1
2Can't judge a book by its cover.
Judge Dee is one of the most widely adapted and iconic ancient Chinese detective figures in popular culture. Di Renjie, or Judge Dee was a prominent Tang Dynasty official and twice chancellor to Empress Wu Tzetian. In the 19th century, Dutch sinologist and diplomat Robert Van Gulik translated an 18th century novel by an anonymous author Dí Gōng Àn/狄公案/Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, into English. He went on to write numerous other Judge Dee mysteries, increasingly crafting Judge Dee in his own image. Van Gulik's books are regarded as a cultural bridge between East and West. They were devoured by the Chinese diaspora long before Tsui Hark fanned the flames with his wildly popular Detective Dee movies.Judge Dee's Mystery/大唐狄公案 loosely adapts nine cases from Van Gulik's novels for the small screen. This drama has notably high production values with lavish sets and costumes designed to create an immersive visual experience. The cases are well crafted with meticulous attention to detail and pay homage to Judge Dee's reputation as a people's hero; a champion of truth and justice for the common people. The cases highlight the discontent at some of Empress Wu's policies and shortcomings of the Tang Code, China's earliest legal code. Di Renjie gained many insights on the struggles and aspirations of the common citizens as magistrate of many important provinces across the empire. This shaped him into a great statesman and reformer in his later years; a chancellor often known to stand up to the formidable Empress.
This is the kind of drama that I should love - its my favorite genre featuring my favorite Chinese detective, set in my favorite Chinese dynasty and is helmed by a few of my favorite actors. The fight scenes are fantastic and the whole thing just looks gorgeous and bloody expensive. Which just goes to show you, you just can't judge a book by its cover. Because even though there are some really great moments, overall this drama just bored me silly.
The problem with the cases is that the four episode are too long when the villain is usually obvious from the beginning. There is not enough development of the suspects or the victims to make the audience care about the why-did-it. The audience also does not get to participate in the solution. Instead, the intricacies of the how-did-its are revealed as flashbacks in Judge Dee's mind's eye. The cases do get better in the latter half as they tie into Judge Dee's past and are shored up by the appearance of characters like Diao Xiaoguan (Zhang Ruoyun) and Lin Fan (Jiang Yi). Even then, the writing tends to tie the minute details together well while leaving big gaps on important things. Thus it is never fully explained what Diao Xiaoguan's motives were or what terrible thing the young scion of a noble household did that got him disowned and left to fend for himself.
The biggest issue with this drama is that Zhou Yiwei pretty much carries the entire crime-solving team by himself. None of the supporting characters are well designed and there is zero chemistry between Ma Rong, Qiao Tai and Judge Dee. This is made even more obvious when Deng Xiaoguan shows up and there is a tangible difference in the dynamics between everyone. Both of Dee's sidekicks appear and disappear inexplicably in the middle of a case as and when the plot requires. Ma Rong is written to be a comically obnoxious character but there is nothing funny about her obnoxiousness. This is the obvious the weak link in the cast and one that is utterly lacking in charisma that unfortunately gets too much airtime. Inasmuch as Zhou Yiwei and Wang Likun deliver a heart-stopping and mature portrayal of attraction and love at first sight, sadly Cao An is written to be a blank character; an elegant musician well past her youth clinging to a silly girlish fantasy over a highwayman (face palm). She only serves decorative purposes until the final case, where she finally gets to shine with her bravery and her foolishness.
In conclusion, this is a visually stunning production that stays true to its source material in terms of setting and thematic elements. However, despite some exciting and well choreographed action scenes, it fails to deliver truly captivating mysteries and is bogged down by lackluster supporting performances. While the cases in Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty (2022) are only a tad more tightly written, the humor and fantastic crime solving team dynamic elevates that series over this one. That said, Judge Dee's Mystery is not a terrible way to pass some time even though it ultimately falls short of making a lasting impression. I rate this Seasons 1 a 7.5/10.0. Season 2 has been filmed and should air by early 2025.
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Everyone is responsible for the Result of their own actions and decisions.
