Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei

Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei 

Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei is the story of Li Ge Xiao, who is intelligent with the martial arts skills to match. At one time Li Ge Xiao was a high ranking marshal with authority.  However, he went on the run when an enemy frames him and execute his wife.  To help a old friend now a high ranking marshal to retrieve gold meant for refuge relief.  Li Ge Xiao teams up with thief Yan San Niang, master of disguise He Xiao Mei and muscle Chai Hu and formed the team called "Yi Zhi Mei."  Yi Zhi Mei robs from the rich to give to the poor and bring justice to the helpless fighting against the corrupt.

Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei Cast

Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei has a good mix of action, humor, suspense and romance. I liked the partnership between the heroes and the family that they end up forming.  They had each others back and were loyal.  I also liked the setup of the different stories and how the backstory and flashbacks were woven into it.  Also how all the characters that Yi Zhi Mei meet or interacted with during the journey help them deal with the final conflict at the end.  

Li Ge Xiao (Wallace Huo)

I think that all the actors did a pretty good job.  You got a good sense of each character and some of the changes they went through and the challenges that they faced. I liked the opening theme song by Hu Ge and the song by Lilith.  I played Lilith's song to dead.   The things that I think I liked the most were the strategy and thinking that went into the planning and dealing with the conflicts.  The fight scenes were cool and I also liked the illustrations that helped introduce the characters during the beginning of the show.  

Chai Hu (Shu Xingyu)

Although I liked the show over all there were somethings I did not really like or did not really seem to work well or serve a purpose for me.
However, an aspect that I thought elevated the show was having almost each member of the main cast have their own back story arc.  

Laiying Bao attacked by bandits

I felt some sympathy for Laiying Bao when he first feels defeated about not being able to make more of himself, protecting Ruyi and getting her love.  But knowing someone first or being their childhood friend doesn't me they have to love you back if you fall for them.  Plus to me, Ruyi seemed to desire to live with dignity and not just for herself but for her father, her heritage and her family.  Ruyi seemed to want someone like her father.  Because despite his exile he continued to maintain his innocence and lived with dignity.

Ruyi

When we first meet Laiying and Ruyi traveling to the city, Laiying seemed always on his knees begging.  Even when he did not need to, especially in an environment where those with power liked to bully others just because they could.  Ruyi saw Laiying as a brother and not as a man she could admire.   The scene where they are attacked by the bandits, she tells Laiying to stop begging because one, the bandits were enjoying his debasement and would probably kill them anyway.  So, why give up their self respect and dignity aswell. When Laiying joins the marshals he still continues to blame Li Gexiao and starts bullying others like he felt he was.  When Laiying Bao gets the name Ying Wu Qiu, he doesn't really care able real justice but just getting praise, seems to take pleasure in killing and getting back at Gexiao for being responsible for all his misery.

Marshal Ying Wu Qiu

    Although, Sanniang is a pretty cool female character and Lui Shi Shi did a good job at the acting. I really could not get into Sanniang's story or what her back story was suppose to reveal about her character.  We learn  that a young Sanniang and her family were fleeing some disaster but not being a biological child, the father decides to abandon Sanniang for his new born son.  At this point there is already so many interesting stories and lead ways as to why Sanniang would be a mater thief but the story goes on.  We learn that Sanniang is almost deadly afraid of bugs but the only support as to why this is through the back story is that she swallowed a bug when she was alone in the woods. This seemed contrived and weak compared to the possibilities that were available from the situation. We know that people were starving and that's one of the reasons Sanniang's family left their home then her. She could have seen livestock and food devastated by bugs, seen worms turn food everyone needed into poison or a dead body covered in flies and worms. These possibilities would have carried more weight for her fear considering the situation was in.  I am not saying that a seemingly small incident cannot have a bid impact on a fear or phobia.  But in this situation it just seemed like it might  as well been having her seem girly and be afraid of creepy crawls than what was presented.  Or maybe they just didn't want things to get too serious and needed something.

Yan Sanniang 

At this point, we would have a plausible explanation as to why she became a thief. She's a child, alone and starving.  So she started stealing in order to survive, that makes sense. She falls in with a group, where she learns martial arts and has an obsession with pearls because they represent wealth, beauty and security. All the things she desires.  But the story continues and she is saved by the Abbot and taken to the temple.  From that young age to adulthood, Sanniang as other people around her, she has food, shelter, clothing and is taught martial arts and how to be literate.  So, considering where she could have been she had a good life.

