2
4
1
Watched for Yang Zi and Jing Boran, less for the lots of cases "treated"
Finally finished it, although like for some other who wanted to like it, the second half was... a chore, disjointed, full of plot holes.
About the actors, I of course liked Yang Zi (as psychology expert He Dun) and Jing Boran(as media station nighttime show director Qian Kaiyi) despite the annoying hairdos and clothing.
But. Despite the hammered in warning of "dramatized" cases referring to actual mental health concerns (including suicide prevention, and "conversion" troubles) this felt too much like a collection of sometimes too amateurish cases of "problems" and the looming mystery announced with the mysterious deep eyed "creep" finally was very disappointing. I was also rather annoyed by all the "best friends" ballet and change of partners although one did serve to illustrate abuse in the workplace (but that's such a frequent trope in vertical dramas that it felt too pasted in here).
The thing is, this was wayyyy too long. And even then, last episodes were rushed and even made to appear as close to cliffhanger. Would I want to watch more of He Dun's sleuthing to make sense of her "visitors" trouble? Honestly, I got too much already there, so I am happy to trust there will be no "Season 2" even though romance-wise, this one was underwhelming. It was more a "forever best friends" one, strangely immature, given the topic.
Another peeve was the pasted in repetition of product placement : we know these dramas are "soap operas" but the whitening face masks and shampoos often came in a bit too often.
I don't think this drama will leave viewers gaining much info about the importance of, and the way psychology and psychiatry exist in China. Visually, there is not a wide variety of interesting locations. We get to see a "broadcasting company" setting up a leafy café, a terraced home/office with patio and balconies, one with a weird hidden space, the lobby of a mall, a small courtyard with a wall over which poultry invades, an alley with kids playing in the street, a beach, a "sanatorium" with gardens ...-- all of that is so generic, even the hairy crabs dinner doesn't really pinpoint to a place "somewhere south of Shanghai" . We only know it can't be Jingbei/Beijing because only there do you hear the whistles attached to the tail feathers of the pigeon patrols and there definitely aren't any in the cities around, as He Dun points out.
For those who like music, there is a nice half hour compilation of 5 titles +3 versions from the OST music and songs here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XKzjC9Dyvo Yang Zi sings two songs.
Ok, I still finished the drama. So will leniently award it an 8 Perhaps this drama only deserves 6.5 or 7, because not realizing full potential, but for good music and for the efforts of the leads and a few other: I liked how Zhang Ruonan pulled off her small "troubled teen" role, but was feeling He Dun's mom was just as creepy as the suddenly appeared neighbor. Would I recommend watching then? The beginning is Ok as a drama and the zimis of Yang Zi, and/or BBF of Jing Boran of course will like it. (although his best role in my mind remains the one he had in Road Home and I think Yang Zi will also be best remembered for other dramas).
About the actors, I of course liked Yang Zi (as psychology expert He Dun) and Jing Boran(as media station nighttime show director Qian Kaiyi) despite the annoying hairdos and clothing.
But. Despite the hammered in warning of "dramatized" cases referring to actual mental health concerns (including suicide prevention, and "conversion" troubles) this felt too much like a collection of sometimes too amateurish cases of "problems" and the looming mystery announced with the mysterious deep eyed "creep" finally was very disappointing. I was also rather annoyed by all the "best friends" ballet and change of partners although one did serve to illustrate abuse in the workplace (but that's such a frequent trope in vertical dramas that it felt too pasted in here).
The thing is, this was wayyyy too long. And even then, last episodes were rushed and even made to appear as close to cliffhanger. Would I want to watch more of He Dun's sleuthing to make sense of her "visitors" trouble? Honestly, I got too much already there, so I am happy to trust there will be no "Season 2" even though romance-wise, this one was underwhelming. It was more a "forever best friends" one, strangely immature, given the topic.
Another peeve was the pasted in repetition of product placement : we know these dramas are "soap operas" but the whitening face masks and shampoos often came in a bit too often.
I don't think this drama will leave viewers gaining much info about the importance of, and the way psychology and psychiatry exist in China. Visually, there is not a wide variety of interesting locations. We get to see a "broadcasting company" setting up a leafy café, a terraced home/office with patio and balconies, one with a weird hidden space, the lobby of a mall, a small courtyard with a wall over which poultry invades, an alley with kids playing in the street, a beach, a "sanatorium" with gardens ...-- all of that is so generic, even the hairy crabs dinner doesn't really pinpoint to a place "somewhere south of Shanghai" . We only know it can't be Jingbei/Beijing because only there do you hear the whistles attached to the tail feathers of the pigeon patrols and there definitely aren't any in the cities around, as He Dun points out.
For those who like music, there is a nice half hour compilation of 5 titles +3 versions from the OST music and songs here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XKzjC9Dyvo Yang Zi sings two songs.
Ok, I still finished the drama. So will leniently award it an 8 Perhaps this drama only deserves 6.5 or 7, because not realizing full potential, but for good music and for the efforts of the leads and a few other: I liked how Zhang Ruonan pulled off her small "troubled teen" role, but was feeling He Dun's mom was just as creepy as the suddenly appeared neighbor. Would I recommend watching then? The beginning is Ok as a drama and the zimis of Yang Zi, and/or BBF of Jing Boran of course will like it. (although his best role in my mind remains the one he had in Road Home and I think Yang Zi will also be best remembered for other dramas).
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