Yin mi de jiao luo

Based on all the forum recommendations and hype (I read that Zhang Ziyi said this was a Chinese series that could finally match the quality of Western dramas), I decided to give this a go.

The first episode was excellent, but from then onwards, everything just got worse to the point where calling this series terrible would not be an understatement.

This drama had a mediocre script, inconsistent acting, extremely unrealistic scenes, too many 'convenient (or just plain lazy) coincidences' used to further the plot, horrible flow/sequence of events and an ending that felt like the director just gave up on the project and wanted to hurriedly conclude everything.

I have never felt so furious before, after finishing watching a TV series. Maybe it was the high expectations. It really felt like the director had zero respect for his audiences. The lose ends were just so 'in your face' that they are completely inexcusable.

The director should really go back to school and put in more effort in terms of preventing laughable lose ends, making the plot/storyline/acting more believable, studying character development, improving script selection/writing and perhaps learning how to present a proper flow/sequence of events. Basically learn how to actually direct a show.

All in, this drama is in no way watchable and not recommended at all. I really hope to see a quality Chinese drama one day.

The plot is closely linked with each other. The opening song, the ending song and the interlude are all carefully designed, and the plot bedding and details are full of meaning. All the actors performed very well. Since then, I have a psychological shadow on the protagonist Zhang Dongsheng.

Nevertheless as a student of Chinese I persevered to the end, 12 sessions. Lots of technical flaws, and an unbelievable plot. Acting of the three central characters, teenagers/children pretty convincing in frankly silly situations.

Cinematography and settings are pretty good, but the succession of deaths and murders and lack of involvement of the police were too much of a stretch of the imagination. Yet I enjoyed some of the family relationship portrayals, and the grey mean streets and quarters and dockyards.

The series was notably lacking in smiles and humour and similarly grey in setting and tone, but a special commendation goes to the actor who portrayed Pupu, a professional performance for one so young.

Definitely not recommended unless you are a Chinese language study freak (as I am)

What amazed me most is not how fascinating the assassinations occurred but how the real life of China of 15 years ago was vividly presented in the series and how the life of 1 self-abased teacher, 2 eye-half-shut parents and 3 sensitive kids accidentally mix together and obscures the boundary between good and evil.

It's a fascinating and intricate story centred around three children from poor families in southern China. The production values are high. The three young actors do a great job as they navigate the many complexities of the real world: educational pressure, marital bliss, financial and health crises. There are no easy choices between right and wrong.

Unfortunately - as other have commented - the editing and storyline drop inexplicably in the last three episodes. I'd happily watch it again in a few years time as the characters and themes were so endearing, but I'd hesitate to recommend it to anyone because of the mangled ending. Perhaps the producers ran out of time or money.