Reviews

This was a magical journey. A very captivating interwoven story between 1930's anti-Japanese liberation movement and present day (80+ years later).
I really like the way the story is told -- with every episode, we get to learn a little bit more of what happened in the past, then at the end everything comes together. The 1930's arc is super well-done -- I may even like the characters there more than their present-day counterparts.
Plot-wise, the only thing I wasn't a fan of was the later villain arc. It was kind of unnecessary?! Oh well; it didn't take away from the main story that much.

The main characters' chemistry is fabulous. The only thing I was concerned about is, since a lot of the story depends on their past lives, the present-day chemistry might be lacking a bit. But the past life makes up for it I promise! I got (good) goosebumps all the way!
Everyone's acting was also on point. Especially the way 1930's Yoo Ah In looked at his comrades -- best. His eyes would tell you everything.

If you just listen to the OST you'd feel it's a bit dull -- but when paired with the key emotional scenes, it really adds to the story. Yes, the story is a bit dark and stays pretty dark (with really rare comedic relief), but it's a beautiful ride that I hope everyone would attempt taking.

I think it will take a while for me to get over this drama. My heart <3

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A kidnapper gets more than he bargained for when he lures “A Straightforward Boy” to his lair by buying him treats and toys.

This is one of director Ozu’s earliest films of which part is missing. It was still a funny film more slapstick in nature than his later films. This one played broader and more like some American silent films I’ve watched. Ozu’s silent films always struck me more as talkies but with placards.

This short film had some cute moments given the topic of kidnapping. The little boy tormented his kidnappers to the point they wanted to return him but they couldn’t seem to shake free of him.

Saito Tatsuo played one of the silly kidnappers. He was in some of Ozu’s more famous films. The actor who played the precocious little boy, Aoki Tomio, worked alongside Saito as father and son in the Ozu film “ I Was Born, But…” only three years later.

The version I watched had no music which wasn’t a problem for me. Depending on when the music was added to some of these silent films it can be more distracting than mood making.

A lighthearted quick watch, just short of 14 minutes it’s worth giving a try if you enjoy this director’s films.

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It is all in the shades...

This is a morally ambiguous story about a naive man who moves to Hong Kong to seek a better life for himself and his girlfriend but finds himself changing as fast as the city and well... ends up taking all kinds of turns that may or may not give him and the girl a better life but also throw him on a journey of change, lust and falling in love with someone else than the girl he was supposed to seek a better life for.

There is a strange realism to this story playing with shades of morality and taking us away from the one true love many seem to adore.

Our female lead is really fun, cool and great at speaking her mind while still showcasing some kind of voulnarabilaty and the ability to keep two ideas in her head at the sam time.

There are some interesting lines and schenes that show about relativity and change.

A pretty decent film

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Revenge: Why should one do it and how one man did it

The most unforgettable dramas are usually stories that often portray characters stuck in a backdrop of conflict, holding onto their innermost moral values against all odds and temptation whilst they experience challenges and setbacks. Nirvana in Fire is a thrilling watch because the main story, which revolves around the Lead Hero (Mei Chang Su) and his desire to redress the injustice committed against his father (a decorated Imperial military general) and the Chiyan Army battalion (led by him and his father), weaves multiple plots involving many other characters trapped in an unavoidable web of power and politics.
Hence, the title of this drama is rather apt- Mei Chang Su's "nirvana" is his own idea of perfect justice and this drama is literally his quest "on fire" to reclaim his past injustice.
As this is my first time writing a review for a Chinese Drama, I won't be commenting on music score, cinematography and acting skills. Here's my take on the Story, after watching 54 episodes of NIF:

The Villain is not who you'd expect (SPOILER ALERT)
Every drama has a big bad villain whose job is to throw countless obstacles in the path of the Protagonist and NIF is full of them. The drama almost had me fooled when it led me into thinking that the bad guys were Xie Yu, Prince Yu, Xia Jiang or Ban Rou. The biggest villain is only hinted at the start and only confirmed right at the end when you realise the culprit behind all the fights, wars and killings is actually the selfish cowardly Emperor, who had the heart to allow the murder of his own son, a capable brother in law and nephew, 70,000 of his own loyal soldiers based on 1 piece of fake information manufactured by a rogue informant. It is so damning to realise that the biggest culprit behind the shedding of innocent blood is the very man that all these characters pledge their loyalty to. Indeed, the most powerful man is also the most insecure person. The Emperor had been too quick to jump to conclusions about his own son Prince Qi teaming up with the formidable Chiyan Army to rebel against him, without doing any due diligence or fact checking, purely because he was super paranoid about losing his control and power and it was just too easy to act on his presumptions and instincts. The Emperor gives us a believable portrayal how "evil" people are just extremely selfish people who manipulate every advantage to gain more wealth, fame or power. And the impact and brevity of the past sins he that condoned and covered up for his own self-preservation, only really struck me at the end after I completed the last episode. The drama left me feeling anguished and thinking...why do people pledge their lives for this guy??

The Lead Hero is a quasi-Villain
Mei Chang Su as the lead character in this story of finding justice and redemption, is no doubt a shrewd strategist, but he isn’t a human without imperfections. In seeking to put his best friend Prince Jing into the position of ultimate power (to be the main contender for the Imperial throne) to redress the injustice committed against his father and the Chiyan Army 12 years ago, he meticulously sets out his plans by planting various people and rumours in various places. The way Mei Chang su’s pre-planned schemes unfold are only gradually and subtly revealed across the episodes, that you might even miss these clues if you don't pay close attention to the drama’s dialogue and script. There's a classic scene in an episode where Mei Chang Su bitterly remarks to Fei Liu (his young and impressionable loyal guard) that "it gets harder to feel any pain when the heart gets harder and hardened" after one of his pre-planned schemes exposes a buried sin of the father of his good friend, Jingrui, and irreversibly implicates their entire family. Despite the hurt caused to people around him by the gradual unravelling of uncomfortable revelations, he remains cool calm and focused on his goal. One can't help but feel sad yet admire our Lead Hero for holding it all in while he executes his mission with stealth and laser focus, knowing that even with a future reclaimed by Prince Jing's ascension to the throne, his incurable terminal illness (by the Bitter Flame poison) would ultimately deprive him of any foreseeable future with his childhood love, the brave and beautiful military general- Princess Nihuang. If Mei Chang Su is the biggest manipulator of the chess game, you could also say he is biggest tragedy despite his winning schemes and victories. Because our hero does eventually achieve his own happy ending, but he exits the world without the company of loyal friends and workers who stood by and dearly loved him. Well done to the script-writers. They wrote a really unforgettable character in the morally ambiguous grey hero-or-villain Mei Chang Su.

The 2nd Lead is the secret Hero
I’m really drawn to Prince Jing, the oblivious underdog of this drama, as like Mei Chang Su, he has also experienced the tragedy of losing his loved ones during the Chiyan Army massacre. If it isn't obvious enough, I think Prince Jing always appears cold, aloof and anguished-looking for a reason. He has to wrestle with the memory of knowing that his closest sibling and best friend were framed and murdered in a scheme that was commissioned by his own father and even as a Prince (albeit second rank), he is unable to do anything about it because he knows that as long as his egotistical cowardly father remains Emperor, no King will ever admit such a catastrophic mistake of this magnitude in public. Hence, he starts out being the “loser” in the story, not the first in line for the throne and completely ignored by his Father and looked over by everyone in the Palace. Prince Jing eventually gets persuaded by his elusive advisor, Mei Chang Su, to swallow that stubborn pride and personal dislike for politics in order to make himself eligible enough to be next in line for the throne, where being the future Emperor would grant him the opportunity to redress the misconceived betrayal of the Chiyan Army that led to the bloody massacre. Prince Jing is stubborn in temperament but also stubbornly loyal to people he loves that we constantly see him constantly getting irritated and inflamed with Mei Chang Su because he wants makes sure that no one innocent gets harmed or hurt in the process of Mei Chang Su's scheming. Because he cares so much about people around him and is entrenched by the hurtful memories of the past events, the Water-Brained Buffalo becomes so dense and oblivious to the uncanny similarities between Mei Chang Su and his best friend Lin Shu, that he eventually becomes the last one to uncover Mei Chang Su's real identity. I suspect the script-writers have intentionally built up the endearing bromance between Mei Chang Su and Prince Jing prior to this. So that when we see how Prince Jing realises that he can no longer be with his best friend (Lin Shu) after Mei Chang Su departs from the picture, we feel Prince Jing's pain and sadness like a double whammy.

