One of the best dramas that exceeds its expectations with well deserved popularity/ratings!

*️⃣ Ranked at the top for 4 days in a row, stayed on the list of popular high ranking dramas for 47 days and 56 days across all networks, received the top 1 spot as the best military drama on Tencent, and was the most viewed drama on the CCTV-8 channel ranking #1 for 15 consecutive days (basically throughout its entire broadcasting period) and for another 10 consecutive days upon rebroadcast on CCTV-1!!! *️⃣

➡️ Check out the photos section for the data statistics
➡️ This link contains more data information on the ratings from various sources: https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/465493242

First off, this was a very well executed drama from the beginning to the end with a refreshing theme to watch. Each episode was filled with the right amount of emotions and momentum to keep you engaged/watching without ever feeling bored and it is not one of those very cliched storylines where the leads are just with the looks. Usually military genres do not spark much of an interest but I have to say that this was an exception - even the short trailers alone were enough to be intriguing. There have been so many dramas that are popular these days just because the leads are (for which the story itself is not exceptionally outstanding) and I can’t stress this enough because most people tend to choose what dramas to watch based on their biases rather than the actual plot, BUT it should not just be that way! This undermines other good dramas with good actors that also deserve recognition but fall short in popularity which is unfair. I noticed however that of those popular dramas, the overarching image for a handful of them appears to be that certain actors/actresses are typecasted where they play similar roles over various dramas following the same romcom storyline in different variations, and that essentially impedes acting improvement and establishes a digression of interest in a drama overtime as it lacks something new/fresh.

A truly successful drama is one that incorporates good acting along with a good storyline (with popularity being a minor boost) and a good actor/actress are those who are versatile and can deliver definitive emotions within their characters. This drama touched on all those points and although our leads, Gao Wei Guang and Hu Bing Qing are not among the more popular actors, their acting skills are noteworthy in this drama with their roles serving as a breakthrough image. They have displayed their diversified acting skills throughout their different drama roles and this is probably the best one. Gao Wei Guang as Qin Guan really exhibited the characteristics of what a captain should be. He is strict as needed but caring and funny on the inside which we see throughout his interactions with everyone on the team. It is as if the role was designed for him since you can hardly picture any other actor who could take on that role in the same way. On the other hand, Hu Bing Qing as Ning Meng also did really well in exemplifying the characteristics of a strong, smart, cheerful, and lovable female soldier who was unknowingly facing PTSD at the same time. She would always help others whether they were close or not because they were a team and proves herself worthy from time to time. I have to say that Hu Bing Qing is able to convey emotions in her character really well. In the beginning, her PTSD was made evident with various hints but it was pushed aside and was never actually addressed until she was hit with it in a similar scenario during a mission. You can see and feel her pain and desperation throughout those episodes that were solely focusing on her mental state ?.

Analysis of the PTSD scenario
The sudden explosion was the main trigger to NM’s memories of the bus incident, leading her to recall visions of her brother. As she tried to come back to her senses to kill the lady that was trying to escape, she couldn’t control her emotions and her brother’s vision came back which was why it became in place of the terrorist, causing her to be caught up in an emotional whelm and unable to shoot, thus almost costing her and the captain’s life. That moment led her to start associating a terrorist with her brother. Therefore, every time she faces a terrorist (both disguised and real), she has those hallucinations and is afraid to shoot.

The PTSD issue had to be addressed at some point in the drama and they decided to make NM face it directly. Even though forcing her to face it head on was not the proper thing to do, it can be understood why the captain kept pushing her during the stimulated training setup as he was in desperation to help her overcome that barrier. The way they resolved her PTSD does not fully serve as a breakthrough from it entirely but the general idea was that she is able to get past it during a critical moment and it was brave enough for them to expand on this topic. This goes to show that no matter how capable you are, mental health always comes first, otherwise you end up losing to yourself. Her psychological problems should have been addressed early on for the best outcome but they wanted to focus on her persistence in becoming a part of the blue lightning team for her character development, or else it would have interfered with her eligibility.

