Modern Wuxia. Fun, action-packed ride with great character relationships. Don't expect romance.

Modern Wuxia. Gravity defying fights. Secret sect with masterminds vying for power. Cipher leading to ancient hidden treasure. Smart colorful villains and grey wild card characters. All lead by a young orphaned man on a quest to find his mother and uphold justice in this world.

Chu Yi Han (Wang Zi Qi) has 3 days to go into the Northwest Wolf den to rescue his mother and bring down the crime syndicate. Insanely skilled in combat, versed in 4 languages, unconventional adaptation abilities, unwavering drive, he is the best police candidate. He is the worst undercover agent. "Do killers have such nice skin?" Everyone knew he was sus. Even better, he knew they knew. But they didn't know who he worked for. Leveraging this confusion, in an intriguing cat-and-mouse game, Chu Yi Han, deftly avoided death, prolonged the timeline, getting closer and closer to his goals.

This isn't a tale of a brash, lone wolf overcoming a succession line of one bland big boss after the other. Rather, a traumatized cub, supported and nurtured by a his pack, fighting together against a well-integrated kingdom of brilliant, layered humans. Humans with understandable motives and fears, with enemies and loved ones. A fantastic balance of cliffhangers, unexpected humor, familial relationships deeper than blood, and tears.

Our hero "leaves the mountain" and is thrusted into the dark underworld. This is an action drama, not an investigative mystery. The biggest unknown is whether the charismatic smiling person facing him will kill him today or tomorrow. His North Star is the support of his 3 fathers, his best friend, and the belief that his mother is out there waiting for him.

The production company, Jebsen, while known for excellent professional police and uniformed dramas, romance tends to be a cold side dish instead of the showy main course. Do not expect romance! Do not expect romance! Skip the next paragraph so that you do not expect romance. XD

Perhaps, because I wasn't looking for romance is how I got it in spades. This is is the 2nd cooperation between the leads of The Imperial Coroner, Wang Zi Qi and Su Xiao Tong (Gu Lin Na). Our CP are too busy trying to stay alive to have any interactions. Finally, they have real scenes in Episode 12. Admittedly, it may be my love for their past lives, but I felt a synergistic, fated, star-crossed love between them. "Can I be your friend?" met with his silence. Ah, the tragedy. Chu Chu became Na Na, Wang Ye became Officer Chu. Her surname became his. This love is highly YMMV. But once it hits, each moment is full of longing. Their beauty is in the unspoken, having the blank space to fill the void with lost potential.

Chase The Truth is the 2nd of 5 planned serial dramas by Director/Screenwriter Zhao Junkai. He is great at choosing fantastic actors to bring his visions to life. Because I liked these characters and performances so much, here they are in detail XD:

Chu Yi Han (Wang Zi Qi). In a cast of well-acquainted veterans, our lead is able to hold his own. WZQ's strength is being malleable, bringing freshness to each character. He was in 5 dramas this year, 5 different genres, 5 characters different from each other and from himself. He went from Chu Yi Han to Xin Qi the next day. There are rough edges, but his subtle charisma, detail design, and ability to have natural chemistry with each actor make the performances engaging. And Chu Yi Han is several characters in one. Upright cop, deceptive gangsta, filial son/grandson, bratty nephew/disciple, controlled & repressed emotionally, volatile maniac, shy & hesitant-in-love puppy, flirty and sexy wolf. Seamless. On a primal level, it is FUN to watch him beat people up. But then you cry with him as he becomes a lost little boy. The tears and sobs hit as powerfully as his kicks. He is the soul and each interaction propels the story.

Uncle Cheng Fan (Tian Yu) became Chu Yi Han's primary father figure when his mother, Lin Ke, went undercover 10 years ago. His sloppy, frivolous, joking appearance deceives his opponents, allowing him to get into their minds and overpower them psychologically. This is Tian Yu's comfort zone, but he is always impressive. His interrogation of serial killer Long Qi and his scenes in Episode 24 are masterful. It is his warm, bickering, protective relationship with Yi Han that is the core of the drama. I could watch 100 of their home scenes. Cheng Fan nags, Yi Han scoffs, Cheng Fan tells long-winded story, Yi Han is amused, Cheng Fan lies, Yi Han busts him, Cheng Fan almost kills his ward, Yi Han adds another survival technique to his toolbelt. Hahaha. That is their relationship.

