Operation: Special Warfare (2022)

Operation: Blue Lightning

Operation: Special Warfare is a co-production between CCTV, Penguin Films, Bona Films, Xiaoyao Films and Ram Films. This big budget production that involves extensive use of modern Chinese military hardware and facilities was filmed in Northwest China, including a segment at Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang.

Directed by Liu Ting and based on the original screenplay written by Duan Lian Min, himself a former member of the Chinese military, having served as a platoon commander. He has written many military-themed novels and screenplays as well as directed dramas and films of similar genre for which he has won numerous accolades. He is currently attached to the Political Department of the Chinese Navy serving as a director and screenwriter for military productions.

The drama follows the journey of young recruits of the newly-formed anti-terrorism special forces of the People’s Liberation Army, called the Blue Lightning. Central to the narrative is the growth of both the individuals and the collective as the new recruits come of age during their experiences of military training and real life combat situations.

As with any military-themed C-dramas, expect a fair amount of jingoistic propaganda and patriotic flag-waving which is par for the course when the production requires extensive support from the military and CCP during the filming process and to get the greenlight for distribution release. In addition to action and adventure, the drama features youth themes, slice-of-life elements and subtle hints of romance. There is some violence and gore but nothing too terrifying for viewers.

What I Enjoyed

Usually modern C-dramas tend to be lengthy with too much fillers. The military-themed ones are a hit or miss, case in point My Dear Guardian which turned out to be a little bit too fluffy for my liking. This one, however, manages to avoid all those pitfalls. It’s only 35 episodes in length instead of the usual 40+ episodes, doesn’t contain nearly as much fillers as most others though they are still present, and on the whole is more intensely dramatic rather than fluffy or comedic in its storytelling approach. Throughout the course of the drama, I did not really feel bored at any point in time because the drama surprisingly incorporates quite a number of interesting sub-plots and side stories to the main narrative at a very engaging pace, with a nice balance of action, drama, introspective and emotive moments.

This production showcases a number of modern military hardware in greater detail than I have ever encountered. How accurate or up to date they are, I have no idea, but I feel pretty convinced. For the most part, based on my little research, the depiction is consistent with the standard equipment used, such as the QBZ-95 (or Type 95) automatic assault rifles favoured by the PLA as well as their commando sub-units. Additionally viewers will get to observe countless UAVs and armoured ground vehicles on display in the drama, which I find quite fascinating.

In terms of the technical aspects, the action planning and choreography, as well as the special effects are worthy of mention. This drama showcases many action sequences involving firefights, explosions, as well as both armed and unarmed combat. These scenes are not confined to a single location but take place across multiple venues. One memorable segment features a suspenseful game of cat and mouse across the Taklamakan desert in the dead of night between the Blue Lightning unit and armed terrorists. I’ve also enjoyed the somewhat refreshing depiction of the military training comprising the so-called Devil’s Week competition, sniper competition and squad leader selection tests. That said, certain aspects of the training concerning “physical torture” do appear incredulous. I’m unaware of the authenticity but in a land that invented Shaolin martial arts, I guess anything is possible.

One of the major reasons for watching this drama is of course the cast, which is headlined by Vengo Gao who plays the Captain of the Blue Lightning, Qin Guan. If the drama is about the military, whether in a contemporary or historical context, you can count on this man to deliver an utterly convincing portrayal of the characterization. He not only looks and sounds the part, but his entire being exudes military commander vibes as well. There is absolutely no question whatsoever that without him, this drama would be lacking in so many ways. From the cold, stoic persona to the physical prowess in executing his stunts, Vengo totally slays his role.

Hu Bing Qing plays the FL Ning Meng, one of the young recruits of the new anti-terrorism team. My first time seeing her in entirety instead of previous guest appearances, I think she’s very talented and showcases strong performances particularly during her emotional scenes. I also quite like her nuanced take that helps inject a sense of vulnerability to humanise the role of a female soldier.

