I am in my feelings for this.
I got total feel-good vibes from watching this short drama. The attraction and chemistry between the lead couple are just mesmerizing.Although the script does not seem to require a lot of emotional acting. It is just the fact that they can ooze such chemistry with each other. The subtle gestures and looks. The cute smile when they think the other is not looking kept me watching. That is good enough acting for me.
If you're expecting a big production with a long-drawn-out plot and suspense this does not have it. Well, maybe a little it does have one of the best plot twist I never saw coming. However, if you are like me a hopeless romantic this will feed your soul. With that being said I feel like this could have been much longer. This leading couple (Ke Ying and Ryan Chen) look so good together and apart. I think they are relatively new to the drama scene and I hope they continue. I will definitely watch some of their other dramas, especially Ryan Chen. As I said this does not have a big production but it does make the most out of what they have. It almost feels big and lets you imagine that there is more.
Face swapping can be tricky in a drama because one face may not hold up in the view of the audience. So, I am not always a fan of this plot-line.
So, I have re-watched it twice and got feels both times. If you are a romantic at heart this is a must watch.
One final note I think when rating they need to separate categories into dramas over 24 with 45 minute episodes because the scoring is a little different.
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Just hit play
Only 8 short episodes (on Viki) and man did they all pack a punch! I've never seen this ML or FL before, but they were perfect. Add an adorable child actor and superb! Action, romance, humor, plot twists... it's all here! The description doesn't do it justice. One or two small things introduced that were left unsaid to drop it from a 10 but otherwise awesome!!! Just hit play and enjoy!Was this review helpful to you?
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Amazing
This was such an original concept that was carried out well by a combination of great actors/actresses, costume/makeup, and storyline/editing.The FL and her ***sister trade off characters so unbelievably well. You can tell which character it is not by what they look like but their mannerisms ans facial expressions. honestly, a phenomenal acting feat.
I can honestly say that I have lost track of how many times I have watched it. It is also a great first chinese drama to start off with. kudos all around!
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It's Intriguing
I don't think I have ever seen any drama that I want to leave as it is cos it was that perfect,but still wanted more,I knoow,it sounds ridiculous ,if you watch,you will understand .😄😄😄You get sucked in from the first episode and it makes you yearn for more even after the last episode...
The intrigues,suspence ,the romance between the first lead couple,the sincerity of their feelings and how it's best to follow your heart and look beyond the physical, that was beautiful to watch, their chemistry was good, beautiful acting. Then the second lead couple good acting as well, telling us that if the physical is all we see,we can get blinded and not see what's in front of us and all that passion is all smoke not fire😀😀
I love the comedic relief, military adviser😆😆😆 and funbao , everyone did well,I enjoyed this drama,it's a short drama and I wasn't confused,🤷 there
were opportunities to make it longer,but it's fine as it is,so it's a 9:5 for me. 😊
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Watch this one for date night.
OMG! What did I fall into? This drama is exotic, provocative, and alluring. I really like this short drama. The Chinese put out short vignettes of 6-12 episodes of 12-30 minutes each. This is the testing ground for potential stars to make an acting drama statement. The drama is 8 episodes of about 30 minutes each. Does the premise make sense? Not really, but the plot-line is tied into such a neat knot, you may be willing to forgive certain shortcomings. One star of ‘A Familiar Stranger’ is Ryan Cheng. He got snatched up in a quick Chinese drama minute to more meatier parts after this good showing. Ryan Cheng also went on to star in the Chinese drama hit ’My Journey to You’ (2023). There is a wonderful posse of drama characters, which adds depth to A Familiar Stranger’. Ryan Cheng leaves Super Star dust behind him as he walks past you.The time commitment is so short, you might enjoy this short drama detour.
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Surprisingly good!
OVERALLIt's short, to-the-point, and without major flaws. Watch it if you're bored and in need of a quick, small dose of romance. If you're really not a fan of fantasy or like to be super invested in your dramas, then reconsider. I would still give it a try. It's so short!
THE STORY
I like the switched-bodies trope, but I'm always wary because it comes with so many overused cliches I can't stand. Luckily, this drama does without them. Female lead is mature, poised and smart (although sometimes a bit helpless), Male lead isn't the usual cold prick and is also smart enough not to misunderstand things, so they face the situation differently than the protagonists of other dramas. It's just refreshing not to see the same old mambo. The couple is pretty cute too. There just isn't much to dislike about the story (it's a bit weird what happens with the villains but it's not so bad as to ruin the show).
There are definitely disadvantages to a short web-series format, the biggest one being that there isn't enough time to develop characters, relationships and plot very well. This drama does as well as it can with the time constraint, but you still don't feel very attached or invested in the characters. It's like watching the highlights of a drama rather than a complete drama. However, I find that there are also lots of advantages, the main one being no time for useless side stories that C-dramas are OBSESSED with. And THAT, I'm here for it! If you're the same, give this drama a try. I think it's worth it!
