The Society of Four Leaves (2023)

The upstanding, straightforward & gullible version of Conan | Teamwork of Noblemen's brilliant minds

I know it's weird to say this, but I find this crime and investigation drama easy, comfortable and exciting to watch. Although there is that one moment when the show went astray of its usual set up (that I will talk about later) I'm glad that they were still able to pull it all together and end it nicely following how it started with a peaceful and cozy vibe to it.

In order not to spoil the good image I have created with the introduction of this drama. Let me start this review by listing down some of the best attributes I like about it.

Plot and story flow is neat and meticulously constructed. I was so indulged that time flew by while I was watching it. The introduction of the characters were smooth, clean and I really love how they started it with a casual yet interesting incident that gradually became a bigger case. The scenes of the story is well connected and I'm glad that they didn't simply threw out cases after cases and instead created a sequence of events that slowly build the relationship between the main leads while working/clashing with each other.

Chemistry of the main Leads including the supporting roles are surprisingly good. I love how they didn't immediately set both of the leads as partners in crime and solving cases after their initial meeting and rather gave us an opposite context of them fighting and competing with each other in a harmless way while showing us their capabilities along with their strengths and weaknesses. In adddition, I just wanna mention how the male supporting roles connected to Lan Jue felt like a great romantic pair for him e.g Wang Yan and Gu Qing Zhang. I even thought their relationship can pass as a side story for a romantic affair of some sorts just base on how they set it up and portrayed it. Lol!

And while we're at it. Let me talk about that one moment this drama took the bland and unexpected route AKA the introduction of Gu Qing Zhang. I was bothered by this for quite some time because I was thinking what has gone wrong that made me feel that empty space in my stomach; and after pondering a lot about it, I realized that it was a result of the sudden mood change of the drama. We're on the 'Rising Action' part of the story where all the conflicts and problems are happening. Then all of a sudden we were given this melodramatic back story, reminiscing of the past and introduction of GQZ and his relationship with Lan Jue. Like, what the hell was that? those moments truly threw me off of my mood and made me feel tasteless about this drama. I get that he's the main villain of the story but was it really necessary to make his back story that dramatic and subtle romantic? Thank god it only lasted for 2½ episodes because more of it would have completely change my view of this drama.

In regards to the entire cinematic experience of this drama. I must say I'm extremely satisfied. I love the balance of the colors, more specifically between the grayness and darkness of the scenes. It gave me chills and somehow has this cozy effect on me that made me feel relaxed while watching it. I even reached a point where even when the tension is high and conflicts are rising left and right I still feel calm, at ease and simply enjoying the whole show.

Lastly, I want to recognize the state of mind and/or behavioral disorder of the characters; specially Lan Jue's episodes of having confusion and anxiety whether to continue taking his revenge in a rightful way or to cheat his way to claim justice. Those sequences are some of my most favorite scenes of this show and has left this significant mark on me that made me acknowledged Jing Bo Ran's acting capabilities. Special mentions are GQZs strong obsession to hear his Mother's regret of abandoning him and getting the acknowledgement as her son and Zhang Ping recovering his memories after going a traumatic experience as a child.

Story - 9.5, The story construction is great! same goes on how they connected each of the scenes. The only issue I have had is the sudden change of mood when GQZ was introduced. That section truly left me hanging for quite some time and made me felt tasteless and bothered inside.

Acting/Cast - 10, This is my first time watching all of the actors casted in this drama; and all I can say is that it created a good impression to me of them and their acting capabilities/skills. Jing Bo Ran is great but Wan Duo and Song Wei Long are equally good too. Not to mention Hong Yao and Guo Cheng.

Music - 10, Overall it is excellent. I love the neutral sounds of the BGMs used. They are nice, harmonious and blended well with the vibe of the drama. I also love that the music didn't overpower any scene of show, not even once! and the sound effects are greatly emphasized. Specially the scene right after the bomb was detonated where it gave them that realistic echoing, defeaning and dreadful silence that we usually experience after hearing a loud explosive noise. Great Job!

