Bright Eyes in the Dark (2023)

LOVING A HERO

If I could give this more than 10, I would just for the chemistry between Nan Chu and Liu Xiao. I absolutely love the chemistry between the FL and the ML. DON'T BELIEVE THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS. The first episode focuses more on the firefighters than on the relationship between the leads and led to some dropping the show leaving low ratings. I stuck with it because Zhang Jing Yi is one of the most natural actresses who has a way of connecting with her costars. And this show is no different. I started to feel the chemistry between them quite early in the show. It becomes obvious that the ML is falling for the FL from early in the show and that she likes him too.

What I love about the ML is that even though he is tough as he needs to be as a leader, he is soft when it comes to the FL. Watching this ML do something as simple as adjusting the FL's belt and making sure her uniform was on properly is sweet. It especially sweet because he doesn't do this for anyone else. He is not only attracted to her outer beauty but also to the beauty within. Johnny Huang does an excellent playing his character. I love the way he is with Nan Chu and it is hilarious to watch the other firefighter's expressions when they see their leader doing special things for her. Johnny Huang's character, Lu Xiao, is not weak at all. He is strong and he leads with empathy and understanding for his team. For this, he is loved and respected.

The FL is strong in character. She will step forward to correct a wrong or to defend someone. She shows maturity and intelligence in her interactions with others. She is also a dancer, so there are some scenes with her dancing. It was a big bonus to see Nan Chu perform a dance scene with Liu Xiao. I rewatched that scene many times before I could move on. I just wanted to keep watching it and will go back to it forever! I loved Zhang Ying Yi in Lighter and Princess and might even love her more here. She is now my favorite actress.

Once you get to know all the characters including the firefighters, you will find yourself invested in their lives as well as the main leads. Therefore, as much as I am always looking for romance dramas, I do not mind any of these characters taking up air time. Bright Eyes in the Dark is much more than just romance or the lives of the two main leads when they are together. It is also about the characters finding their way in life and fulfilling dreams and goals. Nan Chu's career path is in dancing and acting while Liu Xiao's is in serving his country as a firefighter. And as much as Nan Chu sees Liu Xiao as her hero, she feels that while he protects the country, she will protect him. To Liu Xiao, Nan Chu is "like a piece of candy" bestowed on his life. You need to watch to feel the chemistry between the leads.

There was a comment in one of the reviews which said that "Wang Zi Qi played a bad character." NO. Wang Zi Qi played a character who is determined to reduce casualties with the use and technology and tougher training. He transferred in as a director. He pushed the team to improve and this only caused the firefighters to resist his methods. He is not a bad character. He just needed to learn how to motivate the team. He knew the ML years before and the ML is not against him at all. It was fun to see Lu Xiao (ML) help this new director fit in with the team. And he does eventually.


As I am waiting for new episodes to be released, I am rewatching from the start, and on the second watch, I see the significant details in episode 1 that you will understand more after watching the episodes that follow. Perhaps the producer should have opened the show with a scene of the couple that would hook the viewer rather than open with an introduction into the background of the characters. I am so glad I kept watching because now I cannot wait for the next episode.

And I should mention: LOTS OF KISSES! LOTS OF HUGS! LOTS OF LOVE! Nan Chu is not afraid to express her love. Many times it is Nan Chu who initiates the kisses and hugs.

THE ENDING
If you do not want to know about the ending. Do not read further.

I felt I needed to add this for those who might watch and be surprised at an ending they did not anticipate or like.
Before I go into my interpretation of the ending, let me say that I saw the live interview with Johnny Huang and Zhang Jing Yi where he said that the ML did not die. He said it was an open ending.
And before I go even further, let me say everything stated above still stands. I love the couple and the characters in the show. The characters were well developed. The relationship between the main couple was beautiful.
This drama deserves a 10. Many are changing their reviews because they are upset or disappointed about the ending because it seems the ML died. The drama ends with Nan Chu dancing on stage while the members of the fire department watch. There is an empty seat. But the scene shifts to Lu Xiao walking into the theater and sitting in the #34 seat. He claps at the end of the dance and no one but Nan Chu hears him. I interpret this as even though Lu Xiao is away protecting the country, he will always be there for her emotionally and in her heart. Another indication of the seat number could be to show that he did not sit in the empty seat that was saved for him. That seat was #1. He sat at #34 which from the signs, was located at the top right corner of the theater. It looks as if he entered an empty theater but it is clear that the back of the theater is empty. It could be he arrived late.

