There's only screenwriter and producer mentioned on Baidu etc. Mysterious, since the shooting has started and from the snippets, it looks like there was quite a big crowd of cast and crew involved "in the wild" of Sichuan mountains, although the only other name I caught was that of Mimi, a young child actress!
Ep10 16:17 "If being sorry helps, then why do we need the police?" (nugget quote inherited from Meteor Garden: I'm counting the dramas this quote pops up in !) Rewatching as part of a "Secrets" contemporary youth theme stories in c-drama comparison : 2023 Hidden Love drama, 2007 Secret movie directed and played by Jay Chou ; 2017 Secret Fruit movie with Chen Feiyu as Duan Bowen and Ouyang Nana as Yu Chizi ; The Left Ear 2015 movie with Chen Duling and Yang Yang ; 2021 Our Secret with Chen Zheyuan and Rainbow Xu Mengjie, 2022 Time and him are just right... and Meteor Garden 2000 and 2017. If someone has more to add I'll be happy to read your recom ! (apart from the 4 ones in recommendations)
If the dangerous profession in Road Home scares you too much (ML won't get killed despite he could have been), try Hi Venus first. The beginning is rather comedic. There are no bombs there. And Liang Jie has a wonderful dialogue with Steven Zhang Xincheng: a piece for drama anthology! Both dramas are more for mature audience, who like to enjoy slower pace with hardly any fillers, and like details and settings too. If the second could make one think at first it might be yet another fluffy Cinderella/Mary Sue/CEO with "caged canary" story, they quickly find that it is entirely different. No cringe. No big age gap either, for both stories.
only hinted to to explain the hiatus and reunions which is the gist of the story. Of course, since the ML is a bomb squad pro, he is not taking his fiancee and wife to danger zones where he works. It is a very beautiful drama, and in Discussion section above Comments, you can find a lot about the real places where it was filmed, very picturesque. If you are in for love and kisses, there are plenty of them too.
Well it was her dream to become become actress....guy with mysophobia can tolerate her being close to any other…
If you like really sweet ships, I very strongly recommend watching and rewatching Hidden Love. That one is perfect. Really. I already liked Chen Zheyuan from long ago. I now follow his Weibo every day now! That bad 😂 (after all, he did play Mr Bad nicely, didn't he?). You can check the Profile I did for him. It is parked for convenience in the Discussion section of his future drama (now filming in the mountainous Liangshan area of Sichuan): The White Olive Tree. Lots of illustrations and trivia about his career that you won't find in other profiles, direct links to songs and dramas for the old and new yuanbao, some anecdotes bordering fanfic... But I am whimsical and fickle, have a lot of other good or nice looking, mellow voiced stars that I like and follow. Multistan me 😂 . Zhang Binbin, Yang Yang, Xu Weizhou, Zhang Xincheng, Ren Jialun, Huang Zitao and many other ! Actresses too: Zhao Lusi, Seven Tan Songyun (who sang several times with JJ Lin who is one singer I adore). One of the reasons I went on watching Hello, I am at your service was Wei Zheming loves the song of Zhou Jielun. Me too, I was singing along from when I first heard the sweet song 七里香... In fact, one of the disappointments I had about this Hello! drama was that Miles Wei did not sing there, even for OST : he's got a very nice voice, on top of a very engaging presence on screen. Do watch Hidden Love, if you have not already. Meanwhile, before preparing for going away, I have been watching again an old 2007 Jay Chou movie, called, "Secret". That was a time travel story with beautiful piano music and a song by Zhou Jielun, who also played, produced, and directed in the award winning movie. (I am starting to rewatch a few TV series and movies with "secret" themes, such as "Secret fruit", "All about secrets", "The Left Ear"... But there is also the Lost In the Stars movie that recently aired which I need to watch at last - love the theme song Zhang Bichen made for it)
Well it was her dream to become become actress....guy with mysophobia can tolerate her being close to any other…
Let these audience continue looking for formulaic stories of overbearing CEOS with "caged canary" assistants, then. There are really enough for every taste. And I don't look down on fluff, which is nice at times. But I think the title and description of this drama showed enough that it would not be only a soft-soap one.
