A Love Never Lost (2025)

Compelling historical drama with some strong performances

This probably won't appeal to some people since it's a serious drama, becomes increasingly depressing and doesn't have a strong romance. However I'm still thinking about the characters after finishing it and despite some of the flaws, it's probably one of the better historical dramas I've seen in a while.

As most viewers probably know, this show was supposed to air in 2022 but was pulled at the last minute so it's not clear how much of this final version has changed or been edited.

Set during the death throes of the Qing dynasty it explores the various factions - royalist and revolutionist - trying to change China for the better. The five leads have diverse personalities, flawed characters and are not obvious heroes. Alot of the early action takes place in Japan, which is unusual for a C-drama (usually the Japanese are portrayed as obvious villains but here they are more nuanced), and everything looks big-budget with loads of extras, carriages, costumes and lots of period detail.

All five leads are interesting. It's strange to see Li Xian play the rather grey character of nobleman Liang Xiang instead of his usual hero roles. Then we have the rabid bomb-making anarchist, the idealist revolutionary, the pragmatic opportunistic soldier and the woman who inadvertantly becomes a revolutionist and is involved with three of the male leads. The FL's character is very different to what we usually see in C-dramas, both passive and active, and surely non-conformist for the times. There were some scenes when I did want to slap her and say " wake up woman!" but generally you root for her.

There are important real historical figures as well as the fictional ones, which made me read up on my Chinese history. Apparently, even Liang Xiang is based on a real person.

The acting is of a good standard and this is clearly a quality production. However, it does suffer from editing and sometimes I just wanted to see more of Shuhong rather than the endless military politicking but I did not fast forward once which says alot.

Recommended if you enjoy historical dramas based on fact and don't expect to see a big romance.

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沒有女人不行的革命與理想

《人生若如初見》（2025）的敘述背景相當敏感，那是共產黨還未存在的革命時代，就有如在中世紀歐洲討論耶穌基督出現以前的世界。

（大清末年人物之間新舊夾雜的風土，以電視劇來說拍的實在太好，除了一些滿人敬禮、養馬、祀神、傷科祝由法外，還拍有漢藥使用，比如八寶五膽墨。另外，有許多集身在日本背景，將日本正反兩面的性格皆有較公允的鋪陳，又不陷入日本民族文化性格的花花腸子，確實視角和《幕府將軍》、《俘虜》、《夕霧花園》、《聽海湧》、《末代翁主》等作品相異其趣。你無法認為任何一個角色或組織是絕對的反派，我想這是這部劇當年踩線被撤下，後來重新刪剪的重要原因。）

主角大致上分為兩男一女，以及一名作為伏筆的男要角，前者分別為梁鄉（參考良弼）、楊凱之（參考吳祿貞）以及謝菽紅，男要角李人駿（參考徐樹錚）。三男同時留日讀陸軍軍官學校，分別為滿清遠房貴胄、革命黨要角以及袁世凱眼線，彼此既為同袍，回國又各自設防鋪線，像極了帝王家兄弟爭權的戲碼，然而又全然不同，前兩男還有各自救國的「崇高理想」。

兩男的關係很特別，彼此在殺頭場上認識，未來又是同學、上下級。明明截然相反的立場，卻仍愛著彼此，始終對彼此不肯直接痛下殺手，多留情面。當初受著異中有同的理想互相吸引，甚至接連愛上同一個女人，而後來更是檯面下為各自理想，以及女人競爭。這編劇真的挺會寫，把三角關係寫得如此複雜。

就在這複雜的故事線中，女角菽紅更是將這些人的關係做的更難以分清。首先，菽紅受革命黨人吳天白強上，一起被通緝，拐去東京生活，原先家裡訂的婚約被取消。而後，在東京被有情愫的梁鄉再度強上，而後誕下一子，與吳撫養。後來吳死去，謝回上海，昔日的未婚夫為了追求，投身革命黨。然而，最終菽紅卻被楊凱之強勢攻佔，而這次從頭到腳陷入了愛情的迷醉之中。兒子給了梁鄉，直到劇尾，我們都不知道這個兒子後來哪裡去了。

很難想像這樣的劇情，這樣一個女人必須周旋在這些對他強暴、「強制愛」的男人之間，進行革命事業。甚至這些男人雖暗自對弈，明面上還是勾肩搭背，也真把彼此視為弟兄。不論是何黨何派，天下男人一般黑。

又，今正看完池上遼一1973年的〈阿緣之戀〉（おえんの恋），女主角阿緣愛上少爺，卻被老爺視為阻礙找人強暴，而後流落風月地，遇到後來的丈夫（長得像當年的少爺），然而為了替丈夫延期債務，與債主發生關係，丈夫朋友撞見，為了封口又發生關係。後有一名為反幕府的焚城的人，殺了她丈夫只為與她在一起，而女人不知，無依靠。還是和此人發生關係以此依託，然而此人卻要求自己得殺了孩子，才能放心。最終，女人照做了，然而男人卻被發現縱火燒城給補了。

另外，參照張愛玲的〈色，戒〉，少女王佳芝要暗殺汪精衛府內的特務，以美人計佈設，卻在關鍵時刻，因為對方看似愛人的眼神，動搖了，進而害得同伴一同被株連被捕。小說是這樣寫的「又有這句諺語：『到男人心裏去的路通過胃。』是說男人好吃，碰上會做菜款待他們的女人，容易上鉤。於是就有人說：『到女人心裏的路通過陰道。』據說是民國初年精通英文的那位名學者說的，名字她叫不出，就曉得他替中國人多妻辯護的那句名言：『只有一隻茶壺幾隻茶杯，哪有一隻茶壺一隻茶杯的？』至於什麼女人的心，她就不信名學者說得出那樣下作的話。她也不相信那話。」

女人，不但得撐住男人革命與理想的面子，還得照顧軟弱陰暗的後台。不但要被造黃謠，甚至強上，還得將這一切合理化，將日子過下去。在《人生若如初見》中，革命精神的女子，為了「大業」或者「得照顧的那個人」，任何的侮辱都得吞下。身體殘破全靠堅定意志支撐，而《阿緣之戀》，更是將性直接兌換成處身立世的籌碼與方法，儘管女主角本身並不喜歡性。在〈色，戒〉中，王佳芝亦是將少女的身體（尤其是胸及腰）作為刺殺大義的設局，然而這樣的策劃，終究還是敵不過那來自本心的初動，一種對愛突如其來的迷思，而捨棄大局。此時的任性，使得過去忍氣吞聲的所有不愉快和無法自主，都瞬間有了截然不同的意義。

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