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This review may contain spoilers
A likable but frustrating timeless Classic.
Well it was better in my memory I guess...
I can't deny it's a gripping series in spite of the overly LOUD music, barely audible dialogues, grainy images, endless ad cuts + repeats of the 10 last seconds before said ads ( It’s on STREAMING PLATFORMS NOW, REMOVE them for the online version for God’s SAKE!) and really ROUGH editing…
Yeah I know it’s a long list of technical issues but my GOD all of the above is pretty terrible especially since HD series already existed back then. This series looks like it’s been filmed in the 80s and for the life of me, if it wasn’t for the subs, even if I spoke mandarin, I wouldn’t have been able to understand over half of the dialogues because of the repetitive OVERLY LOUD MUSIC.
And it’s spite of AAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL of that… It’s still a series worth investing some time.
BUT Mu Cheng's character is one of the worst case of noble idiocy I've ever seen even by 2009's standard.
The first time I came across this series years back, I remember I found Guang Xi pretty obnoxious before and after his memory loss (couldn't find over half of the episodes since it was fansubbed so had to drop it back then).
Now more than 15 years later, I was just as frustrated as him with Mu Cheng. It must be hell falling desperately in love with somebody who always keeps things to herself, apologizes repeatedly for nothing, never stands up for herself and keeps on lying repeatedly even when begged to be honest. If I was Guang Xi, I wouldn't bother anymore but dramaland must force this poor man to bear this stoopidity so here it is.
Honestly, only nostalgia made me bear her character. She had her reasons but my understanding only goes so far. She had plenty of chances to explain herself yet, she never bothered even seeing how much it drove the man she loved crazy. Thus she repeatedly ends up in an awkward situation to explain herself while her wishy-washy attitude is the main reason why she always drives herself into a corner. It literally takes her the WHOLE series to learn to fight for what she wants and open her mouth.
I HATE people who always assume they know better, instead of letting the people concerned make their own decisions.
The little kid playing Xiao Le, is just perfectly adorable. He really knows how to portray his role to perfection... BUT WHY OH WHY doesn't he call his mom "Mom" or "Mommy" but always calls her by her first name ?
The kids obviously knows how to deliver his lines so why the HELL doesn't he call her properly? This is NEVER explained in the drama and it's rude as fudge, completely out of character and REALLY ANNOYING. That’s basic respect to adults. Something that the kid shows in spade to every single adult… EXCEPT when talking to his mom.
The whole final arch with the drug lord was overly long. Too much screentime given to secondary characters when only what happens at the end of episode 30 is truly relevant to our main story.
Mu Cheng is very in typical of Asian drama FLs of the 2000s… Naive, Innocent, Hardworking and Selfless. In short, a complete doormat albeit an infuriating likable one.
But I like my female characters, even when naive and pretty innocent to have some spunk. Guang Xi on the other side, has a fiery temper, but don't be mistaken. This is not a walking red flag. Guang Xi is a kind misunderstood green flag, who just ended up fed up with people making decisions for him and hence lashes out at everyone. He's the one I could relate to the most.
Ultimately I’m left pretty frustrated at the end of the journey. I found myself binging the episodes past the University phase, but also found myself equally frustrated by most characters. Guang Xi’s fiancee for instance, was depicted as this naive, hardworking, loving girl… Yet as bright as she was, she never guessed that the sole reason why Mu Cheng left is because Guang Xi’s mother and her father wanted Guang Xi and her to be together, and thus pressured her to leave in order for Guang Xi to get that treatment… In what way exactly could she allow herself to be that judgmental of Mu Cheng when she clearly knew, at least inwardly, that Mu Cheng left so that SHE could get with him? I just can't understand how she could believe for one second that Mu Cheng was this evil, selfish girl, who left a man who loved her more than his life, helpless to die.
Guang Xi was my favorite. At least he didn't take any sh** from anyone.
In spite of all my frustrations… I’d probably have rated that one a 8,5 if it weren’t for all the technical issues I mentioned above. The story is timeless but the series has aged like milk visually. Vanness Wu was perfect though apparently his Chinese is broken in this one… Dunno, I’m not used to the Taiwanese accent so personally I thought it sounded fine next to the other actors… But again it’s not like we could hear most of the dialogues anyway so who cares?
CONCLUSION
Suggested Rating: 7
Personal Rating: 8
Story-wise I think it deserves a 9, but I’m just too frustrated with how Mu Cheng’s been written, the terrible sound management, the repetitive music and the kid calling his mom by her first name to give more.
But I can’t give it less, because that would enter the “not worth your time” in my rating system, and I still feel its one of these all time classics, with very classic tropes of that period, that deserves to be watched if only for all the actors performances. I used to watch quite a lot of Taiwanese dramas back then (most of which, I ended up dropping), most of them idol ones, and the acting was terrible, so I remember vividly this one standing out for how good all actors were.
Also, you won’t help but finish this drama with a big smile on your face, and isn’t that the most important thing?
Lately, I’ve been feeling pretty nostalgic about Asian Melos from that period especially K dramas… So I’m glad I finally was able to rewatch this series from start to finish this time. It reminded me of how addictive they were but also about how frustrating they could be with their typical misunderstandings due to obvious lack of communication ( and here let me tell you Guang Xi DOES want to talk, but Mu Cheng, since she always knows better, does not) and interfering parents.
Got rid of my nostalgia right away. I still miss these types of melos with their overused Amnesia trope though… I wish we still could get those but modernized, with more spunky FLs and way less miscommunication.
