Ep 1 to 20 was just so good. You watch effortlessly seeing the sparks fly between Jia Yang and Qiao Fei. The ingenuous ways he come up to make her life miserable and try to make her quit as trainee in the field of French interpreter. They clash and butt heads but Fei was resilent and refuse to give up her dream.
Then all that mess from the brother being the old flame and has a obessive nature when it comes to Fei. To the second female lead who was a tad pathethic in her love for Jia Ming but then retracted to wanting to be with Jia Yang.. mess and more mess
Then comes the mother who does extreme things like ruining her own son just to break up Jia Yang and Fei. Who does that? And to such extreme. It felt like this drama plot purposefully over inflate itself to generate angst, to fill in episodes? To drag it to pass 40episodes?
I felt like a masochist sticking with this drama to the end. Ep 28 to 36 was so hard to watch. Like 45mins of episode and only 10minutes or less worth watching.
I tell myself i need to see off Jia Yang and Fei's ending so i stuck with it til the ending . but oh boy instead of being awarded with my patience (which really is painful and teeth grinding). The last episode (heads up) isnt satisfying. It was rushed, cramped and jumbled. Didnt flow well and they try to make it dramatic but not believable. Its hard to believe the ending episode is rushed when the last 15or so episodes were so draggy. I still believ the first half that was good was written by another team of writers. If there are the same people then someone must have zap out commonsense from their heads. Like they run out of ideas what to do with the second half of the drama.
If you are wandering to watch or not. I recommend no for several reasons.
The last 1/3 compeltely deviates from the original story of being interpreters
The cliche part of being sick and the high noble road of sparing your loved ones from grief was not written well. Yes alot of dramas commit the same mistake but the way Fei did it just felt wrong. I felt it create needless grief for Jia Yang. Personally i think its selfish when you run away from your loved ones without sharing the truth and deliberately lets him misunderstand you. Her love didnt respect Jia Yang and made that decision for both of them without his knowledge.
Jia Yang's character actually went backwards in terms of growth. Yes it was nice to see him being less demonic and so loving to Fei. But then he became unprofessional when it comes to his work and career. And it was also annoying that he kept saying their love can survive it but i didnt see real actions to solve the problems. Your girlfriend keeps saying there's a big gap between them and that he didnt understand her difficulties.but he carries on as is and with regards to xiao hua and her dad. Although yes his words that their love can withstand it all, there was no action ... It was like him allowing the realtionship to fail eventually.
Jia ming, xiao hua and the guy he married. All characters i dont care for.
Qiao Fei bestfriend was ok but her love line was also not properly developed. Theres too much childish behaviour and they left it too late to the end to show changes.
If you do want to give this a try because the truth is Huang Xuan was really good and engaging as Jia Yang and sparks do fly when he sparrs with Yang Mi's Qiao Fei. Then i recommend you watch the front half of the drama up until he confess and they start dating. The second half will only make you scratch and then bang your head in frustation. So please dont suffer as i did..
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This review may contain spoilers
I was really hoping to have a nice review to write for this title, but alas, it's just not going to happen...Story (6.5/10):
Once the reviews start coming in I'm sure one thing that they'll mostly have in common is how well this drama started. It may not have necessarily been reinventing the drama wheel, but it did stand out. The latter half of the show was when everything went downhill...which is punny and makes me giggle thinking of a particularly awfully choreographed fight scene during the last 10 minutes of the show #spoilernotspoilerIregretNothing!
I thought it was interesting that both of our mains were interpreters which isn't something I've seen in a series before. They also went on location which was refreshing. I also liked this dramas take on the "other guy" (second male lead). In most dramas he seems almost perfect in comparison to the male lead, everything the male lead isn't in the most positive way. The other guy in this story was far from perfect and kind of a d-bag, but I feel it's mainly due to how annoying the "other chick" (second female lead) was. I think it was definitely interesting seeing how the main leads lives were entwined all of their chance encounters. It really felt so sophisticated and well written in the beginning, but then all of the ad naseum of standard dramas began and that made me sad. It makes me wonder if there was a writer change. Things just stopped making sense character wise, especially for such intelligent people.
I also was very dissatisfied with the ending for many reasons though I can unfortunately not share without spoilers. I think some people will disagree with me, but it felt rushed and disingenuous to be honest.
