VOS did not disappoint
I have been here since the filming started and I have to say that it was an experience. It was the first time I have done so, and it was part of this journey for me.VOS is not the kind of drama to watch casually. It demands rapt attention and thinking that will probably occupy your mind until the drama ends. It is the kind of plot that unravels slowly as the story goes. One of the most frequent words I saw around when watching this was 'confusion'. Yes, the drama doesn't give you all the answers as fast as we have the problems. But here, it is important to trust the plot and watch carefully, we do get all the answers to the confusions in due time. In that sense itself, it was a very interesting part of this drama. For me personally, it has been sometime since I encountered a plot like this, something that unravels slowly and carefully without rushing to give us the answers.
Another thing that was frequently heard was 'plot twist after plot twist'. Yes, there's a lot of plot twists. On this regard, what we have to remember is that this is about painted skins. No one is who they think they are or who we think they are. They are all wearing a disguise knowingly or unknowingly and those masks and identities get revealed in time, making us put all our efforts to understand who is who and who is who's who. So, patience and thinking are needed to understand this story.
With all those multiple different identities around and therefore multiple roles to handle for one person, the actors' remarkable talent should also be appreciated. The whole of the cast had compelling roles to play and each of them did justice to their characters. The main cast specifically should be commented about regarding how they handled their multiple roles and managed to portray each of them distinctly. I would like to appreciate Tian Jia Rui specifically here for how he handled his many roles. Each of them had distinct personalities and distinguishable qualities so that none of the two characters felt the same despite it being the same person doing all those characters. Ju Jingyi was also a pleasure to watch. I think in this drama she had one of the most challenging characters to portray as Lu Wu Yi and she did the character full justice. I believe that this must have been a breakthrough performance for her. A lover's reluctance, vulnerability, love and courage were portrayed by her in the most heart touching ways. This being a dual couple drama, I loved both the couples, but I would admit that I was touched by Ji Ling and Lu Wu Yi's love story the most. Personally, it is rare to see this kind of romance that is genuinely moving and compelling.
More episodes would have been better but considering the pace and the plot we had here, 29 episodes was the best. It was the perfect number of episodes to address everything and end everything cleanly. It is honestly kind of amazing that a story this complex could be said in this number of episodes. In VOS, GJM had done full justice to the theme of painted skins, for more than half of the story none of the characters came off as trustworthy as each of them had a side that we didn't know about, identities of themselves that at times not even they themselves knew about.
The costumes and makeup were also well done, with each character dressed and portrayed accordingly. Moreover, the costumes also played a special part in the drama for the way one dresses, and its connotations itself became another aspect addressed in the story. One's dress is part of their identity, an exterior element that reflects oneself to the others. It reflects who they are, how capable they are and how complex their lives are. So, pay attention to that as well.
Music was also a great aspect in VOS. I personally loved all the songs in the drama including the character songs. They added so much to the drama, reflecting character emotions and elevating scenes.
Overall, this is one of the best dramas I have watched. It lived up to my expectations and did a great job overall. I appreciate all the cast and the staff for bringing this masterpiece to us and also to the lovely fellow viewers that made this journey all the more special for me.
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