My ideal drama
What I liked:1. 18 episodes under 40 min a piece
2. Humor,romance, and plot twist.
3 To the point and not dragged out.
What I didn’t like
1. The ending was not as I hoped
Last thoughts
Would like to see more dramas like this short and to the point. This drama proves studios don’t need to create 40+ episode dramas to convey a good story. It would also be good if the episodes were less than 40 minutes too. You can watch a episode while prepping for school or work.
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sensible plot
The plot, although a fantasy one, was solid enough.The characters didn't waste time with self-evident and totally obvious things. The idea was that the characters had a problem and they should solve it. The show didn't use 90% of the episodes on stupid misunderstandings, boring flashbacks and totally unrealistic twists. For a fantasy plot, it was sensible and also it had some good ideas and twists. It wasn't lazy writing, just too basic.
The acting was not life-changing, but it wasn't bad either.
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A generally fluffy watch, with a pair of surprisingly tragic villains
I really liked this take on the switched identities trope. It was overall sweet and fun.The main couple is refreshingly sweet and earnest with each other, without the painful misunderstandings that these kind of plots usually come with. I liked them a lo.
But shockingly the emotional impact actually comes from the villain couple. The both of them were deeply morally grey. Often cruel to each other and to others, but at the same time seemed to sincerely care about each other in the end. They even had one or two moments where they used their villainy to protect people they viewed as helpless. Combine that with their incredibly tragic ending and they ended up delivering a surprising gut punch.
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A must watch minidrama!
It hasn't been long since I started watching cdramas. Considering that, I also haven't watched that many minidramas, just a few. But even from that and the countless reviews I've seen on several other minidramas, I can say that there are very selective ones that are actually good.And I assure you, this is definitely one of them. Despite the limited frame of time, production and budget compared to long dramas, it fulfilled its job of engaging the viewer. I'm very impressed by the main cast (four characters). Even the side characters like the military advisor, the maid and the child were really good in their roles. This minidrama has the right blend of story, little bit of humour here and there, healthy & greenflag romance of leads and well developed characters within limited time. It also had good direction I must say. As a person with zero friends and social life who is obsessed with dramas, movies and takes them seriously, I don't watch just anything.
So yeah, this is a must watch minidrama!
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good short cdrama
I thought this was well done. It was a bit dark to start and I tend to stay away from dark stuff. But I am glad I gave it a try.Likes:
1. The story-line was good and kept you interested to know how things were going to turn out.
2. The writers and director did a good job and I hope they get more jobs. It was nice that it wasn’t a fluff piece like most of the shorter c-dramas.
3. The chemistry between the actors were good. The romance scenes were good and better then some that I have seen lately.
4. The ending was a definite surprise. There was a surprising twist.
5. I liked the contrast between the two couples in the love. It showed the difference between genuine love and obsessive love.
6. I liked the little daughter. her character was a nice addition to the story. I thought the little actress did a good job.
7. Solid acting- nothing outstanding but it was well done.
Dislikes:
1. Incomplete English subtitles but it was a good series so I just overlooked it and replayed some parts again to figure out what was going on.
2. Length of each episode-I would have liked the episodes to have been longer. Some of the story felt rushed because of the allotted time. The first episode was 11 minutes.
3. A little inconsistency in the story, In the description it says King Ning but in the story he is referred to as the prince. So that was a little confusing. I think he was the prince not the king. Other than that the story was good. This may be translation problem. But with the way this character was freely running around it was more believable he was the prince.
4. The ending was good but I felt like it could have been better.
I definitely recommend it. I will re watch it again. In fact I have re watched certain parts of it already.
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Best short I've seen
Wow.On the one hand, I like shorts because they're quick and there aren't any unnecessary plot lines. On the other hand, shorts tend to sacrifice quality and continuity.
Familiar Stranger is well written, well directed, and well executed. The plot makes sense, isn't rushed, quality is superb, and I love the music too!
Actors and actresses in shorts tend to stay in shorts, and I've seen the ML elsewhere (Queen of Attack 1 and 2). I think he's a first rate actor.