I liked that this drama tried to depart from being uniformly tropey, not hung up on retribution or having all couples do the sweet thing. Even though it failed to avoid the tropes totally,, turning it into a prime example of Cinderella/Mary Sue story in many ways . Some like that: why not? But it did not get sweet enough: so be it. The aborted love story was one instance which was more realistic, and since I was not going into this one with "suspension of disbelief" sunglasses as I did for The Starry Love, that was fine by me. TSL is a nice drama btw. Bittersweet sad ending like many xianxia (my tastes in dramas are as eclectic as my music ones, so I have favorites among all the genres anyway.) Moving on already to something else :. I must be in Chengdu later this month for an unrelated to c-drama convention. Meanwhile, take care and enjoy your next drama watching!
Although I am not into J dramas, I did watch Hana Yori Dango 1 and 2, as a part of my exploration of the Meteor Garden/Boys over Flowers phenomenon. They are in some ways, classics, despite being old and very at odds with current pc ideas. https://kisskh.at/2983-hana-yori-dango-2005 https://kisskh.at/2984-hana-yori-dango-2 There's a renewed one too, but it really is too subpar to mention.
I next explored the phenomenon in its Taiwan, Korean, Chinese and Thai versions. First just to be able to recognize the quotes and tropes that pepper many dramas since. :). But I came to appreciate some of the actors and actresses who played the various incarnations of Makino Tsukushi, Domyoji Tsukaza, and Hanazawa Rui!
Although I am not into J dramas, I did watch Hana Yori Dango 1 and 2, as a part of my exploration of the Meteor Garden/Boys over Flowers phenomenon. They are in some ways, classics, despite being old and very at odds with current pc ideas. https://kisskh.at/2983-hana-yori-dango-2005 https://kisskh.at/2984-hana-yori-dango-2 There's a renewed one too, but it really is too subpar to mention.
I next explored the phenomenon in its Taiwan, Korean, Chinese and Thai versions. First just to be able to recognize the quotes and tropes that pepper many dramas since. :). But I came to appreciate some of the actors and actresses who played the various incarnations of Makino Tsukushi, Domyoji Tsukaza, and Hanazawa Rui!
End episodes review, concluding with minor spoilers.
In my opinion, the end episodes were both logical and even elegant. They show how the need for revenge by calling for the police can sometimes be detrimental to reputation and happiness. So, sometimes, without letting go like in just naive forgiveness, it is indeed better to turn former enemies into allies if not real friends. We knew the "cousin" betrayer had qualms, and now that she had seen the light and regretted, she would be a wholehearted addition to the team, especially after the « test » prepared for her by 82.
Su Qi was a scorpion who lost his stinger, so he couldn’t do damage but indeed help trap the real puppetmaster; Lou Yuan was astute in realizing that the tables could be turned against that shadow figure. Su Qi’s plans to convert through launching a new, cleaner business, was in line with the idea that wrongdoers must, if possible, reform through useful work. It would not have been better if he ended up in prison. He knew his faults and as the scorpion who lost his stinger, would now work as an ordinary dung carrying beetle, useful for gardens, Voluntarily better than fruitless coerced punishment.
The annoying "other woman" leech chose to expatriate: good riddance. In ancient times, that was how some condemned officials were treated : exile to distant countries. She acts like she has other prospects, but we know how much of a liar and a braggart she was. Marry someone else in another country ? How? Online dating? Good luck for her. I think she only said that to piss off her mom, who was appalled at the shamelessness of that offspring. That old biddy had abetted her daughter's schemes, but probably not realized how stupid it was, since in the end, it meant she was punished too through the loss of her old friendship with Lou mom and perhaps even her own subservient position in the company too.
The actress friend of DongEn had already realized that she couldn't go on with her guy : it was reasonable for them to break off early after they knew they were really physically incompatible, even though they liked each other. Mutual agreement divorce can be a solution to keep good opinions about each other when the way ahead is blocked.
