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littlebluemonster

littlebluemonster

940920 hong kong drama review
Completed
940920
3 people found this review helpful
by littlebluemonster
May 16, 2022
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 7.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.5

More time-travel focused, but main message wasn't as strong as Leap Day

For me, this sequel was a little underwhelming compared to Leap Day. The message about memories being an important part of life was nice, but the message somehow felt rather weak compared to "sacrifice" in Leap Day. "940920" just felt like a continuation from Leap Day without having a solid theme of its own. At times, the message felt quite scattered and you had to keep being reminded. Otherwise, it just feels like a drama that's purely about time-travel, which I feel that it isn't what the drama is supposed to be about. Hence, with Leap Day carrying a strong message and reason behind the time-travel, 940920 lacked those. Or maybe due to time-constraints, they had to ax that, idk.

Though, I have to admit that the time-travel and parallel universe-crossing parts were brilliantly done. Minor plot holes here and there, but you probably won't notice it unless you really try to look for it. Not sure if this sequel/prequel was supposed to be time-travel/timeline-crossing packed, but after watching it, all I remember was how busy every episode felt and the plot moved in a fast pace. So it's best to binge watch it, otherwise you might forget what happened in the previous episode (coz A LOT is happening). The transitions between past and present were done quite well though, as it was easy to differentiate.

As there's a lot going on in the past and present, the sentimental moments felt rushed, hence, not as memorable. A lot of the emotional sequences just flew by quickly, moving on to the next scene. It lacked those quiet moments like in Leap Day that allowed viewers to take it in. But it's also nice that both seasons are kinda different, as the plot in 940920 moves very quickly compared to Leap Day.

Personally, I really enjoyed Leap Day because of its uniqueness and mysteriousness. But I didn't find these two traits in 940920. So if slow burn is your cup of tea, and you are expecting this to be like Leap Day just like I did, then keep in mind that this sequel/prequel feels different. But if you like more complicated storyline and fast-paced plot, then this is right up your alley. Also, I think the summary is kinda misleading coz it makes you think 940920 is still focused on Yeesa. It isn't. Yeesa is more like a 2nd female lead here and her scenes felt lesser than some of the other supporting characters like Ka Chung's mom, or the villain Yuet. I'd say 940920 revolves more around Ka Chung both in the past and present, and also Chor Ying in the distant past and more recent past. I was misled by the summary and got disappointed coz I was grown attached to Yeesa's character in Leap Day and was looking forward to see more of her. Sadly, Chor Ying and Ka Chung are more of the leads in this. Makes sense though, coz 940920 carries a special meaning to Ka Chung.

I read an article that mentioned how this plot wasn't what the director and writer initially planned. Part of the story was supposed to take place in Taiwan and it was supposed to be more focused on Yu Ka Chung's past (from his childhood to before he met Yeesa), and also him looking for Chor Ying. So the villain wasn't part of it at first. But due to the pandemic, they couldn't fly to Taiwan to film it, hence a huge part of the script was changed. Considering all that, I think the team still did a pretty good job in the end. Though I'd be lying if I said 940920 lived up to expectations after watching Leap Day. It's hard not to compare since both series are connected, and it's more satisfying watching Leap Day first before watching this. Coz then you get a better understanding of things and it makes more sense. You get to see the full picture as everything comes full circle, leading back to the beginning of Leap Day. 940920 would bring your closure to what happened in Leap Day, but I personally still enjoyed Leap Day more.
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