tsuyoi_hikari

Yes me too. The drama keeps me at the edge of my seat. It's really wonderful acting and story wise. 😊

Love last night episodes! Talking about great writing. Folks, this is how you do it.

Qiwen is definitely one of my fave FLs this year. That talk she did with the 3 of guys cemented why I love this writer's writing of the women in this drama. They are written as flawed characters yet so delicate and strong at the same time.

When Qi Wen said:

'Stop acting like our saviours.'
'We are braver and stronger than you.'
'Do you think she is less brave and responsibled than you?'

In that 5 minutes speech, she gave perspectives to the 3 guys. Stop one from doing noble idiocy, another from wallow from his grief and another from worrying too much. 🤣

I love Qi Wen. This is what you called silent strength and devotion. He Xian just look at his wife -- astonished with the strength and resolute she had in her.

I love how the writer keeps saying in the drama - - women have their own mind, strong even with their small bodies, know what they are doing and do not need saviours. Yes, this is how you write strong women characters.

Yes yes I really like Wanqi as well. He is like He Xian little fanboy lol. He is so cute. Have you seen the latest episodes? This drama is great. I love the writing so much. So so so well written.

The British lady definitely dead. She was shot in the chest and Yang Chang saw it with his own eyes. :(

Yes, this drama is based on true story and events - - of course they dramatised some of it. 😆 The writer went to Macau 20 times in order to research the events there and interview people. All the characters like He Xian, Wanqi, Kelin (doctor), Hoshan (Portugal guy looking Chinese that work at the shipping company) are all based on real people. He Xian (real name Ho Yin) is called King of Macau for all his contributions during the war and after. His story has become folklore with how people loves him there.

That's why we can rest since this drama going to be a happy ending since all those characters only die very late way way after the war. And Wanqi for an example only died in 2014 while He Xian in 1983.

Thank you for this info.

He lives far far longer than He Xian. I googled! The first TB vaccine is in 1921 so he should be just fine. This is good news. :D

They shouldnt scare me by saying the disease is terminal. It remind me of Jdrama JINN where the doctor travel back in time and made syphilis vaccine ahead of time and how remorseful he is for changing history lol.

Thank you. Now I can watch the drama with ease.

The drama really didn't give He Xian and Co any rest lol. It was one intense arc after another. I'm enjoying the hell out of it immensely. ❤️

But the most impressive thing I get from this drama is how the Macau people actually protected the plate printing machine so the Japanese can't print their currency. Since if you learnt history, the Japanese did this to mostly all the countries they invaded and print money which crippled the economy and cause inflation. It was a bad time not only due to war but also lack of food due to this economy crisis. I love to learn about this tidbits on how a few people sacrifices did save thousand of lives.

Anyway, I enjoy the scene where He Xian managed to climb up his room and pretend to sleep when Sawa came and inspect his house. I love how he even managed a sip some Champagne to show how drunk he is. 😆 He used to be so nervous but now he is so calm, - - amazing character development.

And rip Wanqi. I knew when he keeps coughing it will be TB. 😭 I don't dare to Google at what year he passed away. I guess I have to find out while watching this drama.

Yeah, I really feel bad for her. She also very compassionate when she asked her hubby to save Yang Chang despite she didn't even know him at that time.

Also the head banker of HSBC. He appeared like 15 minutes in total yet so nuanced. His first appearance is when he called Runyu as 'not like the other Chinese' lol. Red flag, but makes sense. But then later we can see how he is unwilling to sign the bank notes. He later died due to torturing since he is unwilling to destroy Macau economy by revealing where is the printing machine.

I love it so so much. Probably the most well written CDrama I watched this year. I'm marvelled with how awesome is the writing. No filler scenes at all. Everything has meaning and reasons. Also, I love how literally everything seamlessly integrate into He Xian's life. At first, you think all this people just to show different perspective on different people during this era. But no, they all will have important roles later in helping He Xian with this financial warfare. The writer combined 2 things here, showing us different people and how war effect them while also at the same time writing all this characters to help He Xian in his cause.

And I also love how nuanced are the characters - - even the Japanese. They didn't show all British people as worthless or cowards since we have a few who actually die in saving the civilians' lives. Fantastic writing really. All characters just appear so human and complex.

