The Lotus Casebook (2023)

The tragedy of a hero lies not in their own downfall but in the impact it has on those who love them

Mysterious Lotus Casebook is a drama that I didn't expect to like as much as I did, and it's not because I expected the story not to be good, but because I haven't watched something as captivating as this in a long time. I finished 40 episodes in 3-4 days (and it would've been sooner had I not had other responsibilities). The story is not perfect. It follows Li Lian Hua and Fang Duo Bing, who in search of answers for something that happened 10 years ago and caused two biggest sects of martial arts world to collapse, become detectives and solve a myriad of cases. Now, the cases could've been better, I'm not gonna lie. Both the investigation part and the crime part. Many of them were kinda far-fetched and hard to believe and the investigation consisted mostly of characters just looking around the crime scene and miraculously figuring everything out. There was no real suspense. However, what I did like were bits and pieces of the overarching story that could be found in these individual cases. The answers to the question of what happened 10 years ago that caused Li Lian Hua's world to collapse around him.

Other thing I loved were the characters, especially the 3 MLs. Their stories were complex and their relationship was so interesting.
Li Xiang Yi, the young genius and prodigy who stood at the top of martial arts world before he even turned 20, eager to prove himself, arrogant and stubborn, but also incredibly kind and righteous, turned into Li Lian Hua, a sickly wandering doctor who pretends not to know how to fight, who is sly and incredibly intelligent, but also aloof and distant. What I really enjoyed the most was the contrast between the two, and his attempts to hide his identity from the people from his past, from his girlfriend, his friends and his enemies. His attempts to hide his identity from Fang Duo Bing, who idolizes Li Xiang Yi and sees him as his master and doesn't believe he died 10 years ago. Even though in Li Lian Hua's mind, Li Xiang Yi was responsible for everything bad that happened 10 years ago, even though he blamed himself for all the deaths and the downfall of his own sect and he wanted to forget about Li Xiang Yi existence and let go of his past life, he couldn't completely distance himself from his old life. Every time we got a glimpse of old Li Xiang Yi my heart fluttered.

Cheng Yi who played Li Xiang Yi/Li Lian Hua was perfect for this role. He really managed to portray all sides of this complex character. His youthful arrogance, incredible martial arts skills, later jadedness, sorrow and sickness. The peace with which he accepted his own fate. He really knows how to play tragic characters.
I won't go too deep into other two characters, but I'll say that I loved their relationship with ML. Even Di Fei Sheng who at first shows up as an antagonist turns out to be very likable and his friendship with other two is so fun and full of ups and downs.
Fang Duo Bing's care for Li Lian Hua, who is battling with the poison for 10 years and seems like he doesn't care about his own life, was touching. Their confrontation after he finds out Li Lian Hua's real identity was also touching. The antagonism between him and Di Fei Sheng was fun, as was the rivalry between Di Fei Sheng and Li Xiang Yi. If nothing else, this drama is worth watching just for the relationship/bromance between these 3.

Another thing that this drama did well were action scenes. Fighting and sword dancing (really, can't use any other word for what Li Xiang Yi did with his sword) were amazing. All 3 MLs are incredible fighters and seeing them in action was amazing.

The music was good. It wasn't as memorable as in some other dramas, but it was adequate.

ENDING SPOILER:

The ending was also satisfying. All the bad guys got what they deserved, MLs managed to solve the mystery and save the world, and Li Lian Hua's fate was left open. Did he die or not? I don't know. They gave me just enough to feed my delusions so I believe he survived and managed to cure himself.

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Humorous Hodgepodge of Wuxia and Murder

A title of this nature pretty much speaks for itself. A humorous hodgepodge of wuxia action, politics and murder mysteries starring Cheng Yi, Joseph Zeng and Xiao Shunyao as an unlikely trio travelling around the martial arts world (jianghu) for various reasons. Cheng Yi’s character Li Lianhua aka Li Xiangyi is looking for the remains of his beloved senior, while Joseph Zeng’s Fan Duobing is aiming to prove himself to Baichuan Yuan, the Pinkerton detective agency of his era. Xiao Shunyao’s Di Feisheng however wants to have a final showdown with Li Xiangyi so that he can say fair and square that he’s the No.1 pugilist of his era.

