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Reviews
Yi ai wei ying (2022)
Character-driven drama with campy humor and titillating romance
Plot Summary:
Zheng Shu Yi (Bai Lu) is a pretty, brilliant and hard-working 25-year-old reporter who hopes to write the front-page article of the Financial Vision magazine for at least the 9th time. And her ticket to scoring the latest cover article is to land an interview with the CEO of a venture capital company, 27-year-old Shi Yan (Dylan Wang), who, as it happens, has taken an interest in her, insisting the magazine send her to interview him.
Before that happens, her boyfriend dumps her for a girl surnamed Qin whose uncle owns impressive cars with impressive plate numbers. Having found out that Shi Yan has a niece with a surname of Qin and that he owns a roll royce with an an imposing plate number, Shu Yi concludes that her ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend is the niece of Shi Yan.
Armed with a desire to use her rejection as fuel to succeed in her career as well as with her dream of upgrading the online version of Financial Vision magazine, Shu Yi pursues Shi Yan to get him to agree to a series of interviews for the online magazine. That is, as she makes herself believe. But might she be harboring some other reason for pursuing the handsome aloof bachelor?
For some mysterious reason of his own that will be revealed later, the cold CEO, who would have spurned such advances from any other girl, humored Shu Yi. Frequently thrown in each other's company due to the interviews as well as their jobs, they develop a deeper bond that propels them into a rocky journey of growth necessary to bring about a lasting and happy relationship where honesty and effective communication prevail.
Review:
This drama is character-driven thus requires a good understanding of the characters to be thoroughly appreciated. Skipping scenes would jar one's ability to be drawn into the characters and understanding them. In addition, skipping scenes could make one miss the campy spoofing feel throughout the drama, such as Shu Yi's pursuit of Shi Yan, the blind-leading-the-blind attempts of Shu Yi's cocksure but clueless best friend to give her advice, Shi Yan's seeming ability to hear Shu Yi's thoughts which could be a device to show they are on the same wavelengths, the phone conversations that everyone in the room can hear, the phone interruptions, the over-the-top riding clothes and many more. Those who recognize the campy humor in these situations would laugh. Those who don't would grumble.
Therefore, if you skip scenes or don't pay attention to the story, don't blame the writer or director if you can't find, much less understand, the plot.
This drama does not describe characters by having somebody directly point out that, say, Shu Yi is brilliant or that Shi Yan is a visionary. The drama SHOWS the audience, another reason skipping scenes is a no-no.
Shu Yi is not the conventional sensible-can-do-no-wrong cdrama female lead. She is smart, kind, friendly, playful, a good sweet daughter, hard-working, cannot be bribed and stays cool when a conniving work rival plays dirty tricks against her. But having been pampered by her parents, she is spoiled, self-centered and not above using people to attain her goals. Most of all, the drama shows her tendency to lie, causing her to do things contrary to what she feels and to make excuses to avoid facing up to the consequences of inappropriate actions.
It is intentional that Shu Yi sometimes throws ethics to the wind. Those who think smart people never do stupid things have unrealistic expectations of people. A lot of intelligent people make unwise decisions. Shu Yi's ethical lapses are part and parcel of the story which is unique to one particular reporter who does some things she should not do. So, complaints about degrading her profession are terribly misplaced. It is highly improbable that the drama would make viewers think reporters do this sort of thing all the time. In fact, that's why this story is told - it deals with a unique character.
I understand why Bai Lu bravely took on this role. Shu Yi would have been a challenge to portray because not doing her right could have made her obnoxious. I was amused at her flaws, scrapes and outrageousness, indicating Bai Lu portrayed her well.
Shi Yan is another complex character. The viewers' first impression of him is his stoic demeanor which is the amalgamation of his reserved and taciturn nature plus his upbringing and grooming to take over a company that would have made him resolute about appearing proper and older than his age at all times. The business scenes show how intelligent, competent and forward-thinking he is by letting us see how he handles meetings with business associates and how he chooses business partners. For example. He concurs with a startup's philosophy to put quality of technology ahead of production. These scenes also show the challenges he faces from senior executives who undermine his capability to lead the company due to his youth and inexperience. To delineate his sincerity in helping startups, the drama shows us that through thick and thin, he stands by a struggling chip producer he has been helping to establish. He gets personally involved in the chip industry and time and again defends his company's stand to finance the startup.
The business scenes also show how compatible the leads are in terms of interests and values. They are both hard-working. Shi Yan's passion to give back to society by helping startups is matched by Shu Yi's passion to make a contribution to society by creating an online version of her company's magazine that would allow more people access to information about finance. They both agree in doing the right things such as when Shi Yan, with Shu Yi's support, refuses to work with a corrupt battery manufacturer.
