This review may contain spoilers
A Beautiful, Sad Story
This is an excellent short film (30 mins) which chronicles the central relationship in sensitive ways. It does not shy away from focusing on the pain that both of the characters feel -- from external bullying as well as internalized homophobia. The characters deal with these pains in their own ways.....some of which are frankly heartbreaking, but very realistic. (Running away in the face of challenges is not at all rare.)The plot also features some cute and funny moments.....the one involving shopping in a pharmacy was beautifully acted and had me laughing out loud. I found these moments disarming -- they make you empathize with the characters, which heightens the impact of the ending, which while sensitively handled, is quite sad.
The cinematography was excellent -- nice scenes along the shore but also back at school. The camera does not shy away from the blood and bruises that result from bullying.
And the messaging is very clear -- bullied teens need help, and when they don't get it, bad things happen.
P.S. Pay no attention to my rating for "music." I was so captivated by the plot that I cannot remember the music at all, but MDL requires a number!
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1Delicious cake but half baked
If you were to ask if you should watch it - Yes.From a light hearted BL standpoint with a good plot, this drama does justice. It was cute as well as a little emotional. But they put so much on the plate that you wanted to taste it all but couldn't.
For a 8x15 episodes, it was enjoyable and a great one time watch. It showed how you want something and are scared that it might become an obsession. But the heart wants what it wants. I wished they worked more on how they differentiated between love (and need) and obsession.
The story had potential to be a good 16 episode drama. There was a supernatural element and a mystery element with gay romance, side bromance and a traditional family.
But it was like we got a little bit of everything but were left craving for more (but not in a good way).
Without spoiling, I'd say that if you're adding a mystery, provide some closure to it. The romance and co-dependency element of the leads was done okay, but there was so much more that could have been developed in terms of how they come in terms with their feelings (I conclude that they both settled that their exclusive need for the other person is love) and also, I wished for a some more details about the side characters.
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The acting was very good on all parties, and I thought the male lead was so perfect at being annoying and immature one minute to really sweet and thoughtful the next. The music was fine and I would probably rewatch this drama if I ever have more free time, althought I would skip a couple of the middle episodes. I thought this could have been done in fewere episodes for more of a "wow" factor and it would have made the plot less draggy in the middle. If you're looking for a not too serious and cute drama this is the way to go.
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This review may contain spoilers
This show is all about relationships and it is love-hate for me
Dear Diary, I just had a lightbulb moment while watching Begin Again. I just realised that the show was designed to present us with a series of beautiful, happy or swoon-worthy moments like sugar highs and we shall want more. Unfortunately, for some of us, this will feel superficial when the highs wore off.The show started well and promisingly. It wore the rom-com tag with pride and it left the viewer with little doubt that the show was light-hearted and fluffy. The OST is full of happy little tunes and zany sound effects to help us to spot any double entendre. The writer flipped the usual marriage contract trope and made the FL the instigator and she was smart, head strong as well as the powerful CEO of a large corporation. The ML was a sweet, gentle soul in contrast. There was good chemistry between the OTP but it was not without issues. The meet-cute was good and the pace was cracking in the first few episodes. However, once the show started to go on rails then the weak story telling began to show. One such issues was an odd tonal misalignment. As I mentioned before, the show took its rom-com root seriously. It seemed hellbent on being funny and light hearted even though when you look at the themes that were touched upon it was anything but. There was PTSD, unrequited love, one sided crush, obsession, revenge and stalking, etc . They are hardly trivial matters but the show muted their impact. You can feel an unease and a discord building under the cheery veneer if you bothered to look.
By the mid show mark, the corporate world of the FL has collapsed due to the shenanigans of a revenge plot. However, while it was presented to us as a surprise twist, it was telegraphed to us earlier on. In a sense, it was a tell-tale sign of the writing. Almost everything about the show was very transparent and shallow. Lots of tropes were used and most characters were one dimensional. Some did play for laughs but the lack of depth was telling.
The wheel really came off when the FL played the noble idiot card around the 2/3 mark. Why writers insist that running away from someone who truly loved you is the best way to bring them happiness and peace. Really?! In this case, it was even worse as a child was involved. As other reviewers have mentioned, she could have simply accompanied the ML overseas but that would be too logical.
