I had the same problem with those Korean historical dramas. The queens especially mostly have those unnatural huge eyes and that pale shiny skin that is totally the result of the newest cutting-edge skin care products, so that every time they're on screen it feels like they just walked out of a Gangnam beauty clinic. It totally throws me off because it's so out of place. Just how difficult can it be to cast someone who might not fit perfectly into nowadays unrealistic beauty standards but at least has a natural looking face that fits into the time period.
It reminds me of Peng Xiao Ran character in Goodbye my princess who is a michievious semi-nomadic kingdom princess that enjoys outdoor activities and all but her skin is as pale as Xiao Long Nu when she should look like a Princess Fragrance in Book and Sword. Very unrealistic. Or Lee Dae Hee slave character in Chuno that looked like she just had her spa session in a Hilton Hotel. I remember she got flaked for being way too conscious of her look and unbelievable as a 17th century Joseon slave.
@BAPYonguk GukGuk nowadays actresses are way too self conscious with their looks instead of focusing into their characters. Why can't they be like Gong Li, she is a stunning beauty but she is believable being a poor peasant character because she doesn't care about looking good in a movie but focused on embracing her character
I agree. PXR's look in "Goodbye My Princess" felt odd, not just because of her overly fair skin but also due to the exaggerated (but so pretty) styling. The drama's visuals were stunning, but her character looked too perfect, like in a photoshoot rather than acting in a drama. This made emotional scenes less impactful as I got distracted by her hyper stylized appearance. Comparatively, it wasn't as bad as Ju Jing Yi's case, where poor acting and styling clashed, turning serious scenes into comedy.
It's the same situation with Kim Hye Soo in "Under the Queen's Umbrella." I heard that Song Hye Kyo turned down the role, and it was then offered to Kim Hye Soo instead. I'm relieved that Song Hye Kyo rejected it because Kim Hye Soo really nailed the role. However, I found myself occasionally taken out of the drama due to Kim Hye Soo's makeup. It seemed like she might have had lip fillers, and her overly glossy skin didn't quite match the image of a Joseon Queen. Yet, Kim Hye Soo's ‘I just stepped out of a beauty salon or injection clinic’ wasn’t a huge problem because in a way it actually suited the overall hyper comedy vibe of the drama.
I went in watching without much expectations and surprisingly truly enjoyed this drama! It had its flaws, one of which is that it needed coincidences for some plot developments and for the main leads to stay alive but the enjoyment it gave outweighed its flaws. I cared about the 2 main leads and kinda missed them actually. I hope there'll be a part 2.
I'm glad this show doesn't have any relationships. Just talk about a group of colleagues from being strangers to becoming familiar with each other and becoming partners.While I'm not a fan of this family business, the style they've maintained over the years is something to be thankful.I mean,, the way they tell stories that are close to real human logic.
It’s very smart of iQiyi to put out this drama during Halloween season when you cannot promoting anything entertainment-wise bc of the big conference, since there’s literally nothing to watch for almost two weeks at this point.
Dugu Xia and the Liu Triplets were bouncing off the walls figuratively. Their range of emotion and acting is amazing. Lunatic, creepy, crazy, demented, paranoid, manic-depressive, bipolar, psychotic, cray cray...what else did I miss? They literally upstaged all the other actors in the cast. Han Cheng Yu; Dugu Xia (Ep. 14-18) Zhou Jun Chao: Liu Shi Qi | Liu Shi Ba | Liu Shi Jiu (Ep. 7-8, 13-14) Give those men (...Han Chen Yu and Zhou Jun Chao) an acting award!
I am new to cdrama and Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty is my favourite so far! I got interested in detective stories after watching A League of Nobleman, and then now I am watching Luoyang because now I am interested in the Tang Dynasty period dramas.
I loved Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty! Started slow but got me engaged with the plot, effects, and characters. Loved all the actors who starred in it. Will be doing a rewatch soon!
One of the more interesting historical/period detective drama out there, with a good and balanced mix of fun and seriousness. The 2 male leads were played very well but it was the interplay between each character in the main group of characters that worked very well together. Season 2 is coming... can't wait!
Sadly, the thing I struggle with now with C-Drama traffic actresses is that because the surgery they have adheres to almost a specific template, I struggle to tell them apart. It's a terrible admission to make. But there it is, it's a shame really. Individualism and character has been lost.