And BTW, they should just ask me where is the printing machine lol. 😂😁 The moment they bring it up, I knew Yinwan's brother 99% most likely hide it at the orphanage behind statue of Mary. I wonder if this plotline really happen in history.

I love how the clues are scattered all over the drama. The writer also set stages for everything that is going to happen 5 to 10 episodes earlier. Like the moment Yinwan's brother accidentally spill water on the photo, I knew it will meant something later. Then when Yang Chang moving the printing machine, I asked what the heck was that since they never tell us. Then of course the hidden place behind Staue of Mary - - all of this will come out later. And also why Qiwen is one of the main casts of this drama - - she is not just there as He Xian's wife. She must have a much important role later in the drama.

I continue to love how this drama wrote their women characters. I knew the moment Yinwan agreed to see his brother, she had plan in mind and just saying all those hurtful words to He Xian to fool Hong Gongjie.

Thinking back when He Xian lied to her. If I were here, Im kinda glad that He Xian did that since to orchesterate my own brother's death is something that I can't do. Her brother already chose this road, so respecting it would be not only respecting him but also for the greater good as well. I would react just like Yinwan - - utterly sad and devastated, but understand the decision at the same time. The conflict is just so well written.

I also love how they wrote Mary. Despite the minimal screen time, didn't she left an impression on us? Isn't she? And I love how she thought Yang Chang the morse code, telegram and etc so it well help him to be a spy later.

Then Qiwen. She has lesser screen time in this few episodes but yet her presence still felt. I love how she always give space to He Xian and support him silently at his side. And when she need to intervene and salvage the situation, she did so ease his pain a little. I bet she will have more aggressive role later.

I had Soros in my mind exactly when I wrote my comment. He did managed to do that and destroy lots of lives when he speculate Thai bath over valued their currency.

How are you enjoying the drama so far?

That's why I always said Republican dramas kind of angst is different. I love this kind of angst the most lol.

This drama made me more nervous than watching costume historical dramas lol. The finance part of the story is so well written. The writer truly did his research right. The moment the Japanese forced Runyu to sign those bank notes, it's truly a red flag and disaster impending since we learnt in history how those bank notes will soon cause inflation and will become worthless like falling leaves. Then when He Xian bank keeps buying the HK dollars for his bank, how I screamed to my screen for him to stop buying lol.

And of course later the scheme to fool the Japanese. I love the fact that both He Xian and Runyu are genius bankers thus they know each other's tactics even without speaking to each other. The amazing thing about the whole scheme is that it's not that the Japanese are fools but they truly create a narrative that they wanted to buy the HK dollars and later dump it all back into the market before it closes. For tdlr version, they simply sell back all the worthless HK dollar to the market when the Japanese fool them initially by making them buy 30M HK dollars 3 days earlier.

It's actually interesting to see how forex exchange works during this era and how volitile is the currency. In todays' world, we can't do this anymore but during this time, it's possie since Macau is such a small market.

Each episode actually becomes better than the last. We are up to date to the latest episodes and I can confirm this. This is probably the best written drama I watch this year. So well written in every department.

I love He Xian little family. ❤️ I love how He Xian always tell his wife everything - - or even when he wants to make any business decision that will effect the family, he always tell her as well and ask her permissions.

And in last night episodes, you can know how Qi Wen was worried to death for He Xian. She always had her eyes on him before he leaves then when he comes back, she just burst to tears with how relief she is. Li Chun's acting is amazing.

Usually in Republican dramas, husband and wife always have kind of distant relationship but I love how the writer portrayed He Xian and Qi Wen as such affectionate couple. They always holds hand, they always hold each other's hands lol, reassuring each other and despite having 2 small kids, they still seemed like a newly married couple when they are alone together.

And even when they are with friends eating together at different table, He Xian will look at Qi Wen and smile at her. I just love all this tender and soft gestures they always reserve for each other. Their relationship makes the turbulence time they are facing at that time seemed bearable.

I just rewatch Love of Nirvana again a few months ago. Good written dramas are always great to be watched over and over again since you always catch something new in your rewatch. 😁

Last night episode is just amazing. Everytime I thought He Xian can't go anymore low (like how his son got sick due to malnourishment), then the drama gave us another scene that makes us question the brutality of war and how it affect normal people.

