Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei ~ Chinese Drama

Name: Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei

Language: Chinese with English Subtitles

Episodes: 30 

Summary 

Li Ge Xiao is skilled in martial arts and has the brains to match. At one point, he was a high ranking Marshal with great law enforcement authority, but after his enemy framed him and executed his family, he became a fugitive. He comes out of hiding years later to help a former colleague recover stolen gold for disaster relief. He forms a bandit group known as "Yi Zhi Mei" with his new partners, thief Yan San Niang, grafter He Xiao Mei, and muscle Chai Hu, that robs the rich and the corrupted and gives to the poor and the helpless.

My Review

This Chinese drama gives a whole new meaning to epic! It has everything you could ever want in a show. Heart wrenching moments, comedic moments, romance, friendship and each character has their own back story. This show is just amazeballs and I was so depressed to see it end because I truly came to love all the characters. ALL of them!

Before I talk about the character's I would love to state something that this Chinese drama had and that all the others (that I've watched) don't which made me love (and fangirl) about it. Comic drawings! Yes, you heard me in this drama they incorporated the comic drawings that this drama is based on (which is a Korean comic). The surprising thing is that the character's look similar to the comic drawings!

Here's a picture if your curious!

Here's a gif as well! Truly AMAZING!

The Characters:

Yan San Niang (played by Cecilia Liu)

(My favorite actress! I love all her drama's! She's such an amazing actress.)

Now this is one kickass, no-nonsense type of girl although she was a thief she was a petty one only stealing things other's couldn't though she does have an obsession with pearls (but can you blame her? They're so pretty!!) She's one cold and calculating girl but slowly her heart that was encased in an ice wall, little by little starts to melt as she grows to care for her partners in crime. She is such a great character and her back story literally had me balling my eyes out (I'm not telling because then that'll spoil it for you) but even though she had such a sad back story she can seriously handle her own battles. Her sword-fighting was just amazeballs. I always love tragic heroine's because they're always so strong and although she is a strong girl she also had her vulnerable moments, she has scars just like everyone else. But she wasn't just strong, she could be adorable and hilarious while still being badass which to me seems pretty hard to do but she did it with such ease and I just loved her for it. 

Li Ge Xiao (played by Wallace Huo)

(He's such a sexy beast! Haha! It sounded better in my head.)

Li Ge Xiao is the leader of Yi Zhi Mei the heroes that protect the poor and bring justice to light when there is no one else to do it. His past is even more tragic! What he went through, god I really felt for him, his pain felt so real! He kept to himself and drank A LOT but it was understandable! He had such pain and loneliness inside him that you just grew to care for and really want to hug him! And as a matter of fact, I feel like if he hadn't stolen from the rich to give to the poor (or looked for the truth) with his friends  (especially *cough* San Niang) he would have stayed and died that way, he found a reason to live with them and so did they and that to me is true friendship and love. The feels, you guys! The feels!

Chai Hu (played by Xing Yu)

(He's really strong! He has bulging muscles when he takes off his shirt. No, of course I didn't replay the scene. *acts innocent*)

Chai Hu is a head-strong, reckless ruffian who at first puts on a show of not caring about anyone and just about money. But the truth is no matter how much he tries to hide it he cares too much about his friends. Whenever they're in danger he feels like he needs to go save them or he blames himself for not protecting them. His character really grew on me so much, he's such a straight-forward guy and although he is very reckless (its mostly brute force with him. Lol) he just can't control his emotions he's not afraid to barge into enemy territory to save his friends which can possibly get him killed but still sweet. Plus apart from that he is also hilarious there is never a dull moment with him. (Mini spoiler! My favorite scene is when San Niang and Xiao Mei are trying to take him a shower because he smells really bad but he kept fighting them off while they thought of ways to trick him into taking a shower. That scene had me laughing so much. God I love this drama so much.)

Xiao Mei ( Ma Tian Yu)

(He's such a cutie!)