The main question presented in the series is, Should one support lesser evil to achieve greater good?This series is adapted from the Dutch author Robert van Gulik’s novel of the same name. However in my opinion it is loosely based rather than adapted as the original stories are changed quite a lot. Youku gives a disclaimer in the beginning of each episode, "It is a work of fiction. Any resemblance (to real historical figures) is purely coincidental". Judge Dee (also known as Ti Jen-chieh or Di Renjie), the hero of Robert van Gulik’s 'Judge Dee' mystery series, is purportedly based on the historical Di Renjie (630–700), chancellor of Empress Wu Zetian during the Tang Dynasty, who earlier in his career served as a district magistrate.
This series includes a total of 9 cases solved by Judge Di Renjie. Each case is resolved within the span of around 3 to 4 episodes. In the beginning of the series, Di Renjie( Zhou Yi Wei) is portrayed as a disillusioned person, uninterested in joining the court. Without a doubt, he is a brilliant person having forward thoughts, suitable to help shape a dynasty. On the other hand Empress Wu Zetian (Zhong Chu Xi) is Introducing many 'new' reforms in the country benefitting the common people. However she is facing massive opposition from the majority of courtiers who believe a woman should not be given too much authority.
Empress Wu Zetian is impressed by Di Renjie but she thinks he needs more experience before he can be of any help to her. So after passing the imperial examination, Di Renjie is appointed as a magistrate of Penglai county, a remote frontier. At the end of the 4th episode Di Renjie appoints Hong Liang (You Yong) as his inspector, Ma Rong (Zi Ling) and Qiao Tai(Ji Ta) as his attendants. This ragtag group goes to the Penglai county to start their journey. In Penglai county Di Renjie meets Cao An (Wang Li Kun) who becomes Do Renjie's confidant and lover, becoming a soundboard for Di Renjie's inner thoughts and conflicts. Throughout the series the Empress Wu transfers Di Renjie to different places where he encounters different problems, faces varied situations and resolves the plight of local people. Empress Wu wants Di Renjie to gain experience so that later he could serve as her advisor in the court.
Di Renjie is warned by Grand Secretariat Wei Wuji - "you think all the new is good and right. But the 'new' means changes, chaos, severed heads and bloodshed and saber rattling and fight. "
Di Renjie is of the opinion, "A reform means replacing the old with the new. We should examine it's purpose and means. Now, new policies have been enacted. The new laws benefited the people, allowing them to live in peace."
In ancient China, a judge's role was that of a father figure in the society. He was a link between the rulers and the common people. Di Renjie proves to be an exemplary judge because besides his great observational skill, deduction ability, attention to detail and lightning fast reflexes, he also has compassion for people and a strong drive to uncover the truth while serving justice. Even when presented with bizarre cases, he finds a rational explanation. He disbelieves in coincidence and fate and is convinced that everything is planned, dictated by logic.
There are three story arcs to the series, the major arc is the change in the system due to Empress Wu's reforms and its implications faced by officials as well as Di Renjie gaining experience in order to later aid Empress Wu in court politics. The second arc is to discover Di Renjie's father's past, to understand what circumstances led him to commit suicide. Somehow Cao An and Heiyan are connected to his father's past. The third arc consists of all the short cases that Di Renjie solves.
I feel that somehow the method of solving the cases in the beginning didn't allow room for the audiences' deductions because only after Judge Di reaches a conclusion, the audience become aware of the importance of the clue. Hence the audience becomes mere spectators to the brilliance of Di Renjie and not active participants in the case solving. The later cases were quite simple as they were mere means to drive the story of Emotions VERSUS Law forward (greed, anger, ignorance, dislike, love, desire, hatred). To be a good judge, it is a prerequisite to be sagacious and impartial in upholding law, irrespective of the people involved. This becomes the underlying theme in later part of the cases.
Special attention is paid to details in the Script in order to recreate the culture, customs and traditions of ancient China. The lavish sets gives a feeling of grandiose. Detailed ornate costumes provides authenticity to the characters. The colour grading gives more cinematic aesthetics, the series is suited to be watched on the big screen to truly appreciate the picturisation. Cinematography is fantastic, comparable to any high budget cinema work. Breathtaking visuals of locations accompanied by strategic upbeat background music during key moments transports the viewers to the era of splendour. I feel a resemblance of the opening score and background score to the sound track of the movie 'Dune'. The intensity and tempo are a little different but the same kind of instrumental score accompanied by similar vocal is included in this series. Especially when the background music is played during strategic points of the case, it gives a hair raising subliminal effect.
