I wouldn't recommend it to people who are only into 1. straightforward romance, 2. lots of physical action. It has regular outbursts of action every few episodes alternated with strategizing and processing. It doesn't have many quests neither, only one overarching search of a McGuffin file. (Boy, was The Emperor and his jar a good preparation for this one.)
Just like Nirvana in Fire, Sparrow throws the viewer headfirst into already ripened events and flows like a chapterless novel. It has arcs when a new character is introduced or a focus shifts, and they have consequences afterwards.
The show belongs to Reveal rather than Develop school of character writing. The characterization is rough around the edges at first (it starts from a bulletpoint list of traits - for example, MC drinks Kvass, can't shoot due to a past trauma and puts an act of the playboy and gambler who'd rather be a barber than an agent), but turns into something alive and humane thanks to giving characters an opportunity to form alliances and bond. You can tag it with 'bromance' etc, but it's far beyond it. MC doesn't monopolize the screentime. There's a love triangle/square/meandering hexagon (with tentacles - you should see my chart) at the core, but it's not used as a plot propeller and a sole source of conflict. Close antagonists are humanized. It's chock-full of layered, multifaceted characters with their own mannerism. A line between faked and real relationship is blurred. I'm afraid to say anything more not to get into spoilers.
The first half (one third perhaps?) is mostly devoted to damage control and it lulls the viewer into thinking danger can always be redirected to scapegoats, and then things get real, breaking that expectation. The plot is stretched between an urge to maintain the status quo and a sense of urgency, making this desire impossible. Having spent so much time with all the characters and seeing their circumstances, it's hard to condemn those who on the scale of greyness fall into lukewarm/opportunistic territory or tilt toward derangment (especially since they're so charming or have grand entrances…). As if they weren't already, things get so tangled and tensed no single solution can fix them satisfyingly. The file is just an excuse to watch it all happening. Save yourself the frustration and don't expect more from it.
The show is beautiful to look at, crafted with an attention to detail and the use of music greatly improves the experience. More than once I was just spacing out looking at the colours changing or rewinding little pieces of fun editing of facial expressions/general movement like a cat pulling out tissues out of the box. It's definitely a rewatch material for me, both for just enjoying it visually and for re-immersing into that world. Highly recommended. Safety first!
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First off, would I recommend the drama? Yes. Rewatch? Potentially, after some time has passed, though personally I'm not one to rewatch many dramas, no matter how great of an impression it left. Did I like it? Of course, and I was hooked like nothing else mattered, which led me to binge all 61 episodes in less than 4 days.
Now, onto the details:
I watched this series on TV at first, then on Youtube, both of which had no English subtitles. It took me a while to decide to continue watching because the first three episodes start very slow, and they're mostly there to set up the main characters' positions. From what I saw in the comments on every episode, every watcher seemed to greatly dislike the female MC, Xu Bi Cheng, to the point where they blamed her (as a character) for every mishap in the story, or claimed she ruined the drama. I have to admit, I didn't particularly like her either at the beginning, nor in the first twenty or so episodes that followed, because she was pretty clumsy (especially considering her job as an agent) and tended to cause trouble for the other MCs, which wouldn't be so bad if she would actually learn from enduring all the dire consequences that others have to suffer from as a result of her own recklessness and selfishness. Throughout the drama, she continues to have other clean up her messes and never loses that vexing everyone-will-take-care-of-me perception - until one certain event becomes her turning point. Thus, this is a bit of a let-down as she IS the female MC so we automatically set up high expectations for her performance and role from the beginning; however, it could also be down to the actress selection, since Zhou Dong Yu, though feminine and petite and perhaps fitting a Shanghainese beauty ideal in that period, has an expression that makes her look 10 years younger and perpetually petrified like a deer caught in headlights (i.e anything but mature, sophisticated, and steady in mind). But worry not, because in the last arc of the drama where things get to their climax, we do see her finally think more rationally about her actions before carrying them out, and manages to play a part in saving others, including the MC: Chen Shen.
Chen Shen and Xu Bi Cheng's relationship? I liked it. I think it was simple, straightforward, and pure. Considering all the manipulating, strategizing, and assassinating that occurred constantly around them, I think their love was refreshing and heart-warming from when it started to the end, regardless of how XBC herself was as a character for the most part. With such complicated plots like the one in this drama, the relationship drama should be toned down to keep it balanced, which imo this drama did perfectly well.