The solving of the cyberharassment case contributed to the return of young Han, with his father realizing that the investment could be good for his company and train his son in another way to, in distant future if the old man could stay at the helm long enough, inherit Han group, with 82 as a de facto (but nominally independent) subsidiary. Like Taiwan to China perhaps ?
I was less taken by the endless lovey dovey Cinderella and Mary Sue tropes, and expectation of weddings etc. But the romance was aware of these pitfalls and aimed at adult and reasonable: the gap in social position and earnings was indeed a concern that the two had to find a way to circumvent. I am satisfied that Lou Yuan was true to his pledge to face the difficulties with his chosen soulmate, Miles Wei and Xu Lu were an unlikely pair, but they pulled off their role adequately, if not overwhelmingly oozing with sugar syrup. The renewed proposal was, by the exchange it staged, witnessed by "found family" rather in line with the expected marriage. The old lady Lou and her laughters provided much light-heartedness, so even if she appeared as a blundering, even though well-meaning, elder past her edge, she added the necessary sauce at times. We could have expected another match with her former sweet love, but the story is enough as it stands. The ending did not feel rushed: it was only logical and fitting the last twists.
So were any wrongdoers dragged to prison? Yes, and it was on the televised news that old Mrs Lou was so happy to watch. A slew of bad citizens got caught : the rotten competitor, and the cyberbullying ringmaster. It solved the defamation case of the Lou's products, while emphasizing the importance that the Chinese now put on food products quality control. Frozen meat can indeed be as toxic as milk laced with melamine, and the authorities are not going to let go of crimes of that sort. That does not mean the other crimes and wrongdoings would not be punished if they were brought clearly to justice attention (several actors and actresses have won cases against their cyberbullies or stalkers). But when the wrongdoers agree to punish themselves and reform, it saves time and resources for authorities, so pragmatically, this is better. Chinese dramas have an explicit agenda to further a public conception of "morality" and set a compass for solving problems through voluntary reform action and-self criticism (not necessarily broadcasting a public apology nor groveling like the mole did, which Lou Yuan rightfully realized was not natural, but could be further attempt at entrapment).
As for personal and sentimental interaction, they mostly stay quite conventional. Couples have to get committed and marry on sound basis of values that can be estimated by price (house, car, salary, jewelry...) and there is indeed an expectation that if the social status is different, the difference in balance should be compensated somehow : either through education, or through successful position in a company or line of work. Cinderella stories are therefore not realistic. This one was teetering between full fairy tale and down to earth depiction. Not totally successful perhaps.
I was more interested in the business parts promised by the title, although the « service angle » was a bit clumsily depicted. Watching it from the point of view of an illustration of what were the underlying values, and the indirect demonstration that individual worth cannot be separated from societal one. It is another concept of civilization that is the backbone of such stories, which are in line with "capitalism with socialist characteristics" : the policy which has helped the country navigate the U turn from poverty to increasing comfort, making it into a global powerhouse, world player in the emergent BRICS. China has over a few decades become a place to build ever higher and ambitious buildings (as we see from the Chengdu cityscapes glimpsed now and then, and the layout of offices and homes; the products placement were less obvious, probably built in pauses on public television) . Building ever higher dreams, not giving up in case of business wars.
It was also a topic that was present in the news at the time of filming. We can see how this illustrates in some way what was on their mind : the reaction of Chinese citizens and Huawei company to Ms Meng 's return to China as a hero in December 2021, after having been slandered and bullied into house arrest in a country she thought was friendly, and the subsequent turn to domestic resources to rebuild Huawei as again a leader in its group, surprising all those who thought that company dead. This is the Hero song's real meaning: it can translate into a lot, and is the symbol of the "Hao Han" in every business domain now, striving for excellence and justice without relying on Court's orders first, but striving also to stay in line with the country's goals.
