The Legend of Shen Li - a sugar hit that doesn't quite fill you up

In a Nutshell:
Zhao Li Ying (ZLY) plays the titular character Shen Li, a formidable and fearless General of the Immortal realm army. Her military prowess earned her the title of Lord Bi Cang and she is revered by everyone in the immortal realm. But being still female, she is forced into a political marriage with a playboy from the Heavenly realm. She gets injured while trying to escape and falls to the mortal world as a phoenix, her spirit animal form. She ends up in a marketplace for hungry peasants and is mistakenly sold as a chicken. She is bought by a seemingly carefree and aloof man, Xing Yun, played by Li Geng Xin (LGX), who surprisingly doesn’t turn her into a tasty meal, but instead nurses her back to health. As the most powerful warrior in the immortal realm, she finds her predicament and the doting care by this mere mortal humiliating and embarrassing. However, as Shen Li starts to appreciate his kindness and the simple pleasures of earthly life, she begins to develop feelings for her mortal saviour.

The Highlights:
• I will save you time: Episodes 22 – 29 are the best, followed by episode 1 – 3. Watch the other episodes if you have nothing else productive to do.
• The best executed episodes (see above) involve the mortal realm where Shen Li and Xing Zhi have the freedom to be themselves and just enjoy each other’s company. The cinematography, lighting, costumes, use of natural landscapes, and poignant soundtrack all make their mundane tasks so beautiful and give purpose to the simple surroundings. ZLY and LGX have less dialogue but this is where their acting skills shine, as they are able to sum up Shen Li and Xing Zhi’s raw and organic relationship with each other through simple interactions and subtle facial expressions.
• Beautiful costumes and loved all the outfits Shen Li wears!
• Loved the soundtrack and songs which perfectly captured the grandeur, passion and intensity of Shen Li as the warrior phoenix (the phoenix is the King of all birds in Chinese culture). The “Battle hymn of Bi Cang” will get you fired up to do anything!
• When used judiciously, the special effects/CGI were actually pretty good. Will definitely try and rewatch some of the episodes (especially ep 23 was epic!!) on a big good quality TV screen.
• The script stays faithful to its original novel “Accompanying the Phoenix".

The Lowlights:
• 39 episodes is too long for a drama that is based on a simple and predictable Xianxia story. The result is inconsistent quality where some episodes were well done (see above), some were mediocre, and others just so boring/nonsensical that I tuned out completely.
• We all know that ZLY and LGX can act! But unfortunately, the blinding bright colour palates and ridiculous smoothing filters meant ZLY was stuck in a dead-pan expression and LGX with a permanent look of constipation for most of the immortal / heavenly realm scenes, with only a few sprinkles of brilliance when the script demanded it.
• Some episodes were purely a bombardment of CGI and special effects with not much going on in the plot or character development to warrant such sensory overload. Special effects are meant to support and create the right atmosphere for the story, not serve as a tool to mask the lack of good writing or interesting characters.
• Some of the kissing scenes were really awkward and cringey to watch. I am not sure if it was the ill-placed camera angles or terrible lighting, but one particular "hot and daring" scene (pretty sure you know which one ...) looked like an amateur video cobbled together by a horny teenager in their bedroom.
• I felt like I needed a PhD in Chinese Mythology to understand how all the 3 realms interacted and the concept of rebirth/reincarnation and all the associated mythical animals and spirits. Reading the novel helps a bit. But the lack of world building means some pre-requisite knowledge of the Xianxia genre would help to understand some plotlines. Of course, one can always choose to turn brain off and just watch the show.
• Too much use of internal monologuing. Urgh … might as well read the novel instead!

The verdict:
This drama is like eating nothing but sweets all day - you get a nice big sugar hit, but at the end of the day still feel dissatisfied and rather empty inside. 6.5/10 – watchable but nothing groundbreaking.

