Ancient Detective (2020)

This show is the perfect blend of all the genres I love: mystery, thriller, romance, historical, martial arts. There is a clear quality to this drama that sets itself apart from conventional martial arts shows we see nowadays. It reminded me of classic films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The fight sequences are well choreographed, and are actually there to serve the story, as well as pump excitement into the show.

The story revolves around murder mysteries in the vein of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Tim Yu plays the titular detective, Jian Bu Zhi. Highly intelligent and observant, he commends respect with his calm, rational assessment of the puzzling, and sometimes supernatural, events in the drama. But unlike other famous detective characters like Sherlock Holmes, he is friendly, warm, and humble. And for that reason, he has not only the admiration and respect from those around him for his detective skills, but love and support, because they actually like him as a person. And because he isn't a martial artist in a world filled with skillful fighters, there are a number of characters that are fiercely protective of him. One in particular is his best friend, Zhao Wo Huan (Wang Yan Yang). The story begins with the two of them as strangers, crossing paths unexpectedly and becoming fast friends. I was not familiar with either of them as actors before this, but found they have excellent screen presence and carry the show with ease. Personality wise, they are complete opposites, but somehow, they complement each other. Their bromance is strong here and the two friends have a natural ease to their relationship that is fun to watch.

Along the way, the duo meet a myriad of characters. I particularly love the introduction to each new character. Though short and often plays in flashbacks, the show effectively lays the ground work for the role each would play in the current environment. I especially love the look back on Zhan Shi Qi (Rachel Wang), shown with a beautifully shot fight sequence, and a moving soundtrack and narrative that perfectly captures the essence of her character and the hopes and dreams she has. The scene evokes vulnerability and humanness to her assassin character that had me invested in her romance with Jian Bu Zhi right away. I don't agree with other viewers that their romance is unnecessary. Though not central to the story, it stands on its own and it was riveting. What I couldn't get behind is the romance for the second leads, between Zhao Wo Huan and Ming Yue (Miranda Ma). It's unfortunate because this is a story that had so much potential for a cute romance. But I just couldn't get pass the fact that for the majority of the drama, he is being lied to. Ming Yue is a spy; to infiltrate into the group without suspicion, she pretends to be a damsel in distress in need of a rescue and her easy target is Zhao Wo Huan. Though it is hinted early on that she may have sincere feelings for him, there isn't much development to their relationship except for the fact that she continues to pretend to be weak to take advantage of him. It isn't until the very end that he finds out. But fine, whatever, I've made peace with my disappointment in that regard.

I'll admit the culprits to some of the cases are easy to predict. What is done well, however, is in the presentation of the how and why. I loved watching Jian Bu Zhi get to that light bulb moment and then explains how everything works. Don't worry about what is often the case with long, drawn out Chinese historical dramas, where you may find yourself skipping to "get to the good parts," because I don't recall skipping a single scene here. The mysterious happenings are interesting throughout, and the reveals are clever and satisfying. Maybe that's also because it is 24 episodes in length, which is a lot shorter than others in the same genre. It is the perfect amount of episodes to flesh out the characters and stories, and still keep an exciting pace as we move along from one story arc to the next. The show's use of background music is also something that stands out. As I heard the music prepping for the next scene of action to start, it had me brimming with excitement for what was to come.

There is an amazing twist at the end that I felt blindsided by. This is one of those few dramas where I believe a second season will work. That's not to say the ending isn't satisfying for the hours I put in. We get sufficient closure, but simultaneously, there is opportunity for the next chapter to be written, which is something I am certainly looking forward to.

Lees verder