Tiger Crane (2023)

Great plot + dumb characters = A HOT MESS

I came across this drama when I was scrolling through an article last year, plus I'm Zhang Linghe's fan. Since then, I have been awaiting for this drama to release. At first, the story was rather promising, but it went downhill in the middle and the ending was... pretty bad enough.

The plot is nothing new in terms of xianxia dramas, considering that it is a demon-hunting-themed drama. I truly loved demon-hunting stuffs and even read the manhwa before starting this series so that I could understand much better when I watched it.

Also, the 2MLs (Hu Zi and Qi Xiaoxuan) had subtle bromance which I liked the most. I can really feel the chemistry between both of them - if it hadn't been the censorship, it could've been much better and perhaps turned into a BL series. LOL!!

The other main leads (Zhao Xintong and Wang Yuqian) were nice enough and added the depth of their friendship. Later, they faced a life-and-death situation and sacrificed their lives for the future of the human mankind. However, their deaths were totally unnecessary to me - I have been hoping to see the four of them to have an adventure across the world together - and... the way they died was a tad ridiculous. I didn't even shed tears when they were dying.

In the last episodes before the ending, there was a little plot twist about the main villain in the story. I was quite surprised to see the Qi's family ancestor was the culprit behind all these evil forces. Yi Mei only served as a secondary antagonist, if you ask me. Her arc wasn't even needed and everything would still be alright without her meddling around. And her reason for avenging her master was nonexistent. Her servant didn't help much too.

Special mentions to the elders of the Fulong Capital and QXX's dad and sister. They made an absolute hot mess in the story - I really wish I could knock some senses into their heads - all they cared about was power, money, and greed. Cheng Jinian was quite infuriating too - believing that his father was one of the elders, so that he could use his authority to manipulate people (but, he got a redemption arc, though).

Anyway, the opening OST is one of the best OSTs amongst the historical c-dramas. It evokes our spirit with its powerful instruments and nice vocal work by Faye Zhan.

Will I rewatch it again? NO and NEVER. I really regret watching this drama. If it hadn't been the fast-forward button, I would've dropped it a long time ago. If you're a fan of one of the leads, you can give it a try. If you find it boring, look elsewhere. Good luck!!!

Leia Mais

Interesting beginning, interesting ending, middle so so

HuZi a descendent of a tiger 'demon', Wang YuQian of noble birth and Zhao XinTong a sorcerer gathered in Fulong City to participate in the selection of the Royal Sorcerers, an anti-demon organisation. Together with them was Qi Xiao Xuan who was a commander of the Royal Sorcerers and was hiding a secret of the Qi family who were descendants of the hero who slayed the Demon Emperor.

Hu Zi, XinTong and Xiao Xuan met their nemesis determined to stop them from advancing their careers in the Royal Sorcery world. Chaos happened of unknown causes. The four went on to lead investigations, against the will of the Royal Sorcery Council comprised of useless elders whose interest was to save their face, promote Cheng JiNian the son of their Chairman, and do nothing to risk their positions.

The investigation of the four led them to Dianfeng Island, said to be the home of demons. There, they discovered the great secret of all, to their surprise. The twists towards the end were very interesting as a secret hidden over 500 years was uncovered. You would be surprised at the outcome.

The hygiene factors were all there: good looking cast, excellent performance, appropriate costumes, good CGI. Zhang LingHe as usual did well with his portrayal of different characters and emotions. I watched this drama because he was the male lead.

Amidst all these, the middle part of the drama was a little lacklustre. Things were happening much like just another day in the office. No drama, no new development - just the regular preparation in secret for the journey to the island. It might be easy to drop the drama here. You have to survive through this to get to the journey to the island before things starts to brighten up.

Overall, I would say it was entertaining but certainly boring in some parts. However, if you are a newcomer to the Chinese drama scene, I would say it is worth a go to watch as you have not been spoilt by other better Chinese dramas.

Leia Mais

Worth a chance. I had fun watching it.

I thought Wang Yuwen and Zhang Ling He were the CP. But Jiang Long and WY also have this cute and subtle chemistry. The romance between them begins and ends with having an open-secret crush towards each other. The way they express it is funny and cute at least. Chen You Wei was also a fun addition to the quartet.

The bromance was fine. They made me giggle and laugh a lot. The bromance wasn't just childish, their characters also grew and the loyalty they held for each other was respectable.