Rewatch Value - 9.5, It could have been a perfect 10 only if they didn't caught me off guard with GQZs introduction. Sorry not sorry, but I can never let that pass. Nonetheless, I would still recommend it to people who love watching problem solving and case investigation genre of dramas.

Overall - 9.5, Still a note worthy drama to watch and Please don't get me wrong. GQZ as a character is great. It is just that the way the director had decided to introduce him in such a melodramatic way doesn't fit my palate at all. Overall, this drama is really good, nicely done and easy to watch. I would still recommend this to anyone who loves the actors' casted in it and those people who enjoys investigation and crime historical dramas.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know

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This drama has no right being this good

This drama has no right being this good!
I wanted to watch this when it first came out, but was waiting and then forgot about it. I'm so glad that I finally remembered and watched it.
Initially, it was the cinematography that drew me to watch this (I saw some gifs of it and thought it looked so pretty), but now that I've seen the whole thing, I can confidently say that it was the characters, their arcs, and their relationships with each other that really made the show worth watching.
Because it was a relatively short drama, the pacing was also very good. I'm not an expert at all, but I've often thought that the pacing in a lot of cdramas is not very good. A lot of time is spent on useless things and I always get bored halfway, but that wasn't the case with this show. It held my attention all the way through with no skipping on my part (another feat!).
My one complaint is that I thought the final episode was a bit rushed. There were a few things I wanted answered: was the Queen Dowager's crimes properly revealed and did Zhang Ping's clan receive justice? I also wanted Gu Qingzhang to have one final confrontation with Lan Jue and Zhang Ping. The relationship between the three of them was so interesting to me, and I do wished it'd been explored a little bit more, even though we have a pretty clear idea of what they all mean to each other. But I guess it's because of that, that I wanted to see them face each other before Qingzhang walked off into the mist, never to be seen again. It just felt a little anticlimactic, if a somewhat fitting end for him.
Anyway, great show, highly recommend.

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Justice comes at a price

Overall, I rate this drama highly. This detective story was interesting - it was difficult in most part of the drama to pinpoint the real villains and there were some surprises.

Zhang Ping, an impoverished orphan who did not know who his parents were, went to the capital city for the imperial examination and ran into Lan Jue. Zhang Ping was an impetuous fanatic who wanted to become a detective with the Imperial Criminal Investigation Bureau. Lan Jue was a well-groomed mandarin who was secretly investigating the case of his father's treason. He believed that his father was righteous and wanted to prove his innocence.

Zhang Ping and Lan Jue started off at loggerheads over the case of a stolen bead on the belt of a foreign merchant. Zhang Ping was convinced that Lan Jue had something to hide and was the one behind this thief. As the drama progressed, they were drawn into the investigation of various murder cases. These eventually led to uncovering a massacre which dated back 20 years and the uncovering of two hidden identities.

What I like about this drama?

- The most important success factor in this drama was: the story was interesting and full of mysteries. Who was the mastermind behind the massacre 20 years ago? And who was the culprit behind the series of murders, and why was he doing these?

- The main leads especially Jing Bo Ran, Song Wei Long and Hong Yao performed their parts very well and so did the rest of the cast.

- The camaraderie and bromance among them were very well played out, with no suggestion of homosexuality - that's how I prefer it. I am not homophobic but do not appreciate display of same sex affection - it does not arouse any empathy with me.

- The story was very tightly woven, so you won't be left wondering how things fit in. And there were no questions unanswered.

- Most importantly, justice was served. I am happy that the mastermind behind the massacre was uncovered and punished. However, I did feel a little sorry for the murderer who was actually a victim of this hideous massacre - for him, the price of justice was high.

What I dislike about this drama?

- Some details were a little laughable. For example, when attacked by a poison mist, the advice was to cover their face with a wet cloth. Had anyone tried this? You don't get killed by the mist but you would get killed by suffocation.

