More than just a love story - weave plot lines, held together by some great acting and filming
Beautiful weave of life stories of people who board a cruise ship, then follows them on-board and land. There is a lot more to it than the love story which carries the plot to the end. Some formulaic and quite a bit of propaganda promoting the Chinese values and expertise on the world scene, but it feels quite true to real life - we can relate to the push and pull of the economic relationships between China and the West from the headlines, whether it's cooperation or strategies to undermine each other.Unlike other viewers, I was glad of the racism slant in the story - it's hard to watch, but all too real. It's really important to expose the damage that even low level racism can cause, especially as we've seen developments after the pandemic.
As a westerner watching, I found the scenes of chaotic mob blame when things go wrong quite frustrating, but rather believable - they made their point!
The acting is phenomenal - Hans Zhang steals every scene he’s in, whether he grieves, loves or just smiles, you can feel it! I really liked the quiet, understated development of Wang Likun's character - yes, some of her accidents and incidents are silly, but quite useful to the plot, and you can see how each crisis is adding to her character - the actress brings this to life. Unlike other viewers I think that self blame and PTSD as a survivor of the coach accident is believable and quite real, and her reaction is nothing to do with taking responsibility, but a psychological réponse.
Some of the other acting is fantastic. I found the scenes between Ding Kai and his mother utterly magnetic, even when they are communicating silently - hard to describe why!
There are a few plot holes and the acting of the European actors is quite stilted, as is their dialogue - it feels as if it was translated to Mandarin and back again. Not to speak of… “there’s a famous Chinese saying” - how well versed the Western senior crue are in Chinese philosophy! It was a good laugh to spot these sayings!
The “captain, my captain” - lovely, but quite over the top in his patronising kindness!
I would probably watch it again if there were well crafted subtitles to enjoy the dialogue fully - seeing it with Google translate is hard work, sometimes funny and I frequently needed to stop and “retranslate” to work out what it means. I often felt that there was a well crafted dialogue that I missed out on, I could just listen to the beautiful tones and guess.
I loved some of the music, it’s quite mesmerising!
The filming and scenery need a mention too - it takes you around the world with the tourists, but it also gives tiny insights in many ways of life - from tiny fishing and mountain village to high rise Shanghai office, with the city and the river as its stars.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable watch.
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It would be a great drama series if the script were better written for the female lead.
1. From episodes 1-28, I was patiently watching and hoping the script for the lead actress would change for better. Disappointed. They made her acting "dumb' and then 'dumber' as the episodes proceed. No matter how sincere her intentions were, one can only garner so much sympathy for the character. Breaking of the picture frame was excusable. The script writer must have a brain fart attempting to justify breaking one's glass door after being told do not touch anything in the rooms. The last act, taking responsibilities for the tour bus death in court only exposes her immaturity and inaptness. In real life, this person would be in a psycho asylum for evaluation. 2. I am hoping this drama series is not intends to highlight China's emergence into the cruising industries. There are heart warming stories in each episode but also exposed the culture (or lack of), and the crude mentality of the "New" found middle to upper class of Chinese citizens. Case in point, you will never see any other culture would gang up cruise officials like Shanghai dock mobsters every time when something went wrong. You will never see patience's family accusing the ship doctor while their son is being treated. Fortunately, no part of the series show 3,000 wildly passengers dining at the buffet during lunch hours. I had to misfortune to encounter and endured a 12-day back- to-back cruise with Royal Caribbean from Singapore to Shanghai. There were mostly Chinese tour groups, other groups included Japanese, Korean, Malaysia, and locals came on board from Singapore. But the Chinese groups were the most rude. They do not follow any protocol, common courtesy, or manners. They cut in front of several 100's of people waiting on the serving line and press their plate at the server and demanded to be served. Others start at the oppose end and holding the rest of diners from moving through the line. From the reaction of incidents such as delayed departures and accusation against ship officers only replicate and confirm what was truth during that cruise. They took that wet market-junkyard dog mentality on full display onboard an international cruise ship. Confucius is rolling in his grave.Was this review helpful to you?
High quality boat drama with heartwarming story line!
What made me continue watching was the drama's high quality of acting, settings, on site locations, interesting subplots and heart warming storyline. Most of the actors spoke their own lines, which I hope is becoming the norm. I dislike dubbing as it reduces the authenticity of the actor's calibre. I didn't mind the racial undercurrents in the competition for promotion as it's a fact of life. There was genuine love and friendship among races too. The drama has not ended while I am writing this review as I really want more people to watch this good drama and not miss it due to a poor rating.Was this review helpful to you?
