Ann

I'm not very familiar with the novel nor the game. But it was indeed an odd casting choice. However I was more excited to see how he's going to pull it off, particularly since I know from The Untamed that this guy's got some serious acting talent. And judging by the trailer alone, it does look good. I'm def looking forward to see the movie! Besides, I'm a huge fan of the director, Ching Siu-Tung.

tbh, I had the same take of the poster like phoe-enix. He's supposed to look super ordinary and dumb, Xiao Zhan even said so himself that his character is the most ordinary. He even put on some weight for the role in order to look more the part... nice effort though bc what I see in the trailer is still a very handsome guy lol.

behind the scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amTHcQ3OMGo
The dedication! I can't wait for the release!

Never heard of him before until I saw him in The Untamed (which I started out of boredom). He totally blew me away! I wasn't sure about his acting and kind of expected him to be just a singer-turned-actor-eyecandy. But he was so amazing, so incredible... there were so many moments and scenes that I was just staring at the screen in awe of his acting. This guy is a natural, def a promising young talent!! I became a fan instantly!

Wow!! Thanks!

Leslie Cheung was probably another tragic example of this as well when he jumped to his death, much like the character he played in his last movie, a thriller about a doctor suffering from depression and hallucination, and haunted by his past. It was known that he was so in character that he sometimes went on days without speaking to anyone on set and isolated himself to get into the character. As he was suffering from depression as well, it was speculated that it could've further driven him into the dark mentally as well.

Watched Code Blue, but I will take a look of the other recs. Thank you!:)

Thank you for these beautiful comments. Depression is unfortunately quite stigmatized and trivialized. And in our capitalistic and performance-oriented society, it is often than not brushed aside as a person's character flaw, not as a serious illness, just because it's not visible. I've been suffering from depression for over ten years, my parents don't understand me and don't want to. The society can be also very harsh to a depressed person. I was lucky that I had my sister, though she also suffered from depression but is better now. I've recently accepted that I'm sick and need help and that there's nothing wrong with reaching out for help. I sometimes still feel very hopeless, especially since I've recently got diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. But I'm fighting and I try to accept my situation and focus on the progress I'm making and what I am (still) able to do, not on what I've lost or failed to do because of both my illnesses.

That's so true! I initially became interested because I thought it was a crime drama after reading the synopsis only. But then it really suprised me when it was actually about much more than just the case itself. And it's not only about the female protagonist and the defendant, but it also shows the problems and questions on marriage, partnership and child caring the other members and their families were struggling with.

Yeah, totally agree with that. I was writing my comment bc I just watched another one about mothers as well, but it didn't delve into the real issues of japanese women. And when I saw this one it was refreshing to see a japanese drama address them in a deeper way. But it's a well-rounded drama about the the issues japanese couples and the child caring face.

Finally, a drama that tackles the issues women, be them mothers or not, faces in Japan. All actors acted very well, and I totally love the editing and camera work. Highly recommended!

Watched it and love it! Somebody can rec me another similar drama? I've tried those recs above, but they didn't have the same atmosphere and weren't quite on par.

Couldn't agree more! I'm glad that I stumbled over this gem. Recently there's a mini-TV show adaption but as you can imagine, condensing it into a 6-episodes show wasn't really a good idea. I hope though that it makes ppl interested in the original show.

It's a good show, but if you know a bit about japanese society, the current low birth rate and the "father-less society" issues and that the government doesn't really address the real problems that japanese women face concerning balancing career and family this drama feels like it wants to make a statement ("Working moms are no good moms", "Women's sole purpose in life is to become a mother").

I first saw him in Mob Psycho and thought he was okay. But then I watched him in Haha ni Naru and though he only had few scenes, he proved that he has potential. He was so good in a particular scene that I cried with him too and his was only a side character! Hopefully he gets more opportunity to shine and showcase his talent.

Thank you so much for this comprehensive article on a legend!

Your article is great as it is. Very well-put and there are many things I didn't know about Michelle!
Oh, Sammo said that? That's really sweet!:D

Thank you soo much for this beautiful post about Michelle Yeoh! She's truly amazing, not only because of her action movies and her portrayal of tough women, but also because she's such a great, sophisticated, intelligent and strong woman in real life as well. I hope I can age that gracefully like her. I also love that she says women are like silk and steel at the same time, that's what I call a true independent and strong woman. Many girls nowadays think that you need to act like a man to prove your independence, but to be confident in your femininity is what is true feminism.
Anyway, she's great in dramatic roles as well, I remember how impressed I was with Lady and Far North. I need to check the Soong sisters as well.

You did a great job here! Thank you! I'm gonna rec this article to every Michelle Yeoh and HK movie fan.;D

Oh, btw, when she had that accident in Ah Kam and got hospitalized, the director went visiting her and she apologized for "ruining the scene", upon which he started crying. He said that she got hurt but yet was not concerned about herself, her dedication moved him. And when she hurt her knee and had to rest, she was pestering the doctors to let her leave earlier because there was another movie project, lol.

Yeah, right on that! I grew up with Wuxia and Action movies from HK. It is laughable how ppl like to believe that Hollywood has invented the genre of tough female MCs.

Thank you so much for this article! I grew up watching most of these flicks and the actresses, particularly Michelle Yeoh, inspired me a lot. Indeed, in terms of strong, independent female characters with personality, China/Hongkong were and are still ahead out of the three east asian film industries. And yes, Hollywood is certainly not groundbreaking in this. Oh, please do one for Michelle Yeoh!