A Pretty Person without Any Connective Tissue ... Pledge of Allegiance [CC]
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I'm so glad it's not just me who has found the plot of Pledge of Allegiance impossible to follow! 😅 It does seem like huge chunks were cut. I'm not even halfway through yet but at least I can stop worrying I've missed something important and just accept that it's never going to make sense
Haha, agreed. I can follow the story up to around ep 12-13, then the plot starts to become really confusing. I’m on ep 21 now and glad that I don’t have to worry about the plot anymore 😂
OMG THANK GOODNESS I'M NOT ALONE TOO😂😂😂
You’re right! Zhang Yunlong has finally got a role that fits his talents. We share the same sentiments that many of his previous dramas as a main actor either didn’t bring out the best of him or were mediocre. This drama indeed showcased all that he has to give. Not to mention, a singer. I wasn’t confused with the sequence except in the first episode that Lu Zheng narrated, which had me rewinding and forwarding. I would say that sequence aside, from the fact that none of the characters wasn’t really villainous but touched the red line and went over it was the issue. They kept changing their minds, for a lack of a better word to put it. If one of them were truly committed to being the bad guy, it would’ve been a ten. Even the real Li Dongfag wasn’t as committed. Overall, it was very enjoyable. Perhaps because I enjoy creations like Peaky Blinders, I find this drama easier to follow. I wouldn’t relate this drama to The Glory because the gruesomeness of this drama far exceeds it.
So gorgeous today😍. I really appreciate your effort to wear the costume according to the theme of the drama you're going to give review. Sometimes although I'm not interested in the drama, I watch your videos regularly because I really love your costumes and make up look. Your videos are more interesting and entertaining than the dramas😅
I was very confused about the plot after watching all 24 episodes. Thank you for your explanation; I feel better :)
me2....lol
I appreciate knowing whether or not costumes are on point for the time. I think - perhaps because of people I speak with - the level of costuming accuracy expected is increasing. We want it right - whether or not we know it's right when we see it first, we want to refer others to the drama/film because the costuming is correct. The more audiences develop this taste, and it is developing, the more important it will be for the costuming to be correct.
Spot on as usual. I loved it because of the actors their acting, especially ZLY and really all the others. Costumes, sound -real voices- , visuals, music. And I just gave up at one point trying to understand the plot or better all the unexplained wholes in the plot. I assume heavy handed editing for whatever reasons. A disease so many chinese dramas suffer from. I feel so sorry for the actors and director. I guess they cried when they saw the end product. But I still enjoyed what ever was left of it. It could have been a great drama...
So well said. After half way through, I was more confused than ever. Now I knew I was not alone, but I finished the whole drama series of 24 episodes because I liked the ML..... lol
I just started this series. I keep watching because of the chemistry of the lead actors even though it’s not a boy love series but it’s giving the vibe, especially when they fixes their clothes for each other. I also like the dark theme of their scenes.
Being a part of "international audience", I think that the greatest problem for us is the English translation - it was even suspended for several days, so I am glad you've made this second video on PoA reminding me to watch remaining 10 episodes.
The problem for all viewers instead is not in scriptwriting, but in editing, and the choice how to arrange the scenes and assemble them later in postproduction ("cut and sew") is usually upon the director, it's a technique to create suspense (subplots with twists and turns). I've checked his bio, he started as a martial arts director and in two dramas with impeccable visuals of fightings, Side Story of Fox Volant and The Wind Blows from Lonxi, he practically reached... a perfection. As a main director, The Wolf wasn't bad, too, right? Why did he choose in PoA to exaggarate with "cut and sew", thing he has never done before?
As for the scriptwriter... she progressed a lot from Brotherhood of Blades 2, a movie set in the same period of time, the civil war between the Prince of Yan, future Yongle emperor, and his nephew, the emperor Jianwen, chosen (after the death of his father, the Crown Prince) to succeed according to the rule of linear descedance from a "legitimate wife", and the protagonists within this same weird "police power", all grey and unscrupulous.
As a lover of this genre, for me, the credits are far more superior
yeah, I totally agree with you. It's all about the editing. Judging from dialogues, characterization, etc., the original script must be overall very well written.
@@megumim6795 Now, after I've watched the remaining 10 episodes, unfortunatelly, my thoughts are very similar to AvenueX's: the script lacks a basic consistency, I was tricked by:
1. the genre I personally love, detective, or spy or thriller plots, in which is normal to paradoxes to occur. I also love wuxia for this very same reason: they abaound in "grey characters", who are not heroes because of some high principles (although even that may be the case) but they somehow end being heroes due to particular circumstances and particular choice they've made.
