Am Now Hooked on Taiwanese Comedies
It's been a hot moment since I have watched a Taiwanese drama (my main staple of the early 2010s) or written a review on this site, and this show has gotten me out of the woodworks for both.
This drama was fantastic. Stumbled upon it on an Air Canada flight of all places, watched the first two episodes, and was promptly hooked. Finished up by marathoning it on Viki.
Here is what kept me seated:
- The chemistry between the cast. This was a very character driven ensemble cast drama, and space is given for everybody's story arc to breathe and grow. Do I wish that more attention was given to some characters over others? Yes, I definitely had my favourites. But everybody got an episode to spotlight their story while our two MCs drive the main story line.
- The chemistry between the two MCs. The relationship between Zhiyao and Yijie is the core of the story, and their changing dynamic is hilarious to watch. Their first encounter was a disaster. Their slowly building respect and trust was heartwarming.
- The ending. Is this drama idealistic? Yeah. I don't think prisons are actually this united in reality, and I don't think bad things get resolved this easily either. But this is a comedy drama. It's okay to turn off your brain and laugh at the truly hilarious shit that these characters go through, and to have your heart healed by the power of friendship. It's okay to embrace the world rather than to reject it, which is an important lesson that some of the prisoners learn throughout the series.
- TOP TIER COMEDY. This is an homage to mo lei tau comedy Stephen Chow style. I nearly bust my ribs trying to hold back my laughter out of my respect for my fellow passengers. The comedy is ridiculous and over the top and borderline offensive (sometimes actually offensive) and it is incredible. There is a lot of physical comedy and it works. A breath of fresh air from the many dramas right out now that focus on all-knowing, all-powerful leads. Here, the MC has no idea what is going on or how to deal with it. He's literally along for the ride and that is most of the fun of it. Our MC may be brawn over brains, but he's also got a heart of gold and a back that easily bends out of self-preservation. This drama drew me in with the ridiculous premise and the ridiculous workplace comedy, and then kept me going as the characters grew me on and some of the more emotional arcs started to rip. But even throughout what could otherwise be heavy emotional material, the drama never lost sight of its light hearted core. Sometimes its okay to laugh through tears.
I loved this drama to pieces. Thank you Jasper Liu for getting it enough traction that it's on Iqiyi and Viki so that more people can see it and resonate with it. This may be the first time I've seen MDL and Douban scores so close to each other. This is really underrated on MDL - it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's a damn good break from reality.
This drama was fantastic. Stumbled upon it on an Air Canada flight of all places, watched the first two episodes, and was promptly hooked. Finished up by marathoning it on Viki.
Here is what kept me seated:
- The chemistry between the cast. This was a very character driven ensemble cast drama, and space is given for everybody's story arc to breathe and grow. Do I wish that more attention was given to some characters over others? Yes, I definitely had my favourites. But everybody got an episode to spotlight their story while our two MCs drive the main story line.
- The chemistry between the two MCs. The relationship between Zhiyao and Yijie is the core of the story, and their changing dynamic is hilarious to watch. Their first encounter was a disaster. Their slowly building respect and trust was heartwarming.
- The ending. Is this drama idealistic? Yeah. I don't think prisons are actually this united in reality, and I don't think bad things get resolved this easily either. But this is a comedy drama. It's okay to turn off your brain and laugh at the truly hilarious shit that these characters go through, and to have your heart healed by the power of friendship. It's okay to embrace the world rather than to reject it, which is an important lesson that some of the prisoners learn throughout the series.
- TOP TIER COMEDY. This is an homage to mo lei tau comedy Stephen Chow style. I nearly bust my ribs trying to hold back my laughter out of my respect for my fellow passengers. The comedy is ridiculous and over the top and borderline offensive (sometimes actually offensive) and it is incredible. There is a lot of physical comedy and it works. A breath of fresh air from the many dramas right out now that focus on all-knowing, all-powerful leads. Here, the MC has no idea what is going on or how to deal with it. He's literally along for the ride and that is most of the fun of it. Our MC may be brawn over brains, but he's also got a heart of gold and a back that easily bends out of self-preservation. This drama drew me in with the ridiculous premise and the ridiculous workplace comedy, and then kept me going as the characters grew me on and some of the more emotional arcs started to rip. But even throughout what could otherwise be heavy emotional material, the drama never lost sight of its light hearted core. Sometimes its okay to laugh through tears.
I loved this drama to pieces. Thank you Jasper Liu for getting it enough traction that it's on Iqiyi and Viki so that more people can see it and resonate with it. This may be the first time I've seen MDL and Douban scores so close to each other. This is really underrated on MDL - it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's a damn good break from reality.
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