Central Ideas/Themes
I liked how they placed the emphasis mainly centered on females because it is a unique sight given that it’s a military genre where in many cases would occasionally be male centered (as seen in a prior military drama: Ace Troops as well as in the upcoming Glory of Special Forces). Those plots normally focus on the male's growth as a soldier and although there are some female characters, their roles do not contribute much/directly on the battlefield but this was the first to challenge that with female soldiers. We got to see both male and female soldiers together on the front line and grow together in the process. This is primarily why the drama stood out and makes the better plot. It was introduced right from the start about the needs for recruiting female soldiers into an elite team and even though the reason they gave for the recruitment was not the best, the point was made clear that female soldiers are just as important as male soldiers and it breaks the stereotypical view that women are weak and establishes equality. Through their persistence together we see them grow stronger both physically and mentally overtime. There were many instances that effectively showed how females were just as capable as the males or even smarter. During the male/female barehand battle training, the females were able to win through using tactical skills despite the fact that they were not as strong as the males in terms of strength and the same results during the devil’s week team battle when the special forces team thought they could easily defeat the female soldiers. The main terrorists throughout the drama were also females (the one that got away in the very beginning and the main boss behind everything) and it all essentially shows that thinking wisely is the key to winning and strength is not all.

Training/Action
There were many training scenes particularly in the first half and that is because the main purpose of the drama was to give more insight about the life of soldiers and honor them for their hard work. For the most part, soldiers just train regularly to improve their strength/skills to fight in war and the drama does a very good job with its realistic portrayal by providing various rigorous training scenes throughout. Although training took up most of the episodes, it was interesting to watch with the different tasks they had to go through (devils week) that tested different aspects of their abilities.

Each of the major terrorist battles involved different situations and techniques carried out under different settings for their mission which was very interesting to see. The desert scenario in particular was the most impressive where the team had to take into consideration the dry/dangerous climate conditions and also move through the dark to stop the terrorist team in action.

All the actors/actresses received some training under real soldiers prior to adapting their roles in regards to learning about the proper etiquettes of a soldier and all the action scenes (fighting, training courses, explosions) were done on the scene by themselves without the use of any substitutes - you can see the hard work they all put in during the behind the scene footages where they were injured a few times and were pulling through in the cold weather/water. Those action scenes were all done nicely and my heart was beating fast for the team during the terrorist battles near the end as things were getting much more intense. That one final battle where everyone were all ready to risk their lives for the safety of the people was very heart-wrenching and brave as we see them mentally prepare for the worse and go through the bloodshed, reminding us that soldiers are very honorable for what they do. We don't ever actually see/know what is happening during a war in exchange for peace/safety and this was effectively represented as the foreign president arrived at his destination. He was never aware that a forceful fight was happening behind the scenes upon his "safe" trip and the phrase "Let the living live a better life" primarily defines this disparity.

*️⃣ Based on one of the director's interview, certain scenes/scenarios in the drama were adapted based on real events that had happened previously.

Teamwork
The display of teamwork/team spirit was phenomenal. From purely competitors trying to join the team to becoming very close brothers and sisters that cannot bear to separate in the end. It was really nice to see that everyone was needed in order to make the team complete. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and they were all able to use them to the team’s advantage by helping at certain moments. When they were met with difficulties, they were always there for each other/together and encouraged each other which is what a team should be: going through ups and downs together. During devil’s week their companionship was very touching, giving up their only supply of food for others or for something else they felt was more important. It was the first time they genuinely became a true team and no longer just thinks with “I” but in terms of “we”. All of their backstories were just as important and very emotional.

I loved how Ning Meng was able to befriend everyone slowly and change their views of each other, especially Yang Shu, since she was hard to get close with mainly due to that fact that she was always so full of herself and looks down on others.

Qu Bo’s addition to the team later on was honestly a pretty nice touch to the storyline too. We got to see a different side of his character through a reflection of his true inner thoughts on the relationship with Lin Yi as it made him view things differently. He came to see/understand that working hard is the key that goes hand in hand with the responsibilities of a soldier’s duty and the spirit that makes up a truly good team. Thus, he sees blue lightning team in a different perspective and wants to join/help them succeed with their mission.
*️⃣ Interesting notice: The upside down curl up competition with Zheng Zhong from the special forces team, mirrors the pull up competition between Ning Meng and Yang Shu previously which shows that they like to outright compete to prove themselves in order to solve their problems. This was also seen in the beginning where Ning Meng competed with Xu Dong Dong and Tong Meng Yao in the training obstacle course to get them to apologize to Li Si Si if she won and during another private competition between Ning Meng and Yang Shu for the best candidate selection as the team assault leader.

