The Glamorous Night

I think the title is ironic, it takes an under the surface look at the sales/drinks industry.

This almost dystopian in its view of work and relationships where most relationships are transactional, and people will just about leverage anything to achieve their ends. So it's not a fluffy romance.

Good points.
A great cast of experienced actors and script that manages to make the people and their choices are real, and even if you think their morals are questionable you understand why they have made that choice. That if your job is just to sell a product that involves 'entertaining' clients you can fall in to the trap that this the way everyone leads their lives, and how after office hours work can lead a physically and mentally unhealthy lifestyle.
Most of the female characters are depicted as being smart, even though most of the male characters see them as a commodity to be used, only really needed when they do not get in their way.
The characters are not wilfully bad, just self interest quickly becomes a way of surviving. The FL seems to be perhaps the most untainted by the culture, and spends a lot of her time trying to do her best when behind her back she is seen as a threat.

I can not give it a higher rating although it tackles the subject really well, because no one seems to want to deal fairly, even the office gossip is poisonous for no good reason and bullying just the normal, and although I am a bit cynical casual cruelty by all people is not normal, they are literally only nice to each other when there is drink involved.
The two female friends although supportive of each other do not really discuss their partners and the big hole in the plot is if they communicated like most women the FL would have been better informed, as they work in the same industry.

I think my main gripe is that at the end of all of this it is its only message is life is transient so do not expect anything or rely on anyone, unless there is something in it for them. The FL's only objective seems to be do well at work, which as it has spent nearly the whole 24eps how bad for the soul the work was why bother? She is a bystander in life, and even her 'love' interest she seems detached from, when he has given up things to find a purpose outside work.
I can not decide if the episodes were edited down, because the idea that karma sorts all the 'bad' , and they were mainly not very nice people out, seems a bit simplistic.
The main thing I got from it, the work culture as depicted in China is terrible, and perhaps if had managed to inject some humour, because people in bad situations often have the best sarcastic take on life, it could made it a better watch overall.

Read More