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It is more than an e-sport drama
TL;DR version: This is an amazing drama. A must watch. One caveat; if you hate gaming or e-sport then give it a miss.The long version: this drama combined two fully realised dramas into one. What is even more impressive is that it was an ensemble cast of well over ten leading characters. All those characters were three dimensional and acting was great and on point.
With such a complex and interwoven plot there were definitely issues but the show just took you on such a rollercoaster ride that you just hung on tight and enjoyed it.
The promise of the main plot is some kind of temporal anomaly that linked the lives of two crossfire game players, one lived in 2008 while the other in 2020. To help identify the two parallel plots, I'll refer to one as -08 while the other as -20.
First we must address the elephant in the room. If you are concerned about the butterfly effect or time paradox then be assured that the show took a bazooka to them and walked all over their ashes. The show used the time anomaly as a convenient plot device whenever they see fit. All kinds of time shenanigans happened but they all seemed to have minimal impact to the timelines or the world as a whole. Just tell your cognitive functions to go on a paid vacation.
As I mentioned earlier, with such a complex plot(s), there were issues which you can either take umbrage or just shrug your shoulders. The perfect example was the recovery of ML-08 from a prolonged illness. Totally unrealistic but they had to take that route or the show will grind to a halt. Ditto, 2ML-20 which was all nicely set up as a love triangle for OTP-20 and he just disappeared after a couple of episodes. See memo re cognitive functions.
On the whole the 2008 timeline was better written and acted. It just felt more raw and gritty. It started fast and furious and didn't let up until the halfway mark. The 2020 storyline was more like a youth drama with a hint of "The King's Avatar". It could have formed the basis of a standalone c-drama if they wanted. It was well told and well acted but paled in comparison with the 2008 storyline. The 2020 ensemble was still strong but felt a bit cookie cutter (the cosplayer was a standout).
Around the 20's episodes mark, it did turn very dark and the various plots took a breather while the writer sort things out so that the two timeline can meld into one stream in 2021. A lot of the personal relationships were resolved and cemented around then.
Speaking of relationships, there are three key pairings, one in '08 and two in 2020. They all grew organically and didn't steal the limelight from the main plots. Unsurprisingly, I found the romance of 2OTP-20 was more engaging and funny and they were allowed more latitude with their courtship with several really funny moments while in game. However, having said that, the kiss of the OTP-08 in ep.33 was one of the best c-drama kiss, ever. The penned up longing and passion was overflowing and it was so natural. Swoon.
Speaking of funny moments, it was very clever of the show to use a mix of in-game graphics but more importantly, have the real actors dress up as their game characters and do the fight scenes. There were some tense moments but some of the funniest scenes were done in that alternative game world. Look for ML-08 teaching the FL-08 the game and the bromance scenes later on. Classic, totally classic. I won't be surprised if they recreated some championship games as they were really good matches.
The villain of the piece was also done well. I am a bit tired of the tropey hidden mastermind or Psycho killer with questionable motives. The show's villain suffered a chain of events that got him deeper and deeper into trouble. He was nasty and despicable in the end but you went on that dark ride with him and can empathise.
Kudos also goes to the writer for putting ML-20 in a wheelchair. As a gamer myself, I have been fascinated by the idea that online games are the ultimate leveller when a disabled person can live a full life in a virtual world without hindrance nor discriminations. Ditto giving real gamers cameos and showing photos of past greats in the end credit.
One small gripe is the last 7 mins of the show skipped ahead 5 years but you don't feel anything has changed and there was no obvious character developments. The show hinted is that everyone just cruised along for 5 years which is unrealistic (not even their hairstyle?). After making so much effort to make the timelines feel authentic, those last few minutes just felt out of place. If they have done a 1 year skip and gave us an update on the team/individuals then it would have been a more satisfying conclusion and gave us closures.
OST was good. A mix of battle music, love songs and incidental music. High production value all round.
In conclusion, I suppose I am a bit biased but even if you tone down the gaming side, it is still a good drama. Definitely recommended.
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Great Plot and certainly worth watching every single one of them
Wow! Superb drama! Indeed it's on that deserves perfect rating! There were tears, suspense, love, brotherhood, so many themes all in just this one drama series of 36 episodes!GREAT PLOT with great characters. Leo Wu and Lu Han did excellently with their acting....I genuinely cried deeply during some scenes. Im proud there were some scenes in my home country too. Thank you producers for picking us.... never expect SG laws to allow speed driving and police chase on the roads. :-D! and you will NEVER get restaurant fights like what they did to Lu Xiaobei here... :-D!
Worth watching! Definitely Drama of the Year (2020!).