The drama’s soundtrack features 5 songs, with the patriotic opening theme being the most upbeat and energetic of them all. My personal favourite is the ending theme performed by Hu Bing Qing herself, the love ballad You and Me. Full listing as follows:

Flaming Lady 烈焰巾帼 - 金志文 Jin Zhiwen
Xiang Yang 向阳 - 黄霄雲 Huang Xiaoyun
You and Me 你和我 - 胡冰卿 Hu Bingqing
My Comrade 我的战友 - 钟强 Zhong Qiang
Fearless 无畏 - 王晰 Wang Xi

What Fell Short

I think the most glaring aspect would be the villains. We are never going to get a C-drama that depicts profoundly layered or morally grey terrorists, because the Chinese military and censors would never sanction it. As far as the powers that be are concerned, stories of this nature are straightforward - good guys versus bad guys are simply portrayed as black or white. Hence in this drama, in relation to the overarching plot concerning the terrorist organisation, S Group, the antagonists are merely written to be the stereotypical one-dimensional cardboard caricatures - bad-tempered, cold-blooded, power hungry and striving for world domination. The terrorist leader is even shown at one point chomping on cigars by the poolside surrounded by bikini-clad femme fatales where the only thing missing is a huge furry cat.

Final Thoughts

I would categorise Operation: Special Warfare as one of the more fascinating and well-produced mature military-themed dramas that I have seen recently. It’s the kind of show where viewers can enjoy with a relaxed mind and without the need to exercise too much brain cells. A final note though - do be forewarned, the subtitles available on WeTV are auto-translated (at the time of writing) and may not be of the usual high quality.

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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Was only interested in this drama for Vengo Gao, first time seeing him in an officer role and he didn't disappoint. This drama was modern military meets SWAT type of outfit and it definitely brought interesting things to the table.

Pros: Loved the team dynamic! Once they really learned how to trust each other, they were indispensable to each other. Yes, NM was not only the leader but the literal glue of the entire squad. I liked how she started at the bottom with maybe 2 friends and the captain wanting to boot her out for her own safety (really wanted to smack him for the amount of times he tried that), and each of the women who were against her, she wore them down with her intellect, honesty, and kindness. The men were a lot easier to deal with; once she beat most of them, they loved her lol.

The captain (VG) himself did very well as the gruff around the edges commander but one who was willing to protect his soldiers especially NM with his own life. Though what started originally as just him making a promise to her fallen brother and mom, ended up as legit feelings that grew between the two of them. This wasn't a military romance, but it was dispersed subtly which was just fine. The ending scenes in the hospital were too funny for words as literally everyone knew by then that the leads cared deeply for each other, so were willing to bust their chops a bit.

All the supporting cast of Blue Lightening Commandos were wonderful and when watching the BTS, they were really all about helping each other succeed even getting hurt in real life doing the stuff they had to do; not to mention acting like total goofballs, which always makes for fun scenes. There wasn't a character that I felt didn't belong from the team or the instructors or even the lead commanders as annoying as their speeches were sometimes. The OSTs were great and powerful for the series and fit just right. I hope this cast gets to work together again on something different, they had terrific chemistry.

Cons: The largest problem were the antagonists, if you can call them that. These buffoons couldn't make a plan stick if it was glued to them. The desert scene, the million other botched attempts. I really got the feeling that the writer had no real idea how to write bad people well especially terrorists. It honestly wouldn't have mattered if they made them invisible and just created a series out of high functioning drills. And what made it even more ridiculous was that the boss lady was the biggest badass; she had nearly immortal strength to take on both leads in high heels (and Vengo Gao is 6'3) and still manage to get the upper hand multiple times, flinging them around the room and shooting and stabbing them. I was legit laughing throughout that whole play by play because of just how unrealistic it was. You got two of the top notch people who's heads you broke bricks over, no problem, but a woman with high heels used them as rag dolls.

The propaganda was through the roof in this one and there were times that it just didn't make sense in many scenes; like when someone was on the verge of dying to get to their core strength, think about the flag and country. Or even for the original handling of NM's PTSD, if she thought about the flag and country, she'll be miraculously cured. Nope, not how it works. The zillion lectures by the commanders that always painted their country as the best in the world, made you roll your eyes. There's a time and place for everything and when you overdo it in scenes that require finesse instead, it takes away from the gravitas of the scene.

Pretty much everyone has mentioned the whole brick breaking over the head thing. And maybe it is done but not suddenly and probably not a dozen in one go. No human skull can withstand that kind of punishment without detrimental consequences and long term ones. The whole trying to portray these human beings as robotic super soldiers, didn't favor the series. Was very unrealistic and unbelievable. Also wish they started bringing in people who could speak English better as foreigners because they get over-dubbed anyway and many times how their lips moved didn't match what was being said. A bunch of loopholes were left untouched and unexplained, I'm guessing the audience was just supposed to forget them.

