These are the #Kdramas and #Cdramas that I plan to catch up with this year. I have a feeling I may end up dropping The Legends, because I have very little patience for xianxia, but since it stars Xu Kai maybe I'll give it more of a chance :P
I’m reminded - as I chortle at some witticism in the writing of the brilliant Joy of Life S2 - that the web novelist Mao Ni, who wrote the original JoL novel, also wrote The Outcast.
That went on to become the very popular young adult series, I Am Nobody.
It had a real #cdrama meets Buffy Vampire Slayer/Stranger Things vibe and at its core it was funny, smart and witty.
OK - is it too early to start whining that S3 of Joy of Life isn’t out yet?!
I am in withdrawal!
Still gonna stand with my Fan Fan flag firmly planted in my #cdrama hill that Joy of Life, Winter Begonia, Long Night in Chang’an and Wind Blows from Yonxi are among the greatest TV series ever produced.
Superb work.
To paraphrase director Bong Joon-ho, a couple of inches of subtitling opens worlds of art!
I hate when someone posts about a drama and I can't find a way to stream it. It's a #cdrama called #thedouble. Does anyone know where to stream it in the US with no subscription required? Thanks.
After #JoyOfLife2, my brain is rebelling at the thought of watching anything, well, not as good 😅. #TheDouble is very buzzy, but I know I will be very harsh on it (in terms of writing & acting), so I have decided to watch Under the Microscope, starring Zhang Ruo Yun. It's about math and taxes. Ikr?? But it's seriously more interesting that that!
Also, With You, an anthological TV show about #COVID19's effects on #China's society.
One of the greatest of Chinese historical dramas - The Rise of Phoenixes(2018)- just landed on Viki after its original run on Netflix!
70 episodes of glorious courtly intrigue. Don’t skip even one. Every word matters.
Best friends in real life - Chen Kun and Ni Ni - take on such complex and nuanced roles as tortured lovers in dangerous times. Playing off each other brilliantly and the stellar cast.
I am currently writing my thoughts about each arc of #JoyOfLife2. Bookmark this page as I will be adding my thoughts for a few weeks. (You'd need to return to this page for my updated thoughts)
Yeah I'm known for listening to hard rock, metal music, and edgy ethnic tunes. But I also veer wildly to the other side - here's a selection of my favourite Chinese songs, mostly ballads, mostly culled from Chinese dramas, predictably lol
Am watching "With You", a #Cdrama about how Covid-19 was discovered, and how it ultimately affects healthcare workers and all people from all walks of life.
Just finishing episode 5 of “Joy of Life” 🌸 The drama feels very different from more standard Cdramas. Difficult to pinpoint exactly why. Perhaps it is because it allows its characters to be flawed?
Wang Yang as the assassin with a backstory who turns into a helper has great charisma. Nice to see actors who are not extremely young, being given meaty roles to play.
You know what #Cdramas do so well?
Emotional intensity. #Chinese people are stoic, reserved and not physically demonstrative. So, one has to read the emotional queues in a glance, a gesture and most importantly through words. For eg, in #JoyOfLife2 polite words are exchanged in seemingly genteel banquets, but there's no mistaking the hatred. ❤️ Is expressed through a longing look & a tear. When characters finally get physical, the tension is explosive! 🙀 #Cdrama
You know the kind of drama where every moment is just an utter delight that you wished it was 70 episodes long? #JoyOfLife2 is it. The last drama that was like that for me was Mysterious Lotus Casebook.
I know this is probably the last week for #JoyOfLife2 but damn it the 2 ep per day release is slowly killing me inside despite me just being on episode 10. That's because I know the last arc is a really exciting one and I want it to be here NOW
Just beginning to watch season 1 of “Joy of Life” 🌸 It is still laying the foundations of the drama but there is already a sense of foreboding. Zhang Ruoyun has a very charismatic presence - slightly goofy but clever.
Ting Meishi has a brooding, underplayed aspect that complements Zhang Ruoyun’s more mercurial character.
I love watching how other countries rework series to bring out new things - Designated Survivor is way better IMHO as a Korean political suspense film than original USAn.
F4 is a way better version of Jap/Taiwanese/Kor Boys Over Flowers. It had a distinctive Thai spin on it. LGBTQ characters. Clashing rural, class & ethnic backgrounds. That both FL & ML were f*cked up.
I want to see a remake of #cdrama Love Me, Love My Voice about Shanghai’s dubbing & voice actors. Needs stronger female spin
Yolo more than a story about an overweight girl becoming a boxer . It's a character study of a woman who decides to believe in herself by doing something seemingly impossible.