NOTE: In Chinese the #3 means life and the #4 means death. There is a significance in the #34. Perhaps the significance is that Lu Xiao's place in life is difficult as he is in a position that could go from life to death in a flash.
Whether you feel the ML died or not, or if this drama deserves a high rating, there is no denying how beautifully the emotions were depicted. I am leaving my rating of 10 even though I feel sad. I am sad because I will miss the main couple and the wonderful characters. Perhaps Lu Xiao did not die as Johnny Huang stated. He was away protecting the country. Nan Chu said, " You go protect the safety of the world. I will protect you." I am going with the premise that Lu Xiao did not die. And before you say the firefighters all looked so sad, so he must have died, perhaps they looked emotional because the dance was in honor of firefighters. And with that, I will rewatch the final scene again.

***As someone who does not like open endings and will avoid the shows that have them, believe me when I tell you this drama was beautiful on many levels. I have no regrets watching it.

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A very good chemistry between the actors

SPOILER ALERT

if it wasn't for the open ending, i would definitely rate this 10/10 (currently trying my best to recover from the heartbreak).

But overall, loving the plot, the chemistry was top tier, the couples were very mature and sweet, even the chemistry between main and support role can be seen. A very well done drama indeed. The plot was well-written too. Actually the ending wasn't that bad cause its totally make sense but its just i am a sucker for a cliche happy ending hahaha. But still i love it. Everyone really should give this a try!

Also i freakin love zhang jingyi she's so good, hopefully we could see both male and female lead in other drama in the future.

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Started out SO good, but left me disappointed in the end

Final edit now that I finished the show.

A couple things ruined it for me:

- The moment Nan Chu became famous. It changed the whole show, I didn't like it, and I felt like her character changed all of a sudden. We knew her as a rational, level-headed girl, and suddenly she was oh so willing to go against everyone's advice to enjoy her dating life. What do you mean you didn't expect the papps to follow you to the funeral, girly you're a star now (though even that felt weird)

- Da Gang's death?? It felt unnecessary and weird, I don't know why they added that

- The ambiguous ending. You can try to reason with me all you want, but unfortunately, and against my own best wishes, I also believe that the male lead died, and I HATE it. Don't watch the last 15 minutes, they're confusing lol.

Overall, the show was good, although the last 14 episodes felt like a completely different story to be honest. Some episodes felt tedious to finish, and I felt weirdly disconnected to it, which is a shame because I loved the first 26 episodes. Certain plots were either brought back (the annoying senior actor and the starlet), or introduced (Nan Chu's parent's love story) that I simply didn't care for. I found myself skipping half episodes to get to the point simply because they felt like fillers. From the beginning, I was "eh" about the 40 episodes total, and after finishing the show I can say that it dragged in the last episodes. It did not need that many, and I would have preferred a clearer ending. Either he is dead, or not. Not something that can be both or just the one, based on your own interpretation, especially in a show like this where it's literally between either life or death. A clear cut would have been better.

I was about to give the show 7/7.5 stars to be honest because of the things I didn't like that ruined it for me. Sudden stardom and a weird character development, unnecessary plotlines and the ending just kinda left me disappointed. The actors did such a good job, and I will definitely pick up another Huang Jing Yu drama because his acting was especially great in emotional scenes. The romance was perfect for me when Nan Chu and Lin Lu Xiao just started getting to know each other and slowly developed a mature relationship. I also really liked the comradeship between the firefighters, they really felt like family. The last two episodes and the episode with the banquet fire (30, I believe) sort of made me give the drama very weak 8/10 stars - it did manage to pull my heartstrings one final time.