Cheng Yi puts in a terrific performance as Li Lianhua (lotus) who was formerly known as Li Xiangyi, a master swordsman, the founder of the Sigu Sect. At the start of the drama Li Xiangyi has taken on the persona of Li Lianhua (lotus), a wandering physician with a reputation as something of a miracle healer. This moniker isn’t entirely without foundation. He is a skilled doctor in his own right but more importantly, a shrewd observer of the human condition. The glibness with which he tells lies is at times astonishing. This combination makes him a highly effective sleuth in the vein of the world famous resident of 22B Baker Street. Early on he encounters Fang Duobing who is eager to traverse the length and breath of jianghu away from the all-protective eye of his aristocratic parents. The two cross swords at first sight and bicker a-plenty until Di Fengsheng enters the picture wanting a rematch. The ignorant lad, mercilessly lied to by his companions, fails to notice that he’s among giants in wulin, is quick to direct his wrath against the surly newcomer who looks upon him with the same contempt Goliath looked upon David. Soon the caravan that Li Lianhua travels around in with his trusty doggy Fox Spirit becomes rather crowded.

To be honest it took me some time to warm up to Joseph Zeng’s Fang Duobing who at first seems to be combative on impulse. Some of that was warranted because Li Lianhua plays up his trickster persona with impunity — spinning tall tales at the drop of a hat trying to conceal the true state of his health and his former identity. It’s all quite amusing as he’s at the receiving end of a lot of dramatic irony. Nonetheless the lad has an inkling that Li Lianhua might be holding back. However a lot of Fang Duobing’s hostility towards others comes across like a rather bad case of the terrible twos — picking fights unnecessarily and out of what can only be interpreted as jealousy when others were partial to Li Lianhua. Still he has a decent growth arc and by the time the final showdown takes place most of his bad habits are a thing of the past. At the start he comes across as a bratty rich kid running away from home utterly lacking common sense. After undergoing a series of experiences with Li Lianhua investigating all kinds of murder mysteries, the belligerent newbie grows up enough to be worthy of a princess.

Joining them now and again is Di Feisheng (Xiao Shunyao) leader of the Jinyuan Alliance which is gradually being taken over by his obsessive proxy Jiao Liqiao and her minions. Her goal is to be kingmaker and rule by his side as his bride while he has less romantic notions in mind. It isn't long before he discovers that Jiao Liqiao is a serious and maddening obstacle to his personal aspirations. While all the plotting and scheming is going on in the background, the banter among the trio injects levity into the landscape of murder and mayhem without diminishing the stakes. More than once Di Feisheng comes to Li Lianhua’s aid during the rough and tumble of sleuthing in the tumult of jianghu.

There’s no doubt that Cheng Yi is born to play this role and any role in this genre. He’s an expressive actor who is capable of nuance. His elegance in executing fight scenes is one of the show’s highlights. He certainly knows his way around a sword. That said, the star of the show has to be the screenplay which does an excellent juggling act of pulling all the story threads together at the end for the show’s final showdown with the villains of the piece.

To my mind the second half of the show was better than the first which is why in the end, this is an 8.5 out of 10 for me. In those early days Fang Duobing did grate on my nerves and there was a fair bit of clumsy investigation going on while he blundered his way around the china shop. I also think that the puzzle hunt though fun (and perhaps necessary to stress the gravity of what’s at stake) lacks polish, and made matters more complicated, leading to more deaths than necessary. That awkward plotting I suspect was in service of a major reveal at the end.

Despite criticism I may have of this, it was a good watch and I could never accuse this show of inducing boredom. Cheng Yi is certainly a stand out and I ended up really appreciating how all the moving parts came together in the end.

