Rubu99
This review may contain spoilers
Breaking Bad Gangster and Inflexible Cop Hound
I have mixed feelings about The Knockout because of the last 1/4 of the drama that I felt was very forced. If the story had ended on the first 3/4 of the show, I would easily rate this a 9/10. The acting was incredible especially from the actors playing Gao Qi Qiang and secondly from An Xin. The rest of the supporting cast was memorable as well and believable in their characters.
You really feel for Gao Qi Qiang and his struggles when he was bullied and trying to take care of his family. He never stopped taking care of his family including his subordinates. However, he become a very ruthless man as needed to stay on top. The actor who played Gao Qi Qiang gave a superb performance that was nuanced, empathetic, and chilling. He carried the narrative weight of the story well but was reduced in the final 1/4 of the show because it was time to wrap up.
I think how Gao Qi Qiang unravelled and was brought down by the government was not fully fleshed out in the last 9 episodes. There was a level of preaching regarding corruption theme that was not enjoyable as a viewer in the last part of the drama. For me, that's why the story is rated 8/10 instead of a 10/10.
The character of An Xi, the cop, was not a realistic character. He was constantly self-sacrificing his personal interests for a sense of justice and up holding the law. It's partly admirable but at the same time not relatable. His character was straightforward and lacked nuance. He actually let down his love and his friends as he chased trying to catch Gao Qi Qiang. He had an inflated sense of responsibility and was inflexible. It really wasn't just up to him to bring justice to the city. He could have tried to have a personal life and been honest with his girlfriend. It was cowardly the way he broke up with her. Otherwise, his interactions with Gao Qi Qiang and the common people were sincere. In some parts, An Xi's inconsistent accent and goofiness was distracting.
The story definitely lost steam in the final 1/4 of the drama when both main leads were middle-aged. The time span was too long to sustain the narrative tension. Overall, it was an engaging story that could have been epic if more risks were taken with the final outcomes.
You really feel for Gao Qi Qiang and his struggles when he was bullied and trying to take care of his family. He never stopped taking care of his family including his subordinates. However, he become a very ruthless man as needed to stay on top. The actor who played Gao Qi Qiang gave a superb performance that was nuanced, empathetic, and chilling. He carried the narrative weight of the story well but was reduced in the final 1/4 of the show because it was time to wrap up.
I think how Gao Qi Qiang unravelled and was brought down by the government was not fully fleshed out in the last 9 episodes. There was a level of preaching regarding corruption theme that was not enjoyable as a viewer in the last part of the drama. For me, that's why the story is rated 8/10 instead of a 10/10.
The character of An Xi, the cop, was not a realistic character. He was constantly self-sacrificing his personal interests for a sense of justice and up holding the law. It's partly admirable but at the same time not relatable. His character was straightforward and lacked nuance. He actually let down his love and his friends as he chased trying to catch Gao Qi Qiang. He had an inflated sense of responsibility and was inflexible. It really wasn't just up to him to bring justice to the city. He could have tried to have a personal life and been honest with his girlfriend. It was cowardly the way he broke up with her. Otherwise, his interactions with Gao Qi Qiang and the common people were sincere. In some parts, An Xi's inconsistent accent and goofiness was distracting.
The story definitely lost steam in the final 1/4 of the drama when both main leads were middle-aged. The time span was too long to sustain the narrative tension. Overall, it was an engaging story that could have been epic if more risks were taken with the final outcomes.
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