(edit: changed the rating to 9/10 because I am in L O V E).
(edit updated to episode 26: I still love everything about the leads and their relationship. It's mature and sweet, both are very confident in their partner and support each other wonderfully (be it emotionally or regarding their careers). This has to be one of my favorite romances in a while, it brings me so much joy to watch Nan Chu and Lin Lu Xiao together, the way he softens when she's around him is just absolute madness! Now, we have gotten a lot of conflict within the station in the last couple of episodes, and I'm excited to see where this will be going, and how this will be resolved, since we have 15 episodes left. Overall, this show makes me incredibly happy, and waiting for new episodes is both exciting and excruciating. I'll be going away for a little while, can't wait to find weird ways to download the episodes so that I can still catch up with everyone because reading your comments is really fun! 🥹👍🏻 AnywhO, I hope those who abandoned the show too early, or who were unsure whether or not they should start it, give it a second thought. Under all the firefighting (propaganda), you do get a mature romance and nice bromance and relationships between the characters; it's a very heartwarming show so far!).

I'm giving this an 8/10 for now but I am in love with this show. The first episode was already extremely impressive for me, the cinematography did not disappoint. I don't quite know how they filmed these burning buildings etc., but it looks so real!

I already love the female lead and male lead; their chemistry is so good despite them not having too many scenes with each other just yet. I like how they are both very mature and serious without being boring. You can see in the female lead that she is a strong-willed and hardworking young woman, and I love the actress so much for that. She was already really great in >Lighter and Princess<, and she proves herself as a capable actress again. Zhang Jing Yi is such a natural actress, she becomes the character with ease and makes me believe every single word she says! Huang Jing Yu plays his character very well as well. The way he is able to have a gentle, dreamy expression when he looks at the female lead (not always, but sometimes homeboy is entranced by her, can't blame him!) compared to the other two actresses (within the show, actresses playing actresses ha!) is just *chef's kiss*. But then, he is also the capable firefighter, who saves lives and lectures his disciples! Yet you can see that he cares deeply about his people and job.


I like the music a lot too, it's very fitting in every scene and emphasizes the emotions of the characters very well.

So far, the romance is very little, but very good. We get sweet little moments between the leads that got me kicking my feet and giggling, but I'm excited to see it develop into something more serious and solidified.

Now, this is a firefighter drama, so it does feel like propaganda.... but they kinda got me here. The comradeship and bromances between the firemen are actually really cute lowkey lmao.

I'm excited to continue the show, but for now it's a yes and thumbs up for me🥹👍🏻

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Felt like my bright eyes were in the dark.

Honestly, this felt like such a waste of time. There was love, there was a “break up”, there was a build up and…nothing! This is more of a documentary than a drama. The drama is terribly flawed with hardly anything concluded. He’s a firefighter, she’s a dancer and that’s that. They connect until they don’t. Of all the firefighter dramas this year, this was is very low on my list. I really did enjoy it and was anticipating the ending but the last set of episodes that was released all in one go felt like a bucket of cold water being poured over all the “warmth” created in the former episodes. There’s very few dramas that I would say is bad but this is one of them.

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My Dark Eyes For U

Literally, I have become a hound for all the Firefighter Rescue genre Chinese Dramas. The Chinese have this genre down to a Science, with thrilling action, unusual romance plots, and fantastic cinematography. The Chinese have been pulling out their heavy hitter A-lister actors for the starring roles in this popular genre. The latest of this genre is Bright Eyes in the Dark. You can not get more A-Listed than Johnny Huang (Moonshine and Valentine) and Zhang Jing Yi (Lighter and Princess). The cinematography is through the roof, with contrasts and shades and camera angles. The action is quite dramatic and compelling. You totally feel the emotions of the Firefighters who really need to put emotions aside. You just can’t save everyone. There is a golden 72 hours after a disaster event where Firefighters may work without sleep to save who they can. The objective of this drama seems to be “to go bigger and better than what has been done before”. I am just getting started and have viewed the 10 episodes dropped. I don’t know yet if this one will exceed “Fireworks of My Heart”. However, I was crying in the first 15 minutes. It is a blazing “go” for me.

There is always low drama times, when the firetrucks are in the station and the drama pays attention to character building. But when the trucks roll out, the high drama action begins.

Alert ! ! ! At the end of each episode you get practical tips for surviving a fire or disaster. This is a first for a Chinese drama, that I have seen. I found the tips helpful and useful BTW.

