Do you want to believe in the Descarte's fairy tale?
MASTER PIECE dramas have it all: storyline, acting, cinematography, OST and most importantly, direction that really bind these elements together to create a cohesive and astounding drama/suspense thriller.This is one such serial that has it all and that will keep you on your toes as you will definitely want to see how it unfolds and to understand how the various pieces and clues join together.
However, I read most of the reviews on MDL before starting to watch this drama. Hence, my expectations were very high and the first few episodes more than fulfilled these and in fact, surpassed them. I was totally immersed in the suspense and could hardly allow myself to miss a single minute.
However, the ending killed it for me. It felt like the director tried to compromise with viewers' feelings and was afraid of an alternative, more dramatic but logical ending. Also, looking at the promo poster of the serial, Pupu is really lost in the background, which is in stark contrast with her character and the pivotal role she plays. For these reasons, I am giving this serial 9 instead of 9.5.
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This review may contain spoilers
Conflicted Feelings
Before reading other people's reviews and speculative blog posts, I thought this drama was a very high-quality production of an engaging story with an oddly weak ending. After finding out about all the clues I missed (hint: always watch the credits), I can certainly appreciate the brilliance of the storytelling but have some quibbles with how it was done. I also don't particularly like the "secret twist" because it is boring to me. That's just personal preference, of course.Spoiler-free complaint: I think there are better ways to mislead your viewers by mixing multiple characters' perspectives than how this drama did it. To be honest, finding out that it was based on a book made me think the book was probably better because text is a more suitable medium for that sort of thing. But of course I haven't read it, so I don't know if it's actually better.
Spoilers below:
I can easily believe that the ending was just Zhu Chaoyang's wishful thinking. However, in that case they might as well have thrown in a scene showing Pupu alive, if it was all fake anyway. Instead we got many scenes featuring Yan Liang that I doubt Zhu Chaoyang would imagine in such detail. At some point, in their quest to make the mystery difficult for viewers to figure out, the creators of this drama unfortunately went overboard and starting including contradictory evidence instead of mere red herrings.
I still think it's a fascinating story exploring many interesting themes. The acting is phenomenal, I love the animated intro, and the soundtrack is very unique. But before I understood the complexity of it, I thought the ending was weird and underwhelming, whereas afterwards I just felt disappointed because "nerdy loner kid who seems so nice and polite on the surface is actually evil" is such an overdone trope. If I had known I was supposed to be watching out for hidden clues to a secret twist, I would have figured it out immediately because that is ALWAYS it.
A certain other drama recently surprised me by pulling a "guy who seems suspicious is actually just a nerdy loner kid" instead. XD
In conclusion, I have very mixed feelings about The Bad Kids. Aesthetically, it's so well-made that I wish I could like it more.
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This review may contain spoilers
I promise you won't think of dropping it.
First of all, I was shocked that this was adapted from the novel based on true story. The more 'wow' is that they execute it so well hence as the audience start watching they will curious how it will end up all the way. The storyline is interesting where all the conflicts really match up with strong plots. BUT, I just don't understand ... why ZCY really need to talk about the copied file with YL at that time and I don't think it's important since he actually didn't copy it, huh? why? It felt like only adding some reason to extend the story.All done very well for the pace, at least from eps 1 to 11. I think in eps 12 they tried to end up really in a rush. I know the story is actually has already told completely, but still how they closing everything is too in hurry.
The acting of the main casts make me speechless, I'm feeling that Rong Zi Shan gonna be the next generation of Wu Lei. No wonder this series won the awards and so the actors.
I'm not type of watcher rewatching any, but I gave a quite high rewatchable value since I think this really has the high potential for the other watchers to rewatch, it's kinda a masterpiece.
Btw, the sentence on headline only valid if you are this genre lover. If you still dropped it anw, maybe it's personal preference issue, lol. As I watched this one, the word 'to drop' never came into my mind.
P.S: I have a question about ZDS' wife, I don't really understand the story around her death, can anyone please tell me? TIA!
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I am so excited to watch the other parts related to the "The light on series", I love this whole idea of a collection of mystery / thriller series, all under the same label. Heard Sysiphus will star Luhan? omg must watch!
does anyone know when the other parts will release?
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A kid is always a kid-
-no matter how clever they may be. Having seen The Long Night, I was expecting an equally good plot in series and The Bad Kids did not fail me. The children actors/actresses were excellent, even those in small roles.The actor in main character (the Math teacher) was also excellent. The retired detective, the step mother, were also excellent in their performance. The directing of the series was great, I liked that some scenes were without any soundtrack, it made the whole story more realistic.
The only flaw I found was that of how unexpectingly the detective connected all the dots and solved the case, it seemed like out of the blue.
The series portrayed very well how easily children can be manipulated due to their immaturity and that, for me, was the key of success of that story.
Rewatch value, 9,5/10 which means, you must watch it!
