I just wrapped up Season 1 of The Secret of the Lost Pearl on WeTV and flew straight into Season 2, and wow… what an enormous difference in the two seasons.
In quality, plot, over-acting, writing, and plain awfulness.
The Secret of the Lost Pearl, Season 1 is genuinely excellent.
Adapted from the 2nd-4th volumes in the smash-hit almost iconic novel series Candle in the Tomb (鬼吹灯) by Zhang Mu Ye (天下霸唱), Season 1 of the Chinese action adventure is everything I wanted from a Chinese action-adventure tomb-raiding drama.
The pacing is tight, the tomb sets are beautifully designed with some of the most interesting mechanical designs (puzzles, traps, locks etc), the writing is smart with clever twists and solid character dynamics, most of the lead actors’ performances are solid (I will get to the one whose isn’t further down), and the mystery around the Lingxiao Pearl is intriguing.
The action scenes are also well-choreographed and exciting, especially the underground traps and chase sequences, and the CGI (for a relatively low-budget C-drama) is excellent.
As for the cast, Xiao Shun Yao (aka Aero) is the standout actor of the drama as Chen You Xi.
So much so, it’s not hyperbolic to say, he carries much of the show with his charisma, sharp wit, and intense physical commitment to the role. (Ye Gods, some of those action scenes must have caused him muscle aches for days afterwards!).
Whether he’s solving puzzles, fighting, or delivering emotional beats, he’s fully believable in the role and immensely fun to watch.
Zhao Yi as Lu Di and Xin Peng as Chubby also give brilliant and often quite funny performances. The comedic timing with both actors is exceptional. It’s just not their fault that both of their characters are idiots.
Zhang Zhi Xi as He Shu Tong, unfortunately, is the aforementioned weak link as her expressionless voice, even when explaining highly-detailed and interesting Chinese lore, and her facial expressions that barely change even as her character is in mortal danger, make for some truly frustrating viewing.
She certainly makes everyone understand how pretty she is though, which, obviously, is the Chinese actress’s main goal throughout.
Throw in that her character is constantly screaming “Chen You Xi” at the first sign of any danger, and fast forwarding through some of her scenes became mandatory for me. (Believe me, she’s even worse in Season 2).
Personally, I wonder if the director is at fault in letting Zhang Zhi Xi get away with such a poor performance (?), as she has appeared in numerous other Chinese dramas and performed to a far higher level.
On the other hand, “villain” Li Yi Tong is the female stand out in this as she perfectly portrays a character who you aren’t sure if she is trustworthy or not. Someone you originally dislike but then, mysteriously, begin to feel sorry for.
Overall then, the strengths of Season 1 far outweigh the one actor’s acting issue, and make the Chinese action adventure a thoroughly enjoyable watch.
For fans of the Candle in the Tomb franchise especially, I think you will like it.
Score: The Secret of the Lost Pearl, Season 1. An easy to give 9/10, as it’s just a fun and entertaining example of the action adventure genre. Highly recommended.
The Secret of the Lost Pearl, Season 2 – I don’t know what happened here?
Season 2 of The Secret of the Lost Pearl, on the other hand, is one of the most disappointing follow-ups I have ever watched. So much so, it feels like it was written by a completely different team, as everything about it dulls in comparison to the first.
First, the script just spins in circles with very little actual progress through most of the first two thirds of the drama. Remember, this is supposed to be a tomb-raiding adventure, yet we don’t even get near a bloody tomb until Episode 18.
Instead, we get endless repetitive chase scenes where the main characters are in a never-ending jungle constantly running from swarms of bugs, snakes, frogs, and sundry other random creatures.
After the fifth or sixth time, it becomes infuriatingly tedious.
Up to Episode 20 (where I currently am and, honestly, I am still desperately searching for any modicum of energy so I can push my way through to its Episode 24 end), the story also has almost no clear direction or sense of purpose.
The clever mystery and strong plot-pacing from Season 1 have completely evaporated, and are replaced by beaucoup amounts of filler and recycled tension that goes nowhere, except to me jamming my finger on the 2x speed button just to get through it.
Even Xiao Shun Yao’s strong performance can’t save the Chinese drama’s second season when the writing is this weak, while Zhang Zhi Xi’s limited expressions become even more noticeable when there is so little else happening on screen.
Zhao Yi as and Xin Peng, on the other hand, apparently decided if the script is terrible then overacting is the key to success.
One bright spark in the season, however, is the addition in the main cast of Li Dai Kun (whose devious Scorpion King was one of my favorite characters in the superb Word of Honor).
In this one, he plays a quite naive character (although I still have suspicions about his motivations?), and pulls it off perfectly.
Considering I was so psyched to start Season 2, as I enjoyed Season 1 so much then, it’s almost a little heartbreaking to see how quickly it all collapsed after Season 1 served up a solid foundation for what should have been an equally enjoyable sequel.
To some extent, it’s like the whole season was produced with $2.83 and a discount coupon.
That’s why then, I hate to break it to you but, I would recommend, if you loved the first season, stop there and imagine your own ending rather than putting yourself through the infuriating stupidity of Season 2.
Score: The Secret of the Lost Pearl, Season 2 = 5/10 (painful to sit through). And I’ll come back to this and amend it slightly, if the last four episodes do anything at all to redeem it. Can’t say I’m holding out hope though.
You can watch Season 1 and Season 2 (at your own risk) on WeTV, or on WeTV’s YouTube channel. (First episode below)
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