Then the magical unicorn joined the cast. There was a SIX years time skip and the show basically used a 5 year old boy as the Deus Ex Machina to reset the show. Sunshine and happiness returned to the blighted land and we rejoiced!
However, there was little character development in the mean time and nothing was really addressed. In fact, the show basically spent the first episode after the time skip to berate the FL (via her friends and family) for being a noble idiot. If it was such a bad idea then why use it as a plot device? When you consider the script even had the ML telling the FL upon their reunion that he didn't change his phone number for 6 years and she pointedly said that she didn't either then why didn't they just call as they were obviously still pining for each other. Not only the OTP had a reset, the 2OTP (the author) had a reset and started their courtship again when nothing happened for 6 years?! The 3OTP pairing (the actress) was a waste of time.
Honestly, the last 10 episodes were done like a string of scenes designed to give us the feels or make us swoon but barely advanced the threadbare plot. It walked the same grounds of the earlier episodes. Sure, the little boy stole the show and the couple moments were sweet and the ML will make you swoon. It was so light that it could have lifted the Hindenburg. The revenge plot resurfaced briefly but it was poorly handled and strained credulity.
You'd either love this purely for the feels and sweet moments and ignore whatever else was going on and you will be happy. Or if you watch this with critical eyes then you will hate how the poor script was veneered over by "Mills and Boon" moments and ultimately leave you with a hollow feeling. Maybe re-watch the last few episodes if you needed a sugar hit.
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"I feel like there is an invisible barrier around me."
Gentle and sensitive LGBTQ+ drama that explores themes such as emotional repression conducted by society, family conflicts and the struggle of finding your own path in life.Probably the strongest point of this film are the two main characters and the performances of the cast. Naomi and Maki are played in such a nuanced and likable way, you quickly feel invested in their story. I was happy when these two were happy, and I was devastated when these two were. It's an emotionally charged story that lives through its silent moments between Naomi and Maki and the immaculate performances of these two actors. I genuinely enjoyed the movies subtle approach to storytelling, since it avoids spelling things out and instead trusts the viewers enough to let them figure out the context themselves. You may not have the complete backstory of each character, but you know exactly what is going on and the emotions are loud and clear.
Given the audiovisual context of the story, it's probably no surprise the score and sound design was exceptionally well-done. Some of the most entertaining parts of the story were Naomi's and Maki's unconventional approach to sound-engineering. Watching them figure out how to recreate specific sounds was delightful. Apart from the sound, I have to mention the beautiful cinematography that seemed to almost intuitively capture the protagonist's feelings and thoughts.
Considering I've only praised this movie so far, one might think it's perfect, so I have to mention two aspects that might raise criticism. The first one is the somewhat repetitive nature of the storytelling. This wasn't something that bothered me in particular. At some point, the movie gets into this rhythm, repeating certain activities over and over. I can see why this might bother some viewers, however I thought this intensified the underlying feelings of the leads, and it felt different enough to see the progress of the story.
The second aspect is something that bothered me personally, so not everyone might have this issue with the story. Without giving anything away, I disagreed with a few narrative choices that were made in the later half of the movie, since they weren't in line with the behavior of the characters in the first half, at least it felt like that to a certain extent. This evoked strong emotions in me, which honestly just showed how invested I was in the story and how connected I felt to these characters. So, while I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this, even having thought about it for a day, I realized that while I might be conflicted about certain parts of the story, this movie managed to touch me deeply, and it has stayed with me.
Let Me Hear It Barefoot is a poignant movie with wonderful quiet moments, genuinely likable characters, and a story that lingers with you after you have finished watching it.
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The plot is perfect. It won some kind MBC scenario award and while I don't know that is exactly, I can vouch that the script fully deserved it. The plot dealt with various school related issues and a lot more. It was so refreshing and hilarious. It never became stale even during the second half of the show (something that happens quite often) and just kept getting better and better. There was no romance but there were ships that didn't exactly sink (which was a huge surprise). This show has set a trend with shows like "Make A Woman Cry" and now "Second Time Twenty Years Old" coming up with similar situation.
