Great Magic

This film (drama)Also known as大戏法，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2012Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating7.2(For reference only)。

The drama is set against the backdrop of the decline of the feudal dynasty and social transformation during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. It tells the story of folk magic performers who, driven by simple and instinctive patriotism, inherit and protect traditional Chinese culture. With a history of several thousand years, Chinese magic had formed three major factions by the end of the Qing Dynasty: the Northern "Shen Family Hall Color," "Mo Family Hand Color," and the Southern "Ghost Way Magic." However, as foreign cultural penetration intensified, Japanese magicians set their sights on the centuries-old magic secret manuscript "Immortal Magic." Under the guise of passing on skills, they infiltrated Tianjin, creating bloodshed to incite conflicts among Chinese magic factions and bribing local officials to control folk artists, attempting to seize China's treasures for themselves. Meanwhile, Yuan Shikai's son, Yuan Jieding, used suppression, seduction, and entrapment to force artists to serve his political schemes. This dual oppression made survival exceptionally difficult for folk artists. Led by Shen Wankui, the head of "Shen Family Hall Color," a group of folk artists bravely faced dangers and vowed to protect traditional culture and pass on Chinese civilization, thus creating a thrilling and tragic history. The entire drama is intertwined with two main storylines of "revenge" and "protecting national essence," while the protagonist, Lai Bao, undergoes a transformation from seeking revenge for his father’s murder and reviving "Mo Family Hand Color" in the first half to opposing the Japanese magician Mutou Zhang and supporting the anti-Yuan struggle in the second half. With a history of several thousand years, Chinese magic had formed three major factions by the end of the Qing Dynasty: the Northern "Shen Family Hall Color," "Mo Family Hand Color," and the Southern "Ghost Way Magic." Similar factions contended for attention among folk performers. However, as foreign cultural penetration intensified, Japanese magicians cast their eyes on the ancient magic manuscript "Immortal Magic." They infiltrated Tianjin under the pretext of passing on skills, instigated conflicts among Chinese magic factions, bought local officials to control folk artists, and resorted to all sorts of unscrupulous tactics to seize China’s treasures. Simultaneously, Yuan Jieding viewed Shen Wankui as both a tool for profit and a stumbling block for development, subjecting him to exploitation, suppression, and false accusations, creating multiple obstacles that hindered his artistic pursuits. In particular, Yuan Jieding treated him as a political pawn, even imprisoning him. Through his struggle against the authorities, Shen Wankui realized that the development of art could not be separated from political democracy. He stepped forward, using magic to support the revolutionary struggle against the counter-revolutionary forces. The revenge of Lai Bao also caused Shen Wankui many complications. Faced with Lai Bao, he had reservations but also felt a sense of guilt. When Lai Bao stood out among his many disciples, due to stubbornness and believing in slander, he couldn’t escape the traditional mindset of “disciples loving skills,” and felt regret after being deceived. Yet, Shen Wankui, noble and unyielding, didn’t blame Lai Bao upon his awakening but instead saved him at a critical moment of danger. His spirit inspired his peers, ultimately leading to the unification of the "Immortal Magic" manuscript, paving the way for greater development in Chinese magic. Lai Bao (Mo Wuxing) is a new generation artist who grew up as a beggar. His life goal is to avenge his father's murder and revive the long-silenced "Mo Family Hand Color." He is a complex character: feeling a sense of national justice in front of foreign enemies, harboring narrow-mindedness towards the lower classes, and serving the authorities while being a troublemaker; he embodies the simple ethics and flaws of the lower class population, with a basic character reflecting both the wildness cultivated among beggars and the characteristics shaped by oppression under the imperial and feudal systems. His "revenge" journey underwent two distinct phases. Initially, due to limited understanding, he acted blindly. He targeted Shen Wankui for revenge, devising a plan to "master the rival's skills to defeat the rival," repeatedly disguising himself to get close to Shen Wankui, ultimately succeeding in infiltrating the "rival" to become his apprentice, gradually gaining Shen Wankui's trust and becoming the heir of "Shen Family Hall Color." When he became famous, the opportunity for "revenge" arose, but on one hand, he developed a deepening relationship with Shen Wankui’s daughter, Shen Xinping; on the other hand, the resentment over his father's tragic death lingered, putting him in a contradictory state regarding revenge. Yet, during a performance by the Shen Family troupe at Yuan Shikai's presidential inauguration, the climactic act failed, and Yuan Shikai went into a violent rage, imprisoning Shen Wankui and his disciples. After cleverly escaping, he established his own name using "Mo Family Hand Color" and renamed himself Mo Wuxing, determined to dominate the martial arts world and promote his father's legacy. However, his skills were actually those of "Shen Family Hand Color" rather than "Mo Family Hand Color." Not long after, the authentic "Mo Family Hand Color" emerged in the martial world, surprisingly mastered by the young barber Geng Jie, who had been living with the Shen family. Mo Wuxing began to compete with Geng Jie but discovered he was his twin brother and learned the truth about their father's murder, realizing he had wrongly accused Shen Wankui. The revenge thus shifted into its second phase. Facing a stubborn enemy, he cleverly maneuvered, teaming up with his brother to confront the true enemy, Japanese magician Mutou Zhang. At this point, Mo Wuxing's sense of justice prevailed, and his thoughts were elevated. In the critical moments of the anti-Yuan struggle, he secretly aided Shen Wankui, sacrificing himself for his apprentice and contributing to the revolutionary uprising. Accompanying the two main storylines, there are four subplots that advance the character development. The governor's secretary, Jin Daren, becomes an accomplice to the Japanese in their quest to seize national treasures; the head of the beggar clan, Mao Tou, is both a sympathizer of "revenge" and a supporter of "protecting national essence," who later becomes a bridge for revolutionaries to connect with folk artists; the barber Mo Xisheng unexpectedly becomes the heir to "Mo Family Hand Color," forming a sincere romance with Shen Xinping and a fraternal bond with Mo Wuxing, creating an important emotional and conflict chain; and Yuan Jieding ensnares magic artists in political turmoil in his quest to restore the monarchy, leading to persecution of Shen Wankui and his disciples, yet ultimately, the Yuan family’s actions backfire. These four subplots intertwine, complicating character relationships and creating a convoluted narrative. The entire drama concludes with the downfall of Mutou Zhang and the outbreak of the national protection war.