Amazing and Compelling Show

Gosh I love this show! To me the story is highly compelling, from unraveling the mystery of Fan Xian's mother to the political power plays that are being worked around him. It's almost like watching a chess match, all players are masters. There are tension filled moments but many more humorous ones. I love that combination and Fan Xian is the most humorous one of all. The acting from the cast is amazing, ZRY is very charismatic in this role! Even the little actor who's plays young Fan Xian is great and I wish we could have seen a little more of him. And I'm in love with Uncle Wu! My only complaint is that I wish they could have added more layers to the female lead, she was little one dimensional, too sweet and sickly. All the fight scenes are awesome (especially loved Fan Xian vs the Saintess, and all the Uncle Wu action)! The introduction theme song is great, but absolutely love "Remaining Years" by Xiao Zhan, it somehow makes me want to sway like I'm a leaf in the gusty wind, LOL! I've re-watched this drama several times now and it's still great. Eagerly looking forward to another season, hopefully it's still coming, especially after that cliffhanger that they left us with!

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Visually stunning drama

First thing you will notice about this drama is how stunningly beautiful it is! Every shot & angle of the camera is used to enhance the richness of each scene. This show definitely reminds me of the US show, "24" where an anti-terrorism group tries to stop a bomb from blowing up. Even the concept is the same, with events unfolding within 24 hours of the day. The first half of this drama is so thrilling with non-stop action. You're literally on the edge of your seat. Along the way we get to know more about our characters. They make good use of flashbacks interposed throughout each episode to help us better understand them & their motivations. Not every "good" guy is an angel and not every "bad" guy is evil. They all of varying reasons for their actions, which I appreciate. The little snippets at the end of each episode either enhance a character, an historical fact, or plot point, which I love. The side characters also have rich backstories. The acting in this drama is phenomenal especially from Lei Jia Yin (our beloved sleuth-hound captain) & Zhou Yi Wei (Long Bo, one of our antagonists, who I had a great sympathy for in the end). And the appearance from Djimon Hounsou, who played complex slave trader Ge Lao, was a lovely surprise. The political maneuvering is typical of most palace intrigue stories, but it's not often you have the emperor getting a lesson in humility after encountering"his people" who in the end don't even recognize him as their emperor. I also loved learning about the historical details of the Tang Dynasty. It's great that you can enjoy a drama but also learn something too! This is definitely a drama that you have to pay attention too, it's cerebral and complex in it's story telling but also has action and suspense. Great combination for a great watch, highly recommended!

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Story about Love & Responsibility

This drama is amazing, please give it a try! From the acting of our two leads, CY & YZ, who have great chemistry, their performance gave me a full range of emotions: I laughed at their antics, cried so hard at the angst (pretty much every time they cried, I cried) and fell in love with their romance. The main plot was good, although I wish the motivation of our main bad guy was more nuanced, it was overall a great story. Every case our heroes ventured on in the mortal realm, showcased a lesson about love (something that can start out so pure can turn into something bad & obsessive). Loved also that we have a very smart FL, who came up with most of the plans/ideas in solving the cases and she also wasn't sidelined during fight scenes, she held her own. SML is also amazing, he loved our FL so much, but knew when to just be a great friend to her and also became blood brothers to our ML. I think they are the best TRIO in drama history. Our ML stayed true to his nature, sometimes responsibility and the caring for others needs to take priority over your own wishes. That's why I'm so glad we got that HEA, especially for our ML. The costumes were great, love the OST, directing was great too (love how he repeated the close up on the the eyes during some of the iconic scenes) Hope this drama wins all the awards!!