A worthy quote to I learnt to remember:
"For one to be successful you have to trust that the impossible can happen"
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Must Watch: CRAZY Good E-sports, friendship, time travel crime thriller
Yes. E-sports, friendship, comedy, romance, slice of life, crime, time travel, revenge thriller.I think that says it all. I went in with zero expectations and ended up pretty much binging the series because it was SO good. If the King's Avatar, any Sports Drama, Signal and Reply 1988 had a baby, that would be Cross Fire. This show has a little bit of everything and one of the most satisfying final episodes you'll ever see. Everything is really well done:-
Big props to Xu Su, the screenwriter. The script cleverly flips between past and present, connected by a mythical "gaming" bridge across time, that enables our 2 main protagonists to meet, learn about and become friends with each other, all the while trying to "change" fate. The situations, the gaming, the relationships and character development are all very well done, the editing is seamless and by the end of the show we pretty much love everyone except for the main baddie, who is shockingly revealed one third into the show, but I can't even hate him as much as I want to because I understand where he came from and why he did what he did. Good writing, great villain.
The actors and actresses give their all and all the performances are solid. There is fun, there are feelings, there are friendships so real that I wish I had friends like this too. Xiao Feng/7 played by the handsome Lu Han is sweet and righteous, his friendship with Lu XiaoBei/North played by the equally handsome Leo Wu is a natural bromance. An Lan (Cecilia Boey) gives the best "new gamer" comedy ever seen on screen. Chu Ge (Dai Lu Wa) moved me by reading just one letter. And that one kiss. Ooooh boy, that was a good, long, juicy kiss. A Great kiss. Approved! The acting is so good that I cried MULTIPLE times in this series, because I got emotional (especially at that reunion, wow).
Let's not forget the stellar soundtrack, OP and ED are each sung by one of the 2 main leads. Then there's "Pure Heart Of Chasing Dreams" By Gala. The message is there are people willing to sacrifice their youth for a dream, going through all kinds of heartbreak and adversity, proudly fighting, to live the life THEY want, rather than one that will make them unhappy. That's inspiring, profound and uplifting all at the same time. Because who among us hasn't given up 1 or 2 dreams in their lifetime, and still has regrets? (Besides me).
I could write many more paragraphs about how Crazy Good the show is. The pacing is great, there's almost no fillers, things move fast. Acting, sets, special effects, costumes and ACTION choreography are fantastic. The funny parts are hilarious. The emotional ones make you cry. It was fresh, new, appealing, intriguing and entertaining. This show has something for everyone. Please, go watch it!!
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Definitely one of the best dramas I've ever watched. Also the best one this half of the year.
At first I truly didn't put so much hope or expectations on this drama. It looks like a normal drama about gaming. I expected that at the end, despite all of the obstacles the protagoinst may have, they will win the game anyway.But after completing it, that wasn't really the point.
The scriptwriter(s), director(s) and even the actors/actresses treated the characters in the story just like normal human beings. There must relationship with parents, friends, or even romantic partners. What I like the most about Crossfire is, that it wasn't too focused to the game plot (their journey to win the competition), but also to deal with their daily life, maintaining good relationships with the closest ones, how to balancing your normal life and gaming time, how to grow while still remember to being a good person, and how to teach the audiences about so much values in life.
This drama contains a lot of comedy that can make me laughing to tears, even rolling on my bed. All of the bromance scenes, although some of them make me cringed so bad, but also satisfying and laughing-worthy.
But at the same time, it makes me suffer emotionally. In just one episode, after a few minutes of laughing, I was then faced with a sad and heartbreaking scenes. But the drama really could balanced between comedy and serious or heartwrenching scenes.
(SPOILER)
The only thing that hinder me from giving it a higher rating was the Sci-Fi parts. About 'that' problematic game. Even tho it doesn't fully affect the whole story, but I think they could've done it better.
