While the obvious historical inaccuracies and over dramatization can get somewhat tiresome, Marco Polo is no doubt a well crafted show. I found Marco to be one of the lesser characters, he struck me as too cliché and somewhat whiny but being a fan of Benedict Wong, I rather enjoyed his portrayal of Kublai Khan. More intelligent and thoughtful than you would think a Khan, but this just adds necessary depth and appeal to the character, rather than having him a generic brutish barbarian, the real Kublai Khan was a Poet as well as warlord.
I must also applaud the show for it's female characters. It's not easy writing compelling female roles when your show is set in 13th century Asia, a century and locale known for misogyny, Serving girls and silent concubines give way for warrior women, assassins, conspirators and women of the Court, who wield power and consequence as much as any male character. Chin Han as Jai Sidao is fantastic, a brilliant, savvy and scheming antagonist amplified by his unsettling nature and odd hobbies.
The fight scenes I deemed as entirely unnecessary and cringed somewhat every time a fight broke out. While entertaining, well choreographed and visually pleasing, it detracting from the plot and added a sense of confusion and unpredictability to the show. I was convinced that someone would try a lighting quick grab for someone else's eyeball since everyone is so amazingly trained in martial arts, even the once peasant Chancellor Sidao, an interesting addition I must say. I found the Court politics to be only partially engaging, too many faces and names to remember at once without much of an introduction until later in the series.
As I said, it's very dramatized and oddly paced but I did find it enjoyable to watch.
I must also applaud the show for it's female characters. It's not easy writing compelling female roles when your show is set in 13th century Asia, a century and locale known for misogyny, Serving girls and silent concubines give way for warrior women, assassins, conspirators and women of the Court, who wield power and consequence as much as any male character. Chin Han as Jai Sidao is fantastic, a brilliant, savvy and scheming antagonist amplified by his unsettling nature and odd hobbies.
The fight scenes I deemed as entirely unnecessary and cringed somewhat every time a fight broke out. While entertaining, well choreographed and visually pleasing, it detracting from the plot and added a sense of confusion and unpredictability to the show. I was convinced that someone would try a lighting quick grab for someone else's eyeball since everyone is so amazingly trained in martial arts, even the once peasant Chancellor Sidao, an interesting addition I must say. I found the Court politics to be only partially engaging, too many faces and names to remember at once without much of an introduction until later in the series.
As I said, it's very dramatized and oddly paced but I did find it enjoyable to watch.