Liking Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty as much I did really surprised me. It wasn’t a popular, addictive, idol-driven drama that tends to get a lot of attention, but it delivered solid storylines and performances.

I love Wuxia dramas. And the type of shows that I’m drawn to are shows like Nirvana in Fire, Ancient Detective and Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms. Sweeping, majestic, heart-wrenching addictions.

I wouldn’t describe Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty this way at all.

It’s certainly not heart-wrenching, although there are sad moments. And while it has amazing sets and beautiful costumes, it does not come close to the majesty and beauty of Nirvana in Fire.

But it just works.

Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I needed a show like this during this period of my life. I’m currently at a busy time at work and my personal life is fraught with usual middle-age anxieties (sans children, fortunately). After a day of staring at code and wrestling with software that toy with your patience, I wanted something soothing to watch.

Watching something tragic and heart-wrenching like Nirvana in Fire was the last thing I want to do, no matter how beautiful and well-crafted the story is.

The story

We are first introduced to our heroic duo, Lu Ling Feng and Su Wu Ming, when they cross paths at Chang’an. A strange, addictive tea popular among the nobles has taken Chang’an City by storm. But there’s a lot of mystique around the tea. It seems to be tied to a mysterious “Ghost Town” in the dark parts of the city, and is supposedly distributed by a mysterious immortal. And someohow, it’s tied to the case of missing brides in Chang’an?

Lu Ling Feng, a general of the Jin Wu guards, was given the task to get to the bottom of this mystery. And he ends up crossing swords (okay, maybe it’s more of a pointing sword thing) with Su Wu Ming.

Su is a disciple of the famed detective Di Ren Jie, and Lu doesn’t like his shifty, sly attitude. But the two ends up working together, though Lu is a very, very reluctant partner.

Political machinations end up upending a lot of things, however. And Lu ends up following Su on his adventures to reclaim his name and honour.

Characters

Lu Ling Feng
A hard-headed, fiery-tempered general who likes to point his sword at people who annoy him. (And that happens quite often!) When we show starts, Lu isn’t very likeable — he looks down on Su Wuming, thinking that he’s beneath him, thinking that he’s up to no good. But, when his life goes downhill without warning Lu is forced to reflect on his choices.

Su Wu Ming
A disciple of the famous detective Di Renjie, Su is witty, crafty, and definitely very, very smart. He hides this by pretending to be a nice, humble bloke; a harmless commoner who doesn’t know anything. But believe you me, there’s a lot going on behind that affable demeanor.

Pei Xi Jun
The daughter of a high-ranking official who had a massive crush on Lu, Xi Jun ends up tagging along in the duo’s adventures.

Fei Ji Shi
A beggar on the outside, a brilliant physician in reality, he has saved the team from one scrape on another. As long as he’s paid in chicken and wine.

Xue Huan
Xi Jun’s servant and a budding martial artist.

A story of many cases

Strange is probably one of the most well-constructed Chinese dramas I’ve seen. It’s never too draggy, there are not many unnecessary fillers, and every story is interesting.

I think one of the reasons why Strange was so good for me in this time of my life was because of its structure: About four to five episodes will be centred around a mystery. And with every case, the characters, especially Lu, grows.

Watching Lu and Su’s relationship develop is a real delight. Some fans complain that Lu was unnecessarily haughty in the beginning, but it befits his background and the time. As a scion of a very prestigious family at a time where lineage gives you power, Lu’s haughty arrogance is almost expected. And unlike most people, Lu doesn’t buy Su’s “humble, common man” act.

The cases are also unique as they exist in a world where magic is real, so it kept me guessing throughout.

And towards the end, we watch how Su and Lu struggle with the poltics of the Tang dynasty. As the “police” of the empire, they still have to navigate the powerful, Game of Thrones-esque courts of the Crown Prince and the Princess Taiping. And this was done in a realistic way and there was a surprising, satisfying twist to come out of this political intrigue too.

