This review may contain spoilers
A Resplendent Utopia of Satire Comedy
Truth to be told, I totally have no slightest idea of this drama’s existence until I personally see Tencent’s February watchlist on Weibo. I tried every single endeavor to absorb myself in the OG source, to no avail as I’m not that overzealous of spending a generous amount of time to complete the whole 2000 chapters in one go. Nevertheless, the drama still gives me a memorable experience and I must say it’s one of the most meticulous drama ever produced in C-drama land. Let’s get down and see my take on it, shall we?
Disclaimer: As I’d said in the comment section before, I have no single penny to pay for neither express package nor VIP subscription, which means I have to wait the illegal sites to upload those videos. Per this day, I’ve only watched until ep 21 and will be waiting for the rest of the episodes in the following days. But I’ve decided to write this review while I’m having a ton of spare time (it’s Chinese New Year LMFAO).
The story is centered around the freshly-sacked corporate worker Pei Qian, who was a game designer in his previous company, Fuhui. He was kicked out because of writing a self-help guide for fellow workers on how to fighting for their rights in a ruthless working place. After being made redundant for several days, Pei Qian is suddenly invited to be a CEO for a startup company under the financial aid of the enigmatic billionaire Mr. Sima. However, there is a special clause where Pei Qian must make sure his company is going bankrupt so that he can earn some remuneration for himself. Thinking that losing money is as easy as a piece of cake, he establishes Tengda Corporation in a whim and recruits slackers and job-losers instead of high-end professionals. Joining his comrade are his goofy BFF Ma Yang, the unknowingly hardworking novelist and screenwriter Huang Sibo, the couch potato Bao Xu, the eccentric coder Lv Mingliang, the cat lover Li Yada, the clumsy yet kind-hearted accountant Hao Qiong, the intellectual and stubborn-as-a-mule chaebol heiress Lin Wan, the no-nonsense special assistant Xin Hailu, the wacky frenemy and Fuhui’s heir Li Shi, and more on the go. Nonetheless, things never go according to Pei Qian’s wish as Tengda’s income keeps shooting up in every sector including gaming, internet café, private restaurant, fitness center, web novel platform, film production, and real estate business (through Sibo’s lover Hu Yue’s effort by creating a vlog to promote the Four Wall Apartment). Despite knowing that he won’t get a lot of money as he expects, he feels proud for his workers who have all worked hard to prove their worth to him even when he demands nothing from them.
So, “No Pain No Gain” becomes the maiden avant-garde in C-drama world to utilize satire comedy as a means to convey a deeper emotional message related to our daily life, which involves the grueling vicissitudes of life, the rat race within every single blue-collar worker (visibly shown in SkyFire Studio arc), and the delight of watching the employees wholeheartedly devoting their time to please their boss. Furthermore, “No Pain No Gain” isn’t afraid to embrace the cruel reality of life, which has been avoided by most dramas, to connect more seamlessly with the watchers young and old alike. At first, it’s all about comedy, laughter, joyous moment of the life. But, as the drama keeps rumbling on and on, it starts to lean more to a melancholic phase as we see how Pei Qian is portrayed as an ordinary person with a little money to fend for himself (which he spends for his apartment mortgage), instead of a ruthless domineering CEO we’ve always seen in mini dramas before.
For the acting department, I want to say that all of the casts’ performances are laudable especially for Peng Yuchang. It’s been a while since I last saw him in “The Outcast/I Am Nobody”, but he still has the similar charm as back then, being able to embody Pei Qian’s character flawlessly as well as portraying his micro-expressions to the point of exceed expectation. I’m looking forward to his new drama “Wan Gu Zui Qiang Zong” too. As for Jelly Lin, I’m not sure what to say, but I suppose her acting as Lin Wan is kind of lacking a bit or perhaps the forced romance vibes makes me troubled. The rest of the casts do an absolutely good job and I’m surprised to see several names as supporting characters as well (namely Wu Junting, Chang Long, and He Ruixian).
OSTs, background settings, costumes are mesmerizing and depict the urban life of China accurately, to the point that I have no more complaints to yap about.