I like mystery and crime scene drama and so I enjoyed this drama! I liked the working process of unfolding the cases. I got invested in the characters (the first five, including PXJ and XH) and their dynamics!
not gonna lie you were the first person I thought of after finishing this drama adaptation! I really enjoyed the intriguing cases and the the subtle shifts in the leads' development as they solve the mysteries. definitely one of my favorite dramas since I'm not really big on the romance dramas released recently. I saw on Weibo that the show is getting a season 2 so we'll see the characters again! Although the actors who played the MLs have a controversial past, I think the it didn't really hinder their performances in the production. hope this show receives more international recognition since it's doing pretty well domestically! love your reviews!
One of my favs this year. Iqiyi is killing it concerning costume dramas. Kudos to the actor acting Chicken Fed. Nice character. I cared for the male leads but not the female leads at all. The romance was just not it
The actor who played Chicken Fed is so very different from the way the character looked. A testament to his ability to transform himself into such a lovable character. He could have been an annoying character but was not. Great work!
i love this drama, the timing is right and the evolution of the story feels good, and from the begining i always know they need to come back at the capital, i really enjoy it
LOL @ plastic surgeries. They are indeed everywhere: women and men, young and old. I have resigned myself that it's a facet of drama watching experience. Not just c-dramas, but literally everyhwere.
Thank you for reviewing!! How much time did it take for the hair and makeup? You look gorgeous today!! Kind of wish you worn contacts as your glasses covered up the special designs you put at the sides, near the eyes 😍😍
Wow, I'm watching it and really liking it a lot. It's quite sophisticatedly produced and the chemistry between the two impresses me. I would give it 8 out of 10, especially comparing to other more popular options.
I went in checking this drama out because of its rank in the drama chart. It didn’t annoy me or disappoint me in anyway. I was expecting myth busting actions and i got it.
With some of the dramas that have been released this year this one stands out for me. I actually refuse to watch the majority of the dramas of a certain genre as they are same old same old. Bad acting and bad scripts. It's funny they don't put out the popular good actors series that are better quality and put out fluffy, trope, romances. So tired of the romance genre. If it doesn't grab me in the first 2 episodes then I'm out. At first I was hesitant to watch Strange Tales (don't like creepy) but I'm glad I did. Yes the scenery got me too but hey they're all filming in the same location. Thank you for your review.♥
And same traffic actors/actresses everywhere that have become more of a brand than artists who really care about the craft. And for romance even cheap mini dramas are becoming better than their huge counterparts
@@bapyongukgukguk2352 I hate the mini dramas. Lead in and lead out credits. What a waste of time. Too bad, some of the plots look interesting. I can see that they might be useful for people on their breaks at work but not for full enjoyment of a fleshed out plot. ♥
Because of your review I watched it. It sounded like something I would like. And I was right. It was entertaining. It really had a plan, was scary-spooky and wasn't cringe romantic. The 30 first episodes were great. Unfortunately after the royal family got more involved it turned crappy. For me anyways. There will be a second season. I will watch that too hoping for the best.
I feel relieved that you don't find watching this drama wasting time. I kinda like the drama and feel excited when the 2 is in action of solving mysteries and their interactions are quite hilarious although it needs like 10 eps to achieve that lol. I also feel that the dialogues and plot related to their characters are a bit weird esp in early episodes but it kinda get better in later episodes as well. The character's background stories are indeed lacking and for the mysteries, the plot is more interesting than the twist for me lol. It's a nice easy watch and I'm glad I tried it as well.
it is mainly a detective drama with about 8 cases. It is also a wuxia drama so it has plenty of unbelievable stuff that have to be tolerated in order to enjoy the drama.
Agree with the review. Production wise this is really not bad. The two male leads actually reminded me of Poirot and Hasting. The mystery elements are quite alright though none of the cases is really intriguing. Quite a good drama for killing time.
oh i watch another yang xuwen drama that aired almost the same time as this? part of iqiyi sweet on, love in time. surprisingly i like it and main cp chemistry is goood, they look cute together! maybe i'll watch this drama after i finished love in time
I thoroughly enjoy the drama, and embrace all the goods and bads from the characters. The story telling is quite fluid. The only problem I have is the casting of certain roles with familiar faces in C drama （王劲松）. There is nothing wrong with the plots or the actors' performance, but I kind of figure out the masterminds/murders as soon as I see the actors ;-), as their faces are the only ones I recognize from other dramas. I will definitely watch season 2.
