Riko
Paris
There were a lot of chatacters but they all had amazing potential in a war and politically tensed context.
The first part of the drama, bascially the first 20 episodes were really light and fun, and the chemistry between the leads was amazing and hilarious.
The cross dressing part was also much more realistic here than in any other drama ive seen.
The second part of the drama focuses on the war context with a very patriotic propaganda which i would have been fine with if the plot actually had a focus.
I felt like the drama was teared in bits and pieces with a little bit of romance mainly embodied through the love triangle that i found incredibly annoying,
the scattered events only showing that chinsese are good and japanese are bad,
and the side storyline of each character which kinda got lost in the sauce.
I couldnt get through the entire drama, the scattered narative with only patriotism as focused outline of the story bored me. Which is super sad cause the two main leads did an amazing job and their personal dilemma and will to protect their loved ones facing a war context could have been an amazing development from light to dark times in the drama.
I think its still worth watching for the actors performance and chemistry, but i got frustrated when i lost interest.
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Incredible leads but a weak plot
I believe this drama needs to be divided in 3 parts- The Military and medical aspect
- the romance
- the investigation against the "bad guys"
So there's a mystery/thriller plot, a romance story and an observation of soldiers and doctors in extreme circumstances .
The Mystery is worth in my opinion a 4/10 at most. The "bad guys" didn't have a clear purpose from the beginning nor did they have a smart way to accomplish things. There's loopholes and uncomprehension because the story was not crafted in way it could last for 40 episodes. The acting was also a bit weak on that part. So basically, the red thread linking events and fueling the drama just wasn't there. The pace was a little draggy as well. Once I realized that, I decided to watch the drama without considering it has an actual beginning and end in terms of plot. It's a succession of situations that are well captured (the budget definitely helped here) with really good acting from the leads.
The leads are very emotionally intense actors, i knew from the beginning that they would give a mature vibe to the story. And they didn't fail to deliver.
The habitual opposites-attract dynamic in c-dramas is between cold ML-bright FL both being very immature and lacking communication. This drama chose the fiery FL- chill ML as a duo dynamic and I'm so glad it did.
The romance is a little slow burn because of the realistic concerns they're facing as adults but their flirting was really on point. They communicate, are super sweet, fight sometimes but sort it out. Honestly for me, these are the best love stories.
So I would give a 9.5/10 to the romance aspect.
The third part is those long scenes of military operations and medical practice. Tbh these were fun at first and I understand that the goal is to show that both leads have an intense work. But after a while, it looked like a recruiting ad for Chinese military and doctors . Too much of it. Too much about chinese military pride.
But the military brotherhood offered a good comic relief especially in the beginning and then tears at the end (but I wasn't emotionally involved to feel affected by it, because the pace made me loose that intial interest). I actually laughed a lot watching this show. I also regretted that they didn't use the comic brotherhood as a weapon to lighten the investigation plot and make it more dynamic as well until the end. So I would still give it a 7.5/10
Overall it is very difficult to give it a definite notation. It depends on how you decide to look at it. If I had to give it a grade for its overall story, i would have to give it a 7 because the main "bad guys" are terrible and the plot is too intricate without being smart enough. But I really enjoyed this show because of the lead's dynamic and characters while skipping a good part of the investigations. So I still very much recommend it.
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The first 7/8 episodes are pure sweetness. We witness the way a woman who's used to the fast pace of a consumer society adapts herself to a slower life focused on essentials and community. And far from all her obligations as a buisness woman, she discovers herself again, her capacity to trust and to love.
The leads are incredibly good at mixing the sweet and sour of an impossible romance and remind us of the existing reality : a nation devided in two. The comedy glimpses are also a much needed and well introduced relief, often brought by the hilarious secondary characters.
But at some point, towards the middle of the story , it felt like each episode was put on repeat.
She has to leave, but they don't wanna be separated, the bad guy comes at them, he saves her, they cry. Next episode, repeat.
For 6 episodes or more, i felt like the main characters had only one facial expression : crying, and only said one thing : "i dont want you to be hurt because of me, live well. "
There was no real storyline or at least the one from the beginning got kinda repetitve and lost its purpose.
I got into this drama without expectations at all and was mind blown by the beginning, thinking i found the drama of the year and got so disappointed toward the end.
I think it's still worth watching, at least for the beginning and also for the side characters who remain very entertaining.
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It' a very smart drama, the plot has enough consistency to be interesting, and the twists are very well thought but explained clearly and simply enough to keep the viewer in the loop.
You dont need to even remotly like or know about baseball to like this drama, because the point is not how players throw a ball but how to keep a team together.
It wasn't too slow and even though the story could have gotten repetitive, it didn't.
The acting was absolutely amazing, i also particulary like the leads who are, in evey drama i've seen them in, talented and versatile.
I loved how the "bad guy" wasn't the embodiement of evil like usual, but more a career-driven buisnessman with a childhood trauma which screwed up his sense of priorities and who had to think about money first 'cause that was his job.
A very human, entertaining and well played drama !
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I found the plot kind of interesting for 2/3 of the drama, even though there were some inconsistencies, especially in the fact that the unit initially in charge of the case was doing a TERRIBLE job.
But once the solution got clearer, it really made no sense. The ending took 5 episodes that were really badly written in my opinion.
If you have nothing else to do, the drama is relaxing and fun but dont expect a good ending.
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