A Familiar Stranger (2022)

Another stereotypical show saved by the leads' sizzling chemistry

It's been long since I completed this show months ago. I've been delaying this review because I can't think of anything about this show except for the leads' chemistry. Finally, I get to write one today and this may be a short review concerning I have nothing much to say.

The plot falls to the same old face swap trope, same old newlyweds trying to hide their real identities, and blah blah blah. Though the plot is not that great and seems to be recycled, the actors' performances make up for it. I particularly like the first couple, especially Ryan Cheng - it's my first show of his and I can't wait for his next project 'Shadow Love'. I don't recognize other actors except him, but they've done a great job too.

Even though it's a mini drama, I still end up using fast-forward button to complete it in one go. If you're a fan of tropey shows, then this might be suitable for you. Since the duration is kinda short, it also fits for those who want to watch lighthearted and stress-free shows. As for the rewatch value, you'll have to consider it yourself.

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Best mini drama I have watched!

I am not a fan of Chinese historical dramas but wow A Familiar Stranger blew my mind.

What I like:
1. Well executed story - Only 18 episodes with 15 min each episode but the screenplay was superbly done. No time for unnecessary side plots or filler scenes. The plot twist I did not see coming.
2. Scene framing - Two scenes stood out for me. When General Xiao confronted Shi Qi about the painting - the walk from the room to exterior of the room & contrast between Shi Qi's dress and others so beautiful. Another favourite frame is when all 4 lead characters were at night market. The distance, the warmth just wow me.
3. General Xiao's characterisation - rational & strategic thinker up to his personal matters. Warm, understanding partner. Very rare to see green flag main male character on screen.
4. Acting - all 4 actors with main roles did extremely well. Special mention - Cheng Lei has the right looks & stature as army general. His flirting & smiles are so adorable.
5. Child actor - Yuan Bao had substantial role in this story!
6. Ending - Great, sentimental one.

What I dislike:
1. Second leads' Love story - I find the story of how Shen Qin started to love the Prince is bit confusing.
2. Kisses - Wish Shi Qi did not avoid General Xiao's kissing attempts too much.

Favourite scene:
When General Xiao tended to his wife's wounds. The sexual tension was killing me!

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Face/Off ancient Chinese style

I shall start with a mea culpa. I know it is unfair to compare two shows directly but because of its subject matter and lineage, I can’t help it. In fact, it is because of this lineage that I was excited to have found this drama.

The other show in question is The Killer is Also Romantic. It has the same director, period setting and short episodic structure. I have to say that I was quite impressed by TKiAR so I have high hopes for A Familiar Stranger.

To be honest, this Show is good, but it is not great. The issues are manageable but when taken as a whole, it is problematic.
Let’s look at the positives first. I do like the short format as it distilled a lot of the typical wuxia themes down to the fundamentals without all the draggy side plots or distractions. I really appreciate the Viki presentation because it thoughtfully combined the short 16x10mins episodes into 8 longer episodes ranging from 20mins to over 30 mins. It is still bingeable but more practical.

The central pillar of the show is the love line between the leads. That is very well done. The progress is logical and angst lite. It helps that the Show has a laser focus on the leads, and you can sense their longings and feel their love. The “daughter” is cute and wise beyond her age.

Now the issues. The plot is functional rather than well crafted. The theme is tropey and the writer didn’t push any boundaries. While the initial face change device looks promising and fantastical, it was an one trick pony. It came down to soulmates will always recognise each other no matter what. Other wuxia/xianxia dramas have taken this trope further.

The romance of the 2OTP starts out fine. Toxic and manipulative which is de rigueur of the palace intrigue genre. However, the show’s progression feels self-serving. It went the way it did because the plot mandates it rather than being sensical. It felt old school and contrived. Speaking of palace intrigue, once the Show gets going, there is very little actual intrigue. Just some snippets of dialogs and a bit of simple scheming.

This brings us to a key issue. The antagonist is meant to be an evil mastermind but while he is a bit of a homicidal manic, he is no mastermind. If anything, he turned into a weak and pitiful character. This took the wind out of its sail from that quarter.

I binge watch the whole drama in one sitting and I enjoyed it even with the caveats. The swoon worthy romance saved the show. A lot of its problems comes down to not looking after the secondary plots and characters. Almost as soon as the leads are off camera, you start to see plot holes and inconsistencies. A show of such short duration should be tighter and more impactful. It is still a worthwhile binge but not high on my rewatch list.

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Sizzling chemistry

This drama is about the talented painter Shi Qi who is blackmailed into marrying general Xiao Han Sheng by pretending to be the Prime Minister’s daughter, Shen Qin. Shi Qi wears ShenQin’s face due to magic and when she meets Han Sheng she realizes he is a familiar face from her past, only now he doesn’t recognize her.