The characters were wonderful. I have watched Kim Hee Sun in Faith and while I liked her there, this is where I fell in love with her. She was effortless! Park No Ah's character has received some criticism for being incompetent and useless. But he was somebody I could relate to. We're both "greenhouse kids" who refuse to see the harsh realities of the world but we're both trying to come out at our own pace. Kang Ja's friend Gong Joo and her minions were so awesome. I loved the guys' wigs. Bok Dong was my favorite. He was so cute when he fell for Kang Ja and the times he was like "Don't touch my body" XD Baro's character was completely in contrast with with his previous role in Reply 1994. But he was flawless here and those glasses really helped him look more like a bully (lol). Yoo Jung was her best as usual. She's a wonderful actress who keeps getting better and better. Rest of the negative characters and the supporting characters were great. The one negative character that stood out for me was Chairman Hong. After watching him as a funny character in Protect The Boss, it is really hard to see him do roles like this. He is an abusive person who gets a kick from hitting women. But the actor is versatile. Kudos to him.
The music is different from the typical OST and I absolutely loved it. People who loved shows like School 2013 and 2015 should definitely watch this. It's your thing. And if you're a drama addict in general and have enough time, you would breeze through this show in a couple of days without skipping stuff. That's the addiction level of this show. I'm so glad I watched this!
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Great Educational Drama
First off I'd like to say that this is mainly an educational anti-fraud drama. Don't expect action packed drama, sizzling romance, thriller, or any of that sort. If you're here looking for action or romance you will be disappointed. Don't bother watching if you get bored easily at lectures, Reba's character and other characters will try to lecture you in various Chinese laws and saying it out loud many times! Watch this only if you want to learn about Chinese laws and how the people's procuratorate work with the public safety bureau in handling cases. If you like Chinese crime drama, this is worth a shot. This drama has a theme of female empowerment, and like what her character says in the end, there are not many female prosecutors in real life. The drama is mostly told from the FL's pov and she has much more screen time than the ML, her character is powerful, independent, and intelligent.Reba's acting in this drama is very good, she uses her own voice too. I am happy to see that she took this challenge and performed admirably, and I can't wait for her next upcoming realistic drama which is already announced. In general every actors and actresses perform their job well. The plot is quite interesting, grounded, and realistic, it is not as convoluted or epic like in some fictional detective drama because it is based on real cases after all. However it is not very predictable, and the show will make you keep guessing what each character is actually like. The topic is interesting, cyber crime fraud is a pretty recent phenomenon and there are not many shows that deals with that, compared to more traditional crime such as fighting illegal drugs. While not as epic and deep as those anti-corruption cdramas with high douban rating (eg. The Knockout, In The Name of The People), I think the story is good enough and most importantly, this drama serves its main purpose which is to educate the masses in the form that is more palatable. Unfortunately, this purpose also mean that there are a lot of lines in the script which serve to "educate" the viewer rather than being interesting or advancing the plot, which will bore some viewers.
Domestically this drama is well received, and they are considering a sequel. The MDL rating in this drama is very unfair, and best ignored if you like this genre. There are too many people who review bomb this for various reasons:
- People who only come here for Reba and they can't handle a serious non-romance drama. Serious drama in general is underrated on this site.
- People who watch dramas for handsome young actors. Dramas without good looking actors are also underrated here.
- People who get triggered by the positive portrayal of Chinese government.
- This drama starts slow, and many cases are introduced making it quite confusing in the beginning and therefore people don't have the patience for it. However it gets more interesting after the country F arc and eventually more and more things get clearer.
Overall this drama is not perfect but it definitely is not worse than many of those idol romance dramas with better rating here. Always keep in mind that the target audience for this are domestic audience, not foreign fans.
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This review may contain spoilers
An essay about an unforgettable journey.
I’m not gonna lie, I hyped myself quite a lot while watching. I heard how complicated and mindblowing of a ride the show is, and how hard it is to predict the twists, I thought of it as a challenge. And a challenge it was - frustrating in the best way possible.The issue with mystery shows is, they are either painfully predictable, or unpredictable to the point of randomness, when there is no point in trying to figure things out yourself, because the writers never give enough hints to make it happen. Someday or One Day is a hidden gem that was able to both deliver enough information I could somehow puzzle the pieces together and form my own theories, while keeping the mystery alive. A miracle most shows are unable to achieve.