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End is the Beginning.....

Li Xiangyi (Cheng Yi) head of Sigu Sect, the greatest sword master at a young age of 20, made a peace agreement with another sect Jinyuan Alliance of the cult of the Devil whose leader was Di FeiSheng(Xiao Shunyao). Li Xiangyi's senior Shan GuDao's (He Gang) was unhappy with this treaty. Shan GuDao had a disagreement with Li Xiangyi over this issue where Li Xiangyi ended up saying some bitter words. Shan GuDao decided to leave Sigu Sect and continue opposing Jinyuan Alliance independently. Some time later Li Xiangyi received news of his senior's murder, all the clues pointed at Jinyuan Alliance members.

Li Xiangyi got information that his senior's dead body had been taken away by Di FeiSheng. Therefore he engaged in a fierce battle on a ship with Di FeiSheng to retrieve his Senior's remains. Unbeknownst to both, Li Xiangyi was already poisoned by deadly incurable 'Bicha poison' before their confrontation. Both Di FeiSheng and Li Xiangyi were severely injured, there were rumours abound that both opponents perished in the battle, as a result Li Xiangyi's associates decided to dismantle Sigu Sect. Only Bichuan Academy, the hall of punishment remained from the Sigu Sect. Li Xiangyi was guilt stricken over the death of his sect members by Jinyuan Alliance so he chose to hide the fact in the martial world that he had survived.

Ten Years later, Li Xiangyi had changed his identity and was living as a traveling doctor, Li Lianhua in a mobile, caravan like Lotus Medicinal Tower. He has cut all association with the Martial world but somehow contrary to his wishes he gets embroiled back in the Pugilistic world. Li Lianhua meets Fang Duobing (Joseph Zheng) the young master of Tianji Manor on one mysterious case. Tianji Manor was renowned for making intricate devices. Fang Duobing was quite sickly when he was a child and was wheelchair bound, his uncle was Li Xiangyi's Senior, Shan GuDao. Many years ago Li Xiangyi had told the invalid child Fang Duobing that if he could lift the sword, Li Xiangyi would take him as his direct disciple. Fang Duobing tried his best to recover his health and had now become a temporary detective of Bichuan Academy to await his master's return and revive Sigu Sect. Fang Duobing told everyone that he was a direct disciple of Li Xiangyi because of Li Xiangyi's earlier promise.

In the beginning Fang Duobing doesn't know that Li Lianhua is Li Xiangyi. Fate keeps throwing them in each other's path, at first reluctantly they join hands to solve bizzare cases. Fang Duobing is a greenhorn, eager to uphold justice whereas Li Lianhua is a world-weary embittered person grappling with the effects of the Bicha poison. Li Lianhua is slowly losing his senses, it's a mystery as to how he survived 10 years after being poisoned because the deadly poison would result in death of the person within a month.

Slowly Li Lianhua and Fang Duobing establish trust, friendship and affection. As they solve mysterious cases one after the other, many hidden details regarding their 'Past' comes to light. The viewers get answers to many questions as the series progresses. What is the Real Identity of Fang Duobing and Li Xiangyi? Who benefited from Li Xiangyi and Di FeiSheng's battle? Who is the mastermind and what is his end goal?

There are two Narrative Arcs to the story, The Major Arc explores the Hidden Identities of the protagonists, revealing piece by piece their past relationship with friends, associates and families. Second Arc encompasses various mysteries that these two solve to get closer to the final showdown.

Apart from the case solving, the portion of the story delving into Fang Duobing's family and Tianji Manor was quite interesting. Fang Duobing was blessed with the most loving supportive even though a little strict mother. Although his family would have chosen a different life path for him, Fang Duobing's family loved him unconditionally, were always proud of his progress and achievements.

