rambler26
This review may contain spoilers
Those with defects are likely to have soul
*Cinematography of the drama was so spot on. It was visually appealing and I loved that it kept to the theme of vintage. The styling and tone of the drama had the sherlock holmes type of feel. Plus, some scenes were shot so beautifully, i.e. the forest scenes.*
Focusing on the concept of loneliness, “The Silence of the Monster” a.k.a “Lonely Monster” reveals to us a story of friendship with dark undertones of mystery, and a dash of romance. Centered around our 2 Male leads He Chufeng, the cold yet righteous locksmith, and Robin, the chatty but sincere appraiser, we go on a journey to see these 2 best friend/roommates use their skills to help the community. They are highly skilled in their jobs but when they come together to solve crimes it’s amazing how their work can intertwine. I like the balance that they both have in terms of personality but of course in drama land, what would come of a good duo comes a twist that would lead to the “monster” portion of the title. Although they are super close and understanding of one another, both male leads have secrets that go beyond what one would be able to comprehend if revealed early-on in their friendship. Thus causing the darker and more meaty part of the story in the latter half of the show.
The drama also covered a lot of heavy topics related to mental health such as depression, trauma, guilt, divorce, etc. It was a good touch to make the story be more realistic. And this point is what I feel would be the deciding factor for many if you like the show or not. The first trailer of the drama painted this more as a lighthearted funny romance drama but there’s more depth once we past all the build-up of the characters. The 2nd half hits you with the darker and flawed side of the characters. You learn of their secrets and see them as any other human being with flaws. They all start to become vulnerable and we discover how the “lonely” aspect really cuts deep for Chufeng and Robin. They happily fall in love but have a hard time maintaining it since they’re new to the “love” department after all the years of being alone. As I keep saying the 2nd half is more of a whirlwind of emotions and pulls you in for a ride. Beware that if you like the pace of the story in the 1st half, the 2nd half kind of flips instantly and focuses on the mystery side of things so prepare yourselves. I know some people didn’t like it but I liked the realistic approach. It keeps you conflicted since you learn to like the characters from the first half and then they are completely different from what you see. The antagonists of the story weren’t strong but the Shifu ticked me off. His obsession was pure madness. A lot of times the bad guys were just petty people. lol
Honestly, the romance aspect wasn’t necessary but I felt it was merely added to be able to instigate other aspects of the story that needed an excuse to push the motives of the characters forward. It’s not the main focus so if you’re looking for something super sweet, you have a better chance watching a Sweet On series drama. There were cute moments between both couples but nothing to really excite the fangirl in me lol. You have a dorky cute awkward couple and a straightforward fiery couple who had better kissing scenes. The bromance was much better and I even enjoyed more of the trio prior to them dating. Had me yelling at the screen for a bit in the last few episodes.
Considering that this was filmed back in 2020 and all 4 leads are still newbies in acting, I think they did a good job. Of all the dramas I’ve seen Bi Wenjun in, I think he did an excellent job towards the end with the high angst scenes. I mean just wow! It was still a bit lacking but he convinced me enough to feel that he really was hurt and about to go crazy. In the beginning he was a bit stiff and awkward but got better once the episodes went on. I hope to see him in more dramas like this one with the mystery because I think he did good and could improve with more roles like these. His character has a lot of depth. Same goes for Zhu Zhengting. I think this one might have been one of his first or even his first drama he filmed but I absolutely loved him as Robin! He might have been my favorite character. He was definitely the chatty but sweet and sensitive guy who makes a great friend. Some people find him annoying as the main cp does too lol but I think his personality is a good contrast to the quiet and cold He Chufeng. He livens up the house. I still am a bit shocked and upset for what happened to him at the end but *sigh*… there’s still somewhat good closure. So proud of both male leads! The ladies did good and their purpose as support for our ML’s was fine. I still scratch my head at Xiao An’s story line but there’s more important things to focus on. Decent acting all around.
OSTs in the drama are so fitting and even though I can’t find it, I absolutely love the English OST that constantly gets played. Fun fact: the ending OST is the song that Esther Yu and Dylan Wang sang for LBFAD.
