Memorable but...
This is a review based on a second attempt to re-watch the series as I recall having watched this many years ago. It is a memorable series because as the characters come to screen, they were all still very recognizable despite how long it has been. This is not something that can be said about many other ones I've seen.
Positives:
- The plot itself is relative interesting with good twists.
- There are some very likeable and fun characters where the supporting actors/actresses play their roles well.
- The comradery was rushed but still good with a nice layer of humorous interactions.
- There were pockets of good action scenes.
Negatives:
- The two main roles, Chen Chang Sheng and Xu You Rong, were just really dull. No chemistry with their romance which the series played on heavily and both barely had a different expression throughout the entire 52 episodes. The supporting roles really were the ones who carried them.
- Chen Chang Sheng is supposed to be this righteous victim of circumstances but there are areas where he just comes off as a hypocritical narcissist.
- While the overall plot itself was good, too many scenes felt very repetitive and much too drawn out. Skip large sections at a time and you wouldn't be missing much. To top it off, the scenes where they should have spent more time to bring more depth to the characters, were brushed over too quickly.
- The fantasy visuals and hand gestures were amateur and sometimes cringe but not over my personal threshold of lenience.
I feel slightly conflicted with the scoring because there were some very positive areas that keeps you interested as you anticipate what's to come next. But the flow was done poorly midway through and the main protagonists themselves were either given poor direction/dialogue or needs improvement with their acting abilities. It's a shame because the story itself had good potential.
Positives:
- The plot itself is relative interesting with good twists.
- There are some very likeable and fun characters where the supporting actors/actresses play their roles well.
- The comradery was rushed but still good with a nice layer of humorous interactions.
- There were pockets of good action scenes.
Negatives:
- The two main roles, Chen Chang Sheng and Xu You Rong, were just really dull. No chemistry with their romance which the series played on heavily and both barely had a different expression throughout the entire 52 episodes. The supporting roles really were the ones who carried them.
- Chen Chang Sheng is supposed to be this righteous victim of circumstances but there are areas where he just comes off as a hypocritical narcissist.
- While the overall plot itself was good, too many scenes felt very repetitive and much too drawn out. Skip large sections at a time and you wouldn't be missing much. To top it off, the scenes where they should have spent more time to bring more depth to the characters, were brushed over too quickly.
- The fantasy visuals and hand gestures were amateur and sometimes cringe but not over my personal threshold of lenience.
I feel slightly conflicted with the scoring because there were some very positive areas that keeps you interested as you anticipate what's to come next. But the flow was done poorly midway through and the main protagonists themselves were either given poor direction/dialogue or needs improvement with their acting abilities. It's a shame because the story itself had good potential.
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