Wow, that was some heavy pandering. Creepy pandering. 4 of 10

So the adorable romance continues as Ming Xia patches things up between Qing Cheng and her father. While simultaneously promising to take care of her and I'm pretty sure that not only did he setup them being an official couple. But that felt a lot like making sure her dad new a proposal is coming. Then cut to some serious fan pandering. Yes, the sexy shirtless picture is what brought me here (with the lovely lady too), but that whole peekaboo shower scene was creepy. I do appreciate the sexy body. Of course. No amount of sparkly glitter music could not make that feel creepy though. I mean. We're creepy in with a look through the mirror than on poor You Tong. We get tight shots on him rubbing his body and abs. There's no way that was just to make sure we saw the GOLD NAILS!!! How could we miss it. Plus, that cat is way out of the bag from promos and trailers. That was creepy. Sexy, but creepy. That said the romance is super developed and I'm already rooting for Ming Xia and Qing Cheng. They're cute together. Of course the struggle has to come in. In the form of Ming Xia's mom who did over predicable rich things taking a bet with her son to prove Qing Cheng is just after his money way too far. A lot happens here. You Tong is introduced . . . not well. All we get to see is sexy shower creep time and sexy creepy murder. So it's all not looking well for the eye candy that probably brought many viewers in. That said I did enjoy seeing Qing Cheng continue taking care of her family and being strong. Though I thought it odd when her wings semi appeared and saved people's lives that she didn't react. I mean a lot is going down, but I'd think she'd freak out just a tad. Then go back to being brave. Maybe she'll break down? Though no one else freaking over being saved from certain death was odd . . . especially her sister not bringing anything up. I'm sure both girls are demons. But do half breeds only turn into demons at a certain later age in life? The expose to keep viewers up to speed doesn't tell us that. So mystery ensues. The ending burst my bubble about who might have saved Qing Cheng's mom after she turned into a puddle and then a baby. I got faces mixed up apparently. I'm curious how this twist will work out. As that clunky introduction to Jiang Xue Wu is clearly connected to the doctor who knows about demons. This should have got a lower rating. But the intrigue gets points. Though I feel like the writer might just kill Jiang Xue Wu, whom I should love. I mean shes a modern woman of my heart! But she's kind of a jerk. There's time to warm up to her though.

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True Love Begins With Dance Lessons

-Again, the show starts with a narrator: he explains how to identify a demon.  Demons have long golden nails, they can transform and when they do so they have wings and long ears.  Demons have gold tears (my favorite) and pink blood.  Their eyes also change color (red) when they transform.  Other than the super speed they gain from flying/'attack' flying, they are no different in terms of physical strength from humans. They are not immortal, they have to eat and sleep like everyone else.  In the winter they hibernate and at death they turn into water, and from that water a baby is born.  The infant has no memory of when they were a demon (I understood it as they become human).  

Setting: 1900: 8 Countries Invade Bejiing (we are witnessing, I think, the Battle of Peking where foreigners arrived to quell the Boxer Rebellion--a rebellion by Chinese nationalists or Imperialists bent on removing Western culture).  Understandably, the show clearly shows the foreigners as the bad guys perhaps because 1)this is China and 2)a lot of foreigners (and even more locals) looted the city)

1. A beautiful noble woman is fleeing the city with her husband (who has that awful haircut!!) and two daughters.  Her name is Xio Die, and all around her she is horrified to see her countrymen laying dead or dying in the street as the British fight to take the city.  She gives her eldest daughter, Xiao Nian, a kiss and then pushes her out the door.  'Our luxurious married life as husband and wife ends!' she tells her confused husband before promising to meet him in the next life and the doors close, leaving Xio Die with a lot of Engllish soldiers.  She transforms into a demon and starts taking out soldiers left and right.  Meanwhile, a man who was pretending to be dead watches this in shock.  Ultimately it seems like Xiao Die is shot to death and dies.  Outside the city her husband vows to wait for her.

Fast forward to 1915 Shanghai which is essentially the era in which the city was called the 'Paris of the East' (I love history).  Which means we have about forty years before the city is completely under communist control although the city is incorporated into the People's Republic of China.

2.  A beautiful cabaret dancer is about to leave her dressing room when suddenly she sees wings on her back--but they disappear so fast she thinks she imagined it.  On stage she dances and is the star of the show.  This is a dance club, the kind normally frequented by men.  Our male lead, Superintendent & General Ming and Captain, arrives.  He is meeting a gangster, Lord Wu.  Wu attempts to bribe him so that he looks the other way and ignores the banned items he imports into the city.  The look of contempt on Ming's face is priceless.  He is clearly disgusted.  But he then laughs and says he is not interested in gold.  He looks at the dancer and is clearly spellbound.  Lord Wu picks up on this and has his men drag her down to the meeting.  The girl protests and Ming is, quite literally, pardon my language, eye f***ing her.  We all know what he wants.