Hello, I am At Your Service is an Ok business & romance C-drama in my opinion, although many things could be foreseen too easily. So, it is not a masterpiece but, quite watchable. Many spoilers were given in comments, and the clues and previews were probably too revealing to properly keep the suspense elements intact. I watched it disregarding the comments section until I had watched it all, in 3 sittings. The light-hearted first half part was often fun, while the more serious one after the couple formed and problems cropped up, was mixing the expected hope, disappointment, disgust and despair, on the background of the commercial war that had some mildly thrilling twists. Because of those, I'd rate the drama as for general public over 14, but more for mature audience that isn't looking for just another love story first. Of course, it will appeal to those who like Miles Wei and/or Xu Lu, despite it is not their best drama.
There are a few sweet songs (links in Discussion), and the one Hero song (original by Liu Han for a 1998 drama version of “The Water Margin” epic classic) which got a fun twist in the end episode, in line with the way songs can be used in such setting.
I caught this one on a whim, and binged it in a few days up till episode 22 (waiting for the last episodes tomorrow). It was very enjoyable, especially the light hearted part until it got "serious" between Lou Yuan and Dong DongEn, and the antagonists appeared, first the reluctant "cousin" of the malicious business competitor Su Qi, who is the instrument of the crisis in the four last episodes, and next the jealous "childhood neighbor" who is the cause of much grief until episode 22 (ha, we knew as soon as she appeared stalking into the company on her high heels, that she was up to no good, so we were concerned as audience about En's naiveté to work with her... The cousin was also a case where En was too trustful, but she couldn't see what we saw of her link to Su Qi, and she did own up to her misdeed when the crisis broke for 82 company.)
But that gives a balance to the light hearted part, introducing more serious concerns about how ordinary people still might be targeted by cyberbullying, the dangers it brings and how to react. Interesting also to see that perhaps offices ought to be routinely security checked for spying devices, that many can buy easily and conceal, also in homes! My surprise was that we almost saw no police involvement, except in the field where En was assaulted by club wielding thugs (even then, the mere mention of them and sound of police car alarm was enough to send the thugs packing). There are some very lawfully reprehensible acts in these last episodes, so, shall we see all these rotten turtle eggs get slapped with sentences? To be continued...
Meanwhile, as I was watching, and using the lulls in airing to listen to Peachey Blossom's OST Ch/Pin/Eng lyrics translation videos (I try to avoid trailers and previews, although BTS can be fun), my attention was drawn to a Hero song that was repeated a few times. Looking into it, I found the lyrics under Black Duck group, but I could not remember that song on their album that I have somewhere, so I dug further. It just might be them who wrote it, although I wondered if it was a cover of an older song --- and I was right, since I later found it as a song from the TV series “The Water Margin” (1998), sung by Liu Han. Black Duck Singing Group was established in 1992 ("composed of graduates of the Central Conservatory of Music in China.") . They had released nearly 50 records, and participated in many large-scale performances, but I only have one record. Continuing my research, I came across a couple of videos of the song (it took time to sift until these popped up) , and interestingly to me, of a spoof of it in English, with Da Shan listening to the "teacher of English" who sang that. It is all here for you to enjoy : https://kisskh.at/discussions/jinpai-kefu-dong-dong-en/120129-songs-and-ost-in-hello-i-m-at-your-service
About cast and crew, I looked into the Baidu page to check about dubbing, but no voice actor is listed for any in the cast, despite there is a mention of dubbing directors (Li Jiasi, Yu Mengci) ; this could indicate that actors and actresses dubbed themselves, as is more and more the case. A commenter noted an unusual accent for one of the members of 82 company. I rather liked Xu Lu even when she was using the coaxing voice in the beginning.
