This review may contain spoilers
Girl needs revege. And fills for her acrylics.
This is actually my first short-form Republic Era that I didn't have to stop watching for Time Period Crimes (I'm looking at you, Bound By Sin), and over all? I enjoyed it. It was face-paced, and aware of what it was doing, and doing it as hard as it could on its shoestring budget.
Most of the show takes place in closed rooms and courtyards, saving their locations for the finale, but since this is such an intimate story, the claustrophobic nature works. We're mostly watching individuals square off in intense emotional situations. The story is all revenge, manipulation, betrayal, false love and true love, all the best soapy tropes. It is the sort of show where people have no peripheral vision, must hold still while someone monologues, and recover from intense injuries in days. Also, if you're going to die, odds are it will be the tidiest headshot imaginable. But it's a familiar heightened reality that feels pleasantly old-fashioned, and fun.
Liu Nian is doing wonderfully as the betrayed Liang Yu, going from naive girl to the competent bride of a crime boss. She's keeping the tone from being too dark, and holding her own despite the men around her. Wang Ze Xuan is delightfully horrible, as a conniving murdering bridegroom. Ryan Ren... felt a little uncomfortable in some of the earliest episodes, but he settles, and carries his quiet intensity through the remainder of the show. He simmers well with Liu Nian when the characters are on a more even footing. And this is a simmery show; there was a lot of sexual tension between the two that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Now, there are Time Period Misdemeanors. I am particular about that; I hate watching something that has ZERO respect for the time period while trying to capitalize on it. You guys; plastic surgery like this absolutely did not exist, and even if it did, it would take way longer than, like, a month to heal from. But if you can just deal with that nonsense, then there will only be a few other things you shut your eyes and pretend you didn't see. Most of the wardrobe is generally tolerable. They largely avoided the awful 'Gatsby' idea of how women dressed by sticking women in cheongsam most of the time. Granted, they have the wrong kinds of giant tacky jewelry, modern glam make-up and eyelashes, terrible 1980's hats AND horrible 1970's platform shoes, but breathe. Breathe. The men are just in uniforms or modern suits- also with the wrong footwear and big ass modern aviator sunglasses. But, we breathe. We also stare at that that terrible brutalist wine decanter they REUSED THREE TIMES- and exhale. And then there are the nails. OMG the nails. Big thick acrylics that look like claws, that you can see when they grew out in close-ups.
I ended up just being amused by these misdemeanors, because they're trying their best. We're also not supposed to take all of this very seriously, and everybody else is being so earnest, I was able to let it go. They couldn't even afford one car, bless them.
Over all, this is carried on the intricate writing of the close-knit plot, and the wonderful work of the cast. Well worth watching.
Most of the show takes place in closed rooms and courtyards, saving their locations for the finale, but since this is such an intimate story, the claustrophobic nature works. We're mostly watching individuals square off in intense emotional situations. The story is all revenge, manipulation, betrayal, false love and true love, all the best soapy tropes. It is the sort of show where people have no peripheral vision, must hold still while someone monologues, and recover from intense injuries in days. Also, if you're going to die, odds are it will be the tidiest headshot imaginable. But it's a familiar heightened reality that feels pleasantly old-fashioned, and fun.
Liu Nian is doing wonderfully as the betrayed Liang Yu, going from naive girl to the competent bride of a crime boss. She's keeping the tone from being too dark, and holding her own despite the men around her. Wang Ze Xuan is delightfully horrible, as a conniving murdering bridegroom. Ryan Ren... felt a little uncomfortable in some of the earliest episodes, but he settles, and carries his quiet intensity through the remainder of the show. He simmers well with Liu Nian when the characters are on a more even footing. And this is a simmery show; there was a lot of sexual tension between the two that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Now, there are Time Period Misdemeanors. I am particular about that; I hate watching something that has ZERO respect for the time period while trying to capitalize on it. You guys; plastic surgery like this absolutely did not exist, and even if it did, it would take way longer than, like, a month to heal from. But if you can just deal with that nonsense, then there will only be a few other things you shut your eyes and pretend you didn't see. Most of the wardrobe is generally tolerable. They largely avoided the awful 'Gatsby' idea of how women dressed by sticking women in cheongsam most of the time. Granted, they have the wrong kinds of giant tacky jewelry, modern glam make-up and eyelashes, terrible 1980's hats AND horrible 1970's platform shoes, but breathe. Breathe. The men are just in uniforms or modern suits- also with the wrong footwear and big ass modern aviator sunglasses. But, we breathe. We also stare at that that terrible brutalist wine decanter they REUSED THREE TIMES- and exhale. And then there are the nails. OMG the nails. Big thick acrylics that look like claws, that you can see when they grew out in close-ups.
I ended up just being amused by these misdemeanors, because they're trying their best. We're also not supposed to take all of this very seriously, and everybody else is being so earnest, I was able to let it go. They couldn't even afford one car, bless them.
Over all, this is carried on the intricate writing of the close-knit plot, and the wonderful work of the cast. Well worth watching.
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