On the flip side, Chu Yi Han is always reverent to Chief Tai Yong Zhong (Du Yuan). A role that can easily be underappreciated, Chief Tai is the patriarch, Cheng Fan's and Duan Qing's Shi fu. He is caring, strategic, and embodies a conflicted leader who has to send his people into danger. A quiet strength, it is unquestionable how he became Chief. He is fatherly to Cheng Fan and grandfatherly to Yi Han. Yi Han is softer with him. The Chief's hesitation and doting smile show how much he loves this kid. Powerhouse actor, probably the best that I have seen in this type of role in recent years, he gave me unexpected tearful moments.

Sha Xiao Fei (Zhao Xun) is Chu Yi Han's underworld boss and punching bag. An odd couple, enemies to begrudgingly respected allies, every scene with Yi Han is exhilarating. Insanely magnetic, Zhao Xun is the best actor of the younger than 40 group. His Xiao Fei is mercurial but has a tragic vulnerability that makes you root for him. The romance with equally explosive Yi Yi (Fu Mei, who is captivating) is beautiful. One of the drama's best storylines is his arc with his father. I applaud the details, on-point emotions, logical but oft-not taken resolution.

Lao Qiang (Xia Huo Bin) is Xiao Fei's father. A paranoid, shrewd, manic depressive who should have been a psychiatrist in another life. Soft spoken with tension, the most ruthless villain, a perverse mentor/mentee relationship, his chess game with Yi Han is fascinating to watch.

Pei Yin (Xu Hong Hao) is our dastardly, romantic villain who gets under Yi Han's skin by dangling his mother's reunion and anointing himself "The Stepfather". Xu Hong Hao is theatrical, humorous and skirts the border of cartoonish but somehow comes out as controlled, calculating and menacing. Cute and icky, he amuses me and sends spine shivers each time he calls Yi Han "my son".

Yi Han can not measure up to his mother, Lin Ke (Liu Wei Wei), a brilliant undercover officer, stronger than all men in brains, combat and resilience. She didn't have many lines, but we instantly felt her connection to her son and pack. The way Xiao Fei spoke of her fondly, we knew she is worthy of admiration.

Tang Xiao Tian had the perfect guest role, Yu Da Luo. All guests should be like him. Lovable, observant, loyal and funny. He wasn't a tool character, his presence was felt throughout the entire drama. And yes, his bromance chemistry with Yi Han is sizzling.

In a BTS video when Yi Han was at the Wolf Den, someone asked why Long Qi was let out of jail for that scene. Uh, that's because the serial killer twins, Long Qi and Long Ba, were played by the second director, Hou Ji. Isn't that amazing?

Of course, this drama had areas that could be improved.

1. Image quality. Set your screen to max brightness. Perhaps it is the desert sand, but picture can be fuzzy. Furniture and set design fit the theme but are eye-sores. Italian Western Restaurant. Nuff said.
2. Choppy editing. Flashbacks are used to fill in suspense, but they may break the flow or add confusion.
3. Music. The OSTs weren't bad, just underutilized.
4. Suspended disbelief. The stunts are awesome but incredulous, best viewed as Wuxia fantasy. The Duracell Bunny technology powering the wide range listening devices is Matrix level.
5. Draggy exposition scenes. There were times that the audience already learned something, but the police must rehash that knowledge so that we know they know.
6. A couple of the Wolves were played by less dynamic actors. It is hard for everyone to be amazing, but they distracted from the story.
7. The romance. While it worked for me, for most it is unlikely to be enough. The timing of the romance talk in the later episodes also seemed out-of-place, but I will take my crumbs.

Besides the acting, 3 dimensional characters, & relationships mentioned above, there are so many good moments and strengths.

