This review may contain spoilers
2 Sides of A Coin
"It's better to die in broken pieces of jade than to live a life of clay"
This quote sums up the gist of the story. The drama is actually pretty deep. Although it is depicted as a romance-military genre, they took it on a much slower, very delicate and pretty dark approach. Why does it have such a slower pace? Well, because the journey that you're about to take is not going to be a smooth one. They indulge us with rosy and fluffy moments only to slowly pull you down, and further down, leaving heavy angst dancing in mid air.
It focuses more on the healing process rather than about the war itself. It delved deep into the core of relationships between lover, family, friends and colleagues; not forgetting the hope for humanity in general. The sensitive subject is not everybody's cup of tea. PTSD is no joke. I wouldn't say that they nailed this subject, but it's a fair exposure. The diverse characters explored in here will definitely leave a mark in your heart, whether it's a good one or a bad one. Simple small things like gesturing a smile, plain water bottles or even an apple will never be the same.
Story
It's not your typical love story. A girl saved by a boy, got separated then tried to reconnect, they meet again and fall in love; the only catch is you have to put a warzone in the middle followed by its aftermath. It's not going to be a smooth journey as the main characters will suffer heavy trauma and life-alter experiences. It may differ from everyone's expectation, but I really love the depth of their struggle that they put on the table. It's really overwhelming to the point that me as a viewer has no room to breath. I may disagree with how they handle their issues but I'm just being mad because I can't really vent out my frustration at either of them, because it is understandable. Each has their own reasons and built-up to act the way they are.
It's not perfect. There are some issues with certain plots, certain pacings here and there, including a few lack of good editing and logic, but I guess the intention was to make us immerse and care deeply about the main characters. How they cope in a most dangerous, unimaginable situation; That somehow there is beauty in the most ugliest times. Yes, it made me root for them to be together from the get go. It also made me hope for the characters to heal and have a deserving happy ending (Just another me in a wishful thinking mode). Please be warned that the journey you're about to take, watching as it unfolds is like walking on eggshells. So, please proceed with caution and lots of tissues.
Main Casts :
* Chen Zhe Yuan as A Zan/ Li Zan
His depiction of A Zan/Li Zan is highly remarkable. You'll be captivated by him from the first moment he was introduced. His demeanor is shown as this cool, calm and collected persona. I was fully convinced that he is a de-mining expert that is doing well at his job. He embodies this character brilliantly. I was immersed with his journey from being a normal volunteer into a much darker phase; resulting from the war. The stark differences of his portrayal were immaculate. We could see how alive he was before and how messed-up he was after the trauma. The burden that he has to carry was shown ambiguously that it made us keep on guessing about his true condition. Is love ever going to be enough for him to heal? Will he snap? I felt those emotions coming from A Zan because he just wants things to go back like before so badly. Plus the guilt that he has over his friend's death, and not to mention his unfinished business in the Eastern Country. He has witnessed the casualties of war which fuel his unwaivering desire to help as much as he could, even if it means for him to break apart. His empathy towards others is off the charts. The world will be a better place if more people like him existed.
* Liang Jie as Song Ran
Song Ran is depicted as this indifferent person, as she grew up with lack of warmth because she has abandonment issues with her mother. Unlike A Zan who is much more mature, she can be a little childlike, disconnected and insensitive sometimes. That is her flaw. Often act as aloof, she meets A Zan which takes over her world. She was spellbound by him from the very first time they met and Liang Jie really nailed this character. I could feel how much A Zan has affected her. She is shown to be an independent, strong and resilient person but having A Zan in her life, somehow she became more fragile. But in dealing with her trauma, with A Zan by her side, she acts like she can overcome anything and rule the world. Those emotions were well portrayed in Song Ran. It's a much different vibe from A Zan. Her expectations of life radiate in a positive manner, a polar opposite from A Zan who is much reserved and a bit skeptic.
So which ones are you? Do you see things as half full or half empty?
Other casts :
* Eastern Country personnel
The supporting casts in here are mostly great, but it did suffer a few setbacks as their story kind of halted a little as we follow where the main characters are. So it felt a little disjointed as the focus was about healing the main characters. The narration helped a little, but I could only relate to their struggle through what the main characters experienced, causing me to feel a little less care about them in general but it doesn't eliminate my curiosity entirely.
* Family members
The cast for both families is commendable. I really like the dynamic between them. They captured the essence in general; about broken family and abandonment issues. Each portray good amount of emotion. It's believable.
OST
The musical score and the songs are really great. My favourites are Te Amo by A-lin and Moonlight Dance by Chen Xueran. Both tracks will stir your melancholic emotions; you'll be rooting for the couple to make it to the end.
Would I watch it all over again?
Yes, it's re-watchable. Highly recommended.