- The English translation of the title is deplorable. A league is a group of people, countries or groups. So Nobleman is a grammatic mistake. The plural version Noblemen should be use. But Zhang Ping was not a nobleman, so this is wrong as well. Then, it could be A League of Noble Men, with the meaning of Noble being honourable. But Gu was not an honourable person. Perhaps a more literal translation, A League of Gentlemen is more appropriate, accepting that Gu was a gentleman despite being a little evil.

I give it a thumbs-up. If you like detective stories or mysteries in a period setting, you would likely enjoy this.

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Not usually a fan of these type of dramas but this one

captivated me from the start. The plot was very well woven throughout the 29 episodes, never did it drag or fill out of place. It seemed like a very simple friendship. detective story in the beginning. But, it is so much more than that. It weaves together the genres of mystery, suspense, action and historical( with a side of magic) to form a very intricate that comes together very nicely at the end. This kind of writing manages to keep the audience glued to their screen. And when the characters are likable like Zhang Ping and Lan Jue even with their flaws that makes it even better. I liked the enemies to friends trope here, loved how Zhang and Lan were for the most part ride or die for each other although with some hardships thrown at their friendship from time to time. Whats a friendship without angst right? I'm glad that the problems between Zhang Ping and Lan Jue weren't dragged on and only made their friendship stronger.
The friendships were the best part of course because this drama at the heart is a friendship one. The writers also did a good job at showing the audience why they should root for the relationships.
The cast did a great job with their roles. I really liked them here. As for the OST the very last song played in ep 29 gave me the feels. I'm also glad the villains got what was coming to them, even if I couldn't help and feel sorry for one. That's the due to the good writing. I'm gonna miss this one.
I give this a 9.0 only because the detective genre is not my forte but after A League of Nobleman I will give this genre more of a channce. Highly recommended if anyone loves Detective stories :ALoN should not be passed on.

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A drama lack of sense of CP between the male leads

As a two protagonists male leads drama, sadly to say this drama is below my expectation and such a disappointment for a long wait drama. Maybe because one of the main character is unlikeable : Zhang Ping. I can’t bring myself to root for him, he is describe as a genius, a man who use his logic to analize all the things that happen around him but how can sometimes he act so reckless, naive and impulsive ? It’s such a contradictive character. And to make it worst, the actor who portray this role Song Wei Long also has stiff facial expression, his acting skill was so bad that most of the time you will see him stare in a daze, his speech is sluggish and flat and has no emotional of ups and down. Sometimes there is no different between when he is happy, angry or sad. Instead of giving us a feeling of a handsome and frail scholar, what we see is a dumb and rough character from Jianghu.

This show really lack the sense of CP between the leads, maybe because they cut a lot of scenes when these two have interaction, that’s why we can’t feel their chemistry. The scene when both Zhang Ping and Gu Qing Zhang eating vinegar while Lan Jue didn’t realised the situation is quite fun to watch, Wang Duo really nail his character here. It remind me with his character in Ying Yang Master, it also has some similarity : a possessive and insane character

As for Jing Boran, I like the way he portray Lan Jue, kudos to his acting skill, we get to see a noble and elegant Vice Minister of Rites. Jing Boran appearance really pleasing to the eye, his charming sophisticated outlook as a graceful nobleman outside but hiding deep and calculating inside character is praiseworthy and I think he has more sense of CP with Wang Yang. I really love Wang Yang, the way he look at Lan Jue was full of affection and doting gaze and I can’t help myself to not shipping them LOL.

