though some scenes skip abruptly, it hasn’t destroyed the story or the plot. By the end of the drama, there is a plot twist and Han Wuwei seems to have turned dark. This is a cliff hanger and whets viewers’ interest for Season 2.

Great watch! Don’t miss it!

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If you want to watch a drama where the main couple has zero miscommunications, zero misunderstandings, where they trust each other and believe each other and have no doubts about each other, no matter what anyone says, then this is a drama for you!

At first, I wasn't so sure about the series. But once Tumi and Yaksha started actively working together and the main plot, the Mowu Pavilion arc, got going, I was blown away. And the last handful of episodes elevated this drama to 9/10 for me. Towards the ending the drama got so intense and the finale and especially the very last scene? Open ended - and we might never find out if Yaksha lives or not - but holy smokes, that was so very, very intense and so very, very exciting, the exchange between Han Wuwei and Yaksha, then between Chun Tumi and Han Wuwei, just the three of them in a room full of gauzy black curtains and candles, the setting, the acting, the music... wow. And I loved how torn Wuwei was and I loved the absolute, unbreakable trust and devotion between Tumi and Yaksha. It was just... wow.

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3 Strong MLs carrying the FL's acting

I've seen Sabrina Zhuang's prior works as she gets some interesting scripts. Its not that she can't act but it's just not amazing. Her expressions are pretty much the same in every character I've seen her in. The 3 MLs were all better. Huang Jun Jie's acting definitely gotten better over the years but the pairing didn't really spark any chemistry for me.

The story itself is quite enjoyable if you like less serious ancient detective genre types. (i.e Miss Truth, The Imperial Coroner, Maiden Holmes)

What I enjoyed:
1. Actual story - smart (but not witty) female litigator with the unique name of Tumi defends the powerless and fights for equality.
2. Bromance worthy between Han Wu Wei & Kang Zheng Yuan
3. Fan Zhi Xin (Han Wu Wei) stand out acting. His face is very expressive. I can't believe I never seen his works!
4. Father / Daughter relationship - I am a sucker for those
5. Decent fight scenes. This is not big budget production but I thought the fight scenes were not too shabby
6. Actual cases - no dragged out cases, not overly complicated, easy watch if even if don't fully pay attention

Downside
1. I wish Tumi was a bit less serious. Hardly any humor compared to other similar dramas.
2. Lots & Lots of words. My Chinese is limited so I may need subtitles and story focuses on arguing cases = lots & lots of tiresome reading subtitles.
3. Ending with no ending .... yeah I watch dramas so there are endings but which would you rather have? Not an ending or bad endings? It's a toss up. Waiting for S2 could be forever painful.

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What has happened to the ending

My wife and I watched the 20 episodes of this excellent series expecting to see more episodes appear. Come the end of episode 20....nothing. It was just left in the air.

What is the point of writing and filming an excellent story series and just leaving it as an open end. Is this what passes for artistic content today? A story has a beginning a middle and an end. This had a beginning, a middle but no end.

I am not going to comment on the fine acting and casting as I am sure there will be a continuation in the very near future. If not, the producer and director should look for other work as this simply puts people off watching.

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So much potential but get meh at some points

I had such high hope for this series after reading many great reviews. The first two episode gets me hooked. The first case moves very fast. I like the FL who is strong & independent. I also like her family dynamic. The bromance between Han Wuwei and Kang Zheng Yuan is another strong point making this series unique. However, there are certain points that don't really make sense to me:

- Ye Cha barely appear in the first 10 episodes. I almost think the ML is Han Wuwei. I feel like there are many scenes that got cut between the ML & FL. Their romance seems to progress fast. I don't see enough reasons why they fall for each other. Both Kang Zheng Yuan & Han Wuwei get way more time with her and also helps her so much but nothing?

- I don't get why Chun Da Shan doesn't treat his wife well. Yes, she is annoying. But he always prioritises his daughter anyway. She only tries to get her husband by her side. She also tries to defend the ML in front of her mother. Why does he marry her at the first place then?

- The 'dark justice' - It doesn't seem to go with FL who puts the law above all.

I feel like the subtitle doesn't translate the series well enough. Some parts get lost in translation. Maybe I would like it more if I can understand Chinese *crai*

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THERE NEEDS TO BE A PART 2 ANOTHER 15 OR 20 EP

The end piss me off just left us in the air like they should have finish it and got down to other plot you guys was wrong how you left this so wrong. Just when their series was getting great and you just end it, this was just wrong i hate drama that do this!!! do we need start a petition for you do apart 2? STOP DOING DRAMA LIKE THIS IT SO WRONG I THINK 30 OR 40 EP IS JUST FINE. I love this type of drama she was strong and not weak. but playful and still young lady ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Finale sospeso, protagonista maschile non pervenuto

La prima cosa che c’è da sapere di questo drama è che non è terminato. Si chiude su un prolisso e irritante pistolotto finale da parte della protagonista che ci fa intravedere una futura avventura contro forze preponderanti e letali (che presumo alla fine vincerà), ma che di sicuro non sarò lì a vedere. Soprattutto, chissà se mai la seconda stagione la faranno: i punteggi di questa serie non sono stratosferici, e a buona ragione.

