❤️ wuxia and historicals ? Ancient Detective
just finished binging all 24 eps in a few days, and i’m sitting here at 2am (after finishing the last ep) writing this. i have so many things i want to say about this drama idk where to start.firstly, the plot was amazing! i won’t say its a one of a kind type of plot, but it’s one of those that is executed well without any unnecessary scenes. despite the typical amnesia setting, the rest of the show focuses much on mystery and then wraps everything nicely together in the last few eps. but i need a season 2 asap because of the cliffhanger at the end the twist at the end was ingenious, and anyone who wasn’t paying close attention throughout would’ve been caught off-guard (like me haha). really enjoyed the solving cases aspect of the show as well, it was so satisfying when they solved a case.
the acting was solid, maybe the ML could have had better expressions but overall i felt that the cast (esp. supporting cast) did great! i loved FL and second ML so much! there are certain recurring characters which add even more spice to the dynamic, which i honestly don’t mind at all. the fight scenes were actually pretty solid for a low budget drama too :)
one thing i love about this show is that there is no love triangles between the main leads (aka no second lead syndrome!). the 2 couples in the show fit perfectly and although the bromance is really strong here, this is one of those shows where i don’t mind the romance :) the romance was also nothing too complicated, as i feel the highlight wasn’t the romance, but it complemented the plot nicely.
the ost is amazing, i love the ending theme because the lyrics fit the characters nicely. esp. when they used it in certain scenes, uwuuu the feels came hitting hard.
overall, 24 eps was too short for me T.T i would’ve loved a 50 eps historical mystery drama. & i need a season 2 asap. just wanted to fangirl abt this drama somewhere so i decided to post my thoughts about it here. hope y’all have a good day and perhaps give this drama a watch!
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This review may contain spoilers
Surprisingly entertaining with a couple of exceptions
After a while the outcomes became predictable, and the plot repetitive. However, I did enjoy the little storylines and how Jian solved the mystery. The interactions between the characters were very entertaining, and I wish that there could have been more development of the individuals and their relationships. Unfortunately, 24 episodes don't allow for that and that was a waste of a potentially good long story.I liked the understated love story of the ML & FL - their chemistry was a bit of a slow burn but was there. I wish the second couple could have had their happen ending as well - and we might have had a third couple if the drama was longer. Alas, too many possibilities in too little time. The only reason I gave this drama such a high rating was the performance of the actors.
The ending was very unfulfilling. In fact, I stopped short of the 'big reveal' that would have left me scratching my head and wondering what just happened! Without the indication of a continuation, that was pretty lousy after getting invested in the main character. Having read the reviews and gotten a heads-up about the ending, I was able to quit watching as they rode off into the sunset together - the last 4 characters. I can honestly say I won't re-watch this unless there is a second season and I need to refresh my memory.
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A Wonderfully Ancient Mystery
This was styled a bit differently than all the drama I've watched thus far. There was an overarching mystery to solve, but every 3-5 episodes there was a new murder/plot to contend with. It was more grim and serious. And while there was romance, it was more of a secondary thing. Honestly, I really enjoyed it. I just wish there was a season 2, to resolve the few lingering questions at the end.Things that impressed me:
- The females (all of them really) in this weren't annoying. There was none of that overly cute and dumb thing that is rampant in C-Dramaland. The main female is an assassin and I love her iciness to bits. LOL.
- The wuxia aspect was nice. Lots of fighting. Who doesn't like that?
- Rachel Wang, Wang Yan Yang, Du Ya Fei, and Wang Xing Wei were pretty to look at.
- Even though some parts were predictable, there was still other parts that weren't.
- The fierce bond of friendship between the two male leads. Bromance. (Not the BL kind.) <3 <3
Overall, the drama was wonderfully executed. Everything tied together really well in terms of: production, script, acting, cinematography, etc. It's truly the result of great teamwork.
