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uhsame
have a happy new year :]
A Victim of "Good Drama, but Ruined by Annoying Characters"
After not finishing a proper Chinese costume drama since December and not enjoying one in a long time, I placed a lot of hope in Listening Snow Tower. And it did, for a short while, live up to my expectations. The introduction to the characters, their backstories, and the relationship between each of them were all done properly at the start. The world-building was intriguing, and so was the set-up for each characters' motivations. However, as the story progressed, it began to leave a bitter taste in my mouth as a result of several frustrations.
The supporting characters and the side storylines are undoubtedly the highlights of this drama. The side storylines were all distinct and enriched the supporting characters. You understand their motives, and you root for them as you watch them grow. They were so entertaining, and they made the drama fast-paced for me. Many people have commented on how slow this drama is, but it wasn't slow at all for me. Although I liked the supporting characters, there were two exceptions: Chi Xiao Tai and Gao Meng Fei. Seriously, was the writer high when they created the two characters? Chi Xiao Tai practically went through zero characterization. While Gao Meng Fei went through terrible characterization. Like What? You have great characters like Hong Chen, Gu Guang, Ren Fei Yang, etc... and then you have these two cockroaches?
To put into perspective how terrible Chi Xiao Tai is, I want to say that Hao Chen (from Love and Redemption) is a saint compared to her. If you know Hao Chen, then you now understand my hatred for Chi Xiao Tai. Chi Xiao Tai is like a hair strand that you find in your food that makes you lose your appetite, and you feel completely disgusted by it. She's like the spider in the corner of your room that you want to kill. She's like a vexing bug that just won't ever leave you alone, and you wish it didn't exist. Girl was like possessed throughout the entire drama. She was so selfish, obsessed, manipulative, delusional, and any other terms relating to the aforementioned ones. She never changed. She only grew out of control because no one was willing to do anything about her behavior.
As for Gao Meng Fei, I just didn't understand him. He degenerated into this obsessed and deluded man. His motivations were valid initially but quickly devolved into absurdity. He contradicts himself frequently and was a hypocrite. The drama attempted to evoke pity for him at the end, but I was completely unfazed by it.
As for the leads, they were fine. I liked their slow-burn romance, and it was fitting with the story. Xiao Yi Jing reminded me of Mei Chang Su because of his illness, calm composure, and strategic thinking. He's certainly not in the same league as Mei Chang Su, but he's a great and complex character nevertheless. Qin Jun Jie was exceptional. I actually think he was the best actor in this entire drama. On the other hand, Yuan Bing Yan was alright. When comparing her performance here to her performance in Love and Redemption, you can tell she has definitely improved in L&R, and that's great. She played Shu Jing Rong, and the character was underwhelming as the female lead. I mean she wasn't terrible, but I believe the writer wasted potential with her character. Ming He definitely outshined Shu Jing Rong for me. Despite falling into a love obsession, she exudes a powerful aura and is noteworthy as a villain. Angela Yuen did a good job portraying her; at times, her acting felt a little off for me, but overall, it's nothing to complain about much. The rest of the cast had standard acting. It wasn't intolerable, but it wasn't exceptional either.
Lastly, I want to throw out a few more things I didn't appreciate. There were a lot of missed opportunities with the characters and the plot. Especially, towards the end, the supporting characters weren't used to their full potential. There were also a lot of flashbacks around the 50 episode mark and after that, which were all skippable. Some things were also unnecessary. Overall, I don't recommend this drama. After watching 56 episodes, it didn't give me a rewarding feeling of "it was worth it." If it weren't for the annoying characters, perhaps I would have rated this drama a 7.5 or an 8 which is good/great in my book.
The supporting characters and the side storylines are undoubtedly the highlights of this drama. The side storylines were all distinct and enriched the supporting characters. You understand their motives, and you root for them as you watch them grow. They were so entertaining, and they made the drama fast-paced for me. Many people have commented on how slow this drama is, but it wasn't slow at all for me. Although I liked the supporting characters, there were two exceptions: Chi Xiao Tai and Gao Meng Fei. Seriously, was the writer high when they created the two characters? Chi Xiao Tai practically went through zero characterization. While Gao Meng Fei went through terrible characterization. Like What? You have great characters like Hong Chen, Gu Guang, Ren Fei Yang, etc... and then you have these two cockroaches?
To put into perspective how terrible Chi Xiao Tai is, I want to say that Hao Chen (from Love and Redemption) is a saint compared to her. If you know Hao Chen, then you now understand my hatred for Chi Xiao Tai. Chi Xiao Tai is like a hair strand that you find in your food that makes you lose your appetite, and you feel completely disgusted by it. She's like the spider in the corner of your room that you want to kill. She's like a vexing bug that just won't ever leave you alone, and you wish it didn't exist. Girl was like possessed throughout the entire drama. She was so selfish, obsessed, manipulative, delusional, and any other terms relating to the aforementioned ones. She never changed. She only grew out of control because no one was willing to do anything about her behavior.
As for Gao Meng Fei, I just didn't understand him. He degenerated into this obsessed and deluded man. His motivations were valid initially but quickly devolved into absurdity. He contradicts himself frequently and was a hypocrite. The drama attempted to evoke pity for him at the end, but I was completely unfazed by it.
As for the leads, they were fine. I liked their slow-burn romance, and it was fitting with the story. Xiao Yi Jing reminded me of Mei Chang Su because of his illness, calm composure, and strategic thinking. He's certainly not in the same league as Mei Chang Su, but he's a great and complex character nevertheless. Qin Jun Jie was exceptional. I actually think he was the best actor in this entire drama. On the other hand, Yuan Bing Yan was alright. When comparing her performance here to her performance in Love and Redemption, you can tell she has definitely improved in L&R, and that's great. She played Shu Jing Rong, and the character was underwhelming as the female lead. I mean she wasn't terrible, but I believe the writer wasted potential with her character. Ming He definitely outshined Shu Jing Rong for me. Despite falling into a love obsession, she exudes a powerful aura and is noteworthy as a villain. Angela Yuen did a good job portraying her; at times, her acting felt a little off for me, but overall, it's nothing to complain about much. The rest of the cast had standard acting. It wasn't intolerable, but it wasn't exceptional either.
Lastly, I want to throw out a few more things I didn't appreciate. There were a lot of missed opportunities with the characters and the plot. Especially, towards the end, the supporting characters weren't used to their full potential. There were also a lot of flashbacks around the 50 episode mark and after that, which were all skippable. Some things were also unnecessary. Overall, I don't recommend this drama. After watching 56 episodes, it didn't give me a rewarding feeling of "it was worth it." If it weren't for the annoying characters, perhaps I would have rated this drama a 7.5 or an 8 which is good/great in my book.
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