This review may contain spoilers
What I Didn't Know: Unfinished Love Story. Part 2 is Planned.
This drama ends with a note from the producers essentially saying Look Forward to Part 2. So now I see why they dragged out the love story, which is the only reason why I watched. It had better come soon, as they set up some new actors and launched some new vendettas in the last few episodes. So fair warning, if you are looking for even a kiss in Part 1, keep dreaming.
The main reason to see this, beyond the women's suffrage message, is the incredible acting of the three leads, which is great across the board. Even among three people, Wei Zhe Ming stands out; primarily because the script gave his character so many places to go. He has really demonstrated his acting chops here, including some blubbering crying at his lowest point. He has definitely "gone for broke," as they say. Li Xian just beams at Yang Zi throughout the show. I have rarely seen an actor do such a great job at glowing with manly love while also exuding a suave playboy character trait. So pretty to watch. I am as straight as they come, but on behalf of this ML, even I want to reach out and give the pretty FL a good squeeze--the yearning is so palpable. Speaking of pretty, the only small downside in Yang Zi's performance is that, even when she is at her lowest, she still is looking so beautiful and calm. (I have watched a lot of her shows and have never, ever, seen her looking so good, way beyond the "beauty skin filter" effect.). With dirt and blood all over her, it is still hard for her to twist her face into something that looks gritty and desperate. Still, as always, her acting is great.
An irony here, which perhaps with be touched on in Part 2, is that the FL states that she can live well without a man. That might be true for many women, but the FL has faced so many near death experiences (a lot for a 32 episode series!) and importantly has been rescued or helped by the ML just as many times as she has helped herself. So frankly, while she can help herself, she wouldn't be alive to do so without the ML having helped her.
Also, if you don't like people who focus on accumulating wealth, skip this, because, in Part 1 at least, the ML and FL are all about the money and calculating every nickel (yen) owed. It can get tiring, as it is, IMHO, not an American value. Fingers crossed that the focus on money is also one of the issues they will address in Part 2. Since I didn't read the book, I have no clue as to what lies ahead. I hope they release Part 2 before I cease to care.
The main reason to see this, beyond the women's suffrage message, is the incredible acting of the three leads, which is great across the board. Even among three people, Wei Zhe Ming stands out; primarily because the script gave his character so many places to go. He has really demonstrated his acting chops here, including some blubbering crying at his lowest point. He has definitely "gone for broke," as they say. Li Xian just beams at Yang Zi throughout the show. I have rarely seen an actor do such a great job at glowing with manly love while also exuding a suave playboy character trait. So pretty to watch. I am as straight as they come, but on behalf of this ML, even I want to reach out and give the pretty FL a good squeeze--the yearning is so palpable. Speaking of pretty, the only small downside in Yang Zi's performance is that, even when she is at her lowest, she still is looking so beautiful and calm. (I have watched a lot of her shows and have never, ever, seen her looking so good, way beyond the "beauty skin filter" effect.). With dirt and blood all over her, it is still hard for her to twist her face into something that looks gritty and desperate. Still, as always, her acting is great.
An irony here, which perhaps with be touched on in Part 2, is that the FL states that she can live well without a man. That might be true for many women, but the FL has faced so many near death experiences (a lot for a 32 episode series!) and importantly has been rescued or helped by the ML just as many times as she has helped herself. So frankly, while she can help herself, she wouldn't be alive to do so without the ML having helped her.
Also, if you don't like people who focus on accumulating wealth, skip this, because, in Part 1 at least, the ML and FL are all about the money and calculating every nickel (yen) owed. It can get tiring, as it is, IMHO, not an American value. Fingers crossed that the focus on money is also one of the issues they will address in Part 2. Since I didn't read the book, I have no clue as to what lies ahead. I hope they release Part 2 before I cease to care.
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