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Mind gaming enigma
Ancient detective is more than just a drama, it presents human raw emotions at its lowest, fear, apathy, guilt, and grief is like a hook that doesn’t let go if you don’t put up a fight there were plenty of characters with different backgrounds and desires but at the end of the day they all had something in common. Ancient Detective makes you feel surreal till the point you feel as if you’re solving the cases yourself.1) Acting
I’m a novice on diferencing between bad, good, and great acting, but overall I think it was good, some characters made me happy some made me furious, but none made as sad as Buzhi it was quite sad watching as the story progressed.
2) OST
There was this one song that I really loved it was played throughout the serie various time, it’s called 再见你 by 刘沁 if anybody wants to check it out, the main intro wasn’t to my liking there are little times when I really like one.
3) Plot
Throughout the story the decisions the characters made were the ones that made me furious most of the time, sometimes I felt like they took the long and hard way rather than using some common sense, they were quite some details that just kind of shouldn’t belong in the story but overall the rest it’s great.
This is my first time reviewing a drama, I never do it because well, I’m quite lazy and I don’t really find series that I actually enjoyed a 100%, but Ancient Detective was one of those, I really had to do a review on it because of how great it is, I can’t wait for a second season!!
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what surprised me most about this drama was the cinematography and the intense action scenes. the scenes in the first case especially had some beautiful shots. speaking of cases, each case wasn't intricate but it was good enough for the audience to make their guesses without using extreme and detailed knowledge. i also enjoyed the side characters that we see throughout each case that Jian Buzhi and his friend Zhao Wohuan came across. however, i wasn't a fan of the romance between Jian Buzhi and Zhan Shiqi. it didn't bother me that much but i just think their romance could have been non-existent.
overall, i recommend this underrated drama for anyone who likes detective dramas. even if you're not into this kind of genre, i think you will like Ancient Detective anyway.
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As I began watching it, I was 110% drawn to the 2nd male lead instead, Zhao Wo Huan (played by Wang Yan Yang). As some people have mentioned, he gave me STRONG Xiao Zhan in The Untamed vibes. He's a skilled fighter, charismatic, playful but cunning, wears a lot of flattering dark clothes, and even physically looks a bit like him (albeit a bit more masculine). The 1st lead in this, Jian, is not as attractive in both physicality and charisma. He plays a very straight-laced do-gooder Detective and doesn't have very many layers to unpack. He is as he comes (so far). I like the more dynamic, more fun scenes when Wo Huan is involved.
As far as the plot- I'm only 5 episodes in so I can't say much. I will say I have a personal bias against closed-door whodunits and that's what it's felt like up until this episode when they finally ventured outside of the villa so we'll see how it goes.
Ep. 18 Update
I like the character development of both of our leads.
Seeing Jian lose his calm demeanor and get so shaken by Shi Qi leaving was a nice change from his normal stoic and rigid personality. Zhao has also grown immensely.
Ep. 24 Update
Overall, I enjoyed this drama for several reasons.
- The bromance and the 2nd lead overall, were fascinating and fun scenes to watch. I loved watching their bond grow and persevere through the different trials they went through. I also really loved that they both grew as people through their friendship.
-The OST is really nice. I love that it's mixed between the traditional Chinese flute you'd typically hear and more modern music, like Beethoven. The main song that came on whenever a scene played between our 2 romances is really pretty.
-The twist at the end. Very cool. Even though I didn't like the whodunit format this show followed more often than not, the twist at the end made me intrigued toward the next season.
-Have I mentioned how much I love the 2nd ML? Guhh.
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Entertaining, but there are some lull moments. Very well produced but i won't rate it among the top league. Nevertheless worth a watch and it is quite a short series. Almost like Dr Qin but with a setting in ancient times.
I would have ended my review here but it would not allow me to submit the review because it is less than 500 characters long. So i have to add a few more comments.
If there is a sequel, i am likely to watch it as the ending suggested that there is more than meets the eye.