Overall, it’s a big 10/10 for me. It’s such a shame that “No Pain No Gain” is a super-duper underrated hidden gem buried beneath those high-profile dramas. I hope that one day, it can gain a strong foothold in the C-drama world and be the best of the best. I’m not sure if this drama is your cup of tea or not but do try several episodes if you’re that curious. I bet you’re going to be hooked sooner or later. Okay, time to end my review here, good luck and happy watching!!! Happy Chinese New Year in advance too!!!
Disclaimer: As I’d said in the comment section before, I have no single penny to pay for neither express package nor VIP subscription, which means I have to wait the illegal sites to upload those videos. Per this day, I’ve only watched until ep 21 and will be waiting for the rest of the episodes in the following days. But I’ve decided to write this review while I’m having a ton of spare time (it’s Chinese New Year LMFAO).
The story is centered around the freshly-sacked corporate worker Pei Qian, who was a game designer in his previous company, Fuhui. He was kicked out because of writing a self-help guide for fellow workers on how to fighting for their rights in a ruthless working place. After being made redundant for several days, Pei Qian is suddenly invited to be a CEO for a startup company under the financial aid of the enigmatic billionaire Mr. Sima. However, there is a special clause where Pei Qian must make sure his company is going bankrupt so that he can earn some remuneration for himself. Thinking that losing money is as easy as a piece of cake, he establishes Tengda Corporation in a whim and recruits slackers and job-losers instead of high-end professionals. Joining his comrade are his goofy BFF Ma Yang, the unknowingly hardworking novelist and screenwriter Huang Sibo, the couch potato Bao Xu, the eccentric coder Lv Mingliang, the cat lover Li Yada, the clumsy yet kind-hearted accountant Hao Qiong, the intellectual and stubborn-as-a-mule chaebol heiress Lin Wan, the no-nonsense special assistant Xin Hailu, the wacky frenemy and Fuhui’s heir Li Shi, and more on the go. Nonetheless, things never go according to Pei Qian’s wish as Tengda’s income keeps shooting up in every sector including gaming, internet café, private restaurant, fitness center, web novel platform, film production, and real estate business (through Sibo’s lover Hu Yue’s effort by creating a vlog to promote the Four Wall Apartment). Despite knowing that he won’t get a lot of money as he expects, he feels proud for his workers who have all worked hard to prove their worth to him even when he demands nothing from them.
So, “No Pain No Gain” becomes the maiden avant-garde in C-drama world to utilize satire comedy as a means to convey a deeper emotional message related to our daily life, which involves the grueling vicissitudes of life, the rat race within every single blue-collar worker (visibly shown in SkyFire Studio arc), and the delight of watching the employees wholeheartedly devoting their time to please their boss. Furthermore, “No Pain No Gain” isn’t afraid to embrace the cruel reality of life, which has been avoided by most dramas, to connect more seamlessly with the watchers young and old alike. At first, it’s all about comedy, laughter, joyous moment of the life. But, as the drama keeps rumbling on and on, it starts to lean more to a melancholic phase as we see how Pei Qian is portrayed as an ordinary person with a little money to fend for himself (which he spends for his apartment mortgage), instead of a ruthless domineering CEO we’ve always seen in mini dramas before.
For the acting department, I want to say that all of the casts’ performances are laudable especially for Peng Yuchang. It’s been a while since I last saw him in “The Outcast/I Am Nobody”, but he still has the similar charm as back then, being able to embody Pei Qian’s character flawlessly as well as portraying his micro-expressions to the point of exceed expectation. I’m looking forward to his new drama “Wan Gu Zui Qiang Zong” too. As for Jelly Lin, I’m not sure what to say, but I suppose her acting as Lin Wan is kind of lacking a bit or perhaps the forced romance vibes makes me troubled. The rest of the casts do an absolutely good job and I’m surprised to see several names as supporting characters as well (namely Wu Junting, Chang Long, and He Ruixian).
OSTs, background settings, costumes are mesmerizing and depict the urban life of China accurately, to the point that I have no more complaints to yap about.
Overall, it’s a big 10/10 for me. It’s such a shame that “No Pain No Gain” is a super-duper underrated hidden gem buried beneath those high-profile dramas. I hope that one day, it can gain a strong foothold in the C-drama world and be the best of the best. I’m not sure if this drama is your cup of tea or not but do try several episodes if you’re that curious. I bet you’re going to be hooked sooner or later. Okay, time to end my review here, good luck and happy watching!!! Happy Chinese New Year in advance too!!!
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