ANYWAY. A BRILLIANT DRAMA. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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Unexpected gem delivering an interwoven storyline, nail-biting climax and characters you root for
SHOCK AND SURPRISE! This one was an unexpected find that delivered everything I wanted and more. It had a solid storyline that had two timelines sophisticatedly interwoven with each other and that intersected at perfect moments. The mini climaxes spaced throughout the drama were tense, suspenseful and full of thrill. I felt invested in the characters and their vendettas and dreams. The overall story arched well intermixing sci-fi elements, space and time dimensions, tad bit of horror and major dark/evil vibes. But it also had the clever humour between characters, a really motivational and inspiring message of never giving up on one’s dreams and friendship that perseveres through the tests. I came in not expecting much, only being a big fan of e-sports dramas, and was pleasantly surprised with this hidden gem. Worth the watch, 36 episodes will fly by!STORY
I will flag I am not a sci-fi fan, but this drama had the perfect dose of it. It was founded on the sci-fi element of being able to communicate across time. But beside that, it told two distinct (yet very cleverly interlinked) stories, following the lives of two e-sport gamers Xiao Feng in 2009 and Lu Xiao Bei in 2019. I loved seeing the two get to know each other initially from disbelief to genuine friendship and camaraderie, by the end they had such a precious and trusting friendship I loved seeing that progress through the storyline. The two stories though set in different time periods with different challenges, they both floated messages of never giving up in the face of hardship and failure. I loved seeing them pursue their dreams regardless of the never ending spew of obstacles e.g. age, money, pressures from family, disability.
The story was tightly crafted. The mystery was woven through and wasn’t fully revealed until the final moments though hinted at continuously throughout the story. The romances were a nice side dish and rounded up the character development and interaction. And I loved the range of the supporting character cast. Surrounding each protagonist, we had a bunch of lovable distinct side characters who accompanied the protagonist through thick and thin.
I loved being immersed into the gaming world of Cross Fire. I would have love more explanation on the game rules though, and how exactly the point system works. That was never fully explained so I was left unsure during the competitions on who was winning/how many points they needed to win. The live role play of the game worked really well and felt realistic. Loved the costumes and effects and general cinematography of the gaming world.
Overall, very well crafted storyline that delivered on what was promised. Contained elements of everything you want in a good drama, with nothing too overly cliché or predictable. I feel like a lot of thought was given to the storyline and how they wanted the two characters to intersect and at what moments.
ACTING/CAST
Both new actors for me, I had never seen them in anything before. But I liked the casting and thought they did really well in their roles. Lu Han really sold the role for me and I thought really encapsulated the character of Xiao Feng, a determined and headstrong yet kind and supportive leader. He had very strong morals and that reflected throughout the whole drama in his actions and speech. The only thing I would say is the whole time I was begging him to get a hair cut hahah, you'll know what I mean when you see him. I felt Leo Wu was still fleshing out his character and lacked the emotional side that I was craving, but he did the humour and banter very well and I liked seeing his gaming face.
Our whole supporting character cast was amazing and did their job. Love interests were different, yet displayed similar characteristics. Our Big Bad did really well and gave off amazing dark and evil vibes, that I loved seeing how they progressed to that stage.
Music was subpar, fit the moments, but nothing too special. Pure heart of Chasing Dream by Gala Band was a great song, slightly alternative, but really helped build up important moments and just worked in that weird way.
Definitely worth rewatching again from beginning to end. I think I would skip the darker scenes, they did get a bit intense at times.
Cross Fire definitely hit harder than I thought it would and left an impression I was not expecting to find in this drama. I purely picked it up because I am fascinated/obsessed with e-sports dramas and have literally watched every e-sport Chinese drama there is. The way the story was crafted and the two timelines working so well together makes the drama's selling point. Majorly recommend if you're looking for something new and fresh. This definitely strayed away from your typical Chinese drama. Though be warned, it does get dark and they do deal with some serious topics and themes, but of course it's interlayered with light-hearted and really laugh out loud moments. Keen to hear your thoughts as always!! xx
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GREAT
ok so, if ill start stating all reasons why its amazing it will be too long and no one will read/watch it which is not my goal. Most cdramas that i have watched are all romcoms and i really wanted smth different and found this. OMGGGGG it was AMAZING ,BREATH-TAKING ,FASCINATING its just a MASTERPIECE. You will get a whole mix of feelings, you'll cry, you'll laugh, you'll scream, you'll smile, you'll be shaking. Emotional scenes. I was never a fan of e-sports and i have never played so i was a bit unsure that id like it but honestly that didn't change a thing! Just give it a chance. The plot is juicy and the whole cdrama has a flow. Yes sure, maybe you wont like it at first 2 episodes neither did I , just once you get into it once you become related to the characters you will watch 24/7 . Theres a whole lot of genres. Theres very stressful moments and all these turning points are what will make you want to continue it. The characters and their personalities are all different and are portrayed very well. And ofc if anyone a kpop fan Lu han plays the main role and he did a GREAT job as well as Leo wu. UwU. PPL WATCH IT!! There's a whole lot of plot tiwsts and mystery. The whole idea of this cdrama is unique and is executed professionallly, no lame scenes nothing. I don't wanna spoil anything so ill just shut up here. But i love it and so will u. ughhhh. The nice thing is that we get a point of view from all the characters .The characters are all lovable ( nearly all) and there are a lot of messages you get from it. Follow your dreams, dont give up, determination, power of friendship......... accompanied by a powerful OST.Was this review helpful to you?
