Illogical, tropey, toxic relationship. Say no more.

It is no secret that the rom-com genre is trope heavy but some shows make it work. This show did the opposite and it is hard to enjoy because of its many issues.

Let's start at the beginning. It was a slog to get through the first 5 episodes. The whole meet-cute was stretched to breaking point with the FL disguised as a man to get her dream job. They tried to milk the setup for laughs with all the cliché twists like going to the wrong toilet, picking a fight with a caveman, having her period while in the middle of the office, etc, etc. They are so obvious that it is just a cringe fest. Then we have to deal with the biggest plot issue. I'm sure an edict of not hiring any female programmer is straight up discrimination. I don't know about Chinese laws but I'm sure it can't be legal if it is a stated condition of employment. That whole set up just does not hold water but the writer pushed through with it and logic be damned. This led to many plot holes that are just painted over or ignored.

It did get a bit better once she came out as a girl in ep.6 and thank god for that because she was totally unconvincing as a guy. If you want to be generous, she might pass as a tomboy but most of the time she just looks like a girl with a short haircut and speaking of the short haircut, they tried to say that a short hair wig can hide a full head of shoulder length hair. Not likely. Once she is a girl again, a hit parade of tropes were dumped on us such as contract marriage, co-habitation, hiding their relationship from the world, etc.

As I mentioned in other reviews, it is important for us to want to ship the CP in a rom-com but the further the show progressed, the harder I find any motivation to ship them. A lot has to do with the portrayal of the main characters. The ML is a man-child who has low EQ but he is also selfish, rude and manipulative. The main CP's relationship is abusive if not downright toxic. He goes through cycles of being angry/jealous -> taking it out on the FL -> feeling guilty afterwards -> ham-fisted attempt to atone -> a) succeeds and we get a few moments of CP bliss or b) fails (which is often) he gets angry and take it out on the FL again. This is a destructive spiral and it wears mighty thin when it went on and on. BTW, the 2ML is a constant source of his jealousy but the 2ML is so beige that there is little chance of second lead syndrome.

The FL, on the other hand, is a top university graduate but has this crush on the ML for years and she will do anything to be with him and worshipped the ground he walked on. She ended up being his wife/slave/victim. Any crumbs of attention or affection from the ML will have her doing a delusional happy dance but she suffered so much more. This is an odd portrayal in this day and age. She also refused to let him see her face in the beginning of the show until she started dressing as a man. Why? Who knows.

Speaking of manipulative people, the show is full of them. The ML's mom is a classic schemer, the ML's father is a one trick pony which always gets his way with the ML by threatening to cut off his funds. His sister is a woman-child who manipulates everyone. Of course, no tropey rom-com is complete without the scheming ex-GF. We are in for a rough ride once she entered the scene on ep.11. This is why we need the CP to become a team so that they can push back against the antagonists and we can get behind them. What we have instead is ML being childish and annoying, their relationship precarious and unhealthy. I want to say to the FL, "give up, girlfriend."

And gave up, I did. The returns are few and far between. The dodgy paint by numbers script didn't help. It is not terrible but it didn't hook me. In a sea of tropey rom-coms, I needed something more to make me commit my time. I watched 12 episodes for free on WeTV. Maybe when all episodes are free-to-watch I'll speed run through to the end. I have no doubt that they will engineer a happy ending but it would be a looong march to get there.

Leia Mais

A bubble (tea) drama

I’m sure it comes as no surprise that most drama will try to grab you and hook you as soon as possible. First impression is very important after all. This is why this drama left me perplexed.

I started to watch and halfway through the first episode, I had to stop and checked that I’m not watching ep.2 or even ep.3 by mistake. This was unsettling and caught me off guard. The reason for this is that the drama starts with little preamble. We are introduced to a large cast but there is not much to hook you. Much happens but what are their context? Why should we care?