Alert ! ! ! The Female Lead is a modern Dancers by profession. This is an occupation I have not seen covered in an Asian drama. There are modern dance sequences too.

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This drama is just so good. It is really worth the wait. The chemistry of Nan Chu and Lin Lu Xiao is 1000/100. It is nice that they didn't just focus on the main lead. Every character has their own unique story. You will have mixed emotions all the time. There are a lot of life lessons, too. And I like how they create it as open-ended. It is like you are still waiting and wanting to have a S2. We congratulate the entire cast for giving us a great drama. The writers, directors, cast, and production. They are all amazing. Everyone did great. I recommend it to everyone to watch this drama.

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Love Transcends

This series has turned out to be a PSA for fire safety and the trials and tribulation of firefighters with a touch of sensationalism of a 'celebrity' element. Nevertheless, it also shows the innate dangers within the dramatic turns that effect their lives throughout. Relationship challenges are very real for those that work in this field or any First Responder field. The ending left a lot for interpretation. Especially for those of us that know within the novel there is a happy ending.

The ending seemed to imply that the writers wanted to give the audience a 'What If' feel.
What if - He didn't survive the forest fire. How would she love/honor him?
What if - He did and finally, they figured out a way to love while yearning. And he arrived late to the performance and was moved by how she displayed the ebb and flow of firefighting through her art and with his brother playing part.

This was a beautiful and thoughtful series more so about firefighting, dangers, sacrifice and safety than romance. The ML and FL were strong in conveying the thoughtfulness to each other and their fields and determination to be present for each other regardless. Their chemistry was warm and comforting. The supporting cast were strong in delivering a memorable piece of art. Worth the watch!

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Time Wasted

I have little to say about this drama other than I came in with low expectations because there can only be so many firefighter dramas in one year that all revolve around the same thing. I was not dissapointed, this drama was as boring and draggy as I expected it to be. It has truly been a struggle to watch and I only continued because I love Zhang Linghe and even though his scenes are few and far in between I still wanted to have a little bit of him. As a cellists, Zhang Linghe’s character was a bit of a let down and honestly I think it’s not his fault just that of the production. Also too cliche, I am twenty two years old, I work at an office, and have lived in a busy city my entire life never have I been in a fire: Yet somehow our female lead, Nan Chu is coincidentally in a fire that she needs rescuing from every other episode. And coincidentally so every time our dearest male lead is there to rescue her. That sort of stuff doesn’t happen in real life, unless there is an abnormal amount of fires in China that we just don’t know about and all I just said is nonsense. Needless to say if you’re giving this a try for Zhang Linghe don’t. He has very little onscreen time. It’s not worth it!

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DESERVES HIGHER RATINGS!!!

Ignore the low ratings otherwise you are going to miss out on an amazing drama..has to be my first remark..

This drama was more than what people wanted it to be..I guess some wanted romance but it didn't put romance upfront because it had alot to offer...others will say it seemed more like propaganda while I'd say it seemed like a tribute to the firefighters seeing how it dived more into how their career affects both their work and personal life..it shows you their pains their status in society and I must agree my respect for them increased more after watching this.

The plot is something we have seen alot this year but what separates this drama from others is how they decided to stand out a little by focussing more on the brotherhood of the firefighters, the challenges they go through, how people view them verses how they view them selves..the risk that comes long with their job and many other factors but I admire how they balanced that with the romance which was neither faced or slow paced but just made alot of sense..it felt natural a natural attraction between two people....they also manged to throw in some really emotional moments about friendship and family and I must say It has been a while since I cried for a series but I did for this one.

The plot was a mixture of variety of genres we had action from the firefighting scenes, we had friendship brotherhood and family, we had entertainment we had romance all of this mixed up together to give us a wonderful series.

The casting was amazing...I loved seeing all these familiar faces which were a major reason for watching this but at the same time I love how each character just fit perfectly in their role..we had a reserved and considerate male lead, a hardworking female lead, we had amazing support characters who shined in their respective roles... usually in a drama I would be attached to a character or two but when it comes to this..I was attached to every character because they all had a different charm to add to the series which made it even more beautiful.

The other thing I admire about the character potrayal was how these characteristics were human they had problems and struggles, they felt relatable because they weren't coated as perfect but rather made mistakes had regrets too so I admire that choice of character building.

