Frozen Surface Reviews

Every episode has a point of entry, introducing a new character and new clues in each episode. Tencent X Theatre never disappoints. Chen Jian Bin and Hu Jun are impressive, and Deng Jia Jia as the mysterious female boss, Wang Ping, is truly outstanding.
She is perfectly suited for this role, with her beautiful eyes filled with subtle determination and stories!

The dumpling gag makes a comeback, haha! The intense scenes between Chen Jian Bin and Hu Jun are filled with theatricality, and their dialogues give off the sense that a thousand plots are brewing. I can't help but silently wonder if another potential couple is about to emerge, haha!

I admit I have biases, but right from the first episode, the catchphrase is "female" "female" "female." And then they even have a male detective trusting a beautiful suspect, while the female detective remains unwavering in her stance.
What's the point of this? Can't they write a proper script? Do they think they can't survive without these contrived plotlines?

It authentically portrays the social ecology of Northeast China at that time. The Northeastern dialect and realistic period settings give the cases and characters a sense of the era.
From being an industrial powerhouse to witnessing the ebb of the times, leaving behind only the mud and sand, the diverse range of characters reflects the pains and desolation of the era.

I can't stand how all the male characters in suspense dramas always have a bitter and vengeful demeanor, as if they carry some deep-seated grudge. And all the women are portrayed as stumbling blocks and manipulative figures.
Guan Yu can care for everyone, except he can't speak kindly to his wife. All the men are deeply in love with this land, portraying themselves as husbands burdened with grievances and fathers with indescribable love.
But it is the women and children who have been exploited by your patriarchal power structure, nourishing this land.

When you see Chen Jian Bin's portrayal of a diabetic police officer who cooks noodles, takes insulin, and receives a call before he has a chance to eat, then feels dizzy at the crime scene, takes out candy from his pocket and eats it, you know that this screenwriter or director at least understands life.
He deserves an extra star.

Why is it that every intriguing drama recently is being compared to "Blooming Flowers" in reviews? I can't stand it anymore. I'm competing with you pretentious fans who treat "Blooming Flowers" like the holy bible. Even if there are similarities, shouldn't it at least be compared to a lengthy season?
Is this drama taking the same path as "Blooming Flowers"...

I watched two episodes, and it was okay, but the editing was too choppy, jumping from one thing to another. The biggest flaw is Hu Jun's Beijing accent. Compared to him, Chen Jian Bin's Urumqi accent sounds more like Northeastern dialect.
Sun Dalei, with a poker hand, opens his mouth and says, "One-four-seven biscuit." Big brother, it's called "yao-four-seven biscuit." So, when filming a drama set in Northeast China, if the language isn't authentic, it loses half of its charm.
Just featuring snowy landscapes alone won't cut it.

I watched it, and it's difficult to evaluate. The cast of actors is excellent, but the plot design, dialogue, and character development... all feel hollow. As a crime investigation drama, the details of the cases are rushed, and the character portrayals are very unclear.
I don't know if it's a problem with the director, the screenwriter, or the actors... Mainly, after experiencing the brilliance of "The Long Season," I just can't accept that this suspense drama is so boringly executed.

The revival of Northeastern literature has brought about a wave of crime dramas from the region, but the problem is that, aside from a few exceptional ones, most of them are just imitations and lack originality.
They tend to complicate simple stories, incorporating flashbacks and reflections across different time periods. As this pattern becomes more prevalent, it naturally leads to audience fatigue.
However, I still quite enjoy Hu Jun's performance as a wolf in sheep's clothing. I would give it a 6.5 out of 10.

4.0 stars. Apart from the articulate main characters, the dialogue of the other characters has a strong Northeastern flavor. There's no significant event, no driving force, no conflict. In other words, it's plain, but not the kind of plainness seen in films by Yasujirō Ozu or Hou Hsiao-Hsien.
After watching three episodes, I have a feeling that the climax will be similar to a paternal version of "The Devotion of Suspect X.

Chen Jian Bin's performance feels a bit pretentious, and some of the lines are inexplicable. The plot follows the same formula, but if they don't explain the details properly, it looks like the protagonist is just fooling around while solving cases.
Everyone relies on him and clings to him. Oh my goodness, he's just putting on a show.