Would I recommend? If you like great teamwork, real friendships, are a fan of Vengo Gao (he's great in this series), and are into military/SWAT dramas, then this one is for you. Just be aware that the antagonists suck and the WETV app subs are auto-generated so some concentration to understand what's being said is required.

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Come for the Camaraderie and Stay for the Actions and Missions.

Completed - 2/19/2022

I am quite surprised that I enjoy this drama more than I expected. I am usually not a big military drama/movie watcher, but I think what excites me the most is the almost never-ending excitement of training/action/mission of the Blue Lightning. This is my first modern drama of Vengo Gao, after seeing him in "10 Miles Peach Blossom", "Legend of Fu Yao" and "Sword Snow Stride". I have to say I like his character and visuals the best in "Operation: Special Warfare".

What I Enjoy:
1. The Leads - Not just the visual of Vengo Gao is amazing (and he looks so hot!), but his character, Qin Guan, as the team captain of Blue Lightning. He was tough as he should be when training his soldiers, but when he's not in training mode, he's just like a normal guy and can joke around. Oftentimes, this character would the cold-on-the-outside and slowly get melted by the female lead. But not here and it's refreshing to see. On the other hand, our female lead, Ning Meng, is also tough as nails. She is super smart, strong mentally, stubborn and confident. She's also not the stereotypical weak girl to start and then get stronger, nor was she super tomboyish just because she is the female lead in a military drama. I really appreciate non-cliché leads.

2. Camaraderie - The tight bond between the Blue Lightning soldiers is without a doubt a big selling point of this drama. It's not surprising because most of us came into this show knowing that this is an integral part of the drama. But that doesn't dampen my excitement one bit . Each of them has their unique talents and contribute to the success of the team. I think the drama did a great job in showcasing the strengths and weaknesses of each soldier through all their trainings and missions. Well, there are a couple soldiers that bugged me a little, but I still very much enjoy watching them "suffer" together.

3. Pacing - For a 35-episode drama, the pacing of the show is great. I very much enjoy the first 20 episodes. Time goes by fast when I was watching the new recruits being "tortured" by their captain, banding together through Devil's Week and solidifying their bond after near-death experiences. The drama slows down a little in the mid-20 episodes to deal with issues not related to missions, maybe to give the audience a breather. Action picked back up at the end when we know the final showdown with the villains is coming.

4. Romance - I know this is not a romance drama. There are no kisses or PDA since it's a military drama. However, this is romance done right when romance is not the center of the plot. I've watched a couple recent dramas which have slight romances ("Happiness" and "Reset") and I felt that those two dramas did not give us enough scenes to justify or lead up to the slight romance. If you are giving me dissatisfying romance, might as well scrap the whole thing (rant over and please don't hate me!) However, in this drama, there are enough scenes to tell us that Qin Guan and Ning Meng care for and like each other, even without holding hands or kisses. Through their bickering, glances, flirting/not flirting and caring through actions, viewers know they like each other very much. Same goes to the romance between Lin Yi and Xu Dong Dong. Their romance seems more innocent. Amidst all the training and mission, they are there for each other for support. All they do are talking, sharing food and looking out for each other. And that's enough for me. Oh.. of course, The Star! ⭐

5. Training/Missions - I do not know if all the actors and actresses did all training scenes themselves. However, aside from still running like women and not soldiers, I applaud all actors/actresses for acting like soldiers. From marching to saluting, they convinced me. They are in uniform almost 80% of the drama and are either sweating like a dog or filled with dirt all over their faces and bodies. Props to the ladies for puking their hearts out all the time! (LOL). I am sure I will puke if I have to go through 0.1% of their trainings. I do feel that the women seem to have more intensive trainings than the men. Is it also unfair to the men? Mm...

What I don't Enjoy:
1. Villains - This S Corporation has to be one of the weakest villains I've seen in a drama. For almost 30 episodes, their little schemes did not pose any threat. They are either taken care of by the Blue Lightning, or offscreen by other government entities. Even the big blow out at the end is quite weak. I think this is the weakest part of the show. I also really dislike the abrupt cut scene or transition to the villains to give us a quick update, so we didn't forget about them. It disrupts the flow of the drama.

