This review may contain spoilers
Not a fluffy romance but love in a real world
When we start watching a show or a series, what most of us look for is an escape.
An escape into a world that is not ours, that doesn't consist of the same problems that we go through in our daily lives.
This show does offer you an escape, but without completely losing touch with the reality.
The story follows Jim, who is the owner of a chicken diner shop, that offers free chicken after midnight to its customers. He is a middle aged man(looks too fine for his age though), who struggles to make ends meet. Along with his financial problems, he has a somewhat stained relationship with his nephew Li Ming. Jim is a good and kind-hearted man, but also a man who has been broken and humbled by life for too long to have any place for love and romance in his life.
Enters Wen.
At midnight, Jim finds Wen drunk and passed out at his diner. As they start to communicate they both realize the undeniable spark and tension between them. So, they have a one night stand. Or so Jim thought.
Wen falls head over heels for him from the very first glance and not even for a second does he try to conceal that. On the other hand, even though Jim also likes him and is attracted to him too, he finds it difficult to let go of his past traumas and fears and so creates a wall around his heart, keeping his true feelings locked away.
What I truly loved about the development of their relationship was how mature and unapologetic it was. There was no - 'I think I like you' or hidden glances or confusion created just for the sake of drama. It was clear to both the characters and the audience from their very first scene together that they liked each other. But their unresolved past stood in the way.
Theirs is a romance between two adults who have baggage, regrets, and jobs that don't pause for romance. Their characters have lived life enough to understand that only love wasn't enough to get by in life. That even if you love hard and unconditionally, it can still end in heartbreak. And so their relationship grows silently, not with electric passion or shivering at each other's touch - but through silent moments, by not leaving each other's side.
Alan and Wen's dynamic was also very beautifully explored in the plot. Alan's yearning and his inability to let go of his love was painful to watch. It just showed how sometimes love doesn’t disappear — it just changes form, and sometimes the bravest thing is to let go with love. First's acting in those particular scenes with Mix felt so real that it was a struggle to not burst into tears.
While Alan struggled to let someone go who he has been with for many years, Gaipa on the other hand, was stuck in an unrequited love. Even though we don't get to see their relationship blossom, I felt like the series did justice to both their characters. Alan accepting the fact that Wen can't be a part of his life anymore and Gaipa realizing that some relationships are just not meant to come to reality gave a much needed closure for both the characters which helped them move on.
Now for the young love! Li Ming and Heart's story was as you would expect teenage fluttery love story to be. Simple, Sweet and heart-warming.
Heart is deaf and to avoid him getting judged by people, his parents restrict him to his house. Their first encounter with each other is not very pleasant. But over time they become friends and Li Ming, a sulky teenager soon turns into Heart's most trusted companion. Both of them find solace in each other's presence, and grow a bond that is beyond just friendship. They create a world within the world where both of them feel understood by each other.
Apart from the romantic relationships, the highlight for me was Jim and Li Ming's evolving relationship. Their misunderstandings and then reconciliations felt personal. All of us have been there with our parents at some point, where we struggled to speak each other's languages. But as we learn to be better sons and daughters, our parents too are learning from their mistakes. It was heart warming to see them choose each other despite all the differences. To try to understand each other better and be there for each other.
Over all, I was really satisfied with each and every story and the way they ended. None of them felt forced. We get to spend enough time with each of the characters to understand their internal conflicts and see a reflection of our lives in theirs. This show can't be described as 'love story' but rather a story about love that is always growing and evolving as we move through life. And in the end, it's the people we choose to sit with at a random chicken diner shop, at midnight and share our plates with!
An escape into a world that is not ours, that doesn't consist of the same problems that we go through in our daily lives.
This show does offer you an escape, but without completely losing touch with the reality.
The story follows Jim, who is the owner of a chicken diner shop, that offers free chicken after midnight to its customers. He is a middle aged man(looks too fine for his age though), who struggles to make ends meet. Along with his financial problems, he has a somewhat stained relationship with his nephew Li Ming. Jim is a good and kind-hearted man, but also a man who has been broken and humbled by life for too long to have any place for love and romance in his life.
Enters Wen.
At midnight, Jim finds Wen drunk and passed out at his diner. As they start to communicate they both realize the undeniable spark and tension between them. So, they have a one night stand. Or so Jim thought.
Wen falls head over heels for him from the very first glance and not even for a second does he try to conceal that. On the other hand, even though Jim also likes him and is attracted to him too, he finds it difficult to let go of his past traumas and fears and so creates a wall around his heart, keeping his true feelings locked away.
What I truly loved about the development of their relationship was how mature and unapologetic it was. There was no - 'I think I like you' or hidden glances or confusion created just for the sake of drama. It was clear to both the characters and the audience from their very first scene together that they liked each other. But their unresolved past stood in the way.
Theirs is a romance between two adults who have baggage, regrets, and jobs that don't pause for romance. Their characters have lived life enough to understand that only love wasn't enough to get by in life. That even if you love hard and unconditionally, it can still end in heartbreak. And so their relationship grows silently, not with electric passion or shivering at each other's touch - but through silent moments, by not leaving each other's side.
Alan and Wen's dynamic was also very beautifully explored in the plot. Alan's yearning and his inability to let go of his love was painful to watch. It just showed how sometimes love doesn’t disappear — it just changes form, and sometimes the bravest thing is to let go with love. First's acting in those particular scenes with Mix felt so real that it was a struggle to not burst into tears.
While Alan struggled to let someone go who he has been with for many years, Gaipa on the other hand, was stuck in an unrequited love. Even though we don't get to see their relationship blossom, I felt like the series did justice to both their characters. Alan accepting the fact that Wen can't be a part of his life anymore and Gaipa realizing that some relationships are just not meant to come to reality gave a much needed closure for both the characters which helped them move on.
Now for the young love! Li Ming and Heart's story was as you would expect teenage fluttery love story to be. Simple, Sweet and heart-warming.
Heart is deaf and to avoid him getting judged by people, his parents restrict him to his house. Their first encounter with each other is not very pleasant. But over time they become friends and Li Ming, a sulky teenager soon turns into Heart's most trusted companion. Both of them find solace in each other's presence, and grow a bond that is beyond just friendship. They create a world within the world where both of them feel understood by each other.
Apart from the romantic relationships, the highlight for me was Jim and Li Ming's evolving relationship. Their misunderstandings and then reconciliations felt personal. All of us have been there with our parents at some point, where we struggled to speak each other's languages. But as we learn to be better sons and daughters, our parents too are learning from their mistakes. It was heart warming to see them choose each other despite all the differences. To try to understand each other better and be there for each other.
Over all, I was really satisfied with each and every story and the way they ended. None of them felt forced. We get to spend enough time with each of the characters to understand their internal conflicts and see a reflection of our lives in theirs. This show can't be described as 'love story' but rather a story about love that is always growing and evolving as we move through life. And in the end, it's the people we choose to sit with at a random chicken diner shop, at midnight and share our plates with!
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