The icing on the cake is the stellar Main Cast at the helm of the project. The series has also managed to rope in some popular as well as veteran actors for the Support Cast. All the actors perform their roles zealously making it possible for the viewers to experience the splendor of the era.
Overall: It is a good series, it is like a gourmet meal to be savoured slowly because there are lots of subtle dialogues, the whodunit is not as important as experiencing the culture of the period. Those looking for quick gratification and thrill of case solving may find it a little slow paced.
I have compiled notes on Detective Dee, Dutch author Robert Van Gulik, Empress Wu Zetian. I have also written summary of each cases in the discussion section of the drama page. Don't forget to read it for more information and details of this series.
Leaving links below for the notes.
1. Basic information
https://mydramalist.com/discussions/judge-dees-mystery/122837-basic-information-about-the-cases-and-judge-dee?pid=2949011&page=1#p2949011
2. All Nine case summaries, starting from case 1.
https://mydramalist.com/discussions/judge-dees-mystery/122837-basic-information-about-the-cases-and-judge-dee?pid=2957009&page=1#p2957009
I will also leave Clickable links of the above mentioned discussion section as a comment to this review.
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This review may contain spoilers
very high production detective drama ...
I'm not a fan of anyone from the cast And all of these are new faces to me But I'm more than impressed by their marvellous acting , just because i love detective theme in dramas and i have watched many dramas in this genre , but this is the best ...In terms of prodution , set , costume , their acting and their attitude all have reached perfection ... the best thing is here even ML is strong and knows how to fight with his great martial arts not like from other dramas where ML only uses his brain but have no strenght to fight ...
this drama is moving with a great pace and till ep 8 there is no romance involved ... i have never fastforward any scenes because the story is not draggy at all . ..
our ML whose name is Di renjie is a great observer of things even if there is no case going on but he still notices everything around him which makes him a great detective ... he has impressed empress in very early episodes so now he becames a magistrate of a small riverside country ...he also have a crush on a dancer Coa an ...
This drama has strength to become one of the best drama of 2024 ...i am really happy that my year starts with this great drama ..
wish this drama gets more popularity internationally , because i do not want any dramafan to miss this masterpiece ...
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A costume mystery drama with interesting cases, diverse characters and great fight scenes.
Mystery/crime-solving is one of my favorite genres, be it in books, film, or TV. So I picked up Judge Dee's Mystery, as it fits the bill. It reminds me of the Judge Bao series (包青天) that I watched many years ago.The drama is set during the Tang dynasty, at a time when Empress Wu Ze Tian was wielding great political influence. Di Ren Jie was personally picked by the Empress as someone she'll train and develop to become one of her trusted allies, so she assigned him to different places as magistrate.
There are interesting cases and investigations, diverse and multi-layered characters, and excellently choreographed fight scenes. I was guessing and solving the mysteries together with DRJ and his team. There were some slow moments in the later cases, but the series as a whole was able to sustain my interest. Although there are many distinct cases, the overarching story is Di Ren Jie’s growth journey, his steadfast belief in Tang’s law and justice system, and discovery of some events in his family’s past that is somehow linked to his present.
I like Zhou Yi Wei and Wang Li Kun's portrayal of Di Ren Jie (Judge Dee) and Cao An, respectively. DRJ is astute, has a sharp mind, great fighting skill and concern for the common people, but reserved when it comes to emotional matters. Cao An is pretty and has that classic and refined aura, is equally reserved, someone whom DRJ feels comfortable to open up to, and whose presence gives him a sense of calm (her music would make him relax). Theirs is not the passionate, showy type of romance, but a bit slow burn and more subdued. More than once, when they talked, Cao An was able to give DRJ a different perspective on a scenario. Their romance is secondary in this drama, but it's still worth watching.
Zhong Chu Xi is fitting as Empress Wu Ze Tian. She is beautiful, elegant and calculating. Although she does not have many scenes here, her presence looms in the story. I expect to see more of her in season 2. Ma Rong (played by Zi Ling) is one character who can sometimes be annoying with her impulsiveness and brash behavior, but we're sure of her loyalty to DRJ. Qiao Tai (played by Ji Ta) is calmer and more rational in the way he does things, and equally loyal to DRJ. Hong Liang (played by You Yong) is the steward of DRJ’s household, who also provides support to the team as they solve cases. The other characters appearing in the different cases were also convincing in their portrayal.
