Rin Reviews: Reunion- The Sound of the Providence (重启之极海听雷)
So, I just finished Reunion (otherwise known as Reboot), and I am here to offer my opinions about it.
Reunion centers around the Graverobbers’ Chronicles (盗墓笔记, Daomu Biji, DMBJ) universe and stars Zhu Yilong as Wu Xie, Chen Minghao as Wang Pangzi, and Huang Junjie as Zhang Qiling (Xiaoge).
In a nutshell, the storyline centers around Wu Xie discovering that he has a terminal lung illness. At around the same time, he receives a text from his missing third uncle, Wu Sanxing and together with Pangzi and Xiaoge starts on a journey to find Wu Sanxing, who is likely in a place called Thunder City, while Wu Xie’s time runs out.
Storyline
Characters
Overall Watchability
Each will be out of five Deadly Handcrabs and the show will get a total score.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
The storyline as a whole I think is engaging, despite how this show is meant as a sequel to The Lost Tomb. As a watcher, I was immediately engaged from the start, with the urgency of Wu Xie’s mission to find Wu Sanxing. Overall, I think despite the kookiness of some of the plot inventions, (i.e. thunder listening devices, sentient mannequins, deadly handcrabs and so forth) it does make sense in general, with the exception of the final villain’s identity.
One of the only gripes I have is the use of Xiaoge as a deus ex machina plot mechanism. There are many situations in which he is not present, doing something else, and the characters become embroiled in some deadly situation, herein Xiaoge appears to save the day. A more engaging use of his character would have been to have him present for such situations already while figuring out what to do with the rest of the Iron Triangle (Wu Xie and Pangzi).
The other gripe I have is the death of a woman very important to the main characters, which I believe was completely unwarranted and unnecessary.
I personally believe that Reboot is a good intro to the the key characters of DMBJ, particularly the three leads. Wu Xie, Pangzi and Xiaoge are endearing each in their own way, with quirks that serve the group’s purpose individually. Wu Xie’s talent lies in his intelligence and ability to make plans and solve impossible problems. Pangzi is the heart and glue of the group, with his sense of humor, bright smile, and determination to stick by Wu Xie and Xiaoge more than anything. Xiaoge is the experienced immortal with wild physical abilities and a poker face to rival stone (he is adorable when Pangzi and Wu Xie make him smile, though). I really began to understand their strong bond and enjoy them as characters.
There were also Hei Xiazi, played by Baron Chen and Xie Yuchen (Xiao Hua), played by Qiao Zhenyu. I found myself also charmed by these two, particularly Hei Xiazi, who is full of wit, and as it turns out, loyalty to his friends. Xiao Hua, being a practical and intelligent man, was also very charming in the brief scenes where he was present. I would have liked to see more of them together.
In general, the cast was interesting and amusing, with the exception of a couple of antagonists.
This is the part I have the most issues with. While the storyline and premise as a whole was quite interesting, the pacing of the show was horrendous. There were too many unnecessary scenes, particularly where it has to do with walking around.
Specifically, I am of firm belief that the Warehouse Eleven arc could have been drastically cut down. It was not only a remarkably boring environment with terrible lighting, the wackiness of the rules could have been established for the viewer in far less scenes. Overall, this part of the show was absolutely excruciating, enough that I questioned my willingness to get through the rest. And I would have stopped if it hadn’t been for my motivation to see some of the other characters who were not present. It was genuinely awful and slowed down my pace way too much, enough that it took me about a year to finish both seasons of the show. It was often difficult to watch even while eating some tasty snacks and playing it at 2x speed, so that should tell you how bad that was.
Without so many walking scenes and exposition scenes, I am really quite sure that the show could have been condensed into an entertaining one season show.
I also have a complaint about the complete disregard to reality that was a hallmark of my experience watching the show. Written into the show are several completely impossible scenes that seem to almost mock the intelligence of the viewers at times. One example would be a scene where Wu Xie is suffering an emergency due to his condition and Pangzi takes him to an acquaintance, Huo Daofu, who is selling breadsticks at the time, but is a doctor. Huo Daofu prescribes a treatment which consists of washing out Wu Xie’s lungs with oil. Not only is this something that would *kill* Wu Xie, it is carried out in the most unsafe way. This, along with Wu Xie being struck by lightning and suffering no ill effect are some of the most egregious faults in the show. While some things in the show are kooky, I really believe these are two things the show could have done without, pushing a step too far past the acceptable suspension of disbelief.
In regards to watchability, I have only one quote, “It was so bad, I want to give you a zero, but that's not possible, so I give you a one.”
Final Thoughts and Total Score
As my first foray into Daomu Biji, I was in general, amused by the show. I have grown attached to the characters and may continue to foray deeper into the universe. The ending of Reunion in particular, with a collection of scenes of love and friendship, was very satisfying and heartwarming to me after the journey was completed with this motley cast of characters. However, I would not watch the entirety of the show again. Once was enough for me. Who knows. I may eventually pick through to find some of my favourite scenes (to do with the Iron Triangle or Hei Xiazi), but I don’t think I’ll require an entire rewatch to enjoy those.
For now, the South Sea kingdom journey ends, and I wish these charming folks a very Fun Tombraiding Adventure.
Final Score: 3/5 Deadly Handcrabs
