Thursday, July 14, 2016

Go Princess Go (2015)

Go Princess Go


Go Princess Go is a web show produce by LeTV based on the novel "The Promotion Record of a Crown Princess" by Xian Xheng (HE).  A contemporary playboy named Zhang Peng is transported into the past into the body of Princess Zhang Peng Peng, whose is having marital problems with her husband crown prince Qi Sheng, after he  is hit in the head when he falls in a pool at a party.

Zhang Tian Ai as Zhang Peng Peng
Go Princess Go in many aspects is a low budget show but despite this in terms of visuals, story, and themes I think it succeeded and the low budget seems to add some charm and having the show not take itself too seriously.  I thought the scenery, the customs, the actors and the music were beautiful.  Even though the show comedic it also dealt with some serious ideas and in a way I have not seen in Asian dramas. It dealt with palace intrigue, jealousy, power, and identity.  

Sheng Yi Lu as Qi Sheng
I thought that the crisis Peng Peng had with her identity was done rather well, though I thought there were things that could level the show into another level of sophistication.  While Peng peng voice of that of a woman there were times when we had Zhang Peng's male voice over which allowed us to get a closer look into how the male mind was working in that situation.  I liked Peng Peng slow growth through out the show with the relationships she had.  She first just lusts after Lu li who becomes a good friend, her  friendship with Jiu Wang and Yang Yan and finally actually with herself where she grew to actually care, respect and take herself seriously as she did others. 


Alan Yu as Jiu Wang 
Many people did not seem to like Peng Peng and Qi Sheng as couple as much as the other relationships. They usually point out that Qi Sheng tried to assassinate Peng Peng.  While Qi Sheng was not initially in love with Peng Peng and was cheating on her from what I saw in the show, I don't believe Qi Sheng was the one that sent the escort to kill Peng Peng. I thought this especially during the guy's interrogation and then what Jiu Wang reported later.  To me it just did not fit or make sense especially when we actually learn more about everyone's character.  

Peng Peng internal conflict falling for Qi Sheng was quite interesting. It begs the questions is love and sexual preference dictated by the mind or the body? How do the mind and body effect each other? Peng Peng for example did not really care about having her child but then grew to love and want to protect it at all cause.  So how much did the different chemical levels effect Zhang Peng being in Peng Peng's body?  

All the characters were interesting to some level each with their weaknesses and shortcomings. 

What I also loved about the show were the songs.  

The part of the show I was disappointed most with was the ending.  There three endings and for me the ending where Zhang Peng wakes up and is searching for Qi Sheng and runs into the Yi Sheng who looked like Qi Sheng and seems to be him because of the flashback made the most sense to me and allowed room for a continuation.  I read that there was a lot of controversy in China because of the theme and the allusion to maybe a same sex relationship. If this ending was tweaked a little there would have been an interesting ending.  If there had made Zhang Peng in the beginning be the actor Sheng Yi Lu and then have the doctor at the end be Zhang Tian Ai, it would have brought the whole thing in a full circle.

The ending I disliked the most was the last one where they had it that the cast were actors and the who story was fiction (though in reality it is) but that was a complete slap in the face.  For me it took away all the meaning and growth that the characters went through.  Though it was technically a happy ending, I disliked it.  








Wu Xin: The Monster Killer (2015)

Wu Xin: The Monster Killer


Despite his immortality, Wu Xin is condemned to wander the earth purposeless and penniless. In an act of kindness, Yue Ya shares her last bit of food with him, who returns the favor with a strange form of gratitude: killing monsters.


Elvis Han as Wu Xin
I don't quite remember how I cam across Wu Xin, but I am very glad I did. I really liked this show as I watched it, sometimes I watched episode after episode. I thought the show balanced the comedy, drama, action and fantasy. Though at times I though some of the graphics were cheesy but that also added to the fun and charm of the show. The relationships in the show was another point that I thought was done very well. 


Gina Jin as Li Yue Ya

I think my favorite relationship in the show was that of Wu Xin, Yue Ya and Lord Gu.  Though they often argue they were always there for one another whenever they were in trouble. Which shows how much their cared for each other.


I liked Wu Xin he was smart, caring, loyal, fierce, funny and good looking. I also liked Yue Ya, she was caring and kind hearted but stood up for what she believed in and protected those she loved to the best of her abilities. Lord Gu was funny but was an over all balanced person.  I thought his acting might become annoying but he had charm and you never questioned that the actor was that character.  


Ian Wang as Xuan Wu Gu

Yue Qi Lou was our main villain. There was a juxtaposition between her physical appearance and actual character.  She looked innocent and cute but was really mean.  I felt that at times the show wanted to make you feel bad for her but when you actually you the whole story and what she had done, I did not feel story for her.  

There are somethings in the show that I wondered about and some I did not like. 
I thought there would be a more diverse amount of villains that Wu Xin would encounter and deal with, at least that is what I assumed from the title. Yue Qi Lou was a difficult villain to deal with, but I didn't believe she was the ultimate villain.  


Sabrina Chen Yue Qi Lou

Another thing I didn't like was the sexism particularly from Lord Gu since he was a part of Wu Xin.  I do understand that it has to do with the time period and the fact that there are people like Lord Gu, even today.  But since he was a good person and the problems it created seemed unnecessary.  This got me not to like Lord Gu as much as I would have, though everyone have their faults. 

The thing I was really hoping for and disappointed we didn't get was Wu Xin's origins.  We learned a little about his immortality from his regeneration, powers and friends. But there was so many more questions such as why was he immortal, where did he get his powers, why did he have to sleep those years, why did he forget certain things but remembered he was immortal and his friends.