2. brilliant acting, especially the ML (whom I did not know before, btw,)
3. The period setting: just seeing those bombards and hand-bombards... those weapons changed the history of armed conflicts in the whole world in the 15th-16th century, for the expansion of Ottoman Empire, for overtaking of Habsburgs (Charles V) in the entire Europe, for the conquest of Americas (always during the Charles V)
At the beginning, there were many promissing hints, but the result is SO BAD also due to the bad scriptwriting. I feel very disappointed, maybe this is the lesson to not expect too much
fortunately, I dropped pledge of allegiance and switched to thirteen years of dust. The veteran actor in thirteen years of dust has won many awards for both acting and directing.
I thought I was an idiot and couldn't understand what was happening because of the english subtitles? But it turns out I'm not and I'm glad you actually had the same reaction. This really helped lift my self-esteem back up, thank you
You're right, this drama is like a beautifully decorated house but, all decorations matched nicely but the layout of the house is a bit confusing 😂 my first time watch ZYL and I think he's good in this drama
Thank you for your review. I actually enjoyed this drama. I do appreciate all the main characters acting, they're all good.
Thank you for making this review, cuz it must be hard to rate this drama hahaha
I totally agree with all the points which you mentioned. Overall its quality is really high and judging from the dialogues, the script isn't lazily written. It's just... weird editing.
Still, I don't regret watching this drama. I really enjoyed the scenery, costumes, props, fighting choreography as well as OSTs. Not only the main protagonists but side characters are also nuanced and multi-faceted characters. Every one of them has his/her moment. I really appreciated that.
Tho the main storyline itself is rather confusing, I still give this drama 100 points, since it's the first so blatantly bromance in 2023! Thank you, iQiYi for producing another not Bromance but actually totally bromance drama.
I appreciate your review. I fit in with the confused group. I enjoyed the drams and the acting. I am glad I watched it because I like many of the actors in the drama. Even though I rewatched some episodes, I only partially understand the storyline. If someone enjoys this era in history and a drama with some romance, they should enjoy this drama!
Woha! Nice to hear your comments about this drama! I felt it was me not connecting properly the dots… I went back and forth so many times trying to find the scene I missed…😅
I absolutely agree with everything you say about it! Thank you, thank you and thank you! I’m relieved… 😊
I am so glad to have seen this review. As a non-mandarin speaker I thought it was a problem with my comprehension. I have watched about twelve episodes so far and will continue, but it is taking a back seat in my viewing list.
One other gripe that I do have is the sound. I appreciate that we have original actors delivering their lines, in the moment, but the recording quality is very poor. I think they must have hidden mikes inside costumes instead of using a boom, because everyone sounds like they're speaking through five layers of fabric. As someone who relies on subs, this should not be a problem, but I find it preventing me from accessing any emotion in the story, because my ears are constantly straining to catch the voices. Even if I don't understand the language, I do understand emotion, and a lot of that is conveyed in an actor's delivery of lines.
At present this drama is relegated to those times when I'm waiting for the drop of episodes on other series.
Hey AvenueX, thank you as always for watching these dramas so we don't have to. I've been watching your reviews for years now and I nearly always have the same taste in dramas that you do. That's really cool that you watch Kdramas. You should do reviews of those too if you come across one you like. Chinese dramas will always be my first love, but let's face it, sometimes weeks and months go by with nothing but absolute garbage coming out. I bet a lot of your viewers watch both like me so I'd love to get your Kdrama recommendations too :D
So it's not just me. I watched 2 ep had high hopes and then haven't gone back. It is very confusing and I find as an sub watcher if it's too complex I will drop it. You confirmed it. It's not just me. Thank you.♥
Oh! Tank you! Thank you! I've watched 12 episodes and stared to think that i'm really stupid. I coildn"t understand anything at all! Now i know that i'm not alone
Once again, Ms. Avenue X hit it right on the head. I thought the production value of this drama was outstanding (other than that damn current trend of filming in near darkness so that you can barely see a damn thing that's happening; why the Hell do they waste film and talent doing this?), but it was THE most confusing drama I have EVER watched. I didn't know whether it was the fault of the writers or the director, but it just drove me crazy. I'm glad it wasn't just me, and that it really was the drama's fault. It could have been really great, but ultimately it was just so frustrating.
I made it through to the 3rd episode and gave up. Thanks for explaining what I saw...
I am so glad you said what i had been thinking. I kept thinking that i had missed something and i would go back and watch earlier scenes. Then i thought there would be some updates in future scenes that would fill in the blanks. But it didn't really fill in the blanks. It was super frustrating and i don't have the attention span to tolerate this kind of tease...
