A Tale Of Gentlemen Detectives: 4 Reasons To Check Out C-Drama "A League Of Nobleman"

Adapted from Da Feng Gua Guo’s “The Mystery of Zhang Gong,” the long-awaited “A League of Nobleman” finally aired in late January, much to the delight of the fans who were eagerly anticipating the C-drama. Although not much noise was made about it originally, the story of aspiring official Zhang Ping (Song Wei Long), who has a keen talent for solving mysteries, and enigmatic, morally-dubious official Lan Jue (Jing Bo Ran) is certainly worth paying attention to.

Here are four reasons to give this drama a watch:

Jing Bo Ran: An Atypical Lead

If ever there was a man born to play a gentleman, it would be Jing Bo Ran. From his demeanor to his speech patterns, the man doesn’t act out Lan Jue, he is Lan Jue. He’s the very definition of an elegant nobleman, and his chemistry with all of his co-stars is nothing to joke about.

On top of that, Lan Jue makes for a very unusual male lead: his scheming, manipulative ways don’t stop at his enemies, and his morality certainly seems doubtful at the very least. He’s shrouded in mystery and will have you insanely curious about his motivations while at the same time shaking your head at his methods.

Smarts All Around

Smart has always been sexy, and “A League of Nobleman” has no room for idiots: this is a mystery show, and the main characters are all very clever each in their own way, which of course leads to tons of sizzling chemistry and clashing personalities. You can’t have that many geniuses in a room without some battles of wit, after all.

Song Wei Long: The Antithesis

It’s not only their personalities that clash, however: honest, straightforward, and maybe even idealistic to a fault, Song Wei Long’s Zhang Ping seems to be everything that Lan Jue is not. But just like Lan Jue’s cunning can sometimes hit a dead end, so can Zhang Ping’s unrelenting search for the truth land him in trouble. What this all amounts to is that while they’re on completely different wavelengths, when they actually bother to work together, Zhang Ping and Lan Jue make up a force to be reckoned with, and they grow a lot in each other’s company.

Astounding Visuals

Last but not least, “A League of Nobleman” boasts some incredible visuals, be it in the cinematography, costumes, colors, general atmosphere (or cast, but we’ll keep that to ourselves). The opening sequence is in itself a work of art, choosing to mix black and white images with a rhythmic beat and sound effects to enhance the show’s enigmatic aura.

By combining a stellar cast who deliver excellent performances with well-written character development, a smidge of supernatural with beautiful art design, and fascinating mysteries, “A League of Nobleman” definitely makes for a must-watch of 2023.

Check out “A League of Nobleman” on Viki here:

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Those in Southeast Asia can watch here!

Hey Soompiers, are you watching “A League of Nobleman,” or are you planning to? Let us know in the comments!