Silver
In front of my computer screen.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” We’ve probably all heard that line at some point. Likewise, you should NEVER judge a drama by its synopsis.
When I first read the synopsis, I didn’t think the drama seemed worth my time. I mean, okay, so there’s two completely different cops, milkshake-drinking killers who are twins and an abnormal President and local triad. So what?
However, once I actually starting watching (due to a phase of boredom), this drama absolutely blew my mind!
The cast was great; everyone played their role well and I thought that Vic (as Chen Zai Tian) and Mark (as Wu Ying Xiong) were very strong foils of each other. Indeed, they were “different as day and night.”
All the characters had their own reasons and their own stories which caused them to be who they were and act the way they did.
The music was very fitting, especially the opening and ending themes. They were very “powerful” and I thought that suited the mood of the whole drama.
In general, this drama can only be described by “there’s more to it than meets the eye.” It’s not just about two very different police officers or anything as ‘simple and plain’ as that. As the English title says, it’s (about) “Black & White.”
For me, everything seemed to happen so subtly that by the time I realized it, it had already hit me in the face. The minute I thought I had everything more or less figured out, I was shown pretty quickly that I was wrong. Dead wrong.
I wasn’t expecting anything when I started watching it but by the time I finished watching it, I didn’t know what to expect anymore. That’s probably why I liked it so much – it’s just so different. It’s also not much of a romance-drama possibly because focusing too much on the romance would’ve reduced the impact of their REAL message, but that in a way kept the whole series at a ‘practical’ level because it didn’t have to take time out to build and establish romantic-fantasies on the side. I absolutely loved the themes, ideas, concepts that this drama presented to me. To say any more would just give everything away.
(After watching, I thought “maybe that’s why the synopsis was so bad. To say any more would have suggested something about the true intentions of this drama.”)
So in the end, all I can say is this:
This drama isn’t just about that little handful of characters mentioned in the synopsis. Rather, I felt that it was about much, much more.
The most important part of it for me were definitely the underlying themes that came out of it all, but that’s really just something you have to see and figure out on your own. It had a huge impact on the way I think, but it may or may not do the same for you.
It’s about “Black & White.” But what do you think this “Black & White” is about?
-Please keep in mind that this is all based on personal opinion.-
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There are two HUGE reasons why this drama stood out so much in my mind:
1. The script - I don't mean the storyline, but rather the things that they say and the meaning behind WHAT they say. Personally, I jot down quotes of lines I like while I watch my dramas and I am 100% sure that "In Time with You" will be holding the record of Most-"Memorable Quotes" for a very, VERY long time.
2. The character setup (I'm not sure what it's actually supposed to be called, or if there is even a name for it.) - Out of all the dramas I've seen (not that I can be a fair judge of them all because I have not watched all the dramas in the world), not once do I ever remember seeing the lead-male act almost like the second-lead-male. Partway through, I started to really doubt whether Chen Bo Lin/Li Da Ren really WAS the lead-male, or if he was just some sort of secondary character. In all the other dramas that I've watched/can think of, the lead-female always ends up with the lead-male, and we (I) pretty much expect it to happen. But if she ends up with the second-lead-male instead, then it's almost considered a "sad ending".
So in my opinion, kudos to the actors and actresses for making the second-lead-male stand out so much that I just didn't know HOW it was going to end until it finally ended.
First off, the storyline. I would have to describe it as an in-depth look at a (seemingly) classic situation. Friends-turned-lovers, nothing special, right? But somehow, I felt that the way their whole relationship was portrayed was just simply...perfect.
While some might say that their "just friends" relationship dragged on for far too long, I actually felt that they were "practically lovers" to begin with. They had their “break-up” and “get-together” moments too, even if they were “just friends”. Seeing so much of their "friendship" for so long, I also feel like I got a taste of what it felt like to be Cheng You Qing - I'd always expect Li Da Ren to be there for her no matter what, being the "best friend" that he is.
So for me, even though I was hoping for change while watching from a third-person point of view (the way their friends and family members felt), their friendship was so solid that even I was convinced that there really WAS the possibility that nothing would ever change (the way Cheng You Qing and Li Da Ren felt).
In addition to their own 'big issue', there was just enough everyone-else-drama so that the whole drama wasn't "just about them", but also about work, family, etc.
As for the Acting/Cast - I was actually really REALLY impressed. For starters, the cast included newbie actors/actresses to play the roles of Ding Li Wei and Maggie, which were pretty big roles. Despite it being their first drama, their characters were portrayed very solidly and never once did I think "oh, they're just acting." I never got the impression that this was just another one of those “fake, jokester dramas”. Nope, this one was serious- serious all the way. Nothing, their words nor actions, were out of character, and I probably would've believed you if you'd told me that they've actually been acting for years. I think credit also goes to the director - from watching the "behind the scenes", I feel like he played a big part in getting their characters to come out as well.
