Hard Slog

The beginning of this drama was promising, even though it wasn't living up to it's high budget in terms of scene, costume and particularly, bad lighting that showed all of this. The pacing was fast, we got right into the story, but after a handful of episodes, it slowed down considerably.
The actors are doing their best, but there isn't chemistry between the leads, a character I had high hopes for in the beginning who seemed plucky and brave - Na Sheng, soon became clingy and whining and distracted by a love affair instead of a noble mission to save people's lives. It got to the point I didn't like to see her in scenes.
I came in the show to watch Liu Haikuan, and as always, he does great with what material he has, and villain is a new role for him, his character Yu Huan had surprising depths, but is was set up by the plot to never win, so you as the audience get very weary, knowing that an ending is inevitable, you stop caring about the characters and the story because the telling is so clunky and lacking suspense.

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Intriguing Story that tries to break out of tropes

This drama stars Liu Haikuan (The Long Ballad,The Untamed, Mirror Twin Cities) and Estelle Chen (Love Like The Galaxy) and is a supernatural comedy romance drama on WeTv in 24 episodes.

Liu Haikuan carries the weight of the drama effortlessly, particularly in comedic moments as an immortal who is seeking a cure for his affliction, and his remedy might be a young mortuary assistant who witnesses his resurrection.

While there are certainly tropes abounding (long looks between the leads while music plays in the background) - noteably Haikuan’s theme song ‘Confession’) what breaks the mold is the premise and some very effective moments which pull on themes of life and death, mourning and moving on. It’s quite an addictive watch and you keep going to see what happens.

Jaing Bai Ju’s character is interesting and consistent, he can pull from a well of suffering and loneliness amid plenty (I would like to know more about his design work, gardening and painting - both characters share a love of gardening that is not developed) and his dynamic of the Dao grandsons interest me, the devotion marred by a sense of debt) the female lead morphs from competent professional and wise beyond her years to being childish and mercurial and venal to suit the plot, which is a bit frustrating, I can see the hints of what could have been here) The budget didn't extend to special effects, however some scenes in the mortuary are scary enough, there could have been more! Give Liu Haikuan and Deng Wei more meaty roles, they'll be worthy!

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a very tired tropy drama going through the motions

The leads have no chemistry. The acting is wooden and subpar between them, it's a tired old trope of immortal master and student that becomes cringy boarding on completely repellent.

I came to watch some of my favorite young actors. The director didn't give many of these characters personality yet a few manage to try and put their best foot forward, these would be Wang Zhoucheng who manages to allure in heavy makeup as the Demon King Wang Yue, Asher Ma, who is a headstrong and rambunctious Young Master, Lin Si Yi as the Princess turned Immortal but bound to the jealous nemisis stereotype, Hu Yun Hao as a senior Immortal Master with the one brain cell this Sect contains, but poor Deng Wei, so bright in I Am The Years You Are The Stars is completely wasted.

What would have made a much more compelling story are doomed lovers, the possessed immortal Chu Bu Fu/Wan Jie and Zhang Zhi Xi, a pair of actors and theme I actually wanted to follow.

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Preview Review - storyline notes that differ from the description

So far so good! Four episodes in and this is an interesting drama. It really is a showcase for the lead actor Zhang Han, but has strong secondary roles for Liu Haikuan (as childhood friend Peng Xue Wen) and Liu Chang De (as another childhood friend Liao Wen Hua)

Another delight is veteran actor Chin Shih Chieh (a former Opera Star) who becomes a mentor to the lead character.

The story goes at a fast pace, the costuming is fairly good and the cinematography better than your usual drama fare, they took their time in filming on location and battle scenes.

A new synopsis to the series should be as follows - Zhang Songling is a student in a rural village, he and his best friends, brother and sister Peng Xue Wen and Peng Wei Wei and Liao Wen Hua are filled with patriotic fevour at the beginning of the Japanese invasion of China in 1937, their attempts to leave the village with fellow students to fight in the war are met with tragedy. The four friends once separated, have to find their own way through the crisis.

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