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U guys must watch it
This show is quite good, I thought it would be all about esports but it’s more content heavy about the process of them going to success. This show content sci-fi which is still quite interesting for me as I don’t really like sci-fi show.This show is quite realistic for sci-fi show. Would highly recommend it.
Spoilers:
This show is about Luhan and leo leaving in 2 different generation, being able to interact with each other thru the game. Leo wu got into a car accident when he was young so he wanted luhan to stop the accident. However, despite skipping his semi final competition to help Leo, he didn’t manage to stop the accident. In the end, Luhan team won the competition, with his friend cheating in the last competition, which he didnt attend. Luhan found out and reported his friend, and his team lost the champion title, however fought their way to another major competition and won the champion.
In 2020, Leo and his team face many challenges on their way to success, their team disband, no one supported them and many more. However, they fought their way and represented China to a major competition, they got in the semi final, wining japan. However they lost to the final team due to leo being injured. Before the semi final, Leo team went out to eat supper, and got attack. Leo hand got hammered and needed to go for a surgery. They won the Japan team at the last second. Meanwhile, Luhan just woke up from a 11 years coma, cause by his friend who cheated in the competition. Luhan and his friend went into a game, where his friend knew that there was a bug in the game which can cause luhan to die. Leo tried to ask luhan friend to stop it but didn’t manage to do it. However after 11 years, luhan team mate round the machine 11 years ago and leo went into the game again, to save luhan out.
In the end luhan woke up from a 11 years coma and became Leo team coach. Leo in the end became china national team esports leader.
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BEST ACTING PERFORMANCES by both Lu Han and Leo Wu
Wow...This is one of the very few greatest modern dramas of 2020.
From episode 1 to episode 36, there are no fillers and no boring moments. Each actor and actress play their roles to perfection.
By far, BEST ACTING PERFORMANCES by both Lu Han and Leo Wu.
Their synergy, their chemistry and their bromance resonate through the scene.
The integration of life-actions in the CGI’s fighting sequence scenes are amazing... And very well directed.
I am utterly impressed by the storyline and I am not even an avid fan of e-sports concepts.
Spoiler Alerts:
- Very realistic ending; which made this new concept very successful.
- The romance blossomed for both male leads.
Lu Han impressed me with his “rated R... abilities.” I am not going to lie; I am still shocked...
And Leo Wu’s romance was sweet, charming and so adorable. Fyi, his love interest (portrayed by Dai Lu Wa) was just as interesting as his character. Surprisingly, she was not annoying or obnoxious as it is “the norms” for most female leads in asian dramas...
- Both male leads met in the past and in the present.
*The general consensus:
“Cross Fire 2020” is a MUST watch this year.
Right now, there is not an e-sports drama concept out there that can surpass it, yet.
Personally, I am waiting for “Falling Into Your Smile 2020”with Xu Kai aka Xuxu for a comparative match.
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Against all odds! GOAT of esports dramas!
Years later this is STILL The best esports drama & I am not even into esports!But to fully enjoy the drama, you'll need to:
1. Don't think too much into the plot holes with the time travel.
2. Don't think too much with the "sensationalism" of against all commonsense healing process. It's "insta recovery" to make the drama continue.
3. Rushed dramatic development of Xiao Bei's team. Too quick to conflict & too quick to resolve.
GOAT:
1. Casting. The actors all did a great job. You'll definitely feel the rollercoaster of emotions.
2. Greatest characters. Very few dramas have this number of enjoyable characters. Even supporting characters are given plenty of personality. There are NO filler moments with uninteresting conversations or extra characters.
3. Plenty of Humor and it's mixed with subtle, sarcastic & OTP kind. There are multiple characters that provide so much humor. I can't count the # of times I laughed so hard. I can't list them all, but I find myself rewatching:
When An Lan first went into Video game world and Seven was trying to teach her
The crazy hospital when they went into rescue A Ming and found 24K
Seven went into the game to apologize to DW
S+1 's a million cosplay outfits and they were the best!
Hair guy waking up in the hospital's dialogue.
4. Story/script. Great story telling with magic editing. I love how the gamers becomes the actual characters in the game.