2. Minor annoying characters - For the most part, I like all members of the Blue Lightning. I do think Li Si Si whines too much and is too weak emotionally to be part of the team. I understand if she's weak in the beginning, but even in the middle of the drama, she's still the weakest link. Honestly I don't think she has the personality to be part of such an elite team. On the other hand, Xu Dong Dong also annoys me a little. She is made out to the 'villain' of the girl group initially, so I somewhat expected to dislike her. She also makes dumb decisions. Is it cliché to have someone like her that is strong physically, but not very smart?

3. Other minor critiques -
- The flowing Chinese flag looks like bad CGI, and some aerial shots.
- Anyone can listen in on a conversation inside a room if you stand by the door.
- One soldier gets reprimanded for using a cell phone but the other openly uses one.
- Even in the military, there's gossip everywhere with no secrets - I thought the investigation on FL is supposed to be a secret, but everyone knows.
- A certain soldier was very close to the grenade explosion as well, but did not die.

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Harder than iron and stronger than steel- Operation Blue Lightning team!

This is my first drama in military genre and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my journey with this drama, so much that I am going to miss the Operation Blue Lightning team.

What/whom I liked:

Vengo Gao as Captain: Another actor added to never ending list of favourite actors. Of course he is 39 years old. So what!? The charm he has and his performance is amazing. He portrayed the role perfectly. He is strict but not cold. He is commanding type but understanding. I hated him when he gave intense training to the team, but as soon as he explained why it is needed, i just can't help but like him more.

He is very older to our female lead and is her superior so he needs to conceal his emotions and his love for her.
I just love the subtle change in his expressions when Ning Meng suggests the correct plan of action.
As much as he is serious during training, he is a jovial man at normal times and I love the way he argues with his superiors to support his team.

Hu Bing Qing as Ning Meng: She is my ideal type of main female lead. Absolutely loved her. She is sweet, warm, caring,smart, cute, smart and all.

Chemistry: Yesss. I could feel the chemistry right from beginning. Though he refuses her strongly about staying in the team, he cares for her secretly . I could feel butterflies in my tummy just when he talked to her in a caring manner.

Team spirit:It really took a very long time to develop the team spirit. But, once they are friends, they were ready to sacrifice even life for others.

Story/ Script writing: I must appreciate the screen writer for writing the script in a very intelligent way. The training they received was very immediately shown in action in the next mission . The story was very very well executed.

Visuals: The terrain where the team underwent training looked magnificent. I have preserved all the screenshots.

Technology: OMG!! I know that the technology is very advanced now, but looking at all the gadgets these people used, I am terrified. It is being misused by bad people.

OST: I felt that some times the OST was very good. So good that it can evoke patriotism in viewers of any nation.

Feeling of victory: I was so much involved in the story that I got goosebumps in the critical moments and felt very happy when they accomplished the given task.

Last episode: OMG!! So much blood shed and violence, but I loved it. I can't forget the sweet talks and looks they exchanged

What I didn't like:
1. I agree that the shadow left in Ning Meng's heart is really heart wrenching, but I felt that they dragged this issue for a long time.
2. In the initial episodes, many of the characters were annoying who didn't even give minimum respect to their comrade.

Re-watch: Definitely!! I have made a notes of all the sweet scenes and I am going to watch them again and again.

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Blue Lightning?

I really love military dramas and this is one of the best. I admire the acting of Blue Lightning members. Even though they have different personalities and views. The captain manage to do many strategies to be comrade-in-arms. I really love their determination and on how they cheer up each other to be better and strong armies. It really touch me, there are many scenes that I really cried. You won't feel bored when you watch it. I hope there will be Season 2 for the love story of Ning Meng and Gin Quan😉

Salute to all casts, writers and director👮
Very recommended Chinese Drama

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One of the best dramas that exceeds its expectations with well deserved popularity/ratings!

