Ophanin

To tell the truth, I don't think I'm particularly fond of the police. This series reminds me of that with a certain acuity. Cops are detestable. We don't talk to them, we have nothing to say to them, we don't let them in, we haven't done anything wrong. They will always find something to make our lives miserable, so let's not make it easy for them. I was absolutely, totally, entirely on the side of this mother and her falsely mysterious sidekick. What poverty drives people to do, though... The theme is less about drugs than about the injustice of this world where being poor condemns you to death, where being honest makes you lose your job, where family only exists when everything is going well. The cycle of economic and social violence ensures that those at the bottom stay at the bottom.
The war on drugs is above all a war on the poor and minorities. And doctors who snitch to the police are no better. And come on, Eun-soo's boss goes in the bin with the rest. We give you a little power, you abuse it, you filthy bosses.

A solid series, albeit a little slow. Some scenes beat around the bush too much, and there's an overuse of the trick of cutting a scene dishonestly to make us believe something else. (I know what I mean)
The ending leaves a bitter taste. Punishing a character once was clearly not enough, they had to insist because, you see, drugs are bad, oh so bad, not good ! Bring on season 2, quickly. I'm in.

However, it's nice to see a male-female duo without any romantic tension. If you see one, you're part of the problem. (What nonsense I can spout)

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In a restaurant, we see photos of Vivian Maier. That made me happy.

It's interesting to show how hellish it can be to be a public figure. You can't disappoint, you always have to react correctly, you can't have a bad day in front of your fans. The series focuses on the life of the singer, his lawyer and, to a lesser extent, the prosecutor. Ultimately, the murder investigation is just an excuse to discover these characters and how they deal with their situation. The revelation of the culprit comes in the penultimate episode, clumsily, very clumsily. In any case, we don't really care.

The strong point is that it doesn't try to absolve people of their responsibilities. On the other hand, seeing a fan and her idol end up together is not very healthy ! I didn't know that being a solicitor involved housing, driving and feeding your client.

Ep5 : the kdrama disease of having a serious accident at the end of an episode and waking up in hospital in perfect health at the beginning of the next. How many times are we going to be subjected to this before the great Revolution ? Anger is brewing among the crowds.

(I may have skipped parts of episodes, no one will ever know.)

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First of all, it's incredibly beautiful to look at.
The costumes and sets are sumptuous. No surprise there. Everything is white, red and black, or in pastel shades (fading jade and orange, washed-out blue and yellow). There's a scene with a lateral tracking shot where a character walks past transparent coloured screens in red and green, and pink and blue ; absolutely stunning ! And there are plenty of moments like that. For example, the heroine drinking her tea at night with burgundy curtains matching her dark red and black outfit and soft lantern light... there was no point in creating such a sophisticated set for just a few seconds, but they clearly wanted to do it. Well done, set designers. Well done, cinematographers.

The scenes in the snow-capped mountains, the frozen lake. The red mountains covered in powder snow that they climbed while dressed in olive and burgundy fabrics (Ep. 34)... Cold weather must be the trend this year in Chinese productions. Most of it was shot on location, in harsh weather conditions, below freezing. It must have been torture. It breaks my heart to see them breathing out mist when they speak.

The elliptical storytelling works well. It introduces the numerous characters only when it serves the plot, so I never felt overwhelmed. And yet the first few episodes bombard us with information and plot twists. It gets off to a strong, fast-paced start, and then the writing simply becomes excellent... provided, of course, that you're a fan of period costume dramas.
It never stops. There's always something happening in every episode. These writers are brilliant. The only downside : it s a bit over the top. I loved following all the twists and turns, the mysteries and the conspiracies. They probably overuse and overdo the cataclysmic situations and tragic endings for each character. However, the multiple conflicts intertwine well and their resolution comes at just the right moment. It does, unfortunately, get rather complicated in the final stretch, though. (Watch it as intended: two episodes a day, no more. Beware of the overdose)

Massive spoiler : The final episode cranks everything up to the max ; everyone has to face the inevitability of war. That's too harsh to do this to us. We believed in change ! But apparently, trying to change the system inevitably leads to death… I'm not sure I'm thrilled by that message. It's the complete opposite of the series Princess Agents, of which this is a sequel. It's the opposite of what Rebirth was trying to tell us throughout its first thirty episodes. But it's a huge middle finger to censorship. Certainly.
Does this adaptation of the books differ so much from their source material (The Legend of Chu Qiao) because of the plagiarism the author was guilty of ? I don't know if that's why.