I watched your best 2022 fight scene vidoe and saw this drama and went to check it out! Needless to say it was pretty good and i finished it in two days 😂 its a different genre than i typically watxh but its really good. I love rhe different cases rhey take on!
I am halfway through the drama and I have liked it so far and will mostly continue watching it. The only complaint I have is the romantic relationship of the main leads. Hope the main plot doesn't get taken over by this sub-plot ( which i am assuming is what happens from Avenux's video).
Glad you got to watch it & do a review. There were many occasions the drama gave horror-movie vibes 🫣. I wholeheartedly agree with you re: plastic surgery thing. It actually added to the horror vibes. I have unfortunately not forgotten the supporting actress in Our Glamorous Time with ZLY &JH, for that reason but I recently checked out her current pics & it’s now less obvious 😅. Maybe filming occurred too soon post-op.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. It was interesting to hear about it all, and see you dress up. Personal observation, I don't think Tang dynasty style of makeup does you favour.
The reason I watched this drama is that one day I saw a screenshot of this drama featuring Lu Jianmin. He participated in the crocodile story. I couldn't even imagine that I would finish a Yang Zhigang drama 🤣🤣 but I did this time. Quite fun to watch.
I agree with your assessment of this drama. I couldn't get myself to really care about the characters, to like them. The script was lacking in this development. Cardboard characters.
Wery good drama.Beautiful , filosofical , funny and witout too romantic .The love stories were beautiful and full of tenderness.Acting was good.And I find my favorite femail actress .Bautiful and cute... Waiting for more
I haven't watched this drama and after this review probably wont or maybe I will idk (after are you safe I am avoiding suspense or detective dramas for the time), but I agree with the reuse of set or places in chinese dramas. Like there is a mountain or cliff with round top, stiff slope and fairly plain ground in front, which is almost always used in all period, wuxia or xianxia dramas. I always want to know, China being such a huge country, do they lack places to shoot so much?? As for modern dramas, it happens very often too. Like the house in the Make a wish drama. the main house of the protagonist, I have seen that building in atleast 6 or 7 dramas and they always mention a diff city. Or sometimes its university or hospital. Places are reused so much. When it happens it pulls me away from the drama and my thoughts goes to the other dramas shot in the same location. I agree some places can be or have to be reused like govt building or some iconic building which usually looks similar or are too distinct to imitate, respectively. But for other places I believe its not hard to find different places to shoot.
I need to know which females are the ones that supposedly got plastic surgery. I’m on episode 22 and haven’t seen any faces that looked too out of place yet.
@@manicmentacide The film has very bad rating in China due to its empty and meaningless plot, but if you just want to see the beautiful scenery, go ahead, it is good for eyes.
I still have to watch a few episodes. What amuses me a bit are the two female lead roles. They are completely irrelevant. Could be played by two male characters too, one who is good in painting and detecting details and one who is good in martial arts. Anything else is not needed. It is like: oh we have forgotten to add some „common“ romantic elements (still there are none) - let us give them some opportunities besides a slow cooking bromance. Maybe in the last episodes there will be something but as for now, romance is not necessary. As reference to the Sherlock Holmes stories, this works perfect.
True that the roles of Pei Xinju and Yin Tao could be played by 2 male charactes. Which is why I'm glad they are female characters, and they are not irrelevant, they actually contribute to the team's investigations. Sorry but you sound misogynistic. As for romance, while I agree it may not be necessary, it adds some nice touch on the series. Just like they didn't have to add humor, but the humor made the series more enjoyable to watch.
The romance worked better in Ancient Detective cause the female leads roles were better written and they had purposes other than the typical forced romance (Xi Jun literally forced herself into the Male lead life and the storyline).
@@Lenje08 humor worked in this show cause Fed Chicken was not your annoying abbrasive and invasive female lead. YingTao was bland and drama worked extremely fine without her presence
The integration of 2 female characters didn't go well. It could have been better. Romance is not the only way to introduce them into the crew. They should have omitted the romance altogether. Having platonic element would have been better.
The fact that this drama managed to score 7.7 on Douban(as per today), lower than The Imperial Coroner by a close margin and way higher than Luoyang shows that it has been received well among the audience despite no promotion, no major actors, and almost zero romance (which I really appreciate). For me the highlights of the drama are the dynamics among the three male characters; the character development of LLF as he grows more mature; the banters and dry humor that sits well with me. As a fan of Hercule Poirot, for me the cases are not special but fun and flow nicely to drive the plot. I also like Detective Di Renjie so I find them very typical of Detective Di's cases. And the fight scenes, I really love them! I feel like it's been ages we don't get really good martial arts in wuxia dramas. The martial arts in STOTD are way much better than those in many wuxia dramas in recent years. Congrats to the team of STOTD! Look forward to season 2!