As he gets to know Shu Yi better, Shi Yan unlocks other parts of his personality - his thoughtfulness and dependability, his gentle and caring nature, his jealousy and his vulnerability that he only shows in her presence. Reserved by nature, Shi Yan's love is shown through his actions - making sure Shu Yi has eaten or has a ride home, even cooking for her. He is a natural nurturer, the best person who can help a spoilt girl in her journey to maturity.
This drama also shows how lack of communication can exacerbate couple issues. This is another hurdle the leads must face and overcome. Those who are intently watching would actually welcome a rift between the leads to knock some sense into Shu Yi. She has a lot of growing up to do and Shi Yan is prepared to take that journey with her as long as she wants to. All he wants is to love her, if she wants that love. What hurts him, more than the thought that she used him, is the thought that she loves another man. He is heartbroken as he muses, "what you wanted was never me". Though it devastates him, he loves her too much to force her to be with him while she is unsure of her feelings. So he lets her go and gives her space and time to sort her feelings out.
One of the things I admire about this drama is how subtle it showed Shu Yi's growth. She was self-centered before she met Shi Yan. She treated her ex-boyfriend like a driver, choosing to do an interview rather than celebrate his birthday with him. When he broke up with her, it was her pride more than her heart that was hurt. Shi Yan's unselfishness must have rubbed off on her. When she received her bonus, the first thing she thought of was to buy her parents gifts. When Shi Yan blocked her, she did not try to make excuses for what she did as what a spoiled child would have done. She felt guilty and remorseful thus felt resigned to losing him. She remembers Shi Yan's loving care and was ready to talk to him in person. When she saw him with another girl, she most probably took that as punishment for what she did and accepted the heartbreak. When news of Shi Yan's shareholders broke out, she first thought of Shi Yan's feelings instead of the effect the news would have on her online magazine. When she finally broke down, she did not care that her fierce work rival was there to witness her anguish. She did not whine or complain about her heartache but got sick due most probably to intense mental and psychological pain.
But the starkest manifestation of Shu Yi's growth was that, when her relationship with Shi Yan stabilized, she stopped lying.
Finally, to complete this multi-dimensional characterization of Shu Yi and Shi Yan, one needs a good idea of the world they're living in. Their friends, families, work, hobbies and other activities provide that additional dimension to their world.
Hao shi sheng shuang (2023)
Satisfying drama about a woman spurned
Alliance, as this drama is known in English, is about a brilliant programmer Lin Shuang (Zhang Xiao Fei), who was always top of her class and graduated from a first-rate university. She suspended a bright career to focus on raising a family with her husband Wei Ming (Li Ze Feng) and daughter.
She finds out her husband has been having an affair and investing in real estate overseas behind her back. Knowing how ambitious her husband is, she knows he would not consider marrying his financially-strapped mistress Jiang Xi (Jenny Zhang), who works in the same company as him. Lin Shuang confronts Jiang Xii, suggesting they form an alliance to take him down. At first dubious about Lin Shuang's plan, Jiang Xi gets on board after Wei Ming finds a rich girlfriend who can help him climb the corporate ladder.
Meanwhile, Lin Shuang has been taking steps to restart her career. She meets ex-classmate Gu Xu (Huang Xiao Ming) who had always placed second to her in class and still carrying a secret torch for her. He just came back from overseas studies and work where he had been successful. She lands a job at his company that has some dealings with Wei Ming's employer. Due to some dirty tricks Wei Ming pulled, Lin Shuang was forced to resign from her job. She starts a company. Will she succeed? Does she get to enact her revenge against Wei Ming?
This is a well-written and directed drama. Lin Shuang is a quiet force to be reckoned with. She is patient, biding her time, as her brilliant mind carries out her plan. Who would have thought of forming an alliance with her husband's mistress? In the end, it would seem that the best thing that happened to her was when her husband divorced her.
Cang Lan jue (2022)
Gorgeous!
Cang Lan Jue, otherwise known as Love Between Fairy And Devil, is gorgeous. From the cast, music, sets, costumes and cinematography to the story about the three realms - fairies/immortals, moon tribe and mortal - this is aesthetically pleasing. You could tell that the artists had a vision for how the worlds should look like and painstakingly built those worlds to make their vision come alive. I love seeing the products of such dedicated artists whose chief driving force is their art.
The story deals with the power struggle between the immortals and the moon tribe. The love story between a lowly fairy in the immortal realm and the powerful leader of the moon tribe is exceptionally enchanting, filled with twists and turns, told with just the right blend of romance, comedy, drama and action. One of my favorite parts is how, at the end, the realms team up against the real villain and peace reigns when everyone lets love rule.