Chun Tu Mi (una brava Sabrina Zhuang) è una ragazzina che ha ereditato dalla madre il pallino della legge e che, per diverse circostanze, si trova a fare l’avvocato difensore, prima di suo padre, e poi via via di altre persone, nonostante sia una donna, cosa inaudita. Il padre e il nonno l’appoggiano… Vabbeh, quanta gente illuminata in questa famiglia.

Due pezzi grossi (gli ottimi Fan Zhi Xin e Qin Tian ) la prendono sotto la loro ala e, trascinandosi dietro il padre, se la portano in viaggio per farsi aiutare da lei mentre supervisionano dei tribunali periferici… Boh. Nel frattempo, in tanti stanno cercando una pietra da inchiostro (e ancora adesso ce ne chiediamo il motivo) e si sviluppa una caccia ad una setta di assassini. Un bel giovane (lo statuario Huang Jun Jie – nel senso che una statua sarebbe più espressiva) sbuca qua e là come il prezzemolo, aiuta più volte la protagonista che, essendo donna, per sua natura si caccia nei pasticci e necessita di essere salvata (modalità sarcasmo: ON), e pare essere un cattivo soggetto. Seguono diverse vicende a volte interessanti, altre molto meno.

Il sunto del discorso è tutto lì: gli attori sono per la maggior parte più che decenti, tranne il protagonista maschile che però, stranamente e fortunatamente, si vede meno delle spalle ed emerge praticamente alla fine. L’avevo già notato in Dr. Cutie e già allora mi chiedevo se fosse pedestre in quel drama in particolare, ma invece no: a quanto pare è proprio così. La storia è spesso pretestuosa, la presenza della protagonista è spesso dovuta a motivazioni tirate per i capelli, non mancano i riempitivi nonostante la brevità dell’opera e non esiste un finale, dato che ci interrompiamo sul più bello (?).

A questo punto parlare di musiche (non pervenute), cinematografia (tutto nella norma), costumi (passabili, se pur cambiati poco, ma con un paio di eclatanti cadute di stile) e approfondimento dei personaggi (eh?) pare anche superfluo. Per quanto mi riguarda, il drama avrebbe avuto ragione di esistere se fosse stato terminato. Così, si è rivelato tempo perso.

Come commento personale al di fuori della specifica serie, sarebbe molto bello se le schede informative delle opere ci dicessero in anticipo quando la storia resta sospesa. In questo modo, molte volte lo spettatore si sente veramente preso in giro. L’avessi saputo prima, probabilmente non l’avrei neanche visto tutto. Forse è per questo che non ce lo dicono…

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Charming Young Female Professional Drama

The trend of young female professionals in ancient Chinese dramas is usually a hit or miss (no pun intended).

Firstly, let me say that the story was compelling enough that I am writting this having not skipped a single episode thus far, which is a rare occasion.

The story is very simple, about a young woman who handles court cases. Unlike most female characters, she isn't naive to the point of being an idiot. She doesn't rely on others to bail her out of problems more than her male counterparts would in the same circumstances. The FL actress reminds me so much of Sebrina Chen. That same coldness of character, except this actress can actually act. Strangely enough, I looked up her name and her English name is Sabrina, which is quite the coincidence, unless it's a common chosen name in China, I guess.

There were parts of this drama that were clumsily executed. For instance, the litigator reenacts a crime by attempting to hang herself very clumsily, and then says "luckily I survived", as if throwing a rope around a beam without even tying it would have strangled anyone. Why would she even need to try to strangle herself just to see if it was possible? It was just dumb. Then, there's the ML, who I thought for sure was the SML until it became clear the FL had feelings for him. He is a really bad actor. I mean, this guy obviously worked as a model and one day, his agent told him he should be an actor. He is one of the worst actors I've ever seen in a Chinese drama, and that is saying a lot. Yes, he is nice to look at, but so is the SML, and we got to know way more about the SML than the ML. In one unintentionally absurd scene, the ML is supposed to be dying of poison, as evidenced by the unkempt wig devouring his entire head, and he lassos the FL like a cow because he doesn't know who she is.

Overall, it's very difficult to find a female lead drama that is good enough to watch past the first episode, but this one manages well to keep the viewer's attention, despite its pitfalls. It reminds me a lot of a less sensual, more innocent version of "Miss Truth".

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