Wow you look gorgeous today Avenue X! I hope you have a great week ahead of you! Happy Drama watching!
your outfit and makeup look amazing!
you know that feeling of going back to school after months of break due to covid? that's how i feel
haha
I'm on episode 17, I have no idea how they're going to stretch this through 24 episodes, feels like they could have ended it before 20.
I absolutely agree with your criticism of this drama. I had tried to continue watching this drama several times but eventually gave up. I do like the performance of Zhang Yunlong but not others. The story is indeed disconnected and confused, probably blame it on the sloppy editing.
Good to know it wasn’t just me. I gave up on the drama half way because the plot became too confusing for me 😅
Thanks for the review. I agree that the male lead is a terrific actor. I was looking forward to a drama with him as the male lead. I might still checkout this drama but if it gets difficult to follow I can guarantee, it’ll get dropped. I’m finding it hard to find a C- drama that captivates me at the moment. Take care💃🏽
cheers, that was very helpful as it's been on my list. Might give it a poke, if only for the alleged "bromance" aspect :D
I appreciate you pointing out the styling/costume inaccuracies with history. I live for period drama costumes and would love to see more historically accurate clothing ❤
Wow, you hit the nail on the head with this review. I watched the whole series. I like it at first, because it reminded me of the story line, in one of my favorite BL books, GOLDEN TERRACE by Gang Wu Bin Bai. But, mid way through the series, it took a turn toward more romance, no matter how illogical, and less on plot line logic. By the end of the series, I was disappointed--it was just to illogical and disjointed to recommend anyone watch it.
The Golden Terrace would be wonderful in a la adaptation, wouldn’t it?
Ese comentario en español que buscabas soy yo. Me alegra saber que no fui la única que no entendió prácticamente nada de esta historia y fue frustrante la mayoría del tiempo. Me mantuve por zhang yunlong y por el otro protagonista que aún no logro aprenderme su nombre.
Watched, and enjoyed, POA... for all the reasons you mentioned.
I assumed that my lack of knowledge was at fault in my lack of understanding of the plot:
It's a relief to find it's not just me... but I accepted not understanding everything.
I appreciate Ci Sha too.
Ci Sha is very charismatic. I was so amazed
@@megumim6795 I discovered, and liked, this actor in the Blue Whisper... and went back to other films he participated in.
okay that missing time! i am glad I am not alone!
Ahh..thanks for the confirmation... I thought I was the only one... I've watched the first few episodes, then get lost, then keep fixing the comprehension in my head, which was tiring. Then I put this on my watch-list, cause I thought probably binge-watching this would be much better. But now, it seems like to remove it from my watch-list would be the best option...LOL.
So sad the drama seems gutted. Not sure if it's the production crew that messed with it or the government. Wondering why the director's name was removed. What a mess. Pondering if I should attempt to muddle through. Thanks for the heads-up.
My guess is even the actors and actresses did not really understand the story in pledge of allegiance.
I'm on episode 3 and I'm struggling to follow the story already. I know it's too early to judge but for me a good story will always leads to binge watching. With this drama, I am in no hurry to find out how it ends but I really like the look of it. I like the cinematography, the actors and acting, and the costume. It's realistic but not too much. The fight scenes are well-choreographed as well. It's a great pity that such a good-looking drama is crippled in the storytelling department. I will keep watching though because this kind of wuxia has become minority these days with the majority of dramas are xianxia, or hybrid wuxia-xianxia, period romance. It makes me think that wuxia is nearly extinct :(
I loved the first half of the show, but then Li Wu completely changed. He decided to pursue power so he could turn the tide of the war, but he doesn't care in the slightest who wins. It doesn't make any sense. A lot of shows will have a plot where a lover or friend will do despicable things in order to take all the blame and therefore save their friend or lover from any and all consequences. One of my favorite examples is the younger brother Kongshi in the show ice Fantasy. He fights his brother for the throne, and then proceeds to be a bad emperor and do despicable things in order to get his brother to kill him and be the good king their people needed, and to right the wrongs Kongshi did. It was very emotional and heartwrenching. Pledge of Allegiance could have done something in which Li Wu did despicable things in order to take the consequences off of his friend, and save him from the higher-ups who were threatening Lu Zheng. But this wasn't the case. Li Wu said that he was doing what he was doing for himself, to be his own master, instead of choosing a side in the war. But what about his friend? What of his need to protect him? The first half of the show was centered on the "in the same boat, loyal to each other" friendship bond. But then Li Wu just became an entirely different person. Lu Zheng did notice this change as well and questioned his friend, saying that he didn't recognize him anymore. This was a reasonable part of the dialogue, but the actual motives and reasoning behind this change were not very developed, leaving us viewers confused. By the time the finale came and went, I was completely disconnected from everything.