I can't deny it's a gripping series in spite of the overly LOUD music, barely audible dialogues, grainy images, endless ad cuts + repeats of the 10 last seconds before said ads ( It’s on STREAMING PLATFORMS NOW, REMOVE them for the online version for God’s SAKE!) and really ROUGH editing…
Yeah I know it’s a long list of technical issues but my GOD all of the above is pretty terrible especially since HD series already existed back then. This series looks like it’s been filmed in the 80s and for the life of me, if it wasn’t for the subs, even if I spoke mandarin, I wouldn’t have been able to understand over half of the dialogues because of the repetitive OVERLY LOUD MUSIC.
And it’s spite of AAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL of that… It’s still a series worth investing some time.
BUT Mu Cheng's character is one of the worst case of noble idiocy I've ever seen even by 2009's standard.
The first time I came across this series years back, I remember I found Guang Xi pretty obnoxious before and after his memory loss (couldn't find over half of the episodes since it was fansubbed so had to drop it back then).
Now more than 15 years later, I was just as frustrated as him with Mu Cheng. It must be hell falling desperately in love with somebody who always keeps things to herself, apologizes repeatedly for nothing, never stands up for herself and keeps on lying repeatedly even when begged to be honest. If I was Guang Xi, I wouldn't bother anymore but dramaland must force this poor man to bear this stoopidity so here it is.
Honestly, only nostalgia made me bear her character. She had her reasons but my understanding only goes so far. She had plenty of chances to explain herself yet, she never bothered even seeing how much it drove the man she loved crazy. Thus she repeatedly ends up in an awkward situation to explain herself while her wishy-washy attitude is the main reason why she always drives herself into a corner. It literally takes her the WHOLE series to learn to fight for what she wants and open her mouth.
I HATE people who always assume they know better, instead of letting the people concerned make their own decisions.
The little kid playing Xiao Le, is just perfectly adorable. He really knows how to portray his role to perfection... BUT WHY OH WHY doesn't he call his mom "Mom" or "Mommy" but always calls her by her first name ?
The kids obviously knows how to deliver his lines so why the HELL doesn't he call her properly? This is NEVER explained in the drama and it's rude as fudge, completely out of character and REALLY ANNOYING. That’s basic respect to adults. Something that the kid shows in spade to every single adult… EXCEPT when talking to his mom.
The whole final arch with the drug lord was overly long. Too much screentime given to secondary characters when only what happens at the end of episode 30 is truly relevant to our main story.
Mu Cheng is very in typical of Asian drama FLs of the 2000s… Naive, Innocent, Hardworking and Selfless. In short, a complete doormat albeit an infuriating likable one.
But I like my female characters, even when naive and pretty innocent to have some spunk. Guang Xi on the other side, has a fiery temper, but don't be mistaken. This is not a walking red flag. Guang Xi is a kind misunderstood green flag, who just ended up fed up with people making decisions for him and hence lashes out at everyone. He's the one I could relate to the most.
Ultimately I’m left pretty frustrated at the end of the journey. I found myself binging the episodes past the University phase, but also found myself equally frustrated by most characters. Guang Xi’s fiancee for instance, was depicted as this naive, hardworking, loving girl… Yet as bright as she was, she never guessed that the sole reason why Mu Cheng left is because Guang Xi’s mother and her father wanted Guang Xi and her to be together, and thus pressured her to leave in order for Guang Xi to get that treatment… In what way exactly could she allow herself to be that judgmental of Mu Cheng when she clearly knew, at least inwardly, that Mu Cheng left so that SHE could get with him? I just can't understand how she could believe for one second that Mu Cheng was this evil, selfish girl, who left a man who loved her more than his life, helpless to die.
Guang Xi was my favorite. At least he didn't take any sh** from anyone.
In spite of all my frustrations… I’d probably have rated that one a 8,5 if it weren’t for all the technical issues I mentioned above. The story is timeless but the series has aged like milk visually. Vanness Wu was perfect though apparently his Chinese is broken in this one… Dunno, I’m not used to the Taiwanese accent so personally I thought it sounded fine next to the other actors… But again it’s not like we could hear most of the dialogues anyway so who cares?
CONCLUSION
Suggested Rating: 7
Personal Rating: 8
Story-wise I think it deserves a 9, but I’m just too frustrated with how Mu Cheng’s been written, the terrible sound management, the repetitive music and the kid calling his mom by her first name to give more.
But I can’t give it less, because that would enter the “not worth your time” in my rating system, and I still feel its one of these all time classics, with very classic tropes of that period, that deserves to be watched if only for all the actors performances. I used to watch quite a lot of Taiwanese dramas back then (most of which, I ended up dropping), most of them idol ones, and the acting was terrible, so I remember vividly this one standing out for how good all actors were.
Also, you won’t help but finish this drama with a big smile on your face, and isn’t that the most important thing?
Lately, I’ve been feeling pretty nostalgic about Asian Melos from that period especially K dramas… So I’m glad I finally was able to rewatch this series from start to finish this time. It reminded me of how addictive they were but also about how frustrating they could be with their typical misunderstandings due to obvious lack of communication ( and here let me tell you Guang Xi DOES want to talk, but Mu Cheng, since she always knows better, does not) and interfering parents.
Got rid of my nostalgia right away. I still miss these types of melos with their overused Amnesia trope though… I wish we still could get those but modernized, with more spunky FLs and way less miscommunication.
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