The last thing was the ending. 

Spoilers:

I don't understand why the cat demon threw away the ring and picture of Wu Xin and Yue Ya, though I understand the need to save the ones you love from pain.  Why did Wu Xin not keep the ring on? He was being protected while he slept so he could not have lost it.  The last scene was quite hurtful and I did not understand the point.  Why was Wu Xin staring that those pair of earrings the way he did, if he didn't remember.  You don't do that unless he holds meaning or you like it. Wu Xin doesn't seem the time to wear jewelry.  Also why have Lord Gu see him and chase after him only to have him left disappoint, be reminded of his friends.  Plus towards the end of the scene Wu Xin stopped and turned around as if he had heard but continued on.  This seemed cruel to me because it seemed like Lord Gu had started move on but now he saw Wu Xin again.  

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Cuo/Xi Dian Yuan Yang (2012)

Cuo/Xi Dian Yuan Yang



Su Huan Er got a bad feeling when Shi Wu Ji agreed to marry to her. He, his two brothers and his sister hated her father with a passion. But if they thought they can torture her to settle bad blood, they got another think coming. Shi Wu Hen was only a stand-in groom at the wedding, yet he was charmed by the new bride's cheery disposition and unbeatable optimism. This created a problem because she was his brother's wife, not his. So when his brother's long lost betrothed fiancée, Liang Yu Shi, showed up at their door, he stepped in to honor the families' agreement. What he thought was a marriage of obligation turned into a heartbreaking love affair in which he was willing to risk his family's lives to save hers. Shi Wu Jie was the youngest and the most passionate of the three brothers. When he met Qin Qiu Yu, it was love at first sight. His family, however, strongly opposed to their relationship because she was a courtesan unworthy of his station. He, in turn, decided to follow her to end of earth than to leave her. Shi Wu Xia only had eyes for Leng Gang. She didn't care that he was a servant's son. Yet, the difference in their social status was a gulf he was unwilling and unable to cross.
She recruited the unconventional Su Huan Er to help change Leng Gang's thinking. 



Qi Ji as Shi Wu Ji 

This drama focuses on the romances of the four Shi siblings of Ao Long Bao as they try to avenge the death of their parents twenties before.  The first part of the drama focus on the relationships of two of the siblings. Shi Wu Ji, the eldest sibling and Su Huan Er and Shi Wu Xia, the only girl of the siblings  and Leng Gang. As well of the relationship, the show also focuses on investigating who they believe to be responsible for the death of their parents and how they plan to get revenge. 

 Zhao Li Ying as Su Huan Er 

The second part of the show focus more on the relationships of the two other brothers. Shi Wu Hen, the second brother and Liang Yu Shi, a girl who has been living as a boy and is a constable. The other couple is the third brother, Shi Wu Jie and a courtesan Qin Qiu Yu. This part of the show also focuses on who the true mastermind behind their parents death was and the business rivalries they have with another business man named Mu Rong.

Han Dong as Shi Wu Hen
I think my favorite relationships to watch were that of Shi Wu Ji/Su Huan Er and Shi Wu Hen/ Liang Yu Shi.  Both their relationship had romance but also difficulties that they had to go through and grow as people and a couple. 

Zhou Fang as Liang Yu shi
I liked this show. It had comedy, drama, some mystery and romances that were not overly cheesy or too dramatic for the kind of story it was.  The story was good and make want to keep watching it.











Thursday, April 7, 2016

Nine: Nine Time Travels (2013)

Nine: Nine Time Travels


Nine: Nine Time Travels is a Korean television series from 2013. An anchorman, Park Sun Woo, one day stumbles upon 9 magical incenses, each with the ability to send him to the past. With the help of the incense Park Sun Woo travels to the past trying to remain a family tragedy that has haunted him all his life. 


Lee Jin Wook as Park Sun Woo
I really liked Nine: Nine Times Travels.   It had a very interesting concept that was intelligent and kept the story moving forward full of suspense.  They build a concept around the story and never strayed from what the focus of the story was.  Not no point did the writers, and producers find themselves in a hard position in the story and decided to just get the characters out in a way that was not plausible or fit in with the world they had constructed and that was great.

Jo Yoon Hee as Joo Min Young
What I also like were the characters. I could feel and understand the pain and dilemma they were going through.  I was constantly rooting for Park Sun Woo at every turn.
Joo Min Young was fun and I could see why Park Sun Woo loved her and how she fit as part of the story.

Though I really liked the show and followed it all the way to the end. The last couple of minutes were confusing to me.  The current timeline's Park Sun Woo remembers the one that came from the future and saved him when Min Young-ssi reminds him.  He then takes a plane to Nepal, where Min Young-ssi is on assignment and is older brother had also gone.  This brings us make to the events of the beginning of the series when his brother died in the mountain and goes to recover his body and finds the first of the magical incense. The last scene of the series is Park Jung Woo in the mountain with the blizzard that killed holding the incense stick and when he looks up Park Sun Woo is there and offers him a hand. Except this Park Sun Woo is old, much older than his older brother.  That made me think that the Park Sun Woo who went to the past to save his younger self did not end up dying in the phone booth crash. Somehow he survived and has been living up until this point.  I don't think the current Park Sun Woo who was on the plane went back to the past to save him because he never gets the first incense because his brother doesn't die. Also how would it work if two Park Sun Woo of the same age were in the same time?

Long rant, but the show was great just a little confused with the end.
Would recommend this show and if I get the chance I will wash it again.