Some people are truly snobbish. After watching "Blooming Flowers," they think they're high-ranking officials on Huanghe Road. Here, they look down on other TV dramas, dismissing them as ordinary.
But these dramas are heartfelt works created by directors and actors. Why compare them to "Blooming Flowers"? Is it even necessary? Are they the same genre? It's so shallow to derive a sense of superiority from simply watching a TV series!

After watching two episodes, the forced Northeastern accents are unbearable. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I did a search. How many people involved in this production, from the creators to the lead actors, are actually from Northeast China?
Are you trying to disgust people from the Northeast? This behavior is even more disgusting than Wang Han speaking in a Northeastern accent. You might as well have everyone speak standard Mandarin.
I'm giving up on this drama. Goodbye.

I'm quite disappointed after watching the seventh episode. There are too many intrusive flashbacks, and they feel very forced. The flashback scenes about Zhong Yi and Guan Yu are not touching at all. The emotional atmosphere is completely off.
Lately, they keep giving the protagonist a broken family setting, which I feel is totally unnecessary. Deng Jia Jia's acting in this drama is really not that good, but Yu Yang and Hu Jun's acting is decent.

I thought the Northeastern accent (not dialect) was the easiest accent to learn in all of China, and that no one could fail at it. But here, these three main actors have completely proved me wrong.
With everyone else in the drama having a Northeastern accent, whenever the three of them speak, it completely breaks the immersion.

By the fourth episode, things are starting to get interesting. Hu Jun is no longer playing dumb, which previously made the whole conflict between good and evil feel weak. Now he's stepping up his game. Deng Jia Jia's storyline is starting to teach a lesson to Yan Hong Qiao's subordinates.
It feels like in the future, her storyline will intersect with the murder case storyline. I'll keep watching and see. It's unbelievable that this year started with a goose defeating a peach.

I personally feel that the Pancake Uncle speaking in a Northeastern accent feels forced and out of place. It's not very appealing, and the plot progresses very slowly. However, for the sake of Pancake Uncle, Auntie, Junge, and that female disciple, I'll give it 3 stars.

I like Deng Jia Jia, but I really dislike her acting. It's a typical case of "Look, I'm acting!" style of performance. Her portrayal of Wang Ping in the drama, trying to be cool and modern, is a major failure.
The structure of this drama is as loose as reheated fish, falling apart with a single touch. After watching the second episode, you forget about the first one. It's not worth revisiting after thirteen years of being shelved.

One episode for one hour, did the director not want to cut any scenes? Or maybe they should have, at least chop off half of the boring chitchat. They went overboard in portraying the atmosphere of the northeastern market town, and it's really uncomfortable to see these actors forcing the northeastern accent.

There have been so many period dramas recently. Upon closer examination, some depict legendary eras, while others portray the momentum of reform. However, "Black Soil" shows me the Northeast after the tide has receded.
It depicts people striving away from their hometowns and others who, despite enduring pain, find it difficult to leave their beloved homeland. The title "Black Soil Silent" is also increasingly fitting and well-thought-out.

I've seen too many instances of the people in Northeast China under the pressures of the times, struggling to make ends meet, constantly bowing their heads and making compromises in their lives. Some even have to give up their principles for the sake of survival.
Having watched it, I can understand and feel saddened by the pains experienced on the land.

There are fingerprints of Yang Si at the crime scene, but there are inconsistencies in Yang Si's statements before and after the incident. It is reasonable to speculate that Yang Si only visited the scene and left his own information there, waiting for the police to arrest him.
However, it's highly likely that he is not the actual killer, but rather a scapegoat.

After staying in a big city for a long time, one truly starts to miss the slow-paced life of their hometown. At a certain stage, there is a strong desire to return and relive the childhood days.
So, I can truly understand Zhong Yi's statement to Zhou Qi about the difficulty of leaving one's homeland.

The industrial atmosphere and the icy, snowy environment of Northeast China are a perfect match for the crime investigation cases. The robust local character adds another layer of authenticity. However, what is even more remarkable is that despite the cold era, brutal murder cases, and the hardships of ordinary people's lives, there is still a touch of human warmth that warms the heart.
For example, the incident where Guan Yu secretly gave money to Driver Lao Zhou, who supports his wife through dialysis, is a testament to that.

Guan Yu's remark about the complexities hit the nail on the head, and watching it until now, my CPU feels like it's overheating. The authenticity of the investigation is also very strong.
In an era without advanced technology, everything had to rely on painstaking investigations and physically running the cases. It's truly challenging!

