My Girlfriend Is an Alien Episode 20
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After yet more dramatic tension as Xiaoqi is determined to flee the city to escape her feelings for Leng and not cause him any more trouble, giving up for good both her love for him and also ever retrieving her messenger, Fang Leng manages to stop her from leaving and closes the episode by clearly shooing away Jiang Xue and confessing his feelings to Xiaoqi. Now, after all the teasing, will the show finally, truly allow them to be a couple? At least for a little while? Or will the show contrive some other stupid reason to pull them a part? Good writers know that a good romance story is stronger when it also includes time as an actual romance - not perpetual misunderstandings / avoidance / pursuit / reconciliation / misunderstanding / avoidance / pursuit / repeat! Because we are 20 episodes in an this show has been almost entirely the latter stuff.
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My Girlfriend Is an Alien Episode 19
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Finally, this episode moved multiple character arcs forward. The obvious one is Xiaoqi finally realizing she truly cares more about Fang Leng than she even cares about retrieving the messenger and going home. Unfortunately, while she is on her way to this understanding, it comes too late before Leng gets seriously hurt as she inadvertently disturbs the messenger, which got embedded next to his heart in the car accident. This puts his life in danger and this event reveals some new character traits in Fang Lie. On one hand, he seems to truly see just how much despair Xiaoqi is feeling for Leng and he helps to get his family out of the way for her to see him. But then, at the critical moment of letting her see him, he shows his true selfish, awful colors by forcing her to promise to give up Leng after this. Because he selfishly wants her,. I've kind of disliked his stupid, childish character ever since the very beginning and this action just cements it. He is one of the worst kind of 'villains' because he stupidly and naively thinks he is a good person. But he is not. He is as emotionally stupid and selfish like a child. And like a child, he breaks things.
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My Girlfriend Is an Alien Episode 18
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The constant up-and-down recycling of the initial romance dynamics is so old and tired now. The show needs to start to actually move forward with a real romance between the leads. Otherwise it is making the mistake of so many bad romance writers who seem to think that romance is only found in the tensions at the beginning of a relationship. Yes that part - the meeting of two people, overcoming their boundaries, being drawn closer and realizing their feelings - can be the exciting initial sugar candy of of a relationship. Full of drama. But re-cycling that part and never getting past it gets dull and the sweetness becomes dull and bitter. This episode shows signs of Leng finally realizing his feelings, despite the memory loss, but suddenly now the relationship has to overcome HER fear born of just how harsh he rejected her. So that feels like once again starting all over. How long will they drag THAT out?
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The only negative about this show so far is that pretty much every single guy acts with the maturity of a 5th grader. Sometimes that can be funny, but too much and it's boring and exemplary of lazy writing. It's also a massive disservice to gamer culture. Yes some gamers are overgrown children stuck in pre-pubescent states of existence. But most are perfectly normal humans who are far more sensible and respectful than the idiots in this episode. Aside from leaning too heavily into this stereotype, the show is quite excellent so far. Pacing is good. The way it layers in the game action as meaningful to the larger story is very well done so far. There are unfortunate hints of lazy drama tropes to come but hopefully the writers will not lean too heavily on such as the show progresses.
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My Girlfriend Is an Alien Episode 17
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The plot is still dragging but this episode _finally_ saw some progress. Obviously, in Fang Leng realizing that he had wronged Xiao Qi and actually apologizing. But also in a bit of interaction between Fang Leng and his father. Oh - and even meathead Fang Lei actually finally showing some stones when he rejects further participation with Jian Xue's schemes. So both brothers _finally_ showed some forward progress as humans, however small those steps were. We'll have to see whether the writers keep it moving forward or if they regress into the crap that has dominated much of the last 7-8 episodes.
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My Girlfriend Is an Alien Episode 16
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BUT it nearly saves itself with the closing gag scene. That made enduring all the time-wasting stuff kinda worth it and I have to give the episode at least a decent score just for that. Don't get me wrong, I'm still annoyed at how there is nearly zero character development other than a little bit by Xiaoqi and how so much time is filled with obvious cliche' plot gimmicks that are annoying if this is a drama and not funny if this is a comedy. I'm hoping that things pick up and start to move forward again soon.
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My Girlfriend Is an Alien Episode 15
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The plot is really dragging at this point. By blowing away Fang Leng's memories of Xiaoqi they have basically recycled the whole plot from the beginning, only with some variations such as the scheming wanna-be-girlfriend and the annoyingly stupid Fang Lei thrown into the mix. Both are there purely to act as distraction relationships to pull the leads apart for no other reason than to kill screen time. Otherwise, much of this just feels like the first 10 episodes recycled. No real progress in anyone's character except slightly maybe in Xiaoqi, who slowly is showing signs of better understanding what her emotions mean. Everyone else seems either as dangerously stupid (Fang Lei) or mentally disturbed (Fang Leng, Jiang Xue, Aunti Zhou, etc., etc.) as they were at the start. The story at this point just recycles some of the plot gimmick from the early part of the series and otherwise throws in one cliche' drama trope after another. Some work as gags. Many don't.