Xiao Mei is the scaredy cat of them all he's afraid to fight but when it comes down to it, he does what he has to. His strength is make up and costumes, he was actually a (terrible) opera singer and dressed as a women which by the way was just really weird because he actually looked like one. He's been alone ever since his mother died that is until he meet's the gang. He's also a medic and creates his own medicine which is exactly what they need especially since they are heroes after all and tend to get injured.

The Villain (There always has to be a villain in every hero story.) 

Ying Wu Qi (played by Edwin Sui)

(Great villain! Totally had me fooled!)

Ying Wu Qi the villain of the story! Even he had a back story, tragic as it was, he could have chosen the path of good but no instead he chose the road to greed and evil. I understand and even pitied him! That was until, he did those horrible things he did. Just because you've had the love of your life killed right in front of you and weren't able to do anything still doesn't make it right to kill many innocent's. You chose wrong but I think you knew that but you just wanted to hurt Li Ge Xiao just as much as your were hurt. Li Ge Xiao and Ying Wu Qi have a past, a tragic one. They were friends up until that horrible incident.... 

The Romance: 

Gahh! My  beautiful SHIP!!

They truly cared for each other! (Such love!)

Li Ge Xiao and Yan San Niang's romance was well done! It was a slow blooming romance, the kind that grow's very slowly which just makes it that more romantic. They're heroes after all, they have to save the world and all that jazz, there's no time for love...and yet they found it. Both of them with their tragic past found in each other the strength they needed and filled the loneliness they've felt for years! Such a wonderful, couple! I just... the FEELS!! They found love in each other's arms! So romantic! *fans self*

The Plot:

These character's were truly inspirational, all of them had such sad lives but when they met each other that changed. They became this tight-knit family that I would just love to be apart of. They were vulnerable, strong, caring and just so lovable. They all had a part to play and man did they play it good, such amazing character's. I just cannot say it enough! They were all just so beautiful! The plot was amazing as well in each episode it was always a new villain or group of villains that they had to fight and protect those who were wronged. They never refused to stop helping people even when those same people betrayed them. Even when their face's and name's were plastered on walls as the most wanted criminal's they stuck through it and became such amazing heroes. Plus the fighting scene's were really amazing, there's so much action and excitement going on it's totally awesome. Truly magnificent! 

By the way I seriously love the opening! I love love love the lyrics to the opening! 

"Those who know sorrow, know pain 

Forget your times of weakness

But never forget the passion in your heart."

Such powerful lyrics!

Video opening! In case my review didn't convince you to go watch this right now! (Or when you have time.)

This Chinese drama's in HD, by the way. Normally not a lot of Chinese drama's are but thank the gods this one is.

Links to watch--> Chinese Drama Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei - Youtube.com or Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei - Viki.com

Before I go I'd like to leave you guys with some awesome quotes from this drama that I truly found inspiring. If you don't mind, that is!

Here they are:

"It may take an entire lifetime's worth of efforts to be a good person, but being a bad person only takes one intention."

"From where you've fallen is where you get up. Don't look for excuses anymore. I don't know how you made it here today but I will remind you, that the most difficult moment is the moment right before you succeed."

“Every person has a life. However, not everybody understands it. Those who do not understand life see it as a punishment. As a person, we should sing happily for depatures. Those who cry and feel heartaches for depatures usually mean that they cry for not doing it right when they were together. It turns out they feel heartache because they didn’t understand to appreciate. Only when people know to treasure what they have, they won’t feel regretful when it’s time to say goodbye. Isn’t goodbye just welcoming another new beginning? Isn’t it worth to sing happily for? Just like throughout this whole journey, we’ve come across so many setbacks, wind and rain. What we couldn’t get past most wasn’t when the sky and earth crumbled down, but when our enemies were ourselves. My friends, continue to persevere until the very end for your loved ones, destined ones and those who you dream about.”

If you read this whole review you definitely deserve a cookie. If you plan on watching it, I love you! Leave a comment if you plan on watching it or just loved my fangirling/review! I'd love to hear from you!