There is one actress in particular that I must praise as well, and that is Ariel Lin. I must confess that I was never a real fan of Ariel Lin. Watching her in ISWAK, Love Contract, and Tokyo Juliet, I continuously got the impression that her characters were all the same - just simply, dumb when in love. While I'm sure it's not her fault because that's just how the script was written, I had always been under the impression that she was simply just suited for "childish roles", and I told myself that I wouldn't be too surprised if she turned out to be a childish character in this drama as well. Sure, she had her cool and composed "I don't need love" moments in Love Contract, and her serious work-focused moments in Tokyo Juliet, but once she 'fell for the guy', all of that was kicked aside and tossed down the drain, and all the serious-attitude that she’d worked to build up before was just…gone. She'd just be in silly “lovey-dovey mode” for the rest of the drama. Up until I watched "In Time with You", that was my impression of Ariel Lin. (I don't mean to offend any Ariel Lin fans or anyone who is a fan of those dramas.) I was just so shocked, impressed, and GLAD all at the same time that I finally got to see her play a "mature" role. I loved being able to watch her act as an ALWAYS-work-focused, consistently hard-working, "I'll take on work and play all at the same time" kind of character. I'm glad that I got to see this "different side" of her - a mature side that was able to control her feelings all the time, regardless of whether she was with her boyfriend or not (minus the few zone-out moments she occasionally had, but come now, we all have SOME moments). Despite her previous dramas, she wasn't too-cute, too-dumb, or too-air-headed; she was mature and sophisticated the majority of the time, "broken down" when she needed to be, and just naturally relaxing during her chill-time with Li Da Ren. For anyone that may have had the same impression of Ariel Lin as I did before I watched this drama - I would recommend giving this drama a shot to see if your opinion of her might change.
The music itself was not necessarily "amazing" or "simply grand" in any way, but it was still nice. The most important part was that suitable songs were played in suitable situations. I also really liked the addition of Chen Bo Lin/Li Da Ren's own song - it really gave certain scenes a deeper "feel" at those critical moments.
While this drama seems really typical, I think...there's just something about it that can't really be described by just "words". It incorporates a lot of different aspects of just "life", namely friendship, work, love, marriage, family, justification of self, and probably others as well. But in a sense, it’s a story that just kind of shows “Life” – it might not be your life or my life exactly, but for me, it was still close enough to hit home.
-Please keep in mind that this review was all based on personal opinion.-
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This review may contain spoilers
A light, fluffy drama that inadvertently highlighted an unnoticed part of Chinese society
Overall, I enjoyed watching this drama, and I think the female lead did a pretty good job in depicting the different personalities of the twins. Granted, I've also only seen her in Sparkle Love, where she acted even more introverted than the 2nd twin, so I was glad to see her portray an entirely different personality this time around. It wasn't a mind-blowing drama, but it was an easy, fluffy watch that didn't make me feel annoyed at any of the characters, problems were solved in due time and not dragged out unnecessarily, and the decisions they made seemed fitting for the situations, so I definitely enjoyed it much more than some of those other low-production rom-coms I've seen in the past.Now in regards to the "racist statement"... I am in no place to be offended as I am neither Filipino nor am I a maid/house worker, but I don't think that saying someone looks like any stereotyped human being is ever meant to be a kind comment, regardless of whether the subject is a certain race or not. Prior to this line, he also said she looked like a 大嬸, or an "older middle-aged woman" (like an "ajumma" if you know Korean). Is that not offensive to those women as well?
Of course, the scriptwriter(s) could've used other terms to describe those dresses, but to me, the choice and use of this term is a reflection of human nature and Chinese society today. Because we are human, it's impossible to understand the details of every race and culture, which is why stereotypes exist. Being the arrogant, prideful character from a rich background that he is (especially at the beginning of the series), it shouldn't be too surprising if he says something mean or offensive - he's just not that type of considerate guy. Besides the fact that it's a commonly used everyday term like 大嬸/ "older middle-aged woman", and that it may not have been ethically correct to have him say something potentially offensive, outright choosing not to acknowledge it by leaving it out of the script doesn't mean it doesn't exist in the real world.
Although foreign domestic helpers are a real part of Chinese society (as well as in other countries too, I'm sure), they are rarely ever mentioned, never mind highlighted in dramas. But the topic came up, don't just pick your side and move in. Instead, go look up and read about domestic and foreign domestic workers in China (I did) and learn more about them so next time you meet someone who is really stereotyping (maybe even worse and more regularly), you can tell them exactly how it is.
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