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No drama Chekhov's Gunned the way YYXH did
This is the first time I'm writing a public review ever since I've started watching dramas (which was a long time ago). I usually only write reviews on my private account for my close friends to see, but the brainrot that YYXH left me to have really calls for a review.STORY:
Every little thing that was put in the novel or game world tied up nicely to Ziqi and Miaomiao's reality. Every single detail that they have introduced here and there served a purpose in the story.
This was very much evident in the last two episodes where everything came to a full circle and the audience are given a chance to have THAT realization on why the plot of the novel was like that, why the characters are acting a certain way, and why this and that happened along the way.
These details added depth to the Ziqi and Miaomiao of the real world, making us feel for them the same way we did for the Ziqi and Miaomiao of the novel or game world.
Usually, transmigration shows have the same formula. The MC would go into the novel or game, the MC will try to change the story to survive, the MC beats the final boss and reaches the end of the story and they're brought back to their real world—where, if they're lucky, they might meet their love interest again. The End.
In this show, up until the 2nd to the last episode, they followed that formula, until they deviated from it—Miaomiao goes into the novel, Miaomiao tries to change the story to survive, Miaomiao beats the final boss and reaches the end of the story BUT just when Miaomiao was about to be brought back to the real world, THE TWIST HAPPENS.
And it's ultimately revealed how the novel or game world is not that far from Miaomiao's reality. In fact, the real world is heavily integrated into it. Miaomiao herself is heavily integrated to it.
It's kind of meta, if you ask me. And that's one thing I like the most about the story. It's very much "aware".
My interpretation is that:
- When Miaomiao still had her memory, YYXH's plot was on track. She made fun of the novel, made her own changes, and this is what we, as the audience, loved to see. This is what made us watch YYXH.
- But then, Miaomiao lost her memory. The plot faltered. And of course it will, our player is no longer playing—she FORGOT that she's playing. The plot is on auto-pilot now. YYXH is following Catching Demon's plot. It's natural it's going to be "bad" at that point, Miaomiao judged it as "bad" herself.
- Then, towards the end, Miaomiao finally regained her memory. AND IT WAS PEAK.
I won't say anything more to avoid spoilers. GO WATCH THE SHOW AND BE THE JUDGE!
BONUS: I love how they utilized the System. Usually, for shows like these, the System is forgotten midway. But here, the System is constantly involved and it only stopped being involved when Miaomiao forgot about it—which, again, shows that the story is very much "aware".
The production team definitely knew what they were doing.
ACTING/CAST:
I'm not really an authority when it comes to acting. My only criteria to say that an actor is good is when I'm able to enjoy the show while watching him or her. (My opinion is that it doesn't really matter how much technical skills an actor has. If the actor delivers what he has to deliver and make me feel for their character, then they're good in my books.)
And I definitely enjoyed watching the show. In fact, it was a joy to see Ding Yuxi and Yu Shuxin on screen again. They deliver what they have to deliver and their chemistry is a wonderful sight to see.
The chemistry of the ensemble cast is lovely, too. The found family vibes is too strong and it made me want to see more of their adventures.
The side characters are also good.
(Can I also say: I love how there's no definite villain in this show. They have their own considerations and when you think about things in their perspective, it makes sense why they acted the way they did. It's just realistic in a sense that everyone has their own life and it's just a matter of having different interests on why they're on different sides.)
MUSIC:
The soundtrack SLAPS. All the BGM and sound effects were properly placed and adds to the overall watching experience.
REWATCH VALUE:
For all of its easter eggs, one watch is not enough to catch them all. There's so much detail put into this story that if you watch it again, you'd notice something new.
In fact, even before you finish it, there are already a lot of scenes where you can't help yourself but go, "Oh, I have to watch that again."
OVERALL:
To be honest, the story is not anything grand—like, you wouldn't go into this and objectively think, "Oh, this is a masterpiece."
But there's heart in it that even when it's as simple as can be, you just FEEL that it is definitely a gem that you want to keep. It's definitely a comfort show more than anything.
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There is beauty in simplicity—even in ones that simply talk about home.
