Story: Well maybe for many the story is very "Robin Hood" like but it isn't like that at all.I don't know how to describe it but I haven't watched such a good drama in ages.The story was so beautiful developed....each character had her/his own episodes where their pasts was revelied which was very good in my opinion.I really loved the bond between the 4 main characters, which gets stronger and stonger with every episode.
Acting/Cast: The acting was amazing.It succeded in bringing me laughter and tears every time.The chemistry (which is very important for me) was always there between Huo Wallace and Lu Cecilia.I really think that they did a great job portraiting their characters feelings and such.I really loved the fact that here the main girl wasn't some lady who needed to be taken care of and could figt and protect herself without any help.Anyway the actor who really got to me was Siu Edwin...even if he was the bad guy...he really got under your skin making you hate him but at the same time pity him.
Music: I can't say much about it because it wasn't the main point in the drama but the OST was very beautiful and refreshing.
Rewatch Value: Even if this drama has 30 episodes I would definetely watch it again!I really think that by rewatching it the viewer will be able to underestand the story and the actions of the characters better than the first time.
Overall: In my opinion this drama is somethig you shoudn't miss, especially if you are in a drama slump because it helps oneself to regain the taste and joy for dramas...reminding you why you started loving them.
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Story: The story was very well thought out, and the many different situations throughout the drama were very nicely done. When a new problem arises I was on the edge of my seat thinking how are they gonna get out of this one, some were predictable but others had me saying "Nicely Done". There were several things missing, like why did they only wear their matching outfits like 4 times, and things that could have been different, but overall it was worthy of a 9/10.
Acting: Awesome. The relationships between the 4 heroes was a nice sight to see. During the episodes where one of the members got the spot light, most of the time I really liked it, especially He Xiao Mei story. Chai Hu ended up becoming very annoying/irritating, I kinda wish he was the silent and strong type that just did what he was told. Another thing its always nice when a girl can hold her own and kick ass.
Music: Meh, nothing worth noting.
Rewatch Value: 30 episodes is a lot, so I might only watch the episodes that I really liked instead of watching the whole thing again.
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Story: I think this is where this drama succeeded, but also slightly failed. The Robin-Hood-esque team and original characters were all loveable, even the antagonist garnered some sympathy from me. The care that was put into each character's past was well worth it. On the surface Guai Xia Yi Zhi Mei may seem like a group of vigilantes stealing from the rich and giving to the poor like any other preceding drama, but it has the strong theme of reconciling the past in order to move forward. I greatly enjoyed this aspect of the drama that gave it a new dimension, which in turn gave this drama a leg up over other dramas in my book. However, too much time was spent on individual "cases" and not enough on the overarching plot, so the ending felt like a bit of a cop-out, a bit abrupt. The ending was good, though!! Just that I feel that the 30 hours of the drama weren't divided up the right way. (Revealing the main character's past took AT LEAST 3 FULL episodes! There's really no need). BUT!, Character development and general plot gets an A+/A, it's just that the drama's plot distribution bumps it down to a A-/B+.
Acting/Cast: They WIN this time. Honestly, Karen (the producer of BBJX, Chinese Paladin 3, AND Strange Hero YZM) has her arsenal filled with great actors and actresses ready to go. Both Wallace Huo and Liu Shi Shi are very popular now (2011-2012), and they get to pick and choose which scripts they take on. I've become a fan of Wallace Huo (the protagonist)--his rugged handsomeness had me swooning every episode. The way the entire cast acted in this drama was very impressive--Many things were said without words. A sideways glance, a furrowed brow, little nuances made the Yi Zhi Mei team come alive and have real chemistry with each other. I'd rewatch just to see these guys act again.
Music: Probably because my expectations were set deadly-high because of the last two dramas I watched, this time nothing really impressed me. I hardly noticed the instrumental tracks in the show itself, if at all, and the opening and ending tracks weren't far too impressive either. Not bad, but not great either. At least everything fit with the overall tone and theme of the show.
Rewatch Value: Okay. I probably won't touch this drama for a while; this drama felt both slow and fast at the same time. I can't handle the stress! However, I wouldn't mind watching it again a few months from now. The story and the cast are great enough to bring me back, but I'd still skip the long arcs.