The acting from each character was nothing short of perfect, we could feel all the emotions through their acting the happiness helplessness anger frustration love every single emotion and I loved how they were all able of transferring those emotions to the viewers through their beautiful acting. Hearts off the the cast!!!

The romance and chemistry between the leads was amazing natural and it gave me all the butterflies...I love how their relationship progressed and how they slowly got attached to one another..I admire how it was mutual and I loved the understanding between them....and how they both understood eachother despite coming from opposite worlds..it felt satisfying to watch.

The osts were good the cinematography was nice

The ending was emotional and open...I wouldn't have preferred if it were a bit clear and long but I still stand by my ratings... because it had more to offer....

The fire safety tips at the end of every episode was a good idea now I don't care if that's what people call propaganda but I love how helpful they were considering the fact that people might pay more attention to them since some were given by their favourite actors and actresses

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I have watched all 3 dramas on firefighters this year and I think that Bright Eyes in The Dark surpasses the other 2. Although I am a fan of Yang Yang, Fireworks of my Heart disappointed with its weak FL character, Bright Eyes in the Dark is more than a romance - it shows the dedication of a team of firefighters to their work and the conflicts it imposes on them and their families,. The camaraderie and support amongst the team members is always heart warming and the lighter moments allievate the tragic events that befall the team. But of course Bright Eyes in The Dark is also a love story - a story of a love that is selfless and not imposing. Lin Luxiao and Nanchu love with maturity, giving each other support and complete understanding. The ending is sad and not what I would have like to see but it is well executed with implied meaning instead of literal story telling. The cast performed well and Johnny Huang portrayed the role of Lin Luxiao with just the right touch, portraying a man who is knowing but who knows when to hold back. All in all - a great drama to watch but one that leaves you feeling pensive at the end.

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A drama dedicated to Firefighters! Salute to their sacrifice!

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

2023 is the year of firefighters. “Bright Eyes in the Dark” is the third drama about firefighters and is the one I like the best. This is a story about firefighters, a whole drama dedicated to their experiences, challenges, livelihood and brotherhood. And because of this, it sets itself apart from the usual romance + firefighter stories.

If you want:

50% Cute and Fluffy Romance + 50% Firefighting/Rescue → A Date with the Future
50% Melo-Romance with angst + 50% Firefighting/Rescue → Fireworks of my Heart
80% Firefight/Romance + 20% Romance → Bright Eyes in the Dark


What I Like:

1. Brotherhood/Camaraderie - Aside from focusing on the main leads, the supporting cast is able to shine and tell their own stories. These are stories that make me laugh and make me cry. I don’t know how accurate these stories are in depicting the lives of real firefighters, nor do I know if this is only relevant to Chinese firefighters, but I eat them all up! As always, you can’t always like a character too much in such genres, as you never know if they are going to get hurt seriously or die during their missions. This band of brothers are a fun bunch and they are more mature than the other supporting cast in similar dramas. A mix of veteran and up and coming actors, they have great chemistry together.

2. Missions/Cases/Firefighting - The drama started out with a string of cases and might have bored some people who are looking for romance. There are many more big cases in this drama and for the most part, the fires and explosions all look very real. Money is invested to make this all as realistic as possible. Compared to the other two firefighter dramas, this one showcases bigger disasters and fewer everyday life mundane calls (still have some).

3. Acting - Excellent acting all around. I might get annoyed with a few characters, but that is probably due to their good acting. This is my first Johnny Huang’s drama and he meets my expectations. His tall and muscular frame suits his captain role. He looks like a firefighter. Zhang Jing Yi continues to improve after seeing her in “Fall in Love” and “Lighter and Princess”. Her character is definitely more mature and independent, and she portrays it well. But my favorite acting goes to the rest of the veteran firefighters. When one of them cries by the stairs at the hospital due to the overwhelming monetary burden, my heart breaks for him. Those emotions feel so real and raw. When one of them wanted to commit suicide, I wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything is going to be alright.