It’s truly a masterfully crafted time travel, and I always have some issues with time travel stories. Me saying it’s good is a statement I never thought I would make about a time related story. With all the time lines, all the crossed paths and changes to the events, nothing was lost, nothing was contradicting, nothing felt out of place.
What is even more surprising, the plot itself is truly not that complex if you strip all the time travel aspects away. It’s a tale of loneliness, friendship, sacrifice and love. It was like a labyrinth that had an entrance and exit point right next to each other. Simple story presented in a complex and enticing way. While the core of the show were the characters and their relationships, I do believe it was more plot than character driven overall.
Was everything about the plot perfect? No. I do believe the psychiatrist's time traveling was one time travel too much and that arc was borderline makjang material. At the same time I accept that without it, it would be impossible to deliver the same conclusion to the story, which, after I slept on it, I found actually fitting and strangely beautiful.
Since it was not simply time travel, but actually body migration, I was disappointed how it was never truly a topic of conversation. How the characters never stopped to truly think about how morally questionable it is to live in someone else’s body. It was briefly mention at the end after Yun Ru’s suicide, but it was not enough for me.
I do believe some sequences are unnecessarily put in incorrect, non linear order, just to make the viewer more confused, when I felt the story was confusing enough without it. Yes, it all came together at the end, it is still a fact that at times I felt like I needed to start writing notes to make sure I can keep up with the story.
The last 3 episodes are something that is hard for me to make a judgment on. While I was not thrilled watching them, since the tone shifted from tight mystery to personal drama, after some consideration, they were necessary to give the show closure. As much as it was a love story, it was also a journey to acceptance of the loss.
Huang Yu Xuan was a character desperate to find her lost lover, to go back to the blissful days they shared. She was not able to heal from her loss, so when the opportunity arose to fix the future she could not accept - she took it. And yet, all that was futile and by the end, she had to accept she cannot produce the future she wants without hurting other people. I found her decision to destroy the tape brave and selfless. Not only did she give up reuniting with the love of her life (as she could not truly be sure they will be able to find each other in the future), she also gave up all the precious memories she had with him - all to keep the people she learned to care about alive.
It is true that she had faith that they would find each other, but she could not be sure about it. She took a chance, gave up the control over the events and put her trust in the connection they had, that was able to overcome countless setbacks.
Then we have Li Zi Wei. While I did find him adorable, dedicated, dreamy and perfect in all boyfriend type of ways, I did think he as an individual character did not have much to offer. Someday or One Day is his love story, but he does not really exist outside of it like the rest of the characters. And it makes it hard for me to truly talk about him, because there is not that much to address. He survived years of pain with the hope of reuniting with Yu Xuan. His love for her was deep. And yet, somehow I craved any scenes that were not connected with Yu Xuan, for example his friendship with Jun Jie. Things that would make him more than just Yu Xuan soulmate, lover, 2nd half.
The 3rd of the trio friends - Jun Jie. The character that was the hardest to read and one that left the most space for viewers interpretation. Was his love for Yun Ru based on his desire to save her? Or was he interested in her because he thought they were similar, could potentially understand each other? Personally, I found him to be one of the more heartbreaking characters. He made so much effort and yet it was inevitable he would be hurt by the end. All the tweaks to the timelines, all the changes and attempts to make things better, and yet he was always the one to suffer the consequences. I’m honestly happy that by the end of the show his life got back to normal and it was no longer affected by the two main characters trying to find each other and create the future they desperately wanted.
Talking about the characters, I cannot ignore both Chen Yun Ru and Wang Quan Sheng. First of all, justice for the boy. He got nothing from it. He suffered alive, got his body used by a lovesick guy after his death, and by the end of it all, his future was not affected in any positive way, he still ended up taking his own life. How much he was used in this scenario is honestly quite sad.
Chen Yun Ru had a little bit more agency. We get to know her more, understand her struggles on more than a surface level. She gets her 2nd chance and hopefully learns how to heal. Sadly, I find her story to be both hopeful and questionable with the presentation.