Final Verdict: Despite some slow scenes in the later cases, I was able to enjoy this drama and I look forward to season 2, especially after seeing the teaser at the end of episode 32! If you like mysteries, such as a cross between Judge Bao and Sherlock Holmes/Hercule Poirot style of investigation, I suggest to give this drama a chance, though you might need a little patience in some parts.
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This review may contain spoilers
One of the Most Entertaining Watch in 2024
There are very few instances where you are left stunned by the brilliance of the script. Coupled with a phenomenal casting, “Judge Dee’s Mystery” was a riveting tale of intrigue, mystique and societal reforms. It is easier said than done; one thing that I noticed throughout the show was Di Renjie’s steadiness. He isn’t someone who can be easily wavered; even in times when he was unsure of his emotions or decisions, he never denounced on his belief. His strong devotion to the Tang Code shines throughout the show, and he is a strict followers of rules. This series is adapted from the Dutch author Robert van Gulik’s novel of the same name and is loosely based on the life of historical Di Renjie (630–700), chancellor of Empress Wu Zetian during the Tang Dynasty, who earlier in his career served as a district magistrate. The series involved 9 cases, each spanning three to four episodes; the attention to detail is commendable. This was one of those dramas that wasn’t easy to guess; we might make speculations and in the end, we will still miss out on that vital clue which only Judge Dee notices. His intelligence is unparalleled and he is a brilliant investigator. As a magistrate, Judge Dee is someone who sets the example before expecting the people to follow him. Let’s talk about this show in detail!Read the complete article here-
https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/03/02/judge-dees-mystery-series-review/
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Excellent actors, Good editing and locations. Character and story building very good.
I never expected to ‘binge watch’ this drama but I did and I was not disappointed. Not sure why this drama has been so underrated.The actors all did a great job in telling the different mysteries. Time was expended to build the story of each mystery and at the same time slowly unraveling the key thread running through the series.
Fight scenes were well choreographed and entertaining to watch.
There is a slow burn romance.
Looking forward to series 2!
Highly recommended for those who appreciate mysteries. Also recommended for those who want to watch a good drama.
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An amazing show that's marred by the side kicks
You thought that China forgot how to make action wuxia dramas ever since they discovered CGI but out of no where, this appears.This is a old school Wuxia action drama that is so good, despite Di Ren Jie not looking as handsome as the other actors who have played him.
No finger pointing and hand seal that pretends to be a live action naruto drama here.
Di Ren Jie/Detective Dee is China's version of Sherlock Homes and people who love chinese dramas should be no stranger to him as there's already numerous dramas and movies about his adventures.
In 2024, This drama is a refreshing blast as we don't have over the top CGI and finger pointing fight scenes here. The drama is more reminiscence of old wuxia dramas and Jackie Chan/Donnie Yen movies.
The cases so far are well reasoned and interesting to watch as the people often cry of supernatural happening which is typical of the ancient people and there are enough action scenes to leave you on the edge of your seat. Sadly in the later half, the cases are not as good and the emotions of the characters take focus as they become personally involved.
One issue is perhaps the music could be better, as it is a little dull and obviously as mentioned above, very little romance if you really like the romance in your dramas.
While the first half of the drama is stunning, the latter half is sadly marred by the magistrate sidekicks. One was even gender-changed from male to female to bring some romantic-tension
After finishing the show, I can't help but feel that the show started amazingly. the first half of the show was superb. The sidekicks was tolerable but sadly, it all falls apart due to a disappointing second half. You can't help but feel sad when you read about the rumors regarding one of the sidekicks.
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Good drama
This is the first time I am watching a drama of Zhou Yiwei.He is an excellent actor I must say.His acting as Di Renjie in this drama is perfect.I liked the acting of the actors Ji Ta(Qiao Tai)and Zi Ling(Ma Rong) also.Their roles were good.
And the story is all about solving cases in the reign of Empress Wu Zetian as Di Renjie gets directly appointed by the empress herself.
Though I felt 2 cases were dragged,all the others kept me glued to this series.The investigation process,finding clues and logical reasoning were well presented.