*️⃣ Ranked at the top for 4 days in a row, stayed on the list of popular high ranking dramas for 47 days and 56 days across all networks, received the top 1 spot as the best military drama on Tencent, and was the most viewed drama on the CCTV-8 channel ranking #1 for 15 consecutive days (basically throughout its entire broadcasting period) and for another 10 consecutive days upon rebroadcast on CCTV-1!!! *️⃣

➡️ Check out the photos section for the data statistics
➡️ This link contains more data information on the ratings from various sources: https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/465493242

First off, this was a very well executed drama from the beginning to the end with a refreshing theme to watch. Each episode was filled with the right amount of emotions and momentum to keep you engaged/watching without ever feeling bored and it is not one of those very cliched storylines where the leads are just with the looks. Usually military genres do not spark much of an interest but I have to say that this was an exception - even the short trailers alone were enough to be intriguing. There have been so many dramas that are popular these days just because the leads are (for which the story itself is not exceptionally outstanding) and I can’t stress this enough because most people tend to choose what dramas to watch based on their biases rather than the actual plot, BUT it should not just be that way! This undermines other good dramas with good actors that also deserve recognition but fall short in popularity which is unfair. I noticed however that of those popular dramas, the overarching image for a handful of them appears to be that certain actors/actresses are typecasted where they play similar roles over various dramas following the same romcom storyline in different variations, and that essentially impedes acting improvement and establishes a digression of interest in a drama overtime as it lacks something new/fresh.

A truly successful drama is one that incorporates good acting along with a good storyline (with popularity being a minor boost) and a good actor/actress are those who are versatile and can deliver definitive emotions within their characters. This drama touched on all those points and although our leads, Gao Wei Guang and Hu Bing Qing are not among the more popular actors, their acting skills are noteworthy in this drama with their roles serving as a breakthrough image. They have displayed their diversified acting skills throughout their different drama roles and this is probably the best one. Gao Wei Guang as Qin Guan really exhibited the characteristics of what a captain should be. He is strict as needed but caring and funny on the inside which we see throughout his interactions with everyone on the team. It is as if the role was designed for him since you can hardly picture any other actor who could take on that role in the same way. On the other hand, Hu Bing Qing as Ning Meng also did really well in exemplifying the characteristics of a strong, smart, cheerful, and lovable female soldier who was unknowingly facing PTSD at the same time. She would always help others whether they were close or not because they were a team and proves herself worthy from time to time. I have to say that Hu Bing Qing is able to convey emotions in her character really well. In the beginning, her PTSD was made evident with various hints but it was pushed aside and was never actually addressed until she was hit with it in a similar scenario during a mission. You can see and feel her pain and desperation throughout those episodes that were solely focusing on her mental state 😢.

Analysis of the PTSD scenario
The sudden explosion was the main trigger to NM’s memories of the bus incident, leading her to recall visions of her brother. As she tried to come back to her senses to kill the lady that was trying to escape, she couldn’t control her emotions and her brother’s vision came back which was why it became in place of the terrorist, causing her to be caught up in an emotional whelm and unable to shoot, thus almost costing her and the captain’s life. That moment led her to start associating a terrorist with her brother. Therefore, every time she faces a terrorist (both disguised and real), she has those hallucinations and is afraid to shoot.

The PTSD issue had to be addressed at some point in the drama and they decided to make NM face it directly. Even though forcing her to face it head on was not the proper thing to do, it can be understood why the captain kept pushing her during the stimulated training setup as he was in desperation to help her overcome that barrier. The way they resolved her PTSD does not fully serve as a breakthrough from it entirely but the general idea was that she is able to get past it during a critical moment and it was brave enough for them to expand on this topic. This goes to show that no matter how capable you are, mental health always comes first, otherwise you end up losing to yourself. Her psychological problems should have been addressed early on for the best outcome but they wanted to focus on her persistence in becoming a part of the blue lightning team for her character development, or else it would have interfered with her eligibility.

Central Ideas/Themes
I liked how they placed the emphasis mainly centered on females because it is a unique sight given that it’s a military genre where in many cases would occasionally be male centered (as seen in a prior military drama: Ace Troops as well as in the upcoming Glory of Special Forces). Those plots normally focus on the male's growth as a soldier and although there are some female characters, their roles do not contribute much/directly on the battlefield but this was the first to challenge that with female soldiers. We got to see both male and female soldiers together on the front line and grow together in the process. This is primarily why the drama stood out and makes the better plot. It was introduced right from the start about the needs for recruiting female soldiers into an elite team and even though the reason they gave for the recruitment was not the best, the point was made clear that female soldiers are just as important as male soldiers and it breaks the stereotypical view that women are weak and establishes equality. Through their persistence together we see them grow stronger both physically and mentally overtime. There were many instances that effectively showed how females were just as capable as the males or even smarter. During the male/female barehand battle training, the females were able to win through using tactical skills despite the fact that they were not as strong as the males in terms of strength and the same results during the devil’s week team battle when the special forces team thought they could easily defeat the female soldiers. The main terrorists throughout the drama were also females (the one that got away in the very beginning and the main boss behind everything) and it all essentially shows that thinking wisely is the key to winning and strength is not all.