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One of 2020's best mystery dramas
This was a very interesting watch. The suspense and mystery kept going and didn't die down like most of other mystery-based shows. The length of the show is just right too. There are no draggy moments and each episode was filled with action and second guessing. Towards the end of the show when Mr. Bai had that monologue of 'some secrets are better kept hidden in death', I already knew who Jian Bu Zhi was. This just got more interesting when it was revealed at the end. What's in store for season 2? Will past events continue to haunt our ML? I'm sure it will. The more important question is how will he face the past, especially if everything he knew about himself were all lies? Also, I feel really sad for Mingyue and Zhao Wo Huan. They deserved a happy ending. It's true, MY wasn't Zhan Shi Qi. She's a child of the killing sect. But still, she is also a person, and she is entitled to make her own decisions. She chose to go back to her world, because unlike ZSQ, she has real responsibilities. I want to know what will become of them in the next season.I want to say more about the...
Acting. They're all pretty good. The main leads and supporting roles all acted pretty great. Facial expressions were all on point and there wasn't any over-the-top performances.
Dubbing. You know, there are great shows but with terrible dubbing and that makes the viewing experience become terrible as well (yes, I'm looking at you, General and I). But this show was really great, I haven't seen any flaw in the dubbing. I loved all the VAs.
Wuxia. It was OK.Although it wasn't the best, it was passable and it was actually better than most wuxia shows. The fighting scenes weren't exaggerated and there weren't many slow motions.
Music. Oh the music is perfection. The opening music is very fitting, very suspenseful. The ending song, See You by Liu Qin pierced though my very soul. It's now on repeat in my playlist.
Direction. I haven't seen anything that I can point out as a flaw. I think it was directed meticulously, and I'm sure they also put in a lot of effort in the post production to make it perfect.
Cinematography. There weren't any breathtaking scenes of landscapes and nature, but the filming locations weren't all that bad as well.
Overall, I truly enjoyed watching this show and I'm extremely excited for what's next. I hope I won't wait long.
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an investigative, martial arts, love series filled with serious loopholes/flaws
i think parts of the challenges when producing this series as a whole are limited budget, deadline/s, story board design, the quality of creative story writing, directing, and editing. the series as a whole gives a bit of the impression like watching 80s era CDrama, but this can be misleading. one thing for sure is, this series has the actual potential to really standout and be bigger than the way it is now.i am unimpressed with the way the major murder cases and the unveiling of the truths and investigations unravel. there are many loopholes or cracks in the story and plots. lots of the so called analytical reasonings and the conclusions derived to solve the murder cases do not make much good sense to me. but it may just be a personal preference thing.
the story, plots, characterization, and dialogues tend to be more interesting separate from the episodes and segments dealing directly with the murder cases. episodes and segments dealing with the murder cases tend to be flawed from logical standpoint. these could have been written, performed and directed better to make the series truly standout. this series also suffer from certain segments that are not original. it is a possibility that good detective storytelling and good analytical reasoning processes are not the director and screenwriter/s strong points or forte. either that, or it's either the director screwed up big time, or the screenwriters screwed up big time, or both.
the string-fu (wire props) and martial arts choreographies are pleasantly enjoyable and can sometimes feel artsy. the quality of the camera/s used are pretty good, the ways majority of the shots/frames are good, too. but these alone would not suffice to redeem the overall quality of the series. i like the way the director and whoever are involved in the stage setup selected many of the natural environments, and also the buildings and city backdrops. on a minor note, there might be a few of the backdrop sceneries, especially involving buildings that appear to have been used before in other CDrama series, but i might be wrong.
one of the major letdown in this series is the arrangement and selection of background music/sound. often, they do not fit the segments and poorly arranged/selected, and sometimes can feel more like an annoyance. i feel the quality of the series as a whole would also be slightly enhanced were the arrangement and selection of background music/sound executed better.