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A drama that lives up to its reputation

In a Nutshell:
Nirvana In Fire is based on a Chinese web novel Lang Ya Bang, or “The Langya list”. This list is updated each year by a spy network and provides intel to the highest bidder about who the most talented people in society are. Mei Changsu is on the list as the best political strategist and is desperately sought after by rivals Prince Yu and Prince Xian in their quest to become the Crown Prince of the Liang Dynasty. Unbeknownst to everyone, Mei Changsu’s real name is Lin Shu, whose father was a loyal Commander of the Chiyan Army. Lin Shu shared a close friendship with the Emperor’s 7th son Prince Jing, and was engaged to marry Princess Nihuang, an accomplished General of the Mu army guarding the Southern borders. Lin Shu and his father was ordered by the Emperor 12 years ago to quell a rebellion. However, the Chiyan Army was framed by political rivals which resulted in the massacre of the entire Lin family and Chiyan Army. Only Lin Shu and a few loyal soldiers survived the slaughter. Severely wounded, Lin Shu was nursed back to life with Poison of the Bitter Flame. The concoction, although lifesaving, completely stripped the once strapping Lin Shu of his physical strength and drastically altered his appearance. He uses this “disguise” to assume a new identity as Mei Changsu and returns to the Capital to bring those responsible for the conspiracy against the Lin family to justice.

The Highlights:
Nirvana in Fire is a smartly written drama with a tight plot that stays 3 steps ahead of its audience. Although the drama is often catagorised as a WuXia, it is more a battle of wits than brawn with each character a chess piece in the larger political arena. The sustained build-up to every checkmate that Mei Changsu / Lin Shu make against his enemies is logically written and well executed in terms of production, editing and design.

The heartfelt screenplay masterfully weaves the intricacies of relationships fractured by tragedy, injustice and loss. It paints a sombre yet riveting picture of the fallout between fathers and sons, husband and wives, siblings, and best friends, as a result of the Emperor’s paranoid decision to wipe out the entire Lin clan and Chiyan Army. The friendship between Mei Changsu and Prince Jing make for compelling viewing. Mei Changsu never bats an eyelid as he intentionally lies to Prince Jing about his true identity, yet at the same time he is heartbroken about not being able to reconnect with his best friend. It was equally tragic to see Prince Jing finding something oddly familiar about Mei Changsu's mannerisms, but never quite fully connecting the dots. Although Nihuang plays third wheel to the bromance, the character holds her own in terms of delivering some beautiful and poignant moments with Mei Changsu which continue to linger in your mind even after the drama finishes. The acting in this drama is also impeccable, with the bonus of no melodramatic over-the-top acting from the supporting cast (which can be quite common in C-dramas).

The lowlights:
For those not familiar with the Chinese concept of JiangHu and palace hierarchy, I think the first few episodes of this drama can be quite hardwork as it takes a while to get a hang of the lingo. However, the persistence pays off as soon as you get over this hurdle. You also need to suspend your belief that someone’s entire appearance can change so drastically and survive the ordeal. The drama also starts off really slow with an overwhelming introduction of multiple characters and relationship structures. Like I said … the beginning few episodes are hardwork!

The verdict:
Nirvana in Fire is just like a chess game - a slow start to set up moves, but a thrilling finish as endgame approaches. It certainly does live up to its reputation as one of the best Chinese dramas out there.

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The Long Ballad (TLB) - a masterclass in storytelling

In a nutshell:
TLB is a 2021 Chinese drama based on a Manhua (Chinese comic book) of the same title. Set in the Tang Dynasty, TLB is a coming-of-age story about Li Change Ge (title: Princess Yong Ning), who is a headstrong and spirited daughter of the Crown Prince. She shares an affectionate bond with her best friend/cousin, Le Yan, and her Uncle Li Shimin (title: Prince Qin), who is also her tutor in military strategy and martial arts. When a military coup occurs, Change Ge becomes a political fugitive and flees the Capital disguised as a boy. Vowing to avenge her parents, she escapes to neighbouring cities in an attempt to shore up military support to retake the Capital. Along the way, she meets the enigmatic Ashile Sun from the Grassland tribes and they both form an unexpected friendship. Circumstances bring the two frenemies closer together as they discover a larger threat to the Tang Dynasty and the Grassland Tribes. In the end, Change Ge learns about the meaning of survival, sacrifice, unconditional love, and finally forgiveness.