Training/Action
There were many training scenes particularly in the first half and that is because the main purpose of the drama was to give more insight about the life of soldiers and honor them for their hard work. For the most part, soldiers just train regularly to improve their strength/skills to fight in war and the drama does a very good job with its realistic portrayal by providing various rigorous training scenes throughout. Although training took up most of the episodes, it was interesting to watch with the different tasks they had to go through (devils week) that tested different aspects of their abilities.

Each of the major terrorist battles involved different situations and techniques carried out under different settings for their mission which was very interesting to see. The desert scenario in particular was the most impressive where the team had to take into consideration the dry/dangerous climate conditions and also move through the dark to stop the terrorist team in action.

All the actors/actresses received some training under real soldiers prior to adapting their roles in regards to learning about the proper etiquettes of a soldier and all the action scenes (fighting, training courses, explosions) were done on the scene by themselves without the use of any substitutes - you can see the hard work they all put in during the behind the scene footages where they were injured a few times and were pulling through in the cold weather/water. Those action scenes were all done nicely and my heart was beating fast for the team during the terrorist battles near the end as things were getting much more intense. That one final battle where everyone were all ready to risk their lives for the safety of the people was very heart-wrenching and brave as we see them mentally prepare for the worse and go through the bloodshed, reminding us that soldiers are very honorable for what they do. We don't ever actually see/know what is happening during a war in exchange for peace/safety and this was effectively represented as the foreign president arrived at his destination. He was never aware that a forceful fight was happening behind the scenes upon his "safe" trip and the phrase "Let the living live a better life" primarily defines this disparity.

*️⃣ Based on one of the director's interview, certain scenes/scenarios in the drama were adapted based on real events that had happened previously.

Teamwork
The display of teamwork/team spirit was phenomenal. From purely competitors trying to join the team to becoming very close brothers and sisters that cannot bear to separate in the end. It was really nice to see that everyone was needed in order to make the team complete. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and they were all able to use them to the team’s advantage by helping at certain moments. When they were met with difficulties, they were always there for each other/together and encouraged each other which is what a team should be: going through ups and downs together. During devil’s week their companionship was very touching, giving up their only supply of food for others or for something else they felt was more important. It was the first time they genuinely became a true team and no longer just thinks with “I” but in terms of “we”. All of their backstories were just as important and very emotional.

I loved how Ning Meng was able to befriend everyone slowly and change their views of each other, especially Yang Shu, since she was hard to get close with mainly due to that fact that she was always so full of herself and looks down on others.

Qu Bo’s addition to the team later on was honestly a pretty nice touch to the storyline too. We got to see a different side of his character through a reflection of his true inner thoughts on the relationship with Lin Yi as it made him view things differently. He came to see/understand that working hard is the key that goes hand in hand with the responsibilities of a soldier’s duty and the spirit that makes up a truly good team. Thus, he sees blue lightning team in a different perspective and wants to join/help them succeed with their mission.
*️⃣ Interesting notice: The upside down curl up competition with Zheng Zhong from the special forces team, mirrors the pull up competition between Ning Meng and Yang Shu previously which shows that they like to outright compete to prove themselves in order to solve their problems. This was also seen in the beginning where Ning Meng competed with Xu Dong Dong and Tong Meng Yao in the training obstacle course to get them to apologize to Li Si Si if she won and during another private competition between Ning Meng and Yang Shu for the best candidate selection as the team assault leader.

The team slogan “The harder it is, move forward” should be properly translated as “to keep moving forward especially when faced with something more challenging” was a very powerful statement that kept the team’s persistence and motivation going under any circumstances they were in. It constantly reminded them that they can surpass anything with a positive mindset.

Romance
Qin Guan and Ning Meng pretending to be a couple on the final mission definitely made up for the romance we all wanted to see from them. It blended into the storyline perfectly as the focus is primarily mission oriented and was actually the only other way to make them be together that made sense, as opposed to forcing a happy ending that doesn’t quite fit. The part where they received blessings from the foreign president to have a child soon and everyone started making fun of them as they heard it in the hearing device got me good 🤣. It was too funny and shows just how compatible they are together (even in disguise and in the perspective of an outsider)! They are so cute together!