I love watching this drama too. I didn't really understand the plot, but I still love it.
I kept watching thinking it will all make sense in the end but no😂, guess I wasn’t the only confused person. If someone should ask me what this drama is about I won’t be able to say anything.
Seriously, before I saw any C drama, I was always waiting for your review, somehow your review really influenced me.😅😅
I agree with you. I started it and it was very hard for me to follow, I was confused and kind of lost interest
Yes 👍🏾 it’s difficult to follow that’s why I couldn’t go further than 7 episodes 😟
I thought it was the fever making watching such a bumpy experience. Continuity between scenes is rough. Not prop continuity, but storytelling continuity. “Connective tissue” describes it perfectly.
Glad it’s not me, but sorry it’s not just me.
Honestly, ZYL is the main reason I’m sticking with it. He steals every scene.
AvenueX, since you make the effort to dress up for your videos, would you mind doing a short segment maybe at the end about the dress/style choices you made? Thanks.
最喜欢您讲古装剧里服饰这部分（每次都期待）。❤ 希望此沙和陈牧驰可以合作一次，这两位年轻演员真是异域帅哥😊。
同意 超喜欢他两！！！
Indeed, the plot is real confusing. What a waste. And with fire burning down the building, everyone has the nerve & patience to listen to FL's long speech.....is this even logical? 🤣 Anyway, I watched this drama because of how well the dashing ML is carrying himself 😆
I was willing to put up with the muddy writing while I was enjoying Zhang Yunlong's oh-so-slippery character, and the angsty interaction between the two male leads. But I ended up dropping the series at episode 12, when the whole tone suddenly changed, became pointlessly dark. I will give it a bonus point for not having any bubbly, squeaky-voiced female characters skipping through scenes twirling their plaits.
It’s not that dark.. Hang on… I like that the heavy emo plot is peppered with funny & light hearted moments. I think this was intentional to help viewers not sink into depression 😂
@@zzhuzhu yeah, i bet the director already knew it would end up depressing to watch and finish so they decided to put light funny scenes in in betweens.😂
waiting for your review in till the end of the moon
You look so pretttyyyy!
I have watched this drama and kind of agree with the criticism.
I watched the first 11 episodes and I was hooked. But then it started to crumble afterwards.
This is just a guess. I think it has something to do with the genre and censorship.
Though, the drama is paired with male and female leads, the story has a very strong Bromance subplot. I think that this is one of the reasons.
The dialogues and the gazes between the male leads were very intimate. Even at the ending, it was still "intimate".
Knowing the Chinese censorship of Bromance/BL dramas, I think, this is one of the reasons. Hence, they cut lots of parts of the drama.
Excellent review! I'm about 1/4 in, and I'll keep watching because its so well done in many ways.... but I've given up on in making sense. It's kind of like eves-drooping on some Ming people you don't know, but you'd like to.
Why does the soundtrack disappear for a couple of minutes in some (most) drama episodes???
It was confusing as hell and the dialogue was too fast at times. I blame the editing. The bromance was worth it though!
Sorry, the drama magical women. Do you have any reviews on it.
We are looking forward to the review of Till the end of the moon, because up to 16 episodes everything is just fire! 🔥There are some amazing scenes and moments (like the crow scene and the one with dance and Leo’s eyebrow raise). And at 13-14, I first saw an amazing fight in a Chinese drama! 👏And just then I thought that it couldn't get any more interesting and “💥”- Here comes episode 16!❤
Is it really that good?
@@bigtimestan2385 For this genre yes! For me, LBFD has changed many things and overcome many clichés! TTOTM takes this genre even further. Above all, the boring moments have been overcome in the scenario! Here, every series is dynamic and something interesting happens. The actors are brilliant (you can read in the comment section of Youku "have someone to kill her in the end" about the main villain, people got so involved in the action) I won't give you spoilers, you better watch it yourself! But I'll just tell you that this is the first time I've personally seen such a high-quality fight in a drama, for which Leo deserves huge applause, because it takes a perfect vestibular apparatus to play such "flying" scenes! If he wasn't a former ballet dancer, he probably wouldn't be able to play them either! Watch it, you won't regret it!
I know you are busy BUT can you please do a review of Til The End of the Moon I am really curious to hear your opinion on this new drama 😊 Thank you 🙏
Why didnt they make it a season 1 & 2 drama with 20 - 22 episodes each?
Please do more k-drama review! Love it! ❤
Could it be poor editing the culprit for the disjointed story line outcome?