My thoughts so far :
A Zan - "She needs me so I have to do better"
Song Ran is treated as one of his goals that he needs to reach; aside from his work and physical ability. Unknowingly, she became one of his obstacles when he was not doing well. A Zan puts Song Ran above him. Although he wanted to keep up to match her but he ended up feeling defeated and useless, like he was left behind. Especially when Song Ran seems to be able to move on a do a lot of things. It's not his fault because he was built differently. His mother's absence since childhood forced him to be mature at a young age, so naturally he is being protective. It's understandable that he didn't want to drag Song Ran into his abyss, especially if he wasn't sure if he could come out of it.
Song Ran - "As long as he is with me, I am good"
A Zan is being treated as her motivation and her support. It hits differently. Song Ran puts A Zan by her side like her equal partner. It's not her fault though as he keeps bottling his feelings inside and does not reach out to her most of the time. So she trusts that he is doing fine when in reality A Zan is still struggling. But Song Ran in hindsight knew that A Zan still hid things from her. Thus she kept reaching out to him, ensuring that he didn't feel alone. For example in episode 18; where A Zan was struggling with guilt and isolated himself, and when Song Ran found him, she acted normal and asked how he was and cuddled him. The conversation seems natural and she didn't force him to tell, yet she shares her experiences dealing with nightmares however differ it may be. And when he offered to prepare her a supper, she didn't leave him alone instead casually joined him in the kitchen. She kept showcasing to A Zan that they are in this together, without having to say anything. For me that means a lot; but for some it may just not be enough or even damaging. 2 sides of a coin.
Edited - After ending
The ending is up to your own views of life. It's bittersweet as it left for us viewers to ponder by ourselves. The 'elope' thingy is up to our own interpretation. If you feel they didn't make it, then it's your call based from your own limit. How far can you really go for love.
In my opinion, both leave everything behind to live on their own terms of happiness; as long as they are together. It may not fit into our own standard of happiness; growing old, having kids, like a normal picture perfect couple. As for me I'm picturing them having a home somewhere in the mountains, live their slow-daily life just like what they have shown us earlier on. It may differ from yours, but I'm not here to argue.
In hindsight, I do think that they both died mentally during the kidnapping scene. Where Song Ran decides to self-inflict herself in the neck, and having A Zan to witness that shocking incident. Both barely hanging on to live on just for the sake of one another.
It's a beautiful story. It's been a while since I get so affected with such heart-breaking experience. This is a contender for 1 litre of tears in my book.
This quote sums up the gist of the story. The drama is actually pretty deep. Although it is depicted as a romance-military genre, they took it on a much slower, very delicate and pretty dark approach. Why does it have such a slower pace? Well, because the journey that you're about to take is not going to be a smooth one. They indulge us with rosy and fluffy moments only to slowly pull you down, and further down, leaving heavy angst dancing in mid air.
It focuses more on the healing process rather than about the war itself. It delved deep into the core of relationships between lover, family, friends and colleagues; not forgetting the hope for humanity in general. The sensitive subject is not everybody's cup of tea. PTSD is no joke. I wouldn't say that they nailed this subject, but it's a fair exposure. The diverse characters explored in here will definitely leave a mark in your heart, whether it's a good one or a bad one. Simple small things like gesturing a smile, plain water bottles or even an apple will never be the same.
Story
It's not your typical love story. A girl saved by a boy, got separated then tried to reconnect, they meet again and fall in love; the only catch is you have to put a warzone in the middle followed by its aftermath. It's not going to be a smooth journey as the main characters will suffer heavy trauma and life-alter experiences. It may differ from everyone's expectation, but I really love the depth of their struggle that they put on the table. It's really overwhelming to the point that me as a viewer has no room to breath. I may disagree with how they handle their issues but I'm just being mad because I can't really vent out my frustration at either of them, because it is understandable. Each has their own reasons and built-up to act the way they are.
It's not perfect. There are some issues with certain plots, certain pacings here and there, including a few lack of good editing and logic, but I guess the intention was to make us immerse and care deeply about the main characters. How they cope in a most dangerous, unimaginable situation; That somehow there is beauty in the most ugliest times. Yes, it made me root for them to be together from the get go. It also made me hope for the characters to heal and have a deserving happy ending (Just another me in a wishful thinking mode). Please be warned that the journey you're about to take, watching as it unfolds is like walking on eggshells. So, please proceed with caution and lots of tissues.
