The Legend of Zang Hai (藏海传)

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This was one of my most anticipated productions of the year. I was so hyped because of the quality and thought put into the production initially. Was it disappointing? No, but I think my expectations were just too high. It wasn’t bad. It was considered a quality production, considering all the idol dramas in recent years. However, there were some things I couldn’t get past. It mostly had to do with plot details, which I will discuss more below. But yeah.

Main Cast:

• Xiao Zhan (肖战) as Zhi Nu (稚奴) / Zang Hai (藏海). His family was massacre because his father possessed a powerful item that could rule the world. Well, that was how it was presented at first. He was just a child at that point, intelligent but a child regardless. He was forced to grow up so soon and learned all the possible methods to seek revenge. He learned from the best, honing his skills and his patience. Patience was the key and martial arts wasn’t the all-win for him. According to his masters, he wasn’t the best candidate for learning martial arts anyway. He had to seek alternate methods. His not knowing any martial arts was actually a positive because people were less guarded against him and he had a higher chance of climbing the ranks when he entered the royal courts. That was the setup yet I felt it was intentional because of how the other details came into play later on. Did he achieve more? Yes, but there were also conditions and how some stuff held him back. With what was given with this character, I felt Xiao Zhan delivered, just like the majority of his roles. The first heartbreaking scene and what broke me was him not being to save Ji Qun in the tomb. The second heartbreaking scene? The part where he realized his master, Gao Ming, was going to sacrifice himself for him to run. Other notable scenes were actually when he was reminiscing about his family, especially his father and mother. You could feel the tragedies of years ago and the burden he had to carry, wanting to seek justice for them all.
• Huang Jue (黄觉) as Zhuang Lu Yin (莊蘆隱). I have to confess that I haven’t seen anything of his since Detective Tang Lang and that was ages ago. Because I honestly just don’t pay attention but I know he could act. This role? I felt it was brilliant and essential to have him being part of the main four and a key character in all the elaborate schemes. They needed him to push some of the plot details forward. He was cruel and unapologetic for it. It was how he saw the world and had lived under the principles of how the strong survived, etc. And he only reacted to emotions when it had to do with his family. Well, at least the ones he deemed worthy of his attention. He realized too late that he should have treated some differently. In his last moments, he actually sacrificed himself for his son and it seemed noble. Yet, why was he given mercy or sympathy when he destroyed other families to rise to the top? So, I didn’t feel pity for him at all. He incurred a lot of bad karma, so it just came back to hit him. I only felt bad for his victims, the true victims who were his stepping stones on his way to the top (NOT his minions or his co-conspirators who ended up in an internal conflict later on). Huang Jue still acted brilliantly and portrayed the character very well though.
• Zhou Qi (周奇) as Zhuang Zhi Xing (莊之行). Zhang Lu Yin’s son. He actually was aware of a lot of things around the household but chose to ignore it or feigned ignorant. He had learned to become useless and invisible so he wasn’t seen as a threat by his stepmother and his half-brother. He was in a survival mode at best. It was very heartbreaking to watch it at times, how he struggled with the feelings. He actually knew who Zang Hai was but didn’t rat him out. When it got to the point where he could no longer ignore it, he gave him a warning and a chance to flee. I thought he was the most honest when it came to his interactions with Zang Hai. He told him that he would betray him one day YET there were still people being shocked that he did that (while giving the Ms. Playing-the-victim because she was pretty a pass). (Yes, I’m petty and I don’t care to hold back anymore.) Yes, he said it at the part where they were discussing about their possible alliance, etc. Zang Hai said he didn’t expect Zhuang Zhi Xing to stay loyal to him because they joined forces out of conveniences, NOT like anyone was buddies, seriously. It was funny (NOT really) and sad that he ended up getting the short end of the stick with screen time. Because at first the story was paved to focus on the showdown between the Zhuang family and Zang Hai, so it seemed to focus on him more. Yet he seemed to disappear completely until later. He had a tough decision to make yet in the end, he chose correctly. Because he was able to truly break the cycle that his father started. Joining forces with the other dude knowing he was bad news and then one day, he might just go down like his father, right? I felt Zhou Qi did pretty well for the screen time that was presented of him and how the plot was. The struggle he had go to through, having to choose between avenging his mother’s death because his father’s betrayal or let it go because he finally have his father’s approval? He had to honor his promise yet also had to face the consequences of the fallout too. All in all, his journey of growth was quite fascinating to watch. It sort of made up for his lack of screen time later on. After this role, please tell me Zhou Qi is going places. Because after that performance, he deserved all the attention.
• Zhang Jing Yi (张婧仪) as Xiang An Tu (香暗荼). The owner of Zhen Tower and the princess of Dong Xia who was taken as a hostage since little. The inconsistency of her character made it hard for me to be completely on board with her character. One minute, she was the witty, playful, bordering on seductress (cue the bathing scene, it was intentional, stop acting like it wasn’t), scheming person, the next she was acting all pitiful and all like Zhi Nu wronged her? Sure, she could have multiple layers to her character and she could also have vulnerable moments. And I got it that the unexpected thing out of the situation was both characters fell in love with one another but it was just too frustrating to see the contradicting details at times. And NO, she did not have to be perfect. But being the strong and badass woman that she was, I expected more accountability than passing the blame on Zhi Nu later on regarding her. Why? Because she obviously schemed against him yet expected him to sit back and take it? So, it was super odd she was playing victim in regard to that part. Sure, everyone was for themselves and you didn’t really know who was your friend or enemy, so I don’t blame her in being cautious. But I didn’t like it that she played the pitiful card later and made Zhi Nu out to be the cruel one. It made her character a joke so I didn’t care for her character or reasonings later on. Blame the writers. I had enough. I wasn’t sure if the actress portraying the character had to do with it or it was how the role was written, considering this was the first time I watched her. But I found it a bit funny when I hunted around for her past roles a bit or check on some details, many people defended her and liked her acting with the “introversion” take instead of the typical lively portrayal or whatever. I rolled my eyes so hard. Why? Many who acted in a calm manner or actually did the introversion approached were scolded for being wooden and NOT knowing how to act. Yet she was given a pass? It wasn’t her fault those people came to that conclusion and attacked others. Yet I just found it funny she got the pass, that was all. And call it petty for bringing this up too, but I felt the only reason why they made it like how Zang Hai wasn’t suitable for martial arts and it was better for him to not know was for her character to shine. If Zang Hai knew everything, it would render her character useless later on. He could fight on his own (even if he needed help with the numbers and all) so he would be able to take care of himself, etc. Her sole purpose would be non-existence. So yeah, it seemed to hold him back on purpose in that regard. Considering how he was already excelling in the traps and puzzles and all. They needed for her to do something too.

