good short cdrama
I thought this was well done. It was a bit dark to start and I tend to stay away from dark stuff. But I am glad I gave it a try.Likes:
1. The story-line was good and kept you interested to know how things were going to turn out.
2. The writers and director did a good job and I hope they get more jobs. It was nice that it wasn’t a fluff piece like most of the shorter c-dramas.
3. The chemistry between the actors were good. The romance scenes were good and better then some that I have seen lately.
4. The ending was a definite surprise. There was a surprising twist.
5. I liked the contrast between the two couples in the love. It showed the difference between genuine love and obsessive love.
6. I liked the little daughter. her character was a nice addition to the story. I thought the little actress did a good job.
7. Solid acting- nothing outstanding but it was well done.
Dislikes:
1. Incomplete English subtitles but it was a good series so I just overlooked it and replayed some parts again to figure out what was going on.
2. Length of each episode-I would have liked the episodes to have been longer. Some of the story felt rushed because of the allotted time. The first episode was 11 minutes.
3. A little inconsistency in the story, In the description it says King Ning but in the story he is referred to as the prince. So that was a little confusing. I think he was the prince not the king. Other than that the story was good. This may be translation problem. But with the way this character was freely running around it was more believable he was the prince.
4. The ending was good but I felt like it could have been better.
I definitely recommend it. I will re watch it again. In fact I have re watched certain parts of it already.
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Best short I've seen
Wow.On the one hand, I like shorts because they're quick and there aren't any unnecessary plot lines. On the other hand, shorts tend to sacrifice quality and continuity.
Familiar Stranger is well written, well directed, and well executed. The plot makes sense, isn't rushed, quality is superb, and I love the music too!
Actors and actresses in shorts tend to stay in shorts, and I've seen the ML elsewhere (Queen of Attack 1 and 2). I think he's a first rate actor.
Anyway, this one's definitely worth watching!
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Suprisingly good for a short Drama
Typically these short dramas are low budget with no name actors. Acting could be cheesy or over the top but occasionally it's easy to watch on the side. So going into this drama I had zero expectations but did NOT see this coming.Great Story filled with mystery and twists definitely good enough to be a longer series.
Great acting by the cast especially the 4 main leads. Chemistry was on fire between the ML and FL. In addition there were some interesting supporting actors, notability Yuanbao the little girl and ML's military advisor. Both offered periodic humorous lines.
The cinematography feel reminded me a bit like Love like Galaxy, beautiful and magical.
Music was also really good.
Only flaws:
1. They left some lose ends w/ the ending
2. Interesting stories like this should continue.........................................
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Only 18 eps, at 16 minutes per episode! Very fast-paced and good romance!
As an 18-episode drama, this has incredibly fast pacing, and this is not meant in a bad way. The writer does not waste time at all, moving from one main plot point to another. The scenes move very smoothly with good transitions between scenes. The soundtrack is really nice and the editing team did a great job adding them to certain scenes.The storyline is more so focused on Shi Qi hiding her true identity rather than the political plotting to get the Crown Prince title. Romance-wise, there are plenty of cute/heart fluttering moments between Shi Qi and Xiao Han Sheng. I highly recommend trying if you're into the forced marriage and secret identity trope. Plus the I-met-you-before-but-you-don't-recognize-me trope? (if that is even one, lol). The mystery element of this drama would be finding out why Shi Qi got her face swapped. When the reason is revealed, I was a bit surprised, which is good cause plot twist! I do have to say I lowered my rating a bit because of the finale. I'm not sure how rational it was for such an ending.
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This review may contain spoilers
Plot was muah!
I'm on fire babyyyy! Found wholesome cdrama in a row!It has a subtle, calm atmosphere that's why I hesitate to watch it at first because I'm for the mood of brute and funny MC and plot but glad I continue watching it! Don't get me wrong, this is not boring. I just misjudged it, thinking I'm not in a mood for some serious tone. But this was quite fine! Not so tragic, not so twisted, and not too comical too. So frickin' right.
