Li Gong (2023)

The guy may try to be good, but the people who cross his path have the worst luck.

I wish more people watched this, because there is so much to discuss and joke about in this drama:) The story centers around a security guard at a thermos factory who gets it in his head that if he commits meritorious service he'll be able to score a job with PSB. He's both stubborn and determined but most unluckily creates havoc wherever he goes. He also sets up a lot of events in motion that unfold over the course of the series to often tragic results. I should mention here that the comedy genre is definitely the black and deadly, not the feelgood, type.

Other key characters in the story include Hu Ting - old Shang's nephew, policeman and husband of Lv Ling. Their marriage problems comprise one of the multiple story threads.
Then there's Shang Jin - Shang's somewhat estranged daughter and the youngest doctor in a county hospital. She tries to investigate strange symptoms in patients rumoured to have visited Laoyao Mountain. It's a mysterious place featuring in a lot of town legends that is home to either ghosts, aliens or Japanese gold, depending on whom you ask.
There's also Xueqin - a dumplings shop owner, who often acts as a sounding board for Shang's crazy ideas and has a brother who's walking trouble. Not sure why she's listed as a main character. Her storyline and acting are both on the weaker side.
Finally, in the background we have two local "crime lords" battling it out and an out-of-town criminal gang 'tiger brothers' who are one of the most unfortunate to have ever crossed paths with the good guy.

Stylewise the series is a mix of black comedy, crime thriller and life/family drama. There's off and on screen violence and some genuinely tragic moments. A lot of the humour is a miss for me but overall it's engaging fun.

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