FANDOM NAME: 成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty (TV)
WHAT IS IT?:
The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty is a 48 episode series based on the novel The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua by Meng Xi Shi. Set in the late 15th century, it follows Tang Fan (courtesy Runqing), a lower sixth-ranked official serving as a magistrate in the Shuntian Prefecture, and Sui Zhou (courtesy Guangchuan), a seventh-ranked zongqi of The Embroidered Guard, as their paths fatefully converge over the intertwined mysteries of the disappearance of the Crown Prince's study companion and the sudden death of a Marquis' eldest son.
WHAT MAKES IT GREAT:
- It's produced by Jackie Chan, and his touch shines throughout, particularly in the action sequences. The choreography is more realistic as a whole than some of his usual fare, but it's not without its moments of physical comedy.
- It's a delightful mashup of an imperial palace drama and a detective serial, managing to play both of these genre strengths very strongly off one another while largely avoiding the shortfalls of either. For the former, there is a lot of political intrigue, powerplaying between various parties of even more varying social status and capital, and interdepartmental infighting beneath the thin guise of unity in service of Ming (and just what that service becomes, and the choices one must make as to where they will lay their loyalty, when the Emperor becomes a distinguishable entity from the State). For the latter, the cases are very engaging even in their lulls; Sleuth's roster by its nature is stacked with genius characters on all sides, and their strengths all play off and against one another. The show avoids the temptation of setting up its antagonists to fail in order to show off the intelligence of the protagonists; similarly, few characters can be arguably considered consistently morally good, if at all, and fewer still of them stand on the "right" side. Everyone is nuanced, fallible, and, at times, utterly detestable, and the questions that arise from that ambiguity make for compelling considerations.
- Bouncing off the above: the cast is full of very strong characters, from supporting regulars through to once-offs. While Tang Fan and Sui Zhou are largely the draw and the focus, they're surrounded by friends and foes alike that round them out and breathe life into the world they inhabit. The third main character is especially intriguing as a polarising presence that is inextricable from that of Tang Fan and Sui Zhou: Wang Zhi, a former palace eunuch in the service of Noble Consort Wan and the current leader of the Western Depot.
- While the nature of the adaption means the relationship between Sui Zhou and Tang Fan is not textually explicit as it is in the novel, it is incredibly blatant in its everything-buts. It is reinforced throughout the show that they are one another's most important person; a rare meeting of belief in both what is right and what is just and the integrity to follow through on it even at great personal cost. I love you is never said outright, but it is said aloud in innumerable acts of service, in narrative parallels, in silent devotions and shouted declarations, and in how even other characters say that they are one another's balance and balm - two halves of a whole who complement as much as they comfort their respective other's weaknesses and wounds.
- It really goes in on its tropes and luxuriates in every single one of them to excess. Found family? Crossdressing? Going undercover/identity porn? More whump than you're going to know what to do with? Got you covered.
- A visually stunning production on all fronts. The sets and costuming are gorgeous, and it is staged and shot beautifully. Also, there is just, so much food porn. There are so many lovingly drawn-out sequences of characters cooking, and so, so many mouth-watering close-ups of delicious dishes. You would be forgiven for seeing parts of this show in passing and thinking it's some sort of historical foodie piece, because it's not far off from the truth, really: food and all the intimacies and connections that come with it is a central theme throughout.
WHERE CAN I FIND IT?:
iQiyi (first four episodes free, rest behind VIP paywall) Viki (free at 480p, VIP paywall for higher qualities) The original novel, though it diverges very dramatically from the show, can be read here (there is no complete translation to English at this stage, but xoai ngon has released 18 chapters as of this post)
Still on the fence? Here's two trailers that leave two very different impressions, yet manage to capture a good feel of the show as a buy-in: one | two
成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty
WHAT IS IT?:
The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty is a 48 episode series based on the novel The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua by Meng Xi Shi. Set in the late 15th century, it follows Tang Fan (courtesy Runqing), a lower sixth-ranked official serving as a magistrate in the Shuntian Prefecture, and Sui Zhou (courtesy Guangchuan), a seventh-ranked zongqi of The Embroidered Guard, as their paths fatefully converge over the intertwined mysteries of the disappearance of the Crown Prince's study companion and the sudden death of a Marquis' eldest son.
WHAT MAKES IT GREAT:
- It's produced by Jackie Chan, and his touch shines throughout, particularly in the action sequences. The choreography is more realistic as a whole than some of his usual fare, but it's not without its moments of physical comedy.
- It's a delightful mashup of an imperial palace drama and a detective serial, managing to play both of these genre strengths very strongly off one another while largely avoiding the shortfalls of either. For the former, there is a lot of political intrigue, powerplaying between various parties of even more varying social status and capital, and interdepartmental infighting beneath the thin guise of unity in service of Ming (and just what that service becomes, and the choices one must make as to where they will lay their loyalty, when the Emperor becomes a distinguishable entity from the State). For the latter, the cases are very engaging even in their lulls; Sleuth's roster by its nature is stacked with genius characters on all sides, and their strengths all play off and against one another. The show avoids the temptation of setting up its antagonists to fail in order to show off the intelligence of the protagonists; similarly, few characters can be arguably considered consistently morally good, if at all, and fewer still of them stand on the "right" side. Everyone is nuanced, fallible, and, at times, utterly detestable, and the questions that arise from that ambiguity make for compelling considerations.
- Bouncing off the above: the cast is full of very strong characters, from supporting regulars through to once-offs. While Tang Fan and Sui Zhou are largely the draw and the focus, they're surrounded by friends and foes alike that round them out and breathe life into the world they inhabit. The third main character is especially intriguing as a polarising presence that is inextricable from that of Tang Fan and Sui Zhou: Wang Zhi, a former palace eunuch in the service of Noble Consort Wan and the current leader of the Western Depot.
- While the nature of the adaption means the relationship between Sui Zhou and Tang Fan is not textually explicit as it is in the novel, it is incredibly blatant in its everything-buts. It is reinforced throughout the show that they are one another's most important person; a rare meeting of belief in both what is right and what is just and the integrity to follow through on it even at great personal cost. I love you is never said outright, but it is said aloud in innumerable acts of service, in narrative parallels, in silent devotions and shouted declarations, and in how even other characters say that they are one another's balance and balm - two halves of a whole who complement as much as they comfort their respective other's weaknesses and wounds.
- It really goes in on its tropes and luxuriates in every single one of them to excess. Found family? Crossdressing? Going undercover/identity porn? More whump than you're going to know what to do with? Got you covered.
- A visually stunning production on all fronts. The sets and costuming are gorgeous, and it is staged and shot beautifully. Also, there is just, so much food porn. There are so many lovingly drawn-out sequences of characters cooking, and so, so many mouth-watering close-ups of delicious dishes. You would be forgiven for seeing parts of this show in passing and thinking it's some sort of historical foodie piece, because it's not far off from the truth, really: food and all the intimacies and connections that come with it is a central theme throughout.
WHERE CAN I FIND IT?:
iQiyi (first four episodes free, rest behind VIP paywall)
Viki (free at 480p, VIP paywall for higher qualities)
The original novel, though it diverges very dramatically from the show, can be read here (there is no complete translation to English at this stage, but xoai ngon has released 18 chapters as of this post)
Still on the fence? Here's two trailers that leave two very different impressions, yet manage to capture a good feel of the show as a buy-in: one | two