I have been compelled to write another review on this platform because I ended up really loving this show and I have to talk about it with someone.STORY:
Home is the central theme of this show. It is evident in the title, and even more evident if you watch the show yourself. You can find traces of home in the dynamics of the families (within the family itself and among the little compound they live in); in the friendships, and in the relationships. There are different types of home and this show sure showed a lot of them.
The story is actually simple. It's mundane. There are no grand scheme of things. But the heart in the writing made it compelling to watch—to see where life will take the main characters and how they will grow as people.
Special Mention: Xichi and Huan'er's relationship. The writers wrote neighbors to best friends to lovers perfectly. Their dynamic is so good as best friends; and when they shifted to becoming lovers, it's even better than before. It's such a joy to see their relationship go from one level to another. They're like that classmate of yours that you know like each other and you can't help but root for them to finally get together. It's not really an "in your face" romance, but their little moments left me giggling more than I do when watching actual romance shows. Maybe it also helps that Zhai Xiaowen and Yang Xizi's chemistry is so good!
ACTING/CAST:
I have always been neutral about Zhai Xiaowen, but he was really good in this show. His acting is very natural and he really brought Jing Xichi to life. This made me see him differently as an actor and made me want to look forward to his projects in the future.
As for Yang Xizi, she has always been an actress I like. I don't know if people have noticed, but she's actually a side character in a lot of Cheng Yi's dramas. And even then, she has always delivered. This show is no different. Like Xiaowen, her acting is also very natural and she brought nuance to a character people would usually consider a Mary Sue. She is a joy to watch as the sweet and lovely Chen Huan'er. And I'm looking forward to her future projects as well.
As for Zhou Keyu and He Qiu, their portrayals as Song Cong and Qi Qi are also good. In fact, all the other characters delivered and watching this show really felt like watching a bunch of high school friends going through life. In short, the acting was really convincing.
Special Mention: The parents. Their acting? Chef's kiss. I have nothing else to say.
MUSIC:
THE MUSIC IS PERFECT. Every song fits the scene and I've been listening to that one song by CigarHan a lot. Watch it and you'll know what I'm talking about.
REWATCH VALUE:
This is a comfort show for me, so I'd definitely watch it a lot. I can't explain it concretely, but to describe the feeling I had while watching this show: It feels like going back home after a long day of work—cozy, peaceful, and definitely like a warm hug. It's a feeling that you want to chase again.
OVERALL:
This is the #1 youth drama for me now. I know a lot of people had no expectations for this show; and there are some who believe that the low expectations they had for this show made their watch a pleasant surprise. But for me, I had expectations. I was waiting for this show since the announcement of casts (mostly for Xizi) and despite the expectations, it delivered and gave more. It was a lovely culmination of my waiting. Anyway, whether you have expectations or not, I hope everyone would give this show a try.
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Served Visuals, Served CP Excellence, and Served Justice!
The whole time I was watching, I would often joke to myself: What drugs did they put in this drama... why am I so addicted to it?STORY:
I am going to be honest, there are a lot of plot holes in this show, especially in the cases. The case-solving aspect is not really tight if you compare it to other mystery shows. But considering that its other main genre is romance, it's a good enough romance-mystery show. In fact, the romance is too good and it makes up for all the faults in the case-solving.
Individually, Yan Chi and Shen Wan are strong characters; and together, even stronger. They are one of the healthiest couples I've seen in a while, and it's very hard not to love them. One of the things I love about them is how they're both willing to learn from each other, and this was especially evident in the earlier episodes. There are instances where they have different views, but they talk it out and gain new perspectives that broaden their minds. I particularly liked the scenes where Shen Wan lectures Yan Chi on due process and human rights (sorry, I'm a nerd) and Yan Chi reading the books that Shen Wan mentions in passing and a few scenes later, you see him citing quotes from said books (like, wow, what do you know about romance!)
Another thing I love about them is how they give each other both support and comfort. I won't cite specific scenes, but watch the show and you'll know! (A little spoiler: In the whole 38 episodes, there was not a single misunderstanding between them, and even during the times when they were still unfamiliar with each other and felt a little suspicious of each other's motives, they still treated each other with respect.)
Ultimately, the flaws in the story are mostly in the case-solving aspect. But in terms of the overarching plot, I think it's all good. In fact, the story kept me so entertained until the end! Not even the flaws can stop me from watching!
