4
A show that has a bit of something for everyone
Loving Strangers will always be compared to the original. For me, it was a show that started so well, dipped in the second half but finished with some of the most beautiful moments in any drama.
In short, the acting was superb. Mark Chao and Zhang Zi Feng were at their finest. In fact, Fi Zheng deserves an award for the portrayal of the most down trodden of all characters in drama history. Zhang Chao as Gu Chen was also very good - a despicable human being. Jiang Yi Yan as Yi Jun really carried her role well but perhaps the writing softened her too much.
Where it lost some of its shine was Jia Qi’s brother and uncle. They were fine enough but overbearing at times and did not have the depth of the Korean originals. The brother was over the top in his views. The uncle took too long to stop being a procrastinator. Yu Yu, the aspiring actress, and girlfriend of the brother, was terrific. She played the best drunk I have ever seen. It was a heartbreaking performance. Her redemption a pure delight.
It’s true the original had longer episodes of 16 episodes @ 1 hr 15 min or 20 hours as opposed to 28 episodes @ 45 minutes or 21 hours in terms of viewing output. The issue, with Loving Strangers, is that it seemed not as taught in the second half and the story over inflated. Also, some of the key character elements from My Mister regarding a couple of characters are missing.
This show was beautifully filmed. The writing lacked clarity at times but not when it came to the best performances. It was choppy at times and the soccer moments didn’t quite blend in.
If you haven’t seen My Mister, I think you will find this show is, despite its heartbreaking moments, a triumph. It’s just that for me, I was comparing it to the original, and I make no apology for that. It could have been great 😊
In short, the acting was superb. Mark Chao and Zhang Zi Feng were at their finest. In fact, Fi Zheng deserves an award for the portrayal of the most down trodden of all characters in drama history. Zhang Chao as Gu Chen was also very good - a despicable human being. Jiang Yi Yan as Yi Jun really carried her role well but perhaps the writing softened her too much.
Where it lost some of its shine was Jia Qi’s brother and uncle. They were fine enough but overbearing at times and did not have the depth of the Korean originals. The brother was over the top in his views. The uncle took too long to stop being a procrastinator. Yu Yu, the aspiring actress, and girlfriend of the brother, was terrific. She played the best drunk I have ever seen. It was a heartbreaking performance. Her redemption a pure delight.
It’s true the original had longer episodes of 16 episodes @ 1 hr 15 min or 20 hours as opposed to 28 episodes @ 45 minutes or 21 hours in terms of viewing output. The issue, with Loving Strangers, is that it seemed not as taught in the second half and the story over inflated. Also, some of the key character elements from My Mister regarding a couple of characters are missing.
This show was beautifully filmed. The writing lacked clarity at times but not when it came to the best performances. It was choppy at times and the soccer moments didn’t quite blend in.
If you haven’t seen My Mister, I think you will find this show is, despite its heartbreaking moments, a triumph. It’s just that for me, I was comparing it to the original, and I make no apology for that. It could have been great 😊
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