Bloody Romance 《媚者无疆》2018

[Ian Liew]

This series looks really good, but before I invest time in it, can I check if it has a sad ending? I really only want to watch serials with happy endings these days...

[lenje]

This series looks really good, but before I invest time in it, can I check if it has a sad ending? I really only want to watch serials with happy endings these days...

It's my current obsession! It's kinda have cult following. It doesn't have big names, but it sure is addicting. Cinematography is very good, production value in general is above the majority of Mainland dramas these days, though I admit editing is quite choppy and there's lot of plot holes. The acting though, top notch. I never heard of Qu Chuxiao or Wang Duo before, but they deliver some of the best performances I've seen in a long time. These two are pretty much newbies (Qu Chuxiao just graduated last year, I read) but they put a lot of more senior actors to shame with their very nuanced acting. Li Yitong didn't impress me in LOCH, but here she's outstanding. I've been blown away by her performance -- raw, heartfelt, and consistent.

As for the ending, you'll have to wait a bit. It's 36 episodes long, now it's already at ep 33 (raw). This is the one of the very rare series that I wish could be a bit longer, for there is a new arc that IMO needs more exploration. All in all, a very satisfying journey for me. I intend to rewatch once I'm done with the series, since events in separate episodes are interrelated one to another and I missed quite a number of the details early on.

[Ian Liew]

It's my current obsession! It's kinda have cult following. It doesn't have big names, but it sure is addicting. Cinematography is very good, production value in general is above the majority of Mainland dramas these days, though I admit editing is quite choppy and there's lot of plot holes. The acting though, top notch. I never heard of Qu Chuxiao or Wang Duo before, but they deliver some of the best performances I've seen in a long time. These two are pretty much newbies (Qu Chuxiao just graduated last year, I read) but they put a lot of more senior actors to shame with their very nuanced acting. Li Yitong didn't impress me in LOCH, but here she's outstanding. I've been blown away by her performance -- raw, heartfelt, and consistent.

As for the ending, you'll have to wait a bit. It's 36 episodes long, now it's already at ep 33 (raw). This is the one of the very rare series that I wish could be a bit longer, for there is a new arc that IMO needs more exploration. All in all, a very satisfying journey for me. I intend to rewatch once I'm done with the series, since events in separate episodes are interrelated one to another and I missed quite a number of the details early on.

Li Yitong suffered from being dubbed in LOCH, and so was always never going to be able to carry herself naturally (although she was incredibly entertaining as Huang Rong). Listening to her speak at interviews made me realise how much nicer her voice sounded in real life (with all due respect to the cutesy voice-actress who dubbed the role).

I'll wait for everyone to finish and then decide if I want to watch this then!