4. Main Romance - The chemistry between Johnny Huang and Zhang Jing Yi is pretty good. They have good kisses (thank god!) and the girl is not afraid to initiate. They have great conversations, are honest with each other and will talk it out before making any decisions. The romance lover in me wanted more screen time and lovey-dovey moments. A minor critique, I do think Zhang Jing Yi looks a little younger (appearance wise) to be paired with Johnny.

5. Wang Zi Qi - I love that WZQ took on a more serious role after seeing him as a rom-com CEO or someone a little more bland. In this drama, he shows a very different side of him and looks older (more natural) without a full face of thick makeup. I like his more mature and rugged look. He exudes quiet and stern charisma, but also shows his softer side later on. I wish he had more scenes with Johnny. His voice is finally not dubbed, though he needs a little more practice.


What I have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like:

1. Preachy/Propaganda? - This drama talks a lot about firefighters dedicating their lives for their country by compromising their personal and family lives. Is this Chinese propaganda? Maybe. But I am sure each country feels very strongly about their life-saving heroes. The fire safety clip at the end of each episode is a useful and good public service announcement. However, as a binge-watcher, I got bored after a few and then just skipped through them.

2. OST - The same two songs keep on playing over and over again. They are nice, but just way overplayed. Comparatively, I like the OST of “Fireworks of my Heart” a lot more.

3. A few questionable situations - The TV show premise is not very plausible. It takes going to a special school and training before you can go into the fire (like the two newbie firefighters). They make it too easy for the actors, especially the newcomer, to join in on everything. The drama mentioned many times that it’s difficult for firefighters to take time-off, is that really so hard in real life? If it’s that hard, how did they let them all take a day off together to go picnic/camping? I might be totally wrong and it’s possibly fine, but in the very last few episodes, I question the decision to let civilian volunteers to help out. If you are not trained, no matter how short-staff you are, you might not want them into a burning forest.

4. Ending (spoilers) I understand why the leads need to move away to let the rumors die down. What I don’t understand is why they stop communicating with each other as if they have broken up. Did I miss a part of their conversation? Why can’t you stay away from each other physically, while being emotionally together and continue to support each other? If they have stayed a loving couple, I would be more ok with the somewhat vague ending. Even if the male lead really dies in the mission, I am ok with it because I have seen their romance blossomed and I felt rewarded. But acting like they broke and adding on that ending makes this very unsatisfying.


Overall, I had a good time watching this due to the emotional stories of the firefighters and the great all-around acting. It’s not a perfect drama, but it’s special in its own ways. The pacing is decent for a 40-episode drama. But this is definitely not for everyone. I can see many drop this after the initial episodes especially if you are looking for romance.


Other Random Observations:
1. How many times is the FL going to be stuck in a dangerous fire situation and need to be saved by ML?
2. I want to slap those two newbies for their immature behaviors and get into trouble over and over again. When are you going to learn and listen to your supervisor?!?
3. I am quite impressed with Zhang Jing Yi’s dancing. I know some complicated moves and wide-angle shots are not her dancing, but those that are done by her look pretty good.
4. The fake tan on ML is just too obvious.
5. Surprisingly, there aren’t too many topless 6-pack scenes. Just a few in the early episodes I want more! LOL
6. I know Wu Gang is an excellent veteran actor but his botoxed face is too distracting!!!!


Completed: 10/30/2023 - Review #371

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One of the most informative drama, I have ever watched.... I like their casting, acting skill, background, environment..... and so on..
At the end, so heart touching.. A must watched drama....Love u all who were in front of and behind the camera...thanks for giving us such kind of drama.....Love u all...
Actor Jhonny Huang, a versatile actor, I think...His expression looks like real always......A manly figure... That's why, I like him also..
The female lead, done a good job..
I want to give thanks to the writer and script writer for this wonderful story....I have watched the drama again...ending is soo heart touching and unexpected... So much things are not solved like Lin luxiao found Nan chu's father diary...and also her Identity.... The departure of lin luxiao made me cry...
Story is so realistic.... Hats off to those firefighters who gave up their lives for people...before watching this drama, i didn’t ever realise that, how challenging their work is!!
Jhonny Huang and other actors actress.. They have done so well...A must watch drama...Best drama based on firefighters..... Thank you all for this drama who work behind and in front of camera.....also I want season 2...plzzz..🙏..ending makes me sad..😭
Love you all....

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