So if I can sum up why I'd rewatch this drama again, it would be this: Intricate plot. Unforgettable Characters. Multiple clues subtly hidden throughout the episodes that makes watching this drama a stimulating but fun cluedo-hunt.
Watch and savour Nirvana in Fire. You're guaranteed to become a wiser and more introspective person after it.

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If I could give this film 10 +, I would. It is not a film for everyone. If you crave action, dislike character driven films of depth, and prefer overt over subtle, it definitely is not for you.

Yoon Jung-Hee plays Mija, a widow in her sixties, who is raising her teenage grandson in an unnamed city somewhere between Seoul and Busan (that was my impression). If you've read the summary, you know some of the facts that surround Mija's world. But not all. When we first meet Mija, there is something a bit vain and flighty about her, though always interesting. As the film progresses, watching this woman's character grow and unfold in her own way like the flowers she so adores, makes for riveting viewing. In fact, we start to see the poetry in Mija in the same way her teacher directs them to see the apple, to see the world.

The lack of soundtrack adds to the film because the ambient sounds such as the rustle of the wind through the trees, the birds chirping, the river running, become music that surpasses any soundtrack in this particular film (though I was forced to give the "music" a rating-and this is what I meant).

I wish I could say more but it is hard to do so without spoiling, so I just recommend it so very highly. This will stay with me for days and I could definitely see myself re-watching it in a couple years or sooner.

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Great Slice-of-Life drama of a Rookie Cop - a different kind of Espionage drama.

Completed - 9/11/2022

“Fearless Whispers” feels very different from the regular spy, Nationalist vs Communist espionage drama. I would say it’s a slice-of-life drama about a rookie cop and the police department, set in Shanghai between 1946-1953. It gives me the feeling of a combo of “Ordinary Greatness” + “The Rebel”. This drama is so underrated due to the lack of English subtitles. However, it scored a high 8.0 rating on Douban (and that is really high!).

When watching this, I can’t help but compare it to “The Rebel”. It lacks the thrilling plots and action scenes but it shines in showing us life of ordinary folks during that time frame. Not everyone comes from an elite family, but heroes can be found within the common folks. We follow the life of top university graduate and rookie police officer, Gu Yao Dong, as he starts his new career, has his ideals challenged, and gets entangled in the fight between the Nationalist and Community parties.

What I Like:

1. Acting & Characters - Great acting all around from the younger actors to the veterans. It’s so great to also watch a drama where actors are using their own voices and hearing the Shanghai accent. It adds to the authenticity of the drama.
♦︎ Li Yi Feng: I watch this drama because of him and he doesn’t disappoint. There’s something about him that I really like (and I don’t really think he’s handsome). He plays the idealistic, innocent yet brave GuYao Dong really well. He's the diamond in the rough, or gold waiting to be polished and shine. The perfect hero that we all root for. Watching this drama clears the unpleasant memory of him in “Mirror: Twin Cities”. His role here reminds me of his role in “Noble Aspirations” as well. Oh, he also looks the most handsome and adork-able in this drama.
♦︎ Gina Jin: She plays the badass female lead who is smart, brave and rational. It seems like we need to watch a spy drama to find such strong FLs these days. Gina was great in her tough spy scenes, as well as the more emotional scenes when she actually has to hold her feelings in. I am so glad to see a different side of her after her rom-com roles in “Why Women Love” and “Crossroad Bistro”. I also like the really simple make-up she has on throughout the drama. Plain but beautiful, and fit her character.
♦︎ Wang Long Zheng: This is my first drama of his and what a great veteran actor. He doesn’t ooze the type of charisma that Wang Yang has in “The Rebel”, but he attracts you in a different way. His chemistry with Li Yi Feng is great. Xia Ji Cheng is a complicated character and he did a fantastic job. I miss him when he’s gone for several episodes.
♦︎ Niu Jun Feng: He’s a surprise and I am so glad I found him again (I forgot about him in “Love O2O”). I was very impressed with his acting as Zhao Zi Yong. Zhao is such a conflicted character and the one I sympathize with the most. I was rooting for him and praying that he’s going to have a somewhat happy ending. Zhao Zi Yong is a good contrast to our male lead, and portrays a more realistic struggle. Not everyone can be a hero and most of the times, reality forces you to choose differently.
♦︎ Li Qiang: First scene I saw him and I hated him. That’s how good his acting. He gives off such an evil, cunning and manipulative vibe. What a great veteran and I think he helps elevate Niu Jun Feng’s scenes.

2. Bromance - The chemistry between the male characters is better than the romance.
♦︎ Gu Yao Dong + Xia Ji Cheng = the mentor/mentee relationship between the two is one of the best things about this drama. They have so much chemistry together especially when they are having heart-to-heart conversations or teaching moments. I noted down specifically the scene when Gu Yao Dong was drunk and Xia was taking him home. The scenes were done so well. If I didn’t know any better, I thought they have romantic feelings for each other. LOL. There are a few episodes when Xia Ji Cheng was away. I didn’t know I miss them on the screen together that much, until they’re gone and then back together.
♦︎ Gu Yao Dong + Zhao Zhi Yong = These two best friends started out with a cute friendship in the police department. They are both good-hearted young people but walk a very different path. I was glad that throughout the drama, though they made different decisions, their friendship never really died. They might have done things that hurt each other, but they still care deeply. It saddens me to see such good friends enduring so much pain, but it also makes their friendship all the more memorable.
♦︎ Police Dept Team 2 = They may not start out loving each other, but it's great to see how their friendship develops throughout the drama. Each character is colorful and complements each other. They annoy me sometimes, but they are also quite funny at times. I am glad the drama did not forget these supporting characters and spend some time in the last episode about each of these colorful characters.

3. Pacing - 51 episodes could scare people away. I was skeptical at first and prepared for the drama to drag. Luckily, to me, I think the drama is well-paced - not fast, not slow. It has the pacing of a slice-of-life drama with some exciting plots sprinkled throughout. It doesn’t have as many intense and heart-pumping scenes as in “The Rebel” but it has its own charms and exciting moments. I was kept interested throughout the drama. I do think “Fearless Whispers” ends on a strong note, especially Eps 49-50. The last episode does wrap things up nicely.

4. Gu Family + Neighbors: ML has a lovely and supportive family. It’s no wonder our male lead is such a great guy. There are many heartwarming moments when they reach out to a neighbor in need and it’s so great to see. I enjoy the lively neighborhood and even the annoying neighbors (you got to have a couple of these characters)and luckily they are kept to a minimum. I was heartbroken about the story of Mr. M and his daughter. Not a lot of time is spent on the neighborhoods, but enough to give us a feel of life as an ordinary person trying to live through changing/tough times.

What I have mixed feelings about:

1. Injuries: The injuries are probably the most unrealistic part of this drama. Our male lead was beaten to a pulp multiple times and he recovered at a remarkable speed. If this happens in the real world, he would have been dead several times, or be in a coma, or paralyzed. Actually, not just him but all the characters. We see another character getting beaten by a metal rod on his legs, his body and his head, and he was walking and running around in the next scene.