"I Always thought the people here needed me. But I finally realized the truth. It's not that they need me, but rather, I need them. All along, I've wanted to build a world of true equality, a place that people like me could finally call home."

A great cast in which women and men are equally important, with one generation clashing with the next.

_The lead actress, Huangyang Tian Tian, on whose shoulders the entire story rests, is very young but already a seasoned performer. Born in 2007, she has been acting nonstop since she was 9. She plays Chu Qiao with dedication ; her role is certainly complex, but... she's still just a child ! And it shows when she's surrounded by all her co-stars, who are all taller and older than her. A 17-year-old playing an adult and commanding armies. And for good reason : she played the same character as a child in the series Princess Agents, of which Rebirth is a sequel set nine years later. (You can watch it without seeing the first one, but it's better if you have, of course)
There was talk of replacing her because she posted a photo of herself wearing extremely expensive earrings, which caused a backlash in China. It turns out they were counterfeits that her father was selling illegally. Well, irresponsible fathers, what a pain !
But she's definitely there. And she nails her action scenes (all of which are well choreographed). Her deadpan comedy scenes work just as well. As for the emotion… Her love for the ML takes a lot of effort to believe. It feels more like the friendship between an older brother and his little sister. To be honest, Zhuge Yue has more chemistry with his brother-in-arms, touching his hand in episode 21, or in his fights with Yan Xun of Great Yan, plucking a purple petal from his hair, or when he runs hand-in-hand with Li Ce to escape the soldiers. The latter ends up in his arms, like a princess. Haha, come to think of it, he really does have a looooot of affectionate scenes with other men. That’s perfectly fine by me. He's entitled to love. And I'd rather avoid a romance between a schoolgirl who should be at school and a thirty-something grown-ass, if possible. (For goodness sake ! Thankfully, they managed to avoid that)

_Zhuge Yue, the male lead, I didn't really like his drastic change in personality. After all those trials and tribulations, to end up like that ? No. I appreciate seeing characters develop, but come on, let's take it slowly.
His fight with Chu Qiao at the end, all blue, purple and grey, what drama ! It's so sad that someone has to die for peace to reign. Such a pain when that happens.

_The Empress plays a central role in the first half and exerts a certain influence on the rest of the story. She wears cream, emerald and saffron gowns in her luxurious bright-red apartments with dark wood panelling. Such beauty ! One of the cruelest characters, or so we believe, until we see the Emperor in action. A profoundly tragic role from start to finish, and a character who, in her misfortune, hurts everyone around her. We detest her for her actions, yet we feel sympathy for what she has endured.

_The motley crew of criminals surrounding the heroine brings a touch of light-heartedness and humour, as well as some elaborate action scenes. Their camaraderie is always a joy to watch. Too bad we don't see them more often. But, for them too, what a tragic end...

_Li Ce, the unfortunate boy, watches his mother die before his very eyes ; even after burying her, he still longs for a sign of her affection. It's hard to grow up without love. Yet he is kind and wise in his choices. A wonderful character with a truly tragic ending.

_King Ximei of Ximeng, who sends his double in his place to dine with the emperor. Well done.
This bloke is the polar opposite of the heroine, Chu Qiao. He, too, is a former slave, but he takes the place of his masters and becomes the new tyrant. His death is only just. All power to the Soviets.

_General Huan Huan and Princess Helian of Yanbei (a woman of otherworldly beauty with a aquiline nose) make a lovely couple. May they live happily ever after. Brave, courageous women stripped of their free will. Their scenes are pure queer baiting.

_Princess Helian's marriage to Xun Yan, so intense, it feels like we're right in the middle of a soap opera. The two marry out of obligation and give up on their soulmates.

"All because I believe there should be a place in this world where people are not divided by rank or class, where justice exists. Only such a place can truly be called my homeland." The Grapes of Wrath, Part 2.

Right. I don't really understand the negative reviews I've seen about the direction or the acting. Especially since this barrage of complaints started right from the very first episodes : so before the plot twist in the final episodes. Princess Agents was far less well made and was torn to shreds by critics and the public when it aired. Suddenly, it's become the best series in the universe ? Strange. It reeks of gatekeeping. Because Rebirth is aimed at a wider audience, I think. I hope I'm wrong.