I like FL here even though she's one of the kind that hard to play with (in writer's perspective) and could lead to boringness. But I guess, the director and the writer for this one knows how to extract the best in her personality so 10000/10000! ML is such a cute! And when I'm saying cute, it means, he's so fudging genius and tactical! He's a General indeed! Because of his way of thinking, this show didn't give you some misunderstanding shits at all even though they were trying to initiate. Oh boy. Love the casting and how they blend the characters so well!
The second characters did a lot of development that I anticipated. Some also shows changes but guess it's too late but hey, the thought is still counts. This is also the first time (if I remember it correctly) that the side characters have way more tragedy than the main characters. Which is RARE for any drama, isn't? GIVE ME MORE LIKE THIS PLS! Also, thumbs up for the director for removing the worry to FL and still give the Scharacter a good closure. Clap! Clap!
The plot? Got they got me there! I was suspicious at first but forgot it because I really enjoying the engagement of the MC. Until the plot was revealed that I was shook! That's a lot and satisfying last 3 eps there! Love it!
Overall, this is one of the best short cdrama I've watched. The puzzles fits perfectly that nothing's odd. I just enjoyed it!
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A Great Short Drama
Yeah this was excellent and since it is rather short, it will be top of mind when I want to rewatch something. It's an engaging story that moves quickly. The conflicts with the villainous characters are tense but not unwatchable. The leads have really lovely chemistry. I'll be looking out for this ML actor in other things. He was the standout in this for me.I only rated the Music a 9/10 because I didn't notice it. So it certainly wasn't bad, but not necessarily memorable.
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It's Intriguing
I don't think I have ever seen any drama that I want to leave as it is cos it was that perfect,but still wanted more,I knoow,it sounds ridiculous ,if you watch,you will understand .😄😄😄You get sucked in from the first episode and it makes you yearn for more even after the last episode...
The intrigues,suspence ,the romance between the first lead couple,the sincerity of their feelings and how it's best to follow your heart and look beyond the physical, that was beautiful to watch, their chemistry was good, beautiful acting. Then the second lead couple good acting as well, telling us that if the physical is all we see,we can get blinded and not see what's in front of us and all that passion is all smoke not fire😀😀
I love the comedic relief, military adviser😆😆😆 and funbao , everyone did well,I enjoyed this drama,it's a short drama and I wasn't confused,🤷 there
were opportunities to make it longer,but it's fine as it is,so it's a 9:5 for me. 😊
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Watch this one for date night.
OMG! What did I fall into? This drama is exotic, provocative, and alluring. I really like this short drama. The Chinese put out short vignettes of 6-12 episodes of 12-30 minutes each. This is the testing ground for potential stars to make an acting drama statement. The drama is 8 episodes of about 30 minutes each. Does the premise make sense? Not really, but the plot-line is tied into such a neat knot, you may be willing to forgive certain shortcomings. One star of ‘A Familiar Stranger’ is Ryan Cheng. He got snatched up in a quick Chinese drama minute to more meatier parts after this good showing. Ryan Cheng also went on to star in the Chinese drama hit ’My Journey to You’ (2023). There is a wonderful posse of drama characters, which adds depth to A Familiar Stranger’. Ryan Cheng leaves Super Star dust behind him as he walks past you.The time commitment is so short, you might enjoy this short drama detour.
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Surprisingly good!
OVERALLIt's short, to-the-point, and without major flaws. Watch it if you're bored and in need of a quick, small dose of romance. If you're really not a fan of fantasy or like to be super invested in your dramas, then reconsider. I would still give it a try. It's so short!
THE STORY
I like the switched-bodies trope, but I'm always wary because it comes with so many overused cliches I can't stand. Luckily, this drama does without them. Female lead is mature, poised and smart (although sometimes a bit helpless), Male lead isn't the usual cold prick and is also smart enough not to misunderstand things, so they face the situation differently than the protagonists of other dramas. It's just refreshing not to see the same old mambo. The couple is pretty cute too. There just isn't much to dislike about the story (it's a bit weird what happens with the villains but it's not so bad as to ruin the show).