I am not sure how I feel about her change of heart at the end. Someone with such deep psychological issues getting better after hearing “manage your expectations” seems just silly. The vague message makes sense, don’t get me wrong. Many people are unhappy with their lives as they don’t see and don’t appreciate the things they have, fixating on things they want, but cannot achieve. And when their expectations are not met, they become even more unsure of themselves and unsatisfied with their lives. The issue is, Yun Ru was not just a gloomy and pessimistic girl who had issues making friends. Depression is not something you can easily change by fixing your mindset, and she was depressed. She tried to kill herself, and asked to be killed. So the idea that the few lines from Yu Xuan made such a huge difference felt flat.
I also feel like the message was quite conflicting. On one hand we were told her suicide was the result of the judgmental society who tried to changed her to match their expectations, the idea that whatever she did, it was never enough, because people did not accept her for who she was. But then they end her arc with the idea that it’s her who had to fix her expectations, not the society's approach towards people who do not meet the “norm”. So which one is it?
Time to talk about the glorious performances. Ko Chia Yen amazed me. Being able to deliver a believable portrayal of not only 2 characters, but in different stages of their life, making sure the small changes of approach and personalities make sense, making sure Yun Ru and Yu Xuan truly feel like two different people - she achieved it all.
Greg Hsu Li Zi Wei was painfully beautiful. The striking difference between his take on the teenage boy with cheerful demeanor and the adult version who suffered both physically and psychologically was perfect.
As for the production - I will never ever listen to Last Dance EVER again. This song goes right next to The Heirs “Moment” as the song used so much in a drama I’m actually sick of it. It’s a beautiful song, but I think I heard it enough for the lifetime.
Visually speaking it was low key beautiful. It felt like all these stunning moments we can actually encounter in our lives if we pay enough attention.
All that said, at the end of the day it’s a simple story about love and loneliness, presented in the most complex and convoluted, yet best way possible. It’s not a perfect drama, it’s not a perfect story and it’s not a perfect presentation of it, and yet I was invested from beginning till the end. I made wild theories and tried to uncover the truth as I watched every episode, and for that I am grateful. It made me rethink many issues and consider various situations from different angles. It invited me to explore various takes on the same problem and how, depending on one’s personality, preferences, expectations and past experiences, other people might see them in their own distinct way.
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This review may contain spoilers
This was a total disappointment. I love Go Ahead. I have watched it so many times. Most Chinese dramas can’t bring out the emotions in you like most Korean dramas do.Episode 1 was going great. I thought this would be a good remake. But after 2nd episode it went downhill. In go ahead we can see how much importance a mother has in everyone’s life. Especially in the female lead’s life.
But this remake has not even a single scene of that.
I couldn’t see their siblings bond. We can see from the start that Juwon is biased towards Sanha. In go ahead both the male leads had each other's back when they were young. There were no unnecessary fights. The pain of being abandoned by their mother was understood by them. But here haejun was always fighting with Sanha.
I don’t like that.
The birthday scene where the aunt spoke nonsense and the father took a stand for the second lead was so perfectly portrayed in Go Ahead. But here it was not good.
I couldn’t understand Sanha’s mother's character as well. And according to me she never felt sorry for what she did. It was in the last episode where she cried when Sanha told her about his wounds. But I was accepting a sincere apology.
In 16 episodes they could have covered a lot of details from the original one but they didn’t.
I wanted more of Sanha’s trauma. When the female lead got to know about what he has been through I wanted more of that.
The writing of this drama is sometimes so lacking.
One thing I liked most about this drama is how amazingly the kids did their job in the first episodes, especially Sanha’s and Juwon’s Kid version.
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A werid but unique experience
_____Story_____Pros: The plot was unique, and so were the characters. The portrayal of people's internal conflicts astounded me. Ae Jin was so helpless at school that she pretended to be someone other than herself most of the time. She found pleasure in her second identity that she couldn't find in herself. The plot moved quickly, and the way things were revealed was intriguing.
Cons: The beginning was a lot of fun, but by the time we got to the middle, the drama had sunk. I won't say why because doing so would be a spoiler.
I really liked the idea that this drama was attempting to convey.
