The writing/direction/production team all paid close attention to detail and crafted both scenes and sets with clues and forshadowing that make it the perfect sort of show to rewatch.
For anyone who is into story analysis, it struck me in the closing scenes that they wrote a Hero's Journey into a romance plot (not along side it, but literally, the romance IS a hero's journey), which is really something amazing. I can't say I've ever seen it before. So, I feel like it's not hyperbole when people say this is the best show they've ever watched. It's pretty amazing.
(Original review written around episode 8 below):
There's so much going on in this series that I love. The writing is tight, well paced, and presents at the same time a fascinating puzzle of a time travel story; a deep reflection on grieving; a thriller-type murder-mystery; and a double romantic comedy, played out in different timelines. It is genuinely a cross-genre show, so don't go in expecting pure comedy OR pure drama.
The acting is fantastic. I have always thought Alice Ke was an exceptional actress and she's not disappointing here. I liked Greg Hsu in Love Storm, and he's even better in this. The whole cast is great, but these two really shine. Directing. It's brilliant. Together, the writing and directing are letting the mystery of the time travel as well as the murder unfold in a way that raises new questions as it answers old ones. The directing includes so many little details that not only draw us into the mystery of the time travel, but hint at the more overarching explanation of what is happening. There are nice little symbolisms, like the red earbuds that the leads share at times, which creates a red thread linking them. There are also many conversations and dreams that we see early on that take on new meaning as the story unfolds, giving a sense that all the details matter... there's no filler here.
There are some more ambiguous symbols as well. There's some significant representations of enclosure and separation/isolation. These could represent grief and loss, which is a major theme in the drama, but they take on additional potential meaning in terms of what is really happening... that there is loss, grief, and perhaps the potential to heal or even change the past is a given. But what isn't given is that what we see is the actual story; many of the symbols reinforce the sense of fragmented reality that the female lead experiences in both her grief and her early experience of time travel.
For example, the "broken audio/video" shifts between scenes, especially with time travel, play into the fact that in the first few episodes the transition from an ordinary story about living with grief to a supernatural story about time travel/fate is started by the use of technology, once to find a "doppleganger" and the second time to use virtual reality to "reunite" with the lost love. While nothing much is made of this (and as of the 8th episode, it hasn't become a factor), these sorts of hints are beautifully done. They make it harder to guess the overarching explanation while at the same time they work on their own. That is, if it turns out that they were never anything more than a couple of scenes in the first few episodes and had nothing to do with the over-arching story, they still work. They aren't just red-herrings to obscure the truth, they are integral moments in the character development and plot that *could* mean more.
Long story short: it's fabulous, and given how well done it is so far, I'd really be surprised if it stopped being fabulous.
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don't blink
This screenplay has to have the most diverse story line I have ever watched in an Asian drama. The story twists and turns from present to past to present and has strong story lines for supporting characters in addition to the the two main leads, who are actually four different people themselves (two each). This drama is only on episode 8 but is revealing some pretty heavy secrets already. The writer wittingly keeps us guessing the true identity of the two leads, especially the male. They both have a pseudo identity who is a mix of past and present identities. There are many deep topics covered in the drama such as same sex attraction, suicide and murder. The murder has not happened in real time as of yet and the culprit has not been truly revealed only suggested. There is innuendo at every turn but I have learned not to take anything for granted. If you like mystery, romance, time travel, teen love, and a complicated plot, you will enjoy this one. I am so in love with the main OST as well. The song Last Dance by China Blue is the vehicle that spurs the time travel by the way, but this is not realized until episode 8 by the actors. Alice Ke and Greg Han are both adorable in this at times. I have to say that although it is deep frequently, do not give up on it after a couple of episodes. It gets better and better. As you can see I am totally enjoying this drama so far. I do have a bit of trepidation of how it is going to end though. Of course, I always hope for a happy ending. But, no mater I am loyal until the end! I am watching it on Vikiupdate! I just finished episode 13 without subtitles and let us just say, I didn't see that coming. I am so in love with this couple and their romance! They left it open ended so that there could be a season two which would be a dream come true. Pun intended! Wow! I just finished watching this drama and I feel no written review can do it justice, simply because the level of writing in this drama is the best I have ever seen. It can not compare with my little review. The plot is so in depth. It has so many layers that twist and turn and often overlap that it is difficult at times to sort it all out! But you do in the end! The plot revolves around the two main characters, which actually are four (two each) as well as a well developed second layer of active characters whose roles are recurring. The four main characters are played by Greg Han and Alice Ke, each playing double roles. The romance factor is a 10 and the mystery/suspense factor is also a 10. I guarantee once you begin watching, you will not be able to stop until the end so plan accordingly! This no light drama. The plot includes murder, suicides, a love triangle and even a wonderful second lead. The music became my favorite song as well. There are some sexual undertones so this is not recommended for younger viewers. A 10 overall. I will not give away the ending! But, lets just say, I didn't see that one coming! This is a hidden jewel! I can see it becoming a cult classic in the future!