3.The girl insists she be allowed to return, and is indignant (and rightly so) that Lord Wu would try to offer her to this guy.  She turns to go, and gets a gun pointed at her neck in return.  Finally Ming decides to interfere and insists that Lord Wu doesn't know him very well.  As a rich heir to the richest family in China (is he bragging?) he can have any girl he wants.  He should let the girl go (he oddly doesn't sound as arrogant as this sounds; more like he is simply stating fact)(I like that the girl is clearly unfazed by this).  Lord Wu illustrates his oafish behavior towards women as the girl insults his authority (I thought that stupid) and he is about to shoot her but Ming pulls the gun up and the bullet goes into the ceiling (I don't think she is as scared as she should have been).  Lord Wu then points a gun at him and our hero mocks him for displaying such obvious insecurity and calls in his own guns, all 20 of them, and tells him that one day Lord Wu's (basically) trigger happy behavior will get him killed and he won't pity him when it happens.  He then leaves with the girl who acts annoyingly misssish and basically says that she isn't easy and he can't have her. He laughs and says he was just doing that to keep her safe. He gives her his coat and leaves.  

4.The girl returns home...and it turns out this is Cheng!  Her father wants to know why she is late and why the heck she is dressed like this.  Her sister explains its a new fashion and he believes her!  He tells her to come early next time (this father is strangely naive).  We learn she dances in order to earn money.  Jobs are hard to come by these days.  Cheng can't git Ming out of her head and begins to have erotic dreams about him in which they are having hot make out sessions.  

5.The next day Cheng tries to find the man to return the coat but he does not return to the club.  Later, her sister complains about how all of her classmates are attending a party hosted by the wealthy socialite Mrs. Du.  Unfortunately, she has never been invited because she is too poor.  Her sister promises to get her into the event.  They borrow clothes from the dance hall and her sister gets in by...pretending to look for an invite and then spraying perfume in the eyes of the guy at the gate.  For reasons unknown, he does not chase after them.  Once inside, Xin awkwardly starts introducing herself to people who all look at her disdainfully (won't lie it shows she does not know the social etiquette of the upper classes).  Her female classmates then surround her and begin to bully her.  Cheng jumps in to defend her and says you know what, my sister will get the best dance partner her.  Just watch.  She then takes her onto the floor and begins to dance, and she shows she is an excellent danger (let's ignore the fact that her style of dancing is entirely scandalous for a proper woman of this time period she looks good).  At the end the crowd is dazzled and many men surround Xin to request a dance.  THEN Cheng approaches the angry girls and says 'something smells like vinegar.  it's too sour I need some air' BURNED!

6.Outside, Cheng has an internal monologue about how she hates how fake high society is.  She then runs into...MING!  He is trying to politely reject a very direct girl who tells him she loves him and will stalk him (this feels like a parody of every show that features an impudent stalker girl).  Cheng comes to the rescue and says they are lovers.  He catches on and kisses her to prove it, and she kisses shim right back!  The girl leaves, and then he apologizes for kissing her and she says it is not a problem since he saved her.  He then admits he recognizes her from the club.  They have a little laugh, part ways, but neither can really leave...they each turn and return back to each other....

7.Ming reveals he can't dance and she offers to teach him.  She shows that she is something of a free spirit, and just starts to teach him, and doesn't care that he steps on her feet.  Ming is clearly mesmerized by her.  (I like her a lot too she is not annoying it's refreshing nor is she stupid).  They begin to meet up regularly so she can teach him to dance but it is clearly an excuse to see one another.  Many days later, her sister wants to know why it had to be Ming, why did she fall in love with him and her sister basically says you can't help who you like.

8.Finally her father confronts her for her dancing.  He tells her that he is appalled at her behavior and that the most important thing is purity.  He grounds her, and it's actually really cute he is very upset that she ignores him and he clearly is upset that he has to punish her but believes it is his duty.  Cheng, however, is young and a girl in love.  She sneaks out her window to go meet up with Ming whom she confides in about how she is fighting with her father, how she wants to help out the family and wishes he would understand her.  Ming encourages her to yell out loud her troubles and maybe heaven will hear.  Cheng does so, and Ming realizes that he is in love with her and believes she is his destiny...

Note:
Aside from the overt propaganda, which feels like they are saying to their audience 'we like Shangahai see we are even supportive of teachers' perhaps because of what China did to the people in Shanghai later...still the show is good.

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