several of the supporting actors' acting are affective and enjoyable. throughout the entire episodes there are several actors that perform as best as they could to portray and bring to life their respective characters. i actually think some of the supporting actors act their respective roles better and more consistently than the leading actor acted his. there are, of course, other supporting actors whose acting are inconsistent and disappointing. i feel that the acting and character portrayal of the main male protagonist become better in the latter episodes, especially starting from episode 17-18-19 onward. but you could probably observe some inconsistencies here and there. i am not too sure i am not particularly impressed with the main actor's acting in many of the episodes; perhaps, it is something from his eyes/gaze.
in retrospect, it is easier to sympathize and empathize with the main female character portrayed by the leading actress early in the series. the only drawback, perhaps, is that the leading actress's potential is limited by the director's skill/vision/experience/ability, the dialogues written by the screenwriter, and the extra guidance/mentoring for her to bring out her full potential in the series. part of me actually wished the main female protagonist should get more focus on character development and screen time.
ep 1-2, 1st murder case
Dialogue/Story/Plot/Acting/Set/Logic = C+/C/C-/B-/B-/D
ep 3-10, 2nd murder case
Dialogue/Story/Plot/Acting/Set/Logic = C+/C/C/B-/C/D
ep 12-15, 3rd murder case
Dialogue/Story/Plot/Acting/Set/Logic = B-/C/C+/B/B-/D
the last big murder case is less than an episode long involving the public style murder of Old Master Wang during the flash of thunderbolt explosion. i am not dwelling on the dialogue, story, plot, acting and set. but i'll give a C for the logic.
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This is what drama should be!
This is up there with Alchemy of Souls and The Untamed. It was riveting. Every actor and actress played their part to perfection.The story is genius level. The characters are impeccably written and fleshed out. I pretty much forgot the actors were acting...kind of.
The costumes, the scenes, the props...everything was perfect. It leaves me wondering why most dramas aren't to this caliber. And why hasn't everyone heard of this drama?
I discovered "Ancient Detective" practically by accident. It's what I always want to watch, and I loved the male lead and his loyal friend.
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Delight of a show!
Not the greatest wuxia, not an amazing mystery show, BUT...This is a show that's much more than a sum of its parts.
Especially after I learnt it wasn't a big production, that it's a small budget web series, I can't but marvel at how good it is.
Beautiful to look at, the fights look excellent.
And the actors are wonderful, the story well written with lots of setup and payoff.
You absolutely can guess the big twist early (ep1 for me), but it doesn't make it not satisfying.
The romances also work very well.
It seems unlikely to get a season 2, but I am still hoping for it!
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Very unique, intriguing, mesmerizing - will make you beg for more
Oh boy, Ancient Detective is one of those rare but golden treasure, hidden among the vast amount of dramas.Story
Intriguing, thrilling, and will make your mind explode at the logic and the mystery that each tale holds. It's the type of story that makes you want to learn more but lets you learn bit by bit in each episode. It may be your typical "whodunit" but the process of finding clues and catching the killer, interrogating suspects is well told and it's just so... amazing. MIND BLOWN all the way
Cast
GREAT CASTING. I've never watched dramas from this set of actors before but they exceeded my expectations. The acting wasn't cringy, it seems so real and in line with the tone whether it was a time to get serious, sarcastic, fun, tragic, and so on so forth. The main leads and the supporting acts did a really good job of getting the viewers to feel like they're one of them and are with them on their journey. The acting was top-notch and never felt fake, they relayed their emotions well and the chemistry for me was there.
Music
This is the first Chinese drama that I've watched with an opening that doesn't have any lyrics and yet it was one of the best openings I've seen! The music from the opening gives you the vibes of going through a world, their world, and will make you want to watch in awe. Aside from that the songs used does suit the scenes well.
Production
What can I say but oh boy, the main reason aside from the story that made me watch the drama more and more was because of the amazing and very cinematic feel starting from the camera shots up to the costumes, sceneries, the settings... everything was super cinematic. So huge applause to whoever did the camera works for this, I hope I can see more dramas that are just as cinematic as this one.
REWATCH? DEFINITELY! Once you've finished the drama, I bet you'll watch it again to see what you've missed.
THIS DRAMA IS REALLY GOOD, MUST WATCH 10/10
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