Anyway, this one's definitely worth watching!
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Suprisingly good for a short Drama
Typically these short dramas are low budget with no name actors. Acting could be cheesy or over the top but occasionally it's easy to watch on the side. So going into this drama I had zero expectations but did NOT see this coming.Great Story filled with mystery and twists definitely good enough to be a longer series.
Great acting by the cast especially the 4 main leads. Chemistry was on fire between the ML and FL. In addition there were some interesting supporting actors, notability Yuanbao the little girl and ML's military advisor. Both offered periodic humorous lines.
The cinematography feel reminded me a bit like Love like Galaxy, beautiful and magical.
Music was also really good.
Only flaws:
1. They left some lose ends w/ the ending
2. Interesting stories like this should continue.........................................
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Only 18 eps, at 16 minutes per episode! Very fast-paced and good romance!
As an 18-episode drama, this has incredibly fast pacing, and this is not meant in a bad way. The writer does not waste time at all, moving from one main plot point to another. The scenes move very smoothly with good transitions between scenes. The soundtrack is really nice and the editing team did a great job adding them to certain scenes.The storyline is more so focused on Shi Qi hiding her true identity rather than the political plotting to get the Crown Prince title. Romance-wise, there are plenty of cute/heart fluttering moments between Shi Qi and Xiao Han Sheng. I highly recommend trying if you're into the forced marriage and secret identity trope. Plus the I-met-you-before-but-you-don't-recognize-me trope? (if that is even one, lol). The mystery element of this drama would be finding out why Shi Qi got her face swapped. When the reason is revealed, I was a bit surprised, which is good cause plot twist! I do have to say I lowered my rating a bit because of the finale. I'm not sure how rational it was for such an ending.
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A short, mini drama that packs a lot of punch
I avoided short dramas like these for the longest time because I thought they would be badly made and just wouldn't be satisfying enough.Eighteen episodes? Ten minutes per episode? Really? What can you absorb in a mere ten minutes? Turns out: more than you think!
However, after watching my first short web drama, What's Wrong with My Princess?, which I really enjoyed, I became a short drama addict
This could be an unpopular opinion, but while the actors of these mini-dramas are unknown most of the time, their acting is often way better than the idols in blockbuster Chinese dramas. I am glad these dramas exist because they could help some of these talented actors get noticed. It's a sad thing that a lot of actors in China don't get that chance because they don't happen to have the right looks or fan base and most are forced to second lead roles just to make way for less talented actors.
Also, mini-dramas tend to be "braver" so we get edgier storylines.
If you're thinking about trying Chinese Dramas but feel like 40-episode monoliths are just too much commitment, starting with mini-dramas like A Familiar Stranger is a great way to do this
What drew me to A Familiar Stranger is the premise, and the chatter around it being excellent even if it's a short drama.
Once I started it, I was really impressed with the production quality and how well the two main actresses could play each other so convincingly.
But what shocked me was how sensual it was, especially since I'm used to (sigh) cold fish kisses in Chinese and Korean dramas. No, they actually showed bare legs and bed romps in this one! (Though not to the level of what you see in Game of Thrones, thank God.)
Apparently, some folks theorise that shorts like these can get away from the Chinese censors because they are too small and insignificant, which makes me a tad sad because it shows how much potential is currently being capped by the draconian Chinese censors.
I think the short format forces the writers to be more disciplined and the producers to be more creative with their filming. (As a writer of serial fiction on Substack, there's a lot to learn from these short 10-minute-per-episode dramas.)
That said, due to the tight timeline, there were a lot of plot threads that were unexplored.
For example, why would our villainess give up her lofty position as a high-ranking Prime Minister's daughter to exchange faces with a lowly painter? How could she sashay around the mansion, unimpeded after that? Although there's some explanation at the end, I thought it was all very convenient, and not a smart move. But maybe it wasn't supposed to be … love makes a fool of us all.
The romance between the general and Shi Qi is sensual and beautifully done. And the story comes together in a satisfying and beautiful way. Part of the satisfaction comes from having a quick payoff. Instead of slogging through 40 episodes, you can get the whole story in three hours, and with the same highs of episodic serial storytelling every 10 minutes.
