Tiger and Crane final review

If you haven’t already, do read my first impressions of Tiger & Crane.

So, I finished Tiger & Crane! For a while, I didn’t think I would. I stopped at episode 25 for a while and was really tempted to drop it at that point. But then, I decided to resume the show by skipping a few arcs and restarting when they were about to go to Dianfeng Valley, that mysterious place where all the trouble began for this world.

However, after being royally spoiled thanks to people not using the spoiler tags in the MyDramaLlist comments section, I found myself less than enthusiastic to continue watching the show till the end again. My curiosity about the show’s many mysteries drove me on?

• What happened at Dianfeng Valley?
• What’s the true story behind the calamity that befell this world?
• Who the “Crane” is (though I am pretty sure who it is at the halfway point!)
• How did the Twin Primordial spirits curse come about?

But seriously, by episode 23, and I’m like, I literally have to power through 13 more episodes to get to the truth? I feel tired! Make it quick!

That said, Show is actually not bad. Not Mysterious Lotus Casebook amazing definitely, but good enough for a slow Sunday afternoon when you need something to watch while chopping vegetables in the kitchen. Tiger & Crane also seems to be for a younger audience. In fact, I feel that it fits nicely in the “young adult” category.

In the end, the answers to the mysteries were very satisfying and I’m glad I powered to the end.

What I didn’t like

It is undeniable that Show is not high budget, and as a result, the production quality and CGI can be dire at times. Also, the story could’ve been told in 24 episodes, not 36. Some arcs could’ve been skipped without you missing much of the main plot.

As for the acting, most of our leads delivered an unpolished performance, with the new, popular “red hot” idol actor Zhang Ling He being average to wooden at times, though I have to give him thumbs up for being able to play two different characters capably.

What I like

The storytelling

Despite its limitations, what impressed me was how brave the storytelling is. It took risks that I’d never expect for a YA-level story. For that, I shall applaud the storyteller and director. Also, if you like brotherhood/friendship stories, you’ll enjoy that at least.

It was especially satisfying to watch out Yi Mei’s story unfold. Why did she do what she did? Who is this “master” she keeps talking about? In the end, it was a story that brought unexpected tears to my eyes, and the actress, He Lan Dou, acted the heck out of it. She is quite a talent and I hope to see more of her.

Some standout acting

Back to the acting. While most of the acting is average, there were standouts. I like the acting of the actor who played Hu Zi and Yi Mei the most. Very natural, and Yi Mei was calculative and chilling. She also portrayed the “vibe” of someone who is VERY old despite looking so young. I also admired how the actress executed her fighting moves. Very graceful! Hope to see more of the actress one day.

Female empowerment done right

Another positive point is that this story portrays females in a really good way. Zhou Xin Tong is just one of the guys, and there’s no “but you’re a girl” from her male comrades. They just accepted the fact that she’s a badass who shouldn’t be crossed and treated her like a respected member of the team. Now that’s the kind of female empowerment I want to see more of.

Some thoughts about the ending

Turn away now if you don’t want to be spoiled!

The MDL comments section went mad after the finale aired. It was quite amusing (and maybe a tad concerning) to watch everyone wail over the many, er, ends. And I suppose I’m thankful that I was at least prepared for it, but after watching everything to the end, I want to say that it was a really satisfying and fitting ending. And this is coming from someone who really hates sad endings.

There was closure, unlike some of the open-ended endings we’ve seen lately. (cough My Journey To You cough). Our heroes who died met honorable ends.

In a way, I have to applaud the writers for being so brave ending characters that people love, not red shirts whose names you have trouble remembering. Their passing hurts.

Though, I have to pity poor Hu Zi. What an awful day he had, losing so many people at that. I am surprised he’s still sane and standing after that!

Frankly, I prefer this ending over endings that just leave you hollow and frustrated because the characters that we’ve grown to love over 40+ episodes never got proper closure.

Final word

Will I still recommend Tiger & Crane?

Yes, certainly. But you need to be very, very forgiving of its many flaws to really appreciate and enjoy it.

Sure, it’s rough (the final CGI big battle was cringe) but it was a neat xuanhuan with surprising twists and turns, and lots of heart and talent.

But in the end, it is quite a forgettable story, and doesn’t leave you much of an emotional impact beyond, “Well that was interesting! Next!”.

Final verdict: 7