The Ending: Classic of Mountains and Seas

Classic of Mountains and Seas 山海经之赤影传说 seem like a wholesome affair about a quest to gather seven warriors in a race to summon a deity, that is until jealousy rears its ugly head and everyone starts dropping like flies [spoiler alert].

The final episode begins with a one-on-one battle between Su Mo (Gu Li Na Zha) and Fu Er (Lan Ying Ying) and for the umpteenth time, Su Mo is defeated. Granted that Fu Er possesses black magic and a newfound ability for mind control; yet Su Mo's lack of improvement throughout the 46-episode run is equally frustrating.

Meanwhile, Chi Yu (Zhang Han) and his alter ego Xin Yue Hu (Zhang Han) are trapped inside an illusion. Desperate to escape, Chi Yu decides to sacrifice himself saying that he owes Xin Yue Hu who has remained in the shadows for most of their lives.

Nevertheless, Xin Yue Hu surprises with a sudden bout of altruism and instead, transfers every ounce of his energy until he disintegrates in a swift but heartfelt farewell among the unlikely brothers.

Baili Han (Li Chao) has obtained the Green Dragon's power and he has come to gloat in front of his old-time frenemy Bin Yi (Gao Weiguang). 

Scoffing at Bin Yi's unyielding love for Fu Er that stems from her resemblance to his wife, Baili Han reveals that Bin Yi's wife was his lover first, implying Bin Yi's marriage a sham. However, the joke is on Baili Han because Bin Yi knew the truth all along.

Realizing that the woman he loved had stopped loving him long ago, an enraged Baili Han deals a fatal blow to Bin Yi, leaving Fu Er devastated while he exclaims, "how come, when he was alive you didn't care, now that he is dead did he's important?"

To add insult to injury, Baili Han comes clean that the day Fu Er turned on Su Mo was a result of his scheming. 

While I feel for Fu Er, I do think that she takes the cake for most hated character so her comeuppance is welcome, more so because Baili Han is right in rubbing it in that her path to evilness would not have been so had she not been such a willing participant.

More deaths as Shangguan Jin (Kenny Kwan) and Ah Su (Liu Chang De) also die in the hands of Baili Han. Chi Yu might have too if not for Su Mo who makes a wish that finally destroys Baili Han.

Then comes the clean slate wherein everybody survives. 

Lasting Impressions: From the first casualty to the second to the third, it becomes painfully obvious where the drama is headed. Baili Han is the catch all, the ultimate source of conflict and the person to move the plot forward as seen by the number of issues he resolved in the last episode.

I honestly find the drama subpar but I enjoyed it regardless probably due to the fact that it is strikingly similar to an anime called Fushigi Yuugi.

Plagiarism or not, Classic of Mountains and Seas has a good concept and at the heart of the adventure are the characters. I could watch Team Phoenix just for their tireless banter and their back stories while tragic make for good TV. 

Mind you, I was throwing chairs when Chi Yu died and was replaced by Xin Yue Hu since real-life couple Gu Li Na Zha and Zhang Han had such sweet moments together, yet I grew accustomed to the ludicrous change made easier by a mellowed down Xin Yue Hu.

As for Su Mo's wish for world peace, it negates the events of the entire series, which is a reality that I neither loved nor hated though I suppose it's better that everyone is alive and serendipitous, putting a bittersweet end to the saga where only Su Mo and Chi Yu retain their memories. 

But what of Bin Yi, the scroll lady, her loyal wolf boy and even the face-stealing prick?

For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2016 c-drama listing.

First Look: Classic of Mountain and Seas

Classic of Mountains and Seas is filled with sword fights and neon lights with its indiscriminate use of CGI. It's a fantasy fest that doesn't shy from its premise and after being introduced to the Red Phoenix and the Green Dragon warriors, I am neither dissuaded nor captivated.

Episode 1 begins with a brief narration of the celestial beings that roamed the realms, stating that only the heavenly maidens can awaken their power.

Back to the present, a swordsman name Chi Yu (Zhang Han) is desperately searching for a magical herb called Ghost Grass, which was almost within his grasps until Su Mo (Gulnezer Bextiyar) beats him to the punch, bringing the two together as they argue about who gets their keep. 