If you have watched “Detective Lee and the Mystery of Phantom Flame” movie, you will find this drama has some similarity with this movie.
1. Empress Dowager who rule the court instead of the emperor (in the movie it was empress Wu Zhetian)
2. To build a statue to proclaim her era
3. Using the statue as a way to execute the revenge plan

As a mystery drama, there are some plot holes that hard to ignores. The way they solve the problem with water illusion trick was kind of unlogic and shortcut solution. The funny thing in this drama is, we get to see Lan Jue ability to make three men fight for his affection : wang Yan a man full of devotion, Zhang Ping an upright scholar and his long lost confidant Shulin aka Gu Qing Zhang but at the end of the story, Lan Jue is a father of a boy name Lan Hui. WTH is going on here, I mean afterall what we’ve been through he is just a normal guy hahaha

The background and detail in this drama is good, the clothes were made according to their characters. Zhang Ping is a poor scholar so his clothes is simple cotton while Lan Jue as an officer has more expensive look with bright colour and shiny material with rich pattern that depict the elegance of the foregone era.

Music, is so so not so memorable or impressive enough to make you want to hear it again

Overall as a mystery drama is quite enjoyable but not a stand out one

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A masterpiece!

Oh my goodness, i have been waiting for this cdrama and it is finally out and better than i would have expected to be! Yeyyyyy ???? It is all male casting, it portraits brotherhood, loyalty and noble principles. It is the first cdrama in along time with fantastic acting, great photograph, magic OST, fast paced intricated plot that will keep you on your toes! a masterpiece! There are so many moments which are very artistically developed, such as the dance of the puppet on ep 1 and 2... wow! It has captured my attention for sure! ...ok, i already see many people here clicking on the 'dislike' for what i am going to say as anyone who doesnt like him, will just click on dislike, but i hoped they would have given a bigger role to Wang Duo which is the reason i knew about this drama from 1-2 years ago and i was just waiting for it to be produced ; i find his most recent roles to be intriguing and very complex. But regardless, there have been million of other reasons that have kept me hooked to this series, admittingly with or without Wang Duo...

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An overall decent mystery drama, but this is not a BL

“A League of Nobleman” garnered a lot of attention when it was first aired because it’s one of the few censored adaptations being broadcasted when many are still stuck in limbo. However, if you are watching this because you thought this is a BL or have hints of a BL, then you might be disappointed. In the last 5 minutes of this whole drama, the writer force-feeds you the information that Lan Jue (played by Jing bo Ran) is not gay. That information came out of nowhere and the sole purpose is to get this drama through the censorship board.

Even if this is not a BL, I was still expecting good chemistry between Lan Jue and Zhang Ping (played by Song Wei Long). Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I was looking for bromance and brotherhood but I find their scenes together lack chemistry. I think Lan Jue has more chemistry with his buddy Wan Yan (played by Hong Yao) and old friend Gu Qing Zhang, where Lan Jue has more of a BL vibe than with Zhang Ping. Is this the writer’s fault? Editing/Censorship? Director or the actors? I am not sure.

There was a lot of initial buzz on the feeds when this was first aired, and mostly praising Jing Bo Ran’s beautiful long hair. (And I agree, it’s a sexy look on him especially with his all white flowy attire) Then, the buzz stops. I wonder if it’s because many drop this drama within the first few episodes. I find the pacing quite slow and with the lack of leads chemistry, I had to really power through those early episodes. But once I saw how the initial crime investigations are tied to the main plot, I became more invested. I was glad I didn’t drop this drama. It also did not help that I was so tired and fell asleep watching this. But it’s more of my fault and not the drama’s. As I rewatched the episode and scenes I missed, the story is interesting but I do need to pay attention.

The acting is decent. Jing Bo Ran is great as Lan Jue but I feel that he could do better. I enjoyed his earlier scenes when you saw glimpses of his character’s lighter side and also the episode when he was delusional and heartbroken. I haven’t seen Song Wei Long in a long time and his acting is fine, not good and not bad. He looks like he lost a lot of weight. But I think the ultimate scene stealer is Wang Duo as Gu Qing Zhang. His character doesn’t show up until the latter half of the drama but I was mesmerized by him. I looked him up and realized he’s the 2ML in “Bloody Romance” and he was awesome in that drama. His role in “A League of Gentleman” carries a very similar vibe.

