First Episode Recap: Legend of the Qing Qiu Fox

Legend of the Qing Qiu Fox 青丘狐传说 is like the Monster Killer cast reunion sans Wu Xin. Separated into six arcs, the first part is called Ah Xiu starring Sebrina Chen Yao as Hua Yue.

Episode 1 begins with a Zelda-like sequence of lush greenery and upbeat music as a tribe of nine-tailed foxes sprint across the fields of Qing Qiu. Everyone has gathered for the once-in-500-year harvest and it is said that whoever consumes the sacred fruit can gain immortality. 

Suddenly, something or someone takes over Ying Ning's (Xiao Cai Qi in green dress) body compelling her to warn Hua Yue (Chen Yao in red) that they are under attack. As the tribe moves out in defense, a masked woman seizes the opportunity to steal the sacred fruit and a lone Fei Yue (Kiton in purple) runs after the thief to no avail.

Since the attack was just a ruse, Ying Ning and Hua Yue find themselves in a frustrating position of your word against mine while tribe leader Liu Chang Yan (Jiang Jin Fu in middle white) takes the task of finding the real culprit. A hot-headed Hua Yue cannot stand the accusatory eyes staring her down so she leaves her worries behind and heads back to the human world.

Turns out that Hua Yue is extremely popular, living out her dreams of passion and romance and breaking many men's hearts. 

In comes demon hunter Zhuo Yun gliding down from the sky to capture Hua Yue for all the lives that she has ruined. Seriously thought he was Hu Ge (Nirvana in Fire) at first glance, or at least his silhouette anyway. 

A fight ensues but Hua Yue narrowly escapes after she saves a girl named Ah Xiu. Despite seeing that Hua Yue is a nine-tailed fox, the kind-hearted Ah Xiu returns the favor by giving Hua Yue a place to stay and the two easily become friends.

First Impressions: The weird ears are trending and even upcoming cdrama Ice Fantasy sports the same pointed ears. It's interesting though that the show tries to make a distinction between the nine-tailed foxes when Hua Yue says that she is not a seductive demon nor an immortal fairy but somewhat in between called a fox spirit. 

Legend of Qing Qiu Fox goes out of its way to create a magical realm that's very pretty to look at but it runs the risk of being just that, a beautiful but empty casing. 

The opening scenes are fairly rudimentary with an all too simple plot causing an entire tribe of powerful beings to leave their sacred tree unguarded at the most critical moment. The fight scene that follows is hard to take seriously as well especially amidst all the fake lanterns and computer generated background. 

While I have my reservations, things gets more interesting towards the second half when the drama plays up the life aspect rather than the wuxia. Never mind that the concept has been done plenty and the story likely a cliche, yet what I think can make or break this drama would have to be the characters and so far, Hua Yue and Ah Xiu are really turning up the charm such that I want to see what will happen to the two friends once a common love interest comes along. But then again, it could be my heightened euphoria from a Monster Killer reunion that is clouding my judgment.

For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2016 cdrama listing. 

Remembering Xiao Shi Yi Lang 2002

Because the upcoming adaptation had me itching for more, I re-watched the 2002 version of Xiao Shi Yi Lang 蕭十一郎 starring Nicky Wu (Legend of Zu), Athena Chu and Yu Bo. Without further ado, below are the memorable scenes that turned this TV series into a classic. Warning: spoilers ahead.

Xiao Shi Yi Lang (Nicky Wu) and Shen Bi Jun's (Athena Chu) love story began after an accidental meeting when the happy-go-lucky bandit Xiao Shi Yi Lang crashes through the roof on his way to steal the Deer Carver Sabre (Ge Lu Dao). Even though Xiao Shi Yi Lang succeeds, he decides to return the legendary sabre that will be used as Bi Jun's dowry when she marries Lian Cheng Bi. 

Multiple kidnappings attempts later and the two have developed strong feelings for each other as Shi Yi Lang happens to save Bi Jun time and again. Despite having second thoughts, Bi Jun ultimately carries on with the wedding for the sake of the Shen family. 

What ensues is a series of misunderstandings exacerbated by a constantly suspicious Lian Cheng Bi (Yu Bo) who is determined not to be made a fool. Beneath his kind and gentlemanly exterior is actually a perceptive yet distrustful man whose lack of faith in Bi Jun causes their relationship to wither from the very start. 