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An essay about an unforgettable journey.
I’m not gonna lie, I hyped myself quite a lot while watching. I heard how complicated and mindblowing of a ride the show is, and how hard it is to predict the twists, I thought of it as a challenge. And a challenge it was - frustrating in the best way possible.The issue with mystery shows is, they are either painfully predictable, or unpredictable to the point of randomness, when there is no point in trying to figure things out yourself, because the writers never give enough hints to make it happen. Someday or One Day is a hidden gem that was able to both deliver enough information I could somehow puzzle the pieces together and form my own theories, while keeping the mystery alive. A miracle most shows are unable to achieve.
It’s truly a masterfully crafted time travel, and I always have some issues with time travel stories. Me saying it’s good is a statement I never thought I would make about a time related story. With all the time lines, all the crossed paths and changes to the events, nothing was lost, nothing was contradicting, nothing felt out of place.
What is even more surprising, the plot itself is truly not that complex if you strip all the time travel aspects away. It’s a tale of loneliness, friendship, sacrifice and love. It was like a labyrinth that had an entrance and exit point right next to each other. Simple story presented in a complex and enticing way. While the core of the show were the characters and their relationships, I do believe it was more plot than character driven overall.
Was everything about the plot perfect? No. I do believe the psychiatrist's time traveling was one time travel too much and that arc was borderline makjang material. At the same time I accept that without it, it would be impossible to deliver the same conclusion to the story, which, after I slept on it, I found actually fitting and strangely beautiful.
Since it was not simply time travel, but actually body migration, I was disappointed how it was never truly a topic of conversation. How the characters never stopped to truly think about how morally questionable it is to live in someone else’s body. It was briefly mention at the end after Yun Ru’s suicide, but it was not enough for me.
I do believe some sequences are unnecessarily put in incorrect, non linear order, just to make the viewer more confused, when I felt the story was confusing enough without it. Yes, it all came together at the end, it is still a fact that at times I felt like I needed to start writing notes to make sure I can keep up with the story.
The last 3 episodes are something that is hard for me to make a judgment on. While I was not thrilled watching them, since the tone shifted from tight mystery to personal drama, after some consideration, they were necessary to give the show closure. As much as it was a love story, it was also a journey to acceptance of the loss.
Huang Yu Xuan was a character desperate to find her lost lover, to go back to the blissful days they shared. She was not able to heal from her loss, so when the opportunity arose to fix the future she could not accept - she took it. And yet, all that was futile and by the end, she had to accept she cannot produce the future she wants without hurting other people. I found her decision to destroy the tape brave and selfless. Not only did she give up reuniting with the love of her life (as she could not truly be sure they will be able to find each other in the future), she also gave up all the precious memories she had with him - all to keep the people she learned to care about alive.
It is true that she had faith that they would find each other, but she could not be sure about it. She took a chance, gave up the control over the events and put her trust in the connection they had, that was able to overcome countless setbacks.
Then we have Li Zi Wei. While I did find him adorable, dedicated, dreamy and perfect in all boyfriend type of ways, I did think he as an individual character did not have much to offer. Someday or One Day is his love story, but he does not really exist outside of it like the rest of the characters. And it makes it hard for me to truly talk about him, because there is not that much to address. He survived years of pain with the hope of reuniting with Yu Xuan. His love for her was deep. And yet, somehow I craved any scenes that were not connected with Yu Xuan, for example his friendship with Jun Jie. Things that would make him more than just Yu Xuan soulmate, lover, 2nd half.
The 3rd of the trio friends - Jun Jie. The character that was the hardest to read and one that left the most space for viewers interpretation. Was his love for Yun Ru based on his desire to save her? Or was he interested in her because he thought they were similar, could potentially understand each other? Personally, I found him to be one of the more heartbreaking characters. He made so much effort and yet it was inevitable he would be hurt by the end. All the tweaks to the timelines, all the changes and attempts to make things better, and yet he was always the one to suffer the consequences. I’m honestly happy that by the end of the show his life got back to normal and it was no longer affected by the two main characters trying to find each other and create the future they desperately wanted.
Talking about the characters, I cannot ignore both Chen Yun Ru and Wang Quan Sheng. First of all, justice for the boy. He got nothing from it. He suffered alive, got his body used by a lovesick guy after his death, and by the end of it all, his future was not affected in any positive way, he still ended up taking his own life. How much he was used in this scenario is honestly quite sad.
Chen Yun Ru had a little bit more agency. We get to know her more, understand her struggles on more than a surface level. She gets her 2nd chance and hopefully learns how to heal. Sadly, I find her story to be both hopeful and questionable with the presentation.
I am not sure how I feel about her change of heart at the end. Someone with such deep psychological issues getting better after hearing “manage your expectations” seems just silly. The vague message makes sense, don’t get me wrong. Many people are unhappy with their lives as they don’t see and don’t appreciate the things they have, fixating on things they want, but cannot achieve. And when their expectations are not met, they become even more unsure of themselves and unsatisfied with their lives. The issue is, Yun Ru was not just a gloomy and pessimistic girl who had issues making friends. Depression is not something you can easily change by fixing your mindset, and she was depressed. She tried to kill herself, and asked to be killed. So the idea that the few lines from Yu Xuan made such a huge difference felt flat.
I also feel like the message was quite conflicting. On one hand we were told her suicide was the result of the judgmental society who tried to changed her to match their expectations, the idea that whatever she did, it was never enough, because people did not accept her for who she was. But then they end her arc with the idea that it’s her who had to fix her expectations, not the society's approach towards people who do not meet the “norm”. So which one is it?
Time to talk about the glorious performances. Ko Chia Yen amazed me. Being able to deliver a believable portrayal of not only 2 characters, but in different stages of their life, making sure the small changes of approach and personalities make sense, making sure Yun Ru and Yu Xuan truly feel like two different people - she achieved it all.
Greg Hsu Li Zi Wei was painfully beautiful. The striking difference between his take on the teenage boy with cheerful demeanor and the adult version who suffered both physically and psychologically was perfect.
As for the production - I will never ever listen to Last Dance EVER again. This song goes right next to The Heirs “Moment” as the song used so much in a drama I’m actually sick of it. It’s a beautiful song, but I think I heard it enough for the lifetime.
Visually speaking it was low key beautiful. It felt like all these stunning moments we can actually encounter in our lives if we pay enough attention.
All that said, at the end of the day it’s a simple story about love and loneliness, presented in the most complex and convoluted, yet best way possible. It’s not a perfect drama, it’s not a perfect story and it’s not a perfect presentation of it, and yet I was invested from beginning till the end. I made wild theories and tried to uncover the truth as I watched every episode, and for that I am grateful. It made me rethink many issues and consider various situations from different angles. It invited me to explore various takes on the same problem and how, depending on one’s personality, preferences, expectations and past experiences, other people might see them in their own distinct way.
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Those who Are Fated to Meet, will Meet
Phenomenal!Masterpiece! Perfectly delivered!I rarely give a drama perfect 10 but this one really deserves it. I watch this one as it was highly recommended by Avenue X, this was so much better than I expected.I won’t write a long review, here are some of the reasons why I like this one so much;
1.Brilliant plot
The plot caught me by surprise as it was so beautifully written.The plot is really innovative, interesting and hooked me from the first two episodes.The storyline is very complicated and mind-blowing but it is super satisfying as well. Avoiding spoilers was a right decision for me as the plot has many twists and turns, wouldn’t enjoy that much if I have read spoilers.
The plot is well-delivered, I got the message it wants to deliver as well.
2.Superb acting
Haven’t watched much of Taiwanese dramas before, so I don’t know who is Alice Ke. She is really good, maybe one of the best acting I have ever watched as well. She has to play two characters with totally different personalities, one being easy-going and the other very introverted. Yet she portrayed both characters flawlessly, what surprised me is that with a slight alteration in hairstyle and makeup, her looks became so different. This drama alone is enough for her to be in my Favorite actresses List.
Greg Hsu, the male lead, is really superb as well. He looks so much like Deng Lun and perfectly played alongside Alice Ke, with brilliant chemistry.
Other than the leads, supporting casts are also not bad.
3.Ost
So,Wu Bai’s Last dance was played so many times, as it plays a key role in time travel.It was a famous song even before the drama was directed, so it is good of course.
Shi Shi songs are good too, Miss you 3000 is probably the best ost of this drama.
I recommend skipping opening and ending songs as it contains spoilers.
Overall
It is a really masterpiece and you shouldn’t miss a rare gem like this.It became my 2nd favorite after Nirvana in Fire. This is 100% recommended and you wouldn’t feel like you wasted your time by watching this.
I feel like even if all the contemporary Chinese dramas combined, it won’t be as good as this one.
Kudos to the drama and production team for producing such a phenomenal drama.
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A tight 13 episodes, intricately and perfectly plotted, the show has lovely performances by Alice Ke and Greg (Han) Hsu, a great soundtrack and a fascinating twisty-turny plotline. A love story between Huang Yu Xuan (Alice Ke) and Wang Quan Sheng (Greg Hsu) across space, time and reality, Someday or One Day might be a time travel drama or a parallel universe drama or a doppelganger drama (or possibly all three). For me to outline the plot would be for me to spoil the plot. And that says something about just how ambiguous and enigmatic the show is.
It’s rare for a show with a supernatural element to be so real, so emotional and so raw but Someday or One Day is as heartwrenching and bittersweet as it is intelligent and challenging. It will have you speculating wildly and attempting to puzzle out its mysteries, while agonising with its characters and feeling their every pang of love, pain, loss, grief, confusion and joy. Someday or One Day manages to be complex and intriguing while never compromising on the very real human emotions being experienced by the characters. Verisimilitude within the magical is almost impossible to adequately capture and yet these writers have done it.
In the midst of the unreal, these people feel real. And they feel real in a way that is truly raw and truly human.
While it's far too early to declare this the best show of 2020, I am anyway. It was almost perfect.
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Honestly, most of the drama from Taiwan that I've watched were a bit boring, except from the comedies. So, I was not really looking forward watching this, or even picking it up. Plus, there was a lot of buzz around it, which mostly means that the drama is just popular and not that good. So, for those second thinking watching this because of its popularity, my advise is to give it a try.
The drama combined my favourite genres, melodrama (and boy did it have lots and lots of dark themes, tragedy, drama, pain and angst), school romance (first love, youth, innocence, freshness, sweetness) and mystery (with lots and lots and lots of twists that didn't really tire the viewer). The plot was beautifully presented, with things getting confusing at times, but if you stick to it, they do explain things and, in the end, the conclusion is satisfying and original. So, the story was great, with many leyers and a solid mystery and an intense romance.
The characters were realistic, as well, and they didn't overeacter, which I appreciated a lot. For example, the girl didn't start obsessing and dramatising things, clinging on the boy, even though she had been looking for her boyfriend who looked exactly like him for years, missing him like crazy. On that note, the leading lady was perfect, and she did an amazing job with the two characters. Her 2019 one was actually very likable and entertaining. The comedy moments were much appreciated too. The rest of the cast did an amazing job as well. Finally, the pace was perfect and the
So, overall, nine out of ten.
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Finally, a romance with the most intriguing time travel mystery plot that's intricately written and doesn't fall apart. This is the time travel story I've always wanted to read or watch: Main girl time travels into the body of another girl and gets that girl's crush (male lead) to fall hard for her (he didn't like the original inhabitant). I've always wanted to read about a romance plot like that because it'll be such fun to watch the male lead slowly fall for someone he's never liked, but now is drawn towards only due to the main girl's soul inhabiting the body. It's like he truly falls for her soul/spirit and not the body. Sooo romantic!!! And the drama does such a good job at showcasing the male lead's "falling" process layer by layer and doesn't rush it. So delicious and swoonworthy!!!
No episodes feel like filler and such care is placed into the narrative and character development. This feels like a breath of fresh air! So many dramas these days waste screen time with bloat or scenes that add absolutely nothing to the narrative that I can hardly believe a drama like this can exist. Thank you Taiwan!!! This drama is on another level and I love the love story and overall plot!!!
The ending totally justified the means and resolved the narrative in the best way possible. It's both an incredible love story and a story about self-worth and the drama achieved both without seeming forced or preachy. Wow, can't believe how seamlessly the writers were able to intertwine both the love/self-worth plots without sacrificing either. Both heavily overlapped with the other, so it was impossible to become invested in one and not the other -I loved this as I hate too many plot threads that go absolutely nowhere.
Almost every plot thread in this drama was resolved in a satisfying manner, without leaving you feeling cheated. There was only one forced/conveniently written plot thread and even then, it made way for a good twist and didn't influence the most important aspects of the drama, so I was easily able to overlook it by the end. Overall, not only did this drama have my dream time travel plot , but also wrote it masterfully and had the best actors bringing it to life. Masterpiece through and through and will go down as one of my favorite dramas of all time along with "Nirvana in Fire" and "Ten Miles". Boy did this one steal my heart!!!
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Not as confusing as it seams, and brilliant just brilliant
This drama is like an extremely entangled ball of yarn that turns in to a gorgeous sweater.... Okay maybe not but it is probably as entangled as the ball of yarn yet surprisingly easy to follow.This drama sounded very confusing and to be honest it started of surprisingly light and easy to follow. Portraying loss and sorrow in the most beautiful and honest way. Showing a person trying to keep it together holding up a facade but completely broken inside of longing. Those episodes offered comic relief by introducing some very cheap jokes and annoying side characters. Luckily, they did not take away from the main story. I could have done without them but they are such a small and insignificant part of this drama that I decided not to let them affect my overall impression of it but I will warn you about them here.
As the story progresses, we are invited in to this extremely complicated suspenseful murder mystery romance braking the time space continuum. Showing how complicated time travel really is and how every single persons choices have consequences on both others and both the past and the future.
The female leads characters are extremely well written and executed, it can not have been easy to portray so different characters but the female lead did it in a way that made it easy to see who she was at any given time while allowing character growth and showing a complex range of emotions and thoughts.
The male leads characters where not as complex but showed a verity of emotions and where just the most adorable characters ever making it easy to fall in love with both of them.
The main couple is one of the sweetest and I dare to say healthiest couples I have seen in dramaland and though there is a slight love angel it is not overbearing and is portrayed in a very mature and loving way.
I like that this drama touches important issues such as sexuell harassment, stalking, bullying, homophobia, ableisem, self-hate and self-harm. All are done really well but I would have loved it if they had gotten in deeper in to these issues. I also wish for another season (rare for me seeing I hate extra seasons) where they dig deeper in to some of the side characters. There is one more thing I really want to write about but since I fear it might be a spoiler I have decided to add it as a spoiler tagged comment to this review.
I do not think this dram made me laugh but other than that I experienced a wide range of emotions, it kept me interested threw out the hole drama the twists where very unpredictable and I found myself truly curious about what would happen next as well as how on earth are they going to end this. I am not really sure about how I feel about the ending but it had one, I think I would have preferred another one but this one was okay too.
All in all definitely one of my new favorite dramas.
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Don't Stop Watching!
Depression, suicide mention TWWhen I first started watching the show, I thought that it was slow and confusing. However, as I continued to watch it, I realized that this is the kind of show that gradually builds on itself. The writing and plot are simply perfection—rewatching it made me realize how much they set the scene for future events to come. What I like so much about this drama is that it was an extremely complicated storyline to tackle but they managed to pull it off. There are no loose strings, and by the time I finished the drama, I understood everything that had happened. The best way to describe this drama is one "ohhh" of realization after another. I'm a sucker for time travel dramas and am very pleased with how they executed it.
Someday or One Day chose to discuss disability, dysfunctional families, mental illness, and homosexuality in ways that you could feel the characters' pain. In my opinion, the show's representation of these issues was impressive. They were accurate and helped the audience to empathize with the character's experiences and emotions. The depiction I liked, in particular, was Chen Yun Ru's struggle with isolation, loneliness, and depression. Seeing her character made me emotional because her emotions and thoughts were far too similar to mine in the past. That's how accurate the depiction was. She had some very valuable lines that I think everyone can keep in mind after watching the show. One that hit me particularly hard was "I've already tried so hard... Why do all of you still have to tell me to try harder, to be better?" Something the show touches on is that it's important to try to understand and support people going through depression, rather than only caring about them when they're on the brink of suicide and telling them what they should think and do. I think this is why I love Someday or One Day so much—it chose to discuss taboo topics in an accurate and meaningful way. Keep in mind, however, that this show also has its lighthearted moments too.
The acting. Let's talk about the acting. Alice Ke is insane. The way she was able to pull off both Chen Yun Ru and Huang Yu Xuan within the same drama is amazing. Despite both characters being played by her, each one was so different and felt like their own person. Alice Ke went back and forth from being a lonely high schooler to a confident working-age class adult (and college student) effortlessly. Everything about her expressions and acting was amazing. I also have to give credit to Greg Hsu and Patrick Shih. Although Greg Hsu didn't get to switch between his own respective characters as much, you could still see his versatility. All in all, they did a great job fleshing out their character's personalities and emotions. The chemistry between Greg Hsu and Alice Ke was also amazing. Huang Yu Xuan and Li Zi Wei's romance was heart-wrenching and made me smile like an idiot at the same time.
One last thing I'd like to talk about—the production. Something Taiwanese cinema takes advantage of particularly well is the concept of nostalgia. They incorporate this into the setting, music, color correction, and wardrobe. That is exactly what Someday or One Day did. The soundtrack is amazing. I listen to it in my free time. It's the kind that makes you feel wistful. I'm also a sucker for aesthetics, which is why I fell in love with the overall vision of the drama. I could talk for hours about the color correction in particular. I'm Taiwanese, so maybe that's why this drama resonated so well with me.
Please watch this show. It's addicting and it'll change your life.
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"Only if you asked to see me, our meeting would be meaningful to me"
if you were to ask me which drama i'd like to watch for the very first time, this.... this is that drama. huang yu xuan and li zi wei's story is an endless loop of twists and turns and ups and downs yet whatever they do, their feelings for each other never faded away.for a time travel drama, i'm not going to deny that it's quite complicated to understand at first watch. once you move away from your seat, you're bound to miss a whole lot of clues. the writer and director were sneaky to give hints in earlier episodes which foreshadows the later events of the drama. i'm sure that if i were to rewatch this a second time, a light bulb moment would catch me offguard more than once. personally, i found the pacing in this to be perfect. it was not too slow, not too fast but neutral. the way the story was unfolded was truly a delight to watch because not for once did I saw some of the scenes coming. this drama keeps you guessing.
all the people who were involved in this drama carefully crafted a story that not only talks about a love story but also portrays deep emotions such as loneliness and deep dives into important topics such as depression and suicide. wang quan sheng and chen yun ru may seem to be like background characters but they were both essential to what happened between huang yu xuan and li zi wei. while i would've loved to see wang quan sheng get his own closure and happy ending, it would change the whole timeline and story. i truly feel for this boy who wasn't accepted by society. then, there's chen yun ru who is at her lowest point. while it did seem like chen yun ru wasn't going to add any layer to the drama, the writer truly surprised me at the last few episodes.
even though the main elements in the drama are more of a serious tone, this does have its heart-fluttering moments as well as comedic moments. the funny scenes wasn't over the top so it blended well not making it seem out of place. the acting from the cast was well done and i can't say that the emotional scenes didn't tug at my heartstrings. the friendship of huang xu yuan, mo jun jie and li zi wei is so precious to the point that they kept sticking around for each other (no pun intended).
overall, this was a cluster of mindfuckery and then there are parts of it that makes you squeal. i think the reason i was keeping this drama for so long was because i was afraid to fall deeply yet here i am, planning to watch it over and over again.
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The drama combines fantasy and reality but there is logic to it. Even the sci-fi elements are within reach. As much as you crave for romantic moments, you end up enjoying the storyline much more and how it will get resolved as it keeps you guessing right until the end. Imo, it’s quite easy to see what’s the outcome as timetravel is not something new but definitely not how it will get there,
The twists and turns are very well foreshadowed throughout the drama. Even with some of the redherring such as the steak and the bangs (you’ll notice when you watch close enough), it never affects the tight writing this drama has.
STORY
The premise is simple enough, it’s a romantic mystery drama about a woman, Huang Yu Xuan, who can’t move on from the presumably dead boyfriend, Wang Quan Sheng and ended up time-traveling. However, the time she traveled to is 1998 and the body she traveled to is that of the girl who looks exactly like her, Chen Yunru (who is dead in 1999). The story develops much further than that with unexpected revelations and the drama ended up combining a lot more genres beyond soap opera.
Although the first 2 episodes are deemed boring, they are extremely crucial to establishing the characters and their relationship. You won’t be able to understand the impact of WQS’s disappearance to HYX and CYR’s actions without fully watching them.
As the story unravels, the core of this drama is revealed to be valuing one’s identity and understanding others beyond the surface. The drama is full of moments where you go “ah, so that’s why he/she did it” and rather than blaming them for not expressing clearly, I find myself saying “I understand” upon deeper reflections.
The story is very tight and switches from past and present, what ifs and reality so I suggest watching this with full attention because you might miss something important. There is a reason Douban users rate the drama at 9.2 with 270k+ reviewers and Chinese netizens dub Li Ziwei as the “winter boyfriend” of this drama season.
Considering the script is developed for 2 years before shooting and the drama is shot months before release, you can guarantee that story is never being compromised by ratings or public opinions.
ACTING
This drama couldn’t have achieved this much success without the strong performances from Alice Ko and Greg Hsu. You can argue about their chemistry but I find it make so much sense for the chemistry to be slightly off at times because their characters’ relationship, imo, is bound by fate but forges by time. While Greg Hsu is phenomenal in portraying character progression, Alice Ko is amazing at portraying 2 identities with depth and complexity, best shown in episode 12. There’s no one man show here, the drama is completely driven by the acting of both leads and Greg Hsu might not even be hired without Alice Ko taking on this project.
MUSIC
I love all the songs from this drama and you can find them on iTunes. The scriptwriter is apparently a fan of Wu Bai and there are posts where people analyse Wu Bai’s songs to explain the drama. I have also been listening to Wu Bai thanks to this drama. Similar to Japanese dramas, it really feels like the songs are specifically written for this drama or they are purposefully chosen for it. Lyrics spoil a lot about the characters actually.
Shi Shi’s Someday or One Day > 831’s 想見你想見你想見你 > YELLOW’s Someday > Shi Shi’s Come Away imo.
REWATCH VALUE
Although the ending fully resolves the issues, you can always rewatch it to see if you have missed anything. I think I marathoned the drama thrice while waiting for new episode and the emotional moments still affect me a lot so please, watch it carefully and digest slowly before moving on to a new episode!
OVERALL 10/10 NEED THE BLURAY BOX SET.
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