Supporting:

• Yu Nan (余男) as Ming Yu Su Ti (明玉肃提). Xiang An Tu’s mother, the empress of Dong Xia. I had a hard time getting into her too, mostly because she was obsessed with a married man. It didn’t matter what the justifications was. Yes, I disregard her other efforts, so what? I had enough all the justifications from such characters getting away with stuff. Was her ending tragic? Probably. But by that time, I was inpatient for stuff to end that I no longer cared.
• Liang Chao (梁超) as Gao Ming (高明). Zang Hai’s master who taught him disguise techniques in a literal sense and figurative sense. He was hilarious and seemed out of place for being involved in such a scheme. Yet it made sense that he was the one who taught Zhi Nu kindness later on and kept Zhi Nu grounded throughout. I’m not saying Zhi Nu was terrible or deserved what happened to his family but I had to agree with his mother that he was indeed a very naughty kid. Gao Ming was cunning and capable in a lot of schemes but he also kept things simple at times and reminded Zhi Nu of what was importance. The second most heartbreaking scene of the whole series was witnessing his ending. He truly cared and loved Zang Hai throughout, not treating him as a tool or weapons against the enemies. He sacrificed himself because he believed that they were family.
• Xing Min Shan (邢岷山) as Cao Jing Xian (曹靜賢). A powerful eunuch within the courts. He was revealed to be one of the main three responsible for Zhi Nu’s families tragedy happening. I swear his appearance made me side with Zhuang Lu Yin, lol. His arrogance was just too much. I finally understood why Zhuang Lu Yin was paranoid and rarely trusted anyone. He took the cake with being the top-notch asshole and another level of despicable. Sure, they were on the same side, but this guy had major issues to try and keep the upper hand. Besides, they collaborated out of convenience too. It wasn’t like anyone was loyal to the other.
• Tian Xiao Jie (田小洁) as Zhao Bing Wen (赵秉文). I suspected him from the start. It wasn’t outright like I knew he was the masked guy but he had to have his own agenda. It was too suspicious with his actions at times. Sure, he had to be cautious, considering how the royal court was a mess. But it seemed too good to be true that Zang Hai finally found a good official among those snakes, especially a highly ranked official. When the reveal came around, it made sense. Because seriously, how could someone know of Zhi Nu’s family encountering some tragedy to be on time to save him and get him out of there? That person had to be watching to know when to step in and all. It was too suspicious. I thought it might be plot hole BUT the reveal made sense that those scenes were intentional.
• Sha Bao Liang (沙宝亮) as Chu Huai Ming (褚怀明). Despicable to no end. He leaned where the advantages were. So, no pity or second thoughts for his downfall. He was cruel to his enemies and only thought of himself, so why should anyone pity him?
• Zhao Zi Qi (赵子琪) as Jiang Xiang (蔣襄). Zhuang Lu Yin’s wife. She totally lived up to the evil stepmother title. This time? Her husband supported her. So yeah, they totally deserved each other. What took it up a notch for me was seeing how she was willing to die with her son when all things failed. But looking back, it probably made sense. She was someone’s spoiled daughter too, so how could she bear it when losing everything and not having someone else wait on her hand and feet?
• Liu Chao (刘潮) as Zhang Zhi Fu (莊之甫). Zhuang Lu Yin and Jiang Xiang’s son. The supposed heir to the head of the household. Yet he was dethroned later because of Zang Hai and Zhuang Zhi Xing’s conspiracies. He wasn’t that innocent regarding the part he played in discrediting his brother and making the latter’s life miserable. So, I didn’t pity him at all. He just became another pawn within all the madness. Hey, he became a product of his own upbringing. And his mother killed him (and then herself) because she couldn’t accept losing everything. So, who was there to blame except her and himself for being a willing participant when things were to their advantage?