Chi Yu attempts to grab the Ghost Grass from Su Mo only to pull away after realizing that Su Mo is in fact a girl. It was a delayed realization for me too because I completely forgot that Chi Yu couldn't possibly know Su Mo's gender once she donned a man's clothing. Su Mo escapes but not before leaving Chi Yu the herb, which he needed to save his friend.

Su Mo is from the Peach Blossom Village, a sacred community said to possess the blood of the Heavenly Maiden. However, she is not allowed to participate in the annual ritual because she is merely an outsider that was adopted as a baby.

Su Mo sneaks in with her sister Fu Er (Lan Ying Ying) anyway but the ceremony ends in utter chaos resulting in several missing women. Su Mo and Fu Er barely escape thanks to the help of Chi Yu, Shang Guan Jin (Kenny Kwan) and Su Mo's ingenuity but she ends up derided by the irrational villagers for being the bringer of bad luck.  

First Impressions: Gulnezer Bextiyar is still strikingly beautiful. I first saw her in Rift of the Sky where she really didn't leave much of an impression other than being a pretty face. This time around, she manages to give more depth to the character by bringing out a lively and feistier heroine. Do I absolutely love her? Well, not really but it's definitely better than the first time.

Zhang Han is being Zhang Han and emoting the same way Zhang Han does, though admittedly he can pull off cool with his brooding swordsman poses. I can't say much from the first episode alone because everything about his character is still a mystery. 

What I can share is that the second episode is much better, providing a glimpse of what could potentially encompass a fight for the throne and an escalating conflict amongst the countries with our leads caught in the middle, whether they want to or not. 

Besides, I want to at least watch until I see Wu Lei. 

For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2016 c-drama listing.

The Classic of Mountain and Seas

The Classic of Mountain and Seas 山海经之赤影传说 or Shan Hai Jing for short, is a 42-episode Chinese fantasy wuxia starring Zhang Han (Braveness of the Ming) and Gu Li Na Zha (Legend of Nine Tails Fox) and it is also rumored to be the drama that brought the real-life couple together.

The plot bears a striking resemblance to Korean drama Legend but the story will focus on two of the four spiritual objects instead. In hindsight, both likely took inspiration from Shan Hai Jing, a collection of Chinese ancient texts that has been preserved since the warring states period.

It tells the tale of two friends who are destined to become the heavenly maiden of opposing tribes since only they have the ability to awaken the Green Dragon and Red Phoenix.

Zhang Han 张翰 is listed as playing two characters Chi Yu and Xin Yue Hu respectively, though I can't be sure if they are twins or one man with two personas, which is not that far-fetched in fantasy wuxia series. 

Gu Li Na Zha 古力娜扎 as Su Mo will play the guardian of the Red Phoenix and Wu Lei, the adorable little bodyguard in Nirvana in Fire will be part of team Phoenix. 

For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2016 c-drama listing.

Source: Bizhi, Duitang, StyleTV

The Mystic Nine

Old Nine Gates 老九门 caught my attention since I was in the midst of watching Legend of Zu starring the same onscreen couple Zanilia Zhao Li Ying (Journey of Flower) and William Chan (Legend of Zu). 

Despite the plethora of Chinese dramas surrounding the Japanese occupation, I hardly watched any of it. In hindsight, maybe there were a few gems out of the countless DVDs on the subject but the sheer volume of c-dramas certainly felt like political propaganda for lack of a better word.

Old Nine Gates is based on a novel of the same name revolving around Zhang Qi Shan, a member of the Guomindang (Chinese Nationalist Party) and the leader of Old Nine Gates. He comes from a family of tomb raiders and is described as strong, resourceful and courageous. 

He is the perfect match to Yin Xin Yue, the lovable, smart and equally capable daughter of a wealthy hotel owner. They are your archetypal heroes, which seem fitting for a drama set during a war fraught era where heroism becomes a necessity. 

Then again, I haven't read The Lost Tomb novels at all and the barrage of trailers definitely indicate a youthful mesh of fantasy, adventure and mystery, which is as far as possible from what I initially thought to be a serious historical drama... The series premieres Jul 4, 2016 on Dragon TV.

For synopsis, cast and other info, check out my 2016 Chinese period drama listing.

Source: Newyx, HengdianTour