As for me, I'm not going to deny myself the pleasure. That lighting, the entire artistic presentation, all designed to delight the eye. Those splashes of scarlet blood on the pale rice-paper doors. (Ep. 22) The comfort these C-dramas bring. The focus on entertainment. It's my safe place !
Always pushing the boundaries of censorship to tackle truly serious issues. Because, in reality, it's about women fighting to survive in a man's world. And about power that offers nothing but an obsession with keeping it all to oneself. It's the old chivalric tale of heroes who deserve to rule because they don't want to and because they care about the people. Here, the powerful are cruel and uncompromising, without merit, ready to kill or let die, ready to commit infanticide.
The heroine, by contrast, is a former slave who rises to the highest echelons of power yet never forgets her roots. She abolishes slavery (I particularly enjoyed seeing those delicate nobles explode with rage when it was taken away from them without compensation. And, oddly enough, they don't give a damn about the country anymore), she stops the wars, she spares the peasants and the thieves. (Are we talking about Jesus or what ?)
But. Whatever the social status of these women, they are always slaves to something: power, alcohol, their husbands, cults. That doesn't make them saints. The empress literally groomed her lover and right-hand man, and she has maids killed for her own pleasure.

"Men will never risk everything for women. They can only be seduiced by power."

Once again, I've written a proper novel ; pointless, too long and uninteresting. (Oh ! I've found a title for my autobiography)

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When I, too, am in a melancholy mood, I stand tall on the ramparts of my domain, my face lashed by winter gales, gazing at the night and the snow that blankets even my painful past. When suddenly ! I find myself stabbed by the one who was meant to be me.

The end credits of the last episode were awesome, with all that behind-the-scenes footage! Way better than that whole "43 years later" segment.

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“I've finally caught the shadow that haunted you. From now on your world will only have light.” And now we understand the dream at the beginning. The subtext, children. The subtext ! Subtlety and finesse are... two words from the dictionary.

God, it's beautiful. It's constantly changing, as if someone couldn't accept that we might get bored for even five seconds. All the night scenes are colorful and bright. The light in this series ! The episodes fly by without you even noticing. The same goes for the music ; you don't even notice it. It's mean to say this, yes, but it never stops, so it loses its effect. The moments when the music stops suddenly become unsettling. However, the song whispered in silky vocals stands out.

It's so unfair to see Yifan facing so many trials alone, all those disgusting guys (ordinary ones, let's be clear). We hear about other cases of abusers around her, she has to work on this subject as a journalist, but she's never given the opportunity to talk about what she herself has been through.
We are shown how the family unit takes precedence over the suffering of the victims, which is realistic. A mother who does not come to her daughter's aid, who does not listen to her cries for help or her later requests to be left alone as an adult... Forced to cut off all means of contacting her to pretend she didn't survive the assault, since that's all her mother understands : the right victim is the one who dies. It's a very good choice not to offer redemption to the mother. But on the other hand it's a shame, though, that the series leads a little too easily to the conclusion that, fortunately, there are good guys out there to protect women. (Will we ever get over this ?)

Anyway.

Then I was shocked. What kind of teachers get involved in their students' romantic relationships ? And the family taking over ? Excuse me ? It's even more outrageous when you know the whole story.
And everyone drives a Porsche, apparently. The famous Chinese brand, so inexpensive. Quite normal for Sang Yan, who works at a video game company during the day and owns a posh bar at night. What a hard worker.
I was also surprised by the slapstick humor. Pleasantly so. I didn't expect to see that in this kind of story.

What a beautiful love story, though. I'm talking, of course, about Yifan and her adorable little cat. That brave little creature is so well-behaved, bravo to her, she's the best. The real star of this series.

Meanwhile, it's beautiful how Sang Yan sends messages indirectly and tries to understand Yifan, giving her the choice to respond or avoid the subject ; he is there for her. Without saying a word, he puts protective covers on the furniture to protect her while she sleepwalks. On the other hand, when they're young, this obsession is a bit awkward, but luckily he keeps his distance and is ready to support her.
This young adult couple tortures each other, and circles around each other, repeating over and over how impossible it is to live together, while living together. You're already a couple. Damn it !
Besides that, they are incredibly mature and give good advice about other people's relationships. It's a real running gag.
This attention and listening between the characters is one of the strengths of the show.