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Top Notch Tale of Revenge

This was my first ever Chinese drama and I have been re-watching it at least once a year ever since. It never gets old. In fact, I just finished another rewatch and wanted to convey how much I love this drama. It is #1 on my greatest of all-time list. The acting of main cast and supporting cast are superb. There really is no weak link in the acting department. The bad guys are really good at being bad guys and the heroes are great at being heroes, especially Hu Ge, who plays brilliant strategist Mei Changsu with a vulnerability that you cannot help but root for. Every one of his subordinates and friends would die for him to help him fulfill his plans. And I as viewer feel the same way! It's fascinating to see how all his precise and carefully made plans came to fruition one by one. The plot keeps building up the more episodes you watch. The romance of Mei Changsu and Ni Huang is heartbreaking, but so are all the amazing friendships as well. The introduction song is poignant, I never skip it when watching and the songs from all 3 leads are amazing! If you start watching this drama, I guarantee you will also re-watch every year! It is just that good!

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True suspense thriller

From the first scene of the drama, we are introduced to a hero that is not your typical hero. He' seems rude and anti-social (although there is reason for this), but what you'll come to find out throughout the drama is that he's very honest, not subjected to manipulation or bribery easily, and wants to do right by his job, which is to seek justice. The same is true for our female lead, she's definitely more likable but is also righteous in seeking justice. The two of them make a dynamic duo (opposite sides of law & order). It's great to see them form a lasting bond. Someone like Shi-mok often seems so lonely that its great to see at the end that he has friends. The murder itself is intriguing, but is just a small drop in the larger overall conspiracy that is swirling around them. There are also complex side characters, that you either love or hate, but they are never black or white. The chase scene in the beginning was thrilling and sets you up for the ride that the show will bring you on. I love the way they film the different scenarios that Shi-mok reenacts in his head when trying to figure out what happened. The look of the show also seems grittier, darker in tone, and the accompanying music adds to the overall feeling of suspense. Doing a re-watch, the drama is still great and that's due largely to the acting, writing, and directing of the show. You may know what is going to happen, but the excellent performances still pull you into the story.

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Great drama! Judge on it's own merits

Probably like most people, I judged and compared this drama to NIF1 on my initial watch and found it to be some what lacking, but the more episodes I watched the more I was invested in it, especially in our main family. I absolutely love the brotherly bond between PJ & PZ, the loving relationship between PZ & his wife, and the different yet loving ways Ting Sheng treats his sons. They are the heart of the drama!! PJ starts off very immature but learns throughout the story to be a great man, just like his brother and father! I love his journey. I also like that the Lin Xi is true to her profession, she wants to be a better doctor and doesn't put that above her romantic feelings. The plot is intricate enough culminating into great scenes towards the end of the drama. I love the opening theme song too, instrumentals work so well here. I've done a re-watch and still enjoy this drama!

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There are so many great things to enjoy in this drama! First off are all the relationship dynamics on display: family, friendship, colleagues. I love how the brothers Jae Chan & Seung Won take care of each other. They bicker and fight but are always there for each other! Hong Ju and her mom have a close, loving relationship, born out of their loss and grief. Woo Tak is a loner but will have a great friendship with our leads. Also love how protective his police partner is of him. Even at work, love how Hong Ju and her hyung are on equal footing, working as a team. Jae Chan and his investigator's relationship is also heartwarming, especially later on when we find out who he is to our main leads.

Actors Lee Jong Suk & Suzy actually have great chemistry together. It's the first time I really enjoyed Suzy's acting, she seems so natural and emotes well here. And I can now understand why Lee Jong Suk is so popular, he's great in this role.
Lee Sang Yeob is so good as our main antagonist too. His character is such a sleaze bucket.

The first few episodes are thrilling and a great start to the storytelling. It's a unique premise: to be able to see the future and then try to stop the crime from happening. Each individual case was intriguing. My only complaint is I wish we learned the rules of Hong Ju's gifts/powers more clearly. I really didn't understand it's origin or how it worked until much later on in the drama. And of coarse they had the usual trope of our main leads having met as kids, but in this instance I can forgive it, as it really does propel the story forward with their connection and the shared dreams.

The other great thing about this drama is the amazing OST. So many wonderful songs & ballads starting off with Eddy Kim to Henry. They all kind of have a dreamy quality that fits the drama! I could listen to it all day! Highly recommended!

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