Aliens + Costume Drama + No Time Loopholes
I feel like this is the most refreshing type of "time travel" drama of the past few years. The story line doesnt have any weird plot holes/effects (including things like time paradox or really much caution in it). I really like the overall acting cause it feels natural (the micro-expressions are all there where appropriate) and the seriousness and comedy acts are placed fairly well.I wont give this a whole 10 stars because a lot of the jokes placements are not great/badly delivered and missing all that "haha" factors (for ex. the giant bowl of medicine, I know it was supposed to be funny, but it was kinda dryly delivered). also lost a bit of points because the last few episodes were really well put together, no rushed feelings, but i think it couldve gone on for about a couple more episodes to get that completed drama kinda feel, at the moment it's leaving a bit to be desired.
There is a season 2 to this piece (I am not sure if Season 2 is fully subbed yet)
Was this review helpful to you?
Underrated Cult Classic Costume Drama
"Men In Black In Tang Dynasty"This dramedy has all the makings of a cult classic. The story is so over-the-top and ridiculous that I would never have thought it would work, but somehow, it really does!
Firstly, I could feel the love that went into this production right away, and that's not something I can say about most small budget Chinese costume dramas. The cinematography is Avant-garde and very 60's documentary close-ups together. It's some of the best, most well thought out and executed art house cinematography I've seen in Chinese drama.
Then there is the cast, which is lead by An Yue Xi, who is one of the most underrated leading actresses in China, I can only guess this is due to her being a real actress, not a pop star actress. On top of being an actress, An Yue Xi is an athlete and former professional dancer, and uses her skills in physicality to great effect here (she is a natural FL in every way, so it is crazy that she is overlooked in favour of pop idols that can't act, and ruin whatever drama they are cast in).
This is a true dramedy, involving both very serious elements with absurdist comedy, and on paper, I never would have thought to watch this drama, as it is about an alien that lands in ancient China, and takes over the body of a young woman who has been murdered because she was going to elope with the crown prince (palace intrigue).
The comedy here is adolescent absurdist humour, and it's not really funny, just kind of upbeat. Mostly slapstick humour. Also, an unattractive dude in a dress isn't very funny (sorry, it just isn't). HOWEVER, the cinematography sort of made up for those moments that were supposed to be funny, but weren't. An Yue Xi's alien character Ah Bu, through her ignorance of human life and human emotions, just brightened up the screen with her infectious enthusiasm. How rare and beautiful to have a FL character that is a bit naive and innocent for a real reason (because she is an alien!). Still, even with being an alien, she is much smarter and more savvy than most Chinese costume drama FLs.
The weakest aspect of the drama is the plot, which is super complex in detail and side plots, and as a result, is all over the place. The director cinematographer, Yan Wang, is crazy talented (and I do mean crazy). He is a one-in-a-million all-in-one cinematic team! I also love how the director used the OST as a dramatic tool to great effect! I don't expect a super low budget drama with 25 episodes to have non-repetitive music. That would be unrealistic and asking the impossible for a production. But the edited music he did use was perfect, and I never found myself annoyed or distracted by it.
The CGI cat-alien version of Dou Miao Miao, the FL's cat-alien hybrid sidekick, is worthy of cult status as being one of the weirdest looking CGI designed characters of all time.
There were a lot of episodes in this drama, and I think we could have done without two whole misunderstandings that lead to break-ups between the ML and the FL. I hate plot repeats like that. The best scene is when the FL publicly announces her love for the ML, and because they are brother and sister, and the gathered crowd doesn't know that they are not biologically related, they make a public spectacle of themselves. The audible repulsion at the apparent public display of incest is juxtaposed to the FL and ML realizing their feelings for each other. It's the most romantic anti-romantic scene, and it's just perfectly done.
There is a Facebook group that subbed this drama. Here is one link:
https://www.avirtualvoyage.net/2017/11/cdrama-lets-shake-it-et-episodes-english-subbed.html
Or you can join the Facebook group that was created for this drama with English subs.
Either way, this is a Chinese costume drama worth checking out. You don't have to complete it, and if you don't like absurdist comedy, don't even bother with it. You know how cult classics are called cult classics because they don't appeal to everyone? Because they are so odd and unique that it takes a certain person to really appreciate them? That's why this is a cult classic of a drama. It won't appeal to everyone. Maybe it won't appeal to most, and it definitely is a bit too long, but overall, it's a treasure of a drama not to be missed, if you are open to an absurdist passion project with beautiful cinematography and a fabulous cast of characters.
Edit: I just watched this for the second time, and it's even better the second time! The characters, the consistant absurdity, the costumes, the cinematography, the humour, and the acting is not like anything else I've ever seen. This is a masterpiece of absurdity!