I mean it's really brave of the production company and investors letting not 1 BUT 2 controversial actors leading the show~ Watched it without realizing who they were at first until a certain point I kinda felt like I know them from somewhere... To be really honest, I feel they two really suit the roles like it's theirs' and that charisma they created for their characters made them very attractive! LOL I just thought the pairing of Su WuMing and Ying Tao is odd to me due to the visible age difference... I like that Pei Xi Jun's personality is not a typical brainless rich lady but someone who is independent and helpful for the development of the story build up. Romance isn't a big part in this drama which they did it right for a detective genre and I like that the pinch of romance is just enough if not it would have cause the entire show to be out of focus.
AvX explains it in her video "Chinese Acting School's Ridiculous Entry Requirement", but in a nutshell it's that looking good is more important than acting well in (Idol-)dramaland.
Because people in China speak dialect in their daily life but only speak standard mandarin in school: reading a book in dialect sounds really funny. Many actors have slight accent of their dialect which can tell you which part of China the actor grows up. So it will make audience going out of characters/plot. So many drama choose to dub their actor’s voice by professional voice actors whose mandarin is so standard that has no accent at all.
@@lindazager I heard that the government won’t allow dubbing from voice actors anymore. If that true the actors are going to have to improve their standard mandarin.
It's weird, because people of my age (20 years old), all love Yang Zhigang's performance and lines, I seldom hear people disliking him. Nearly all the dramas he and his brother made are well rated. Nearly all Chinese young people give good reviews to him. I am pretty sure you have prejudice towards Yang brothers.
Yea no 娘道 was one of the most hated dramas when it was released for its misogynistic nature. After 演员请就位 and Yang Zhi Zhang refusing to practice with Guo Xiao Ting and made the performance comedic when it was suppose to be serious, he received a lot hate and criticism for being unprofessional
I am easily distracted by side views of super protruding and super sharp chins, and sometimes, even super curved chins, and I am not sure why some chinese find these attractive.
![Love Is EVERYTHING, Done in the Wrong Way Kinda Story - Unchained Love [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/M6b_2AThahI/mqdefault.jpg)
![Love Is EVERYTHING, Done in the Wrong Way Kinda Story - Unchained Love [CC]](/img/tr.png)
![Not Perfect But Quite Fun - She & Her PH, First Impression and Drama Surrounding The Drama [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-3Emowfj7l8/mqdefault.jpg)
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I had the same problem with those Korean historical dramas. The queens especially mostly have those unnatural huge eyes and that pale shiny skin that is totally the result of the newest cutting-edge skin care products, so that every time they're on screen it feels like they just walked out of a Gangnam beauty clinic. It totally throws me off because it's so out of place. Just how difficult can it be to cast someone who might not fit perfectly into nowadays unrealistic beauty standards but at least has a natural looking face that fits into the time period.
It reminds me of Peng Xiao Ran character in Goodbye my princess who is a michievious semi-nomadic kingdom princess that enjoys outdoor activities and all but her skin is as pale as Xiao Long Nu when she should look like a Princess Fragrance in Book and Sword. Very unrealistic.
Or Lee Dae Hee slave character in Chuno that looked like she just had her spa session in a Hilton Hotel. I remember she got flaked for being way too conscious of her look and unbelievable as a 17th century Joseon slave.
@BAPYonguk GukGuk nowadays actresses are way too self conscious with their looks instead of focusing into their characters. Why can't they be like Gong Li, she is a stunning beauty but she is believable being a poor peasant character because she doesn't care about looking good in a movie but focused on embracing her character
I agree. PXR's look in "Goodbye My Princess" felt odd, not just because of her overly fair skin but also due to the exaggerated (but so pretty) styling. The drama's visuals were stunning, but her character looked too perfect, like in a photoshoot rather than acting in a drama. This made emotional scenes less impactful as I got distracted by her hyper stylized appearance.
Comparatively, it wasn't as bad as Ju Jing Yi's case, where poor acting and styling clashed, turning serious scenes into comedy.
It's the same situation with Kim Hye Soo in "Under the Queen's Umbrella." I heard that Song Hye Kyo turned down the role, and it was then offered to Kim Hye Soo instead. I'm relieved that Song Hye Kyo rejected it because Kim Hye Soo really nailed the role.