However, their friends and the little grandpa, even their coworkers, everyone is so kind and attentive, ready to help, and yet... Yifan suffers alone. She will want to disappear. Leaving her friends devastated, wondering if it's their fault. Far be it from me to accuse her ; this is normal behavior when you experience trauma. I'm certainly not one to judge her. There comes a time when survival becomes unbearable.

The last part of this series is designed to break us into little pieces. And then try to put it all back together again... by refusing to give us the glue for that.
In episode 21, the circular shot in the apartment with their lives playing out over several days in one go, the music rising in intensity... it's as if they want to make us cry. They've succeeded. But I'm not congratulating you, cruel writers.

“Yifan. You deserve the best. Stop saying sorry.”
“There is nothing shameful or humiliating about this. You did nothing wrong. You did the right thing. You protected yourself. You were brave. You should be standing tall, fearless, in the sunlight. That villain is the one who belongs in the gutter.”
“I usually cried all night. But as the pain got worse, I grew quieter, little by little. Until one day, I couldn't even cry anymore.”
I'm so sorry for what happened to you.

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Baek Ah-jin attacks the powerful and cruelly destroys them. First with her gaze, then with the means at her disposal. It's difficult to support her, even more difficult to hold it against her. Clearly, she never just defends herself ; it goes further than that.

It is very interesting to see that in the first episode, the school lesson focuses on Xun Zi, a Chinese philosopher from the 3rd century BCE who believed that humans were fundamentally evil, selfish and destructive, and that strict education was necessary to force people onto the right path: that of Confucian obedience. Since humans are inherently evil, they dislike work but enjoy gain and pleasure. A brave fellow, or not. In any case, he predates Thomas Hobbes by 19 centuries. And we are more inclined to teach the Englishman's work than that of the Chinese philosopher. We can probably do without both of them and still believe in humanity.

Some of Ah-jin's vile schemes are pretty far-fetched. And painful for her as well as for us viewers. Each stage unfolds over two episodes, and you have to accept that you won't know all the elements needed for the trap to close, sometimes on a target, sometimes on the heroine, you never really know, which can be frustrating. (Episode 10 was terribly long)

Ultimately, I'm not sure what point they're trying to make here. Are they telling us that a strong sense of justice can backfire? That helping others can be dangerous? That women manipulate men for their own gain? I have no idea. Most of the time, people disturb Ah-jin as she goes about her quiet life. I don't understand how these men fall under the spell of someone so cold and indifferent, who, moreover, gives them no hope. But the slow (too slow) descent into hell of everyone around Baek Ah-jin/Kim Yoo-jung fascinated me. It's exciting to follow someone who appears infallible (or so we believe, for a while), with diabolical actions, taking on school bullies, exploitative parents, all-powerful employers, and a manipulative husband. Every aspect of a poor woman's life is scrutinised... You can never guess what the plot has in store. That's what makes the series so interesting: the surprise and the fact that you find yourself on the side of the victim who has become the tormentor.

Kim Yoo-jung knows how to skilfully play with the image she projects. Her caressing gaze, filled with opals, suddenly empties and comes back to life in the blink of an eye. She can be attentive one moment and cold the next, crushing people in her path. She takes no pleasure in attacking others ; it's just her nature, like a cornered animal fighting for survival.
This is an amoral K-drama, or at least one that tries to make us believe it is. There must be a moral to be found in all this, but I haven't figured out what it is yet. Baek Ah-jin reflects the violence of a world that hates her. The final scene of the penultimate episode illustrates this masterfully, drawing a parallel between a film shoot and a real execution. This brings us to the final phase, the top of the podium and, consequently, the fall. The media cycle continues.

What a surprising and fitting ending. Cruel survival. A sad victory that tastes like defeat.

"In a hell like this, hope is a luxury we cannot afford."
"Apologies are for when you've done something wrong."

PS: Yoon Joon-seo, truly the most terrifying of them all. To be honest, I don't understand how he managed to live so long, find a girlfriend, publish a visibly moving book, and feel nothing but emptiness. It's difficult to feel empathy for him and his mother, nonetheless. He got on my nerves the whole time.

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still on cloud nine

As I always say, you shouldn't mess with a female butcher. I always say that. Always.

Warning : I've got nothing constructive to say. (as usual) I finished this series a few days ago, and I'm still on cloud nine.