• Yang Yu Tong (杨雨潼) as Zhao Tong Er (趙桐兒) aka Young Master Eight (八公子). Zhao Bing Wen’s daughter, Xiang An Tu’s best friend since little. I really like her presence and how she presented herself when she appeared. There was a playfulness about her but also a mystery surrounding her. In some ways, it was a typical plot with her sneaking out to see the world and wanting to fulfil her dreams. But in other ways, it was refreshing among all the shady characters in here. Her innocence made it different and funny in some ways. Her only downside for me was her association and loyalty to Xiang An Tu. Yes, once again, I’m being petty. I understood how they came to know each other and how the story was paved. But call it Xiang An Tu’s luck with finding a trustworthy friend in her. Because she also blamed Zang Hai for Xiang An Tu’s suffering when Xiang An Tu wasn’t innocent with her acts either. But I guess she was biased because it was her childhood friend after all, so she was blinded in that matter.
• Liu Ming Ming (柳明明) as Shi Quan (時全). He appeared to be someone was honest and hardworking, wanting to seek justice for others and doing the right thing yet was sabotaged by others because he didn’t cave to their pressure. However, it was revealed later that he was actually Cao Jing Xian’s godson and he was planted within the bureau to monitor the situation and act when the timing was right. I think he was the one who truly got me. I guess Cai Jing Xuan trained him well with the innocent act and patience so far. Because he had me fooled all right. Well, Zang Hai was fooled too, so I didn’t feel so bad about that, lol. That was the point of the plot, so I shouldn’t be too sore. It was a good one and created the shock value when it was revealed later of his true identity.
• Tan Yang (谭洋) as Zhuang Shan (莊善). Zhuang Lu Yin’s butler. However, it was revealed later that his real master was Zhao Bing Wen. He was placed there to help keep an eye on things and help Zang Hai at one point.
• Michelle Bai (白冰) as Liu Chu (六初). Zang Hai’s master who taught him to resist temptations and seductions. Ironically, she was the one who scolded him for being too cruel. Because of all of those things, her role became a major disappointment for me once again. Because I tried getting into her and liking her. And I guessed after so many years, I could say she could act. But I felt I couldn’t get behind her role ever. It had became a disappointment one after another. Once again, NOT saying she had to be perfect. But I felt it was really mind blogging that she taught him to resist the temptation–to which he really did–AND then she blamed him for doing so? Just because she pitied Xiang An Tu or liked her for some reason? She didn’t know either that Xiang An Tu was involved or not. OR she had any proof that Zhuang Zhi Xing was lying. It was the daughter of his enemy after all. How was he supposed to act? It was already a miracle he didn’t just leave her in the fire to die. That was him holding back, being lenient. Seriously.
• Song Yuan Fu (宋元甫) as Guan Feng (觀風). Kuai Duo’s disciple. He was lying low to wait for a chance to seek revenge for his master. He ended up reuniting with Zhi Nu and ended up helping him with along the journey.
• Yang Bo Xiao (杨博潇) as Shi Lei (拾雷). Zhuang Zhi Xing’s master. He taught Zhuang Zhi Xing all there was to know about martial arts and endurance.
• Li Jia Xin (李嘉鑫) as Lu Yan (陸煙). Cao Jing Xian’s god-daughter. I thought she would have some sort of background story to counter all the major male characters in here somehow. Yet she was just a killing tool for Cao Jing Xian and was 100% loyal to him. Well, it made sense the way she was trained and brought up. Yet, it seemed a lost exploration for a side story arc.
• Wu Zhi Qiang (武志强) as Lu Ran (陸燃). Cao Jing Xian’s godson.
• Shi Yan Pei (释延霈) as Lu Jin (陸燼). Cao Jing Xian’s godson.