Plot twists: this drama was full of them, and while some were fairy predictable from the beginning (like who "Sparrow' really was), many did catch me by surprise, and I thoroughly enjoyed the guessing/watching process. The drama was also never short of touching moments, where some did trigger some tears, especially towards the end, which you'd expect from the overall vibe of the drama and its intro song.
Music was used beautifully at just the right moments, and the quality of filming is definitely not to be worried about.
The antagonists were truly masterpieces of the drama, for it was a struggle between hating/wanting them dead and loving/wanting them to survive with the MCs the whole way. The relationship between the MC Chen Shen and his closest friend Bi Zhong Liang was unique among all the MC-Antagonist relations I've come across in the dramas I've watched. Just this focal relationship alone should make many people want to watch this drama.
Finally, the ending. The ending is always a huge deciding factor as to whether or not a drama will become a favourite, or an absolutely terrible experience you wish you hadn't set foot upon: because what happens in the end can either ruin everything that has happened till then, or make it all worthwhile. For dramas like these, set in the revolutionary period of Shanghai, I always feel dread towards the end because tragedies have become so common, even as a plot twist in happy-go-lucky dramas, never mind in such a suspenseful, intense drama like this one. I can say that the ending was fitting and well-rounded, and I am satisfied, though I won't say it wasn't bittersweet or that it didn't leave a slight pang in my heart, which was to be expected from the beginning.
A masterful piece that is worth your time; even if suspense/mystery isn't your usual genre, please give it a try.
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The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
This is the spy thriller that I will compare all other Republican period spy thrillers to going forward. It is that good. Each of the engrossing 61 episodes just flew by and I haven't been able to watch anything else since. I put this off for a long time due to poor reviews of the female lead's performance, which unfortunately is beyond dreadful. The rest of the cast however, is so phenomenal that they more than make up for it, to the point that the rating simply does not do justice to this drama.Set in 1940s Shanghai during the Wang Regime (Japanese puppet government), Chen Shen works for his best friend Bi Zhongliang who heads up the Special Operations Division. At surface, he is an indolent playboy, an aspiring barber until he was propelled into a position of favor and authority for saving Bi Zhongliang's life. In reality, he is a double agent loyal to the CCP. Things get complicated when his former student and true love Xu Bicheng and her husband Tang Shanhai are assigned to the Special Operations Division. The paranoid Bi Zhongliang eyes them with suspicion because Bicheng is his superior and rival Li Moqun's niece. He is already under growing pressure from both Li Moqun and their ultimate superiors, the Japanese for failing to capture the notorious communist spy Sparrow.
The overarching plot of this drama is rather simple and clean. The main communist and nationalist protagonists have just one mission; to steal the Return to Zero plan hidden within the Special Operations Division. The antagonists are aware of this and use this knowledge to try to trap them into revealing themselves and to capture Sparrow. The subplots and unpredictable way the storyline unravels with many twists along the way are largely driven by the characters as they react to stressful life and death situations that force perilous split second decisions. One of the weaknesses in storytelling is that the writers resort to coincidences and sheer luck a little bit too often to facilitate twists or bail the main protagonists out of tricky situations. Nonetheless it all comes together to deliver an intense aura of suspense that builds towards the thrill of unexpected victories, shocking betrayals, blindsiding plot twists and sudden death.
Chen Shen is the perfect spook - he is on the one hand an innocuous ladies man; a charming, stylish teetotaler who can't even bring himself to fire a gun. Yet he manipulates Bi Zhongliang masterfully; ruthlessly stoking and soothing his insecurities at the same time. This is by far the most fascinating relationship in the drama. Although he mistrusts Chen Shen, Bi Zhongliang is also touchingly sincere and protective of him. Chen Shen's feelings towards him are complex; they have an unusual bromance that pulls them together regardless of the fact they are on opposite sides. Chen Shen is not only the most intriguing character in the drama, he is also considerably more ruthless and manipulative than the main antagonists. This is by far Li Yifeng's most memorable role to date, well complemented by Zhang Luyi's disarming portrayal of Bi Zhongliang. The dialogue is sophisticated, pointed, witty and laced with sarcasm and dark humor that often relieves suspenseful tension with laugh out loud moments and encapsulates the complex character dynamics.