This is probably a good point to pause and explain why I called this a bubble drama. I coin this phase because this show exists in its own bubble. There is little point in pinpointing the historical context. Costumes and backdrops are fairly generic. It also play hard and fast with some key cultural norms. I can understand they have to do it to make the story work, but it is self-serving. Its inconsistency means you are constantly second guessing the story's rationale. This extends to minor twists which are nonsensical but necessary to get the plot out of a bind. OBTW, if the show gets to the point where it is overloaded with artificial sweeteners then it will be a bubble tea drama. :)

Granted, most turnkey idol dramas are poured from the same mould. It is not a hanging offense if that is its only problem. In this case, we have some fundamental issues with the basic premise. For example, the title is The Rise of Ning. However, while she was sent away as a child, she grew up just fine and is well educated and provided for. She is fully supported by the senior wife as soon as she returns. Her grandmother dotes on her. She is resourceful and well adjusted. She is the heir apparent to the family fortune. This is just as well because her father is a hapless tool. How much higher can she rise, Queen Ning mayhaps?

She set about to right some wrongs done by her father's favourite concubine almost immediately. She and her spoil daughter neither have the means nor the brains to do more than simple dirty tricks. Tiresome and despicable they may be but hardly evil masterminds. What is odd is the official wife was long suffering but grew a backbone as soon as Ning shows up. There is also a mysterious "puppet master" but his motives are hazy. He might even be closely related to the FL.

The ML is also treated poorly by the family as a semi illegitimate son yet he is a great martial artist and a scholar to boot. There is no explanation of how he reaches those heights with limited resources. On top of that, he has assembled a crack team who is willing to die for his cause. I'm sure more will be revealed but consider at the 1/4 mark, we are still lacking a clear focus, it is testing. From my perspective, both our leads are already standing on solid ground with little room to improve. Compare this to recent shows like Blossoms in Adversity or The Double and you will know how low the protagonist can get.

Then there are the constant chatter about scandals and arrange marriages but that's old news and boring, to be honest. All the typical high society shenanigans are present and accounted for.

May be we can look towards the romantic plotline to lift the story? This is where it is even more problematic. Oh wait! Our OTP are supposed to be brother and sister sharing the same father. By ep.8, the ML has found out that the FL was not related by blood after all. That might fix the basic moral problem but the FL doesn't know that and any relationship between them would be technically incestuous. I'm sure she would find out soon as the Chinese censors would not allow this to stand. It still makes for some awkwardness as their attraction builds. The writer might lean more into this just to inject some angst in an otherwise flat drama.

Adding to its woes, I have to confess that I don't ship the leads. Yes, they make a handsome couple but their chemistry is questionable. We know they are the OTP because that is obvious. There is no plan 'B'.

On the other hand, the production value is decent if pedestrian, the OST is serviceable. Most of the support cast are from central casting but they try.

It is watchable and mildly entertaining but it never hooked me. So after 9 eps, I've decided to park it for now. It is not a hard “NO” but more “can't be bothered”. Peace.

Leia Mais

My first and last impressions of this show

While I have dropped the show, I don't want to label it as unwatchable. This is a first impression after all but not a good one.

The way I see it is that the show is done on the cheap and cobbled together to meet some contractual obligation. It is functional but does not hold up to scrutiny.

For instance, the setting is generic ancient China because the costumes and architectures are a bit of a hotchpotch.

The ML is the Chief Constable of the city police force. His father, a high ranking official, was accused of embezzling a huge sum of money that was earmarked for disaster relief. He is dead by the time the show started. I'm not sure if he was executed or passed due to natural causes. My bad.

The FL is an orphan who was rescued during that disastrous flood and bought up by a shadowy figure who trained her to be a master thief/spy. She can pull off amazing heists with aplomb. The police is baffled. That is until our ML gets on the case.

So far so good, you might say. However, once you get past the heavily staged meet-cute you will realise that the foundation of the plot is somewhat shaky.

To wit, no matter what era in ancient history you pick, the "sin of the father" is very real especially when it comes to political matters. Consider the magnitude of his alleged crime, it would be enough to condemn his family if not his whole clan to slavery and exile if not worse. How did his family managed to hang onto his mansion and servants while the ML rises up the rank in the gendarmerie? Even the King commended him.

Moving on, the FL pretended to marry the ML so that she can search for a MacGuffin in his manor house. She is shockingly ham-fisted. Instead of leaving no trace, she was manhandling and breaking things. She might as well leave calling cards with "I WAS HERE!!" on them.

On top of that, her portrayal just feels stiff. She is supposed to be street smart and quick-witted, but she was put on the spot time and again. I assume the script calls for a minx, but we got a pale imitation. I'd understand if she was a farm girl pretending to be a high born lady but a highly trained operative? She is certainly ill equipped for the task.