However, I found myself occasionally taken out of the drama due to Kim Hye Soo's makeup. It seemed like she might have had lip fillers, and her overly glossy skin didn't quite match the image of a Joseon Queen.
Yet, Kim Hye Soo's ‘I just stepped out of a beauty salon or injection clinic’ wasn’t a huge problem because in a way it actually suited the overall hyper comedy vibe of the drama.
I went in watching without much expectations and surprisingly truly enjoyed this drama! It had its flaws, one of which is that it needed coincidences for some plot developments and for the main leads to stay alive but the enjoyment it gave outweighed its flaws. I cared about the 2 main leads and kinda missed them actually. I hope there'll be a part 2.
I'M SO FREAKINGLY GRATEFUL THAT Avx decided to watch this show and review it! thank you thank you thank you! duo xie!
I'm glad this show doesn't have any relationships. Just talk about a group of colleagues from being strangers to becoming familiar with each other and becoming partners.While I'm not a fan of this family business, the style they've maintained over the years is something to be thankful.I mean,, the way they tell stories that are close to real human logic.
It’s very smart of iQiyi to put out this drama during Halloween season when you cannot promoting anything entertainment-wise bc of the big conference, since there’s literally nothing to watch for almost two weeks at this point.
One of the best cdramas for me this year!
Agree
Couldn't agree more.
Yes, may not be a master piece on absolute basis but certainly one considering the budget.
Dugu Xia and the Liu Triplets were bouncing off the walls figuratively. Their range of emotion and acting is amazing. Lunatic, creepy, crazy, demented, paranoid, manic-depressive, bipolar, psychotic, cray cray...what else did I miss? They literally upstaged all the other actors in the cast.
Han Cheng Yu; Dugu Xia (Ep. 14-18)
Zhou Jun Chao: Liu Shi Qi | Liu Shi Ba | Liu Shi Jiu (Ep. 7-8, 13-14)
Give those men (...Han Chen Yu and Zhou Jun Chao) an acting award!
I am new to cdrama and Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty is my favourite so far! I got interested in detective stories after watching A League of Nobleman, and then now I am watching Luoyang because now I am interested in the Tang Dynasty period dramas.
Very insightful, love the little bit background at the beginning, thank you
Love your makeup, especially the brows.
Damn sister, once again here to comment on your styling! Would love for this channel to expand into makeup tutorials 😂😂😂
I loved Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty! Started slow but got me engaged with the plot, effects, and characters. Loved all the actors who starred in it. Will be doing a rewatch soon!
One of the more interesting historical/period detective drama out there, with a good and balanced mix of fun and seriousness. The 2 male leads were played very well but it was the interplay between each character in the main group of characters that worked very well together. Season 2 is coming... can't wait!
Love your costume!!!👍👏🏻😍😍😍
Wow! You look beautiful AvenueX!
Your hair and makeup looks amazing!
Sadly, the thing I struggle with now with C-Drama traffic actresses is that because the surgery they have adheres to almost a specific template, I struggle to tell them apart. It's a terrible admission to make. But there it is, it's a shame really. Individualism and character has been lost.
I enjoyed this series, as I am a lover of deductive themes. thanks iQiyi for giving English subs
I like mystery and crime scene drama and so I enjoyed this drama! I liked the working process of unfolding the cases. I got invested in the characters (the first five, including PXJ and XH) and their dynamics!
not gonna lie you were the first person I thought of after finishing this drama adaptation! I really enjoyed the intriguing cases and the the subtle shifts in the leads' development as they solve the mysteries. definitely one of my favorite dramas since I'm not really big on the romance dramas released recently. I saw on Weibo that the show is getting a season 2 so we'll see the characters again! Although the actors who played the MLs have a controversial past, I think the it didn't really hinder their performances in the production. hope this show receives more international recognition since it's doing pretty well domestically! love your reviews!
I just Love it!!!👍👏🏻🤩🤩😍😍😍😍💐💐💐💐🦾🦾🦾🦾Can’t wait for the season 2!!!💞💞💞💞💞
One of my favs this year. Iqiyi is killing it concerning costume dramas.
Kudos to the actor acting Chicken Fed. Nice character. I cared for the male leads but not the female leads at all. The romance was just not it
Chicken Fed is an amazing character. He's like an ancient soul with lots of wisdom and wits. I love how he often acts like a nurturing grandpa.
Loved Chicken Fed!
