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The most moving story I've ever watched on television!
Where do I even begin when it comes to this drama? It is probably my favorite drama ever and I've seen hundreds of dramas in my lifetime. Nothing I've ever seen quite compares to this drama. Is it the highest budgeted production I've ever seen? No. Are the FL and ML the hottest actors I've ever watched on screen? No. Is the OST being blasted daily? No. Is it an endless fashion show of 1930s-1950s costumes? No.
Even though this show is none of the shiny things that sometimes attract people to watch a drama, it is everything it needs to carry a beautifully written story. It is the definition of pure talent, writing, and chemistry. The bare bones of the show speaks so loudly for itself that none of the packaging really matters.
Firstly, the acting in this drama is some of the best acting I've ever seen between a FL and ML. You would think that since the two leads are actually in their 40s, they may be too old for a good romance to be attractive to a younger audience and I was proved wrong. Because the FL and ML are experienced actors and are playing full blown adult characters (the characters are supposed to be in their 30s), their love story is actually even more compelling and needs none of the fluff to carry the story. It's so hard to explain without giving spoilers but the love story between Lau Sing and Cheng Kau Mui is one of a kind and truly moves the soul. LS and CKM's love does not need to be verbalized for the audience to feel moved and that is completely down to superb acting/chemistry and top notch writing.
Secondly, the writers do a phenomenal job of bringing the side characters to life. The way they use Stick (Pai Gwut) and Ching Ching to narrate the story and ties in all side plots into the atmosphere of republican China and WW2 was very well thought-out. It almost forces the audience to build a strong para-social relationship with these characters that you've never actually met which is why it moves viewers so much. Each side character also serves a purpose for the plot and does not exist in a vacuum purely for comic relief or filler. Each performance (even the smaller side characters) was phenomenal acting as well. By the end of the drama, you feel like you've experienced all 13+ years of war, death, and danger with the entire cast.
Thirdly, the drama rarely relies on retelling of the past. A lot of dramas that are not well-developed when it comes to their plot relies on flashbacks and retelling of a character's backstory to fuel the present. This drama really doesn't do much of that. Besides some of Kau Mui's childhood, the story drives itself in the present and each character develops as the plot develops in the present. Every episode is ACTION. You literally cannot blink when you watch it because nothing in this drama happens for no reason and everything leads to either character development or plot development. Each plot development is also logical and does not require the viewer to do mental gymnastics in order to follow it. The twists and turns are very logical and contains very little room for plot holes. The ending was also perfect in my opinion to tie up the story (even if it made me sob and I wish in an alternate universe the ending could be different, it is still the perfect ending!)
The critiques I have of this drama is the overuse of the same background music (like sometimes I just want to enjoy the moment without the woooooo oooooh oooooh music in the background lol), limited costume changes (Kau Mui's fashion choices are the same throughout the 13+ years??), the underuse/development of Lai Wah's character (the only side character I felt was not developed well), and the overuse of Ching Ching's illness as a plot crutch at times. Besides those very minor things that don't really change the integrity/foundation of the drama, this is my favorite drama of all time and I think that the international drama community has slept on it because HK dramas is usually not what international fans flock to. This drama is highly regarded in China and Hong Kong and still has a huge cult following even 13 years later and if you take the time to watch it, you will understand why.
Even though this show is none of the shiny things that sometimes attract people to watch a drama, it is everything it needs to carry a beautifully written story. It is the definition of pure talent, writing, and chemistry. The bare bones of the show speaks so loudly for itself that none of the packaging really matters.
Firstly, the acting in this drama is some of the best acting I've ever seen between a FL and ML. You would think that since the two leads are actually in their 40s, they may be too old for a good romance to be attractive to a younger audience and I was proved wrong. Because the FL and ML are experienced actors and are playing full blown adult characters (the characters are supposed to be in their 30s), their love story is actually even more compelling and needs none of the fluff to carry the story. It's so hard to explain without giving spoilers but the love story between Lau Sing and Cheng Kau Mui is one of a kind and truly moves the soul. LS and CKM's love does not need to be verbalized for the audience to feel moved and that is completely down to superb acting/chemistry and top notch writing.
Secondly, the writers do a phenomenal job of bringing the side characters to life. The way they use Stick (Pai Gwut) and Ching Ching to narrate the story and ties in all side plots into the atmosphere of republican China and WW2 was very well thought-out. It almost forces the audience to build a strong para-social relationship with these characters that you've never actually met which is why it moves viewers so much. Each side character also serves a purpose for the plot and does not exist in a vacuum purely for comic relief or filler. Each performance (even the smaller side characters) was phenomenal acting as well. By the end of the drama, you feel like you've experienced all 13+ years of war, death, and danger with the entire cast.
Thirdly, the drama rarely relies on retelling of the past. A lot of dramas that are not well-developed when it comes to their plot relies on flashbacks and retelling of a character's backstory to fuel the present. This drama really doesn't do much of that. Besides some of Kau Mui's childhood, the story drives itself in the present and each character develops as the plot develops in the present. Every episode is ACTION. You literally cannot blink when you watch it because nothing in this drama happens for no reason and everything leads to either character development or plot development. Each plot development is also logical and does not require the viewer to do mental gymnastics in order to follow it. The twists and turns are very logical and contains very little room for plot holes. The ending was also perfect in my opinion to tie up the story (even if it made me sob and I wish in an alternate universe the ending could be different, it is still the perfect ending!)
The critiques I have of this drama is the overuse of the same background music (like sometimes I just want to enjoy the moment without the woooooo oooooh oooooh music in the background lol), limited costume changes (Kau Mui's fashion choices are the same throughout the 13+ years??), the underuse/development of Lai Wah's character (the only side character I felt was not developed well), and the overuse of Ching Ching's illness as a plot crutch at times. Besides those very minor things that don't really change the integrity/foundation of the drama, this is my favorite drama of all time and I think that the international drama community has slept on it because HK dramas is usually not what international fans flock to. This drama is highly regarded in China and Hong Kong and still has a huge cult following even 13 years later and if you take the time to watch it, you will understand why.
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