Nepeta 22

City of a city. Addictive to watch and up there with War of Faith.

Sometimes, it might not seem necessary but that also adds a touch of realism in my opinion. That drama was more or less re-counting real history and the deaths caused on both sides of a civil war.

So far I have watched up to 17 episodes and think that there are two main leads. Bai Yu Fan and Xia Meng the slightly younger couple and Yu He Wei and Long Ni the possibly the other couple. To be honest, Lawrence Wang and Feng Jia Yi are also main characters. I recommend it highly if you like investigative and banking sector stuff. If you like War of Faith or something like The Knock-out, then this would likely interest you. This drama is one of the good ones this year.

Your reply and comments are quite typical and quite basic with what I wrote. What part did I say white people? For your information, the subtle propaganda is not for just white people. In fact, the more ethnic people the better. The best and ideal messenger would be using the ethnic minorities in those countries to do the more difficult jobs without being labelled a racist.

On MDL, I suspect a portion are from ethnic countries or ethnic people living in former coloniser countries. I'm not enforcing any viewpoint. It's just some don't like to hear the fact that some may be under the spell of the western strain of propaganda and most importantly the western culture.

This is why I wanted to state that the "boring" stories of the republican era done in a proud and in-yer-face way is China's culture and China's way and may not suit your subtle round-about way of re-selling patriotism. I gave a reason, history in other countries are not carbon copies of China's history.

Finish up with this. I seldom see anyone saying the same when it's a Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty or Tang/Song Dynasty drama. But in a drama set last 100 years, we see "propaganda", "boring" and "CCP". Unless you lived in China the last 30 years, I would say many of people's comments are from what they read, through news, social media, books and on the internet. Think who shapes the world view-point? No question about that... yet if you were told China shaped the world view, be honest and think how many will react and think. All very relevant to the conversation here on this film.

It's great you saw Mo Dao in a store, however as I said before in addition to anti-China news, there is a culture war against Chinese exports, so dramas that come out of China will get the same sinophobic propaganda to scare people off. This drama, the early comments were "this is propaganda" on and on. "You will be ensnared by the CCP!"

I watched this drama, it's one of the best this year in writing and cinematography. But this would be lost in the world outside China because of the culture wars being controlled by the mainstream media in the west. This includes social media and general pop culture. It's not an accident that China's general image is poor, it's deliberate.

It suits you to "stay on topic" when the comments section escalated outside of that when the word propaganda had been used. Overly patriotic being used. And yes, it is possible for countries to admire and appreciate Chinese patriotism. But generally, whenever I see any drama in China set inside the last 100 years, it's the words boring, propaganda next to it. This is just a long line and comments are very similar.

If you have read all my other comments here, it's the enforcing of one's culture on another country's history. You don't like over-the-top patriotism, that's fine, but also admit that your comment comes from a place of another culture that is not very likely to align with China's history. That would help calm the comments section down.

The reason is many people who don't live in China have been drip fed "subtle" patriotism simply because of their country's past history. A majority of former coloniser countries also involved in the slave trade seldom do dramas or films on the topic. If they do, they typically depict the lone white knight that shines outside of their peers to make it palatable. Patriotism is hidden in computer games and in films like Black Hawk Down to Rambo. Perhaps you are used to that sort of patriotism.

But China's past is nothing like that. They suffered major wars in the last 100 years and inside 40 years, have lifted millions out of poverty. This achievement is very raw and very now. That's a different place to where you may be coming from surrounded by your values and culture. I'm here to remind others of their over-bearing & entitled opinions when it comes to sensitive films/dramas in China in the last 100 years. Also, films and politics often go hand in hand. It's sometimes hard to separate. Happy to talk drama and film plots too, but on this occasion, it does sometimes involve politics.

The post was directed @S_Ellie. But generally for others to read and think about that over usage of the word propaganda against the country China. Seldom have I seen this for other countries like South Korea or even Japan. As for the wider world even less so.

There is a reason for this. Just 17% of the world's population want people around the world to "other" China but not Vietnam. ( We know why and it's got nothing to do with Communism).

It's as if it's a dirty thing to enjoy watching China celebrate and triumph in the last 100 years. That is also propaganda. But I'm seeing very little of others stating this, so I want to make this point to get this topic out and hold the mirror up to some that think they're "independent" in thought.

The issue is, you are in a way enforcing your ideals on another country's culture. It is possible that China and of course many of its film and dramas are in-yer-face patriotic. Why? People who grow up in former coloniser countries will be "fed" films that needs to tread carefully of their unsightly past. Films will hand pick a "White Knight" or one lone warrior that fights against their countries' tricky past and re-spin it to make the aggressor seem a saint.

China's most recent history is nothing like this. It's a former under-dog that rose and won, that's why you will likely see dramas filmed patriotically and openly. Once you get your head around China's past instead of the past that your countries have gone through, you will drop that "propaganda" word because let's face it, using such a word with China means you have swallowed the propaganda that's been drip drip fed to you through various means.

There seems to be a theme on the usage of the word "propaganda". Could be lost in translation since in China, they use this word literally (with no malice) unlike many western countries' hold over the mass view-point.

I must stress the western countries' population only make up just 17% of the world's population, and interestingly enough controls the world narrative through news, social media and of course film and literature. China's suffering during this period is not widely known to the western world. And there is a reason.

What makes it worse is everytime a Chinese drama/movie depicts this period, the word propaganda is used next to it. That I'm afraid is the sign that the western strain of propaganda has worked. Next time you type that word next to Chinese dramas/movies, think of the many things that have seeped into your sub-consciousness when posting. You might not be as smart as you claim to be.

I could be wrong, but someone on the discussions earlier mentioned Shanghai dialect.

OK, thanks for the quick reply.

Thanks for that. Do you know why there is a dispute? Was the old agency still signed with him in at some point in 2018 & they got him the lead role in Love & Redemption?

I heard about Cheng Yi's ex agents and the court case. I can't find the information. Does anyone know what year he actually signed with H & R Century?

Thanks for that. I thought the same, but was not sure. Anyway, her character certainly adds to a tiny bit of light relief.

Going a bit off topic. Anyone know what Niu Chun Miao has around her neck? Looks like a silver metal hoop. Is that some kind of jewellery piece?

I know what you mean. When they do the flashback, you do need to keep note of names of at least with 6-7 people as they will be mentioned in the present day. The plot is very intricate and tightly woven, and they do deliberately try to confuse us to hide the culprit. It depends on what you're into. When you find out who is the culprit is at the end, & you go back to the previous episodes, the answer was there right in front of your eyes. It was well done. I loved it.

I'm afraid it's still not subbed, and it looks like it won't be as there seems to be no demand for the international audiences. The storyline is very similar set up to this drama except it was set around 1948-9 which is a very interesting time and also shows how normal people to some extent living very normal lives with no big interest in politics after all, they have just suffered greatly after the second Japanese Sino War. Very memorable.

Fearless Whispers - no English Subs I'm afraid. I managed to watch it using Baidu episodes guide. Fearless Blood a short drama that uses black humour to tell the story from bottom up. Nice to see what it's like in the small villages instead of the big cities at the time.

He is a well established actor and have played many roles. His performance in Under the Microscope and Echo show case his range.

I'm only on episode 4 and looking forward to future episodes, which is a good sign. I also picked up on the less skin smoothing, which fits in with the feel of the drama.