Main Casts :
* Chen Zhe Yuan as A Zan/ Li Zan
His depiction of A Zan/Li Zan is highly remarkable. You'll be captivated by him from the first moment he was introduced. His demeanor is shown as this cool, calm and collected persona. I was fully convinced that he is a de-mining expert that is doing well at his job. He embodies this character brilliantly. I was immersed with his journey from being a normal volunteer into a much darker phase; resulting from the war. The stark differences of his portrayal were immaculate. We could see how alive he was before and how messed-up he was after the trauma. The burden that he has to carry was shown ambiguously that it made us keep on guessing about his true condition. Is love ever going to be enough for him to heal? Will he snap? I felt those emotions coming from A Zan because he just wants things to go back like before so badly. Plus the guilt that he has over his friend's death, and not to mention his unfinished business in the Eastern Country. He has witnessed the casualties of war which fuel his unwaivering desire to help as much as he could, even if it means for him to break apart. His empathy towards others is off the charts. The world will be a better place if more people like him existed.
* Liang Jie as Song Ran
Song Ran is depicted as this indifferent person, as she grew up with lack of warmth because she has abandonment issues with her mother. Unlike A Zan who is much more mature, she can be a little childlike, disconnected and insensitive sometimes. That is her flaw. Often act as aloof, she meets A Zan which takes over her world. She was spellbound by him from the very first time they met and Liang Jie really nailed this character. I could feel how much A Zan has affected her. She is shown to be an independent, strong and resilient person but having A Zan in her life, somehow she became more fragile. But in dealing with her trauma, with A Zan by her side, she acts like she can overcome anything and rule the world. Those emotions were well portrayed in Song Ran. It's a much different vibe from A Zan. Her expectations of life radiate in a positive manner, a polar opposite from A Zan who is much reserved and a bit skeptic.
So which ones are you? Do you see things as half full or half empty?
Other casts :
* Eastern Country personnel
The supporting casts in here are mostly great, but it did suffer a few setbacks as their story kind of halted a little as we follow where the main characters are. So it felt a little disjointed as the focus was about healing the main characters. The narration helped a little, but I could only relate to their struggle through what the main characters experienced, causing me to feel a little less care about them in general but it doesn't eliminate my curiosity entirely.
* Family members
The cast for both families is commendable. I really like the dynamic between them. They captured the essence in general; about broken family and abandonment issues. Each portray good amount of emotion. It's believable.
OST
The musical score and the songs are really great. My favourites are Te Amo by A-lin and Moonlight Dance by Chen Xueran. Both tracks will stir your melancholic emotions; you'll be rooting for the couple to make it to the end.
Would I watch it all over again?
Yes, it's re-watchable. Highly recommended.
My thoughts so far :
A Zan - "She needs me so I have to do better"
Song Ran is treated as one of his goals that he needs to reach; aside from his work and physical ability. Unknowingly, she became one of his obstacles when he was not doing well. A Zan puts Song Ran above him. Although he wanted to keep up to match her but he ended up feeling defeated and useless, like he was left behind. Especially when Song Ran seems to be able to move on a do a lot of things. It's not his fault because he was built differently. His mother's absence since childhood forced him to be mature at a young age, so naturally he is being protective. It's understandable that he didn't want to drag Song Ran into his abyss, especially if he wasn't sure if he could come out of it.
Song Ran - "As long as he is with me, I am good"
A Zan is being treated as her motivation and her support. It hits differently. Song Ran puts A Zan by her side like her equal partner. It's not her fault though as he keeps bottling his feelings inside and does not reach out to her most of the time. So she trusts that he is doing fine when in reality A Zan is still struggling. But Song Ran in hindsight knew that A Zan still hid things from her. Thus she kept reaching out to him, ensuring that he didn't feel alone. For example in episode 18; where A Zan was struggling with guilt and isolated himself, and when Song Ran found him, she acted normal and asked how he was and cuddled him. The conversation seems natural and she didn't force him to tell, yet she shares her experiences dealing with nightmares however differ it may be. And when he offered to prepare her a supper, she didn't leave him alone instead casually joined him in the kitchen. She kept showcasing to A Zan that they are in this together, without having to say anything. For me that means a lot; but for some it may just not be enough or even damaging. 2 sides of a coin.
Edited - After ending
The ending is up to your own views of life. It's bittersweet as it left for us viewers to ponder by ourselves. The 'elope' thingy is up to our own interpretation. If you feel they didn't make it, then it's your call based from your own limit. How far can you really go for love.
In my opinion, both leave everything behind to live on their own terms of happiness; as long as they are together. It may not fit into our own standard of happiness; growing old, having kids, like a normal picture perfect couple. As for me I'm picturing them having a home somewhere in the mountains, live their slow-daily life just like what they have shown us earlier on. It may differ from yours, but I'm not here to argue.
In hindsight, I do think that they both died mentally during the kidnapping scene. Where Song Ran decides to self-inflict herself in the neck, and having A Zan to witness that shocking incident. Both barely hanging on to live on just for the sake of one another.
It's a beautiful story. It's been a while since I get so affected with such heart-breaking experience. This is a contender for 1 litre of tears in my book.
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