The director of this drama seems to have a strong connection to water and the drips of rain runs like a theme throughout the drama. The cinematography is great leading to a suggestive aesthetic that builds tension. Many normally cliché ingredients are reinvented, fireflies and stars in a dark night has never felt to fresh before. It’s just there, creating an atmosphere whiteout forcing it upon the viewer.

The story is intertwined with throw backs into the two main leads past and that often makes me wanna fast forward but not in this drama. Here the past draws me in and I always want to know more and see more. The drama is full of tension and it is well balanced with softer moments that is complemented by nice music. There are also a few comical episodes in this drama and it works well since it often include a child and that makes the comedy feels natural.
I find no unnecessary scenes and every event brings the story forward.

The actor who plays Han Sheng, Ryan Cheng, has the unique ability to appear soft with a fierce face which creates great depth to his character. I find him very talented and can’t wait to see him get a lead role in a major drama. His facial expressions are very captivating. He is the dreamy devoted man we all want in our life. We get some amazing scenes between him and Ke Ying, who plays Shi Qin. Scenes that are some of the best I have seen when it comes to chemistry. It’s hot! It would be enough even without the skin ship, their faces conveyes plenty. That’s how good these scenes are.

This drama is in every way as good as many full length major dramas and I am looking forward to see what this director will come up with next.

This is my first review her on MDL and it is my second time watching this drama, that’s why I know the rewatch value is great.

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Neither good or bad

I really don’t get the hype with this one. It’s neither good or bad. Or maybe I just really cannot get into historical dramas (but was this even that historical aside from the costumes and set?)

Because it was so short I did not feel invested and the characters weren’t interesting.

The good parts:
-acting
-had ‘some’ funny moments
-cute child
-decent costumes

The not so good parts:
-I did not sense any chemistry between the leads. They felt more like good long lost friends than destined lovers.
-There wasn't much to the plot.
-Girl was shot in the heart with an arrow and survived?
-Man was stabbed, but was he stabbed? The acting showed no fake blood so that was very poor.

-E

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goosebumps

I never really liked dramas that involve face swapping but i made an exception for this cause the thumbnail,casts and everything attracted me and i'm glad i did. Cause when i tell you i gasped I GASPED it was so good??? Like the chemistry between the leads were over the roof and the twist got me shocked never would i have thought that that would happen.

I was so sad for the second couple but when you see them back as "doppelgangers" and having a relationship that they deserved got me so happy everyone got the ending that they deserved.

And i also love the fact that there was no toxicity at all in the main leads relationship they never jumped to conclusions and the male lead was so understanding like i enjoyed every second of them.

so overall if you're wondering whether to watch this or not go for it i beg this mini drama does not disappoint. These mini dramas are getting better than those long ones i swear.

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Satisfying short drama

Got time to spare? Try these short drama. As someone not into romance, this is good.

These actresses weren't known to me but they portrayed their roles very very well! I was able to feel the difference in vibe even after the face swap. (This is hard to nail. I've watch a couple of personality change dramas and I can say this is so far the best.)
Amazing for those 2 NEW actresses. Actors were good too like the general and prince. I dunno but the general gives me Ren JiaLun vibe and at some angles, I see their similarities.

Nice costume and production quality. Obviously not draggy. More appreciation for new actresses and actors.

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Un petit drama sans prétention mais qui a fait mouche

+ Une histoire simple et qui accroche rapidement.
+ Des visages inconnus qui qui en toute honnêteté su jouer avec simplicité
+ Une réalisation plutôt correcte pour une série avec un petit budget
+ Un protagoniste masculin adorable et dont l'analyse pertinente des situations nous font craquer assez étrangement. Je dirai même que grâce à lui, le drama se regarde avec plaisir : Un personnage qui ne juge pas avant d'avoir des preuves, qui préfère demander avant de condamner et surtout qui vous sort la tirade " Vous avez vos secret dont vous ne pouvez partagez, je ne demanderais rien et je resterai à vos côtés jusqu'à ce que vous puissiez le dire".... a toute ma sympathie!
+ Des personnages secondaires qui s'en sortent plus qu'honorablement et une touche d'humour plus que bienvenue.

Un drama qui tire son épingle du jeu malgré la qualité "low budget", grâce notamment à une romance où vous n'aurez pas à contenir votre frustration, à un protagoniste masculin dont l'amour a su voir à travers plus loin qu'un simple visage, dont le coeur a su reconnaitre son âme soeur, dont l'attitude chevaleresque et le respect de sa belle a su m'émouvoir.