The Highlights:
TLB is a fast-paced drama that pulls you into the thick of the plot right from the opening scenes. I effortlessly devoured all 49 episodes like an Atkins dieter set loose at the bakery on cheat day. As the story progressed, I found myself visually, musically and emotionally drawn deeper into the fears, desires, and inner conflicts of the characters. Unlike many C-dramas, this one stays consistent with its themes symbolised by Change Ge’s jade dagger of youthful innocence, tragedy, revenge, and letting go of past enmity.

The solid screenplay is equally supported by a strong cast. Dilraba Dilmurat was born to play the role of Change Ge, as she convincingly sweeps you onto the emotional rollercoaster ride of her character’s coming-of-age journey. She is able to convey all of Change Ge’s feelings of betrayal, hate, fear, sorrow, determination, and defiance with the most subtle of facial expressions. Leo Wu also flourishes in his role as the warrior prince conflicted by his duty to his Tribe and his instinct to protect the people he loves. He plays Ashile Sun with poise and commanding physicality, yet with an undercurrent of gentleness and refreshing chivalry. Imperial bodyguard Hao Du, played by Liu Yuning, and Le Yan, played by Zhao Lusi were the dark horses in this drama, with their unexpected onscreen chemistry and several scene stealing moments. Although probably not intended by the writers, the chemistry between Dilraba and Zhao Lusi playing the best friends/cousins torn apart by tragedy was off-the-charts; amusingly more so than the titular pairing of Dilraba and Leo Wu!

The fight choreography had a grounded yet energetic grittiness to it, with each stroke of ferocity reflecting the escalating intensity of the script. The original soundtrack (OST) and theme songs masterfully capture the emotion and tone of each scene, without being annoyingly overpowering. It is certainly one of the best I have heard so far and continued to evoke emotions I felt long after finishing the drama.

The Lowlights:
A storytelling device used in this drama was the sudden transition from live action scenes to comic book sequences; sometimes with awkwardly inserted CGI talking heads. This was thankfully only used in a few episodes, but was enough to abruptly disengage me from the story for those brief moments. The drama also starts to lose steam in the final 2 episodes with a few draggy scenes that didn’t add anything substantial to the overall plot. However by then, I was so invested in the drama that it didn’t become a major stumbling block to my overall entertainment. Change Ge also spends nearly half the drama playing a boy - a classic Chinese drama troupe where all it takes is for the female character to wear male clothing and ta da ... everyone believes she is a man! Love it or hate it, it's a classic troupe that requires some suspension of reality.

The Verdict:
The Long Ballad is a captivating drama that will leave you smiling, crying and cheering. The storyline is easy to follow and I thoroughly enjoyed the wild and exhilarating journey of survival and growing-up that these memorable characters took me on. Definitely worth the watch!

FAQs:
1. How many episodes? 49. Each around 45 mins long
2. Where can I watch? All 49 episodes with English subtitles free on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI65kLxuO_M&t=1323s

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Who Rules The World - more style than substance

In a Nutshell:
In this drama, society is divided into two parallel but distinct paradigms; the mainstream political world, and the martial arts world also known as Jianghu. Our main characters, Bai Feng Xi and Hei Feng Xi are the top two fighters in Jianghu. Their names sound similar, but are written in different Chinese characters. Bai means white and Hei means black, which in the source novel is meant to represent their contrasting personalities. Bai Feng Xi and Hei Feng Xi share a friendly rivalry and have known each other for many years. She nicknames him Black Fox for his calculating and cunning persona. He describes her as a troublemaker due to her maverick behaviour and unashamed love for eating and drinking. The mainsteam society is ruled by the Emperor of the Dadong empire. This empire is made up of six States which have their own responsible governing body. Bai Feng Xi and Hei Feng Xi have alternate identities in the mainstream world which they keep as a guarded secret. The story begins when a mystical token controlling all six States is declared missing. Hei Feng Xi and Bai Feng Xi become caught up in the search for the token and the subsequent power struggle, as each State attempt to conquer one another to ultimately claim dominion over the entire empire.