Overall, this is an OK drama. If you can get past the slower episodes in the beginning, you will enjoy how the different side plots all tied together and contribute to the big secret in the end.


Other Random Observations:
1. These episodes are quite short - about 30-35 minutes each.
2. The white cat with big eyes really reminds me of Song Wei Long.
3. I didn’t know shooting salt and gunpowder into the sky can make rain?
4. I think you can still breathe in the polluted/pollen air if you wear a mask or cover your nose.
5. For some reason, I mixed up all the ministers in the palace scenes. As a veteran C-drama watcher, I usually don’t have this problem.
6. How did Gu Qing Zhang just magically start living in Lan Jue’s house?


Completed: 5/27/2023 - Review #311

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Engaging -- but it Could Have Been Better

A League of Noblemen IS good and entertaining so don't skip it!

Watch it for Jing Bo Ran & Wang Duo's acting. They both shine and their performances are ace. I'd like to say the same for
Song Wei Long but I still haven't figured out if his lackluster performance is simply bad acting/casting for the part, or if he's meant to have a very flat affect/quasi-deadpan or detached personality for the character of Zhang Ping.

What made me start watching the series was the mysteries that you are initially presented with--and how you are introduced to both Zhang Ping and Lan Jue. They were interesting to begin with and had the feeling of a detective show. Hey, they were interesting and also a good way to illuminate what the 2 ML personalities and motives are like.

I know that they were important to tie all the threads of the plot together though I wish they'd done some tighter editing to limit the amount of "place setting" shots and scenes. Those tended to drag out longer than they should be IMO (YMMV). Much of the information from one episode to the other tended to overlap and become repetitive.

The main issues I had were not specifically deal breakers for me (after all, I didn't end up dropping it!). Namely the pacing which was glacially slow in some areas and then far too fast in others, and the aforementioned acting of the character/personality of Zhang Ping. With regards to the pacing they spent a lot of time to the slow build-up of revealing who the "villian" is in the story--but when they ARE finally revealed, the show snowballs into what feels like a very rushed, not particularly satisfying ending.

I'd like to write a review that really praises the whole series but I can't. It's not a waste of time to watch it, but it's like eating a frozen pizza when you really were hoping for a fresh, stone-fired pizza! :P

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Historical Mystery Detective Bromance

Finally this was released in 2023! There's been plenty of CDramas held up for whatever reasons and glad this one made it out alive. I saw the trailer for this last year and it seemed good which floated up to the top of the watch list. It looked like a high quality mystery detective drama coupled with a serious darker storyline. I hate getting excited about the trailer and then being disappointed once I start watching the drama.

So far it has lived up to expectations. The first few episodes really started to pick up with the mystery of the first ML who is the Minister of Rites. The other ML is entangled in the intrigue as a scholar amateur detective trying to figure out the murder of a member in the acting troupe. Imperial palace politics are weaved in, the empress does a good job carrying her role as the one who is in charge and with the power. The cinematography is excellent and high quality, attention was paid to the details of the costumes and settings, and the details within the story have been developed pretty well. As each clue is being discovered by Zhang Ping, it feels like the story tellers are carefully unwinding the puzzles of the case for the viewers as it is being solved by the amateur detective. Are there a few situations where it is a bit far fetched? Yes but the positives of the show outweigh those.

The ML played by Jing Boran, the Minister of Rites acted pretty well in his part, an official who is a son of a traitor embroiled in intrigue due to his desire to solve the mystery of his past but has to hide and be deceiving of his true intentions. The other ML is the amateur detective played by Song Weilong. He is so-so in his role. I have seen him in other dramas, I found him to to be on the stiffer side and not quite on point with his acting abilities in his roles. A fair number of viewers find him eye catching in the eye candy department and he doesn't disappoint in that area.

No M/F romance so far and not really expecting it. There isn't too much action involving martial arts, the heavy hitting part of the drama relies on the detective storyline with cases that are investigated and the developing bro-love between the MLs and other SML characters in a male centric drama.

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