spicyeggroll
This review may contain spoilers
Light, unfiltered, and adventurous love story between two broken souls
The premise didn't intrigue me but the comments about "dark comedy" did.
Was it funny? Well... sometimes. The kind of funny that gets a smile or short "ha!". But nothing too hilarious.
Was it satirical? Most definitely.
The storyline follows cases that were based on the Chinese prosecutor's office (Supreme People's Procuratorate) throughout the adventure of two characters (our ML and FL) that have downtrodden views of life. Their inner narratives are quite unfiltered, and the visuals which remain light in saturation + plucky music finish this theme of a raw, realistic view of the world. It's less romcom funny, more sarcasm+poking light of a situation funny. Overall though, Definitely Not Today is a refreshing drama in a world of cliches, tropes, and cold-hearted CEOs.
PROS
❀ Great acting featuring realistically imperfect characters | The ML has mental illnesses (the synopsis says social anxiety, but translated eps say OCD as well? Might be a mistranslation since he doesn't really exhibit OCD tendencies) while the FL is dealing with trauma from the past and trying to stay alive in a world out to get her. He's indifferent, she's prickly. Together they make a surprising duo and learn to care about the world around them - as well as living in it.
I've seen the ML in another drama (My Love, Enlighten Me) and he plays the indifferent look quite well. In this show though, he really puts the uncaring attitude to another level. The ML basically wants to die by suicide, since he doesn't think there's anything worth living for, and you can tell how much he doesn't care from his messy hair to his barebones apartment. The FL's actress is new to me but she played a brash woman who hides her heart pretty well. Apparently these actors are reunited from a previous drama of theirs, which is fun. The chemistry is pretty tame and the relationship goes from mistrust -> mild friendship -> trust -> something more (romantically). I like that it didn't jump into insta-love and they had an organic relationship progression (with bumbles and fall-outs in-between).
❀ Good production value | From the music to the small-town sets, this show went out of its way to give a realistic storyline while poking fun at the more violent bits. I honestly recommend to watch it in one go like a movie (especially as it has a widescreen ratio on YT, giving it a more professional vibe) and the contents are interesting enough to keep you going. What happens when 2 flawed people find themselves entangled in a mess that brings them closer than ever?
CONS
✕ It's not that deep... or maybe that's a pro? | Despite the show tackling intense subjects such as sexual assault, it doesn't go beyond a surface level of how it affects the main characters, keeping the tone light-hearted. I guess if this is a pro or con depends on the viewer, but I expected... more. I ended the drama with an "eh, that was pretty good" feeling and felt emotionally detached from the events going on.
✕ Misunderstandling level: 0/10 | In this just less than 3 hour drama, the main characters are unabashed and straight-forward, leaving little room for misunderstandings. Ones that do come up are on the antagonists' side lol.
OVERALL
While this Cdrama wasn't as profound as I was expecting, its "at-face-value" plot is welcoming and refreshing. I think all the actors did a great job, and the production in general makes this show unique compared to other contemporary Cdramas. Really recommended if you're looking for a light-hearted adventure that defies the usual drama tropes!
(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)
Was it funny? Well... sometimes. The kind of funny that gets a smile or short "ha!". But nothing too hilarious.
Was it satirical? Most definitely.
The storyline follows cases that were based on the Chinese prosecutor's office (Supreme People's Procuratorate) throughout the adventure of two characters (our ML and FL) that have downtrodden views of life. Their inner narratives are quite unfiltered, and the visuals which remain light in saturation + plucky music finish this theme of a raw, realistic view of the world. It's less romcom funny, more sarcasm+poking light of a situation funny. Overall though, Definitely Not Today is a refreshing drama in a world of cliches, tropes, and cold-hearted CEOs.
PROS
❀ Great acting featuring realistically imperfect characters | The ML has mental illnesses (the synopsis says social anxiety, but translated eps say OCD as well? Might be a mistranslation since he doesn't really exhibit OCD tendencies) while the FL is dealing with trauma from the past and trying to stay alive in a world out to get her. He's indifferent, she's prickly. Together they make a surprising duo and learn to care about the world around them - as well as living in it.
I've seen the ML in another drama (My Love, Enlighten Me) and he plays the indifferent look quite well. In this show though, he really puts the uncaring attitude to another level. The ML basically wants to die by suicide, since he doesn't think there's anything worth living for, and you can tell how much he doesn't care from his messy hair to his barebones apartment. The FL's actress is new to me but she played a brash woman who hides her heart pretty well. Apparently these actors are reunited from a previous drama of theirs, which is fun. The chemistry is pretty tame and the relationship goes from mistrust -> mild friendship -> trust -> something more (romantically). I like that it didn't jump into insta-love and they had an organic relationship progression (with bumbles and fall-outs in-between).
❀ Good production value | From the music to the small-town sets, this show went out of its way to give a realistic storyline while poking fun at the more violent bits. I honestly recommend to watch it in one go like a movie (especially as it has a widescreen ratio on YT, giving it a more professional vibe) and the contents are interesting enough to keep you going. What happens when 2 flawed people find themselves entangled in a mess that brings them closer than ever?
CONS
✕ It's not that deep... or maybe that's a pro? | Despite the show tackling intense subjects such as sexual assault, it doesn't go beyond a surface level of how it affects the main characters, keeping the tone light-hearted. I guess if this is a pro or con depends on the viewer, but I expected... more. I ended the drama with an "eh, that was pretty good" feeling and felt emotionally detached from the events going on.
✕ Misunderstandling level: 0/10 | In this just less than 3 hour drama, the main characters are unabashed and straight-forward, leaving little room for misunderstandings. Ones that do come up are on the antagonists' side lol.
OVERALL
While this Cdrama wasn't as profound as I was expecting, its "at-face-value" plot is welcoming and refreshing. I think all the actors did a great job, and the production in general makes this show unique compared to other contemporary Cdramas. Really recommended if you're looking for a light-hearted adventure that defies the usual drama tropes!
(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)
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