Mixed feelings - suspense, touching, frustrating, angry
This drama covers a wide scope of activities, various incidences onboard the cruise, stories behind several groups of tourists, individuals, couples. Overboard, rude reactions from angry customers when something goes wrong which may be very factual in reality. Some elements of romance here and there with a few couples. Found the mothers of Ding Kai and ZiYang to be incredibly young. The matching of male and female leads is disappointing. Not only by looks but also by how their characters were written. What seem to be the principles of the female lead failed to project a plus point for her. Instead, watching her clumsiness, stupidity and dumbness is most frustrating. This result to female lead being totally "unfit" to be the match for the male lead who is always prim and proper, almost perfect, capable, disciplined and good looking. There is hardly any interactions between the two leads, let alone romantic moments. Hence, when the male lead confesses his love, a sense of "out of the blue" was felt. Also worth mentioning is that the acting skills of the rest, especially that of Hans', Lawrence's, "Captain Derek"'s are commendable. Lovely touching music pieces.. The drama's an eye opener for those who have not been on cruise.Was this review helpful to you?
To Many Disappointment
I started to watch this drama because I respect the actor Zhang Han. He is a great actor and I wanted to watched this to support him. There are many aspect of this drama I like and many I could not stand. The lead female character was one that I could not stand. I kept giving the writer chances hoping they would change her but, It is unacceptable that in this date and age we still make a female stupid, dumb, naïve, with no logic and common sense. A girl that has been working and put herself thru college and lives by herself is none of these things. Everyone took advantage of her. I could not understand why would she be a tour guide when she made no money. Her boss never paid her. The writer also made a mistake when she move in wit Ding Kai and she started changing things in his apartment after he told her not to touch his personal. No girl would have done that when you risk being kick out on the street. I know you made her stupid but could not believe she would be that stupid. I like the story of the people who went on the cruise and how the staff treat them but the back stabbing and endangering the ship that is not believable. I enjoy seeing foreigners as part of the characters but hated to see that many hated some of the characters just because they were Chinese. It was to long and we did not need several episodes of the lead characters breaking up and trying to get back together. I would have like seeing more of investigation of the ship that wreck and the accident that got Ding Kai fired. The story about the charity and the famous Idol was useless. the ending also left me unfulfilled with all the characters. I believe all the actors gave their best performance but the writer could have done better.Was this review helpful to you?
The best from Zhang Han
This is definitely the best drama from Zhang Han. At least for me. I immensely enjoyed it. The story was brilliant. As usual, Zhang Han was always in his best as expected. Congratulations to me for not skipping any bit of the story. It is certainly informative, more than a just a story about the life in the cruise ship, more than just a romantic drama and more than just a love story. It gave me a better perspective about the job of the staff in the cruise ship especially the job of the captain. Although, my family travels across many countries, I have never been in a cruise ship but this story inspires me now to try. I must congratulate the screen writer for the seemingly excellent lines uttered. This is a different role for Zhang Han and he always gives his best. He still is the best Chinese actor for me. I hope Braveness of the Ming will soon air. I am patiently waiting for his next project.Was this review helpful to you?
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Dropped
I’m not one who likes to start a drama and then drop it when it doesn’t really suit my taste. Most of the time, I try to be fair and watch all the way to the end to give my readers a more comprehensive review. The last drama that I dropped was Fake Princess and that was almost a year back. So, I did try hard to continue watching One Boat, One World, but I just have to give up once I reached the middle of Episode 14.A Poorly Developed Female Character
The screenwriters have written Tian Yue to be a clueless woman who lacks common sense. So, you get the feeling that she is kind of dumb and that makes it hard to root for her. For instance, Ding Kai is kind enough to allow Tian Yue to stay in his apartment temporarily when she has no money to rent her own place. He tells her that she can stay but mustn’t touch his stuff. She then suspects that he could be suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder and purposely breaks down a glass wall when he is away because she thinks it could cure him.
Of course, Ding Kai is furious when he gets home. They are not in a relationship and far from it. In fact, the 2 of them have just got to know each other because of work. To purposely break down his wall in his own home when she is just a guest is just kind of stupid. More so when Tian Yue doesn’t understand what it means to respect Ding Kai’s privacy and boundaries.