Because of his mission as the protector of the Deer Carver Sabre, circumstances keep bringing Xiao Shi Yi Lang and Bi Jun together whilst her relationship with husband Liang Cheng Bi is pulled further apart. When the three were trapped in Xiao Yao Hou's territory, Bi Jun selflessly stepped forward to save Xiao Shi Yi Lang in spite of Lian Cheng Bi's warning that her actions will ruin their marriage. 

Yet the series is not without its flaws, thanks to a meddlesome Lao Lao, a prejudiced Tai Jun (Bi Jun's grandma) and even a quasi-intelligent Bi Jun who is often deceived into hurting Xiao Shi Yi Lang. One such instance is when she stabs him with a sword after believing that he conspired with Xiao Yao Hou to capture Bi Jun's grandma. 

At times, the plot contrivance can be as silly as Bi Jun rushing in between two men in the midst of a fight so that the highly-skilled martial artist Xiao Shi Yi Lang can end up injured, effecting a much more dramatic scene. 

Feng Si Niang and Yang Kai Tai's story is quite well-developed despite being on the sidelines. Love triangles are painful enough and for Si Niang to be the fourth leg of that triangle would have been overkill so I'm glad that as the series progresses, Si Niang slowly gets over her childhood friend Xiao Shi Yi Lang and finds purpose in helping Yang Kai Tai recover from the loss of his father.

The second half of the series is when Lian Cheng Bi completely turns to the dark side creating innumerable problems for the good guys. Enraged over losing Bi Jun, he is pushed over the edge after overhearing that Tai Jun coaxed Bi Jun into marrying him despite Bi Jun's pleas to call it off.

While I don't disagree that Tai Jun should bear the brunt of the blame, a diabolic Cheng Bi exacts his revenge in the most despicable way possible. He offers the oblivious grandma a cup of tea that will cause her to lose reason and kill people every night, knowing that the only solution will be for Xiao Shi Yi Lang to become the bad guy by cutting off Tai Jun's head.

Half a year passes and Xiao Shi Yi Lang returns with a pregnant lady named Bing Bing who is actually Cheng Bi's sister Lian Cheng Jin. However, the two go through great lengths to hide Cheng Jin's identity, puzzling even her uncles Bai Yang and Lu Liu.

Sure enough, Lian Cheng Bi had to confirm his sister's identity so that he can finish the deed to kill her. Although his second attempt remained unsuccessful, Lian Cheng Bi's identity as the big bad clad in red is revealed. 

I can't end the posting without talking about the interactions between Xiao Shi Yi Lang and the masked man. Their dialogues while short are fraught with humor bringing out a pleasant father-son dynamic, which is a much-needed balance to the drama in Xiao Shi Yi Lang's love life. 

At least one thing in his life is going well given that Xiao Shi Yi Lang always had the masked man to look out for him, and not a stupid person who can be easily manipulated to stab him in the back or anywhere else because that has happened one too many times. 

The much-awaited reveal happens towards the latter part of the series when the masked Er Guo Tou finally pulls out the Deer Carver Sabre proving that he is none other than Xiao Shi Yi Lang's long-lost father. On a sidenote, I find it hard to believe that Xiao Shi Yi Lang couldn't recognize his father's face. It's not like he was that young when they were separated?

Hands down one of the most exciting battles in the entire series occurs in the last episode when Xiao Shi Yi Lang walks into an ambush of epic proportions where he gets backstabbed by not one but two of his close friends and has to face a multitude of assassins. 

Having been misinformed about Bi Jun's death, Xiao Shi Yi Lang still fought down to his last breath determined to take down as many people with him amidst the thrashing of swords. Fortunately, Bi Jun arrives in the nick of time to save Xiao for his final showdown with Lian Cheng Bi.

What drama would you like to remember next?

First Episode Recap: Chronicle of Life

The opening scenes of Chronicle of Life evoke a sense of nostalgia befitting the pervasive theme of unspoken melancholy that was apparent from its promotional stills and music accompaniment. 

Episode 1&2 starts with an aged Emperor Kangxi (Hawick Lau) basking in all his glorious achievements yet not without a wave of sentiment as he looks back to a time when he fell in love. 

Flashback to a teenage Kangxi who he sets in motion an elaborate plan to defeat Ao Bai, a veteran official greedy for power after serving three generations of Qing Dynasty emperors. Undeterred by several close calls, Kangxi succeeds and issues an edict to capture or kill any of Ao Bai's followers that attempt to resist.

The traitor in question is none other than Liang Er's father and her entire family is slaughtered by the imperial guards on her tenth birthday. As the sole survivor, Liang Er wanders the streets and gets captured by conmen. This is also the moment when she meets Kangxi who also happens to be on the run from a group of assassins. They escape on a horse and become close confidants oblivious to their tragic connection.