The Highlights:
Zhao Lusi and Yang Yang are terrific in this drama, with their endearing portrayal of the main characters and sizzling onscreen chemistry. As an actress known primarily for lightweight comedic roles, Zhao Lusi surprisingly fits the “as beautiful as she is lethal” character of Bai Feng Xi like a glove. She steals the show with her versatility and acting chops, as she effortlessly brings to life the elegance, charisma, playfulness, and wittiness of Bai Feng Xi. Yang Yang also shines in his portrayal of the calm and strategic Hei Feng Xi. He plays the different shades of the character well, with measured intensity. All his scenes with Zhao Lusi are on-point and the off-the-cuff banter between their characters was incredibly fun to watch. The evolution of their relationship from friendly rivals to falling in love unfolds naturally and nothing felt forced or overly sweet to give you a nauseating toothache. The self-deprecating scenes about cliched plots in romantic novels was also cleverly woven into the script. The OST / music was very well done and gave me ear worms for weeks!

The Lowlights:
Who Rules The World starts off with promising first few episodes, with visually spectacular fight choreography and interesting character set-ups. The story then rapidly descends into the depths of sloppy scriptwriting and vanilla bland plotlines, resulting in a mediocre mishmash of palace politics and family melodrama that seemed to drag on forever. The story gets somewhat back on track in the final 8 or so episodes, but by then, it was such a mad rush to wrap things up that the pacing became uneven and haphazard. This, combined with choppy and disjointed editing, left some episodes feeling flat and uninspiring. Even the scene where Bai Feng Xi delivers her character-defining line, which was said in the context of soldiers who have willingly died for her on the battlefield, felt indifferent, as there was not enough lead-up or follow-through in the narrative for me to appreciate the emotion of those words. The motivations of characters were also shallow and under-developed, leading to actions that were either puzzling or just down-right illogical. Despite being heavily promoted as a martial arts / WuXia drama, most of the fight scenes were cramped into the first and last few episodes, which left the middle acts of the drama feeling a tad dull. The CGI battle scenes also started off well, but towards the end, deteriorated into a B-grade Marvel movie imitation.

The Verdict:
Who Rules The World had so much potential to be a well-made drama. However, the screenplay was too ambitious in trying to cover multiple narratives, resulting in an undercooked incoherent story. This left the actors to do much of the heavy lifting and often looked lost in their own plotlines. That said, if you are looking for a historical fantasy drama purely for entertainment, great chemistry and endearing main characters, then this show will not disappoint. But if you are looking for a well-written story, then you might not enjoy this one as much.

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An unexpected joy to watch

In a nutshell:
Oh My General is an adaptation of the novel “General on top, I am below”. The drama is set in the Song Dynasty, where our main female character, Ye Zhao, is a General of the Imperial Army who has dedicated most of her life defending the borders from neighbouring hostile Kingdoms. She is fiercely loyal to her Country and does not take crap from anyone. When she returns victorious from battle, the Emperor rewards her with a military promotion and much to her surprise - a husband! Her arranged beau is Zhao Yujin, a pampered playboy Prince, who is well known for his hedonistic lifestyle. After a turbulent and rocky start to their marriage, Yujin and Ye Zhao’s love and admiration of each other blossom as they uncover political schemes and defend the Song Dynasty from its enemies, both externally and from within.