______Acting_____
Shim Dal Gi (Koo Ae Jin) and Choi Bo Min performed admirably (Kim Ho In). Dal Gi's performance as Ae Jin was superb, and Bo Min was successful in giving Ho In a psycho yet attractive vibe. He made a favourable first impression on me, and I was encouraged to watch his other dramas. The one flaw in Dal Gi's acting was that she exaggerated her performance. But, at times, I felt it was necessary because she was behaving like a mentally ill person.
_____Rewatch Value_____
The main reason why the rewatch value for this drama is high is because of the amount of episodes and its duration.
______Overall______
Shadow Beauty is neither a good nor a bad web series on the whole. This drama has its own set of weak and strong points. Some may enjoy it, while others may not. It all depends on how you look at it. Personally, I enjoyed it. I won't say it's a must-watch, but it's definitely worth watching, and I recommend it to everyone who reads this.
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This review may contain spoilers
I loved this drama. I find it so sad and telling that so many people didn't. I'm sorry that it's so hard to follow for some people. Perhaps it shows the dismal literary education given in public schools nowadays...As another person said, this tale is reminiscent of the Bronte sisters - as of course the writers throw in viewers' faces through out LOL I wonder how many of those watching EVER read Wuthering Heights?
At any rate, those pretending our heroine didn't grow weren't paying attention. She was misled from the very beginning about the characters of both these men, which led to her making the original choices she did. Her original self never questioned her perception of reality, dying without truly understanding either man.
I have to interject here that I think the 1980s version of our detective, despite what we find out in the last episode, was basically a good, decent man who would have been horrified by his reincarnated self's actions. In fact, when that prosecutor decides to redeem himself, I think it's because he did get his memories of his previous incarnation back. I had been totally in sympathy with our 1980s detective, but when he reappeared as that self-righteous prosecutor, so willing to bend the rules and manufacture evidence just because HE had decided someone was guilty? Oh, no. Hated him and even wondered if HE was the reincarnation of the supposed serial killer.
Speaking of that tortured soul of a '2nd lead' ? Well, HE had been led around by the nose by that father of his! I'd been convinced that he'd hallucinated his father, at first - that he'd killed his abusive father & then developed 2 personalities. I kept that idea for at least a third of the drama because the writers did a very good job of leading us down that rabbit hole! Another red herring - at first it seemed as if our heroine had gotten the heart OF that 'murderer'.
Now, our leading lady is not as quick to judge as her previous self. She does think about things more thoroughly, without accepting everything at face value. She lets herself get drawn in by our prosecutor, but she hasn't a clue about his real character in the present. With our reincarnated 'murderer', however, she does gradually find out what he's like - she's drawn to him because she feels pain & pity every time she sees him.
Those people whining about 'stalker stalker' - BOTH these guys 'stalked' this woman, you know. Also, it was out of fear for her safety, not out of some 'stalker perversion'. But some people simply fail to see nuances at all.
Bottom line, the entire drama shows how the main female lead slowly figures out the TRUE characters of both these men, and also which one cares deepest for her, and also which one SHE truly cares most for! I found this journey to be somewhat hard to follow at times, and some questions remain unanswered (our detective from the 1980s didn't die from being knifed - those guys in black suits came & dragged him off somewhere, & bashed his head in with a rock - this NEVER gets addressed properly). Also the whole 'switching of the artificial insemination donor' is just brushed off a bit too easily.
However, I did indeed like the ending - found it satisfying. Our reincarnated heroine put her past behind her, knowing that she'd not been fully informed in that life, and faced the future with the man who truly loved her enough to die for her (while giving her to his rival). That's just soul-fulfilling.
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Norwegian Wood has managed to touch me, as I have felt like each of these characters at some time in my life.
Turn the lights off, watch it alone and make sure you are not interrupted. It will slowly creep up on you, making you feel something not just about the movie, but about you and your past.
A must! even for you who have read the book!
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1When eyes speak more than words
This my first GL series and I am not disappointed .The story is so good and unique with super gorgeous two female leads . May who is a blind girl , tries to take care of her love everyday . And Ai -oon is a badass but soft hearted person who tried to fulfill her sister's wish . She accidently discovered she herself also likes Oom's girlfriend May and then they started a new journey .