1. Well-designed structure. Instead of a linear progression of air-dropped baddies like other dramas, by having the Wolves be numbered (#1-7) like a traditional family, they became familiar to us and integrated in the story from the beginning. We anxiously anticipated their arrival and dynamics. Power shifted between players and it was interesting to see the last one standing.
2. Symbolism and literature add a bit of poetry to the masculine action drama. The lone wolf and wolf pack. Hints of Shakespearean tragedies like Romeo and Juliet with fated, star-crossed lovers without the foolishness and Julius Caesar, a tyrant betrayed by his brothers. A homage to Jin Yong, regarded as the greatest Wuxia writer ever, by testing the audience with his least known work. And literary classic, Water Margin.
3. The pacing is fast, like a roller-coaster, thrilling and fun, lots of upside down loop-de-loops with episodes 12 & 24 being the heart in your throat, deathly drops.
4. Strong women were present in this male-dominated genre. Na Na, the unknowing princess of the underworld, courageously defended her loved ones. Su Xiao Tong was moving in Na Na's first phone call with her father and her breakdown scenes. Yiyi was not a typical shallow mob girlfriend. She was devoted and fierce. And Dr. Mu (Yang Shu) was an equal partner to Cheng Fan in their mature, comfortable relationship.
5. Qiao Dan is a sleepy cutie and Captain Duan a tough, straight grouch.
6. The OST had a nostalgic feel. Su Xiao Tong's song was wistful and sweet.
7. The romance! If this was to your taste, it stimulated all the senses. Xiao Fei and Yiyi were salty and spicy. Yi Han and Na Na were a subtle, perfect balance of bitter and sweet, with lingering umami.

My fun/memorable scenes:
- All of Cheng Fan and Yi Han's home scenes
- Anytime Chu Yi Han beat Xiao Fei
- "Can I?"
- "Sorry. I may have hit him a bit hard."
- "I am lustful, OK?"
- Suspension Bridge Effect explains half of C-Drama romances ?
- Cheng Fan and Yi Han, last episode.
- "Shi Fu"
- The last line of the drama, a clever, perfect ending. Simplicity expressing great depth.

If you made it this far in the review, I hope you check this one out. It's an easy watch with lots of fun and heart-warming moments.

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"Le Petit Prince" symbolism adds unique depth to a fantastical story

A story within a story within another story. It's the untold 3rd story that makes this romantic drama deeply beautiful. My initial viewing, this was at best an average cliché rom-com, confused by its attempts at action, suspense and mystery. It was not until almost the end that I learned about the too well hidden homage to the French children's classic, "Le Petit Prince". A whimsical story with profound metaphors and lessons of life. This is a spoiler for those, like myself, who aren't familiar with it, but knowing is what makes this drama uniquely brilliant and worth savoring.

A Little Prince lived in a far away planet with 3 little volcanoes. He fell in love with a proud, silly rose, caring for her and protecting her from the wind and cold by placing her under a globe. She flirted with him, refusing to wake until she was fully radiant. He decided to leave when he felt like she was using him. Before leaving, she apologized for not showing him her love. She told him that she will try to be strong and protect herself without him. He regretted not knowing how to love her.

On his journey, he met many colorful characters, including a fox who taught him love. Why to love, how to love and build trust, to be responsible with love, how to appreciate love, how sometimes we must part with love, and how to cherish those memories. Yes, this is a children's story. In the end, the Little Prince learned how he should have realized the tenderness underlying her silly pretensions. She perfumed his planet and lit up his life. He wishes to return to her, but the story's conclusion is bittersweet and poetic.

"One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."

The creators put a lot of heart in paralleling the details of "The Little Prince", from design to music to characterizations and to storytelling. Song Yao, surrounded by flowers, her hair bun completes her rose bud appearance. Her power to attract men with electric eyes is vain, her silly airs, and her bravery in front of tigers symbolize the Rose. Qin Hao is the Little Prince, a lonely boy on a quest of discovery, inadvertently, learning about love. Visually, he doesn't have a scarf, but his neck is covered by turtlenecks and his coats flow like the Prince's. The drama follows their story of betrayal, dropping pretenses, learning to trust, developing love, supporting and protecting each other. Yao Yao brings life and love to Qin Hao while he nourishes and protects her.