The actor who played Chicken Fed is so very different from the way the character looked. A testament to his ability to transform himself into such a lovable character. He could have been an annoying character but was not. Great work!
@@dannychen1281 I liked his character
i love this drama, the timing is right and the evolution of the story feels good, and from the begining i always know they need to come back at the capital, i really enjoy it
do you make get ready with me's for these period looks you put together? it'd be so cool to see how you do the makeup and hair
LOL @ plastic surgeries. They are indeed everywhere: women and men, young and old. I have resigned myself that it's a facet of drama watching experience. Not just c-dramas, but literally everyhwere.
Thank you for reviewing!! How much time did it take for the hair and makeup? You look gorgeous today!! Kind of wish you worn contacts as your glasses covered up the special designs you put at the sides, near the eyes 😍😍
Wow, I'm watching it and really liking it a lot. It's quite sophisticatedly produced and the chemistry between the two impresses me. I would give it 8 out of 10, especially comparing to other more popular options.
I am watching it and love it at the moment. Thanks to your recommendation!
I went in checking this drama out because of its rank in the drama chart. It didn’t annoy me or disappoint me in anyway. I was expecting myth busting actions and i got it.
@AvenueX I love your hairdo and the make-up!!!
With some of the dramas that have been released this year this one stands out for me. I actually refuse to watch the majority of the dramas of a certain genre as they are same old same old. Bad acting and bad scripts. It's funny they don't put out the popular good actors series that are better quality and put out fluffy, trope, romances. So tired of the romance genre. If it doesn't grab me in the first 2 episodes then I'm out. At first I was hesitant to watch Strange Tales (don't like creepy) but I'm glad I did. Yes the scenery got me too but hey they're all filming in the same location. Thank you for your review.♥
And same traffic actors/actresses everywhere that have become more of a brand than artists who really care about the craft.
And for romance even cheap mini dramas are becoming better than their huge counterparts
@@bapyongukgukguk2352 I hate the mini dramas. Lead in and lead out credits. What a waste of time. Too bad, some of the plots look interesting. I can see that they might be useful for people on their breaks at work but not for full enjoyment of a fleshed out plot. ♥
I already had this drama lined up to watch, so I need to bump it up the list.
My my the makeup and accessories today àre so beautiful
I'm on ep 3, decided to start watching this drama last night, lol it's very slow so far, but after listening to your review I'll continue it lol 😆 😄
You look so amazing!
Because of your review I watched it. It sounded like something I would like. And I was right. It was entertaining. It really had a plan, was scary-spooky and wasn't cringe romantic. The 30 first episodes were great. Unfortunately after the royal family got more involved it turned crappy. For me anyways. There will be a second season. I will watch that too hoping for the best.
Thannk you for the review as always, I think i will go check it out~
Oh AvenueX, you look an extra from one of those movies.🤣🤣🤣
I feel relieved that you don't find watching this drama wasting time. I kinda like the drama and feel excited when the 2 is in action of solving mysteries and their interactions are quite hilarious although it needs like 10 eps to achieve that lol.
I also feel that the dialogues and plot related to their characters are a bit weird esp in early episodes but it kinda get better in later episodes as well. The character's background stories are indeed lacking and for the mysteries, the plot is more interesting than the twist for me lol.
It's a nice easy watch and I'm glad I tried it as well.
it is mainly a detective drama with about 8 cases. It is also a wuxia drama so it has plenty of unbelievable stuff that have to be tolerated in order to enjoy the drama.
Agree with the review. Production wise this is really not bad. The two male leads actually reminded me of Poirot and Hasting. The mystery elements are quite alright though none of the cases is really intriguing. Quite a good drama for killing time.
The mysteries were not huge surprises but they were satisfying and unfolded nicely enough and coherent to hold people attentions.
oh i watch another yang xuwen drama that aired almost the same time as this? part of iqiyi sweet on, love in time. surprisingly i like it and main cp chemistry is goood, they look cute together! maybe i'll watch this drama after i finished love in time
He's an underrated actor. His rendition of Guo Jing in Legend of The Condor Heroes is one of the best.
I thoroughly enjoy the drama, and embrace all the goods and bads from the characters. The story telling is quite fluid. The only problem I have is the casting of certain roles with familiar faces in C drama （王劲松）. There is nothing wrong with the plots or the actors' performance, but I kind of figure out the masterminds/murders as soon as I see the actors ;-), as their faces are the only ones I recognize from other dramas. I will definitely watch season 2.
