21
35
7
WandereR
Borneo
Operation: Blue Lightning
Operation: Special Warfare is a co-production between CCTV, Penguin Films, Bona Films, Xiaoyao Films and Ram Films. This big budget production that involves extensive use of modern Chinese military hardware and facilities was filmed in Northwest China, including a segment at Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang.
Directed by Liu Ting and based on the original screenplay written by Duan Lian Min, himself a former member of the Chinese military, having served as a platoon commander. He has written many military-themed novels and screenplays as well as directed dramas and films of similar genre for which he has won numerous accolades. He is currently attached to the Political Department of the Chinese Navy serving as a director and screenwriter for military productions.
The drama follows the journey of young recruits of the newly-formed anti-terrorism special forces of the People’s Liberation Army, called the Blue Lightning. Central to the narrative is the growth of both the individuals and the collective as the new recruits come of age during their experiences of military training and real life combat situations.
As with any military-themed C-dramas, expect a fair amount of jingoistic propaganda and patriotic flag-waving which is par for the course when the production requires extensive support from the military and CCP during the filming process and to get the greenlight for distribution release. In addition to action and adventure, the drama features youth themes, slice-of-life elements and subtle hints of romance. There is some violence and gore but nothing too terrifying for viewers.
What I Enjoyed
Usually modern C-dramas tend to be lengthy with too much fillers. The military-themed ones are a hit or miss, case in point My Dear Guardian which turned out to be a little bit too fluffy for my liking. This one, however, manages to avoid all those pitfalls. It’s only 35 episodes in length instead of the usual 40+ episodes, doesn’t contain nearly as much fillers as most others though they are still present, and on the whole is more intensely dramatic rather than fluffy or comedic in its storytelling approach. Throughout the course of the drama, I did not really feel bored at any point in time because the drama surprisingly incorporates quite a number of interesting sub-plots and side stories to the main narrative at a very engaging pace, with a nice balance of action, drama, introspective and emotive moments.
This production showcases a number of modern military hardware in greater detail than I have ever encountered. How accurate or up to date they are, I have no idea, but I feel pretty convinced. For the most part, based on my little research, the depiction is consistent with the standard equipment used, such as the QBZ-95 (or Type 95) automatic assault rifles favoured by the PLA as well as their commando sub-units. Additionally viewers will get to observe countless UAVs and armoured ground vehicles on display in the drama, which I find quite fascinating.
In terms of the technical aspects, the action planning and choreography, as well as the special effects are worthy of mention. This drama showcases many action sequences involving firefights, explosions, as well as both armed and unarmed combat. These scenes are not confined to a single location but take place across multiple venues. One memorable segment features a suspenseful game of cat and mouse across the Taklamakan desert in the dead of night between the Blue Lightning unit and armed terrorists. I’ve also enjoyed the somewhat refreshing depiction of the military training comprising the so-called Devil’s Week competition, sniper competition and squad leader selection tests. That said, certain aspects of the training concerning “physical torture” do appear incredulous. I’m unaware of the authenticity but in a land that invented Shaolin martial arts, I guess anything is possible.
One of the major reasons for watching this drama is of course the cast, which is headlined by Vengo Gao who plays the Captain of the Blue Lightning, Qin Guan. If the drama is about the military, whether in a contemporary or historical context, you can count on this man to deliver an utterly convincing portrayal of the characterization. He not only looks and sounds the part, but his entire being exudes military commander vibes as well. There is absolutely no question whatsoever that without him, this drama would be lacking in so many ways. From the cold, stoic persona to the physical prowess in executing his stunts, Vengo totally slays his role.
Hu Bing Qing plays the FL Ning Meng, one of the young recruits of the new anti-terrorism team. My first time seeing her in entirety instead of previous guest appearances, I think she’s very talented and showcases strong performances particularly during her emotional scenes. I also quite like her nuanced take that helps inject a sense of vulnerability to humanise the role of a female soldier.
The drama’s soundtrack features 5 songs, with the patriotic opening theme being the most upbeat and energetic of them all. My personal favourite is the ending theme performed by Hu Bing Qing herself, the love ballad You and Me. Full listing as follows:
Flaming Lady 烈焰巾帼 - 金志文 Jin Zhiwen
Xiang Yang 向阳 - 黄霄雲 Huang Xiaoyun
You and Me 你和我 - 胡冰卿 Hu Bingqing
My Comrade 我的战友 - 钟强 Zhong Qiang
Fearless 无畏 - 王晰 Wang Xi
What Fell Short
I think the most glaring aspect would be the villains. We are never going to get a C-drama that depicts profoundly layered or morally grey terrorists, because the Chinese military and censors would never sanction it. As far as the powers that be are concerned, stories of this nature are straightforward - good guys versus bad guys are simply portrayed as black or white. Hence in this drama, in relation to the overarching plot concerning the terrorist organisation, S Group, the antagonists are merely written to be the stereotypical one-dimensional cardboard caricatures - bad-tempered, cold-blooded, power hungry and striving for world domination. The terrorist leader is even shown at one point chomping on cigars by the poolside surrounded by bikini-clad femme fatales where the only thing missing is a huge furry cat.
Final Thoughts
I would categorise Operation: Special Warfare as one of the more fascinating and well-produced mature military-themed dramas that I have seen recently. It’s the kind of show where viewers can enjoy with a relaxed mind and without the need to exercise too much brain cells. A final note though - do be forewarned, the subtitles available on WeTV are auto-translated (at the time of writing) and may not be of the usual high quality.