Their formal attires were a plus and looks so good on them. It’s probably because we always see them in their military uniforms so that was an appealing appearance haha.

It was also evident that they like each other through their interactions near the end (last battle and hospital scene) and everyone sensed/knew that 🥰.

Also, not to mention all the little things that the captain did for Ning Meng after giving her a lecture was very funny and sweet:
➡️ Asking Hao Zhe to give her the book she wanted to read while being locked in as punishment in the beginning and beating around the bush to the detachment leader with an excuse to end her punishment
➡️ Getting everyone to find a place to order a cake late at night to arrange a birthday surprise
➡️ Putting in good words to the chief of staff about giving her the chance to join the exchange meeting on the discussion of tactic skills after her constant pestering
➡️ Going back to the training place to find a new flower to give Ning Meng after seeing that the one confiscated was withered badly but denied doing so (it was obvious he went to find a new one since he didn’t take back the flower and also the new jar which Ning Meng caught on fast haha 😂)
~ And of course there was a new meaning to the flower now. It became a memory with the captain (a gift from him) which to her is a stronger motivation than when she found the flower standing alone in the rain to not give up
➡️ Going to the movies with her and accepting her gift after rejecting the first time (he cannot bear to see her heartbroken 🤭)

Love doesn’t have to be shown with physical affection for viewers to know/feel that it is there between the leads and this was done wonderfully in the drama with just words, thoughts, and actions. It was the proper way to incorporate a subtle romance element that fits into the military theme and successfully avoids any unnecessary cringiness that happens in many romance integrated dramas when it’s overdone.

There were also many implied side couples besides Xu Dong Dong & Lin Yi being the most obvious ones:
1. Tong Meng Yao & Guo Xiao Wei with the constant arguing/bickering against each other whenever they meet
2. Li Si Si & Tie Quan when TQ mentions how he wants to lessen the difficulty for LSS when he saw how the girls were training really hard while wearing the heavy sandbags
3. Yang Shu & Qu Bo when they rooted for each other (QB rooted for YS to win the pull up competition against NM while YS rooted for QB to win when he represented the blue lightning team to prove himself capable of carrying on Lin Yi’s position) and also with their interactions in the final mission
4. Zhuang Qian & Jing Ke where it was slightly implied when JK said wanted to go up against ZQ in the male and female barehand competition

*️⃣ The members were paired up most of the time through their lineup (evident during the brick/board training & devil’s week) which I thought was pretty funny.

OST
All the songs fit into the story really well. They are catchy after listening to them throughout the entire drama.
I was particularly surprised about Hu Bing Qing’s voice when I found out that she was the one who sang the ending theme song ("You and Me"). She can really sing and would have no problem becoming a singer as well! The song has a very soothing melody that can fit into any circumstances, happy or sad, which we see it play throughout various scenes in the drama. I am glad all the songs are available on Spotify which is very helpful.

Shortcomings:
1. Certain scenes may be exaggerated but it still brought the intended tension up to point.
2. It can be seen that some scenes were cut in between with the abrupt transitions at some point but the overall flow was fine.
3. The villains were not smarter than they should have been in order to increase the tension that Blue Lightning had to face with them to make the battle more intense. Blue Lightning team basically took down each and every subordinates as they encountered them rather easily until facing the main mastermind behind all of the evil plan.

Final Points:
Don’t hesitate to give this drama a try just because it is a military genre. It starts and wraps up nicely and is very promising. You won’t regret! Eagerly awaiting for a season 2! The casts were all amazing and worked really hard for the production of the drama! ❤️❤️❤️

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Heroes Not Afraid To Sacrifice

This is one of chinese action's series wrapped up properly that deserve the notice of drama lovers. The main story theme is about the terrorism. Not so many conflict in it but the conflicts happened stage by stage from the opening to the end.

Watchers would starting by hating all the characters before really love each of them. Their teamwork and bonds are superb. They promise us to enjoy the story and characters developments that we won't get bored and thinking of dropping it.

The songs full of spirit and heart touching will got the watchers heartcore.

It's been a few drama I didn't write review for. But because this one made me burst in tears of how heart touching their bonds, I decide to write this. This series DESERVES MORE POPULARITY!!!

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Opening 2022 with a boom!