All the other actors were good in their roles.
Fighting sequences were also good.
All in all I liked this drama and I am waiting for the next season too.
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Incredible acting: Not so incredible story
I am a fan of the Di Renjie franchise and have mixed feelings about this because I saw the potential of this drama from the very first episode but unfortunately, it didn't follow through. Let's break it down.1. Pacing and cases:
4 episodes for every case was damn long and sometimes plain boring, (with material on ground, they could have done 2 episodes per case and still not run out by the 100th episode fr) out of all his most interesting cases, these ones are the most bland. Come on, Di Renjie had empire shaking cases straight up from his origin days, but what's this? I could barely keep my eyes open halfway through the show because everything was so predictable.
2. Wu Zetian:
Normally, Renjie's stories focus entirely on him and push the empress to the background, but based on the first episode, I saw potential for different here but unfortunately, it didn't pan out.
3. Very good acting (slowpoke in the last few episodes, but I'll take that over cheesy any day), cinematography and clearly an expensive set. Gotta give it up to the actors, they tried with what they were given. You could tell they were trying to make Di Renjie look (I don't know if look is the word here 😂) 'human' away from his Obsessed God of Solving Cases vibez but I don't know if it was a success, depends on who's watching.
Conclusion:
It was a good drama, but it could have been better. I am conflict about the rating so I just gave it a high based on acting.
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Lawful Good types are the worst
Di Renjie is your typical cop/detective protagonist archetype – a dude who says they want to deliver justice for the everyday person – but then spends a lot of time faffing around and being a pain in the arse because they unwaveringly stick to their belief in the law. This is also makes him very, very dull.That's not to say the series doesn't have a couple of good moments. But my goodness, this made excellent watching to help me get to sleep. The pacing is slow. All the characters are underdeveloped. The visual production is nice but the audio was constantly having a bad hair day.
And all in all, am I really meant to like Di Renjie as a character? For someone that cluey, he never does seem to figure out that the law and justice actually don't really have much in common. And yet he's doggedly dedicated to be, well, a dog.
He seems to serve the interests of an empress that we see at the start and then never again until the preview of season 2. I'd perhaps be more interested if that relationship was explored a bit more. Instead, we just have to accept him as a stickler for the rules. Straight laced. Vanilla. Boring.
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Unraveling Emotions and Morality: A Personal Take on ‘Judge Dee’s Mystery'
I personally enjoyed this drama and finished it in just a few days. At first, I hesitated to watch because I didn’t find the male lead attractive. But I still gave it a try. In the end, it was able to keep me interested until the end. For me, this was a good drama. It made me question moral standards sometimes. I kept thinking about what was right and what was wrong while watching this drama, especially in the later episodes. This drama kept me wondering for days about things happening in the real world, about human emotions - greed, anger, ignorance, dislike, love, desire, hatred. It wasn’t as bad as others said. The plot is engaging, with a good balance of suspense, drama, and romance. The storyline progresses at a steady pace, keeping the viewers hooked till the end. The unexpected plot twists add an element of surprise, making the drama all the more intriguing. This deserved a higher rating.Was this review helpful to you?
Memorable fight scenes but unengaging story
As a fan of Detective Dee movies, Zhou Yi Wei did not work for me. Thinking back to some of the Detective Dee actors:Andy Lau
Yiheng Du (Who worked as Andy Lau's body double prior so Andy 2nd)
Mark Chao
The ideal image of Detective Dee is far from Zhou Yi Wei's. Not that he isn't a great actor, after all he was so good in Rebel Princess & Longest Day in Chang An.
It started out as a promising series with quality production and many familiar actors. Set, costume, lighting, makeup, all so good & the fight scenes were the best! Less (special effects) is more when you can see continuous sequence (if you like classic kung fu). Ep 24 where he fought 1:1 against the female was one of my favorite scenes.
The promising series quickly got killed by the storyline after 4 episodes. It was hard to stay engaged after the Empress was no longer part of the subsequent cases. I've watched it through for the fight scenes, but the cases were blah.....
Also, Zhang Ruo Yun listed as "Main" was not even a main actor. He was only a part of one case, and I don't even understand why the character was written that way. Totally didn't make sense to me, completely anticlimactic.
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