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Twisted and filled with secrets
Wonderful acting from all actors, especially the kids paired with an intriguing story really allows this drama to flourish.The story is quite dark and there are many unexpected twists. The family dynamics and friendship I find the most interesting and developed. The character growth here is also incredibly mature and well written. This is a show that is jam packed with evidence, which really increases its rewatch value for me. One last positive thing here is that all the characters have pretty extreme flaws, which allows for realistic characters to really drive this story and create simple but strong conflict.
This show has some plot holes that I think were hard to fill because of the complexity of the story line. The characters also change their views very fast and unexpectedly: something very small can trigger unexpected emotions in these fragile characters. This type of change of behavior can sometimes be confusing to the viewer though who is already accustomed to how they normally act.
The ending is quite surprising and I personally think it can be interpreted in many ways. If you're into this genre this is a must watch, if you're not I would say to stear away because it does get quite dark.
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Watch only if you are willing to invest time to further analyze on the plot
Up until the last episode, I thought I would be giving this drama 9 or 9.5 rating. Beautiful cinematography, realistic portrayals of characters that makes you feel anyone of them could have been your next-door neighbor or office co-worker or classmate, and I love those little scenes of no dialogues such as Chaoyang hiding his mother's valuables and setting a trap so he would know if his friends tried to search his house for items of value to steal (this is in ep 1, so I don't consider this a spoiler).But, but-- the frustration and anger that arise in me at the last scene.... Made me decide to give this drama a 7 rating. Then again changed it to 7.5 becos director has successfully made me feel about 5% of the frustrations that Zhang Dongsheng would have felt. Why such a sharp drop in my opinion of this drama? Here's why:-
I was expecting some flashbacks scenes in the last episode, that would give some clues or hints as to at which point in the drama that the narrative becomes unreliable. But lo and behold, they leave this completely open-ended to our own interpretation! The very obvious "fairytale" parts I have understood (who are imagined to be alive), but no hints, no clues given as to at which point in the narrative that things are "enhanced" and not what it seems.
I wouldn't mind if this is a movie or telemovie (in 4, 5 parts). But this is a 12 episodes drama!! Are we actually expected to rewatch from ep 1?.... Because for those who have watched this, isn't it suspicious that only Chaoyang can hear the whistles that his 2 friends made (when they want to meet him)?? Notice how no one else complain about the whistling, I mean an adult could have opened a window and shout some profanities about the whistling! So, should we doubt that this form of communication, the whistling never happened?? ..... there lies my frustrations.
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Dark and Depressing
This drama is a dark and intense story taking place in Ningzhou, a southern region of China. The weather in the summer is mucky, everyone is covered in sweat and dirt. Unlike the usual glamorous sights of high rises and high fashion in cities like Shanghai and Beijing where most modern dramas are set, Ningzhou is dilapidated, people work hard to eke out a living. Being in this part of China, apart from speaking mainly Mandarin, Cantonese and other dialects are also used.Accordingly, this drama is adapted from a novel. When I first read the English title, The Bad Kids, I was expecting street urchins. Surprisingly, the kids I saw were nothing but honest, courteous, upstanding, compassionate and intelligent children who try to help each other out. Apparently, the characters of the children have been greatly rewritten to make them more humane as compared to the actual novel. The motives of the characters have also been changed to garner more sympathy from the viewers. Though I have not read the novel, from the reviews of viewers who have, I can see the original novel is even darker than what is depicted in the drama.
The sound effect is amazingly good and the dubbing is first rated. The child actors are simply fabulous to say the least. The lighting is natural and there's hardly any noticeable whitewash of the actors' faces unlike most other Chinese dramas; blemishes and pimples remain on the teenagers' faces. Their skin tone is also natural. The overall acting is really 10/10. The children song, Xiao Bai Chuan (Little White Boat) brings back childhood memories - it's one of the most well-loved children songs. Other music played at the strategic moments brings enormous intensity to the drama, preparing the viewers for imminent happenings.
I stopped at episode 6 and couldn't continue anymore because it's getting very dark and convoluted. I'm a rom-com kind of viewer and the story here depresses me with deaths and situations out of one's control. For that matter, I couldn't even stomach the award-winning movie Parasite. However, don't let my personal taste deter you from watching this drama, especially if you're a thriller buff. This is a great drama, just not my taste.
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Amazing talented kids actors!
I found this after watching some of the light on series through similar recommendations & I can't believe I missed this for 2 years. This is one of the best suspense crime dramas out there. Yes it's dark, disturbing and may not be everyone's cup of tea but it's must watch if you enjoy heavier content.The entire cast was strong however I was blown away by how talented these kids are. The transformation of Chang Yang's character from good to evil is portrayed perfectly by the young actor. It's hard to just showcase that kind of transformation through such an introverted character. What's more the parallelism between Chao Yang & Zhang Dong Sheng is undeniable. It's like they can sense each other. That pressure continues to build up, until the ultimate betrayal pushes them over the edge.
Pupu's character was the only innocence that could've brought Zhang Dong Sheng & Chao Yang back to the light but as the lies continues to build up there was no going back.
Yan Liang protector of Pupu was the most tragic one as he trusted Chao Yang time & time again. His bad decisions out of good intentions started the whole snowball effect.