In order to lure the pursuers away, the two part ways and Liang Er arrives at the Na La residence where her childhood friend Na La Rong Ruo vows to protect her despite his father's objections over harboring a fugitive.

To help Rong Ruo's father, Na Lan Yi tries to kill Liang Er if not for Rong Ruo who stops him in the nick of time. However, the damage is done and Liang Er has lost all recollection of her past. In a way, the circumstances helped her case as she can now thrive as a palace maid under the name Wei Lin Lang (Zheng Shuang).

First Impressions: The Kangxi versus Ao Bai storyline has been retold time and again and it's an exciting moment for Kangxi's reign as emperor. However, I wasn't expecting that the epic takedown will be handled by a bunch of kids. Sure, the mini me versions of the adult cast are cute and their performance solid but it feels odd to say the least especially with the not-so-subtle hints of childhood romance for a ten year old Liang Er. I mean - the horse scene - they're just kids!

The stage has been set in just two episodes and it's not hard to guess where the story is heading especially since the drama never fails to remind us with its indiscriminate use of flashbacks and rose petals. I definitely see the makings of a melodrama and I'm not sure if I have the bandwidth to watch it unfold. Given that two episodes are posted everyday on LeTV, it should be done in no time. 

For more synopsis, cast and ratings, see my 2016 Chinese historical drama listing. 

First Episode Recap: Monster Killer (Wu Xin Fa Shi)

Monster Killer 無心法師 is a 20-episode Chinese drama starring Elvis Han (Chinese Paladin 5) and Gina Jin (Qin's Moon).

Episode 1 begins on a stormy night where a monk (Elvis Han) walks along a dreary path. An army of soldiers accidentally throw him off the cliff saving nothing except for a piece of his clothing. The monk miraculously survives unscathed and encounters Yue Ya (Gina Jin), a young girl on the run from her evil stepmother.

With nowhere else to go, they travel together to an obviously haunted mansion to procure medical supplies for Yue Ya's injured leg. True enough, something wicked lives under the well, yet the monk named Wuxin remains largely unfazed because it turns out that he is actually a demon hunter in disguise.

First impressions: Martial arts dramas are an acquired taste. Martial arts fantasy dramas even more so. I for one wouldn't tell my rom-com-watching friend to check this out. However, if you like sci-fi, you might like this.

From the get go, this seems like my kind of storyline and it doesn't disappoint. The story progression is similar to an anime where the protagonist faces different enemies along the way but there is a bigger story to connect the dots in the form of Wu Xin's nemesis Yue Qi Luo (Chen Yao). She was certainly evil but also one of the most intriguing characters in the drama second only to Wu Xin. If I had to complain, I don't understand why each character had to have some semblance of a bowl cut. 

For Monster Killer synopsis and ratings, see my 2015 Chinese drama recommendations.

First Episode Recap: Legend of Zu

After all the hype and promo stills, Legend of Zu 蜀山戰紀之劍俠傳奇 is finally out. Fans of Journey of Flower might remember that through an unexpected chain of events, Zanilia Zhao Li Ying's character Hua Qian Gu was appointed as the Leader of Zu. Hence, it's quite interesting to see her in a drama that is practically in the same magical realm but hey, if it can break records like Journey of Flower did, why not.

Episode 1 begins with a backstory about the Chi Hun Stone, an incarnation of 81 ancient warriors that manifests its powers every 24 years. It is said that whoever has the stone can attain unimaginable strength but anyone weaker will perish at its presence. 

For thousands of years, the stone wreaked havoc until a man learned to control it and established the Sword Sect of the Zu Mountain. To maintain peace, it became the sect's sacred duty to safeguard the Chi Hun Stone. 

Another 240 years pass and it is time for the appointment of the next leader of Zu. However, Shang Guan Jing Wo (Nicky Wu), a student who has been imprisoned for years disrupts the ritual with the stone in tow. Fortunately, the new sect leader Zhu Ge Yu Wo was able to recover most of the Chi Hun Stone except for a missing piece and the sword fighting ends as Jing Wo and his pregnant wife jump off a cliff. 

Another 24 years later and we are finally introduced to the main couple Ding Da Li (William Chan) and Xiao Yu (Zanilia Zhao Yi Ling). Da Li is in a rampant rage and the villagers try desperately to hold him down. It seems to be a strange yet common occurrence for everyone involved and Da Li only regains his senses after seeing his wife Xiao Yu.