Overall the story still holds solid even if there are some points that kind of get lost in detailing. I came in to this drama for both ML’s as a NEX7/IP fan and did not leave disappointed. Sure, the show could have improvements but for fairly new actors and screenwriter it was a hidden gem. It was so worth the 2 year wait. It’s not spectacular but I will say it grasps you in with all the mystery, fun side characters and decent subplots. I’d say give it a try because despite some flaws and a bittersweet ending, the story kept me engaged. Plus, there are so many good quotes from this drama. Here's to our monsters! 🦊🐺
Focusing on the concept of loneliness, “The Silence of the Monster” a.k.a “Lonely Monster” reveals to us a story of friendship with dark undertones of mystery, and a dash of romance. Centered around our 2 Male leads He Chufeng, the cold yet righteous locksmith, and Robin, the chatty but sincere appraiser, we go on a journey to see these 2 best friend/roommates use their skills to help the community. They are highly skilled in their jobs but when they come together to solve crimes it’s amazing how their work can intertwine. I like the balance that they both have in terms of personality but of course in drama land, what would come of a good duo comes a twist that would lead to the “monster” portion of the title. Although they are super close and understanding of one another, both male leads have secrets that go beyond what one would be able to comprehend if revealed early-on in their friendship. Thus causing the darker and more meaty part of the story in the latter half of the show.
The drama also covered a lot of heavy topics related to mental health such as depression, trauma, guilt, divorce, etc. It was a good touch to make the story be more realistic. And this point is what I feel would be the deciding factor for many if you like the show or not. The first trailer of the drama painted this more as a lighthearted funny romance drama but there’s more depth once we past all the build-up of the characters. The 2nd half hits you with the darker and flawed side of the characters. You learn of their secrets and see them as any other human being with flaws. They all start to become vulnerable and we discover how the “lonely” aspect really cuts deep for Chufeng and Robin. They happily fall in love but have a hard time maintaining it since they’re new to the “love” department after all the years of being alone. As I keep saying the 2nd half is more of a whirlwind of emotions and pulls you in for a ride. Beware that if you like the pace of the story in the 1st half, the 2nd half kind of flips instantly and focuses on the mystery side of things so prepare yourselves. I know some people didn’t like it but I liked the realistic approach. It keeps you conflicted since you learn to like the characters from the first half and then they are completely different from what you see. The antagonists of the story weren’t strong but the Shifu ticked me off. His obsession was pure madness. A lot of times the bad guys were just petty people. lol
Honestly, the romance aspect wasn’t necessary but I felt it was merely added to be able to instigate other aspects of the story that needed an excuse to push the motives of the characters forward. It’s not the main focus so if you’re looking for something super sweet, you have a better chance watching a Sweet On series drama. There were cute moments between both couples but nothing to really excite the fangirl in me lol. You have a dorky cute awkward couple and a straightforward fiery couple who had better kissing scenes. The bromance was much better and I even enjoyed more of the trio prior to them dating. Had me yelling at the screen for a bit in the last few episodes.
Considering that this was filmed back in 2020 and all 4 leads are still newbies in acting, I think they did a good job. Of all the dramas I’ve seen Bi Wenjun in, I think he did an excellent job towards the end with the high angst scenes. I mean just wow! It was still a bit lacking but he convinced me enough to feel that he really was hurt and about to go crazy. In the beginning he was a bit stiff and awkward but got better once the episodes went on. I hope to see him in more dramas like this one with the mystery because I think he did good and could improve with more roles like these. His character has a lot of depth. Same goes for Zhu Zhengting. I think this one might have been one of his first or even his first drama he filmed but I absolutely loved him as Robin! He might have been my favorite character. He was definitely the chatty but sweet and sensitive guy who makes a great friend. Some people find him annoying as the main cp does too lol but I think his personality is a good contrast to the quiet and cold He Chufeng. He livens up the house. I still am a bit shocked and upset for what happened to him at the end but *sigh*… there’s still somewhat good closure. So proud of both male leads! The ladies did good and their purpose as support for our ML’s was fine. I still scratch my head at Xiao An’s story line but there’s more important things to focus on. Decent acting all around.
OSTs in the drama are so fitting and even though I can’t find it, I absolutely love the English OST that constantly gets played. Fun fact: the ending OST is the song that Esther Yu and Dylan Wang sang for LBFAD.
Overall the story still holds solid even if there are some points that kind of get lost in detailing. I came in to this drama for both ML’s as a NEX7/IP fan and did not leave disappointed. Sure, the show could have improvements but for fairly new actors and screenwriter it was a hidden gem. It was so worth the 2 year wait. It’s not spectacular but I will say it grasps you in with all the mystery, fun side characters and decent subplots. I’d say give it a try because despite some flaws and a bittersweet ending, the story kept me engaged. Plus, there are so many good quotes from this drama. Here's to our monsters! 🦊🐺
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