[RE: TALKS ABOUT JUSTICE] I like their little commentary about justice. It can be a little preachy, but I think it's because the heart of the show is Shen Wan's "revenge". Revenge is not just achieved in the form of "an eye for an eye", like most of the "villains" in each cases did. Revenge may also be achieved by putting those who do evil to you before the eyes of the law.
In line with this, I think I saw some people criticizing Shen Wan's character design for being "too perfect". While I do agree that Shen Wan (and even Yan Chi) have crazy protagonist halo, I think that rather than being "too perfect", Shen Wan is just an idealist. After all, she grew up as a daughter of the Minister of the Supreme Court. She is privileged and hasn't seen much of the world yet, until the events of the show happened. I wouldn't hold it against her if she comes off too strong with her beliefs. (In fact, I know a lot of people just like her.) I think this was even addressed in one of the cases, where one of the characters pointed out that she hasn't lived the same experiences as other women to make her own judgment about them by her own standards. So, no. I don't think she's "too perfect". I think she's just an idealist, who eventually came to know how the world truly works as the story progresses.
ACTING/CAST:
Li Landi, the actress that you are! Loved her micro-expressions so much! The way her lips quiver when she's about to cry, like she's holding it back is so on brand for Shen Wan's character design and her performance is just so good! I have always loved her and her performance in this show is just as good as the ones I've watched her in before. She's always improving and from her attitude while acting and her interviews, you just know how much respect she has for the craft.
Ao Ruipeng, you are now one of my elite employees! I actually first saw him in Seven Relics of Ill Omen and I liked his performance there, so I had a little deep dive into his works. Maybe it's my bias (from Seven Relics) but honestly, I used to think he suits the fun and silly characters more than the serious ones. But he was majestic as Yan Chi and he definitely brought Yan Chi to life. His admiring gazes for Shen Wan really sold the CP to me! He's so good at acting in love, I was going crazy every time they had a scene together. In addition to this, he is so good at creating chemistry with every dynamic he has in the show. His dynamic with Bai Feng is so fun to watch. It's not just the typical master-servant dynamic. It also had a hint of "I went through life and death with you. You may be my servant, but you are also one of my brothers" kind of dynamic. His dynamic with Yue Ning and Yan Li is also so lovely. He has that "older brother that they can always depend on and be a little immature to" vibe going on whenever he's with them. And his dynamic with his father was so heartbreaking. He portrayed a child yearning for his father's approval and love so well. The scenes with his father brought me to tears, like, I was crying for real.
Shen Yujie and Yu Chengen are also good! They are so funny and it's so fun seeing their antics.
Overall, the actors in this show are all so good and it's a joy to watch them all bring the characters to life. From the good guys to the bad guys, their acting are all online!
Special Mention: The actress for Qin Zhaoyu. I don't know, she's not really that important of a character, but she stood out so much for me. She just exudes so much grace and I can't help but root for her character.
MUSIC:
THE MUSIC HAS HIT #PLATINUM IN MY HOUSEHOLD. In fact, I already have them on rotation in my daily playlist.
The way the songs were utilized in the scenes in the drama is perfect. It effectively adds on the immersion you feel when you watch the scene. I particularly like it whenever they use Don't Sigh in heartbreaking and angsty scenes. It never fails to make me tear up. I also want to mention Ao Ruipeng's OST in particular. They always add it in the romantic scenes and it's just so perfect and heart-fluttering!
REWATCH VALUE:
Let's just say that every time I finish watching an episode, I immediately go to XHS or Weibo to watch edits or clips. That's how rewatchable it is for me. And I won't miss a single video.
OVERALL:
This drama is just too addicting. Sure, it has some flaws. But it's so entertaining! I loved every second of it, even the ones where I go, "Huh? That kinda doesn't make sense." If you don't want to watch it for the case-solving, at least watch it for the main couple. I have never seen a CP with this good chemistry, this good writing, and this perfect in a long time. They're just so compatible and healthy in a way that is still exciting to watch. I was so crazy about them and I don't think I will forget them for a very long time.
Also: The actors are all online. And they are captured perfectly by the production team. It's a visual feast.
I often say that you really just know when the crew enjoyed doing a project when you see the end result. This is one of those projects. It's definitely going to my Top Favorite Shows List in my heart.
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