Short Review: The Seven Relics of Ill Omen (2025) 七根心简
Summary: In ancient times, a mysterious substance descended upon Fengzi Ridge. This substance preyed on humans, corrupting their hearts, and driving them to commit evil. This dark force became known as the Heart Seal. Thousands of years later, it has resurfaced in the human world, bringing with it a slew of deadly and unsolved cases. One woman witnessed the brutal murder of her family 2 decades ago and spent the last 20 years trying to solve the case. Her goddaughter, Mu Dai (ft Liu Hao Cun 刘浩存), assists her on this quest. Mu Dai encounters 4 other young friends, each with unique skills to solve this mystery. There’s Luo Ren (ft Song Weilong 宋威龙), Yi Wan San (ft Ao Ruipeng), Yan Hong Sha (ft Wang Yi Ting) , and Cao Yan Hua (ft Zhang Yi Chi). Together, they form the Phoenix Squad and embark on an adventure to capture and seal the Heart Seal.
Platform: Youku
Episodes: 32
Airing Date: June 8, 2025
Final Rating 6.8/10 [After 12 episodes]: A rare Chinese modern day fantasy and mystery drama with a compelling plot that ultimately falls short due to weak execution and an unconvincing lead performance from Liu Hao Cun.
Mu Dai 木代 Liu Hao Cun 刘浩存
She is highly skilled in martial arts who is tasked by her godmother to uncover a 20 year mystery
Luo Ren 罗韧 Song wei long 宋威龙
Trained mercenary who vows to save his cousin
Yi Wan San 一万三 Ao rui Peng 敖瑞鹏
Bartender who works for Mu Dai's godmother and is fleeing from his own demons
Yan Hong Sha 炎红砂 Wang Yi Ting 王奕婷
She comes from a line of treasure hunters and hires Mu Dai in search of her uncle
Cao Yan Hua 曹严华 Zhang Yi Chi 张亦驰
Local thief who decides to change his ways after meeting Mu Dai
Shen Gun 神棍 Yang Hao Yu 杨皓宇
Self-proclaimed Chinese legends guru who aids the Phoenix Squad
Final Thoughts
Adapted from a novel by Wei Yu, the same author behind Rattan and Parallel Worlds, this drama brings her signature style of weaving modern supernatural fiction with Chinese mythology. The world-building is immersive and the pacing brisk, with mysteries that unfold naturally. The strongest draw is watching how characters navigate the supernatural while rooted in a contemporary setting.
Unfortunately, the execution falls short of the source material’s potential. I haven’t read the novel, but the drama feels like a lesser version of what could have been. Much of this is due to the subpar performance from the two leads. Liu Hao Cun doesn’t quite sell the role as the the formidable martial artist Mu Dai. Song Wei Long, who is fine as Luo Ren, really suffers from his poor enunciation. Production-wise, the artificial-looking sets and subpar CGI further distance the audience from the story. It feels like all the characters are living in a fake world because all the sets look manufactured。
This drama managed to breach 9500 on Youku’s popularity index, which is the best of Song Wei Long’s dramas this year but was a dud overall. As a fan of Wei Yu’s novels and the worlds that she creates, I hope that her future adaptations particularly those starring Dilraba and Meng Zi Yi will do her stories justice.
What I Liked
- Immersive world and fantastic mystery: The drama opens with a gripping murder that sets the stage for a series of ominous events. This chilling start launches the central mystery, drawing multiple parties into the hunt for answers and uncovering more as the story develops. The story does a great job of gradually introducing its characters and weaving them into the narrative, each playing a meaningful role in unraveling the secrets behind the ill omens. As the investigation deepens, the characters journey across diverse landscapes, completing mini-quests that expand the world and drive the plot forward. The story building is what really kept me interested as a viewer. The drama also doesn’t hesitate to throw in some jump scares so be warned!
- Fun Sidekicks with the Phoenix Squad: Among the ensemble, Ao Rui Peng as Yi Wan San and Zhang Yi Chi as Cao Yan Hua steal the show. Their chemistry is delightful, delivering a light-hearted bromance between two well-meaning but comically underqualified members of the Phoenix Squad. They truly act like they’re enjoying the ride. Ao Rui Peng, in particular, shines with a much more lively and expressive performance than in his recent, more icy and stoic roles. I hope he carries this energy and nuance into future projects.
What's Didn't Work - Spoilers Ahead
- Liu Hao Cun as Mu Dai: Liu Hao Cun is unfortunately miscast in the central role of Mu Dai. As the supposed leader of the Phoenix Squad and a skilled martial artist, she fails to convey the strength or presence the character demands. She both looks and acts too young for the role. Her youthful appearance and wide-eyed innocence make it difficult to take her seriously, especially in high-stakes situations where she’s meant to display confidence and authority. Instead of leading, she often feels more like a confused sidekick. She’s often overwhelmed, underprepared, and emotionally flat. Her frequent blank stares and lack of urgency make it hard to believe she’s facing life-or-death scenarios. It really feels like I’m watching a young teenager sleep walk her way through harrowing events. This greatly contributes to the lack of chemistry between her and Song Wei Long’s Luo Ren, which feels rather forced. Adding to the problem, Liu Hao Cun’s fight scenes, perhaps due to her background in ballet, lack any sense of impact. Her movements resemble graceful choreography more than combat, completely undermining the credibility of her martial arts prowess. There’s elegance, yes, but zero force.
- Song Wei Long’s Luo Ren: In contrast, Song Wei Long gives a better performance. His action scenes are more believable, and he at least feels present in the narrative. However, his poor enunciation is hard to ignore. While this issue is typically masked by dubbing in his period dramas, it becomes very apparent here. He needs to seriously work on his diction and articulation for modern roles.
- Extremely Poor Execution: What could have been a rich and immersive drama ends up feeling hollow due to poor production choices. The CGI is shockingly bad. It looks cheap, unconvincing, and jarring. The sets are another major problem. Rather than feeling like real, lived-in environments, they come across as sterile soundstages. Outdoor scenes are particularly egregious, with obviously fake trees and backdrops that completely break immersion. Can the actors and actresses please actually go into some trees? It’s baffling how fantasy dramas manage better CGI and realism, while this show, supposedly grounded in the modern world, looks so artificial. I also struggled with many of Mu Dai’s martial arts sequences. Yes, Mu Dai is supposed to be skilled, but her wirework and rooftop flying stunts are straight of wuxia dramas. The problem with having this wirework in modern day dramas is that it’s just too obvious. These exaggerated moments clash badly with the otherwise modern setting and further undercut the drama’s believability. There is a better drama hidden under here and I’m frustrated that it feels like the drama chose to just get to 70% and stop there.