5. Friendships/Bromance/Love interest. All the relationships are quite beautiful.
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Exceeds my expectations
During a lull period in my life, I decided to pick this up from my watchlist due to its esports genre. Honestly, I did not have high hopes for it due to the comments on Lu Han's acting in other shows. But this show really BLEW ME AWAY. The slight fantasy part and the romance was secondary, what I really loved was the team spirit and love between the members of both teams. Both male leads were fighting for their dreams, backed by a great team. Even small nobodies can also make it big. Although there was a sudden plot twist with Lu Han's character and his best friend, I still found the entire story overall to be superb. Lu Han exceeded my expectations while Wu Lei performed well as expected. OST was also great, esp this song 梦寐之地 by Lu Han. I suggest everyone to give this a try.Was this review helpful to you?
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Entertaining Enough (So Far)...
I first heard about this series due to someone posting it in a BL subreddit page. This caught my attention due to its bromance theme. I wonder if it was adapted from a BL novel like The Untamed and they changed the BL relationship to a bromance. I've never seen esports portrayed in film yet, so it's cool being introduced to it via Cross Fire. Entertaining enough to keep my attention though I'm not entirely sure if I will finish the series due to it being 36 episodes long. Unsure if I'm willing to commit that much time for a bromance series centered in a world that doesn't particularly interest me (being a non-gamer myself). Interesting enough to keep my attention while watching, but not interesting enough to keep watching. And since only the first 2 episodes are available in English subtitles, I don’t think that I will continue...Was this review helpful to you?
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Un des meilleurs e-sport drama
Je suis une ex-gamers, je suis donc naturellement attirée par ce genre de drama. Depuis "King's avatar" qui a été un vrai coup de coeur et un marathon intense je ne pensais pas voir un autre drama de ce genre qui serait un autre coup de coeur.Ma note est maximale. Par ce que j'ai ri. joyeusement. Par ce que j'ai vibré. intensément. Par ce que j'ai pleuré. Par ce que Lu Han.
Un drama que j'ai dévoré en 1 semaine. Cela aurait pu être plus court si mon mari et mes deux ados ne m'avaient rejoint. Et c'est pour dire. Mes deux ados de 10 et 13 ans sont resté scotchés alors qu'ils sont loin, très loin d'être bilingue en chinois ou anglais.
L'histoire est prenante dès le départ, le concept est original. La rencontre entre Xiao Feng et Xiao Bai nous a fait battre le coeur, et leur histoire d'amitié qui défit le temps est magnifique. Les romances, les 3, ne sont pas en reste. Elles ne débordent pas sur la trame principale et sont adroitement parsemées tout le long du drama. Elles sont adorables et plus d'une fois nous nous surprenons à sourire bêtement et à rire aux éclats. Les relations sont habilement construites et nous adorons les voir grandir et rêver sans faille tous ensemble, je parle de la 1 coin team et de la continue team. Car de qui est incroyable, ce que je ne trouve pas souvent, c'est qu'on s'attache à TOUS les personnages. Du passé et du présent. Et Dieu que ce fut bon de les voir TOUS à la fin. Ils grandissent, mûrissent, échouent et gagnent ensemble. Leur histoire d'amitié est indéniablement de celle qui font bouger des montagnes.
j'ai particulièrement aimé ce time travelling. Bien sûr, cela reste de la science fiction et je n'oserais pas dire que cela est parfaitement et logiquement écrit. Peu m'importe. J'ai adoré. Et j'attendais moi même ce moment avec impatience où Xiao Feng et Xiao Bai se connectaient pour se parler. J'ai adoré leur complicité grandissante. leur confiance. Leur loyauté. Mon ado de 13 ans s'est exclamé plus d'une fois " si seulement ils pouvaient être mes potes!" .
Les scènes d'actions sans être aussi incroyable et intense que dans "King's avatar" étaient intéressantes et originales. J'ai vraiment aimé ce concept de les voir réellement évoluer dans le jeu. Cela ne m'a pas vraiment dérangé de ne pas voir autant de scène d'action, je pense que le drama tourne principalement autour de la construction des personnages, de ce qu'ils traversent.
La bande son est vraiment bonne et certaine chanson comme celle chanté par Lu Han apporte une grande dimension au drama, on est immergé dans le jeu en même temps qu'eux.
En fin de compte, nous avons bien cette impression d'appartenir à leur groupe d'ami, et ce fut avec beaucoup de tristesse que nous avons vu arriver la fin de ce petit bijou.
Le jeu d'acteur n'a rien à envier aux coréens. Vraiment. Nous ressentons intensément leur tristesse et leur joie. Et puis Lu Han. Il est incroyable....Je l'avais découvert dans "sweet combat" mais il ne m'avait pas marqué particulièrement. Et dans "Cross Fire", il m'a bluffé et transporté dans son monde avec une telle facilité. Mon ado aurait souhaité que Xiao Feng soit réel. Et moi aussi ^^
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