Where and when was this filmed : Baidu informed that it started shooting on October 20, 2021, and was completed January 5, 2022. I will add that this was in Chengdu, as many stills in the drama show, and the episode 17 stroll in the old quarter there. Just received a small Mid autumn festival greeting in the form of a short video of the drones show celebration there on Sept.29 evening; I can't show it here, but have appended a small GIF of it added to the song thread mentioned. You will recognize the twin towers that often appear over the crossroad views in the drama. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igh06RouTrg&list=PLrft65fJ0IqP0lsw1_Y-EsKVWqOgZq9ig&index=26There are two compilations…
Sorry about your disappointment. Links from long ago often are not valid after a while... I have not checked, but have you tried dramacool and kissasian ? That's one of the places where difficult to find old shows can be kept still (although not all...) As for English subs, for many minor c-dramas I agree it can be "hit-or-miss.".. Good luck hunting! Have a mooncake since it is still season, and watch the National day celebrations in China, this weekend? It's also wedding season: friends of mine are going to tie the knot irl tomorrow!
@MsDarkqueen, @Qipa No1 Fan and all those who enjoy(ed) TPATW :
I can't resist copying down for you all a snippet from Swedish fan writer Örjan Westin, who published two collections of micro stories that are available on different platforms, Amazon included. Here was his 2022.04.16 piece:
"How full does the moon have to be ?" "What?" "The moon looked full last night, but you didn't turn into a wolf." "The moon will be full tonight, just before seven." "It's that precise ?" "Yes, it's only full for a few minutes." "So it's manageable?" "My condition? Yeah."
Fitting for a zhongqiujie appreciation while munching on mooncakes while gazing at the full moon. And to remember TPATW !
2 
4 
1 
Rewatching as part of a "Secrets" contemporary youth theme stories in c-drama comparison : 2023 Hidden Love drama, 2007 Secret movie directed and played by Jay Chou ; 2017 Secret Fruit movie with Chen Feiyu as Duan Bowen and Ouyang Nana as Yu Chizi ; The Left Ear 2015 movie with Chen Duling and Yang Yang ; 2021 Our Secret with Chen Zheyuan and Rainbow Xu Mengjie, 2022 Time and him are just right... and Meteor Garden 2000 and 2017.
If someone has more to add I'll be happy to read your recom ! (apart from the 4 ones in recommendations)
Both dramas are more for mature audience, who like to enjoy slower pace with hardly any fillers, and like details and settings too. If the second could make one think at first it might be yet another fluffy Cinderella/Mary Sue/CEO with "caged canary" story, they quickly find that it is entirely different. No cringe. No big age gap either, for both stories.
It is a very beautiful drama, and in Discussion section above Comments, you can find a lot about the real places where it was filmed, very picturesque. If you are in for love and kisses, there are plenty of them too.
Head to https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Precious to know about it ; and to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGti5aSNS7M to watch it.
And now also on Viki : https://www.viki.com/tv/40203c-my-precious
I already liked Chen Zheyuan from long ago. I now follow his Weibo every day now! That bad 😂 (after all, he did play Mr Bad nicely, didn't he?). You can check the Profile I did for him. It is parked for convenience in the Discussion section of his future drama (now filming in the mountainous Liangshan area of Sichuan): The White Olive Tree. Lots of illustrations and trivia about his career that you won't find in other profiles, direct links to songs and dramas for the old and new yuanbao, some anecdotes bordering fanfic...
But I am whimsical and fickle, have a lot of other good or nice looking, mellow voiced stars that I like and follow. Multistan me 😂 . Zhang Binbin, Yang Yang, Xu Weizhou, Zhang Xincheng, Ren Jialun, Huang Zitao and many other ! Actresses too: Zhao Lusi, Seven Tan Songyun (who sang several times with JJ Lin who is one singer I adore).
One of the reasons I went on watching Hello, I am at your service was Wei Zheming loves the song of Zhou Jielun. Me too, I was singing along from when I first heard the sweet song 七里香... In fact, one of the disappointments I had about this Hello! drama was that Miles Wei did not sing there, even for OST : he's got a very nice voice, on top of a very engaging presence on screen.
Do watch Hidden Love, if you have not already.
Meanwhile, before preparing for going away, I have been watching again an old 2007 Jay Chou movie, called, "Secret". That was a time travel story with beautiful piano music and a song by Zhou Jielun, who also played, produced, and directed in the award winning movie.