The Highlights:
Oh My General is an addictive drama that hooks you right from the start with overall good pacing in the storytelling. It has the right blend of lighthearted romantic comedy, political intrigue, and action, all served with a dollop of quirkiness. The on-screen chemistry between the Prince and the General, played by Peter Sheng and Sandra Ma, is electrifyingly good, and all their scenes together are pure gold. The character of Ye Zhao is a terrific but tricky one to play, and the wrong actor could have easily portrayed her as a boring one-dimensional butch Mary Sue. Thankfully, Sandra Ma is perfectly cast in this role as she effortlessly peels back the many layers of the General’s personality and backstory with each episode. Her charismatic performance strikes a nuance balance between the General’s physical and mental toughness in battle, with her softer feminine side, charming sense of humour, and genuine desire to support her husband in all his endeavours. There are some impressive battle sequences and the fight choreography was executed well enough to keep me entertained. The cinematography is breath-taking in some episodes with judicious use of panoramic camerawork and slow-motion capture to absorb you into this beautiful but chaotic world of kingdoms at war. The soundtrack and theme songs are sublime and gave me earworms for weeks.

The Lowlights:
The double-edged sword of having such interesting and well played main characters, is that secondary plotlines involving other characters felt more like filler episodes. Coming in at a whooping 60 episodes, the scenes involving palace politics were particularly long-winded and could have been more succinctly written. The villains were also cliched, cringey and largely forgettable. The drama also suffers from terrible sound dubbing and low production quality in some episodes.

The Verdict:
Sandra Ma and Peter Sheng’s synergistic on-screen chemistry and delightful performances perfectly encapsulate the evolution of their characters love story. The General and the Prince, share many funny and adorable moments, but also experience multiple setbacks and challenges. The actors ability to immerse you into the growth of their characters both as individuals, and as husband and wife, is a real treat to watch. Oh My General is an overall enjoyable and unique drama that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

FAQs:
1. How many episodes? 60. Each around 45 mins long
2. Where can I watch? All 60 episodes with English subtitles free on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlmsVQcsOS4&t=257s

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The Imperial Coroner - the dark horse that captivated me

In a Nutshell:
The drama is set in the Tang Dynasty, where our main female character Chu Chu travels to Chang’An to take the Coroner entrance exam in order to work for the Capital’s legal department. The man in-charge of the Judicial Office is Prince Xiao Jin Yu (official title: Commandery Prince An), who takes an interest in Chu Chu’s natural talent for fact-finding and unique methods of performing autopsies. He hires her as his Coroner to solve a string of murders involving several high ranking officials. In the process of unravelling those mysteries, they uncover historical State secrets that cause them to question their own positions in the Empire.

The Highlights:
The Imperial Coroner is one of those rare gems with a meticulous screenplay that ensures a coherent plot. The result is a drama that doesn’t contain random filler episodes that add no value to the overall story. Character motivations remain consistent from start to finish and there is a good balance of comedy, action, suspense, slow burn romance and drama.

Despite this drama being promoted as a whodunit murder mystery, the heart of what drives its narrative is the timeless theme of identity and family relationships. The story connects with our innate desire as human beings to know where we come from, who we consider as family, and what our purpose in life is.

The drama is also a good example of an ensemble cast that work well together, with everyone playing their role to perfection. You can almost believe that these characters would exist in real life. Su Xiao Tong perfectly encapsulates the bright eyed and bushy-tailed curiosity of Chu Chu, yet at the same time is able to convey her natural knack for critical thinking and problem solving. Wang Zi Qi gives us a refreshing take on a male lead that doesn’t fall into the boring C-drama trope of an ice cold brooding dude who never smiles but is secretly in-love with the female lead. On the contrary, his character Xiao Jin Yu is not just highly intelligent and respectful of others, but is witty and actually has a good sense of humour.

The lowlights:
If there was one thing that bugged me throughout the whole drama, it was the caricature portrayal of the Eunach and his goons. Perhaps it was intended to be more of a comedic representation, but whatever it was, the performance of the role just didn’t gel with me. The OST/music was also pretty mediocre and largely forgettable.

The verdict:
The Imperial coroner was certainly the dark horse of 2021. With very basic promotional marketing and no big names attached to the production, the show definitely deserved its unexpected popularity and success.

FAQs
1. How many episodes? 36. Each 45 mins long
2. Where can I watch? All episodes with English subtitles on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8SnPKMwiCo&list=PLs3DOuT3JlGT3nMBwEzQzjUwOyuTgu3eU

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