#modern-cdrama — Public Fediverse posts

The Epoch of Miyu (CDrama review)

Miyu was once the picture-perfect rich man’s ewife—devoted, loyal and utterly consumed by her marriage. Then, she finds out about her husband’s affair.

But the betrayal didn’t stop there. She divorces him after finding out the mistress, Lu Zhen Zhen, is pregnant, but Nie Yucheng hid his money from her so that she gets nothing after the divorce. Broke, heavily in debt and utterly humiliated, Miyu is forced to take a job as a housekeeper at a luxury hotel just to keep her head above water.

When working in Purong hotel, she discovers that Ji Feng, the hotel manager who had initially hid evidence of her husband’s affair from her, is an important hotel guest there. And to twist the knife even deeper, Lu Zhen Zhen—now Nie’s new wife—is also working at the same hotel as a manager.

Miyu had to endure cleaning rooms and serving her ex’s social circle, putting up with the gossip from her new colleagues, who saw her as nothing more than a fallen socialite.

But here’s the thing about Miyu: after a lifetime of putting others first to her own detriment, she wasn’t about to let pride or the past stop her. She was determined to rebuild her life, even if it meant facing Ji Feng and her husband’s new wife every single day.

Characters

The Characters (from left): Qiao Qi, Duan Jr, Lu Zhen Zhen, Ji Feng, Miyu, Nie Yucheng and Tan Ji Zhou.

Xu Mi Yu (played by Zhu Zhu): A former wife housewife to a wealthy man, she loses everything after her husband’s betrayal. She is determined to rebuild her life and become a skilled hotel manager.

Ji Feng (played by Wallace Chung): The capable and stern general manager of Purong Hotel who becomes a central figure in Miyu’s professional and personal life.

Nie Yu Cheng (played by Jing Chao): Miyu’s ex-husband and a wealthy businessman. He had an affair, got his mistress pregnant and left Miyu penniless.

Lu Zhen Zhen (played by Li Meng): Nie Yucheng’s mistress-turned-new-wife. She is an ambitious corporate and social climber.

Li Qiao Qi (played by Cristy Guo): Miyu’s best friend and the acting head chef at the hotel.

Xue Rui (played by Na Jia Wei): Ji Feng’s assistant who often interacts with Miyu.

Duan Jr. (played by Xu Hai Qiao): A troublesome figure who causes chaos, he’s the son of a wealthy investor and rival of Purong hotel.

Tan Ji Zhou (played by Ren Bin): A wealthy and persistent admirer of Miyu.

What I liked

That barely restrained look of contempt… ;P

The acting: This may be a soap, but Wallace Chung and Zhu Zhu’s acting was top tier, and the character development was rich.

The makjang factor: I keep telling people this – if we wanted realism, we’d watch a documentary! The Epoch of Miyu is like those K-dramas with ridiculous plots but we watch because the actors carry the crazy emotional twists so well.

I enjoyed Miyu’s pursuit for independence and her dream of becoming a skilled hotel manager. She didn’t turn into a tough boss lady; she retained her kindness while enforcing clear boundaries. I like her refreshing leadership style; how she leads with heart.

I love the brutally honest communication style between Miyu and Ji Feng. It would seem that they are so comfortable with each other that they’re able to really say what’s on their mind to each other or be at their “ugliest” emotionally.

Ji Feng’s character: I appreciated Ji Feng’s harshness and the fact that he didn’t always rescue Miyu. He acted more like a tough manager than a simp.

The hotel’s political drama was fun—like a palace drama, but in suits! I loved watching Ji Feng take down the Nepotistic Quartet (the lousy managers that were running down the hotel).

Our couple’s slow-burn romance? Delicious. Wallace Chung and Zhu Zhu brought a maturity to their scenes that made it feel real. And when Ji Feng finally got vulnerable and half-mad because of her, it was hot.

What I didn’t like

I know a soap doesn’t have to be realistic, but there are limits: Some plot developments were just too over-the-top; Miyu’s ascendance in a year was godlike, and her development can be Mary Sue-ish.

One-dimensional villains: Lu Zhen Zhen was just so one-dimensional and villainous. I get that she’s the antagonist, but a little depth wouldn’t hurt.

Thoughts about the ending

CLICK TO REVEAL

When I first watched the last episode, I wasn’t very satisfied. I thought, “What? After all that, Ji Feng gets left alone for one and a half years?”

But after a second, more focused rewatch I appreciated it a lot more, especially the endings each character got.

Miyu’s biggest dream was to become a skilled hotel manager, and getting into a premier school in Switzerland will make her ultimate goal come true.

Traditionally, dramas like this would end with her pregnant and married. Instead, they chose a different and braver route: celebrating her independence and her dreams. I appreciated the writers for honouring her journey and not derailing it for “love” (as they often do).