I was waiting for a good series and finally I have found it . Don't think second time you should watch it or not . Just try one or two episodes , you will understand . Excellent visuals , cinematography with a bit of mysterious story plotline .
9.5/10 for me . You will not feel regretful .
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A Brilliantly Written Republican Drama on Financial Warfare at Macau During WWII
THE PREMISEThe story set in Macau during WWII spesifically after the Pearl Harbour bombing on how our male lead: He Xian, on his efforts in saving the economy of Macau from collapsing. What made this drama different from other Republican dramas are due to its focus on the financial and economy side of war in the battle of getting resources, maintaining value of currency and also exchange of intelligence at Macau at that time.
And what made Macau such an interesting place? This is because Macau is an 'isolated island' that are not occupaid by Japanese Imperialism. Thus it maintain a free market and law and due to its 'free' statue, lots of Chinese refugees find refuge on this Island during the war which made the Island's population tripled at that time.
UNITED FRONT
Another reasons on what made the drama so interesting due to how openly the people there practice their political ideologies. Usually, in Republican dramas, most people are so secretive whether they are Communist or Nationalist but here, they are very open even in front of Japan army and they can even openly conduct events to collect donation for war funds. This is because Macau is a 'free' nation under the Portuguese during that time which allowed this kind of free dynamics that are so different than rest of China at that time.
I think what makes me appreciate this drama the most is that it's not the usual Communist VS Nationalist political ideology but simply a united Chinese people fighting oppression by the Japanese Imperial Army. Mostly all of the war resources they get in this drama are given to the nationalist front army that fought the war at that time. No prejudice, no shade and no propaganda to show who is right and who is wrong.
HISTORICAL ACCURACY
The historical accuracy that the production team wanted to potray in this drama is simply amazing. They constructed 20 old buildings for the shooting of this drama. The writer also went to Macau 20 times in order to study the events that happened during that time and also interviewed the remaining descendants of He Xian which is our male protagonist in this drama. Since this drama based on his life and how he saved Macau at that time, the writer ensures that he properly wrote his life story during this period accurately to preserve his legacy and contribution he did that earned him the title of 'King of Macau' by the people there.
THE ACTING
This is the first time Ren Jialun is acting in this kind of role. He usually playing the cool, aloof and restrained characters but here he is just a banker and a normal citizen getting caught in war and fighting to survive with his family. And he gave He Xian such layers and emotional depth and narrative that we truly see him as He Xian instead of Ren Jialun the actor. The way he actually trembles when gun are pointed towards his head, how you can actually see fears in his eyes on many critical situations to how his whole body trembling with fatigue after carrying 1 whole boat of grain are simply amazing. He embodied the character to the fullest -- he made He Xian so human, yet so extraordinary at the same time. Then we have Lan Ying Ying as Yin Wan. She is playing the same resilient and strong woman role as she did in This Thriving Land and she did it so well. So can see the strength in her resolution and how she is so calm and steadfast even in difficult situations. She made Yin Wan such an intelligent character and it's so easy to root for her. Then we have Li Chun as the sweet and lovely Qi Wen. So so beautiful despite all the tears that she shed and she has this silent strength in her that is so admirable. She play the passionate wife so delicately that you can see her love for her husband in everything that she does - - standing beside him unwavering no matter how impossible are the situations. She is a scene stealer everytime she appears on screen. I love how the writer made her so lovely despite having her own mind.
THE CONFLICTS & COMPLEX CHARACTERS
I truly love the conflicts! It is just so nerve wrecking as the stakes are always so high and very realistic based on real life situations. I love how all characters even the Japanese are written with nuance as they all felt very human and complex. Everyone has their own troubles, goals, and objectives. He Xian has his own worries that he faced with ensuring the survival of his family to staying true to his principles to the later part in the drama where he is trying to save the economy of Macau from collapsing. Then we have the brotherhood gang with their own goal to capture their traitors and He Xian seemed to unintentionally assist the said traitor. Then the officer who took bribes and was caught and his own way of seeking justice. Then we have the espionage side of the whole political sides of the Chinese people. Then add to the mixed of the neutral Portuguese government who in charge of Macau. And this didn't include the Japanese who is the biggest enemy of them all. This drama covers the depiction of lives of people during the war from the elite, merchant, authority, police, spy, resistance army and normal citizen.