What I loved:

• The sets and costumes – It’s quite faithful to the period. (I’m no expert, but at least there’s no weird modernesque hanfus and hairstyles.) One of the reasons why I’m finding myself bored of Marvel movies is because of its over-reliance on green screens. What a delight to see characters walking around in actual buildings and sets for once!
• The fighting choreography – I cannot count the number of times I rolled my eyes as the lame fighting, flying scenes of modern-day wuxia dramas. Sure, there’s still flying, but there’s more emphasis on acrobatic manoevres and swordplay. Lu’s fight when he uses three swords was fun to watch!
• The performances – the standout performance is Yang Zhi Gang’s Su Wu Ming.
• The stories – one of my favourite Youtubers, Avenue X, complain that Show’s stories were not particularly remarkable, but I really enjoyed the supernaturally-tinged cases. They kept me guessing, and that’s enough!
• The 4-5 episode story arcs — I really appreciated the structure. Because I could just watch a number of episodes, take a break, and easily come back to continue the story. With other 40+ episode Chinese dramas, I had to ask myself – what happened again? Who is this person? Show’s structure allows me enjoy the show at a comfortable pace without losing the plot.

What I disliked:

What in the world is Xi Yun’s role, really, except to be a romantic love interest to Lu? I found her inclusion in the series odd and rather forced. But it’s really a minor, minor niggle in an otherwise great show.

Mastodon log entries

I was live-blogging the show on Mastodon as I watch it. As I’m following the Publish On Your Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere, and since it’s a waste to let my thoughts fade into the ether, I thought it was a good idea to keep a record of my thoughts here too.

Feb 10, 2023, 24:20
Yup of course I need to watch Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 😆

The fighting scenes, for once, is decent!

Feb 11, 2023, 19:20
Watching up to 3rd ep of Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty and I’m liking it so far. It’s the kind of drama that is not too intense so you can enjoy without too much emotional angst. Also, ngl, I like how Yang Xu Wen looks when he fights.

Feb 14, 2023, 20:30
Currently on the 10the episode of Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty. I am actually quite surprised I am still #watching – thought I’d be bored by now. Maybe cos I really like the dynamics between the two main characters – the cunning and witty investigator, and the hot tempered general, who are always at each other’s throats.

We love the odd couple police drama, don’t we?

Feb 25, 2023, 19:55
Can’t believe I am on episode 20 of Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty! It is compelling in a way I cant really fathom. But perhaps it has something to do with the short 3-5 episode mysteries that makes it more digestible than most 40+ episode #CDramas
But I also like the friendship between Lu Linfeng (right, pic below) and Su Wuming.

Some complain that Lu’s arrogance was not a good way to start their partnership, but I thought it was perfect. Lu’s journey from hot-headed asshat to less-angry asshat is what I enjoyed and kept me going.
Also, while the mysteries have a supernatural bent, they are solved by real-world wits.

Btw you can actually watch Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty on Youtube!

Feb 26, 2023, 20:53
This is hilarious but they sure exhume a lot of corpses in this #CDrama 😆

Mar 07, 2023, 23:12
I finished Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty! When it comes to #CDramas that is a rare feat for me as I find it tough to “last” a #CDrama‘s usual 40-episode run.
Tbh me liking Strange this much was a surprise. It isn’t sweeping, dramatic or addictive like some #dramas but perhaps this is why In like it; when you have a hectic life, you need something light and not too angsty.
It also has great acting, sets, writing & the story is finely constructed.
A fun, rare gem.

Final verdict

Give this show a chance.

I know it is not as sexy as the idol-driven dramas, or the trendy ones right now, but it is absolutely solid and delivers.

A big part of me hopes that there will be a Season 2, even if the chances are terribly slim. (I’m still waiting for Ancient Detective!) It’s one of those rare shows that truly deserves another run.

PS: Just found out Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty was ranked No.4 in the top 10 highest costumed dramas of 2022 in Douban! That must mean something, don’t you think??

Watch it here

In a move that I don’t quite understand but 100% appreciate, iQIYI has released the episodes, fully English subtitled, onto Youtube. So, you can watch it free in the playlist below: