The writing here is exceptional. Since we are going a painful time, the writing makes it not only bearable, but also addicting to watch, by balancing slice-of-life and comedy, yes COMEDY, with war and tragedy throughout most of the story. Romance is there, but in a very subtle manner, just like the way I like it. Though understated, the moment it surface, it brings out all those tingling feelings and excitement. The overall way the characters are written, they feel real, relatable, and more than just good or evil. A lot of times it felt like a character study, and the characters were always more than what they appear. The development was slow but apparent, and very realistic. I got to the point that I felt like part of the people there, part of the family, and was in it with them. Without knowing how it ends, I felt I wasn't gonna mind any ending chosen, and the more I watched , the stronger this feeling became. It goes beyond trusting the writer giving a satisfying ending, and more of me having to accept fate.
I can't help but talk about the characters and their relationship. Jun Shan, the brother-in-law, is the star here. He is one piece of work. My first impression of him was *WHAT THE HELL?!* He's bossy, he's pushy,he's uneducated, he's overbearing. But then I notice, he's loyal, he loves his family. I won't say more and let you discover more of him. Believe me that is just the tip of the iceberg of his character. His relationship with Xiang Jun was a highlight in the drama. Beyond love, there was a certain harmony in the relationship. Then there are the twins. I don't know where to start. They are childish, foolish, reckless, and they certainly need to grow. But they are fun to be around, lively, and sure know when to come through when it counts. Being of different genders, they're growth and maturity come at different pace, but the people we leave at the end of the drama may not recognize those we met in the beginning. A part of me wished they stayed how were, but we can't help but grow up. Specially during war, reality hits and you find yourself growing years at each passing day. Qing Ming is another interesting one. He is an educated soldier, always wanting to fight for his country. He can be pretty stubborn, to the point of acting childish. His view of life, of elders, and of women, is that they are all incomprehensible. Only when he starts to understand them he becomes the man he wanted to be. I specially appreciated Qing Ming's relationship with Jun Shan. One hell of a bromance they make. They couldn't be any more different but somehow understand each other well. Another highlight was the grandma. She is a strong, stubborn old lady, but when she's around, you always know that everything is going to be just fine. Xiu Xiu might have appeared as a sweetheart, and submissive, but I always knew she hid fearlessness to appear when needed. The list can go on and on, but I just wouldn't know where to stop. Lets the say, even the smallest roles have been given thought as to make them real, and their development authentic.
What to say about the acting. Brilliant! It turned the character into real human beings, and not just something written on paper. Everyone gave their all to their character, and I have zero complaint.
Honestly the music didn't stand out for me, but didn't ruin anything either.
If I have any complaint at all, is some side characters that appear later on in the drama that weren't given enough time or focus early on, so it was hard to make the connection. Overall though my satisfaction with this drama goes beyond any complaint. I would say that overall, it deserves a 9 or 9.5/10, but the delight it brought me deserves a 10/10!!
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Honestly beside Huo Wallace I did not know any of these actors and I have to admit that they were all doing a great job and their portrayals were so convincing and natural.
I'm not going to dwell on the synopsis cause it already says the most important but we surely all know the damages Wars cause(d) and I think it's interesting to see how Chinese people were living during those terrible times and what they had to go through. The drama focuses on the Hu Family and their son in-law Xue Jun Shan, how they coped with the constant Japanese attacks in their Changsha town. And even if my knowledge about the Sino-Japanese wars is weak I think this drama was really well done even the music here fitted perfectly with the general atmosphere.
Many things crossed my mind when I was watching the drama, first I said it earlier but I have to repeat myself everything was realistic and that was my very first thought, I loved to see that even if the Hu family was living a pretty good life (without being super rich either) but they did not wear extravagant and exquisite clothes they simply lived in harmony , enjoying their life in their house all together, eating, working, taking care of each other etc.
Frankly speaking the character that surprised me the most was Xue JunShan, he seemed to be very harsh with his in-laws but actually that was the opposite he cared for them he protected them, he loved them to the point to sacrifice his life for them, he considered them as the most precious things in his life and that is the reason why I loved him so much and why he is my favorite character + I have to say it, I have a thing for older men I found something very appealing about them and that is the case for him too <3
Now it's time to say a few words about the Hu family, Xiang Xiang was my favorite especially the way she evolves throughout the drama and I think that war would change everyone and according to me she's the one who changed the most, she became an outstanding and respectable woman, I have nothing bad to say about her, definitely lovely, bright, cute and very strong but she has a weakness and that is her twin brother I mean their sibling bond is so deep and unwavering, at least that's how I perceived them and I guess that is probably the same with almost all twins of the world.
I loved rhe other characters too especially Gu QingMing( I seriously fell in love with Huo Wallace in this drama, I liked him before but this time he blew me away <3), the grandma, XiangJun, Liu Minghan Xiu Xiu and the rest( I will stop here so if you want to find out why they are fabulous people just watch the drama you'll surely like it as much as I did ). I can't even count the tears I shed for all of these characters, I felt like I was part of their family, that's why Battle of Changsha broke my heart even more than other dramas.
As for the theme song ''I'll remember you'' it is a pure delight, Yang Zi's voice blends so well with Huo Wallace's that we can't stop listening to it and we want more and more. Too bad I can't seem to find it anywhere ! Please If you know where I can download it, tell me :D
I would recommend this drama to everyone even if you're not into this genre because that is not my case and still I enjoyed every minute of this wonderful show. Furthermore this is definitely one of the best Family drama I've ever watched. Just only one thing you must know if you plan to watch it: the last four eps are not subbed and so you would have no choice but to watch it raw or wait but for how long?!
PS: the big plus is that the actors's voices were not DUBBED, what a pleasure !
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Story:
I put off watching Battle of Changsha for months because I was convinced that it would be full of fighting scenes, and those are not my cup of tea. it was only after a few trusted MDL friends started telling me about it that I gave it a second look. The heart of Battle of Changsha is not in the overarching plot of the war but how that war plot molds and changes a family living in Changsha. Every skeleton in the closet and character flaw, no matter how deep you bury them, come out in times of war, and Battle of Changsha monopolized on that concept. It takes a group of characters with flaws and misconceptions about themselves (and, in some cases, each other) and allows them to grow and bond. The best and worst of their characters will come out as the drama unfolds. It was fascinating to watch, because the story was more concerned about being truthful and honest than giving the viewer rose-colored shades.
The cinematography was some of the best I've ever seen in a drama. It wasn't just about capturing facial expressions or that one kiss scene and using the same four camera angles like in some dramas. It added another dimension to the emotion of the scene, making me feel as if I was with the character(s) in that moment. Battle of Changsha actually had scenery worth seeing, and the production crew took full advantage of it.
There ARE sad moments in this drama, as I’m sure you can tell by the comment section here. I won’t lie to you and say that there weren’t any. However, the story doesn’t drag the viewers through constant drama and grief for 32 episodes. There’s also mischief and laughter. Loud family dinners. Romance. Lazy afternoons listening to Chinese opera.
Acting/Cast:
Even though I rated both story and cast a well-deserved 10/10, I believe that the casting is where Battle of Changsha truly shines. In such a character-focused story, the casting makes or breaks the drama. Battle of Changsha did not disappoint. You won’t find tons of overacting here like in so many other dramas. Every cast member brought their all to the table, and it shows. Their emotion is subtle enough to be realistic, and that type of delivery makes it SO much more powerful.
I could go on and on about so many of the characters, but I will highlight just one in particular that struck me. If you've seen Battle of Changsha, you can probably guess which one. He's impossible to miss, both in stature and in character. Xue Jun Shan will forever remain as one of my favorite characters of all time. At first, the plot capitalizes on his surface character - an enterprising amy security officer that’s unable to say no to a good opportunity, regardless of how ethical it is - but he's so much deeper than that. His journey and growth over the course of the drama were everything. I don't want to give more away and spoil your experience, so I will leave it at that.
Music:
The music was appropriate and powerful in its subtlety. In the beginning, the melody is innocent and reminiscent of youth. It slowly develops in complexity as the plot thickens and characters change. I especially liked how the power ballads (the ones that are in every drama without fail) didn't play ad nauseam. It would have cheapened the experience.
Rewatch Value:
I just completed my second watch of the drama. I don't feel the need to rewatch this as often as some of my other drama favorites, but the emotional scenes still captured me. Plus, I noticed details I missed the first time, and they gave me an even higher respect for the production crew. The only complaint that I have isn’t with the drama itself but at the lacking subtitle quality. The only set of subs I found had several scenes in every episode that weren’t even subbed and the translations had very poor grammar.
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So finally I was able to find this drama subbed and I was happy cause of Wallace who, to tell honestly, looked amazingly dashing in uniform, and I was confident that this drama was going to be all about love story set in the WWII era, but I was so wrong. Battle of Changsha is one of the most emotional and heartbreaking dramas I've ever watched but most of it doesn't even have to do with romance at all.
What was the greatest strength of this drama are their characters, the whole Hu family, they were the heart and the soul of it. You follow them through all the hardships, you laugh with them, cry with them, watch them as they grow and mature and they slowly grow on you until you realize that they’ve become a part of you and when everything ends you feel so empty, like someone stabbed you with a knife and ripped your heart. And now I’m stuck in Battle of Changsha and I can’t get out nor I want.
Whole drama is filled with so many raw emotions, every single detail of it feel so real, what left me speechless is that none of the characters are perfect, they are all full of problems and weaknesses, they deal with life in monstrous time of war and struggling to survive by any means.
This drama can be separated in two parts, the first half of it is more funny, lighthearted and relaxed than the second full of heartbreaks and overwhelming emotions, especially in the last couple of episodes where you'll start to sob and cry an ocean of tears and where your soul feels like dying and you can't breath. You're kinda expecting that cause yeah no one said war was easy but still you feel heartbroken to the core.
I got attached to many of the characters but there are few of them that grabbed my heart and for whom I ached and cheered the most. First of them as my favourite are the twins, it was impossible to separate them here as in drama too, they were together all the time like one. Xiang Xiang- the bold, confident one, a girl who wasn't afraid to speak her mind and fights for what she believes, I loved her transformation and how her character grew up and she became a mature, strong young woman; and Xiao Man- the immature one and he stayed like that almost until the end but then he also showed how mature and real man he became through many terrible and tragic things he experienced and has gone through. I loved their bond, they have to be my favourite brother-sister couple, the best siblings ever, I laughed so hard with them, I respected them and how they fought for their freedom, I cried so hard with them, they really made me too emotional, even now while I'm writing about them their picture and scenes shared between them are so vividly shown like they're in front of me.
The other character who was the most lovable is their brother in law, that guy who at the first glance looked so harsh, cold, evil but when you got to know him you see how he actually love them all, how he protected them, how he was doing all the things he's done just so they could be safe and have a roof above their heads and food to eat. His unwavering love for the sister was admirable to the core, so powerful and strong, he made me wondering how is i possible to love someone so strong and firm. I really enjoyed in scenes shared between him and the twins, they were at the moments so hilarious and then the next one they made you cry. And when you add to that the character of Wallace- who was also fantastic, his eyes, his expressions, how he secretly protected Xiang Xiang, he simply draws you in, he was a true soldier, brave and courageous worth the praise; you get four amazing characters who made this drama to be so freaking, torturing, astonishing beautiful.
Although a war drama there were a few battle scenes, whole drama is more a family drama in times of war. Despite that special effects for them were still excellent and those scenes in the battlefield and in actual fight were brutally realistic as mush as possible which only made it better (or worse) to the viewer, you tend to be more emotional and involved.
I honestly don’t have any real complaints about this drama besides some very minor things that I can easily overlook. Seriously, everything from the directing to the musical score was wonderful.
Battle of Changsha is a true rare gem. Yes, it has been a heavy, rocky, heartbreaking ride but I loved it completely and don’t regret watching it at all. Simply because a drama as beautiful as this one deserves multiple viewings.
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The whole drama was an epic journey mainly in the point of view of the young XIangxiang and her twin brother Xiaoman. At first I thought this drama was a romance but I was incorrect. Don't get me wrong here, there is romance but Battle of Changsha is so much more than that.
This drama retells the war mostly in relation to the major city Changsha, and not only do you learn more about this war between Japan and China but you fully appreciate the horrors of the war and what a disaster it really is.
'Let us hope there is never a war in the future' I wish too that this would be a reality. Even now, with wars in the Middle East it just goes to show that mankind doesn't learn from their mistakes. Tragedies keep repeating themselves in vicious cycles and with the advancement of technology, war is far far more dangerous.
Anyway, the story fully deserved 10/10. Be prepared to cry. Even I, who rarely cries when watching movies/dramas was reduced to tears. The writing was amazing, and the character development was very clear and realistic . Watching Xiangxiang and Xiaoman grow up was truly a journey.
The acting was also a 10/10. Wallace Huo, is not only handsome (in my opinion anyway:P), but can act well too, His eyes, I feel are quite expressive and I'm always drawn to them. All members of the cast played their roles well and I have no complaints there.
The only reason rewatch value is 9.5/10 is because I don't know how I will bear to watch this drama again. Perhaps in 5 years time I will come back to it.
Overall it was a 10/10 and fully deserves it.
(I know I'm going to start having Wallace Huo withdrawals so I will definitely be watching 'Love Me If You Dare' soon! )
HAPPY WATCHING!
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This review may contain spoilers
i was a little reluctant to start this drama for the longest time because i'm not a huge fan of dramas set during this era. it was released in 2014, and i've only decided to watch it in 2019 as i was reminded of this drama after watching yang zi from ashes of love.this drama is so bitterly sweet and heartbreaking. i loved everything about it and did not regret shedding tears with the characters on their journey for survival and victory. it was really realistic in terms of storyline, as well as the portrayal of diverse characters during the times of the war. i checked on duoban and it has a rating of 9.2. that's really impressive for duoban. i later found out that this drama has the highest rating on duoban until it was bet by nirvana in fire by .1. IT TOTALLY DESERVES IT. i think this is a good drama for international viewers to watch too because it depicts the kind of hardship that the chinese had to go through for them to stand where they are today. yes, they still have problems in their society, but what shaped them as a country now was a result of these kinds of wars. this is the same for every other countries and culture.
i especially fell in love with xiang xiang's brother-in-law. i felt annoyed at him at first, but when you sit down to fully see his character and the reasoning behind his corrupt actions, it was all for survival and his family. it differentiated him from other traitors because even though he was a corrupt officer and even though his temper was always bad, we can't deny the fact that he loved his family and that all of his corrupt actions were to protect his family. this was oddly the sincere way of loving and showing love to your loved ones. this was quite realistic because sometimes it's just easier to go with the flow of things for survival than what was right, especially during wartime. a nice comparison to why his character is so great would be xiang xiang’s father, who does not agree to xiang xiang’s brother-in-law. although the father is a righteous man, he cares too much about pride and integrity, which is actually an issue within the chinese community in those times and the ancient. despite showing love for his family, i felt that he cared more about himself because he was protecting his own principles too strongly while xiang xiang’s brother-in-law was willing to embarrass and lower himself and beg for survival through his corrupt position.
i think it was a clever idea to add the clips of the hu family smiling in the ending. it gives you this sad but sweet feeling as if bringing closure to your heart, and then it gives you the sense to move on and live with life even though you've lost your loved ones.
never thought that i could love a war drama...i think wallace was amazing in this drama and it's safe to say that this is his best drama to date. i would give this drama a 9, but i cut it down to 8.5 because it makes me really sad with thedeaths of characters, which was unavoidable because this is a war drama...
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Hu Xiang Xiang and Hu Xiao Man started as a two spoiled teenager. They're from an ordinary family who live in Changsha. The story is about how they and their family living as a common chinese people in that time. We can see how the family interacted, their conversation as a family, how the situation in that time. That's all felt so real. While watching this, i feel like i've been transported to the time of war with them. By watching this drama, we could understand the feeling of chinese people in that time and symphatize with them. We could understand more about war and the consequences of it. I really like every moment of this. Don't afraid this will bore you, because it won't.
Battle of Changsha has it all; romance, comedy, angst, war, family. Despite in the time of war, this drama could still make me laugh out loud. There's a time this drama also make me cry like a baby too. The chemistry between Xiangxiang and Gu Qing Ming is just perfect. I cherish every moment they're together. This drama has all that romance, comedy, angst, war, and family with just a perfect amount of it.
With my limited eng vocab, i can't say more. In the end, i just really want to recommend you guys to watch this drama. This is definitely a rare gem, one of the best drama that is so hard to find these days.
RECOMMENDED DRAMA
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BATTLE OF CHANGSHA: THE MASTERPIECE
I've just finished watching it and I really don't know what to say. I'm definitely at a loss of words. It's the first time I'm writing a review but I thought I couldn't finish this drama without telling other people how great it is. I can surely say, without any doubt, that this is the best drama I've ever seen in my entire life, and let me tell you, I've actually seen quite a lot of those. Everything was just painfully perfect and it all added up in order to create the masterpiece that Battle of Changsha is, While watching it, I laughed, I sighed, I cried, I went through so many different emotions that I don't even know how to explain it. This drama left a mark forever and I won't be able to forget anything about it, even the most stupid and little things. The actors and actresses brought the characters to life like no others could, they portrayed the emotions so well that I could feel everything that they felt. I believe that what's so special about this drama is that it is so terribly heartwrenching and heartwarming at the same time, I suppose this is the best way to explain it. It made me realize the importance of love, family, life, happiness, but also all the pain that war brings and all the emptiness, desperation, horror, sadness and weariness that's always there.I have to say, it was freaking painful and beautiful at the same time, it broke my heart but it also healed it.