Abbot and Sanniang's mother

One thing, I am curious about in Ancient Chinese Series is why matching amulets always seems to mean your family (parent/child) and at times lovers.  The amulets are usually valuable but do people not lose, exchange, have them stolen, pawn or have them copied?

So Sanniang has a matching amulet to that of the Abbot's and we are told that her birthmother left it with her.  Sanniang confronts the Abbot, but the Abbot denies it.  Here, I saw some interesting possibility.  The Abbot in front of the altar and other members swears that she is not her mother.  I really hoped that this was true, because the Abbot was pretty swearing in front of God and others that look up to and respect her that she is not Sannaing's mother.  So unless the Abbot is a really deceitful person, why would she tell such a lie just to distance herself from Sanniang?  I saw two quick possibilities here. One, the Abbot was hurt by a man and the temple's abbot saved and took her in.  They become close but the abbot in getting involved with the (current) Abbot becomes pregnant and dies leaving her amulets for the Abbot and baby Sanniang. Two, the Abbot and Sanniang's mother were sisters (blood or sworn) but she dies leaving the Abbot to take care of her baby.  But because the Abbot blamed Sanniag's father, she gave Sanniang away since the temple could not take care of a baby.  So seeing the amulet with Sanniang brought back a lot of things that the Abbot thought she had resolved and forgotten.  

Sanniang's red outfit (I liked)

Sanniang leaves the temple.  I understand that in Ancient Chinese Series family and knowing your heritage is an important theme but for me that did not really explain why Sanniang left and became a thief. She could have done it because she knew the Abbot hated thieves and it was a way to rebel.  However, that would make sense only if people knew that Sanniang was related to the temple and the Abbot. Not even Li Gexiao who knew of Sanniang's love for pearls and how to catch her was aware that she was from that temple. So what was the point? Also by the time Sanniang left she was already an adult, and knew martial arts.  So there were ways she could take care of herself without having to resort to thievery.  

Sanniang's blue outfit (I liked)

For me, Sanniang's back story arc seemed the weakest and least necessary.  It really did nothing to add or reveal more about the person we meet and the person she becomes.  It just seemed like they wanted to give her a tragic background, which she already had up to the point she meet the Abbott.

Chai Hu

I liked Chai Hu backstory with the lover, because it played a little with some themes in Ancient Chinese Series.  Particularly one I saw in the Fairies of Liaozhai, was this idea which placed importance on male characters who lost a love was that they had to live and move on and have a family again.  It seemed like story after story in the Fairies of Liaozhai was about men who had one or two loves who die.  They are pitied but firmly told that they must love again.  I am not saying if someone loses someone close they shouldn't grieve then try to move on and live again. However in the stories it seems quite one sided. This was only done for the men.

In Chai Hu's story, he leaves his first love to go make money and doesn't come back.  However, for the lover being a woman, she did not have many possibilities at having a good life.  She was lucky to meet a man who loved and married her and her baby was born has his.  The differences that happened and the roles were played around with was that in this case the male lover leaves not gets killed off. All the women in Fairies of Liaozhai were killed off.  Chai Hu's lover doesn't have much backing or support.  The men in Liaozhai had support in one form or another.  When she does manage to move on and tries the best way she thought she could to protect the family she had now. She was portrayed almost like a complete villain.  I am not agreeing with her and her daughter's method at trying to deceive and use people especially Chai Hu but I didn't really see her as a bad person.

Her decision not to tell Chai Hu that she was pregnant seemed to me more of a contemporary notion. Because then women did not have the resources some have now to take care of a child on their own. She did not have a family or many friends. Even though she had a job that resource would have disappeared the moment her stomach started to show.  And once she had the baby things would have been worse.  This does not even involve the harassment she would have had to endure for being a single mother.  Most want to know that their lover stays with them because they want to and not by force. However, that really was not something of top priority in this situation because she and her child absolutely needed the support of another person in order to survive.  

He Xioamei

Xiaomei’s background had interesting potential, especially when the story started playing with the idea of hereditary ailment which tied into Xaiomei being a doctor.  The element of the supernatural was not an overall theme of the show but plays a part in Xiaomei’s story. Thought the show was more grounded in reality, there are things that happen that cannot always be explained or given reason even by someone as smart as Gexiao.  So, I wanted them to address that idea more than they kind of did.