THE AMAZING WRITING FULL OF SILVER LININGS
I love how everything just seamlessly woven together between all these parties. The drama opens with He Xian applying for banking license at Macau and how his lives intertwined with all these people later. I like how the drama established from the first episode how brilliant is He Xian with the forex exchange scene since we need to know that and understand why he is able to open his own bank despite his unprevileged background. And I feel bad for him regarding the US dollar plot since it did paint him in bad light especially among his peers. Then add the destruction of his bank which makes him penniless at the end with 4 mouths to feed. So many thing happened yet there are silver lining in all these conflicts since he touched people everywhere with his kind and good hearts. And the scene where the boat dweller people comes and saved them, how awesome is that scene? This is usually a very good indication of well written dramas where the writer mixed happiness and tragedy equally that made watching experience highly satisfying.
I like how they show us the brutality of war and how it affect different people. Like how the British people used prisoners to do really dangerous stuffs or how they just left Hong Kong to fend on its own after the bombing. Or how the banking people cope with the Japanese takeover of Hong Kong and their failure in destroying all the notes and it ended up with Japanese getting 100 millions of cash for free just like that. To how useless is the Portugal government when they supposed to be neutral. Then add the foreign businessman that only interested to get more profit in the war.
I also like how the women are written here. The main characters are still men but despite that, they are not written as simply in support roles but active roles. Whether it's the female lead; Yin Wan and her help in getting funds for the war to He Xian's wife; Qi Wen which is written as more than simply his backbone. Her worries, her attempt to ask him not to go for the last day to hand over the last deposits, to asking him to help her in preparing to move to Macau made her simply human with her own thoughts despite her lovely and supportive nature as a wife. And how she has her own money, knowing how to manage the difficult situations and how she is ready to defend her husband even in front of hooligans -- and most of all, her trust in him has never weaver even at the the lowest point of their lives. It made sense why He Xian can affort to be 'reckless' sometimes since he has a really reliable wife to support him physically and emotionally.
And everytime I thought He Xian can't go anymore low (like how his son got sick due to malnourishment), then the drama gave us another scene that makes us question the brutality of war and how it affect normal people. When Mr. Ma comes to his house and see what his family prepared for New Year dinner, I swear my heart sank with him. 😢 He must feel very guilty how the small favour he asked from He Xian makes him hits rock bottom like that.
Then the scene where He Xian broke down in front of all his friends and family, I think many of us didn't realized how horrible the things he had to go through that day. Having to go through mass grave to find Xiao Yu, the girl who saved his entire family and later run away from his house due to his inability to provide for her and her mother is some crazy stuff you can't get over with. That kind of rock bottom place you reached in your life that basically kill all your desire to live. And that's whats war did to normal people.
I love how everytime they show rock bottom scenes like this, the writer never fail to write silver linings to the whole tragedy and make the drama so uplifting and full of hope at the same time. Amazing amazing writing.
THE ROMANCE
I love He Xian little family. ❤️ I love how He Xian always tell his wife everything - - or even when he wants to make any business decision that will effect the family, he always tell her as well and ask her permissions.
In one of the episodes, you can know how Qi Wen was worried to death for He Xian. She always had her eyes on him before he leaves then when he comes back, she just burst to tears with how relief she is.
Usually in Republican dramas, husband and wife always have kind of distant relationship but I love how the writer portrayed He Xian and Qi Wen as such affectionate couple. They always holds hand, they always hold each other's hands lol, reassuring each other and despite having 2 small kids, they still seemed like a newly married couple when they are alone together.
And even when they are with friends eating together at different table, He Xian will look at Qi Wen and smile at her. I just love all this tender and soft gestures they always reserve for each other. Their relationship makes the turbulence time they are facing at that time seemed bearable.
CONCLUSION
Everything about the drama has been amazing so far especially the acting, writing and directing. Don't miss this gem of a drama if you want to watch soemthing truly well written that made you gain knowledge whether in history or finance while watching this.
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