Even though I am a huge sucker for morally ambiguous characters like Chen Shen, there are almost too many moments where Zhang Ruoyan's Tang Shanhai eclipses him. And it is not just because he looks so incredibly scrumptious in a suit. Too often the second male lead is dumbed down to elevate the male lead. While it is true that Tang Shanhai is not quite the consummate spy that Chen Shen is, Zhang Ruoyun pulls this off without portraying Tang Shanhai as less intelligent; just a tad less ruthless, a tad less composed and a lot more heart. He is thrust into many parallel situations with Chen Shen but the way he processes and reacts to the situation, how he is clumsier at manipulation, how his remorse is more visible; makes it clear that he is a less hardened spy. His relationship with Chen Shen evolves from rivalry and distrust into mutual respect and a grudging friendship that compels the two to work together when their interests align. The enemy of my enemy is my friend is a recurring motivator in this drama that pits multiple characters alternately with and against each other.
The female lead, Xu Bicheng is by far the drama's weakest link. Unlike many, I don't think the writing is the problem; on the contrary I find the character to be one of the best written, most complex female roles out there. Bicheng is a flawed character; stubborn to the point of recklessness with a bleeding heart for lost causes who wears her heart on her sleeve. She is also often underestimated, can be very cunning, is a fantastic liar when cornered and is able to manipulate both Chen Shen, Tang Shanhai and Tao Dachun into doing what she wants and her character undergoes tremendous growth. None of these positive aspects are conveyed by the acting because Zhou Dongyu is a very limited actress who just lazily recycles the same four boring, mopey, terrified and pitiful expressions throughout the drama. The only things she does well is child ugly cry and child uninhibited smile from the heart. Which is wonderful... if she were playing a child. In this role, it is at odds with the role of a woman in her mid twenties, a spy and a married woman for crying out loud. It is also obvious no one ever told her it does not suit her naturally rather mature facial features and incredibly grown up styling in this drama. She fails so badly at projecting that je ne said quoi that has every man fall in love with her that its not even fitting to call her a Mary Sue even though she does need constant rescuing. I could not empathize with her at all and couldn't care less what happens to her.
Kan Qingzi was robbed - her Li Xiaonan stole the show and she really deserves top billing as female lead in this show. Her performance puts Zhou Dongyu's to shame even though the character is at surface, less complex and interesting. I normally loathe ditzy, lame characters like Li Xiaonan who are capable of loving wholeheartedly even when it is not reciprocated. But wow, she made me laugh, she made me cry, she made me respect her single-mindedness, I was 100 percent behind her. And that is what a good actor does, it is what every actor in this exceptional cast other than Zhou Dongyu managed to do - impress me with their acting and make me empathize with them even when they play dark or weak characters. Geez even Yin Zheng or especially Yin Zheng managed to make me empathize with his portrayal of the rabid, vicious, cruel and dangerous Su Sanxing.
A criticism of this drama is that love seems to have overshadowed the spy story; that the unrequited love trope is perhaps overused in this drama. While there is some truth to that, this is still very much a spy thriller that is chock full of excellent twists and turns. And the bigger point is that the unrequited love trope is used brilliantly to explore how each of the main characters bestows and responds to unrequited love in completely different ways. I normally approach Republican dramas with a stone cold heart - I go in pretty much expecting everyone to die it is just par for the course. In this one, too many characters still managed to steal my heart and made me bawl my eyes out. That said, the drama ends very fittingly after the final showdown.
My favorite line in the drama is Chen Shen's heartfelt "Please... don't tell anyone you were my student." This is by far the best Chinese spy thriller I have seen to date (August 2021). This is a 9.0 for me but I could easily rate it 9.5 were it not for the appalling execution of the female lead role.
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This drama is amazing!
This drama is amazing! It keeps you in suspense from the first episode to the last. In fact, the viewer knows that ML will not die, at least not half of the drama, yet the tension is so built that an experienced drama viewer like me was kept in suspense and curiosity about how this suspenseful scene would unravel. After all, other heroes could have died. This is one of the few dramas that really caught me on the screen and waiting for the next episode was a torment of uncertainty. I loved ML immediately, because he had that something, a combination of boyish charm and masculine charm. I love such spies :)I haven't watched this drama for the second time. Not because the mysteries were already resolved and the tension wasn't the same, but rather because the tension still remained and I know I would get myself into a really strong adventure and I'm not in the mood for it. While I don't like Republican Era dramas, I don't regret even one minute devoted to Sparrow drama.