There are definitely disadvantages to a short web-series format, the biggest one being that there isn't enough time to develop characters, relationships and plot very well. This drama does as well as it can with the time constraint, but you still don't feel very attached or invested in the characters. It's like watching the highlights of a drama rather than a complete drama. However, I find that there are also lots of advantages, the main one being no time for useless side stories that C-dramas are OBSESSED with. And THAT, I'm here for it! If you're the same, give this drama a try. I think it's worth it!
THE ACTING
Good stuff. The switching-body trope is pretty demanding, I thought the two actresses did a fantastic job. Main leads had some decent chemistry too. I have no complaints.
THE MUSIC
Can't remember, but it's not a bad thing!
REWATCH VALUE
Not super high, but not quite low. There were some really cute scenes, but I didn't care about this drama enough to rewatch it whole. I might rewatch parts of it!
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Intriguing
This drama is excellent. It is not too long and each episode has your attention. I love the ML and FL leads. Even the villains are good actors. This is a definite drama to watch if you want romance with a little intrigue. This is also a drama that you will rewatch several times just to see the chemistry between the leads. The music goes very well with scenes within the drama too. I also like the cinematography. There are parts where the scenes has a darker setting. I highly recommend watching this drama when you are in the mood for romance with a little intrigue and you do not want to watch 24 or more episodes.Was this review helpful to you?
A Short Drama and Well Written, Best I Have Scene In A Long Time.
A very good and well done short drama. It keeps you interested and easy to follow story. There are so many twist that surprises you. The lead female character plays both herself and the characters of the face that she has been given so good that you can see 2 different people. The male lead is also very good as he is trying to find out who his wife really is. They both maneuver through their life quietly and calm and gives us so many surprising twist. The villain's are bad but you can also see the good in them. A well written story and great direction. The actors performance is great and keep you going thru the story.Was this review helpful to you?
I don't remember you by your face but your heart
I would just start by saying this has become one of my favorite short dramas.This is one of those dramas which will keep you on your toes.
The chemistry between the actors was very very good and both the female leads portrayed their part to the best. The emotions that they showed on screen could be felt by me.
Both the male leads did and equally good job but somehow, I felt the prince's character was a bit more challenging considering the variety of emotions he had to show and how obsessed he had to be portrayed, and even after all these situations the actor did a great job in playing the character.
The story was something new to me as I haven't encountered one like this.
The casting was really good and I couldn't personally find any flaws in the actors portrayal of their characters.
Pacing of dramas is one of the thing that makes me either like or hate the drama because as a viewer when you watch a drama and you find it leading to nowhere in quite many episodes it becomes boring. This drama definitely did not make me want to skip any scenes or drop it.
I really loved the OST in this drama. If you are someone who loves to read the meaning of the OST in the translations then this one will definitely check that box. The lyrics are so beautiful that it made want to write it down and treasure them.
All actors including the supporting cast were exceptionally good. Even the supporting characters had such a beautiful impact on the drama.
The story starts really well with a good mystery factor in the plot. The plot advances with a good pacing and the mystery factor remained in the drama till the end. One after the other some or the other problems did arise in the show which made the drama interesting considering the plot. The chemistry of the actors was what made the drama even more watchable. The drama had great physical intimacy as well as well as ample amount of heart touching emotional scenes and great visual chemistry.
What stole the show for me was the character of Yuan Bao. She had such great importance in bringing the leads together. Her character even though being so young was very smart and that made the character even more cuter because no one expects a small kid to be so smart. Her interactions with all characters on the show were so heart touching and when there were scenes of the leads with Yuan Bao it felt like a dream family.
What makes dramas special is their ability to make you want the story to be real and this drama definitely did it.
For me this was a great watch and I would definitely recommend it those who like romance dramas with a mystery factor and those like dramas where there is portrayal of a happy family.
P.S. Feel free to tag me or message me if you want spoilers as I tend to avoid giving spoilers in my reviews.
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