Acting/Cast (6.5/10):
The acting was pretty hit or miss for me. Huang Xuan and Cheng Jia Yang was the best actor by far and probably the only actor who I felt didn't have one bad moment of acting. I haven't seen him in anything else, but I'm certainly looking forward to those dramas now.
Yang Mi as Qiao Fei... This one is a toughy, I don't think she's bad, but I think my dislike was more so for her character which made me a bit biased. It's a bit disappointing since I first saw her in the historical drama "Palace", though I guess that's considered more of a contemporary historical as her characters travels back in time, so it's a great sort of fish out of water story. At any rate, I enjoyed her acting in that, just not so much in this.
Li Xi Rui as Wu Jia Yi - My favorite female character from beginning to end. I loved her expressions and I think her sassy attitude endeared her to me. I'd really love to see Xi Rui in another drama and hopefully as the female lead, so I'll have to check out her details page. Anyhow, she was perfect opposite Zhang Leon! Speaking of which...
Zhang Leon as Wong Xu Dong - He is so friggin' adorable! His character and of course that boyish grin of his, make me fall in love why don't you?! This is my first time see Zhang Leon in a drama, and while I don't think his character allowed for too much in the way of deep acting, I still felt like he added a nice light touch especially for the latter half of the show. I found myself skipping scenes, but not his.
The rest of the cast was just ok for me and I feel like they could've really been filled by just about any decent actor. Not that any I didn't list were terrible by any means, but just didn't stand out to me. Though I may be booed for saying this, but the actor that plays He Zhe totally looks like Asian Butthead, I just can't unsee it...
Music (7.0/10):
I really like the "Mon Cheri" opening song and the soundtrack was really nice and fitting for the show. I think it was probably the nicest and most consistent part of this drama to be honest.
Rewatch Value (1.0/10):
This is not a terrible drama and I don't regret watching it, but I skipped through it too much and there really wasn't anything about it I'd care to see again. Maybe some of the cute scenes between Jia Yi and Xu Dong, but honestly not much else. I would definitely tell others to give it a watch, I just don't think I could sit through it again.
Overall (6.0/10):
Even though I feel this drama started out really strong, it just fell apart halfway through and lost me. While it started off really good, it just wasn't good enough for me to feel it was much more than an average drama which again isn't bad, but I just don't think overall it was great. While it doesn't ruin the entire series, there was some seriously bad acting at times and some things that I felt they were trying to convey seriously and I either rolled my eyes or laughed out loud. It's a real shame that the ending especially felt so rushed and anti-climatic considering how well it started out the gate.
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The first half of the drama is interesting and university students/recent graduates/young female professionals might agree that is fairly accurate and relatable. The hard work, the expectations, the dreams, the senior nasty supervisor/colleague that seems to exist with the sole purpose of making life a living hell professionally. The second half is a pastiche of attitudes, nastiness and backstabbing, which while indispensable in some dramas, in the Interpreters was unnecessary.
Cheng Jia Yang is a successful Chinese/French interpreter with high work standards, a strong code of conduct and sense of decorum. Outwardly he appears inflexible and strict, a man not to be trifled with but inside is warm and caring. He falls madly in love with Qiao Fei becoming her knight in shining armour with a black car in place of the white horse.Qiao Fei is an honest, hardworking, independent cinderella esque woman that wants to become a Chinese/French interpreter. She falls in love with Cheng Jia Yang. Both Huang Xuan and Yang Mi perform their roles beautifully. They have great chemistry on screen and bring so much energy and so much life to the characters, to the point where one nearly forgets that the Interpreters is a drama and not a slice of real life minus the hyperbolic idiosyncrasies.
The supporting characters are an attention-grabbing mix. The ‘the golden couple’ shippers, their best friends: Wong Xu Dong and Wu Jia Yi against the destroyers, Cheng Jia Yang’s evil mother, Qiao Fei ‘s jealous former colleague and Wen Xiao Hua meet neutral Gao Jia Ming, Cheng Jia Yang’s brother, father and co-workers. The shippers are two fun, young and joyful characters overall with Wong Xu Dong being mature and responsible and Wu Jia Yi being literally the opposite. Together the contrasting personalities are cute on screen. The destroyers always have a bone to pick with; the evil mother with Qiao Fei, the former colleague with Cheng Jia Yang’s. Their characters are so utterly demented they ought to be institutionalized in the countryside or in a fishing village to develop their humanity. Gao Jia Ming starts the story as a lunatic man/doctor but evolves into a brilliant caring surgeon. Like his mother, he’s one of the Interpreters biggest catalysts.