PS: Last three episodes get an A+, but they won't feel like an A+ until you watch the other 27 before it. :(
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Story: I thought the story was good. Normally, Chinese drama storyline are always the same. So it was nice to see something different. If you are a fan of Wallace Huo, then you will enjoy this drama. He is a talented actor and so is Cecilia Liu. I thought the cases were interesting so I didn't feel that 30 episodes were long at all, because the case were interesting, but let me warn you some of the cases are 3-4 episodes long. But trust me, it worth your time.
Acting/Cast: I thought everyone did a great job with their role. I really hated Edwin Siu as the villian. He did a great job.
Music: I thought it was okay. There weren't much b/g or anything, but I like the theme song.
RewatchValue: The reason why I rated it a 8 because I wouldn't want to watch it again, then it will lost it meaning, but I would definitely in the future.
Overall: I feel that this drama was good even though it was kinda long, but like I said the case were interesting. So I didn't really mind it. I loved every bit of this drama. I like the bond between the four characters. All four of them are each different in the their own way. I think it's cool that they work together and help the poor( this is not spoiling you, but you want to know what I am talking about. Then go watch it now!).
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Story: Oh wow, the story was amazing. Even though several people had said that in some parts of the drama, it was dragging a bit I didn't notice very much. I love the setting, the characters and mainly the plot.
Acting/Cast: EXCELLENT! All the actors & actresses put in everything to characterize their characters well. I loved all four members of Yi Zhi Mei, they each had time to shine. I love how the writers developed each character well and that you just can't hate any of the characters. He Xiao Mei was adorable, he was polite and gentle. Hu Ge was the rash character in the story. He was likeable as well, he was strong but brash, the bull in the Yi Zhi Mei. I think Li Ge Xiao is my favorite character because of his lazy nature and posture, pretending he doesn't care when he really does. He reminded me of Akiyama from Liar Game(the manga) but I loved Li Ge Xiao more because he can fight very well. ^.^ Then there's Yan San Niang. She's probably one of the few female characters I actually like. Not only is she pretty, but she can take care of herself. Unlike those girls who whine and wait to be saved, she can fight herself, thus people nicknaming her "The Divine Swallow Thief."
Music: I didn't pay much attention to the music, but nothing striked me as amazing.
Rewatch Value: I rarely rewatch dramas, because I just prefer not to. But for 'The Vigilantes in Masks,' I think I will because the story is so well developed and the characters are lovable. I would call this drama a masterpiece but then again there are a few cheesy effects that made me laugh at loud. Still, it's a well executed drama, one of my top 5 favorites.
Overall: I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. Even though at first I didn't expect much, I got hooked on the first episode and each episode afterwards gets better and better. I couldn't stop watching, and I can honestly say this is one of the few dramas I actually loved.
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Unexpected Fun!!
THE VIGILANTES IN MASK was unexpectedly fun wuxia romp of a drama. And although light-hearted and a bit cheesy, it was also packed full of action and drama. This C-Drama series has action, adventure, romance, mystery and comedy all wrapped up into one fun, fast-paced package. It's quirky and unique compared to many action shows out there and has more in common with an historical anime / superhero flick than it might the typical drama, but with more heart, wit and charm. Very enjoyable.Li Ge Xiao (Wallace Huo) is master martial artist. After being framed and having his family executed he later later reluctantly helps a former officer. This leads him to making new partners, thief Yan San Niang, shifter He Xiao Mei, and muscle Chai Hu, and together they form a team called "Yi Zhi Mei" that robs the rich and corrupt and gives to the poor and innocent, solving mysteries along the way. They form a merry band of swashbuckler-heroes, unlike anything you've seen and yet quite hard to forget.
While there are quite some tropes here, it's a very entertaining and lovable series that I found quite addictive. Wallace Huo, Sh Shi Liu, and Tianyu Ma, among many others, made this show a super fun watch. The cast was great, the story compelling, the music catchy and fun, with plenty of colorful characters to go around - great chemistry! Fun show! Surprised at how much I enjoyed this one, honestly. Give it a shot if you like Chinese historical wuxia drama's (with a flair for the eccentric) with lots of action, adventure, mystery, romance and comedy, that also features a Robin Hood-esque, rogueish crew and storyline. Gives off serious Anime vibes. Would def rewatch this.
