Panda Impressions #6: Blind Date, Xuan Yuan Sword: Legend of the Han Clouds & Monster Killer 2

The next round of premieres have been airing for a couple weeks now and I’m not hooked to anything in particular (what’s going on?). Not having commitments sure has its perks since there’s more time to check out new shows which is always fun to do. Scratch that, I do have a show that I’m watching religiously – it’s called Game of Thrones and I’m so sad that it ends this weekend! 

Blind Date

Blind Date Jiang Xin
I like it, but I don’t love it. The reason that I’m somewhere in between is probably because of how much I loved the k-drama One More Happy Ending (at least before it turned weepy). This one explores an independent woman on a quest to find love and tackles the story with a similar comedic flair. Case in point, guy meets girl thinking that he’s saving her from a suicide attempt when he totally was not. I almost wish that it could be wackier because that’s what got me onboard OMHE in the first place.  

 
I still have a hard time believing that Jiang Xin is supposed to be unattractive when all the show has done so far is to repeatedly state that she is fat and plain looking. Lu Yi plays her leading man and as if we needed more reasons to like him, he comes with emotional baggage and seems like the kind of guy that needs a hug.

Xuan Yuan Sword: Legend of the Han Clouds

First Impressions Xuan Yuan Sword Legend of the Han Clouds

I really wanted to watch this because Alan Yu Menglong and Vengo Gao were in it, but Vengo constantly looks like he’s in drag. Couple that with bad special effects and one dimensional do gooders and this is quickly looking like an example of a fantasy wuxia trapped in mediocrity

Then Alan Yu appears white-haired and oozing with charisma. I love that he is essentially dealing with an inner monster like Baili Tusu from Sword of Legends, which makes him a very intriguing character, and that’s not even counting the fact that he is the main guy’s long lost twin who is currently playing for the bad guys. I’m pretty certain that I’m dropping this show but I don’t know, I want to see more of Alan Yu. His romance with Ju Jing Yi also seems a lot more interesting compared to Leon Zhang and Guan Xiaotong’s generic he-saves-her-and-falls-in-love-with-her kind of story. 


Monster Killer 2

First Impressions Monster Killer 2
I feel like the 2nd season suffers from trying to do bigger things since the budget is bigger. I didn’t like the fact that they rely on CGIs too much. The overall feel of the setting and characters lose some of it appeal. The tone of 2nd season is a little more serious than the laid back atmosphere of the 1st. I’m a little disappoint but probably will continue to tune in just to see how the story will wrap up – Contributed by Phuong.
 
Like the poster above, I also get the sense that the production returns with more money and freedom to experiment with things. I think we’d know how that doesn’t always work but it’s been so far, so good for me. After all, seeing Elvis Han doing his classic Wu Xin pose brings back the feels, and I look forward to seeing the other members of the original cast being introduced in subsequent episodes. 
 
Monster Killer 2 first impressions
Volunteers Wanted: Just a shout out that we are on the lookout for volunteers to keep this section alive. Panda Impressions was initially meant to be a place to share first impressions or talk dramas, but there are too many undiscovered dramas that need some love. 


If you would like to share your thoughts on a particular drama (old or new, c-drama or k-drama), please send it to us via the ‘contact us’ form (rightmost link on the menu bar) and we’ll use it in the next post if we can. Just a paragraph or two usually works, no word count required. Thank you!   

Previous <- Panda Impressions -> Next

2 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    August 26, 2017 9:02 AM
  2. Melodysweetmusic177

    August 27, 2017 2:29 PM

Leave a Reply