He is way too famous to be a nobody so it kind of spoils the mystery 😂
@@AvenueX123 Exactly! Just like Huang Jue in Reset😂😂
Amazing thriller drama ...
It broke all visual standards, better than all Hollywood fantasy fiction..
Really ,the scène of the cat demon ❤❤❤
I like this drama so am happy that you gave it an attention and 1.5 grade. 😊
Your hair! Impressive! Amazing! 🥰😍🤩
And so heavy😂
@@AvenueX123 I can imagine 😂.
I watched your best 2022 fight scene vidoe and saw this drama and went to check it out! Needless to say it was pretty good and i finished it in two days 😂 its a different genre than i typically watxh but its really good. I love rhe different cases rhey take on!
Kudos to IQIYI for this series that let us see other aspects of ancient dynasties other than the repetitive romance stories
I am halfway through the drama and I have liked it so far and will mostly continue watching it. The only complaint I have is the romantic relationship of the main leads. Hope the main plot doesn't get taken over by this sub-plot ( which i am assuming is what happens from Avenux's video).
Glad you got to watch it & do a review. There were many occasions the drama gave horror-movie vibes 🫣. I wholeheartedly agree with you re: plastic surgery thing. It actually added to the horror vibes. I have unfortunately not forgotten the supporting actress in Our Glamorous Time with ZLY &JH, for that reason but I recently checked out her current pics & it’s now less obvious 😅. Maybe filming occurred too soon post-op.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. It was interesting to hear about it all, and see you dress up.
Personal observation, I don't think Tang dynasty style of makeup does you favour.
Re.drama location, agreed, had the same experience.
Sooo... 6:20 Chinese Scooby-Doo?
The reason I watched this drama is that one day I saw a screenshot of this drama featuring Lu Jianmin. He participated in the crocodile story. I couldn't even imagine that I would finish a Yang Zhigang drama 🤣🤣 but I did this time. Quite fun to watch.
I love that show.
I agree with your assessment of this drama. I couldn't get myself to really care about the characters, to like them. The script was lacking in this development. Cardboard characters.
Wery good drama.Beautiful , filosofical , funny and witout too romantic .The love stories were beautiful and full of tenderness.Acting was good.And I find my favorite femail actress .Bautiful and cute... Waiting for more
Like your dressing up. Btw, l started to understand your review on the dramas now, and l have to give you 8.5 to 9 out of 10.
You look amazing 👏 😍 💖
Dies anyone know if she ever rated a drama at 3 goldmines?
Glad I stayed., then s2 was even better. Seriously the first few episodes were awkward, I don't know how to make of it😅
I haven't watched this drama and after this review probably wont or maybe I will idk (after are you safe I am avoiding suspense or detective dramas for the time), but I agree with the reuse of set or places in chinese dramas. Like there is a mountain or cliff with round top, stiff slope and fairly plain ground in front, which is almost always used in all period, wuxia or xianxia dramas. I always want to know, China being such a huge country, do they lack places to shoot so much?? As for modern dramas, it happens very often too. Like the house in the Make a wish drama. the main house of the protagonist, I have seen that building in atleast 6 or 7 dramas and they always mention a diff city. Or sometimes its university or hospital. Places are reused so much. When it happens it pulls me away from the drama and my thoughts goes to the other dramas shot in the same location. I agree some places can be or have to be reused like govt building or some iconic building which usually looks similar or are too distinct to imitate, respectively. But for other places I believe its not hard to find different places to shoot.
I need to know which females are the ones that supposedly got plastic surgery. I’m on episode 22 and haven’t seen any faces that looked too out of place yet.
Both Female leads
@@bapyongukgukguk2352 I understand the 2nd female lead but Pei Xijun looks pretty normal. She looks like the average girl on the streets
could be the princess and Shi Yi Niang?
Maybe the romance part isnt the focus?
At the beginning it looks like Demon Cat 妖猫传
Yes!! 😄
Have not made it to that one on my list yet so plz forgive my asking...but is this a good thing? I may need to get to Demon Cat faster.
@@manicmentacide The film has very bad rating in China due to its empty and meaningless plot, but if you just want to see the beautiful scenery, go ahead, it is good for eyes.
Purple is my favourite🤩😍🥰
What’s the name of the drama?
strange tales of Tang Dynasty
@@megumim6795 thank you
8:29 Agreed!!