Just finished this drama a minute ago, having basically binging it in a few days. I’d say this drama is a delightful surprise for me. I just basically come across this in youtube while surfing around after finishing A Girl Like Me, directionless. The first episode started with a boom, and me, being a special force enthusiast, am efficiently hooked even from the first episode.

Plot: I like that this is almost 85% pure armed force stuffs and only 15% other plot/romance. And it doesnt hurt that the 85% was really quite well done imo. The cast/production/directing really do it beautifully. All the trainings/special mission/equipments/artillery are very impressive and engaging. Well done! I enjoyed all the episodes, just maybe a little less on the arc of FL’s PTSD, those few episodes are quite draggy.

Characters: Almost half of the characters who are in Blue Lightning Commando get their own highlights and not only the ML and FL. Applaud the scriptwriter. 👏🏻 I know that it makes sense that in such a high risk job, you just cannot run away from death. And from the start, i dunno why, but i’ve always have the gut feeling that the most understanding, selfless kindest guy will bear the brunt of being the one who died, and lo and behold, i spent the entire ep 30 bawling my eyes out and basically 2 episodes after that intermittently crying. Thanks to all the cast, my whole face and eyes are swollen with all the eyebags and panda eyes for an entire night of marathoning. I havent seen any drama of Vengo previously (yes i know!) and he did quite well in this, balancing between being a thanos whilst having a good heart deep inside, and also kind of giving me a feelings of an ex delinquent having to grow up but still a brat deep down lol. The FL is also a nice surprise. Although not quite as tall as the ML, i didnt get the height difference vibe from them because she just appears ‘taller’ with her confidence and self esteem presence. Other supporting casts as the Blue Lightning Commandos are a gem, each of them has their own strength. I truly admire the comradeship of theirs and as i said previously, everytime each of them shed tears while trying to be strong at the same time, my heart broke with them. Aishhhh Lin Yi!!!! (Still cant get over it! Lol. And did i mention, Lin Yi’s final sacrifice scene is beautiful? Lol)

Music: very appropriate to the plot/general military vibe.

Subtitle: this is basically my pet peeves of an otherwise very delightful experience. I spent almost 13episodes watching this on youtube with questionable subtitle and then changed to weTV app. However, the subs are also a disappointment there. Luckily the 20plus years of watching chinese dramas come in handy for sub self correction. Lol. Hopefully someone somewhere will amend this in near future because such a gem should be able to be enjoyed by more viewers.

All in all, i have always love a good thrilling military drama, and this one, really delivers it! 👏🏻

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Up close and a little personal

I got served something I didn't expect. Unlike many ...I came and stayed for Hu Bingqing. She is quite the action star but what she's great at is emotive acting. She's definitely one of those actors who acts with their whole body. Her eyes tell you more than what she says. I thought this was her story ...turns out she had seven sisters and six brothers. Telling a group story is tough and purely up to the director's vision. How much time do you spend on everyone? How much time do you spend on action and training? If you're familiar with commando films ...you expect certain things.

The representation of military women was the focus and I would say this production team did a great job. BTW...these operators are not teenagers. Most are career military with personal achievements in marksmanship, martial arts, communications, linguistics, tactics, munitions, demolitions and medicine. We still don't know what Gu Xiaowei specialty was outside of talking trash?...lol. These women are fiercely proud and self aware. Females in the military walk a different path than their brothers. I wanted to see if this production would represent the female POV without the silly cdrama troupes. They did pretty well except for a few things. I reminded me of GI Jane mostly due to the FL and ML relationship.

The brothers were impossible not to love. They were incredibly supportive and uplifting. All they cared about is having each others back. If you could do that...then you're family. Their continued support for each other as brothers and sisters...speaks louder about their sense of community than any flag or anthem. That's where they got us and that's why we stayed to watch this drama.

I would agree that the villain was unorganized. Someone forgot to tell them ...they're an organized crime syndicate. Organized being key. It made the counter attack seem excessive...police tactical could have handled them just fine to me. Blue Lighting didn't seem necessary. China has 1.5 billion people and a long history with bandits. They also have extreme and long established criminal organizations which deal arms, drugs, human trafficking and treason. So much crime to pick from and they chose energy...? I don't even know what they were trying to do.

It's a good watch for 35 episodes. Definitely want a season 2 with a bigger villain. I miss everyone already...

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