The supporting characters also resemble those in the book. There's a vain man who only admired himself (SSL), a businessman never looking up from his counting (Jiang Nan Xuan), and one who only knows data but did not enjoy the items of their knowledge (Song Ling Ren). There are other character resemblances which I won't spoil here. People will believe you if you wear a nice suit. Even the Male Lead's disdain for mushrooms was explained. Each message was represented in the drama. It was exciting to excavate the symbolism.

The director is a big fan of Stephen Chow, some of the comedy plays on this. For me, it was witty and unexpected, but also had ridiculous slap-stick moments. I will remember "Guchi village", all the bleeps, and the silliness.

This drama is full of contrasts, which makes it interesting but may also make viewers uncomfortable with its disjointed feel. Just looking at the character posters where they are in an idyllic, bright garden compared to sleek, dark vibe of the drama poster, there is a mismatch. The story is fantastical, but the acting is grounded in realism. When Yao Yao taught Qin Hao how to act, one method is based on realism, the other breaks the 4th wall to provide political and life commentary. This is the drama's contradictory style.

The pacing feels off. Some of this was purposeful, to allow us to appreciate the unseen and see with our hearts. But the execution made parts dull, draggy, yet incomplete.

The biggest weakness is the business side, fire mystery and the villain. Plot logic may have suffered from censorship, but the motives of the villain can't be blamed on that. He is given dimensions (hello, BL), but he was predictable and not charismatic. The father's arc felt unfinished. I was not pleased by some of the later out-of-character decisions from our CP.

Ironically, the book's narrator was discouraged by "grown-ups" to continue his art to focus on more practical things. The screenwriter probably didn't intend for this part to be represented in her creative process.

Although the mystery was cursory, our characters' younger counterparts will pull at your heartstrings. Friendship, childhood sweethearts, brotherhood. These bonds were deep and moving.

Our actors played their roles well. This is Wang Zi Qi's 3rd CEO role, yet he is able to make him distinct. Our ML is burdened with trauma, reserved, and innately cautious. He is a fake CEO, therefore, he was more down to earth. When in love, he transforms into starry eyed, boyish cutie, which may be his trademark, along with the nimble eyebrows. He's the hilarious straight man among a full cast of quirky characters. It took me longer to warm up to Zhang Yu Xi, which is likely due to the character. Song Yao, like the Rose, has over-the-top pretensions and foolish bravado. But she won me over with her sweet, playful, and vulnerable portrayal. She looks like a rose! She also is just stunning. They have great chemistry together.

The 2nd CP were adorable and surprisingly well fitting. I didn't have to fast-forward them, phew. Each of the supporting characters, including Ji Cheng An, were fun and had dimensions. I ❤ Team Yao Chuan + SSL. Friends that tease each other, save each other, and are dependable. They were our orphaned CP's family. I particularly liked He Peng's SSL and Liu Zhe Hui's Gu Zi Jun. Both stole the show with their hysterical facial expressions.

Other strengths include the cinematography and music. It was too easy to take pretty screenshots. The music fit the atmosphere. Sleek, tango opening OST. Charming French BGM. Heart-breaking, romantic, and sexy interludes. Fun, catchy, whimsical ending OST.

The Little Prince advised the narrator. "You must never listen to flowers. You must look at them and smell them." Paradoxical? Communication is more than words. The drama's dialog was common, but the depth of emotional connections was palpable through the characters' actions and gazes beyond the surface. A drama of deception, it fooled me with its simplistic premise, only for me to discover its wisdom of love and friendship.

PS. I highly recommend reading "The Little Prince". Amazon Kindle, FTW. Very short read, full of meaning. Adults will appreciate the whimsy and reminders of cherishing the unseen. It has been a blast catching how the drama references it and has enhanced my experience.

PPS. Wait, wait, wait!!! I just found the ultimate poetic reference at the end of the book. Every detail is there. Jaw-dropping beauty.

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