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Keeps you on suspense till the end
Maybe, in this drama, the most interesting thing is the chemistry between the actors and how relationships develop. Friendship, love, rivalry, betrayal, patriotism, hidden identities, heroism, undercover agents missions within the Japanese Headquarters : Sparrow is all about these. It’s also about the path you take in life, real love, affection, brotherhood, ambitions and sacrifices to idealism.Adopted from a novel, this drama is very well staged and directed. The casting is just amazing ! How good Li Yi Feng (Sparrow/Chen Shen) and Edward Zhang (Head of Japanese special forces) are together in this brotherhood relationship ! There is great chemistry, you can feel the two character’s deep affection even when they use each other to achieve their ends. I was eager to know how this relationship would end !
Edward Zhang’s acting is really accurate, just as Yin Zheng’s (Su Sancheng). Su Sancheng is very ambitious and clever. He wants to gain power, unfortunately he is also a psycho, the one you would dislike the most in this drama. Well done Yin Zheng, no one can stand your character !
If Sparrow is above all a series on the espionage of the Japanese invaders in Shanghai during the Second World War, it is also about love. I will just mention the two characters in love with Chen Shen. One is his first and only love, Xu Bicheng, the other one is the so-called « buddy » actress Li Xiaonan. I really liked all the moments where Li Yifeng and Kan Qingzi (Li Xiaonan) were on screen, there was such a great chemistry maybe because of the actress skills or her lively character, I don’t know. There was something stronger and more appealing when they were together than when Li Yifeng was with Zhou Dongyu (Xu Bicheng). I really hoped Li Xiaonan won over Xu Bicheng. Her character is so much more interesting and strong than Xu Bicheng’s. To me, she is this drama’s real heroin, protecting Chen Shen all along.
The ten last episodes are really great in actions and suspense… It’s thrilling : I rushed to watch each new episode and was never disappointed. Last two episodes aren’t easy to watch, you may get tensed… fearing a bad end, hoping for a good one !
Released in 2016, Sparrow is a timeless quality series, you will appreciate the characters, the acting, the script , the plots and the sets. A good production, a good show to watch, and re-watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Love it. Great. Go watch it. It's awesome. Really. What I love: 1. not dragging as u think, can skip the relationship parts but nah it adds dynamic so don't skip at all. 2 . too heavy I had to stop watching after every 10 eps I watch, but whenever I come back i'm instantly hooked. Actually the too heavy aspect is a con. I don't feel like watching any more n go to watch a rom-com or something late at night. Love it. Great. Go watch it. Ok?
Now let's get to the cons (Disclaimer: Contain 5% SPOILERS of minor characters deaths. They're so minor it's not important. Don't continue reading if u haven't watched, but do so if u don't care coz it's not gonna ruin the whole drama 4 you):
FRUSTRATION WITH OUR FEMALE LEAD:
Xu Bi Cheng is the definition of "i wanna slap a b***** so hard til. . . "
At least if I were Tang Shan Hai, I would feel like that. Ep 25 when she said to Chen suggesting for Mr. Tang to seduce Meina, and she said it with a smile, the smile that makes me wanna slap her so hard she'd fly out of Chen's room.
After all this, she makes a kid orphaned, the father is dead. Given the mother (her bestie from the military school) is already a death roll prisoner, so she didn't cause the mother to die but it's fate, but she really caused the father to die. One of the spies from her team, acting as a toilet cleaner maid at the restaurant committed suicide, is dead. Two body counts already from her dumbness.
and they added in a line a few eps ago she said to Tang " You know I was dumber than I am now, and Zhou always helped me in the military school when we studied together."
Zhou is the death roll prisoner, her bestie, mother of a 3 months old child, that is now without BOTH parents. Thanks to Xu Bi Cheng.
She is well aware that she is dumb but cannot help it.
The screenwriter really wanna ease on her, make us like her, but they had to step on her over and over to make plots progress. One arc, the beginning story arc, from ep 10-18 was just about her mistakes and saving her ass. Then it has some sprinkles of that thru out the rest of the drama. At least where I'm at now , ep 35, she hasn't started it again. I CAN't like the actress's acting either, she shouldn't "cry" and then change her emotion to "smile" at the same time when talking to Bi Zhong Liang. It makes her looks like a psychopath; and you know I like Zhou Dong Yu before in her other films.
