5
1
ChineseDramaFan
USA
Dark and Depressing
This drama is a dark and intense story taking place in Ningzhou, a southern region of China. The weather in the summer is mucky, everyone is covered in sweat and dirt. Unlike the usual glamorous sights of high rises and high fashion in cities like Shanghai and Beijing where most modern dramas are set, Ningzhou is dilapidated, people work hard to eke out a living. Being in this part of China, apart from speaking mainly Mandarin, Cantonese and other dialects are also used.
Accordingly, this drama is adapted from a novel. When I first read the English title, The Bad Kids, I was expecting street urchins. Surprisingly, the kids I saw were nothing but honest, courteous, upstanding, compassionate and intelligent children who try to help each other out. Apparently, the characters of the children have been greatly rewritten to make them more humane as compared to the actual novel. The motives of the characters have also been changed to garner more sympathy from the viewers. Though I have not read the novel, from the reviews of viewers who have, I can see the original novel is even darker than what is depicted in the drama.
The sound effect is amazingly good and the dubbing is first rated. The child actors are simply fabulous to say the least. The lighting is natural and there's hardly any noticeable whitewash of the actors' faces unlike most other Chinese dramas; blemishes and pimples remain on the teenagers' faces. Their skin tone is also natural. The overall acting is really 10/10. The children song, Xiao Bai Chuan (Little White Boat) brings back childhood memories - it's one of the most well-loved children songs. Other music played at the strategic moments brings enormous intensity to the drama, preparing the viewers for imminent happenings.
I stopped at episode 6 and couldn't continue anymore because it's getting very dark and convoluted. I'm a rom-com kind of viewer and the story here depresses me with deaths and situations out of one's control. For that matter, I couldn't even stomach the award-winning movie Parasite. However, don't let my personal taste deter you from watching this drama, especially if you're a thriller buff. This is a great drama, just not my taste.
Accordingly, this drama is adapted from a novel. When I first read the English title, The Bad Kids, I was expecting street urchins. Surprisingly, the kids I saw were nothing but honest, courteous, upstanding, compassionate and intelligent children who try to help each other out. Apparently, the characters of the children have been greatly rewritten to make them more humane as compared to the actual novel. The motives of the characters have also been changed to garner more sympathy from the viewers. Though I have not read the novel, from the reviews of viewers who have, I can see the original novel is even darker than what is depicted in the drama.
The sound effect is amazingly good and the dubbing is first rated. The child actors are simply fabulous to say the least. The lighting is natural and there's hardly any noticeable whitewash of the actors' faces unlike most other Chinese dramas; blemishes and pimples remain on the teenagers' faces. Their skin tone is also natural. The overall acting is really 10/10. The children song, Xiao Bai Chuan (Little White Boat) brings back childhood memories - it's one of the most well-loved children songs. Other music played at the strategic moments brings enormous intensity to the drama, preparing the viewers for imminent happenings.
I stopped at episode 6 and couldn't continue anymore because it's getting very dark and convoluted. I'm a rom-com kind of viewer and the story here depresses me with deaths and situations out of one's control. For that matter, I couldn't even stomach the award-winning movie Parasite. However, don't let my personal taste deter you from watching this drama, especially if you're a thriller buff. This is a great drama, just not my taste.
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