Editorials 
Classy, refine, elegant, understated
From the presentation, the plot, the script, to the entire cast of major and minor characters, everything in Against the Current is classy, refine, elegant, understated. Nothing is ever in your face. The drama never tries to impress you, and yet, you're thoroughly impressed and completely captivated right from the beginning.
The drama centers on Lanxiang (Tan Song Yun). Born into privilege, deeply loved by her family, she is brought up well educated and with this foundation, along with her natural grace, blossoms into a fine young lady. However, her life unexpectedly and cruelly undergoes a monumental shift and she begins a life of servitude. Using her grace, kindness, wit and self-awareness, she strives for survival and freedom while helping so many along the way.
As we settle into the story, we get the opportunity to see how Lanxiang navigates her new life, sometimes at the same moment she recognizes danger; that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach as the realization dawns on her. She comprehends that she and her peers are trapped in a cycle of power struggle among the masters they serve and no matter the outcome, she and those she cares about are meant to be collateral damage, often discarded without a single thought. One wrong look, or word, or your mere presence can mean the difference between life or death, or a life of misery and pain. A combination of great directing, acting, and script makes the character struggles believable. You know Lanxiang is going to eventually kick butt and you look forward to it. But just the same, you look forward to how she tries to solve these seemingly insurmountable matters. And because it's never easy for her and the people she cares about, it is in this challenge that you root for her and many others. It's quite a gratifying watch.
Although this isn't a romance centric drama and it even takes a while for the male lead (Liu Xue Yi) to notice the female lead, the ultra slow burn romance doesn't frustrate you at all. Instead you smile in anticipation knowing that when he finally notices how precious she is, she would be the only creature he sees even if she were miles away. The male lead is by no means flawless. He is a good man with good intentions but he is a man of his times and he misses the fundamental point of what she is fighting for: her sense of agency and autonomy. And this misalignment and conflict between them is interesting to watch as each learn to truly see and love one another.
Though the tragedies unfold disproportionately for the female characters in the story, what I took away is that everyone is a victim in the pursuit of individual happiness and well-being in such an entrenched society. As a viewer with modern sensibilities, your immediate support of these characters striving for individual rights is a given. But you also witness the dire consequences one wrong individual move has on an entire family or clan, so even obvious villains come across multilayered and thought provoking. Who am I to judge? Would I or would I not have made the same choice if I were in their position? It gives you pause to think and understand, rather than pass judgement.
I enjoyed the first half more than the second half, regardless, it's a fantastic watch throughout. I'll close with a message from a scene that unexpectedly brought tears to my eyes: "Ask yourselves 'what do I live for?' Keep your hearts true, follow the right path, and go far with steady steps. Only then can we be worthy of the lives we've been given."
The drama centers on Lanxiang (Tan Song Yun). Born into privilege, deeply loved by her family, she is brought up well educated and with this foundation, along with her natural grace, blossoms into a fine young lady. However, her life unexpectedly and cruelly undergoes a monumental shift and she begins a life of servitude. Using her grace, kindness, wit and self-awareness, she strives for survival and freedom while helping so many along the way.
As we settle into the story, we get the opportunity to see how Lanxiang navigates her new life, sometimes at the same moment she recognizes danger; that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach as the realization dawns on her. She comprehends that she and her peers are trapped in a cycle of power struggle among the masters they serve and no matter the outcome, she and those she cares about are meant to be collateral damage, often discarded without a single thought. One wrong look, or word, or your mere presence can mean the difference between life or death, or a life of misery and pain. A combination of great directing, acting, and script makes the character struggles believable. You know Lanxiang is going to eventually kick butt and you look forward to it. But just the same, you look forward to how she tries to solve these seemingly insurmountable matters. And because it's never easy for her and the people she cares about, it is in this challenge that you root for her and many others. It's quite a gratifying watch.
Although this isn't a romance centric drama and it even takes a while for the male lead (Liu Xue Yi) to notice the female lead, the ultra slow burn romance doesn't frustrate you at all. Instead you smile in anticipation knowing that when he finally notices how precious she is, she would be the only creature he sees even if she were miles away. The male lead is by no means flawless. He is a good man with good intentions but he is a man of his times and he misses the fundamental point of what she is fighting for: her sense of agency and autonomy. And this misalignment and conflict between them is interesting to watch as each learn to truly see and love one another.
Though the tragedies unfold disproportionately for the female characters in the story, what I took away is that everyone is a victim in the pursuit of individual happiness and well-being in such an entrenched society. As a viewer with modern sensibilities, your immediate support of these characters striving for individual rights is a given. But you also witness the dire consequences one wrong individual move has on an entire family or clan, so even obvious villains come across multilayered and thought provoking. Who am I to judge? Would I or would I not have made the same choice if I were in their position? It gives you pause to think and understand, rather than pass judgement.
I enjoyed the first half more than the second half, regardless, it's a fantastic watch throughout. I'll close with a message from a scene that unexpectedly brought tears to my eyes: "Ask yourselves 'what do I live for?' Keep your hearts true, follow the right path, and go far with steady steps. Only then can we be worthy of the lives we've been given."
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