The first issue that I had with Xiaomei’s story was how easily he believed and took off with the woman and old man who claimed to be his family when up to that point he had not really shown any interest about family except for his dead mother.  I am aware that family knowledge is an important priority for orphans especially and in Asian culture.  However, this seemed a bit extreme to me. Also Xiaomei seemed to me to be second in intelligence in the group. But when it came to observing things when he was on his own, he only seemed to come to some understanding only when Gexiao pointed them out to him.  

Xiaomei in Marshal outfit

This was another part of the show that I questioned.  I saw each of the partner’s back story arc as a means not only to show their story but to show their strengths and what they brought and made Yi Zhi Mei great and the other members including Gexiao would be there to aid and support them.

Another issue I had with Xiaomei story was that I wanted them to deal with the issue that Xiaomei might not live a long life because many male members of his family had died at a relatively young age and he also gets poisoned.  To me it seemed like the poison would have lasting effects that would likely kill him instead of being cured as quickly as it was.  There was also the story of the curse.  The explanation that was given just left me with more questions and loose ends.   Why did his father a seemingly good person kill all those people just because his second wife left him and took Xiaomei.  He still had Xiaomei’s older brother and his mother. Even if he loved Xiaomei’s mother more. Not to say that one love can replace another.   However you also had previous ancestors that also went on murderous rampage. 

Sanniang as a stand alone figure without the backstory and some things I found annoying was cool. But I wondered what if Xiaomei had been a woman? And she was the one that Gexiao loved?  It would have been interesting to have a girl Xiaomei be a master of disguise and be an absolute master at Chinese Opera male roles but couldn’t perform the female roles that she loved watching her mother do.  That would deal with the ideas of femininity, roles, perception and how people love.    

Yi Zhi Mei (illustrated shot)

I overall enjoyed the Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei.  I had some issues that I tried to quickly address but it was a good show.

  

                     

Kimchi (김치)

Kimchi

Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean dish made from vegetables and a variety of seasoning.  Traditional Kimchi is allow to ferment underground in clay pots for periods of months.  There are hundreds of variety of Kimchi but most being made with either Napa cabbage, radish, cucumber or scallions as a main ingredient.  

I like Kimchi very much and have been eating it for a while now.  Mainly as a side dish or made into fried rice.  The first think I even thought that an individual could make Kimchi in a small apartment was in the Fall of 2011 at the Korean Festival in New Jersey.  I attended a Kimchi making demonstration and made some to take home.  However, even then I thought the preparation and making of the sauce was difficult.  That is until I was roaming the Internet for more Korean recipes.     I found that making Kimchi was relatively easy.  One just needed some time and the proper ingredients.  

So this June, I set out to make some Kimchi.  The recipe I used did not involve any anchovy or fish ( I was afraid to poison someone).  

Ingredients:

- 2 whole Napa Cabbage
- 1 Cup of Salt
-10 Cups of Water
- 7 Tbsp of Fish Sauce
- 1 1/4 Cup of Crushed Red Pepper
- 8 Pieces of Green Onion
- 1/2 of a Radish
- 1 Whole Garlic
- 1 Piece of Ginger
- 1/2 of an Onion
- 1/2 of an Apple
- 4 Tbsp of Sugar

First you will clean all the ingredients like the Napa and radish well.  Then, peal the radish, ginger, onion, garlic and apple.  Then cut the Napa into sections or bite sizes, depends on what you want. Also cut the radish into julienne.  Then slice the onion and green onion thinly.  Submerge the Napa in a bath of water and salt mixture. Allow that to seat for 2 hours.  

In a blender, puree the ginger, garlic, apple and onion. in a bowl combine the puree, red pepper, fish sauce and sugar.    

After the 2 hours, rinse the Napa and radish about 3 times.  Now completely cover the Napa leaves and radish in your red pepper mixture.  (Gloves and apron are recommended.  The red pepper mixture will stain your hands and cloths).  Put your Kimchi in a nice jar and store it in your kitchen in a dark cool corner for 1-3 nights depending on how sour you want then store in the fridge.  (I stored mine for 3 nights, shaking it every night because of the natural sediments that settles). 

Kimchi recipes also call for apple pear but i didn't have any so I substituted. 

Zucchini and Summer Squash Kimchi


 I also made a Kimchi from summer squash and zucchini.  The next one I made I would like to add carrots.