(I am starting to rewatch a few TV series and movies with "secret" themes, such as "Secret fruit", "All about secrets", "The Left Ear"... But there is also the Lost In the Stars movie that recently aired which I need to watch at last - love the theme song Zhang Bichen made for it)
But I still found it again elsewhere, so good hunting if you are looking for it too!
but found it again elsewhere in bad definition but the music was still great.
I liked that this drama tried to depart from being uniformly tropey, not hung up on retribution or having all couples do the sweet thing. Even though it failed to avoid the tropes totally,, turning it into a prime example of Cinderella/Mary Sue story in many ways . Some like that: why not? But it did not get sweet enough: so be it.
The aborted love story was one instance which was more realistic, and since I was not going into this one with "suspension of disbelief" sunglasses as I did for The Starry Love, that was fine by me.
TSL is a nice drama btw. Bittersweet sad ending like many xianxia (my tastes in dramas are as eclectic as my music ones, so I have favorites among all the genres anyway.)
Moving on already to something else :. I must be in Chengdu later this month for an unrelated to c-drama convention.
Meanwhile, take care and enjoy your next drama watching!
https://kisskh.at/2983-hana-yori-dango-2005
https://kisskh.at/2984-hana-yori-dango-2
There's a renewed one too, but it really is too subpar to mention.
I next explored the phenomenon in its Taiwan, Korean, Chinese and Thai versions. First just to be able to recognize the quotes and tropes that pepper many dramas since. :). But I came to appreciate some of the actors and actresses who played the various incarnations of Makino Tsukushi, Domyoji Tsukaza, and Hanazawa Rui!
https://kisskh.at/2983-hana-yori-dango-2005
https://kisskh.at/2984-hana-yori-dango-2
There's a renewed one too, but it really is too subpar to mention.
I next explored the phenomenon in its Taiwan, Korean, Chinese and Thai versions. First just to be able to recognize the quotes and tropes that pepper many dramas since. :). But I came to appreciate some of the actors and actresses who played the various incarnations of Makino Tsukushi, Domyoji Tsukaza, and Hanazawa Rui!
In my opinion, the end episodes were both logical and even elegant. They show how the need for revenge by calling for the police can sometimes be detrimental to reputation and happiness. So, sometimes, without letting go like in just naive forgiveness, it is indeed better to turn former enemies into allies if not real friends. We knew the "cousin" betrayer had qualms, and now that she had seen the light and regretted, she would be a wholehearted addition to the team, especially after the « test » prepared for her by 82.
Su Qi was a scorpion who lost his stinger, so he couldn’t do damage but indeed help trap the real puppetmaster; Lou Yuan was astute in realizing that the tables could be turned against that shadow figure. Su Qi’s plans to convert through launching a new, cleaner business, was in line with the idea that wrongdoers must, if possible, reform through useful work. It would not have been better if he ended up in prison. He knew his faults and as the scorpion who lost his stinger, would now work as an ordinary dung carrying beetle, useful for gardens, Voluntarily better than fruitless coerced punishment.
The annoying "other woman" leech chose to expatriate: good riddance. In ancient times, that was how some condemned officials were treated : exile to distant countries. She acts like she has other prospects, but we know how much of a liar and a braggart she was. Marry someone else in another country ? How? Online dating? Good luck for her. I think she only said that to piss off her mom, who was appalled at the shamelessness of that offspring. That old biddy had abetted her daughter's schemes, but probably not realized how stupid it was, since in the end, it meant she was punished too through the loss of her old friendship with Lou mom and perhaps even her own subservient position in the company too.
The actress friend of DongEn had already realized that she couldn't go on with her guy : it was reasonable for them to break off early after they knew they were really physically incompatible, even though they liked each other. Mutual agreement divorce can be a solution to keep good opinions about each other when the way ahead is blocked.
The solving of the cyberharassment case contributed to the return of young Han, with his father realizing that the investment could be good for his company and train his son in another way to, in distant future if the old man could stay at the helm long enough, inherit Han group, with 82 as a de facto (but nominally independent) subsidiary. Like Taiwan to China perhaps ?