The same thing happens again in Episode 14 when Tian Yue intrudes into his private matters and relationship with his mother. I’m sure the problem is solved eventually but I have stopped watching because her cluelessness is too much to take. I don’t know whether she will grow to be more mature as the drama progresses but after 14 episodes, I have had enough. Basically, Tian Yue’s character is just very poorly written that it is hard for viewers to relate to her actions.
Casting And Chemistry
I have not got to the stage where the leads begin dating. But from what I have watched, it is hard for me to feel any chemistry for the main couple because of the way the female character is written. It just erases any romantic vibes between them. I also feel that the casting could have been better as Claudia Wang just doesn’t seem to be the ideal candidate for the role of Tian Yue. She is too old for the role as Tian Yue is supposed to be a naive young woman. Hence, Claudia Wang has to act clueless and cute but it just doesn’t suit her age anymore to be playing this kind of character.
Therefore, it is not so much the acting that spoils the drama for me but the character and casting. Perhaps a younger female lead may make the drama more watchable just like in Sunshine Of My Life although the age gap will become more evident then given Zhang Han’s maturity.
One Boat, One World vs Sunshine Of My Life
As both dramas are being aired concurrently, which one should you watch if you have to pick one? Both star Zhang Han as the male lead and I know he does have a legion of fans due to his good looks. For me, Sunshine Of My Life is a much better drama to watch. Yes, it could be a little draggy but at least, the female lead is a talented and independent woman with a high level of maturity in that drama. The chemistry between Lulu Xu and Zhang Han is also more natural and evident.
However, the downside is Sunshine Of My Life is a typical romance drama with a fairy tale-like feel. It is sweet but it also has nothing new to offer. On the other hand, One Boat, One World has a less explored theme revolving around a cruise ship. I guess if you want freshness in your drama, One Boat, One World could offer something different while Sunshine Of My Life sticks to the tried and tested when it comes to a love story. Moreover, Zhang Han plays a domineering CEO yet again in the latter after doing so in Here To Heart and Boss & Me.
My Verdict
I can’t give a score for this One Boat, One World review as I didn’t finish watching it and it wouldn’t be fair to do so when I have only completed about a third of the whole drama. But I can tell you that it is a little different from the usual productions. Different characters are introduced as passengers for different voyages. The leads will then get entangled in their lives and problems due to the nature of their jobs. So, to a certain extent, these cases will need to be interesting in order to carry the drama all the way through. Up to Episode 14, this part of the drama is not exactly boring but it lacks the intensity to make you really hooked. If it did, perhaps I could have overlooked the female character’s weaknesses and carry on watching.
I think One Boat, One World could have been a highly watchable drama with the beautiful sceneries, top cruise liner, and refreshing theme. It is just a pity that the producers have marred it with a badly written female character. I guess you could try watching a few episodes and see if the female lead resonates with you if you are a big Zhang Han or Claudia Wang fan. Otherwise, I would say forget this drama and pick something else to watch instead.
Oh, one last thing before I end my One Boat, One World review. This drama has an element of racism being depicted. It stereotypes Westerners as racist which I think is unnecessary. I know racism happens in real life but the way it is projected in the drama is just overdone. It feels forced rather than being smoothly blended into the story if it is indeed integral to the plot. Overall, One Boat, One World just falls drastically short for an enjoyable watch.
Note - I shouldn't be giving ratings without watching them fully . It's just I'll be never able to post this without giving ratings . So , I'm gonna be just throw some random numbers at the ratng section .
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I boycotted this drama
First of all, I want to apologize for picking this drama as my target…The problems with many Chinese dramas, it has a tendencies of promoting propaganda and racism…it is soooo unnecessary.
When I was growing up, I remembered….. the drug dealers, the prostitutes, the idiots are stereotyped and played by foreigners……..after all these years, it still haven’t changed.
This drama started out with this westerner disregarded and betrayed Ding Kai because he was Chinese, followed by another panels of Foreigners saying he was not fit for the job and unable to make competence decisions also because he was Chinese???????……
Will implicating how horrific foreigners? enhance and promote the dispositions of the Chinese? Does the scrip writers have an inferiority complex? Does criticizing non Chinese makes this a better drama?
I am proud Chinese myself. I would like to see a better methods other than using belittlements, because the results, it only humiliated ourselves. We can do better than that.
I would like to enjoy a simple series without all this complexities.
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A drama to watch only if you are a Han Zhang's fan and have patience!
I won't hide that I watched this drama for the CL because I really like these two actors: Han Zhang and Claudia Wang.The context of the cruise liners is interesting and unusual (I feared a Chinese version of "The Fun Cruise", but it's far from it). The situation is well described: we can discover all the background of cruises, the (sometimes complicated) relationships within the crew, the technical constraints, the challenges of the cruise market, etc. A important place is given to this aspect, on the screen.
