Fake Heiress: Mr. Fu's Obsession

The Ma Xiao Yu versus Zuo Yi spectacle

The plot is a mix between the "crazy painter in the attic" used in many verticals and the one where the much abused heroïne seduces the rabbid black sheep of the family to serve her revenge plans. This one even throws siscon into the mix as she's his cherished big sister's doppelgänger, because why not, gotta catch the interest of your audience in some way. Honestly it's a mess, it shouldn't work, but it's carried by Ma Xiao Yu's magnetic presence and Zuo Yi's versatility. I was curious to see their Crazy VS. Crazy performance, and they didn't disappoint. Ma Xiao Yu was still very green there, relying too much on screaming his lines and making faces to emote, but the sheer, overwhelming sense of presence he brings to the vertical format elevates and intensifies every cheesy scene he's in, while Zuo Yi does a remarkable job at disappearing behind her role (she's the kind of actress who can make you believe she's royalty dressed in a trashbag, a very convenient skill for verticals where you have to rely a lot on suspension of disbelief to pass your knock-off jewerly for priceless heirlooms). There was something unique and moving about the scenes where this huge man is resting in the lap of his very frail fake sister, no better image to show power reversal. The rest of the cast can't compare and the drama shows its limits when the main duo is missing (use the fast-forward button accordingly). On the siscon baiting, I was into anime when stuff like actual blood incest was A Thing (cue PTSD war flashbacks) so I admit it didn't even faze me here.

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Fu Xian Sheng Bie Zhui Le, Da Xiao Jie Shi Jia De (2024) is a nice revenge plot drama with Zuo Yi as Si Nian and Ma Xiao Yu as Fu Jing Yan. The cast did a good job bringing their characters to life with the exception of a couple of actors in the supporting cast. The revenge plot is as cruel and satisfying as the wrong that was inflicted to the Si Nian. In this drama, both leading characters are smart, manipulative, and determined in reaching their goals while fortuitously falling in love and becoming a couple that share mutual understanding, respect, and a steadfast love. The leading couple has great chemistry and both approach each other with love and sensuality. Although the drama is not perfect and subtitles are not great, it is very entertaining. Enjoy it!

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