The team slogan “The harder it is, move forward” should be properly translated as “to keep moving forward especially when faced with something more challenging” was a very powerful statement that kept the team’s persistence and motivation going under any circumstances they were in. It constantly reminded them that they can surpass anything with a positive mindset.

Romance
Qin Guan and Ning Meng pretending to be a couple on the final mission definitely made up for the romance we all wanted to see from them. It blended into the storyline perfectly as the focus is primarily mission oriented and was actually the only other way to make them be together that made sense, as opposed to forcing a happy ending that doesn’t quite fit. The part where they received blessings from the foreign president to have a child soon and everyone started making fun of them as they heard it in the hearing device got me good ?. It was too funny and shows just how compatible they are together (even in disguise and in the perspective of an outsider)! They are so cute together!

Their formal attires were a plus and looks so good on them. It’s probably because we always see them in their military uniforms so that was an appealing appearance haha.

It was also evident that they like each other through their interactions near the end (last battle and hospital scene) and everyone sensed/knew that ?.

Also, not to mention all the little things that the captain did for Ning Meng after giving her a lecture was very funny and sweet:
➡️ Asking Hao Zhe to give her the book she wanted to read while being locked in as punishment in the beginning and beating around the bush to the detachment leader with an excuse to end her punishment
➡️ Getting everyone to find a place to order a cake late at night to arrange a birthday surprise
➡️ Putting in good words to the chief of staff about giving her the chance to join the exchange meeting on the discussion of tactic skills after her constant pestering
➡️ Going back to the training place to find a new flower to give Ning Meng after seeing that the one confiscated was withered badly but denied doing so (it was obvious he went to find a new one since he didn’t take back the flower and also the new jar which Ning Meng caught on fast haha ?)
~ And of course there was a new meaning to the flower now. It became a memory with the captain (a gift from him) which to her is a stronger motivation than when she found the flower standing alone in the rain to not give up
➡️ Going to the movies with her and accepting her gift after rejecting the first time (he cannot bear to see her heartbroken ?)

Love doesn’t have to be shown with physical affection for viewers to know/feel that it is there between the leads and this was done wonderfully in the drama with just words, thoughts, and actions. It was the proper way to incorporate a subtle romance element that fits into the military theme and successfully avoids any unnecessary cringiness that happens in many romance integrated dramas when it’s overdone.

There were also many implied side couples besides Xu Dong Dong & Lin Yi being the most obvious ones:
1. Tong Meng Yao & Guo Xiao Wei with the constant arguing/bickering against each other whenever they meet
2. Li Si Si & Tie Quan when TQ mentions how he wants to lessen the difficulty for LSS when he saw how the girls were training really hard while wearing the heavy sandbags
3. Yang Shu & Qu Bo when they rooted for each other (QB rooted for YS to win the pull up competition against NM while YS rooted for QB to win when he represented the blue lightning team to prove himself capable of carrying on Lin Yi’s position) and also with their interactions in the final mission
4. Zhuang Qian & Jing Ke where it was slightly implied when JK said wanted to go up against ZQ in the male and female barehand competition

*️⃣ The members were paired up most of the time through their lineup (evident during the brick/board training & devil’s week) which I thought was pretty funny.

OST
All the songs fit into the story really well. They are catchy after listening to them throughout the entire drama.
I was particularly surprised about Hu Bing Qing’s voice when I found out that she was the one who sang the ending theme song ("You and Me"). She can really sing and would have no problem becoming a singer as well! The song has a very soothing melody that can fit into any circumstances, happy or sad, which we see it play throughout various scenes in the drama. I am glad all the songs are available on Spotify which is very helpful.

Shortcomings:
1. Certain scenes may be exaggerated but it still brought the intended tension up to point.
2. It can be seen that some scenes were cut in between with the abrupt transitions at some point but the overall flow was fine.
3. The villains were not smarter than they should have been in order to increase the tension that Blue Lightning had to face with them to make the battle more intense. Blue Lightning team basically took down each and every subordinates as they encountered them rather easily until facing the main mastermind behind all of the evil plan.

Final Points:
Don’t hesitate to give this drama a try just because it is a military genre. It starts and wraps up nicely and is very promising. You won’t regret! Eagerly awaiting for a season 2! The casts were all amazing and worked really hard for the production of the drama! ❤️❤️❤️

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