Overall: A fast paced drama managing to keep me glued throughout with solid cast and good storyline. I did not have a problem with the open ending however I would have favoured for Li Xiangyi to stay at Lotus Tower after the final resolution, him leaving everyone at the end to live the rest of his short life alone was somehow feeble excuse and dissatisfying. I would have preferred the ending to not just allude at but show Li Lianhua, Fang Duobing and Di FeiSheng continue to roam the Jianghu world, celebrating life with good companions.

MAJOR THEMES

**********Changeable Public Opinion*********
What people love more than worshipping a person is to watch his fall from grace. Li Xiangyi had reached the pinnacle of success at a very young age, he had established the Sigu Sect to uphold justice and peace in the pugilistic world. However his one perceived misstep turned the public opinion against him, even his closest friends turned their backs. This opened Li Xiangyi's eyes to the truth. He had boasted in front of his senior, Shan GuDao's at one time that the Sigu Sect could operate without anyone but Li Xiangyi now realised that all the people around him actually hated him for his brilliance and prosperity. They were eager to replace him all the while criticising his leadership.

*********All Heroes have feet of clay********
PERCEPTIONS versus REALITY plays a major role. Li Lianhua/ Li Xiangyi spent ten years of his life in search of his senior, Shan GuDao's dead body because of his guilt stricken conscience. As per his perception, his senior was a saint who died prematurely due to Li Xiangyi's arrogant behavior. The reality was quite opposite, his senior was an envious, jealous man who hated Lu Xiangyi's success and achievements. Then there is Fang DuoBing whose perception of Li Xiangyi was of a hero, infallible and perfect. In reality Li Xiangyi was an arrogant ambitious man who disregarded others' opinions when he was young.

******How do you choose to live your life?*****
After Li Xiangyi became disillusioned, he chose to live his life in relative anonymity as Li Lianhua. Some people chase fame and for others Fame chases them. Li Xiangyi was a person who always attracted attention in spite of his efforts to remain shrouded in obscurity. A person is always lonely at the top, constantly looking over his shoulder. There is always a new legend awaiting to replace the old. Whereas a mediocre person lives a peaceful and happy life with trustworthy confidants. After working hard for half of his life, a person achieves his goal and fulfills his ambition only to realise he is isolated and companionless. The beauty of simple life is highlighted in one of the conversations of Fang Duobing and Li Lianhua. Fang Duobing proposes a partnership to Li Lianhua enkindling him with the thrill of solving cases, leading an adventurous life, Li Lianhua ironically asks Fang Duobing then what after that, Fang Duobing replies that after such life they can retire to a calm place and lead their life enjoying wine with good friends. Sarcastically Li Lianhua replies, Isn't that what he is doing currently... Another instance of life choices is while Li Lianhua is reminiscing about his past, he says that after his battle with Di FeiSheng, when he was wandering penniless, he had only one valuable item in his possession, the badge of the leader of Sigu Sect when hunger pangs bothered him he decided to pawn that badge, bafflingly he realised the value of most coveted badge in the martial world was just 50 teals of silver. At the end fame is insubstantial what matters is living a tranquil and harmonious life.

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“Sherlock Holmes & Watson” wuxia style!

The rapport between the 2 male leads when solving their cases is reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and Watson and it was enhanced further when the villain ML joined them!

A good break from romance dramas, this drama gives you 3 brilliant MLs who brought their characters to life not just when they interacted with each other but also in the well executed fighting scenes. I also loved the cool looking mobile house drawn by 4 horses and the life he led with his dog - the touch of humour on his cooking skills was nicely brought up throughout the drama.

The storyline was interesting in the way that the various mysteries they solved were related to each other and developed the bigger story behind the ML. I enjoyed the reveals behind each mystery. While some may prefer to be given enough clues to see if they can figure it out, I was happy enough to be spoon fed the deductions which were generally quite smart albeit a bit far fetched at times.

I am confused about the ML’s former love interest who on one hand seems to have gotten over him but on the other hand seems to show that she still cares for him… on one hand she writes him a break up letter and on the other hand she says she didn’t mean it… she even got married to someone just because that person loved her and cared for her throughout the ML’s disappearance for 10 years… no sign of love on her part and she was quick to leave him when he started getting jealous.