I still have to watch a few episodes. What amuses me a bit are the two female lead roles. They are completely irrelevant. Could be played by two male characters too, one who is good in painting and detecting details and one who is good in martial arts. Anything else is not needed. It is like: oh we have forgotten to add some „common“ romantic elements (still there are none) - let us give them some opportunities besides a slow cooking bromance. Maybe in the last episodes there will be something but as for now, romance is not necessary. As reference to the Sherlock Holmes stories, this works perfect.
True that the roles of Pei Xinju and Yin Tao could be played by 2 male charactes. Which is why I'm glad they are female characters, and they are not irrelevant, they actually contribute to the team's investigations. Sorry but you sound misogynistic. As for romance, while I agree it may not be necessary, it adds some nice touch on the series. Just like they didn't have to add humor, but the humor made the series more enjoyable to watch.
The romance worked better in Ancient Detective cause the female leads roles were better written and they had purposes other than the typical forced romance (Xi Jun literally forced herself into the Male lead life and the storyline).
@@Lenje08 humor worked in this show cause Fed Chicken was not your annoying abbrasive and invasive female lead.
YingTao was bland and drama worked extremely fine without her presence
@@bapyongukgukguk2352 Umm I'm sure Chicken Fed is an elderly? :D
The integration of 2 female characters didn't go well. It could have been better. Romance is not the only way to introduce them into the crew. They should have omitted the romance altogether. Having platonic element would have been better.
The fact that this drama managed to score 7.7 on Douban(as per today), lower than The Imperial Coroner by a close margin and way higher than Luoyang shows that it has been received well among the audience despite no promotion, no major actors, and almost zero romance (which I really appreciate). For me the highlights of the drama are the dynamics among the three male characters; the character development of LLF as he grows more mature; the banters and dry humor that sits well with me. As a fan of Hercule Poirot, for me the cases are not special but fun and flow nicely to drive the plot. I also like Detective Di Renjie so I find them very typical of Detective Di's cases. And the fight scenes, I really love them! I feel like it's been ages we don't get really good martial arts in wuxia dramas. The martial arts in STOTD are way much better than those in many wuxia dramas in recent years. Congrats to the team of STOTD! Look forward to season 2!
The younger one looks like Takashi
I mean it's really brave of the production company and investors letting not 1 BUT 2 controversial actors leading the show~ Watched it without realizing who they were at first until a certain point I kinda felt like I know them from somewhere... To be really honest, I feel they two really suit the roles like it's theirs' and that charisma they created for their characters made them very attractive! LOL I just thought the pairing of Su WuMing and Ying Tao is odd to me due to the visible age difference... I like that Pei Xi Jun's personality is not a typical brainless rich lady but someone who is independent and helpful for the development of the story build up. Romance isn't a big part in this drama which they did it right for a detective genre and I like that the pinch of romance is just enough if not it would have cause the entire show to be out of focus.
I know this is an ignorant question. BUT why aren't young people speaking Mandarin well?
AvX explains it in her video "Chinese Acting School's Ridiculous Entry Requirement", but in a nutshell it's that looking good is more important than acting well in (Idol-)dramaland.
@@mirabellegoldapfel6256 thank you
Because people in China speak dialect in their daily life but only speak standard mandarin in school: reading a book in dialect sounds really funny. Many actors have slight accent of their dialect which can tell you which part of China the actor grows up. So it will make audience going out of characters/plot. So many drama choose to dub their actor’s voice by professional voice actors whose mandarin is so standard that has no accent at all.
@@lindazager I heard that the government won’t allow dubbing from voice actors anymore. If that true the actors are going to have to improve their standard mandarin.
@@lindazager thank you
👍🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💐💐💐💐💐
It's weird, because people of my age (20 years old), all love Yang Zhigang's performance and lines, I seldom hear people disliking him. Nearly all the dramas he and his brother made are well rated. Nearly all Chinese young people give good reviews to him. I am pretty sure you have prejudice towards Yang brothers.
Yea no 娘道 was one of the most hated dramas when it was released for its misogynistic nature.
After 演员请就位 and Yang Zhi Zhang refusing to practice with Guo Xiao Ting and made the performance comedic when it was suppose to be serious, he received a lot hate and criticism for being unprofessional
看看我的秘密室友
I finished watching it twice and then came back for the review done by AvenueX and now I will go watch this drama series.... lol
❤
I am easily distracted by side views of super protruding and super sharp chins, and sometimes, even super curved chins, and I am not sure why some chinese find these attractive.
Hated it, it was boring af