To cap this off, we meet the envoy of a neighbouring state on an official visit. The ML is tasked with ensuring his safety. Standard political intrigue stuff. However, the envoy arrived in a common cart, all by himself, with zero fanfare. No servants, no retinue, nada. This is Ryanair before planes were invented. He then sneaks out of his heavily guarded lodgings to sell off some of the official tributes. Serious? You can hear the gear turning in the writer’s mind. It basically comes down to making up situations that fits into the loose plot. Logic and backstory be damned. Maybe it will make more sense a few eps from now, but it is testing my credulity.

I can even overlook all this shenanigans if the leads have oodles of chemistry. I just don't feel it. Sure, the wedding is nice but I can't say that they are attracted to each other. Even the frenemy option is a bit tenuous.

Oh, just in case you think the rest of the story will be complex and inteiguing. The intro and outro basically gave much of the plot away. BTW, they have already played the amor fati card so . . yes, they will fall in love in due course. I won't even call that a spoiler. ;)

Consider my (gut) reaction after 4 eps, I don't think I can last 20 more. It is not horrible, nor unwatchable but it is a predictable, low rent, low effort production. I didn't rage quit. I Sloth Quit™️. ;)

You might enjoy this. Caveat emptor.

Leia Mais

Heat death of a drama

I’d normally drop a show because it is bad and unwatchable. In this case, it is due to apathy and the need to ration my time. After 6 eps, I feel like I've seen it all before and in much better productions.

For instance, I gather this show follows Will Love in Spring in the schedule. Ouch, that must have hurt because while WLiS has enough chemistry to warm your house in the dead of winter, there is no chemistry here. We get the meaningful glances, but I get more feels looking at a slice of chocolate cake.

Ditto, the topic of disappearing traditional Chinese craftsmanship is well documented. Several shows have highlighted this and one prime example is Meet Yourself. MY is far superior in every way. Not only is the story and acting better but their predicament is woven into the plot in a humanistic way. You feel for the old masters and respect them for their dedication. In this series, all we get are buyouts, shady deals and naked greed. I will quit too if I have to put up with those shenanigans.

The opening scene of this series is so confusing. It literally dropped our leads in front of us with no preamble and then immediately does a flashback. Did that scene gave half the story away?!

Backstabbing, underhanded deals, and betrayal is the only way Chinese knows how to do business, according to this show. We are 5, 6 eps in and there is no way I would do business with any of them. This extends to the FL's family. Her family is willing to renege on their promise to sell the FL shares in the family business. All in the name of keeping the investors happy and benefiting their useless son. To paraphrase an adage, who needs enemies when you have family like that.

Speaking of friends and family, while a lot of series have quirky and interesting supporting characters, so far, I have seen none. They are all either nasty, scheming, useless and/or parasites. I suppose it means our leads have nobody to rely on except themselves . . I shall just refer back to my point on zero chemistry. Touché.

Let's talk a little about our leads now. Vic Zhou has been absent from the small screen for many moons. He is still dapper and quite stoic in this drama, but he is a little stiff as well. Need to loosen up those acting muscles.

Speaking of acting muscles, Victoria Song is quite lively and animated this time around. This is a departure from her usual stilted and pouting way. She is also playing a woman somewhat younger than her real age. Picture Zhao Lusi in that role and you'll get the picture. It is a bit of hit and miss though. I see it as a welcome change but is it too little, too late? I don't know and probably will never find out.

In the end, too many tropes, poor chemistry and dodgy characters rules this series. There is no good reason for me to keep watching. It might come good, or it might get worse. Regardless, with Joy of Life 2 going live, conservation of viewing hours is a no brainer.

Leia Mais

This movie makes 50 Shades look dirty and depraved . . . oh . . I see . .

First of all, this movie is not as challenging to watch as you'd think even though the subject matter is BDSM. Yes, there are graphical scenes but they are not gross nor exploitative. The fact that both leads approached their relationship with open minds, set boundaries and formal consent left the viewer with a clear understanding that this is not about gratuitous violence nor evil purposes. This is BDSM done by the book, probably an university text book.

