The Legend of Zu 2 (2018)

This is the sequel and prequel to the Legend of Zu Mountain (2015). Before I start my review, let me state that I am not a fan of the 2015 series. In my opinion, it was a great disappointment. Hence, I was very very reluctant to watch this sequel/prequel to the 2015 series. Can a second installment of the series beat the first? You know how the second and subsequent ones tend to perform worst than the first in most series? In the case of the Legend of Zu Mountain, it is the opposite! Imagine my joy at finding that this second installment is waaaaaay better than its predecessor! I finished it last week but needed some time to digest it before writing a review.

Story: The start sets the story. A young woman fell from the sky out of nowhere. A young man dived into the lake to save her, disregarding his own life. She woke up without any memory of her past. But she was blessed with a mother and an older brother who seemed to dote on her. This young woman is Ying Nan, the female protagonist of this story. Her older brother is Ying Qi - a man born to be sacrificed so that his clan can survive. Ever since her near death experience which caused her to lose her memories, Ying Nan was plagued with a mysterious dream. In her dream, she saw the silhouette of a man. This man felt familiar. She was convinced that her dream man is the man who saved her. Nevertheless, Ying Nan led a free and happy life until one day, Ying Nan got lost in a forest while searching for her family. In this forest, she met the man who will forever change her destiny - Bai Gu Yi. He saved her from an attack and she fell in love with him; convinced that he's her dream man. Following Ying Qi in his quest to save his clan, Ying Nan ended up joining the Zu Mountain sect. What will happen when she realized that Ying Qi is not her birth brother? What will happen when the survival of the world is once again threatened and the only people standing between world annihilation and survival are the very ones who may well destroy it? Who is Ying Nan? Where did she come from? Will Ying Qi survive after sacrificing his life for his clan? Who will Ying Nan end up with - Ying Qi or Bai Gu Yi? This is a prequel in that this story happened 60 years before the events of Legend of Zu Mountain (2015). This is also a sequel because this story started and ended after the events of the 2015 series.

I love the story in this 2018 installment! There is some time traveling involved, but the 'time loop' makes sense. The story ends where it started. The love triangle (or should I say square since there were 4 people involved in it?) was nicely done. You'll find yourself either in camp Ying Qi or camp Bai Gu Yi. I also love it that a writer is brave enough to include an imperfect personality (or should I say partially evil?) as one of the main male character. I love that there's character development throughout the story. The ending was just perfect! It wasn't rushed and all events and characters explained. This is one drama where the ending created a strong and unforgettable impact. Watch it till the end and let me know if you are not emotionally affected by it!

Acting/Cast: A mix of young and experienced cast. Despite the lack of experience, young age and lack of star power (unlike the 2015 installment with well-known superstars William Chan and Zhao Li Ying), the cast did an excellent job! Special mention to Nie Zi Hao (as Bai Gu Yi).....I've noticed this young man since The Journey and The Journey 2. I look forward to see more of his work!

Music: Let me gush about another aspect of this series that I absolutely love - the music! All of the OSTs are amazing! I've saved them and am enjoying them now.

Rewatch value: I re-watched this almost immediately after finishing it. Like less than 24 hours later! Partly because I was downloading the episodes to save them into my external drive but also for re-watching some important scenes in this series that became so much more meaningful because of the ending. This is a good example of how having an unforgettable ending increases the value of the entire drama. Boy am I glad that they didn't muck up the ending!...... and yes, Bai Gu Yi, I agree.....this is the best ending!

Overall: I give this drama a rating of 9.0/10.0. Amazing story, cast and music. Enough said. Go watch it!

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The story is good, but the acting in this drama is terrible! Especially the main female lead, Yu Ting Er. I don't think I've since worst acting than her's in any drama I've watched. I cannot stand her acting at all! The only reason I watched the whole drama is because I really like this series and this type of drama. However, the story line of this drama has nothing to do with the previous series. So, if you don't have a strong attachment to this series, I'd say just skip this drama. It's really not worth it to waste time on Yu Ting Er's acting even if it's a good story.

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