The Outsider (2023)

Totally underrated urban professional life romance revenge and crime story

It had me sitting up over here in Europe every night, combing the net for the next airing of new episodes.

Although it took some getting used to the FL squeeky voice I do love the main couple and found them convincing since episode one.

The couple fights huge social gaps. This drama actually shows a piece of how some of the working class people in China live. The expectances they face. From their families and friends. The shallowness they are met with when it comes to money high society people.

Wang Ju An, heir to a share of a group called Ansheng is called back to China to be Anshengs new CEO at Shanghai.

He faces internal and external oponents, has to clean up and rationalise overcome company structures, eliminate devious employees.... and accidentally meets the woman he falls in love with.

Su Mo, a uni graduate who messed up her own brilliant carreer opportunities by taking the blame for her former boyfriend's cheating in exams, can only make ends meet as a sales person at a dress shop. When she loses that job she applies at Ansheng. And finds herself rejected at first.

As she is upright she faces Wang Ju An and explains. But neither humiliates herself. Nor ask for extra favors. Impressed - nobody dares to stand up to him- (which he neeeds so badly!) he hires her. And that's how it all begins.

Bad acting, other reviews say. WHAT bad acting? It's Vengo Gao at his best. Sporty, nonchalant refined society man... so convincing. Foil fencing like a mad devil! Jumping the carpet in 3 leaps just to mark a point. Competitive, bold, secretive, scheming... vulnerable, loving, protective... it's all there.

The rest of the cast is not less convincing. FL stands her ground when CEO is being "emotionally stupid". She gets his feet back to the ground. And stands by her miserable beaten and framed man, when he is at his lowest.

They are toooo ollld... reviers say!
"Crap they are!" I say. To be a CEO at a huge company it takes a certain age. The Cdramas China is so used to with teenage CEO's and giggeling secretaries are much, but neither interesting, nor convincing. Nor real.

"The Outsider" shows mature actors, cinvincing characters... who sometimes do act foolishly. But WHO of us... doesn't do that every now and then?

I like the lead couples interactions. Second leads are funny oposites. Until tragedy hits. Wang Jian is starred in such an endearing manner... everybody would like to have a little brother like him. Developing from lazy beans into determined young man. Deeply in love with the brainer cousin of Su Mo.

I loved this drama. Do give it a try. To see Vengo Gao have mimics, smirking, sneering, being shy, being coy, being angy, menacing, concentrated, cooking, fencing, DANCING, (yes, he dances!), tearing up, (yes, he is emotional here, showing the entire bandwith of emotions involved with the grandezza of a great actor), going down on one knee, is already worth it all.

The way the actors are being dressed was great. Wang Ju An can wear anything, from that needle stripe business suit to his fencing outfit... and last but not least that sand colored outfit with those matching Chelsey boots... he wears them all to perfection. Cudos to Vengo Gao being an international Haute Couture model.

To me this is a "watch and repeat". Definitely.
♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

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True bond between brothers is not by blood

What a story full of anxieties and surprises. I like modern dramas like this with strong female and male lead characters, Su Mo and Ju An. Don't let eps 1-16 make you think you should drop this drama. At first that's what I was about to do but thought I should give it a try to understand why the title was The Outsider, I was very curious. Having seen all of the individual character development, I understood why. IMO script writing was good on this, I have seen urban related dramas like strong female centered plots, and this is the reason why I continue liking them. The supporting male leads are also interesting to see how their characters mature in the story. The only thing I disliked was the villainess who's always in all Chinese dramas, scheming to get Ju An away from Su Mo, didn't need this in the story. Also flawed early proposal or love confession from Peter to Su Mo was ridiculous. I also liked that Mo Wei Qing was enlightened. I thought she would be the weak mistress until the end. I'm a fan of Vengo, he's a good actor. Not a perfect 10 score but still, I will recommend this if you like this genre.

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