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This episode kicks off with Pei Yi continuing to show how she is the absolute boss of all events happening. Her toying with the guards sent to arrest Luo Chen is masterful - especially after the way she toyed and took control of him! Next, her final revenge scene against Cui Min Zhong was so cold and badass it deserves to be shared as an isolated scene on YouTube for ages to come. But wait! There's more. She follows up THAT scene by boldly calling out the Emperor for HIS share of the blame and manipulating him as well! The air finally gets let out a bit when Consort Shu decides she will NOT run away with Pei Yi and will instead stay by the Emperor's side. It's not clear whether this is what Pei Yi expected all along or not. The subsequent scene of her and Xiao Huaijin having a playful snowball fight suggest that maybe it is as she seems so happy with how things turned out. As the episode wraps up the series, it's hard not to love some of the closure details. Obviously Wu Ren ascending to boss of the PIB and her relationship with Prosecutor Gu is an expected thing.. But it was also a nice touch to show Zhou Yudi mentoring young Yu Lan'er. The only thing left hanging is, of course, that they don't deal justice towards Prince Li Qiang, for his plotting against Consort Shu. I guess they will leave that for Season 2.
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Wow. This episode shows just how powerful a schemer Li Pei Yi is - she totally manipulates EVERYBODY in this episode to get the result she wants. Her cold calculus doesn't even spare Xiao Hauijin - she uses him like a pawn just like she uses everyone else. This is like Iago (see Othello) or Ozymandias / Adrian Veidt (see Watchmen) level manipulation of events. It's almost scary to realize that she has this level of ability. This episode is a grand display of her playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers. The moment when she looks over to spot Prince Li Qiang glaring at her and she raises her cup to him, pointing out that she now knows HE is the villain behind the attempt to frame Consort Shu - that was so cold and satisfying! It's only sad because so many soldiers on both sides died in the fighting that happened. But she had to force Cui Min Zhong to show his hand in rebellion.
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Pei Yi is faced with the quandary of what to do about an 'ally' - indeed, a longtime close family friend - who has turned out to be a homicidal maniac. Worse - as insane as he is, he's aligned with her own personal revenge goals. Later, a tiny moment within Pei Yi's conversation with Consort Shu; When Consort Shu reveals that she knows all about the nursery rhyme, Pei Yi inhales, raises and lowers her shoulders in one those small but incredibly emotive gestures that only a really skilled actress like Bai Lu can pull off convincingly. I actually missed it the first time because it was so natural. Spotted it when I replayed the scene. Love to see good acting like that, where the attention to detail is so deep.
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My Girlfriend Is an Alien Episode 6
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Both Wan Peng and Bie Thassapak Hsu are just killing me with the comedy bits. Six episodes in and they are still catching me by surprise with 'snort my drink out my nose' moments. Watching Fang Leng rehearse the role of 'romantic CEO lead' with a pillow was precious! And man, Wan Peng has totally surprised me with how good she is. I had only seen her in a later role as the tough sister in Love's Ambition (in which she was fantastic) but that was a more dramatic role and not so much comedy. Her comedic skill with expressions and body language and just moving around quietly to skewer a scene is wonderful. I'm so glad I decided to bing this comedy series, even if it is a few years old.
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My Girlfriend Is an Alien Episode 5
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This episode seemingly tipped the key factor that will be important for the romance in that ML still remembers Xiaoqi after a rainstorm even though he forgets all other females. On the other hand the episode closes in mixed fashion with him on a date with the stereotypical 'scheming girl' and Xiaoqi innocently trying to help him on the date because ... well. She's an alien. The two are already bantering like a married couple but it's clear that she is still too naive and he has way too many neurosis that their romance is going to be slow to develop.
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This episode, like almost all recent episodes, was very well executed. And there is nothing major wrong with the plot, acting or production. But it's nevertheless ... just a bit sad and depressing. If there is a 'flaw', it is of course the plot making use of the 'noble idiocy' trope in having Pei Yi and Huaijin both stubbornly sacrifice their love, "for the good of the other". But it's not completely idiotic like it is in so many dramas. Their concerns and behavior is reasonable given their situations. But it is frustrating and sad to watch. Of course we know this is just part of the larger story, right?
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My Girlfriend Is an Alien Episode 1
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Wan Peng is hilarious. Her comedic talents are a total surprise. I was not expecting just how good she is with physical comedy. Not the fall-down-stupidly type of comedy either. Shey uses nuance and quiet motion brilliantly. Just the way the moves around a scene even when other characters are talking and _should_ be the focus., you can't take your eyes off her She's a total scene stealer.
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While the prior episode was about quiet, dramatic tension followed by sweet romance, this episode was cold calculation leading to dramatic violence followed by romantic collapse. I know some viewers might rate this lower because of the romantic 'downer' of an ending, but the overall quality of the episode cannot be denied. It's also, unfortunately, a simple inevitable trope that in c-dramas, the writers will contrive to separate the lead couple right about now, with just a few episodes remaining. So I wasn't really surprised by the ending. It just kicks off the final arc which will have the two climbing inevitably back together.
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