Man can’t cry; Zen me Shuo?
The jack of all trades masters none!
*Married* is a story that has been told multiple times. The overall framework is basically going to bed with an angel and waking up to find the devil next to you. *The Perfect Husband in the Mirror *is an interesting spin on that beaten-to-death subject. The antagonist of that show extracted his good qualities into a clone that could handle dreary husband duties while he lived it up as a playboy. His wife got suspicious, and the clone got clingy, so shenanigans ensued. That show was far from perfect too. It goes to show there are only so many ways to keep the story of Chen Shimei fresh. Time to move on, folks!
*Married* has elements of a refreshing perspective, but it shies away from that path for reasons I’m uncertain about. It could be the showrunners’ rigidity or societal expectations. Regardless, this is an uneven show uncertain whether it wants to be a soap opera or provide social commentary.
A soap opera would have made the antagonists — husband Hu Cheng (Feng Shao Feng) and his mistress Tian Qiu Zi (Cai Nai) unsympathetic. This show does not. In fact, they’re the show’s best couple. If this were a harem drama (*RIP GOAT genre*), Ning Yue (Cai Wen Jing) would be the conniving empress trying to keep true love apart. In this, her devious actions and the hypocrisy of Hu Cheng’s other antagonists are manipulatively portrayed as positive. 怎么哭?
Social commentary would have stuck to its guns — some marriages don’t work out. And it’s best to pull the plug early and lance the sore before either side does permanent damage.
This is an average production by committee. It lacks the vision thing. I likely won’t remember it tomorrow! That said, it isn’t without its positives. First on the list — at least in my books — is a star-making turn for Cai Nai. She was the most memorable part of the show. Her hilarious Douyin might make me a fan. *Give Bricsters a tunnel past the firewall, Bytedance, you cowards!*
Ahem.
The second is a stellar soundtrack. In my headcanon, *Married* is the mediocre music video accompanying superb songs. 怎么笑!
*Married* is a story that has been told multiple times. The overall framework is basically going to bed with an angel and waking up to find the devil next to you. *The Perfect Husband in the Mirror *is an interesting spin on that beaten-to-death subject. The antagonist of that show extracted his good qualities into a clone that could handle dreary husband duties while he lived it up as a playboy. His wife got suspicious, and the clone got clingy, so shenanigans ensued. That show was far from perfect too. It goes to show there are only so many ways to keep the story of Chen Shimei fresh. Time to move on, folks!
*Married* has elements of a refreshing perspective, but it shies away from that path for reasons I’m uncertain about. It could be the showrunners’ rigidity or societal expectations. Regardless, this is an uneven show uncertain whether it wants to be a soap opera or provide social commentary.
A soap opera would have made the antagonists — husband Hu Cheng (Feng Shao Feng) and his mistress Tian Qiu Zi (Cai Nai) unsympathetic. This show does not. In fact, they’re the show’s best couple. If this were a harem drama (*RIP GOAT genre*), Ning Yue (Cai Wen Jing) would be the conniving empress trying to keep true love apart. In this, her devious actions and the hypocrisy of Hu Cheng’s other antagonists are manipulatively portrayed as positive. 怎么哭?
Social commentary would have stuck to its guns — some marriages don’t work out. And it’s best to pull the plug early and lance the sore before either side does permanent damage.
This is an average production by committee. It lacks the vision thing. I likely won’t remember it tomorrow! That said, it isn’t without its positives. First on the list — at least in my books — is a star-making turn for Cai Nai. She was the most memorable part of the show. Her hilarious Douyin might make me a fan. *Give Bricsters a tunnel past the firewall, Bytedance, you cowards!*
Ahem.
The second is a stellar soundtrack. In my headcanon, *Married* is the mediocre music video accompanying superb songs. 怎么笑!
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