O Tratante (2021)

A very flawed drama for die-hard LYX fans with a kick-ass FL ...**BUT**...

If you are a die-hard Luo Yunxi fan, Broker might be worth it as it really showcases his talent. He gives an emotional performance as a flawed and tortured anti-hero who falls in love with a woman who changes the entire course of his life. Broker could also be for you if you love your female leads strong, brilliant, independent, and mature. Victoria Song’s portrayal will have you wishing there were more characters like her in Chinese dramas. (I was going to add sensible to the FL's list of attributes, but unfortunately I can not due to her actions and words in the final two or three episodes.)

BUT. And this is a huge BUT. For everyone else? It’s kind of a toss-up. Broker is flawed and messy, and whether it’s for you or not will depend on your enjoyment or tolerance of soapy, unrealistic melodramas and other elements that some people love and others hate: the science talk, the office politics and scheming (only in the early episodes though -- it's great later), the secondary OTP, very tortured heroes/heroines/antogonists (To say Leo is put through the wringer, especially at the end, would be an understatement). As the series progresses, it also flirts increasingly with “dog’s blood (狗血)” plotlines -- until it VERY predictably goes all-in on the makjang melodrama in the final quarter. (A couple of the characters even reference “dog’s blood” dramas, which makes one think it’s a sly nod of self-recognition.)

Personally, I genuinely enjoyed nearly every ridiculous, soapy, melodramatic moment and couldn’t wait for the next episode. At the same time, I have a lot of caveats. I did park most of my usual standards aside and simply went with the flow. I tried not to think too much about details that didn’t make sense; annoying tropes; the rather ham-fisted effort at depicting anti-Asian/Chinese racism; the heavy-handed overtones of patriotism/nationalism; inconsistencies in pacing, tone, character depiction, and story arcs. Unfortunately, these last elements became very difficult to ignore at the end, especially in the final episode. While expected, the execution of the story arc was frustrating -- and almost cruel -- at times. (You can read my more spoilery views about the ending in the comments section below.)

REWATCH VALUE: If I could break it down, I'd give all of Leo’s scenes a 10 (no bias here :P) and many (but not all) of Victoria’s very high marks too.

MUSIC: Like many Chinese dramas, the instrumental background was sometimes too much, but the songs were solid. I especially adored the closing credit piece, Signature (署名) by Azora Chin (尤长靖), and Leo’s haunting theme, It’s Time To Stop (时间停止吧), by ANU.

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A rare gem

Fast paced opening.
Amazing character intros, both mains and supporting casts alike.
Good editing and camera language.
Intelligent characters that are actually smart, not fake smart.

This is rare in China produced drama.

Luo Yunxi must be commended for very believable fight and action scenes. Very clean and elegant execution. Kudos to the action choreographer as well.

Would like to add that most drama's first episode tends to infodump a bunch of faces that blur into a mass of look-a-likes. Not this one. Every character is unique, given time to show their personalities and roles, and only from the the first episode.

I watched it for Luo Yunxi, but I would probably explore more of the director, cinematographer, and action choreographer's other works as well.

The script is uneven, feels bipolar, like half was written by a pro, and the other half by a complete idiot. The main arc are sweet or painful or both. But it's refreshing to see a mature and steady couple that do not 'forget and abandon their goals' the minute they breakup or run into love-conflicts. People with jobs are still working despite the events in their personal life. Well, except the sister/doctor arc, which is the usual silly romance drivel kind of drama.

Love the use of bio-chemistry in the conversations, e.g. QJN on love, and life, and birthday wishes. Seriously, this is how science and tech people talk among themselves.
Love the friendship between the two sisters.

The last few episodes were kind of forced and with questionable logic. I think it was trying to tie back to the original novel, but no longer fit the earlier changes in the adaptation.

What would have made it better:
Many deleted scenes that could have explained the history and background better, and to allow the audience to understand the relationships and ties between ML and supporting characters, why he did what he did.

Cut out all the noisy back and forth hospital drama of unprofessional doctors not working and just gossiping and seriously, the doctor guy should have been charged with sexual harassment with his behaviour.

Should have more thrilling actions similar to what we had in 1st episode. And more showcase of ZXS's broker skills. The boy was supposed to be a genius. Why did he become so passive?

Unexpected bonux: Mo Li's actress is really good. Only reason QJX and MoLi's scenes work. Because QJX's acting is cringey.

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