In the end "You can believe in fairy tale." ................... but that's not the reality.
Hidden Details of the Drama:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RInCXdE9to
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A beautiful drama showcasing the real antagonist in cdramas.. Censorship
What could one say the exact moment after finishing this series for the first time? Work of art? Masterful directory? Addictive storytelling? No no no, you’re more likely to just sit there and go “What in the absolute fuck did i just binge in a day?”The Bad Kids is undeniably on a completely different level than 99% of cdramas out there, in more ways than one. Rather you were addicted to its layered writing, artistic cast, the chilling ost, stunning cinematography, hell the intro animation even, you wouldn’t question why after experiencing it yourself. At least one of these aspects will keep you glued to your bed clicking one episode after another, with ill patterned lengths that has you go “huh, so short, might as well go for another” to “huh, i can delay my afternoon run to the gym, just this last one”.
The characters are heavily layered, with the actors executing them phenomenally. Almost everyone are highlights, you don’t get bored of seeing any single one of them work their magic on screen, rather it’s one line, a confession,reveal, a whistle, spit shining shoes, you come to appreciate every little detail that’s being displayed by some of the freshest actors that will have you mistaken them as the veterans around them.
This drama may be short, but it will without a doubt leave you in your bed constructing theories and analyzing several little details and actions to create your own takes away from the series.
Despite the fact that you shouldn’t be in these reviews nor comments until blindly experiencing this series yourself in order to interpret the story your own way first , it’s human nature for many to still take peeks beforehand. So I won’t go further in detail. Do watch every episode until the VERY end though to not miss details even the outros subtly throw at you.
I’ll end this simple review something we all are left with to interpret . Believe in the fairytale told or find your real story hidden behind the pages read aloud, flipping between one another only to uncover untold details and blank spaces waiting for your interpretation to fill them.
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Un excellent drama mais pas pour tous.
Mal à l'aise. Serait la première chose qui me viendrait à l'esprit. Le drama dérange et pendant longtemps cela colle à la peau.J'ai lu les théories par la suite, les suppositions et les avis de ce drama, avis d'ailleurs quasi unanimes. Bien que que j'applaudisse sur la réalisation bluffante du drama et son scénario complexe, j'avoue ne pas y avoir accroché pleinement.
L'atmosphère lourd du drama ainsi que les thèmes abordés ne pourront pas plaire à tout le monde. Je fais partie de cette catégorie. Un univers sombre où le peu de lumière existante est très vite étouffée. Nous ressortons d'ici perturbés, troublés. Le questionnement sur l'être humain et ses raisons, le pourquoi et le comment sont au coeur de l'histoire. La fatalité et la tragédie s'y côtoient, me donnant l'impression de relire du Caligula. La folie de ce conte de fée grinçante est-elle réelle? Lorsqu'on sait que ceci est basé sur un fait réel, des frissons d'horreurs me parcourent l'échine malgré moi.
Beaucoup de choses ont dû être détournées à cause de la censure chinoise, mais le livre semble aborder de manière plus crue la problématique du drama. Les fuites du script et de certaines scènes permettent de cerner un peu mieux la psychologie de certains personnages, les rendants encore plus monstrueux...
Il est difficile de parler de ce drama sans avoir à dévoiler la vérité de cette histoire, vérité qui, bien que prévenu, choque tout de même.
L'interprétation des acteurs, et plus particulièrement ceux des enfants, sont extraordinaires. Habités par leurs personnages, ils nous délivrent une démonstration en force de leur talent. Toute la subtilité de leur jeu a énormément eu un impact sur ce que nous devons croire ou pas. Bravo à ces talentueux génie en herbe!
La réalisation est de très bonne facture et le parti pris de filmer avec une lumière crue nous donne encore plus ce sentiment d'étouffement. Ici point d'Apollon et de Vénus aux manières "cute", la représentation des protagonistes est sombre, soulignée par un environnement décrépi et parfois glauque comme la chambre d'hôtel ou le bateau ainsi que le teint basané des enfants.
L'OST n'est pas de ceux à écouter lorsqu'on veut chantonner pendant le grand ménage du printemps ou sa douche. Des sonorités métalliques qui donnent froid dans le dos. Tout a été pensé pour nous déranger, jusqu'à la musique, jusqu'à la fable de Descartes, jusqu'à l'opening....
Garder donc en mémoire que ce drama doit être regardé sans avoir rien lu dessus, à l'aveuglette afin d'en apprécier les rebondissements.
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This review may contain spoilers
Gostei muito de assistir. As atuações são boas, com alguns momentos de respiro. Fala muito sobre como os adultos podem piorar uma situação e como as crianças lidam com a pressão de todos ao redor. O andar dos episódios às vezes deixava a série bem lenta e desconfortável de assistir, mas acho que isso foi para amplificar o tom da série. O final é muito bom, se considerar que a história é contada por um narrador não confiável, e como isso pode ser analisado pelas "incongruências" inseridas pelo mesmo narrador de propósito. Was this review helpful to you?