Song wise, Mon Chéri, The Interpreters’ main ballad exquisitely reflects largely storyline catharsis in all its different edges.
Overall the Interpreters is a fantastic story, that despite being told beautifully in the first half and train wrecked in the second remained addictive to watch every day and highlighted great performances from Huang Xuan and Gao Vengo, without whom Cheng Jia Yang and Gao Jia Ming’s characters might have been just another script writer’s creation instead of men with interesting lives to watch developing on screen across 42 episodes. Should the Interpreters have had a lesser number of episodes and refrained from the common, clichéd shenanigans the drama would have been top notched with an overall rating of 10 out of 10.
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Like most people, I definitely have to agree - the first half of the drama, as they're exploring their relationship and slowly becoming friends after a very hard start was captivating to watch. As obnoxious as Chen Jia Yang's character was at the beginning (such a prick), he definitely grows on you when he realizes that Qiao Fei is a very capable translator and very dedicated to her job. Things flowed well as QF works her way through the ranks, dealing with the pressure from CJY and the other interns at IAI. Come the second half of the drama and it just seems that all of the stereotypical drama tropes overwhelm the whole series and really make things take a sour note. Disapproving parents, illnesses, misunderstandings, etc. It's all common storylines, but the combination of all of these, combined with just ridiculous actions by the characters just ruins the show. By the end of the drama, I was somewhat left confused by the main characters' actions and decisions and seriously wonder who thought that the way the story progressed was a logical and natural progression.
ACTING:
Yang Mi and Huang Xuan do great jobs (with what they are given).
Qiao Fei (YM) is vibrant and strong headed. A very hardworking intern who struggles in life, but does not let her struggles wear her down in public. She cares deeply for the people in her life and she is not afraid to stand up for herself.
Huang Xuan does a pretty solid job, though I've definitely decided I don't like his character Chen Jia Yang. In the beginning, he is overly prideful and arrogant, assuming the worst of QF and really just an overall ass. By the end of the drama, he's ridiculously lovestruck and loses his backbone when it comes to anything involving QF. It's one thing to be in love with someone, but he lets his love completely consume his entire life.
Gao Jia Ming (Vengo Gao) - yet another character who honestly just irked me the whole time. After TMOPB, I was really excited to see Vengo in a completely different drama, and honestly, he was super annoying. Yes, he had struggles in his life which led to his personality being very curt and rude, but his complete lack of emotion for just about anyone in most situations was just unbelievable. And after, he literally spends every moment for the last half of the drama just trying to break up CJY and QF, and just butting in where he really didn't belong anymore.
REWATCH VALUE:
Definitely not anywhere on my rewatch list. Again, the first part of the drama was really interesting and fun to watch, but the second half of the drama just makes everything go downhill and makes it feel like a waste of time.
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This review may contain spoilers
Honestly it is a good drama with a beautiful story, and as you may know or guess, yeah,, the story would deserve even 9,5 if it doesnt went downhill on the second half.If they cut off 10 episodes something, i believe this drama would make a better rating. It stands out on first half because how they play such a "translator" job mixed with romance nicely, not to mention JiaYang and QiaoFei have a great chemistry. I missed the bickering they had on the second half the most.
I will still rewatch, minus the evil and draggy part, this story is worth to rewatch. I gave such a high rate because it simply just a good drama "minus the evil part", it can be better though. I love how strong they love for each other is and that alone make it such a great thing to watch.
Spoiler? well, it is a hint of happy ending, so yea, this review might or might not be helpful at all because i just feel like it is a shame if you miss this good (minus the evil) drama!
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Is it worth it ?
I love all of Yang Mi's drama. I like her acting and the ML here is not disappointing either. However, just as the rest of the previous reviews, I think the book may have been a better read. The production has failed in getting a beautiful story out from the book. The only saving grace is the acting and the romance between FL and ML (very convincing).They could have provided a better platform in transitioning FL's character after she found out about her illness, it seemed that one day the FL woke up and decided to change personality. Followed by the ML being very irrational overnight and their indecisiveness on Xiao Hua's character (bad or good). Not convincing at all.