THE ACTING
Good stuff. The switching-body trope is pretty demanding, I thought the two actresses did a fantastic job. Main leads had some decent chemistry too. I have no complaints.
THE MUSIC
Can't remember, but it's not a bad thing!
REWATCH VALUE
Not super high, but not quite low. There were some really cute scenes, but I didn't care about this drama enough to rewatch it whole. I might rewatch parts of it!
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Intriguing
This drama is excellent. It is not too long and each episode has your attention. I love the ML and FL leads. Even the villains are good actors. This is a definite drama to watch if you want romance with a little intrigue. This is also a drama that you will rewatch several times just to see the chemistry between the leads. The music goes very well with scenes within the drama too. I also like the cinematography. There are parts where the scenes has a darker setting. I highly recommend watching this drama when you are in the mood for romance with a little intrigue and you do not want to watch 24 or more episodes.Was this review helpful to you?
A Short Drama and Well Written, Best I Have Scene In A Long Time.
A very good and well done short drama. It keeps you interested and easy to follow story. There are so many twist that surprises you. The lead female character plays both herself and the characters of the face that she has been given so good that you can see 2 different people. The male lead is also very good as he is trying to find out who his wife really is. They both maneuver through their life quietly and calm and gives us so many surprising twist. The villain's are bad but you can also see the good in them. A well written story and great direction. The actors performance is great and keep you going thru the story.Was this review helpful to you?
I don't remember you by your face but your heart
I would just start by saying this has become one of my favorite short dramas.This is one of those dramas which will keep you on your toes.
The chemistry between the actors was very very good and both the female leads portrayed their part to the best. The emotions that they showed on screen could be felt by me.
Both the male leads did and equally good job but somehow, I felt the prince's character was a bit more challenging considering the variety of emotions he had to show and how obsessed he had to be portrayed, and even after all these situations the actor did a great job in playing the character.
The story was something new to me as I haven't encountered one like this.
The casting was really good and I couldn't personally find any flaws in the actors portrayal of their characters.
Pacing of dramas is one of the thing that makes me either like or hate the drama because as a viewer when you watch a drama and you find it leading to nowhere in quite many episodes it becomes boring. This drama definitely did not make me want to skip any scenes or drop it.
I really loved the OST in this drama. If you are someone who loves to read the meaning of the OST in the translations then this one will definitely check that box. The lyrics are so beautiful that it made want to write it down and treasure them.
All actors including the supporting cast were exceptionally good. Even the supporting characters had such a beautiful impact on the drama.
The story starts really well with a good mystery factor in the plot. The plot advances with a good pacing and the mystery factor remained in the drama till the end. One after the other some or the other problems did arise in the show which made the drama interesting considering the plot. The chemistry of the actors was what made the drama even more watchable. The drama had great physical intimacy as well as well as ample amount of heart touching emotional scenes and great visual chemistry.
What stole the show for me was the character of Yuan Bao. She had such great importance in bringing the leads together. Her character even though being so young was very smart and that made the character even more cuter because no one expects a small kid to be so smart. Her interactions with all characters on the show were so heart touching and when there were scenes of the leads with Yuan Bao it felt like a dream family.
What makes dramas special is their ability to make you want the story to be real and this drama definitely did it.
For me this was a great watch and I would definitely recommend it those who like romance dramas with a mystery factor and those like dramas where there is portrayal of a happy family.
P.S. Feel free to tag me or message me if you want spoilers as I tend to avoid giving spoilers in my reviews.
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The Story didn't intriguing me
The story is about a face swap, but then how did she have a mole below her right eye? Anyways.I didn't find anything interesting in the story. However, I liked the chemistry between the leads.
I also liked the acting. Otherwise, the story was quite common. There is a few romantic scenes which balanced the story.
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This review may contain spoilers
"A Familiar Stranger" is a face swapping drama. Shen Qin had an arranged marriage with Han Sheng, but since she had no interest in marrying him, she set a trap for Shi Qi, a young artist who is invited by Shen Qin to paint a picture in exchange for information about her sister. What Shi Qi did not expect was that Shen Qin would perform a magic trick to swap their faces and thus escape the unwanted marriage.It's a light and easy to watch drama. It was the first time I watched such a short cdrama, with 12-minute episodes. The story develops more quickly, especially the romance, and that was great, because we basically see them as a couple throughout the drama, but the rest of the story was left aside because of that.
The focus was really on Shi Qi and Han Sheng, on their relationship and on Han Sheng discovering the truth about his real wife, but everything about Shen Qin and Zi Heng was left in the background, as well as the whole situation of the prince's death. I think they could have added a few more episodes and that would have resolved everything.
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Awesome Story!
Story :its well written, kudos to the writer's
Acting :
shi qi, shen qin, general all roles were played well by the repective actors.
A special mention to Prince Ning (Wang ze xuan) acting, i had seen him in the drama "Hard to Find" his acting there was good,
here in this drama he played a different character, its good to see him in various roles.
Loved the last twist (who is the real who).
- > Mini drama which is worth the watch.
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