Some good twists in the drama especially the one with the mother bug which caught me by surprise. A good drama to watch if you’re not looking for romance and if you are ok with an open ending.

Random note - same Emperor and Empress from Destined made me do a double take as I had just finished that drama ;)

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Sherlock Holmes vibe! For those who enjoy a murder mystery series!

I decided to make a review since I can't move on from this series. Haha! Its been a week since I've finished Mysterious Lotus Casebook (MLC) and I can't find another cdrama to watch.

Anyway, I am always facinated with the murder mystery genre since I was in high school. So, when I saw the trailer of MLC I was immediately captivated with it plus it features Cheng Yi and I am currently obsessing over him after watching Love and Redemption and Immortal Samsara!

The first few episodes got me hooked immediately. First off, I am enjoying the cases they are solving. The stories are unique and non-repetitive. Secondly, I am loving the camaraderie and "bromance" of Li Lian Hua (LLH) and Fang Duo Bing (FDB) and the "cat and mouse" bickering of FDB and Di Fei Sheng (DFS). It also doesn't hurt that the three mains are all good looking and eye candies! Thirdly, I love that there is no romance in this series so it can focus on the mystery solving part! Fourth, I am impressed on how each cases being solved are interconnected with each other. It gives a nice cohesive storyline. Fifth, the plot twist is an A+ for me as I was really not expecting it, which gave me the "wow" factor. Lastly, the ending was not rushed. Tho it was not the ending I want but it is better than what I was expecting! ♡

This series is definitely now part of my top 3 cdrama of all time! I hope to find and watch another one that is as engaging and as entertaining as MLC!

#4everfangir1 #4everfangir1review

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I will definitely miss LLH's sarcasm, superb martial arts skills and his to die for smirks

Hail Cheng Yi!!!! This is definitely one of the best Wuxia series I've ever watched in my entire journey as a Cdrama fan. Every element included in this series, to be made as complete and whole did their part amazingly and perfectly.

The story may be cliche with revenge, betrayal, good vs evil, but! they did it with a twist.

There's mystery, adventure, brotherhood, good camaraderie, perfectly executed fight scenes (which takes my breath away) and couldn't helped myself but to rewind it to watch that scene again, and a lot more. You'll cry, get frustrated, upset, laugh, be curious, be on edge on your seat and just simply be awed with Cheng Yi's acting on this series. I love how he portrayed LLH's character. I love the sprinkled jokes, his sarcastic jabs/remarks, his to die for smirks, and his growth as a person. From being a proud, kinda selfish but fiercely loyal person, and was oblivious on what's happening around him, him as an excellent person, a martial artist genius, to having experienced betrayal, his downfall and realisation as a mature person.

I love how Cheng Yi and Joseph Zeng interact on screen. It looks natural and convincing. How they bicker with each other but you'll know for sure that they're ready to save and protect one another if needed.


Let me say it again, the fights scenes here are all perfectly executed! Most especially LLH's fight scenes! OMG!!!! I simply love those scenes, they looked sooo convincing and natural! Kuddos to their hard work!

Also, I really love this drama because there's no unnecessary romance plot that sometimes, ruin a good series.

I hate all the villains, I wanted to skinned them alive, that's how good and convincing they are with their parts/roles. 😭😭😭

My only complain was the subtitles were too fast for a scene. I for an expert as a subtitle reader did had a hard time reading them all. 😂😂😂 I had to rewind some in order to understand some.

If you're still contemplating whether you have to watch this series, I can gladly say, go for it! Give it a chance and you'll never regret it. Just as I didn't regret buying the express package just to know what's gonna happen in the end.

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I need more

One of the best cdramas i've watched with amazing fight choreography. The choreographer and director really know how to film an exciting wuxia martial arts series. It actually reminded me of Ip Man a lot with the way the fight scenes were filmed. The sword fighting was beautiful I can't help replay them multiple times. Choreography reminded me of the live action version of Rurouni Kenshin. Fast sword work makes for a very satisfying fight. I hate it when they slow down the fight scenes(ahem immortal samsara).

