2
12
3
virgievirgie
Lost in Dramaland
Interesting Plot but Annoyed with all the slow-motion scenes
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75
“Hard to Find” is a mid-length drama that actually has a very interesting and attractive plot. With 28 episodes and about 20 minutes each, I would not consider this as a mini-drama, like most of the dramas that male lead, Zhao Yi Qin, is known for. There’s a lot to like, yet quite a few areas that annoy me.
What I Like:
General Plot - I really do find the general plot/story of this drama interesting. I especially enjoyed the first half of the drama when the leads reunited, up until she regained her memory. The story is easy to follow, yet not overly simple. It has a good mix of romance, fantasy plot, mystery, revenge and a little bit of palace politics.
Shen Yu Jie (FL) - Shen Yu Jie plays the female lead, Feng Yuan. The costume designer and hairstylist got brownie points from me for dressing her up so beautifully. Her acting is also the best of the cast. Checking out her profile, I realized she’s only 22 years old but has been in quite a few bigger budget dramas. I thought she is also one of those mini-dramas actresses. I see a lot of potential in her.
Great visuals & production - For a lower budget drama, “Hard to Find” is beautiful to watch. Not only is the whole cast good-looking, but some of the scenes are shot beautifully. Costumes, hair accessories, set designs and props, all look pretty good and not cheap. I also enjoy the songs played, even though they are overplayed.
Wang Ze Xuan - Without spoiling too much, I just have to say I enjoyed his acting in the last 5 episodes of the drama. He looks so ‘pretty’ and portrays the character in a dramatic fashion, but not over-the-top. I’ve seen him in “A Familiar Stranger” and I guess he’s got a knack for playing the bad guys convincingly.
What Bothers Me:
Slow Motion Everything - This is very personal, but I generally dislike the use of slow-motion in dramas for extra dramatic effects. I especially detest fight scenes that are sloooow moving and have actors posing during a fight. The first comment I wrote down in my notes is slow mo fighting (yuck!). There aren’t even that many fight scenes, so to not be able to enjoy a few good ones is disappointing. Not only the fight scenes slow, there are sooo many scenes that are shot like that. I get more and more annoyed towards the second half of the drama. It also drags down the pace as well, and I lose my focus slightly in the second half because of that. Additionally, they also change the voiceover to this slow echoey voice, and add in non-stop background music during these slow scenes.
Zhao Yi Qin (ML) - I have seen Zhao Yi Qin in quite a few mini dramas and have generally enjoyed them. For some reason, he seems to be trying very hard in this drama and appears overly dramatic. When he’s acting angry, he looks exaggerated. He frowns more than I’ve seen in his other dramas. For some reason, his acting is just not clicking with him. He’s a good-looking guy, but if I have to compare what he looks like in his MDL profile picture and him in this drama, he looks a little gaunt and exhausted, even during the honeymoon phase of the romance. Is he overworked?
Over-the-top Dramatics - Not only is Zhao Yi Qin’s acting a little over dramatic, there are many elements in this drama that are like this. The drama is trying too hard to stand out, yet comes across as trying too hard. I think the drama would be so much better if it is a little more grounded and tones down on all the dramatics (constant background music playing, shining light on faces, wind blowing at hair, etc.) The drama has a solid script but lacks perfect execution.
“Hard to Find” has such a strong start and I was willing to give it an 8.5 rating, until all the slow motion scenes accumulated and annoyed the heck out of me. The second half also loses some steam and the pace slows down. Unfortunately, in the end, I will have to give a lower rating of 7.75. I might rate this lower if this is a bigger budget production. “Hard to Find” is still a decent drama if you want something short with an interesting plot. But this is definitely not a must-see.
Completed: 5/5/2024 - Review #436
“Hard to Find” is a mid-length drama that actually has a very interesting and attractive plot. With 28 episodes and about 20 minutes each, I would not consider this as a mini-drama, like most of the dramas that male lead, Zhao Yi Qin, is known for. There’s a lot to like, yet quite a few areas that annoy me.
What I Like:
General Plot - I really do find the general plot/story of this drama interesting. I especially enjoyed the first half of the drama when the leads reunited, up until she regained her memory. The story is easy to follow, yet not overly simple. It has a good mix of romance, fantasy plot, mystery, revenge and a little bit of palace politics.
Shen Yu Jie (FL) - Shen Yu Jie plays the female lead, Feng Yuan. The costume designer and hairstylist got brownie points from me for dressing her up so beautifully. Her acting is also the best of the cast. Checking out her profile, I realized she’s only 22 years old but has been in quite a few bigger budget dramas. I thought she is also one of those mini-dramas actresses. I see a lot of potential in her.
Great visuals & production - For a lower budget drama, “Hard to Find” is beautiful to watch. Not only is the whole cast good-looking, but some of the scenes are shot beautifully. Costumes, hair accessories, set designs and props, all look pretty good and not cheap. I also enjoy the songs played, even though they are overplayed.
Wang Ze Xuan - Without spoiling too much, I just have to say I enjoyed his acting in the last 5 episodes of the drama. He looks so ‘pretty’ and portrays the character in a dramatic fashion, but not over-the-top. I’ve seen him in “A Familiar Stranger” and I guess he’s got a knack for playing the bad guys convincingly.
What Bothers Me:
Slow Motion Everything - This is very personal, but I generally dislike the use of slow-motion in dramas for extra dramatic effects. I especially detest fight scenes that are sloooow moving and have actors posing during a fight. The first comment I wrote down in my notes is slow mo fighting (yuck!). There aren’t even that many fight scenes, so to not be able to enjoy a few good ones is disappointing. Not only the fight scenes slow, there are sooo many scenes that are shot like that. I get more and more annoyed towards the second half of the drama. It also drags down the pace as well, and I lose my focus slightly in the second half because of that. Additionally, they also change the voiceover to this slow echoey voice, and add in non-stop background music during these slow scenes.
Zhao Yi Qin (ML) - I have seen Zhao Yi Qin in quite a few mini dramas and have generally enjoyed them. For some reason, he seems to be trying very hard in this drama and appears overly dramatic. When he’s acting angry, he looks exaggerated. He frowns more than I’ve seen in his other dramas. For some reason, his acting is just not clicking with him. He’s a good-looking guy, but if I have to compare what he looks like in his MDL profile picture and him in this drama, he looks a little gaunt and exhausted, even during the honeymoon phase of the romance. Is he overworked?
Over-the-top Dramatics - Not only is Zhao Yi Qin’s acting a little over dramatic, there are many elements in this drama that are like this. The drama is trying too hard to stand out, yet comes across as trying too hard. I think the drama would be so much better if it is a little more grounded and tones down on all the dramatics (constant background music playing, shining light on faces, wind blowing at hair, etc.) The drama has a solid script but lacks perfect execution.
“Hard to Find” has such a strong start and I was willing to give it an 8.5 rating, until all the slow motion scenes accumulated and annoyed the heck out of me. The second half also loses some steam and the pace slows down. Unfortunately, in the end, I will have to give a lower rating of 7.75. I might rate this lower if this is a bigger budget production. “Hard to Find” is still a decent drama if you want something short with an interesting plot. But this is definitely not a must-see.
Completed: 5/5/2024 - Review #436
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