Category: Currently Watching

Currently Watching: Sword Snow Stride (2021) 雪中悍刀行

Posted on by Karen and Cathy

 

 

雪中悍刀行》新剧照：张若昀变俊美，“姜泥”为“李淳罡”撑伞- 时尚资讯(娱乐新闻网)

Sword Snow Stride (2021) 雪中悍刀行

Summary: Xu Feng Nian (starring Zhang Ruo Yun) has the reputation of being a playboy and the humiliation of Bei Liang. However, in reality, he is extremely intelligent and understands the burdens he has as the eldest son of the King of Bei Liang. 

 

 

 

Overall rating: 8/10

Initial thoughts: I’m not going to lie, I’m enjoying this a little more than Luo Yang. Why? It’s actually hilarious. The team is the same one that put together Joy of Life which was a blockbuster drama in late 2019 and you can feel some of the same beats in this drama. I don’t think it’s as good as Joy of Life but it’s thoroughly enjoyable. The early criticisms of this drama are revolved around the main female lead and also the martial arts (or lack thereof) but that does not detract from the the much better acting from the main lead Zhang Ruo Yun. There are also plenty of belly laugh inducing moments in the drama which is keeping me hooked!  

 

Full review to come!

-Karen

Currently Watching: LuoYang (2021) 风起洛阳

Posted on by Karen and Cathy

 

 

LuoYang (2021) 风起洛阳

Summary: Under the reign of the only female emperor in Chinese history, individuals from various levels of society team up to investigate an ever expanding web of threats that threaten the safety of the Emperor and the regime. 

The drama stars: Huang Xuan, Song Qian and Wang Yi Bo as main leads.

 

 

 

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Initial thoughts: Having watched the first 28 episodes, I can unequivocally say the production value of this drama is absolutely top notch. The long takes and action shots throughout the show reflects how much care was put into creating a living, breathing world of Luo Yang during this period. The costumes and set pieces are some of the best I’ve seen in a drama this year so that alone should be enough to push one to see the drama. I hold back on considering this a classic because the acting for at least 2 of the main characters could be improved and the storylines can sometimes be hard to follow. But that doesn’t mean this is not highly enjoyable.  

 

Full review to come!

-Karen