A lot of wuxia and xianxia dramas the fight choreography mostly made up of flashy skills and sword glares and CGI but otherwise don't look particular skilled but chengyi did such a wonderful job with the overall choreo. The lines of his body extended beautifully in wide motions to give the illusion of skill and grace when fighting. I can't stop watching and rewatching those scenes. Especially when he uses a stick of bamboo and still dominated his opponents it was soooo satisfying to watch.

I actually clicked on this cdrama by accident and got hooked by chengyi's acting and now i'm a huge fan of his. The fact that he does the fight scenes himself is also admirable.

The one gripe i have about this series is that iT'S NOT ENOUGH i need a sequel and a happy ending and I feel like we really missed watching Li Xiangyi / Li Lianhua at full power. We got hints of it and a very very satisfying last boss fight at the end (again beautiful choreography it was like watching art) but it's not enough. I need more of his prowess, i want to see him recovered and go on with his nonsense. Throughout the series he was never at 100%. He was either poisoned or had one last burst of power before it faded. I want to know what his 100% looked like. And let Lao Di get his life's wish!!!

I also love that the romance wasn't the main trope and it wasn't overdone. It ended cleanly (more or less). Tho tbh i didn't need the romance at all. The cases, the fighting, the deadpan jokes and the bromance was more than enough to satisfy me endlessly.

Overall, i'm recommending this series to everyone i know. It's been a week since I finished it but It's just so good i had to get it off my chest.

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Best drama of 2023

Just completed it. Cheng yi looks extra handsome here. i loved this trio. They played their roles very very well. Story and every episodes case solving they nailed it. I really love this kind of wuxia drama where are enough fighting, comedy, pain everything is well combined and entertaining. Surely going to rewatch this again after a few weeks. Don't miss this drama if you like to watch wuxia dramas like me.

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The martial arts are cool. The three leads especially are SO COOL. THE MOST COOL. They are all cool the whole damn time. Fan Duobing is the youngest and least experienced, but like both the others he is literally introduced kicking ass and taking names. Li Lianhua spends 99.9% of the drama at 10% of his strength and is essentially still untouchable. If he decides a fight is worth getting serious he never fails and it is AWESOME. Die Feisheng's default setting appears to be Badass Motherfucker.

the friendship is touching. The three leads especially but as you go through the series you slowly learn that there are other characters around who are deeply deeply loyal to the leads. Blind Liu is my favorite, he deserved more screen time.

The mysteries are fun. They may not make up a huge part of the series, but the process of who solves them and how gives you a lot of insight to various characters strengths, values, and methods. Plus it's really fun to watch the trio work together.

Li Xiangyi/Lianhua is the hero we don't deserve. Seriously, if someone needs saving the man saves them. If someone needs support he's right there when they need him. If he makes a promise he keeps it, even years and betrayals down the line. He talks a lot about his own flaws but he never acts on them. He cares so deeply about people and at every turn he does what he can to protect who he can.

I am in awe.

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Wuxia at it´s best

Yeah, this is what a great drama looks like, it's amazing.
It kind of remind me of The Untamed (that continues to be the best), but with some dragging episodes and more investigation cases.
Amazing actors, really, the main actors are everything, I like them all.
The main story is so good!!! It even has some major plot twists I wasn't expecting for.
The plots and the characters made me happy, sad, anxious, excited, such complex feelings that only a major drama can get out of you. I was fascinated by the main characters relationships, I could not stop watch and wonder what was going to happen next. The end made me sad, but it's a good end.
The OST is beautiful.
The production is consistent, very well-made.
There are two things to consider:
1. Romance it's definitely not the focus, don't watch looking for that.
2. There are some episodes that you want the main story to develop, but they spend too much time on the side stories and the drama became a little draggy.
Overall, 10 out of 10.

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