4
Revenge best served vertically
I'm going to start with a confession. This is my first vertical format mobile-first drama. It is certainly an eye-opener. Very watchable but also a little unsettling. ;)
As a regular consumer of "normal" long form dramas, 60-100+ tiny eps is mind boggling. How does it even work? Once you discover one, you will see them everywhere.
Let's focus on this drama for now. It is fast, brash and entertaining. Eps flash by with no intros or outros. Some are no more than 1 scene long. Even longer ones are only 2- or 3-minutes max. It is perfect for the daily commute or when you wait for your decaf soy latte.
A breakneck pace is necessary when the run-time is measured in minutes. It makes the pacing of a regular 40 eps drama feels glacial.
The production value is decidedly patchy though. It can go from decent to laughable. Some backgrounds are blurred. It feels like they were done in post-production. It is probably just as well as the overall budget must be limited. The least we see, the better.
In terms of acting, our leads are the highlight. The key support actors are ok. The rest is a mixed bag. I won't be surprised if they rounded up some members of the local drama club as extras.
The ML has a hint of Xu Kai about him, and he dominates most scenes. The FL acted her heart out and the camera is kind to her. Our OTP have oodles of chemistry and are not shy of skinship. Plenty of passionate kisses and more. The first few eps set the scene.
This pairs well with the vertical format. As it always has a sharp focus on the subject of interest. It is almost voyeuristic. There are few wide shots and no panning ones. Everything is tightly framed. This is their way to maximise the feels. A phone screen is surprisingly well suited for that purpose.
This brings us to the elephant in the room. While the pacing is fast and furious, the script and direction has to run to catch up. There are quite a few WTF moments when the script seemed to have gone rogue. You just have to roll with it. If you like your show tight and logical then you will groan. I share your pain. ;)
The revenge story is decent, but it is as old as time. There are plot holes, inconsistencies and continuity issues. To fully enjoy this drama, you really need to switch off your frontal lobe. Ask no questions, chingu.
In the end, I appreciate the need for this new format. I suppose it is more evolution than revolution. TikTok showed us where such short-form videos fit into our daily routine, the rest is inevitable.
Is it for me? I'm still fence sitting. It is a mix of TikTok, Mills & Boon and manhua. Love, desire, confrontation and revenge will be on high rotation. I won't mind sampling a few more. It is a form of fast food. You will be hungry soon after the last scene fades to black. Peace.
As a regular consumer of "normal" long form dramas, 60-100+ tiny eps is mind boggling. How does it even work? Once you discover one, you will see them everywhere.
Let's focus on this drama for now. It is fast, brash and entertaining. Eps flash by with no intros or outros. Some are no more than 1 scene long. Even longer ones are only 2- or 3-minutes max. It is perfect for the daily commute or when you wait for your decaf soy latte.
A breakneck pace is necessary when the run-time is measured in minutes. It makes the pacing of a regular 40 eps drama feels glacial.
The production value is decidedly patchy though. It can go from decent to laughable. Some backgrounds are blurred. It feels like they were done in post-production. It is probably just as well as the overall budget must be limited. The least we see, the better.
In terms of acting, our leads are the highlight. The key support actors are ok. The rest is a mixed bag. I won't be surprised if they rounded up some members of the local drama club as extras.
The ML has a hint of Xu Kai about him, and he dominates most scenes. The FL acted her heart out and the camera is kind to her. Our OTP have oodles of chemistry and are not shy of skinship. Plenty of passionate kisses and more. The first few eps set the scene.
This pairs well with the vertical format. As it always has a sharp focus on the subject of interest. It is almost voyeuristic. There are few wide shots and no panning ones. Everything is tightly framed. This is their way to maximise the feels. A phone screen is surprisingly well suited for that purpose.
This brings us to the elephant in the room. While the pacing is fast and furious, the script and direction has to run to catch up. There are quite a few WTF moments when the script seemed to have gone rogue. You just have to roll with it. If you like your show tight and logical then you will groan. I share your pain. ;)
The revenge story is decent, but it is as old as time. There are plot holes, inconsistencies and continuity issues. To fully enjoy this drama, you really need to switch off your frontal lobe. Ask no questions, chingu.
In the end, I appreciate the need for this new format. I suppose it is more evolution than revolution. TikTok showed us where such short-form videos fit into our daily routine, the rest is inevitable.
Is it for me? I'm still fence sitting. It is a mix of TikTok, Mills & Boon and manhua. Love, desire, confrontation and revenge will be on high rotation. I won't mind sampling a few more. It is a form of fast food. You will be hungry soon after the last scene fades to black. Peace.
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