This drama was sort of airdropped. Wave of initial video edits focused on the bromance, but later on, videos became few and far in between. Other than certain dramas, such as BL adaptations, that have no choice but being airdropped, I'm wondering whether such treatment should be taken as a caution.
I had to concentrate really hard to follow the plot… made it to the last episode but was really disappointed by the ending… did not get everything properly cleared up nor all my questions answered.
I feel like Chen Rouxuan's character is not that well written.. at times, he's so smart and sees details, but then he is constantly lied, and he has no idea. Since the story was so confusing, I gave up watching after 8 episodes and just watched the last 3 to see how it ends.
Hello, Ma'am! I was just wondering when you plan to do a first impression of "Till the End of the Moon" starring Bai Lu and Luo Yunxi. By the way, you look as gorgeous as always! Looking forward to more of your videos ♡
Spoiler
Different characters get pierced through the torso, amazingly never seem to hit any vital organs. Recover so quickly.
Please review popular K-Drama too😭😭😭😭😭
have u watched Wang Yi Bo's Hidden Blade..? Thought it's so badly directed.. trying to hard to be arty farty.. sigh
I have the same feelings as you. I think it could be a great drama but they cut way too much and very badly. I'm bit sad for ZYL, I also like his acting and I wish for him a bright and successful career, maybe the next drama.
According to your description, it reminds me of American Horror Story. The so-called horror part is purely to make the audience feel painful😢This is only suitable for those weekly drama.Give the audience enough spare time to interact with the details provided by the episode
I was confused but still finishing the drama😅 Hmm, mungkin bisa jadi episode sebenarnya 40 episode. Kalau benar, we got robbed😭
I think most of the period drama not coming from novels is a mess in terms of sequence and story, just too tired to watch it, really. thought this drama looks nice.
If there’s one drama in 2023 that I felt had wasted my time, it’s this one. It had a promising start but the characters of the two main male leads are really unlikable. The plot is unnecessary complicated with no clear direction and the suspense is there just for suspense sake. This is a buddy drama that has two main male leads who are extremely unlikable and annoying, hence it’s very hard to feel sympathetic towards the two main leads even with their tragic back stories. Also, there’s simply no chemistry between the two leads and it’s hard to believe they are buddies. A very annoying drama.
I couldn’t get past the first 20mins.
Sigh... I can't wait to find a new drama that really moves me... I am so frustrated with _TILL THE END OF THE MOON_ now they are in a strange side plot, which to my mind doesn't move the story forward at all... also the things that have been happening in the last two episodes made no sense whatsoever. Either people just don't die- to comedic extremes, or they are obliterated hilariously quickly. It's a bit annoying and pathetic. Also the idea of fatal injury and recovery seems arbitrary ... cause it has varying consequences from one scene to the next and never seems to be final - however only for the main leads.
I so agree! I'm skipping huge chunks of the side story and hoping it's over soon - it seems to never end and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to miss any key piece of information by doing so. Apart from a very small number of plot points that presumably will be relevant later on, it's complete filler and waste of time. The whole thing could have been done in less than a single episode. I was really enjoying the drama until they started this *sigh*.
I think your review is too harsh. The plot isn't that convoluted for an espionage thriller. It's similar to Luoyang and The Wind Blows From Longxi. The cast, sets and cinematography are superb. I agree, the editing at the end could have been better. But the story really revolves around the conflicting and shifting loyalties of the characters. If the viewer focuses on, "What is motivating this character?" then the story isn't that hard to follow.
Such a shame. Watching this in the UK. The sub titles , leave both my wife and I thinking, WTF!!!! Where did that come from????? Other than that , really enjoy all the actors, shame the script was so shite!!!!!
It should have kept the name, Brotherhood of Blades smh what a bad name switch.
Hahaha everyone’s confused about the plot.
It's a shame that they cut so much of this drama. I really, really liked all the actors and thought they all did an excellent job. I did finish watching it, but felt like you, that way too much of the story was missing. They could have shone 40 episodes and I wouldn't have had no problem sticking with it, to the end. Mostly because the characters were just so interesting and well played. Maybe, sometime in the future - if they decide to release this to DVD - they will include the missing content. One can hope.
the last two minutes of the video, avenuex speaks with the most disappointed and sad face I've ever seen her in a video. :,v
It's poor editing made the drama lost its storyline altho I like the actors performance
waste of time
Bad story
Maybe it was supposed to be a BL then they cut all touches, embraces, kisses and sweet scenes.
Watching Korean period dramas much better acting and scripts, Chinese ones have become boring, scripts are rubbish nowadays