Was this review helpful to you?
delightful historical alien romcom w/ beautiful cinematography, visual comedy, and heartfelt scenes
What a delight this drama turned out to be! I was cautious with the strange title and mediocre rating, but this drama delivered a tight storyline with good pacing, endearing characters, and moving scenes. I started out this drama for zheng yecheng (and he was phenomenal, as always) and am so grateful that I ended up loving many things about this drama.Abu Cha Cha is an alien who, during a crash, falls to earth and has to take over a body to live. This body is Tang Qing Ye who is the half-sister of Tang Qing Feng. (If you are worried about incest, please don't be! The story is definitely not going to be about that kind of thing.) Tang Qing Feng is an upright and capable court official and a master of Jian Wu Academy. He investigates corruption and strange incidents ongoing in the city and also takes on investigating the truth about who is trying to kill Tang Qing Ye. As Abu Cha Cha tries to find a way back home to Planet Duo, her life becomes entangled with Tang Qing Feng as they become involved in ploys for imperial power and must seek out the truth, learn to trust one another, and protect the ones they love.
It's nothing too new about the story and plot twists, but I enjoyed it greatly due to the strong performance of the actors and great directing. The scenes are beautiful, the emotions are there, and I care about the characters. The supporting characters, too, are endearing and have their distinct personalities. I'm even surprised that the CGI isn't too terrible! In the end, the drama delivers a well paced story with a satisfactory ending (of this season anyway; there's a second season that I've yet to watch!). The story is solid.
This is a fun and surprisingly heartfelt drama if you give it a chance. If you like historical romantic comedies, if you are accepting of the alien concept, then you should enjoy this. Of course, I should warn that the comedy is like Stephen-Chow type of comedy where there are slapstick comedy as well as deadpan comedy and just a lot of visual comedy (ex: while this one character was talking about something melodramatic, the characters blurrily in the background sat on the ground and ate food while listening). Or, I guess, the comedy is like if the manga Gintama was instead a Chinese historical romcom, lol.
This comedy can be off-putting at first if you're not used to it and can make the drama feel very much like just a comedy show, but I think it balances the comedy and seriousness well. The drama delivers the heartfelt and serious scenes well with great cinematography and a good OST that allows you to still immerse in the feelings of the scenes and feel moved for our characters still.
I really loved Tang Qing Feng's stoicism, sense of justice, and devotion. I loved Abu Cha Cha's sense of self preservation and obliviousness as it was funny but also cute and she learns to care about others beside herself.
Overall, I highly recommend this drama if you're interested in the above things I've mentioned!
Was this review helpful to you?
Funny all around
This show was defiantly not what I excepted it to be, I thought it would be the same as other C Dramas I’ve watched and frankly not that memorable. However I was surprised by the comedy which was absolutely taken to the next level when compared to other shows. It definitely worked for the show as it stood out and didn’t take themselves too serious compared to other alien themed shows. The characters however were the real charm they definitely grow on you as the story progresses. If your looking for a romance comedy that’s silly with the right amount of action this is the show for you. It’s not masterpiece by a long shot by I’ll definitely remember it.Was this review helpful to you?
Was fun to watch. Interesting main leads and a range of side characters including cat creature who turned human and abu cha cha's use of her brick should be credited!
Was this review helpful to you?
Very Fun
It's hard to believe how a historical drama with the incorporation of outlandish aliens would be this entertaining to watch (this isn't Gintama after all). But after many starts and drops of other higher rated historical dramas, I'm really glad I gave this one a try.This series is a unique mix of corny comedy with an underlying serious plot. Don't get discouraged by the initial alien scenes or whether any of it is actually "logical" as this is one to watch when you need a refreshing break from other historical dramas with very serious undertones. It also has a fantastic cast all around who each have lots of character and individual charm. There are scenes that has made me literally laugh out loud and one in particular that jerked out some tears.
I normally can't stand the "cutesy" FLs but Ah Bu Cha Cha is absolutely adorable and has great chemistry with the ML. My only minor qualm with them is that the constant rescuing of one another starts feeling slightly repetitive in the latter episodes.
While this isn't masterpiece level with the most intricate plot, it is definitely quite memorable. The pacing is also well done (with some slightly drawn-out scenes) and due to its unique genre blend, it's actually not very predictable and maintains a layer of intrigue. Highly recommend for those who just wants to kick back without heavy analysis, laugh a little, and just enjoy the wave of good drama wrapped with silliness.
Note: Made the attempt to watch Season 2 but dropped it a couple of episodes in. It wasn't worth ruining the experience of the first season.
Was this review helpful to you?