I haven't felt so frustrated on a Character for so long; I was scratching my head trying to look for who, who is it that makes me this frustrated before!!!! it was Hu Ge. No wonder the Disguiser is also the same genre. Hu Ge was mistakes after mistakes with his plot armour. Zhou Dong Yu, however, is not arrogant and makes different mistakes, a bit of a Mary Sue (got 2 guys after her). Sort of an eye sore if u have 2 guys going after ur love and ur words are like knife cutting second male lead heart, speak without thinking b*****, and u are being a elegant gentle lady and not picking anyone, b*****! Women Audience can't stand her kinds. Basically, the writers for both dramas use their characters as a stepping stool.
Climbing higher and higher with the plot based on a Character's plenty of mistakes.
Poor poor girl, Xu bi Cheng. I should not be too harsh.
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This review may contain spoilers
Love, trustworthy and patriotic drama, note it is not a propaganda
I watch this drama now 2024 .The ML is the sparrow code name 23 undercover communist spy . He works for the puppet government under the Japanese. His jobs is to remove anti-Japanese fighter that on the surface. His main mission is to recover the code from the puppet government which could destroy china.
The ML friend is the leader of organization he work for. Chen shen saved him during the sino Japanese war , since then his boss consider him as a blood brother. The boss wife treat him as their family member.
The FL is Chen shen EX boyfriend and her former teacher. She work for the nationalist party KMT , she and her husband joined the organization. Their main mission is to get top secret and assassinate the traitor who work for the Japanese including ML boss , ML and FL uncle who is the top boss.
The second FL is Lin Xiao nan she love the ML Chen shen, he doesn't love her he consider her has his friend. On the surface she work as extra heroine in the film company later in the drama it reveal she is the doctor code name and Chen shen handlar. Later in the drama she get caught and her code name is doctor a Communist spy.
Her role is very annoying chasing after Chen shen asking him to be her boyfriend. Telling everyone one that he is her boyfriend. Mind you men doesn't like to be controlled. She even forbid him to talk to other women. They was one scene where she catch him and drag him out , he said to her you can't hold the sand similarly you can't force a man to like you.
Don't know why woman can steep so low, she even know that Chen shen doesn't love her because Chen shen gave his heart to Xu Bi Cheng. She keeps on forcing him to marry her.
Second FL also fall in love with the FL, he also know that the FL loved Chen shen alot she is willing to sacrifice her life to save the ML.
The second male lead get caught and he died.
The main Villian is Sun Xian ming he is jealous of Chen shen because Lin Xiao nan love Chen shen, he try many times to kill him by setting up traps and to prove to his supervisor than Chen shen is the sparrow. He is psychopath and he use extreme way to torture the political prisoner. In the end he also died a terrible death.
In the end Chen shen was able to retrieve the Japanese military code , his boss come to know that he is the sparrow and shot him at point blank range, his boss wife try to save Chen shen. He managed to escape but was followed by the FL uncle and he was blocked and was unable to escape. In the end Xu Bi Cheng help Chen shen to escape, Chen shen fake his death making the enemy think that he died. Xu Bi Cheng was saved by Mr Dao her compatriot, she think that Chen shen died in the explosion.
Xu Bi Cheng change side she became a Communist spy under cover she remain in Shanghai. Only few people know about it. Lesser people knew about her mission .
The drama fast forward after Japanese was defeated , Chen shen return to Shanghai and start to recruit new communist spy . She resemblance her sister in law. In the end Xu Bi Cheng saved Chen shen again.
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Better than James Bond. Every episode is suspenseful
I generally don't watch dramas from this era. I am also skeptical about political-spy dramas where I expect strong ideological overtones. I watched this drama because of Li Yifeng and I have absolutely no regrets. Yes, there was a bit too much ideological talk, but the plot, characters and especially the unpredictability of certain events and constant suspense made up for everything. I don't think I've ever seen a drama that builds and maintains suspense so well and allows you to root for the characters, even though I'm not interested in the cause they're fighting for. The drama was really gripping, touching and full of action and fascinating characters. I just couldn't get bored with it and I think it's highly underrated because of its ideological message. But it is an excellent spy drama, much better than James Bond.Was this review helpful to you?