Un drama qui aurait dû avoir un budget plus élevé.

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Coppia carina e affiatata, trama deludente

Andrò controcorrente, perché tutto questo entusiasmo per questo titolo io non l'ho provato.

È un drama veramente peso piuma e si vede praticamente in ogni suo aspetto. Il fatto che sia condensato in diciotto episodi di soli 10 minuti giustifica solo parzialmente il pasticcio che è la trama: una accozzaglia di buchi, assurdità, comportamenti illogici, cose assolutamente non spiegate e buttate lì in un mucchio per alludere a uno svolgimento che in realtà non ha alcun senso.

Una giovane pittrice viene chiamata a eseguire un ritratto piuttosto osé di due amanti e dopo averlo fatto si risveglia con la faccia della donna protagonista della scena, figlia di un ministro. Viene quindi costretta a sposare al suo posto un generale e a cercare di trovare nella casa di costui una prova riguardo la morte del principe ereditario, col miraggio della ricompensa del ritrovamento della sorella perduta. Ma il generale è più furbo di quanto non sembri e si rende subito conto che la ragazza che ha sposato sembra serbare più di un segreto.

Mentre i costumi e le ambientazioni sono carini ma a malapena passabili e ci informano immediatamente del fatto che si tratti di un lavoro a basso budget, la colonna sonora e gli effetti sonori speciali non aiutano certo a cambiare idea. I due protagonisti però si difendono molto bene sia come avvenenza che come recitazione. Specialmente il protagonista Ryan Cheng sembra il fratellino più giovane di Allen Ren, ma anche gli attori di contorno fanno tutto sommato un lavoro al di sopra del minimo edittale.

Ciò che veramente è sconfortante è, come già detto, lo svolgimento della storia, che non spiega quasi nulla di come l'elemento soprannaturale possa essere venuto ad essere, nonostante ci sia un colpo di scena non completamente previsto che però tutto sommato, aggiunto al grosso pasticcio che è la storia, più che sorprendere fa cadere le braccia. Probabilmente la vicenda avrebbe avuto bisogno di qualche episodio di più per essere sviluppata in maniera decente, pur senza andare a cadere nei vari riempitivi di contorno che spesso ammorbano il genere. Sembra che purtroppo si vada da un opposto all'altro: titoli lunghissimi, infiniti, pieni di storie secondarie inutili, o serie condensatissime piene di azione e di accadimenti che si affastellano senza dare tempo allo spettatore di tirare il fiato.

Peccato. Si salva l'interpretazione degli attori principali e della bambina, veramente dolce e simpatica.
Soprattutto, la coppia principale ha una chimica da paura e lui bacia da dio... questo da solo risolleva le sorti di almeno un punto.

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Agradavel

Um drama curto mais bem desenvoldido, enredo bom e um elenco decente. Geralmente não me identifico muito com C Dramas pois acho que os episódios são muito longos e isso geralmente me cansa , também confesso que os drmas curtos demais não enchem os meus olhos, porém tive uma doce surpesa ao assistir esse drama, a história é envolvente e te mantem interesado do incio ao fim.

Os personagens tem quimica, e desempenharam seus papéis agradavelmente. O amor do general e sua esposa era muito lindo, gostei muito pois aqui não temos tempo para aqueles maus entedidos e picoinhas desnecessárias. Os protagonistas são inteligentes e sabem o que querem e como se proteger.

Em fim recomendo esse drama para você.
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A well developed short drama, good plot and a decent cast. I usually don't identify much with C Dramas because I think the episodes are too long and that usually tires me, I also confess that the drmas too short don't fill my eyes, but I had a sweet surprise when watching this drama, the story is engaging and keeps you interested from start to finish.

The characters have chemistry, and they played their roles nicely. The general and his wife's love was very beautiful, I liked it a lot because here we don't have time for those bad guys and unnecessary nitpicking. The protagonists are smart and know what they want and how to protect themselves.

Finally, I recommend this drama to you.

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mini drama com produção de gigante

Sabe um drama bom? É esse! Conta história de duas mulheres que trocam de rosto.

Shi Qi uma pintora humilde que procura sua irmã se vê envolvida em uma trama elaborada por Shen Qin a filha do primeiro que deve se casar com um general Xiao Han Sheng mesmo amando o príncipe Ning. Com um o roteiro bem elaborado e vários plot twists te mantém curiosa durante os 18 episódios. Por ter 10 min cada episódio a trama se desenvolve rápido e sem rodeios. Os protagonistas são inteligentes e com química. Ponto para o General que o tipico pronta perfeito e parceiro dos sonhos. Tudo é excelente a atuação do elenco, a OST poderosa e a produção de drama grande! Vejam!

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