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Bloody and Ruthless without Losing Moral Core
This is a drama that choose to tell about fallen emperors, about weak scholars trying to defeat an army, about a crippled general defending his nation, about a person full of revenge turning him into a terrifying character, yet conscience and mercy are still alive in his soul. For me, it is a commentary for the trend and tropes in Chinese historical dramas which are mostly stories about powerful emperors, beautiful prince and princess, and victorious heroes.
Watching this drama reminds me of several older series. Comparing it to the famous Nirvana in Fire (2015), while sharing similar theme of revenge, The Vendetta of An (TVOA) has ruthlessness that is not found in the former show. It is more bloody and cunning. It is a battle in various domains, not only physical, but also psychological and political. It doesn't dwell too much on palace politics, which is refreshing for a historical drama.
And, talking about ruthlessness, it is comparable to Game of Throne, however with a strength that makes TVOA, an Asian show, more shining in my eyes: a profound moral value. Thus, every drip of blood and tears shed here has more weight. They are meaningful, not only in telling the narratives but also heartwrenchingly igniting viewers empathy and even compassionate feeling and other emotions. We watch it for the virtuous to win, for a light in the end of a long dark tunnel to keep shining, not for the thrill and sensation alone. For a drama to be able to cause such effects on viewers, for me, it is a success.
I believe a good drama can defend itself and needs not to rely itself on the popularity of a certain actor. For TVOA, the story itself is its grestest asset that would challenge futures Chinese drama. It is set a higher bar in several areas of drama making and storytelling. For characterization, we got a continuum of personality spanning from the wickest to the most innocents, they are so grey and multidimensional that even turns the villain into a hero in their story, and push the presumed hero to villainy. It is so good at playing with perspectives so that we got a very complete picture of the story and the message this drama trying to convey.
The richness of TVOS's settings is also apparent. The use of real environment with the farming field, mountain, forrest, river, and sea, the potrayals of commoners and their lives through the market, the everyday family life, add more realism to the world. When the story is telling about conflict and war, they also show the impacts on family and societal level, not only individual or personal. It speaks volume for "the luxury of normal life" where family could live together, children have their guardians around, individuals could have idle life while still thriving through their works, where people could enjoy meal without scheming for revenge!
I am so suprised on how well this drama gives voice to the commoner, the marginalized one in almost all historical dramas. They are not merely a background for the elites, cameos walking and running in the back to fill the space, but a collective character that also play some roles through their interaction with main and side characters, their responses to the ongoing situation, and to some extent, they also drive the plot in a subtle manner.
Watching this, I don't care about its lacking of romance or comedy. I don't care about rating and other quantitative measures. I don't pay heed to some harsh commentaries. It is just too phenomenal to be missed, for everything that it can offer to open my mind as an audience. Bravo to all the actors and production teams!
Watching this drama reminds me of several older series. Comparing it to the famous Nirvana in Fire (2015), while sharing similar theme of revenge, The Vendetta of An (TVOA) has ruthlessness that is not found in the former show. It is more bloody and cunning. It is a battle in various domains, not only physical, but also psychological and political. It doesn't dwell too much on palace politics, which is refreshing for a historical drama.
And, talking about ruthlessness, it is comparable to Game of Throne, however with a strength that makes TVOA, an Asian show, more shining in my eyes: a profound moral value. Thus, every drip of blood and tears shed here has more weight. They are meaningful, not only in telling the narratives but also heartwrenchingly igniting viewers empathy and even compassionate feeling and other emotions. We watch it for the virtuous to win, for a light in the end of a long dark tunnel to keep shining, not for the thrill and sensation alone. For a drama to be able to cause such effects on viewers, for me, it is a success.
I believe a good drama can defend itself and needs not to rely itself on the popularity of a certain actor. For TVOA, the story itself is its grestest asset that would challenge futures Chinese drama. It is set a higher bar in several areas of drama making and storytelling. For characterization, we got a continuum of personality spanning from the wickest to the most innocents, they are so grey and multidimensional that even turns the villain into a hero in their story, and push the presumed hero to villainy. It is so good at playing with perspectives so that we got a very complete picture of the story and the message this drama trying to convey.
The richness of TVOS's settings is also apparent. The use of real environment with the farming field, mountain, forrest, river, and sea, the potrayals of commoners and their lives through the market, the everyday family life, add more realism to the world. When the story is telling about conflict and war, they also show the impacts on family and societal level, not only individual or personal. It speaks volume for "the luxury of normal life" where family could live together, children have their guardians around, individuals could have idle life while still thriving through their works, where people could enjoy meal without scheming for revenge!
I am so suprised on how well this drama gives voice to the commoner, the marginalized one in almost all historical dramas. They are not merely a background for the elites, cameos walking and running in the back to fill the space, but a collective character that also play some roles through their interaction with main and side characters, their responses to the ongoing situation, and to some extent, they also drive the plot in a subtle manner.
Watching this, I don't care about its lacking of romance or comedy. I don't care about rating and other quantitative measures. I don't pay heed to some harsh commentaries. It is just too phenomenal to be missed, for everything that it can offer to open my mind as an audience. Bravo to all the actors and production teams!
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