When Mr. Ma comes to his house and see what his family prepared for New Year dinner, I swear my heart sank with him. 😢 He must feel very guilty how the small favour he asked from He Xian makes him hits rock bottom like that.

Then the scene where He Xian broke down in front of all his friends and family, I think many of us didn't realized how horrible the things he had to go through that day. Having to go through mass grave to find Xiao Yu, the girl who saved his entire family and later run away from his house due to his inability to provide for her and her mother is some crazy stuff you can't get over with. That kind of rock bottom place you reached in your life that basically kill all your desire to live. And that's whats war did to normal people.

It is an amazing writing. Seriously, one of the best Ive seen this year.

I love how everytime they show rock bottom scenes like this, the writer never fail to write silver linings to the whole tragedy and make the drama so uplifting and full of hope at the same time. Amazing amazing writing.

Thank you 🤗🤗

I'm happy since RJL is back with his usual quality script so I've been enjoying this drama to the fullest. So many things I love so far in the drama:

First, I love Republican drama in general. If it made right, it's usually full of conflicts and angst, different kind of angst but the ones where the stakes are always so high. I love the aesthetic during this era - - esp the buildings, decors and also the costumes.

Second, I love the conflicts! Everyone has their own worries, goals, and objectives. He Xian has his own worries that he faced with ensuring the survival of his family to staying true to his principles for clients that invest in his small bank. Then we have the brotherhood gang with their own goal to capture their traitors and He Xian seemed to unintentionally assist the said traitor. Then the officer who took bribes and was caught and his own way of seeking justice. Then we have the espionage side of the whole political sides of the Chinese people. Then add to the mixed of the neutral Portuguese government who in charge of Macau. And this didn't include the Japanese who is the biggest enemy of them all. While I understand He Xian, I also can't hate the brotherhood people as well. This is indeed a very good conflicts since it didn't involve black and white people but grey and complex people who are forced to be 'not nice' for their own legit reasons.

Third, I love how everything just seamlessly woven together between all these parties. The drama opens with He Xian applying for banking license at Macau and how his lives intertwined with all these people later. I like how the drama established from the first episode how brilliant is He Xian with the Forex Exchange scene since we need to know that and understand why he is able to open his own bank despite his unprevileged background. And I feel bad for him regarding the US dollar plot since it did paint him in bad light esp among his peers and all that efforts means nothing at the end. Then add the destruction of his bank which makes him penniless at the end with 4 mouths to feed. So many thing happened yet there are silver lining in all these conflicts since he touched people everywhere with his kind and good hearts. And the scene where the boat dweller people comes and saved them, how awesome is that scene? This is usually a very good indication of well written dramas where the writer mixed happiness and tragedy equally that made watching experience highly satisfying.

Fourth, I like how they show us the brutality of war and how it affect different people. Everytime I watch this drama, I keep getting new information about WW2. Like how the British people used prisoners to do really dangerous stuffs. Or how the banking people cope with the Japanese takeover of Hong Kong and their failure in destroying all the notes and it ended up with Japanese getting 100 millions of cash for free just like that. 😅 And how useless is the Portugal government when they supposed to be neutral. Then add the foreign businessman that only interested to get more profit in the war.

Fifth, I like how the women are written here. Okay, the main characters are still men but despite that, they are not written as simply in support roles but active roles. Whether it's FL; Ms Qiao and her help in getting funds for the war to He Xian's wife which is written as more than simply his backbone. Her worries, her attempt to ask him not to go for the last day to hand over the last deposits, to asking him to help her in preparing to move to Macau to stop him from going to work made her simply human with her own thoughts despite her lovely and supportive nature as a wife. And how she has her own money, it made sense why He Xian can affort to be 'reckless' since he has a really reliable wife to support him emotionally and financially.

I have more to write but I just stop here lol. But I think seeing this drama from Macau's POV is definitely very interesting. I love how open are the Chinese people in gathering war funds and their political parties even when Japanese is in the open. I used to see how they always have to hide their political standing so this perspective is definitely eye opening.

And the symbolism used in the drama made me laugh a bit like the revelation of the doctor and his code name 'Buddha Hand' with a literal Buddha hand painting and the back? 😆