I celebrate the fact that she prioritized herself over Ji Feng, even though my heart breaks for him. The last shot of him staring at the Shanghai skyline and the fact that he often does this when he’s melancholic, was a bit heartbreaking. But hey, maybe seeing that he’s looking at it during the day time means that at least this time, while sad, he’s looking on with hope?

One and a half years is a short time. He can fly over to visit her anytime he wants; he’s rich, right? They can have Zoom calls and all. It will be hard, but as he promised, if she doesn’t come back, he’ll be there as the “velcro boyfriend.”

I loved how the drama celebrated themes of independence, ambition, and justice. Miyu’s journey was all about reclaiming her life and proving her worth, not just about a man that will her one true love.

The way the story tied up the loose ends for the other characters was so satisfying. Lu Zhen Zhen finally got what she deserved—fired and arrested, pitifully carrying her box out of the building. Poetic justice for all the pain she caused.

And Nie? Riddled with cancer, divorced, cuckolded. His downfall was pitiful and I almost feel sorry for him.

And I enjoyed the contrast between Miyu and Lu Zhen Zhen—two women shaped by difficult pasts, but who chose completely different paths.

Miyu’s mom and Lu Zhen Zhen’s mom both thought men were their salvation and Miyu and Lu Zhen Zhen grew up neglected as a result. However, Miyu chose kindness, while Lu Zhen Zhen became vicious, believing life was a survival game where you don’t win by being nice.

Conclusion

The Epoch of Miyu was a true dark horse, defying expectations and climbing the ratings charts to hit its peak at 35% on Yunhe.

Who would have thought a drama about hotel management could be this addictive? (Okay, fine, it’s also about CEO-like character falling in love with a housekeeper.)

Women on XiaoHongShu were posting photos of their boyfriends and husbands glued to the screen, with one poster sharing how her boyfriend insisted there was no romance—only hotel business. Turns out, even the most unlikely viewers couldn’t resist the soapy, high-stakes world of Purong Hotel.

Final rating: 3.5 out of 5

Not the most logical of dramas, but hey we’re not watching this one for realism!

#35Stars #CDrama #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #ModernCdrama #TheEpochOfMiyu #TV #WallaceChung #ZhuZhu

Endless protection recap and analysis (currently watching)

Prosecutor Lin Zhi Tao and assistant prosecutor Bai En Yu are members of a special juvenile prosecution team that focuses on the judicial protection of minors. They come across crimes that test their emotional strength, but despite the horrifying cases, they have to fight for justice of one of society’s most vulnerable: The children.

ℹ️ This post is currently being updated as I watch the show. Do return to the page as I will be updating it.

1. Episodes 1-3: Bullies
2. Episodes 4-5: Thieves
3. Episodes 6-9: Boat Trip
4. Episodes 10-14: The past
5. Episodes 15-16: Hoodie girl

Episodes 1-3: Bullies

The crime

A young student is bullied so much that he jumps off a building to escape his tormentors.

We meet our justice warriors

In these episodes, we get to meet our main protagonists, Lin Zhi Tao, a no-nonsense prosecutor, and Bai En Yu, a corrections officer at a juvenile corrections facility.

Originally, I watched this without subs, and since my Chinese reading is shit, I couldn’t quite get most of Vengo’s dialogue. (I love ya, Vengo, but please remove those marbles from your mouth lol).
The crimes are so… difficult to watch (sobs).

But anyway, I really, really hurt when I see young people suffer in any way, even on TV, which is why after the ferocious bullying in the first few minutes of episode 1, I wondered if I could continue. It was heartbreaking, and I was actually quite surprised at how graphic the bullying was.

But I believe it served a purpose. The head bully was hardly remorseful, and when Lin passed a relatively light sentence, I was also as incensed as the mom.

However, the drama shifted to Bai’s perspective, where we see that while he’s tough on his young charges, he is also caring in his own way. He wants the head bully to be reformed—we can see that—but he’s proving to be a tough nut to crack.

Hilariously, Lin and Bai butt heads in episode 3, and since we know they’ll end up in that special Juvenile Crime division that Lin has been transferred to, this is going to be SO FUN.

I can understand Bai’s perspective. In his mind, Lin is just a pencil pusher who doesn’t get to see the young criminals daily. She only knows how to execute the law. While Lin can execute the law according to rigid parameters, Bai doesn’t have that luxury. Kids are already hard to deal with—delinquent kids?? It’ll be interesting to see both of them exasperate each other.

The limits of the law

I wonder if Lin regrets executing the law so rigidly in the bullying case. I can’t decide if what she did was right or wrong because I’m with the mom—8 years is a slap on the wrist for someone who caused another child to jump off a building in desperation to get away.

Lin’s childhood was not a cakewalk

While the cases are so tough to watch, at the start of episode 3, we see siblings who live under the tyranny of their abusive father. I believe that’s Lin, as we later see the child talk to Lin’s superior.