Otherwise, this is just a lovely contemporary office rom-com. The leads played their roles well and they have great chemistry. The CP fell in love organically and they went through the usual CP trials before confessing their love for each other in one of the best scenes in the drama. It was the level of care and consideration for each other that made this a surprisingly sweet love story, much more so than shows that heap on the artificial sweeteners without much appreciation of what love truly is. The BDSM was a plot device used with care. It was not done for shock value nor exploitation. There is also a streak of humour running through the show and it is not crude at all.

Pacing is steady and the plot moved along with little drag. The support cast is generally interesting but they don't distract you from the OTP. The production value is good with clever use of lighting and sets. They walked a fine line between erotic and sexy. They managed to give off a lot of sexy vibes while keeping their cloths on. That takes skilful direction and good acting.

The writing is very good and sensitive subjects are handled deftly. I particularly liked the way our CP turned the table on the naysayers. Always remember, the pen is mightier than the sword. ;)

All in all, an enjoyable rom-com (if you have nothing against BDSM) which managed to be sexy and pure at the same time. Not a bad combo if you can pull it off!

So, is this movie realistic? I don't think it was the intention of the movie creator to make this a reflection of reality. Just think of it as a romantic fantasy and try not to dream of collar and chains. ;)

Leia Mais

Heavily scripted drama that will give you a whiplash

I can see why there was so much hype around this k-drama when it was first released. It was quite different to your typical parcel of k-dramas being released and the main leads definitely got the netizens talking. However, watching the show a few months after it finished its run, the rose tinted glasses cannot hide all its rough edges.

On the positive side, the ML is handsome and overflowing with charisma. Whether you believe he is a Mafia consigliere is your decision. The FL was flamboyant and matched well with the ML so the OTP's chemistry was signed and sealed. There were quite a few stylistic moments and quotable quotes just right for memes. Action sequences were generally well executed and impactful. Production value was high. OST more than serviceable with classical music taking a prominent role.

When observing the show from a distance, like war and art, you start to notice a coda that ends with the death of a key character (and those were obviously marked for death). The odd thing is that in most cases, the in-between space was filled with comedy, sometimes slapstick and quite farcical. This swing in mood did give me a bit of whiplash. I don't know if part of the problem stems from the drama being 20 episodes long and each almost 1.5 hours in duration. If it was trimmed down to 16 episodes, it might be tighter.

Most of these comedic sequences were supplied by the occupants of the Plaza. They were a motley crew with hearts of gold. In that sense, I was disappointed that they were largely used as comic relief and had little growth. They reminded me of characters in the movies "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" and "Kung Fu Hustle". A bit derivative, to be honest.

Oh mama mia, the overacting. There were so much overacting. The main villains were racing to see who is more evil and the said support cast amped up their traits to the max, most of them became caricatures. Subtlety was the main casualty and there were more than just gallons of blood on the floor. Ditto the violence. It is over the top and the impact waned over time.

Now we come to the biggest problem for me. There are quite a few plot holes and some illogical story telling. The show started well and we have the lone wolf arriving to help the beleaguered "village". I can accept that Vincenzo is an anti-hero and very grey when it come to the definition of good and evil, it does add spice to the proceedings. However, the longer the show went on, the more problematic the story telling became. There were lots of shouted intentions but mostly just milling around until we hit one of the key event I mentioned before. Scenes like the ML fighting 3 mafia hitmen and was saved by Inzaghi, reward for good deeds? The scene when the ML confronted the Interpol officers, one sequence was shown at the end of one episode and when the next episode starts, a completely different scenario was played which contradicted the earlier scene. The role of the Guillotine file which was supposed to be the ultimate deus ex machina but it sort of works but eventually watered down. The gold plot went rogue, why a bed and does it really ends there? Sometimes the plot twist were clever but a lot of the time you can sense the writer-nim's hand on the steering wheel to make sure the show stay on a given course. Several times during the show, it could have ended "logically" but it just kept going.

Vincenzo is handsome and oozes charisma, the show is enjoyable in parts and it will pull your heartstrings from time to time, the found family trope can be cute and heart warming. There is no question about the chemistry between the OTP (I do wish they devoted more time to them). A grand opera of revenge can be sweet music. However, the inconsistencies will pull you out of immersion. Personally, I find Itaewon Class a superior David vs Goliath drama but nobody ever goes to watch a James Bond movie for empathy and sensitivity.

Leia Mais