Let's talk about the cliche parts, the secrets of the main characters' birth, the usual enemy to super loyal friends and the inside job were nothing new. I've seen it a lot in c-drama plots.

What helped the cliche parts is that each character has a story that was successfully communicated throughout the show. So many characters will be introduced along the way, but their entry and exit were reasonable. The plot twists are still there, although it was unveiled earlier on who the villains are, they kept it interesting by you wanting to know what was the motivation of each character.

Fighting scenes are abundant and at least the fighting techniques were dynamic. The weapon designs were varied and you can see that a lot of thought was put into it. Another thing to like was that the female characters were portrayed as strong, goal-driven and capable regardless of which side they were on.

I binge-watched this but got tired of it in the middle. I took a one-day break and found myself finishing it. I rarely finish shows these days so I feel compelled to leave a review. If you watched it, let me know what you think.

Leia Mais

The kungfu fighting scenes are good, but I didn't like the plot. I am dropping it.

Tiger and Crane is a historical/costume drama about young people fighting demons.

The Synopsis: This tells the story of a group of teenagers who, for the sake of their dreams, love, and responsibility, trudge through the gloom of the chaotic world to save the world. The optimistic and cheerful mountain orphan Huzi accidentally swallows a red pearl, a treasure of Yang, and befriends the cold captain, a clean freak, Qi Xiao Xuan, a national demon master. The two young people with very different personalities are forced to go on the road together because of a red pearl, and they make friends with Zhao Xin Tong, Wang Yu Qian, and others.

Each other's differences attract them, and through some adventures, they become life-and-death friends when Qi Xiaoxuan is imprisoned to protect Huzi. To save Qi Xiaoxuan, Huzi, and his partners come together to participate in selecting the national imperial demon master. Still, they uncover the great conspiracy of the national imperial demon master and seek to find the truth about the human-demon war five hundred years ago.

The Kungfu fighting scenes in this drama have some funny moments. I think Jiang Long did a decent job, and I am watching this drama because I like Wang Yu Wen. I was not too fond of the character she played in this drama, and I believe she is better in modern drama than historical one.

Zhang Ling He is popular and has been in many dramas this year; however, I don't particularly like his acting. He is another one-dimensional actor with the same facial expression regardless of joyful or emotional/suspenseful scenes.

I watched 16 episodes already, and I am dropping it because I don't like the plot and am not interested in demons fighting. I give it a 5.0 rating.

Leia Mais

It grows on you

I actually dropped it at the first episode as it seemed to come off as mega-tropy buddy film of the annoying 'dumb' guy and the stoic 'good' guy and ok have to say this the hairline of the guys in this drama is way to high---such wide foreheads that the handsome Zhang Linghe is not is his best looking (compare to My Journey To You!). But the story gets interesting after about 5 episodes---now that said, I am watching this at 1.25 speed so as to keep my interest. This drama is a decent time filler when there is nothing better to watch and unfortunately not refreshingly new.

Leia Mais

A Fantasty Thriller with abundant Bromance

Two things seem to be trending these days on the IQIYI platform- wuxia dramas & Zhang Linghe. Following the huge success of his recently ended romance “My Journey to You”, Zhang Linghe is back in the forte with his new mystery thriller “Tiger and Crane”. Definitely another anticipated release this year, fans have been eagerly awaiting the premiere of this show for almost a year. Starring a ginormous cast that includes Jiang Long, Zhang Ling He, Wang Yu Wen, Chen You Wei, Ye Qing, He Lan Dou in lead roles, the drama hinges on the strong bromance between Jiang Long & Zhang Ling He. For those who are still waiting for updates on Zhang Ling He’s BL adaptation “Eternal Faith”, this show can be a consolation of sorts. Set in a fantastical universe where demonologists exist, the show paints a dainty image of the ongoing war between sorcerers and demons. Adapted from Huang Xiaoda’s novel of the same and helmed by popular director, Guo Hu; the drama promises an intriguing battle of wits, power struggles and sorcery.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2023/10/05/tiger-and-crane-first-impressions/#more-185

Leia Mais

To those who want to watch this

If you are in to friendship-goal drama then this drama is for you. There is a little, very very little romance only so don't worry, also they're not cringey.
Overall this drama is 10/10 for me. The story, the plots, the characters, the fighting scenes, most especially the acting and how every actor portrayed their character, everything is perfect. What I liked the most is how they highlight the friendship, the courage of every character and the character development.
This is worth your time if you're the person who need some inspiration. You really can relate to the characters in this drama.

Leia Mais