First Impressions: Episode 1 was all over the place but I try to be forgiving since I understand there's a necessary process to setup the story. The plot is a repeat of Sword of Legends and Legend of Qin where the main character has to cope with an evil within. I get the appeal because I personally would always want to root for the struggling underdog but I hope they either do something different or make it exceptionally good because otherwise, it's getting old.

I'm usually not this harsh so I wonder if my imagination is simply running wild because firstly, the opening scene reminded me of the movie 300 without the abs. Then I thought Nicky Wu in a cape was a Sith Lord. And what is up with the multi-colored outfits? It's like Power Rangers with plastic swords and overused CGI effects. Nevertheless, I will probably keep watching because I like all the main leads and whoever plays Green below, she is is very pretty. 

For more Chinese drama recommendations, click here.

First Episode Recap: Go Princess Go

I hate spoilers but aren't synopses kind of like spoilers depending on what major plot points are given away? Go Princess Go 太子妃升职记 is a Chinese historical drama that I knew nothing about until today and if you are also in the dark as I was, then let's keep the suspense because it's so much more fun that way. 

Episode 1 begins with three women on a high speed chase in modern day China and oddly enough, one of them was galloping on horseback along the highway. The trio finally arrive at a posh club where they have come to exact revenge on their ex-boyfriend / cheater Zhang Peng. Frankly, all the leather clad women and flashing strobe lights look like a scene straight out of a cheap knock-off movie.

The girls don't have an invitation but one of them nonchalantly seals the deal with a kiss and the bouncer happily let's them in. At the same time, we get a glimpse of Zhang Peng at the top of his game parading around women after women and scoping out his next target.

Things hit the fan the moment Zhang Peng notices the three and in a state of panic, he accidentally shoves a random girl into the pool. He dives in after her and what ensues is an out-of-body experience where he faints into oblivion beside a woman in ancient garb, which is basically cue for 'we just travelled back in time'.

First impressions: Now that I see where this is going, I feel like anything that was ridiculous or cheesy was intentional and the drama's direction becomes even more evident after the lead gets transported to ancient China.

The main guy is sporting an earring, the girls are wearing sleeveless dresses and I could have sworn the palace doctor donned a Chanel hat. I have seen so many time travel dramas and just blogged about one more recently but seriously, the twist at episode 1 was unexpectedly hilarious and I can honestly declare that I have never seen a drama like this. To sum it up, it's outrageously silly, yet could be quite entertaining if you like slapstick comedy. Check out my episode recaps.

Click here for the 2016 best c-drama recommendations (to be updated regularly). 

Review: The Backlight of Love

It's been 5 months since my last posting because I had too many things going on and wasn't able to religiously follow any drama in particular so most of the ones that I started, I still haven't finished. As a drama blogger, confessing this feels like I just committed a crime.

I opted to be a complete couch potato this weekend and after powering through numerous trailers on Youtube, I feel like I'm behind the times. I had no idea there were that many dramas available nowadays, Chinese dramas are definitely gaining traction and slowly catching up with the k-wave even though there's quite a ways to go. Have you ever experienced watching too much that you don't even remember half the stuff?

I usually throw in many shows into one blog posting but this time, I decided to feature a web series called The Backlight of Love 逆光之恋. Anyone reading might assume that I am going to talk about something amazing that I can't wait to share but on the contrary, it was just average in my opinion yet fresh enough to elicit a reaction.

Plot Summary: A drama about angels and ghosts and a murder mystery.

Rating: Just Another Drama (3/5)

I was enticed to watch because there's an angel in the opening sequence. I won't say much since it's a simple enough story with fantasy elements. It seems to be one of those straight to internet type dramas, which probably explains why each episode was so unusually short. Again, nothing spectacular but if you are bored...

I didn't understand at first why it was so hard to root for the characters especially the main guy. In fact, there was a scene where he even slaps the girl but watch till the end and it will all make sense.

I like Dilraba Dilmurat who is an up-and-coming actress and increasingly becoming a familiar face in wuxia dramas. Her breakout role would have to be in the Sword of Legends where she played the charming youngest student pining for the affections of William Chan. Honestly, I think she is mostly known for her unique beauty since she looks mixed but I think she has good onscreen charisma.

China is a vast country, I know. But not a lot of people know that it can be diverse in the sense that the Western region has a lot of Uyghurs, an ethnic group mainly in the Xinjiang Province. I was lucky enough to have been to Urumqi in Xinjiang and I was surprised to meet people who spoke perfect Chinese but could easily have hailed from Europe. Is it a surprise that Di Li Re Ba is from Urumqi?