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The Awareness of Domestic Violence.
Again, Yang Mi is one of my favorite actresses. This story when it begins is slow but really gets moving after the 5th episode. I don't have anything bad to say about Yang Mi because she does her thing. The only thing that I didn't comprehend in this project is the low points. I didn't like how the writer kept Qiao Fei always doubting herself and not having enough confidence. Yang Mi always plays a very strong woman in her projects but not being depressed in almost half of the episodes so I knocked 1 point off the storyline. I'm glad they reunited in the last episode. I love Huang Xuan in this storyline. Huang Xuan really looks different in this drama versus The Legend of Mi Yue or The Imperial Doctress. The visual effects were okay, I won't complain. I'm wondering if there will be a Season 2. I don't understand why Vengo Gao is listed in a Supporting role on MDL when he was in almost all of the episodes, what a great actor he is.One thing I applaud the writers for is the Awareness of "Domestic Violence". I fight against DV every single day in Colorado USA. Yang Mi's character stated not in the exact words. What is more important your business or the safety of a Human Life? My Quote: Being Silent can get someone killed or injured for life! Thank you so much!
Thanking all teams for this Interpreter project.
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A gem till 20th episode
Here's a great exemple of how ruin a great drama. It begins to go downhill already, around 15-16th, but after 20th episode, seems that someone else has taken the writers' place.I rewatched a couple of times and I always love the first half of the drama. Their chemistry and acting is so natural, really few dramas have achieved that. Also, their relationship grows so smoothless and they are so funny to watch.
The main problem of this drama, apart from having the most annoying second leads (both male and female), who really don't know what the word NO means, is the complete change of FL's attitude. The drama become just a misunderstanding after another and kind of depressing. There are really few more great laughs in the second half of the drama.
Nonetheless, I think you should give it a try, because the first half is really worth it. Maybe you can stop around 20th episode, thinking of that as a proper ending.
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The lead couple Id like to see them in a better edited show. they worked so hard here.The plot addressed a topic-career that I never really thought of. So that interested me. the behind the scenes issues that international interpreters deal with. so off hand it started off well. the degenerated into this unfocused story.
.....I felt that the editing was bad really bad for this drama. I love to watch a great drama and I like this actress so I track her shows. But long sigh smh even her fabulous acting couldn't save this one.
The lead couple Id like to see them in a better edited show. they worked so hard here.The plot addressed a topic-career that I never really thought of. So that interested me. the behind the scenes issues that international interpreters deal with. so off hand it started off well. the degenerated into this unfocused story.
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My main complain about Les Interprètes is about some character´s exposition, personality, development or character unity. For example Cheng Jia Yang is firstly shown as this arrogant jerk, then he changes to a better person and then he changes into this annoyingly noisy male lead who only thinks about his girlfriend. Qiao Fei at fisrt is very independent ad strong and then she is like Cheng Jia Yang, she only thinks about him, what about her mother or her best friend? But they are not as annoying as Gao Jia Ming and Wen Xiao Hua...
Other things: music and locations a really good.
This is not a drama I would like to see in a near future but you can try it, at least the first part and then skip to the end, I would rate the first part like 8 or 9 out 10.
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Not even Yang Mi and Huang Xuan can make me finish this drama.
I am a huge Yang Mi fan and I do really like Huang Xuan as well. Add into this that I am a language enthusiast and would really like to take a look at the life and love of interpreters.It started off well BUT goodness! The cancer trope was so cringey, Gao Weiguang was too cringey, the girl bestie was overdramatic. I cannot make it to the ending. I was only THREE EPISODES TOWARDS THE ENDING and then I decided NO! I can't watch this crap anymore.
It really started well. If you are to ignore the fact that Yang Mi and Huang Xuan didn't really learn French and the dubbing is really nowhere near to what's said. (Which is very SAD because that's the core of the show, they should've spared that much effort, right?)
And the OTP or leads are really shippable and likeable. I love them two! As individuals, as actors, as characters. BUT! the writing just have to be so messed up especially towards the end.
And Gao Weiguang's acting is just SO. I don't know, maybe he can just do roles like Donghua Dijun?
Anyway. it was the best drama of 2016? I mean, yeah it started really well but. Heavens! I really wasn't able to hit the ending.
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