The reason I did not rate this a 10? How could the director, or whoever made the decision, think that baby talk, whining and a pouty facial expression would work for a female lead? Dilraba Dilmurat successfully made baby talk cute in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, but I think it was because she was smiling sweetly, even naughtily, while doing it. Furthermore, she was not the female lead. Fairy Orchid's baby talk + whine + pout in Cang Lan Jue simply screamed fake, bratty and terribly annoying. If not for Dylan Wang, who plays male lead Moon Supreme Dongfang Qingcang, I would have dropped this. But I'm glad I didn't. Countless goodies in the drama, especially Dylan Wang's visual and acting as well as the background music, set artistry and the intriguing story, somehow stretched my tolerance. Anyway, Fairy Orchid (Esther Yu) shed her annoying behavior later on and over-all could not stop this series from becoming outstanding.
I'm noticing some reviews that expressed disappointment at the series end. Please note that the series has 36 episodes, not 24.
Weiwei yixiao hen qingcheng (2016)
Romantic gem
This is almost perfect for me, what a romantic drama should be - full of sweet moments, with the leads in perfect harmony with each other. The female lead looks rather anorexic, made more noticeable when she wears super short clothing, but she is blessed with such a pretty face that can make one almost ignore her extra slim frame. She is one of a few Chinese actresses whose beauty can match Yang Yang's. The second leads are a bit annoying, one too loud and the other too quick to mistrust, but they show how loveable the leads are, so they serve their purpose.
This is a great example of why more and more people are being charmed by Chinese dramas, where characters are allowed to be sweet and true to their feelings without being crass, over-the-top or lewd, where scenes that jaded viewers might consider cliché or cheesy warm the heart and let viewers bask in the glow of sweet love.
Lizhi pai shenghuo (2021)
A rational woman in an irrational world
This drama tackles substantial topics - a May-December romance, sexism and politics at work, societal pressures on women to get married and have kids, plagiarism - without becoming boring. Kudos to the acting, writing and direction for making the story believable and engrossing. Both main leads, Qin Lan as competent career woman Shen Ruoxin and Dylan Wang as her loyal assistant Qi Xiao, are stunningly good-looking and have great chemistry together.
The story shows how flawed society's negative view about May-December relationships is. It underscores the fact that maturity is not only defined by age. Xiao, the youngest man vying for Ruoxin's affection, has the most mature attitude towards her.
The skillful writing seamlessly weaves the love story with the couple's struggles against office politics as well as other issues they and other characters face. Thus, the romance is not rushed, developing organically with the rest of the story. As Ruoxin and Xiao deal with one challenge after another, it is riveting to see whether this pair of goodhearted and hardworking individuals would buckle under pressure or prevail.
San sheng san shi shi li tao hua (2017)
A masterpiece
After hesitating to watch this drama for a long time because of its length, I watched it three times in a row and will probably watch it at least once a year in the future. It's the most beautiful cdrama ever. The ending makes one feel incredibly good.
Mark Chao is the epitome of the male god. He is Ye Hua incarnate. Yang Mi is perfect as Bai Qian/Si Yin/Su Su. One proof of their amazing chemistry is that kiss after the Mt Jinju wedding. Sweet and heartfelt, it's the best kiss I've seen onscreen, whether in cdramas, kdramas or western shows. Other actors should take lessons from them :)
The rest of the cast also portrayed their parts remarkably well. Add in the superb direction, glorious soundtrack, breathtaking cinematography and a beautiful story with the most adorably faithful male lead ever, and you have a masterpiece.
Yu Long (2021)
Irresistible romantic charmer
Yu Long (aka Miss the Dragon) is about dragon king Yuchi Longyan (Dylan Wang) who falls in love with mortal girl Liuying (Xudan Zhu) and sets out to protect her through four lifetimes. It might not have the best writing, direction, cgi and acting, but the sweet romance between the leads is irresistibly charming. The second couple is also delightful.
At times funny and sometimes heartbreaking, it is generally lighthearted, a refreshing break from heavy and tiresome dramas laden with intrigues and misunderstandings. It portrays the first blush of pure, innocent and unselfish love, untainted by jaded and toxic emotions that try to depict love in heavier dramas. The earnest desire of Yuchi Longyan to love and protect Liuying and her reincarnations is enchanting. Who can resist a supremely handsome and faithful dragon king who believes that "Love is not icing on the cake but sharing weal and woe; it's not selfish possession but long-term protection"?