Others:

• Wallace Chung (鍾漢良) as Kuai Duo (蒯鐸). Zhi Nu’s father. He only appeared a little, which was relevant to the story. Yet he was a kind and just official who wanted to do everything he could to help his country and the people. Yet he became another sacrificial pawn for those internal and external conflicts within the royal courts. It was very tragic and gruesome. However, Wallace totally delivered with the limited role. He was able to portray the righteousness, the brilliant, and the caring sides of his characters with the various scenes seen with various characters in here.
• Michelle Chen (陳妍希) as Zhao Shang Xian (赵上弦). Zhi Nu’s mother. She was seemed strict at first but her punishments made sense after what her son and the disciples did. Regardless, she was still a loving mother and a brave woman who was willing to stand up against the enemies, not showing fear. Michelle’s lack of screen time didn’t shun her acting though. Because she delivered quite well.
• Qiao Zhen Yu (乔振宇) as Prince Yong Rong (永容王爺). The emperor’s younger brother. He appeared so little that I swear he was just in there to show off his looks, lol. Well, at least, a fan community on Facebook I followed joke around about it. Because seriously, it wasn’t much. As a fan Qiao Zhen Yu, of course, I felt it wasn’t enough. But as part of the overall story, I thought it made sense. His appearance created doubts among different characters in here, wondering if he was part of the grand scheme. To be safe, I suspected him until the last moment. Yes, I still suspected the usual people who appeared more, but his contribution of the plot couldn’t be so minimal, right? Yet, he did contribute his part in the chaos. It was just not what most expected. It was still fun to see him in this role.
• Zhang Guo Qiang (张国强) as the emperor (皇帝). I swear he was responsible for the majority of the conflicts in here. Yes, we were able to see his background and how much he went through and all. Woe is me whenever those royalty stories were involved, right? But I couldn’t care less after so much had happened and how it had affected all those innocent people.
• Zhang Duo (张铎) as Master Xing Dou (星斗大師). Zang Hai’s master who taught him different skills regarding the traps, strategies, and endurance. He was seemed as quite strict and brutal at first with his training methods. However, it seemed like he cared a lot for Zang Hai too. He was the type that didn’t show true emotions a lot. Yet his final moment was equally tragic with how he had to sacrifice himself. Whether or not he was on board with Zhao Bing Wen’s schemes or not, he truly believed he was protecting Zang Hai. Because his last moments showed it all with him wanting to pave the way for Zang Hai’s return to the capital and all.
• Huang Jun Peng (黄俊鹏) as Ji Qun (姬群). He worked in the bureau in the old days yet was demoted and tossed aside because he didn’t care to gain favors from anyone. He admired Kuai Duo and said Kuai Duo was someone who had real talent and cared for others, etc. He discovered Zhi Nu was still alive during the scene they tried to escape from the tomb and chose to sacrifice himself.
• Amelie Xu (许龄月) as Shen Wan (沈宛). Zhuang Lu Yin’s first love, Zhuang Zhi Xing’s mother. She died by poisoning. It was later revealed that Jiang Xiang poisoned her yet it was in order to aid her husband. He also knew and subtly approved, so he wasn’t all innocent regarding her murder either. I thought she was really unlucky to trust in him and that had caused her death. Her tragedy had a major impact on her son and somehow continued that cycle of resentment and much more later.
• Shao Wen (邵汶) as Yang Zhen (楊真). One of the key characters responsible for the tragedy of Zang Hai’s family. He was equally as despicable as others involved. It was just a matter of technique and how to survive within all the lion’s den.
• Yang Fan (杨帆) as Qu Jiao (瞿蛟).
• Shi Yu (施羽) as Eunuch Sun (孫公公).
• Wang Yun Zhi (王韵之) as Ming Xiang Yin Shu (明香銀朮). Xiang An Tu’s older sister. She was a piece of work all right. But I guess she fitted right in with those royalty who only cared about her own ass than about family.