The pace is neither fast nor slow, providing an authentic experience of criminal investigation and reasoning. Everything is traceable, and the relentless pursuit aligns with the characteristics of the era.
Through it, we can also see the police's anticipation of technological advancements and a brighter future. The cases that took place in the cold and ruthless winters of the 1990s Northeast China appear exceptionally chilling, yet the human spirit remains warm.

I can understand the sentiment Zhong Yi expressed about being reluctant to leave one's homeland. Just like the vast disparity between urban development and big cities, the profound love for one's hometown is deeply ingrained.
The characters in this drama seem to carry the genes of their blood in their very beings.

It's not just the cold winter of the season, but also the cold winter of the era in Northeast China. The timing of the transition from industrial restructuring to the reorganization of counties and districts is well chosen, offering a more immersive portrayal of the regional social conditions.
While we are watching the cases, the focus is even more on the people.

In the opening scene, Yan Hong Qiao's imposing presence silences all the big shots, so it's not difficult to understand how e3Wang Ping operates. Why don't the couple learn from each other?

I think this drama is okay. At least the suspense in the first three episodes is well-crafted, the logic is sound, and the story background is generally consistent with the era. The character development is not astonishing, but it's steady.

As someone who can't tolerate coarse bran on the Yellow River, I actually find this Northeastern large noodle dish quite tasty.

After watching 3 episodes, it doesn't have big explosions, but it can make people immerse themselves in the drama. The actors' performances are solid, and the plot is gripping.
I hope the later episodes won't be too flat and will have climaxes and twists. Hu Jun's character is outstanding, and I'm looking forward to the interactions between him and Chen Jian Bin in the later plot.

The opening trailer is visually captivating, and the theme music is refreshing. I love how Hu Jun portrays the character Yang Si with such personality. The 90s were also the youth of our generation, and the familiar scenes and the Northeastern accent represent that black soil region.
It's worth following and watching this epic drama.

One must admire the actors' ability to portray their characters. Non-native actors speaking authentic Northeastern dialects display great professionalism, and all the actors capture the regional elements of their roles. Their speech patterns, mannerisms, and even their Northeastern palate and nostalgic feelings towards their hometowns are what make the characters relatable and resonate with the audience.

The high-quality content of the drama goes beyond the surface, and the portrayal of the characters' destinies in the details is even more thought-provoking. It touches on the hardships of survival, young people leaving their hometowns, the economic downturn, and the monopoly of local economy by dark forces.
There are many metaphors and the scale is not small.

This drama premiered at this time, so tell me, was it rushed and filmed overnight by the three provinces in the northeast? Apart from Wang Ping's terrible acting and the questionable choice of actors, the rest is actually watchable.
In short, I binge-watched three episodes in one go. What's the deal with those two people who fell into an icy pit? It's been a while, and no one seems to care. I'd give it three and a half stars.

The director should either find actors from Northeast China who can speak the local dialect properly or stick to using standard Mandarin. The dialogue in the script feels very out of place.
I was disappointed with the cast and the outcome when I entered the theater expecting an X-level performance. However, Shi Ce's performance was not bad.

Aunt Xiaoyi's acting is great. Her commanding presence at the dining table contrasts sharply with the rowdy and rough men. She has the ability to remain calm despite her temper, and even when she does get angry, she doesn't raise her voice.
As a powerful and cunning female boss, she exudes charisma and charm.

The script is solid, and the details of the case investigation are very authentic. The verification of gunpowder reactions, the confirmation of the suspect's identity, the search and analysis of the murder weapon—every step of the investigation stands up to scrutiny.
It's captivating to follow along with the four senior detectives as they piece together the clues.

The black soil has its own battleground. The rivalry between Wang Ping and various executives for development rights is absolutely thrilling. The big shots always have hidden agendas at the dinner table, competing in ruthlessness and power, each wanting to be the top dog.
The plot also reveals the darker side of the era's industries. The more I watch, the more engrossed I become in the storyline!

Black Soil is not your typical detective drama. It carries the essence of the era and emotions, and it's incredibly rich. When Yang Si's mother bids him farewell as he leaves at a young age, she says, "If things don't work out, just come back, okay?
" This profound display of familial love made me burst into tears, as someone who has been drifting away from home.