2. Production Quality: Compared to “The Rebel”, “Fearless Whispers” appears to have a smaller budget. The sets and props, though don’t seem too fake and flimsy, also do not look very high quality as well. Speaking of injuries as mentioned above, we seen quite inconsistent wounds. Someone being tortured only had a slash on the face and a slash on the chest, and then the shirt was just soaked with red dye. Those wounds are so unrealistic and fake that I wonder if the character really was tortured to almost dead. On the other hand, I quite like the neighborhood set and houses. They all seem very realistic.

3. Romance: I find the chemistry between our leads to be good, but not amazing. There’s definitely a lot more romance in this drama than in “The Rebel”. However, though the romance in “The Rebel” is limited, the chemistry and longing are off the charts and memorable. In “Fearless Whispers”, the romance pales in comparison. It’s decent and there are a few emotional scenes well done. But for the most part, it’s nothing to write about. I also wanted a little more about the Love Square and feels that those side plots just went away.

Today, 9/11/22, it was reported that Li Yi Feng was arrested due to illegal prostitution. I am not sure what would become of him or if he's really guilty. I am saddened because I like him as an actor and we will probably not see him in any drama or movie for a very long time (or ever). I still see the YouTube videos of this drama online and not taken down (yet). The chance of this drama being subtitled is even lower now and audience will miss such a good show.

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Daz….zling!!!

This drama truly is a diamond in the rough! Although not perfect, this manga style drama has an original story that will have you smiling, laughing, and just plain addicted. I’ll admit I was hesitant about starting this drama and have shelved it in my “plan to watch” for a long time, despite being huge fan of Jdramas and reverse harems. However, while in the midst of waiting for new episodes of other airing dramas, I decided to dive into this one and it was WAY better than I could have ever imagined.

First of all, the story is very unique and interesting while still containing many of the aspects and cliques that we all love about dramas!! The soundtrack is catchy, the acting is extreme, which adds such an amazing comedic aspect, and the pacing is perfection. The show had lots of interesting twists and supernatural aspects thrown in that you can never predict what the next episode will hold. It was fantastic. I ended up binge watching the whole drama is just one day. I could not get enough!!

If you are in need of a new drama with humor, romance, and a unique story line, definitely give this one a try. Happy Drama Watching :)!

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"Who doesn't treasure life?"

Street Angel followed a group of low-income workers who forged bonds of love and friendship as they dealt with the hardships thrust upon them in an uncaring city of have and have-nots. Music, magic tricks, humor, and true love lightened the mood of a melodramatic story.

Xiao Hong and her sister Xiao Yun fled the Japanese and ended up in Shanghai working in a tea house. Xiao Hong sings for the customers while the owner put her older sister to work as a prostitute. Hong flirts with the trumpet player, Xiao Chen, who lives across the street with his friends. Their flirtation turns to love and all seems well until Hong discovers her new guardians intend to sell her to a wealthy street gangster. Chen and his friend Wang, visit a lawyer with an office high in a skyscraper only to discover that justice is out reach for the poor. C buddies The buddies spirit Hong away and the two lovers marry. Yun finds her sister and for a time it looks like the sisters may have a happy life. Sadly, the melodramatic aspect of this film could not be outrun as the economy worsens and rent prices increase, even worse, the tea house owner and the gangster are hot on their trail.

Music dominated much of the film. Zhou Xuan sang several lovely songs and enthusiastic trumpet music also livened the story's setting. Chen entertained Hong and his friends with numerous magic tricks to keep everyone's spirits up when money was tight. Zhou Xuan and Zhao Dan played their roles exuberantly and earnestly as the lovers went from frolicking to despair.

The quality of the filming was difficult to tell as the film I watched in the public domain had not been restored and could be quite blurry at times. Even at that, I could tell it was well framed and shot. This was one of the earliest Chinese films to use sound and they made the most of it with the background music and musical numbers.