Likes:

• Wallace Chung and Michelle Chen as a couple. I can’t believe it worked but Wallace had created quite a few incredible and unexpected chemistry with his past co-stars so I shouldn’t have been so surprised. I knew they had very limited appearance at the beginning but they sure sparked the chemistry and exuded the couple vibe throughout their appearances. So, I really want to see them in another production together as the main pairing.
• Original story. Well, the revenge plot wasn’t anything new. But it wasn’t an adapted work of recent years. It was refreshing in that sense. Even if it had some old ideas of a hero’s journey of venturing into the unknown and unearthing the most disturbing conspiracies surrounding him and the kingdom as a whole. At least, they tried to weave something together without relying heavily on adapting from another novel.

Dislikes:

• The lack of strong, badass female character in here. Yes, this will be a slap in the face to a lot of people who worshipped the female characters in here. Yet I felt the inconsistencies had ruined it all. They didn’t own it up to their mistakes and acted like victims when they should have said more. Zhao Tong Er was the closest to someone interesting but her lack of screen time didn’t allow for more. But it made sense too that she didn’t appear more. I know it was a male-centered series, but I still felt they should have a better plot for the female characters to make it just a little more even.
• The kids were a bunch of assholes, excluding Zhuang Zhi Xing. I swear, Zhi Nu and his friends deserved the punishments from his mother. They were really naughty and overboard. What was the deal with kidnapping Zhuang Zhi Xing and imprisoning him like that? He could have died, given time. Was he a spoiled kid? Yes, but he didn’t deserve the bullying and ganging up on him later. Their retaliation made it hard for me to like their characters later on. Even if the tragedies strike and forced them all to grow up. So, I thought Zhuang Zhi Xing was already very lenient toward Zhi Nu when they met again. He even gave him a chance to back away. He actually felt quite guilty for what happened to the family too, having deducted what happened after his return and discovering his father not being there and all. After all, he was a kid at that point and didn’t know. He was also upset because of the abduction. Yet somehow, he found it in his heart to pity them and feel guilty. That said a lot more than others could in here.
• Young Xiang An Tu was able to roam so freely like that? The part where she hopped off the carriage and attacked Zhi Nu when he was just peeking in to check if his father was in there. What the hell was that? Completely horrible set up for her and didn’t help later. Yes, I know she was a kid. She was abducted and forced to be a hostage in a foreign country. But after all, she was a kid. How could she just whack a random kid like that just because he peeked in her carriage? That’s a major cue for spoiled brat attitude if it was any other series. But this one allowed for it and even acted like she could do no wrong. Yet somehow, Zhuang Zhi Xing was an asshole? Seriously. And she had so much freedom that it was unbelievable. Sure, she wasn’t allowed to go back to her country, which was sad. But her playing the victim the whole time in regards to Zang Hai was one of the reasons why I could never get behind her. Once again, blame it on the writers.