I'm really happy that i got the opportunity to come across, discover and watch this drama cause it was probably one of my best decisions ever made. It holds a really really special place in my heart and I'll definitely rewatch as soon as possible. To all the people who are doubting wether to watch it or not, JUST WATCH IT! It'll make you realize a lot of things and I'm 100% sure you won't regret it cause it's just that amazing.
Battle of Changsha, the definition of Masterpiece.
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Plot: This was a slow pace from episode 1-10. But please don't stop. It just built the story for the cast and after episode 10 it will be a good drama. It gave the feeling the hardship of being in the war and no one is exception for this.
Characters: Not gonna lie at first I started to watch it because of Wallace huo but at the end you will love all the characters. My favorite characters are:
1. Xue Jun Shan- This guy was an epitome of a good pillar of the house. At first you will be annoyed to him but in the end I've became a fan of him so much. I cried. A very kind and caring brother-in-law. A funny guy, a loving husband, a good friend. So I got teared up while writing this one..
2. Gu Qing Ming- A very honest and dedicated military officer indeed. I must say he surpass his acting in the love me if you dare. He gave a pure and honest emotion. My favorite scene is when he interacts with Jun Shan. They really look like brothers...
3. XiangXiang- At first I was really annoyed to xiangxiang but she really matured in the middle of the story. The fiesty xiangxiang was so perfect to arrogant but kind Gu Qing Ming..
Some of the characters that I like is the assistant of Gu qing ming and Jun Shan they are very loyal. I love also the major general of quing ming.
Overall this will be one of my favorite and it open my heart to try different genre. I will definitely watch it again. Thank You Battle of Changsha
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Story: The story ist very good. I like dramas and movies with a historical background. This drama is about a family in Changsha, an important city when it comes to the 2nd World War in China. The family consists of the twins Xiang Xiang and Xiaoman, their older sister and her husband with their son, the grandmother, the parents and two cousins. The drama tells about the twins and their lives during the war against the Japanese between 1937 and 1945. Both of them are more troublemakers than everything else and their brother-in-law Junshan wants to marry of Xiang Xiang most likely to the serious and cold soldier Gu Qingming. There are a few funny scenes in the drama, most of the time when Qingming and Junshan are together. I like their bromance *-*.
Cast: This drama is my second one woth Wallace Huo. But I didn't watched it only because of him. I am a fan of him, but he wasn't the one who made me speechless. I know he is a good actor (even though there are many people who think otherwise), so I concentrated me of the other Actors and Actresses.
But I will begin with Wallace. His character Gu Qingming is known as officer Gu, who isn't allowed to go to the battlefield. But Qingming is a soldier who wants to protect his fellow people. So he is waiting for a chance to help the soldiers who are fighting against the japanese. Wallace Huo plays his role excellent. I love how his character changed within the progress of the drama.
Yang Zi, who plays XiangXiang, is 13 years younger than Wallace, but this isn't a bad thing. It was my first drama with her and I think she did a very good job. Her character grows with the years which are passing by. At the beginning XX is a childish girl, who likes to make trouble. So she drives her brother-in-law crazy. But after she realizes her love for GM, she is more serious.
Jungshan (played by Ren Cheng Wei) is an officer who is serious and married the older sister of the twins. RCW played his role authentic. I think he did a very very good job. At first I didn't like his character, but after more episodes I hoped that he will be happy. The chemistry with Zuo Xiao Qing was very very good. I could talk about all the other characters, but I have to finsh my review^^.
The supporting Characters (and Actors/Actresses) played very well, too. All in all the cast was amazing and all of them did make a very good job.
Music: The Title Song "I remember you" by Wallace Huo and Yang Zi is a sad ballad, which suits the drama very well. I wished there was a live version because both of them are good singers.
Rewatch value: It's a 9 out of 10 because it have 32 episodes and my 'plan to watch'-list is so long that I don't have time, otherwise there would be a 10^^.
If you like melodramas and if you aren't scared if you have to cry then I would recommend this drama to you. I think it is the time worth *-*
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