I was less taken by the endless lovey dovey Cinderella and Mary Sue tropes, and expectation of weddings etc. But the romance was aware of these pitfalls and aimed at adult and reasonable: the gap in social position and earnings was indeed a concern that the two had to find a way to circumvent. I am satisfied that Lou Yuan was true to his pledge to face the difficulties with his chosen soulmate, Miles Wei and Xu Lu were an unlikely pair, but they pulled off their role adequately, if not overwhelmingly oozing with sugar syrup. The renewed proposal was, by the exchange it staged, witnessed by "found family" rather in line with the expected marriage.
The old lady Lou and her laughters provided much light-heartedness, so even if she appeared as a blundering, even though well-meaning, elder past her edge, she added the necessary sauce at times. We could have expected another match with her former sweet love, but the story is enough as it stands. The ending did not feel rushed: it was only logical and fitting the last twists.
So were any wrongdoers dragged to prison? Yes, and it was on the televised news that old Mrs Lou was so happy to watch. A slew of bad citizens got caught : the rotten competitor, and the cyberbullying ringmaster. It solved the defamation case of the Lou's products, while emphasizing the importance that the Chinese now put on food products quality control. Frozen meat can indeed be as toxic as milk laced with melamine, and the authorities are not going to let go of crimes of that sort. That does not mean the other crimes and wrongdoings would not be punished if they were brought clearly to justice attention (several actors and actresses have won cases against their cyberbullies or stalkers). But when the wrongdoers agree to punish themselves and reform, it saves time and resources for authorities, so pragmatically, this is better. Chinese dramas have an explicit agenda to further a public conception of "morality" and set a compass for solving problems through voluntary reform action and-self criticism (not necessarily broadcasting a public apology nor groveling like the mole did, which Lou Yuan rightfully realized was not natural, but could be further attempt at entrapment).
As for personal and sentimental interaction, they mostly stay quite conventional. Couples have to get committed and marry on sound basis of values that can be estimated by price (house, car, salary, jewelry...) and there is indeed an expectation that if the social status is different, the difference in balance should be compensated somehow : either through education, or through successful position in a company or line of work. Cinderella stories are therefore not realistic. This one was teetering between full fairy tale and down to earth depiction. Not totally successful perhaps.
I was more interested in the business parts promised by the title, although the « service angle » was a bit clumsily depicted. Watching it from the point of view of an illustration of what were the underlying values, and the indirect demonstration that individual worth cannot be separated from societal one. It is another concept of civilization that is the backbone of such stories, which are in line with "capitalism with socialist characteristics" : the policy which has helped the country navigate the U turn from poverty to increasing comfort, making it into a global powerhouse, world player in the emergent BRICS. China has over a few decades become a place to build ever higher and ambitious buildings (as we see from the Chengdu cityscapes glimpsed now and then, and the layout of offices and homes; the products placement were less obvious, probably built in pauses on public television) . Building ever higher dreams, not giving up in case of business wars.
It was also a topic that was present in the news at the time of filming. We can see how this illustrates in some way what was on their mind : the reaction of Chinese citizens and Huawei company to Ms Meng 's return to China as a hero in December 2021, after having been slandered and bullied into house arrest in a country she thought was friendly, and the subsequent turn to domestic resources to rebuild Huawei as again a leader in its group, surprising all those who thought that company dead. This is the Hero song's real meaning: it can translate into a lot, and is the symbol of the "Hao Han" in every business domain now, striving for excellence and justice without relying on Court's orders first, but striving also to stay in line with the country's goals.
Hello, I am At Your Service is an Ok business & romance C-drama in my opinion, although many things could be foreseen too easily. So, it is not a masterpiece but, quite watchable. Many spoilers were given in comments, and the clues and previews were probably too revealing to properly keep the suspense elements intact. I watched it disregarding the comments section until I had watched it all, in 3 sittings. The light-hearted first half part was often fun, while the more serious one after the couple formed and problems cropped up, was mixing the expected hope, disappointment, disgust and despair, on the background of the commercial war that had some mildly thrilling twists. Because of those, I'd rate the drama as for general public over 14, but more for mature audience that isn't looking for just another love story first. Of course, it will appeal to those who like Miles Wei and/or Xu Lu, despite it is not their best drama.