Directed by Liu Ting and based on the original screenplay written by Duan Lian Min, himself a former member of the Chinese military, having served as a platoon commander. He has written many military-themed novels and screenplays as well as directed dramas and films of similar genre for which he has won numerous accolades. He is currently attached to the Political Department of the Chinese Navy serving as a director and screenwriter for military productions.
The drama follows the journey of young recruits of the newly-formed anti-terrorism special forces of the People’s Liberation Army, called the Blue Lightning. Central to the narrative is the growth of both the individuals and the collective as the new recruits come of age during their experiences of military training and real life combat situations.
As with any military-themed C-dramas, expect a fair amount of jingoistic propaganda and patriotic flag-waving which is par for the course when the production requires extensive support from the military and CCP during the filming process and to get the greenlight for distribution release. In addition to action and adventure, the drama features youth themes, slice-of-life elements and subtle hints of romance. There is some violence and gore but nothing too terrifying for viewers.
What I Enjoyed
Usually modern C-dramas tend to be lengthy with too much fillers. The military-themed ones are a hit or miss, case in point My Dear Guardian which turned out to be a little bit too fluffy for my liking. This one, however, manages to avoid all those pitfalls. It’s only 35 episodes in length instead of the usual 40+ episodes, doesn’t contain nearly as much fillers as most others though they are still present, and on the whole is more intensely dramatic rather than fluffy or comedic in its storytelling approach. Throughout the course of the drama, I did not really feel bored at any point in time because the drama surprisingly incorporates quite a number of interesting sub-plots and side stories to the main narrative at a very engaging pace, with a nice balance of action, drama, introspective and emotive moments.
This production showcases a number of modern military hardware in greater detail than I have ever encountered. How accurate or up to date they are, I have no idea, but I feel pretty convinced. For the most part, based on my little research, the depiction is consistent with the standard equipment used, such as the QBZ-95 (or Type 95) automatic assault rifles favoured by the PLA as well as their commando sub-units. Additionally viewers will get to observe countless UAVs and armoured ground vehicles on display in the drama, which I find quite fascinating.
In terms of the technical aspects, the action planning and choreography, as well as the special effects are worthy of mention. This drama showcases many action sequences involving firefights, explosions, as well as both armed and unarmed combat. These scenes are not confined to a single location but take place across multiple venues. One memorable segment features a suspenseful game of cat and mouse across the Taklamakan desert in the dead of night between the Blue Lightning unit and armed terrorists. I’ve also enjoyed the somewhat refreshing depiction of the military training comprising the so-called Devil’s Week competition, sniper competition and squad leader selection tests. That said, certain aspects of the training concerning “physical torture” do appear incredulous. I’m unaware of the authenticity but in a land that invented Shaolin martial arts, I guess anything is possible.
One of the major reasons for watching this drama is of course the cast, which is headlined by Vengo Gao who plays the Captain of the Blue Lightning, Qin Guan. If the drama is about the military, whether in a contemporary or historical context, you can count on this man to deliver an utterly convincing portrayal of the characterization. He not only looks and sounds the part, but his entire being exudes military commander vibes as well. There is absolutely no question whatsoever that without him, this drama would be lacking in so many ways. From the cold, stoic persona to the physical prowess in executing his stunts, Vengo totally slays his role.
Hu Bing Qing plays the FL Ning Meng, one of the young recruits of the new anti-terrorism team. My first time seeing her in entirety instead of previous guest appearances, I think she’s very talented and showcases strong performances particularly during her emotional scenes. I also quite like her nuanced take that helps inject a sense of vulnerability to humanise the role of a female soldier.
The drama’s soundtrack features 5 songs, with the patriotic opening theme being the most upbeat and energetic of them all. My personal favourite is the ending theme performed by Hu Bing Qing herself, the love ballad You and Me. Full listing as follows:
Flaming Lady 烈焰巾帼 - 金志文 Jin Zhiwen
Xiang Yang 向阳 - 黄霄雲 Huang Xiaoyun
You and Me 你和我 - 胡冰卿 Hu Bingqing
My Comrade 我的战友 - 钟强 Zhong Qiang
Fearless 无畏 - 王晰 Wang Xi
What Fell Short
I think the most glaring aspect would be the villains. We are never going to get a C-drama that depicts profoundly layered or morally grey terrorists, because the Chinese military and censors would never sanction it. As far as the powers that be are concerned, stories of this nature are straightforward - good guys versus bad guys are simply portrayed as black or white. Hence in this drama, in relation to the overarching plot concerning the terrorist organisation, S Group, the antagonists are merely written to be the stereotypical one-dimensional cardboard caricatures - bad-tempered, cold-blooded, power hungry and striving for world domination. The terrorist leader is even shown at one point chomping on cigars by the poolside surrounded by bikini-clad femme fatales where the only thing missing is a huge furry cat.
Final Thoughts
I would categorise Operation: Special Warfare as one of the more fascinating and well-produced mature military-themed dramas that I have seen recently. It’s the kind of show where viewers can enjoy with a relaxed mind and without the need to exercise too much brain cells. A final note though - do be forewarned, the subtitles available on WeTV are auto-translated (at the time of writing) and may not be of the usual high quality.
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