To enhance these interesting but not always attractive aspects, there is the romance between a sailing executive and a tourist guide. The chief seaman (the ML) is masterfully performed by Han Zhang. His character is charismatic and allows Han Zhang to demonstrate the full extent of his talent. Claudia Wang's character is on this other hand, a bit ridiculous. The FL (supposed to be a young woman of 24), kind, full of good will, but stupid and eternally hesitant. This character quickly becomes unbearable with her uncertainties, her permanent inertia. We end up wondering what the ML can find in her!
The rest of the cast is very good and the characters (especially CL2 and CL3) are well developed and endearing (more so than FL :( )
The production is too slow and sometimes too detailed. I admit that I zapped sometimes.
MAIN DEFECTS: POOR SCREENWRITER :( :(
* unlikely situations:
= cruise liner coming to rescue a container ship in the middle of a typhoon? a helicopter in the typhoon? seriously ?
= a runaway kid messing up all the boat?
= 40 passengers still visible (no more out of 4000 passengers announced),
= Marseille seen as a village of 2000 inhabitants? A plainclothes cop who fines a pedestrian who wants to cross at a red light?? :) :),
etc
* unsuitable and unbearable FL character (and yet I love the actress...)
* the "racism towards Asians" bias in the maritime environment is much too obvious!! Westerners are seen as the bad guys, ready to do anything to win, corrupt, etc. A little too manichean :(
TL;DR : it would be good if the scriptwriters knew the countries they were describing (or did some real documentary research) before writing anything... :( :( :(
OST:
The generic has a little air of "Titanic" :) Quite nice overall.
Conclusion: a drama to watch if you are a fan of Han Zhang and have patience!
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Je ne vous cache pas que j'ai regardé ce drama pour le CL car j'aime beaucoup ces deux acteurs :Han Zhang et Claudia Wang.
Le cadre des paquebots de croisière est intéressant et inhabituel (je craignais une version chinoise de "La croisière s'amuse", mais on en est loin). Le contexte est bien décrit : on découvre tous les arrière-plan des croisières, les relations (parfois compliquées) au sein de l'équipage, les contraintes techniques, les enjeux du marché des croisières, etc. Une place très importante est donnée à cet aspect, à l'écran.
Pour agrémenter ces aspects intéressants mais pas toujours attractifs, il y a la romance entre un cadre navigant et une guide touristique. Le cadre navigant (le ML) est magistralement interprété par Han Zhang. Le personnage est charismatique et permet à Han Zhang de démontrer toute l'étendue de son talent. Claudia Wang est moins bien servie. La FL (censée être une jeune femme de 24 ans), gentille, pleine de bonne volonté, mais stupide et éternellement hésitante. Ce personnage devient vite insupportable avec ses incertitudes, son inertie permanente. On finit par se demander ce que le ML peut bien lui trouver !
Le reste du casting est très bon et les personnages (notamment le CL2 et le CL3) sont bien développés et attachants (plus que la FL :( )
La réalisation est un peu lente et parfois trop détaillée. J'avoue que j'ai fait du zapping sur certains passages.
DEFAUTS: POOR SCREENWRITER :( :(
* situations invraisemblables :
= paquebot de croisière qui vient secourir porte-container en plein typhon ? un hélico dans le typhon ? sérieux ?
= gamin en fuite qui met le bazar sur le bateau ?
= 40 passagers toujours visibles (pas plus sur 6000 passagers annoncés),
= Marseille vu comme un village de 2000 habitants Un flic en civil qui met une amende à 1 piéton qui veut traverser au feu rouge ?? :) :),
etc.
* caractère de la FL inadapté et insupportable (et pourtant j'adore l'actrice...)
* le parti pris "racisme envers les asiatiques" dans le milieu maritime est beaucoup trop flagrant !! Les occidentaux sont vus comme les bad guys, prêts à tout pour gagner, corrompus, etc. Un peu trop manichéen :(
BREF : ce serait bien que les scénaristes connaissent les pays qu'ils décrivent (ou fassent des vraies recherches documentaires) avant d'écrire n'importe quoi... :( :( :(
OST :
générique qui a un petit air de "Titanic" :) Assez sympa dans l'ensemble.
Conclusion : un drama à regarder si vous êtes un fan de Han Zhang et que vous avez de la patience !
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