There are a few sweet songs (links in Discussion), and the one Hero song (original by Liu Han for a 1998 drama version of “The Water Margin” epic classic) which got a fun twist in the end episode, in line with the way songs can be used in such setting.
That shall be my conclusion and review then.
But that gives a balance to the light hearted part, introducing more serious concerns about how ordinary people still might be targeted by cyberbullying, the dangers it brings and how to react. Interesting also to see that perhaps offices ought to be routinely security checked for spying devices, that many can buy easily and conceal, also in homes! My surprise was that we almost saw no police involvement, except in the field where En was assaulted by club wielding thugs (even then, the mere mention of them and sound of police car alarm was enough to send the thugs packing). There are some very lawfully reprehensible acts in these last episodes, so, shall we see all these rotten turtle eggs get slapped with sentences? To be continued...
Meanwhile, as I was watching, and using the lulls in airing to listen to Peachey Blossom's OST Ch/Pin/Eng lyrics translation videos (I try to avoid trailers and previews, although BTS can be fun), my attention was drawn to a Hero song that was repeated a few times. Looking into it, I found the lyrics under Black Duck group, but I could not remember that song on their album that I have somewhere, so I dug further. It just might be them who wrote it, although I wondered if it was a cover of an older song --- and I was right, since I later found it as a song from the TV series “The Water Margin” (1998), sung by Liu Han. Black Duck Singing Group was established in 1992 ("composed of graduates of the Central Conservatory of Music in China.") . They had released nearly 50 records, and participated in many large-scale performances, but I only have one record. Continuing my research, I came across a couple of videos of the song (it took time to sift until these popped up) , and interestingly to me, of a spoof of it in English, with Da Shan listening to the "teacher of English" who sang that. It is all here for you to enjoy : https://kisskh.at/discussions/jinpai-kefu-dong-dong-en/120129-songs-and-ost-in-hello-i-m-at-your-service
About cast and crew, I looked into the Baidu page to check about dubbing, but no voice actor is listed for any in the cast, despite there is a mention of dubbing directors (Li Jiasi, Yu Mengci) ; this could indicate that actors and actresses dubbed themselves, as is more and more the case. A commenter noted an unusual accent for one of the members of 82 company. I rather liked Xu Lu even when she was using the coaxing voice in the beginning.
Where and when was this filmed : Baidu informed that it started shooting on October 20, 2021, and was completed January 5, 2022. I will add that this was in Chengdu, as many stills in the drama show, and the episode 17 stroll in the old quarter there. Just received a small Mid autumn festival greeting in the form of a short video of the drones show celebration there on Sept.29 evening; I can't show it here, but have appended a small GIF of it added to the song thread mentioned. You will recognize the twin towers that often appear over the crossroad views in the drama. Enjoy!
I have not checked, but have you tried dramacool and kissasian ? That's one of the places where difficult to find old shows can be kept still (although not all...) As for English subs, for many minor c-dramas I agree it can be "hit-or-miss.".. Good luck hunting!
Have a mooncake since it is still season, and watch the National day celebrations in China, this weekend? It's also wedding season: friends of mine are going to tie the knot irl tomorrow!
I can't resist copying down for you all a snippet from Swedish fan writer Örjan Westin, who published two collections of micro stories that are available on different platforms, Amazon included. Here was his 2022.04.16 piece:
"How full does the moon have to be ?"
"What?"
"The moon looked full last night, but you didn't turn into a wolf."
"The moon will be full tonight, just before seven."
"It's that precise ?"
"Yes, it's only full for a few minutes."
"So it's manageable?"
"My condition? Yeah."
Fitting for a zhongqiujie appreciation while munching on mooncakes while gazing at the full moon. And to remember TPATW !