Watch if: You are into old-school wuxia flicks and love reading Agatha Christie or The Kindaichi Case Files 金田一.
Skip if: You are not a fan of the formulaic closed-door murder mystery set-up that happens repeatedly throughout the show.
At 24 episodes, Show doesn’t waste any time and pulls you in right away with detective Jian Bu Zhi 简不知 embarking on a quest to unravel the mystery of his father’s death. Plagued with amnesia, his memories of that fateful day are foggy and lead him on a suspense-laden journey to solve the riddles that unfold.
In his determination to clear up loose threads, Jian Bu Zhi discovers that there seems to be a sinister antagonist always one step ahead, preventing him from reaching the truth.
Along the way, he picks up an ensemble of distinctive characters with interesting backstories, including his main love interest Zhan Shi Qi, who is trying to escape from an assassins guild. The group appears to be an archetypical motley crew with its eccentricities, but each character grows to become more three-dimensional over time.
I love that everyone in the ensemble had equal significance to the plot. Over time, I was invested and drawn to each of their motivations.
The group’s camaraderie is enjoyable to watch, and Jian Bu Zhi eventually develops a bromance with the enduringly loyal Zhao Wo Huan who becomes his protector. Since the show leans on the serious side most of the time, Zhao Wo Huan’s expressions, reactions, and exuberant bursts of laughter provide plenty of comic relief. In fact, his character shoulders most of the unexpected comedy that turns out to be one of the show’s highlights.
Because the mysteries are pretty much grounded in logic, the viewer is invited to uncover the clues and make clever guesses. The cases are meaty and fun to follow, and the last piece of the mystery falls into place at a final reveal.
With a low budget and relatively unknown actors carrying the show, I find this a hidden gem for both wuxia and mystery lovers. The show was fast-paced and thrilling, with no unnecessary fillers. One of my favourite scenes is the chilling cliffhanger in the last few minutes which left me wanting a second season! Unfortunately, I heard that the show didn’t pick up much momentum in China, making a sequel rather unlikely. 🙁
Other funny moments
Synopsis
Jian Bu Zhi wakes up injured, with mild amnesia and faint memories of an epic takedown of a powerful villain Wang Hua, during which his father died. Unable to find Wang Hua’s corpse, he sets out on a quest to track down the remaining survivors of the battle to find out what truly happened.
wow makes me want to watch it. hopefully I won’t lose too much sleep when binge-ing….