Street Angel worked in humor that bordered on slapstick without going overboard. The love story felt authentic, even the second love story felt earned. The bright loving, parade-like atmosphere crashed into reality by the end of the film when the characters faced the harsh truth of their lives and limits of their power. Those who lived high above them had access to justice and medical care while they struggled to keep a roof over their heads and a smile on their faces. "Who doesn't treasure life?" Treasure life they might, but the poor toiled in a system that would swallow them whole if they weren't lucky. This plucky group of friends were a delight to watch as they held each other up and held on tight, even when it seemed their luck had ran out.

8/29/23

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What's real?

This movie invites the audience to an active interpretation - not only of the emotions and intentions of the characters, but also of the actual plot. Is the depicted event "real"? Is it her imagination? Is is his imagination? It also leaves you asking, what is more important: being free or being loved? Is it possible to have a relationship that is free from a power struggle? Why does the main character identify with that particular novel character, Josée?

The impact of this movie is so strong because of great acting, matching music and beautiful cinematography. I recommend it to people who enjoy some food for thought.

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Comfort Food - I Would Watch This 100x

I came to this drama because I wanted to watch more of Chen Zheyuan in between new episodes of Mr. Bad and I saw that iQIYI was promoting this old drama of his and what a hidden gem it is. It's so heartfelt and romantic and earnest and depicts the trials and tribulations of high school

Story - A super sweet story of growth, friendship, love, and life. It's a feel good romance about 2 classmates and seatmates falling in love over a stretch of 6-7 years. I would watch this drama again and again and again. I can never get enough of Zhou Siyue and his Ding Xian.

Acting - Incredibly natural acting from an underrated cast. The cast has such good chemistry.

Production - Top notch. The editing isn't choppy. The pacing felt natural.

OST - Super love the OST.


100% would rewatch again and again. Have already watched it back to back 2x

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NOT just like any other University based BL

I loved it. It wasn't like any other University life based BLs we usually see. 3 couples. 3 different love stories. All of them were unique. After a long time I cried today while watching a drama. The acting of these actors were so so good and even the story of the lead couple where they started to grow togather to achieve a goal but at a certain point, due to series of events they had to stand against each other. Thorn was so desperate yet so pitiful. I couldn't help but cry. But the way Fah came back to support him was everything. Same way, the chemistry between the second couple Aai and Sean was incredibly sweet. And for the 3rd couple they has a twisted love triangle but eventually it did work out.
IT WAS ENGAGING. I DIDN'T GET BORED. IT WAS FUN, SWEET, INTENSE AND ROMANTIC. AND ...I've watched a bunch of University dramas and their fun activities, and I usually skip it bcz it's not that engaging. But here, the fun activities of faculty of sport science was so damn fun!!! I wished I had such fun in my university life too.
Anyways, do watch!

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Some would said that this drama have 'A love so beautiful' vibe and i do agree with it at first. But this drama have its own charm where it talks about memories and conflicts that we usually faced at the age of 18, and this is why the title's name is 'When We Were Young'.

This drama didn't really solely focus on love story. From this drama, you can see a lot of interesting situation among the main characters and their friends. It even focused on the side character's problem and that is what i really like because it doesn't show you about the main characters only.

Every characters in this drama have their own uniqueness. At first i thought Li Yu was soo mature but yet, at 18 years old, you can still become someone childish. During our teenager years, things like this will make us grow and learn about life. I looove how they have been reminding each other to appreciate everything that they have around us. For example, Hua Biao only have his grandmother in this world but he choose to be positive so that he can enjoy his life without complaining.

The ending is an open ending, but its not that bad for me. Its worth watching because the content in this drama is really good. Just give a try and you wont regret watching this drama! In every episode they will put some quotes that talks about our youth and i really like it. It reminds me of my old days with my friends. School year are one of the best year when you have supportive friends around you rightt! (hehe)

Anyway, have fun watching! Im sure im gonna repeat this drama again soon because i kinda like the storyline. And i cant resist how cute Hua Biao and Yang Xi when both of them are together :x and i kinda like Huang Deng Deng's characterr!

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