Discussions:

• Cast list order. They were listed that way in the main theme video with the credits. I listed them by that order. If anyone was offended, go talk to the production team. Why do I need to explain when I did my own thing anyway? Someone’s major backing had me worried that I might be targeted although this place is pretty much dead anyway and it’s just a place for me mostly. And if they had changed it after I watched it, I wouldn’t know. I haven’t gone back, even if I had forgotten some stuff already.
• The romance story arc was unnecessary. Yes, I said it. I was one of the rare few (if any at all) that felt the story didn’t need it. But many might think if it wasn’t that, he wouldn’t turn around or would have gone mad with revenge and all. Yet what about the relationships with his masters and the others who cared for him? Perhaps, this might be a story that was overdue for allowing Xiao Zhan to have a happy ending aside from some modern romance. Yet I felt the story wasn’t strong enough to sway one way or another. Also, the main leads’ terrible chemistry failed to convince me as well. AND I’m not going to blame the girl 100% and act like Xiao Zhan could do no wrong (in case anyone’s thinking, “Here’s another crazy Xiao Zhan fan who thinks no one could measure up to him” or whatever, but you could also think what you want). I also blame Xiao Zhan. Because he failed to create a strong chemistry with her as well. I felt like that was the majority of his pairings too. So, far, I think Bai Bai He is his best pairing, because he actually seemed natural with her and their interactions, not so distance like some other pairings. I haven’t watched all his series with Li Qin yet so I can’t say but I feel she’s his best bet at this point. Will update later when I finally get to them, lol.) It might be also because the two were scared of rumors or whatever. It’s scary out there with fanbases and paparazzi so I don’t blame them completely. But if their (the production team) end goal wasn’t to focus on the romance side, they might as well scrap the romance arc altogether. Because that had hurt the plot as an overall.
• Plot holes, mostly minor details that add up over time. Zhi Nu’s backup only consisted of his one master and sometimes the other master who half-assessed her teaching? Sorry, but I felt they could have done more. Sure, I got it that Zhao Bing Wen probably didn’t want to arm Zhi Nu too much and somehow accidentally handed Zhi Nu a loyal team that would go against him (Zhao Bing Wen) later. But it was somewhat hard to believe he had to fend for himself for the most part. Sure, it was dangerous if he was exposed and they needed to be cautious with letting too many people involved. But seriously? No backup going into the most dangerous places?
• Does this remind anyone of Go East? I swear it was similar, in regard of the revenge plot and the similar background. Considering how it was the same country they referenced too. NOT saying anyone copied anyone, okay? Just felt familiar with the two main leads having a revenge thing giong on for them and how there was a princess involved too. Of course, the plots were completely differently but there were similarities. Both were, obviously, different genres (comedy vs drama) so it affected the degree of seriousness for both. Yet the setup was somewhat similar. The difference? I swear Tan Jian Ci (also someone who was heavily criticized for failing to create chemistry with his female leads) and Zhou Yi Ran had better chemistry. Also, because the story and character developments for both characters in Go East were well thought out so it worked better. At least, that was for me. Not to mention how, the princesses were hard to like at first, I actually hated Ah Xiu a lot at the beginning, BUT her redemption arc made more sense and how they addressed it and had a confrontation and how she owned up to her mistakes so it was better to accept. Again, for me. If the writers actually wrote a part where Xiang An Tu apologized at least once for something, then I would be less sore. So yeah, I’m done.

Recommends? Yes for Xiao Zhan fans. Definitely a production worth waiting for. The reason why I disregard all criticisms above to recommend this anyway was because I felt the main female lead was a popular choice among the usual crowds. She didn’t seem to get severe backlash like oh say his other co-stars. Besides, no one was as picky as me.

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