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A Surprisingly Short C Drama
I was very pleasantly surprised by this C Drama. It had a lot of great elements. The chemistry between the two leads was great.It probably could have benefited from a few more episodes.
The OST was pretty good. This was obviously a low budget series but very well done.
The story kept my interest and both the ml & fl did a great job.
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Butterfly inducing attraction
Well, I loved it! For the first time in a very long time, I felt butterflies while watching the interactions between the leads.A Familiar Stranger is first and foremost a romance having as the backdrop a power fight for throne with a touch of fantasy. The main character is Shi Qi, a painter looking for her long lost sister. The prime minister's daughter, who is soon to be married, asks her to come and paint for her in exchange for information on her sister's whereabouts. But she uses this occasion to change faces with the painter (important: not bodies!) who marries the general in pm daughter's stead. The general turns out to be the painter's first love and he finds her oddly familiar even though he'd never met the pm's daughter before.
This sounds a bit complicated: it is simpler when you watch it!
The story flows seamlessly for this type of drama: which is usually a bit rushed and stilted. No such problems here! The story take the time it needs to develop, and since it is short, there are no unnecessary side characters (the blessing of short c dramas!). The characters are mostly down to earth, human if you like! The painter is a smart, strong woman. The general is a good man who thinks, the prince is evil enough not to be a caricature, the pm's daughter is just someone trying to be happy. No one is perfect, they all have flaws which makes them real.
The two main actresses were amazing: going from one character to another smoothly and managing to show their character traits with the minute facial expressions. The actors playing the villains excelled as well at portraying the human side behind the evil deeds so one just can't help but feel sorry for them in spite of all the horrible things they do.
The love story is the center of this drama. The general and the painter recognize each other but one finds it hard to believe his eyes and the other is blackmailed into keeping it a secret. So they dance around each other succumbing to attraction and falling deeper and deeper in love. As I said, this was really butterfly inducing chemistry.....
The production was lush and rich and windy, mostly white: all those drapes floating in the wind artistically hiding the characters. The shots of rain and the final scene in the snow were just beautiful. The music was nice. The only thing that bothered me was the way they spoke most of the time: whispering, soundless and breathless voices.
I cannot recommend this enough! Go watch it! I haven't seen many short c dramas, but this one is definitely one of the best considering high production values, talented actors and a screenplay that makes sense within the genre!
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Plot was muah!
I'm on fire babyyyy! Found wholesome cdrama in a row!It has a subtle, calm atmosphere that's why I hesitate to watch it at first because I'm for the mood of brute and funny MC and plot but glad I continue watching it! Don't get me wrong, this is not boring. I just misjudged it, thinking I'm not in a mood for some serious tone. But this was quite fine! Not so tragic, not so twisted, and not too comical too. So frickin' right.
I like FL here even though she's one of the kind that hard to play with (in writer's perspective) and could lead to boringness. But I guess, the director and the writer for this one knows how to extract the best in her personality so 10000/10000! ML is such a cute! And when I'm saying cute, it means, he's so fudging genius and tactical! He's a General indeed! Because of his way of thinking, this show didn't give you some misunderstanding shits at all even though they were trying to initiate. Oh boy. Love the casting and how they blend the characters so well!
The second characters did a lot of development that I anticipated. Some also shows changes but guess it's too late but hey, the thought is still counts. This is also the first time (if I remember it correctly) that the side characters have way more tragedy than the main characters. Which is RARE for any drama, isn't? GIVE ME MORE LIKE THIS PLS! Also, thumbs up for the director for removing the worry to FL and still give the Scharacter a good closure. Clap! Clap!
The plot? Got they got me there! I was suspicious at first but forgot it because I really enjoying the engagement of the MC. Until the plot was revealed that I was shook! That's a lot and satisfying last 3 eps there! Love it!
Overall, this is one of the best short cdrama I've watched. The puzzles fits perfectly that nothing's odd. I just enjoyed it!
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