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to be honest, i was really attracted by the cast, always wanted to see wallace and cecelia together as the main leads of a drama, however; i really did fall in love with this drama and the plot is really good.
Story: it is basically about a band of heros who travel around solving cases and saving people, but the main plot i think has to do with li ge xiao and his choices, of course many people would find this drama to be much more than just a regular love story, but the biggest event which happens in the end all goes back to ge xiao's love story, thus he was given a choice in the end as he was given a choice at first, the difference is that he learned from his past mistake and made the right choice, there are also secondary stories but are interlinked with the main one, this drama was coherent and the events were in harmony and made sense.
Acting/ cast: the cast was great, every actor really did suited their character, wallace is a bit...well.... i just cannot see a different side of him is that because they always make him play to good guy? maybe? but his just appears the same in most of his dramas, however, the fighting scenes were really good, espcially cecelia's fighting scenes, plus they did not make her stupid in this drama, as they do to their lead actresses, cecelia for some reason always plays the smart girl, go girl!!.
Music : there were not impressive pieces of music, just coupe of alright-kind of songs.
Rewatch value : i personnaly, do not like to rewatch dramas or movies, i have already seen because i don't like the idea that i know what's gonna happen next, i already have difficulty picking new dramas, because i have this supernatural ability of predicting what cannot possible be predicted,( like it's supposed to be a surprise!!!) but i just know what's gonna happen, sometimes only based on intuition that i know, it's not only logical deductions, so i really enjoy dramas which i cannot predict what's gonna happen, i think i have wached 2 masterpieces or so in which i could not predict what's gonna happen, one of them is nirvana in fire, the other one, is chinese paladin 3. but if i could not find any other good drama, i do rewatch, that is rarely but this drama does deserves to be rewatched.
i totally recommend it !! try it!!!
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Vigilantes (but not too many masks)
This drama was just ok. I really liked the chemistry between the 4 main characters. The character development was interesting, although the stories got a little ridiculous at times (Hu Ge's story with his daughter and ex. What a mess!). But it all tied up in the end when ML brought everybody together to fight the good fight (not too much action there) but we got the story. That emperor was a dope! Everybody was more enlightened than him. And I wish the villains had gotten more fitting Karma, but oh well!Even though I watch these dramas for the romance, this one didn't deliver much of that, so I was disappointed. There was obviously chemistry between Li Ge Xiao & Yan San Niang (more than between he and his first wife). However, watching their relationship develop was rewarding too. (Did they really have to kill off his Master? I didn't think so.)
Overall, this was an entertaining series. I gave it an 8 because of the cast and the great job they did. When you despise the villains as much as I hated the ones in this, you know the actors did a stellar job. When you like the good guys as much as I did, then those actors did a good job too.
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A perfect quatuor
Just finished it last week. I was looking for the comics but it seems that it does not exist, too bad! I just enjoyed it a lot with the different stories and the fight between the 2 male leaders. I personaly like Wallace Huo and Liu Shu Shu playing together, I discovered them in Imperial doctress and they really match together! There is a lot of sense of humour with ChainHu and you never rest on this show, having lots of actions, unexpected situations. I wish they did another round of stories with the same team as it is really worth watching.Was this review helpful to you?
Story: The story is very good and simple. 4 heroes( 3 guys and 1 girl) help the poor people and their problems caused by high class rank people . This type of plot where the main actors are the good and have to fight evil will always be a favorite. I loved how each character was different so you could tell who is who and they all stand out. It was so hard to pick which one you loved the best but I just loved all 4 of them. Lots of challenges for them to overcome especially for Li Ge Xiao .
Acting/Cast: I think the choices for each role was well done. I don't think anyone else would have made the drama better than this cast. I love the chemistry between Wallace Huo and Liu ShiShi. Xing Yu as Chai Hu was just wonderful to watch his comedy mixed with his fighting was fun.
Music: I don't think its well known but the music is not a problem. The opening is good, it gives you a good feeling to get ready to kick ass. The ending song is much different more of a soft tone, quiet, or sad/love song. In the end I liked the music in this drama.
Rewatch Value: 30 episodes seems about right if the drama is gonna be long. I would love to watch it all over again.
Overall: If your new to Chinese dramas, then I suggest this to be your first one to watch. I really think more people should watch it.
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