How BEAUTIFUL ! The production is simply epic. Everything is so magnificent, the costumes, the sets, the direction, the lighting, the fight scenes, the music, the wig budget... hmm. A success across the board. A wonderful world where it snows all the time and no one ever feels cold. It's just too beautiful. The homes (even the most modest ones) are adorned with sumptuous wooden furniture and delicate fabrics fluttering everywhere. Teapots and incense blend their delicate scents with the wax of the carved woodwork. I can smell it.

Fan is incredible. Truly phenomenal ! Both the character and the actress, Tian Xiwei. Protect this woman at all costs. That charisma, that presence, that otherworldly beauty when she makes those tender expressions. She masterfully plays on the cliché of the seemingly fragile woman who becomes menacing and a deadly enemy in the blink of an eye. Her character is meant to be a tribute to a real-life female general, as in about half of all Chinese series. (Legend of a Female General, a very good C-drama)
You can feel all the despair that overtakes her midway through the series, during the turning point, when her village is ravaged and all her loved ones are massacred... those scenes… such sadness. We've been made to love these characters. We enjoyed life in that village, but now we must bury them and abandon it. And then we move on to war. Then to palace intrigues. What a journey.

As a result, the Marquis of Wu'an, the male lead, becomes first and foremost a supporting character ; he's the knight in shining armour. He's supposed to be the hero, but the story constantly reminds us that he takes a back seat. I love it.
They're so lovely, the two of them. They're completely devoted to one another. Their love is pure. I feel silly writing such nonsense ! I want them to be happy together. True love is killing your enemies together with the same weapon and checking if your wife's wrists are sore. And taking a bath… my goodness, the bath scene. It was daring. I didn't see anything, I swear I looked away.

They love each other so much that they get married twice, under two different identities. [stands up, banging both hands on the table] Now that's what I call Love ! He knows her secret, he supports her, and he doesn't tell her until she's ready to reveal it to him. [points at an imaginary listener] And he takes a hundred lashes rather than betray her !

Pardon. Je me suis emporté.

The attention to detail, my goodness ! There's so much going on, all the time. Like the characters who've been struck by an arrow and who, at last ! don't pull the arrow out. A whole gallery of characters unfolds before us, and they're all believable and interesting.
There are so many endearing ones. The little sister, the villagers, the Pig Butcher Squad, the old man carrying stones, Marquis Wu'an's generals, the Emperor's sister and her maid. We care about every single one of them. That's rare in productions like this.

The only downside : why this "what if" ending ?!? What if nothing at all. It's over. We can't imagine things from 17 years ago now.
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Episode 17, TW : forced kissing.
It's portrayed for what it is, without any romanticisation. The woman cuts ties with the man. But to be perfectly honest, she, in turn, drugs him without his knowledge to take his place on the battlefield. It's all square, back to square one. (No idea what that means. I'm learning new expressions : to be on cloud nine, success across the board and this square thing)

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If I hear one more note of Clair de Lune, I'll make a killing. There are composers for your series, you know ? The same three truncated excerpts from Bach, Mozart and Debussy are a no-no. I know the pieces, I listen to them myself if I want : in their entirety ! It's almost less annoying than scenes and flashbacks repeated three or more times because we're obviously stupid... And the plot only progresses by deliberately not giving us the info, an artificial way of creating interest. 4 episodes of seeing the same scene without ever adding anything to the story ? I didn't get to the end without skipping scenes. Sorry about that. (it may be disrespectful of me but respect goes both ways)

Otherwise, the story begins a bit like Pasolini's Teorema. Except that here it's an unbearable character, Su Yeon, who yells at everyone and breaks your face but... becomes your friend ?! I've seen Weak Hero too, and I solemnly ask : are Korean schoolchildren all right ?

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So this series was the first milestone in Jin Ki-Joo's “I'm an adult pretending to be a student” universe.

I too wish my mother had never met my father. And that she'd live a better life than she had. (Look, I didn't cry at the end, okay ? I'll sue you for libel)

It takes place in 1987, and it's good to have brought in this political dimension. We were expecting it, and it arrives in a rather intelligent way. It's one element among others.
Having said that, the local cops are portrayed as good guys who are a bit dim-witted, especially the uncle inspector ; but he lets his colleagues beat up his nephew. This dirty cop blames himself ? you can blame yourself, scumbag.
And let's never forget that everyone hates the police.

(ps: surprising presence of a small bust of Lenin in episode 11. Nothing escapes me. yep. I saw it)

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