But I wonder if her actions were the reason why she was ostracized by her community—because she dared to sue her dad, and somehow… her mom still defended her dad despite it all… and chose to oust her daughter instead? Oof.

I really love the characters so far, and I especially like the gregarious Bai, who adores his wife. What a refreshing character to take on, and I’m glad Vengo Gao got a chance to play him. I’m so used to seeing him in idol dramas; I hope that he truly makes the leap to the “Uncle Circle” soon, though I’d miss his white-haired Emperors ;D. He’s so far from the usual suave characters he plays that I’m delighting in the chance.

I also like how multi-faceted the drama is. They don’t portray the juvenile delinquents as irredeemable but show that they’re probably the result of their environment. I find myself unexpectedly rooting for them. 🙂

Yes, even the head bully!

Episodes 4-5: Thieves

The crime

Children are being used to rob people. I definitely cried a little (inside, anyway) when I saw how they were “trained” and “punished.” And if that isn’t bad enough, they’re later stuffed in suitcases and sold. I really am wincing at the fact that these are based on real cases. The poor kids :((

Bai’s human touch

Poor Bai—his favourite charge, Lu Sheng, is back in detention. It appears that he’s been forced back into the criminal ring that uses children to steal, and he’s probably not telling the truth because he wants to protect his siblings, family, and the kids in that ring.

Bai has his heart in the right place: he not only cares for the kids but also knows how to read them and get them to reform. However, his hot-headed ways and rough, in-your-face interrogation methods do not work outside the detention centre, methinks. Still, he has street smarts and instincts that the prosecution team doesn’t have.

Like the director said later, she hopes Bai will give the team the “human touch.”

Lin’s methodical way of prying the truth out of criminals can really complement Bai’s out-of-the-box ways.

(I LOLed at Bai’s method to get into Lu Sheng’s family flat after Lin failed. He pretends to be on Lu Sheng’s dad’s side and drinks with him, which incenses Lin’s assistant, who thinks that he’s breaking the law and “drinking on the job.”)

Notes

• Don’t you think the opening sequence is creepy? The crimes that we’ll see in this drama are hinted at in a series of ‘playful’ dioramas. Cute on the surface, but upon closer look, they hint at darker stories.
• I love how Bai dotes on his wife! We all want a hubby like Bai.
• Lin’s request to revoke Lu Sheng’s father’s guardianship—is this another clue that the kid who wanted to sue her father was Lin? I wonder if she’ll succeed.
• Not gonna lie, I thought Lu Sheng would get a harsh sentence. Thank goodness he didn’t, or else I’d wonder what the hell is wrong with the prosecutors (like I wondered in the first ep).
• What in the world was Bai doing on that roof with the drum? Was he beating the drums to give Lu Sheng a soundtrack while he’s testifying before the prosecutors?? ;D

I noticed not only were they using cash but also those old “boring” hand phones! I wonder why I never noticed before, but this drama must’ve been set before 2010.

Looks like Lin’s troubles with the first case aren’t over??

Episodes 6-9: Boat Trip

The crime

A family boat trip ends in tragedy as a child is killed. The culprit appears to be a young girl, but our prosecutors are not that sure.

I kinda like the office

Our heroes have a rough start to the latest arc. First, Lin had to save the mother of the dead bullied kid from swan diving off the same ledge her son did. Then Bai realised his dream job is a dream – the kind you can only appreciate when you are asleep! He’s flabbergasted that the prestigious job he had fought so hard for has an office in a janitor’s store room. But at least it’s roomy and has an ensuite toilet!

The criminal isn’t as obvious as I thought

This arc got me thinking that some people just shouldn’t be allowed to procreate. Honestly, I really disliked the little girl bully so much that I was convinced the arc was all about how to convict a child psychopath and the ethics of doing so.

But it turned out that the true psychopath was the father of the kids, who made my skin crawl with his selfishness.

His mistress wasn’t any better, her having colluded and even pressured the father to kill the kids. Her begging to be let off from the death penalty towards the end made me shudder a little at her selfishness.

Unfortunately, I don’t think the little girl bully is going to grow up normal. Pretty sure she’s going to be a full-blown narcissist when she grows up and do something criminal.

And thus I go on a philosophical bent thinking how society’s ills often stem from shitty parents, and if only we had an AI for that to anticipate or predict bad/evil parenting …

Some other notable stuff

• I have to say this is such a creative way to interrogate kids.

• We get a clue what the diorama opening scenes are for! As the psychologist explains, it gives children a safe way to talk about the harrowing things they’ve gone through. As I mentioned in the last recap, each toy in the opening scene signifies a crime, and this time, it’s a boat and two empty life vests. (oof)
• We get confirmation that Lin is indeed that girl who sued her father and sent him to prison.
• We also find out that her family ain’t that grateful for her actions.
• So, in that sense, this case is really meaningful to Lin. That scene where she flinched at the sight of the wire coat hanger. Phew.
• Bai continues to demonstrate that his bad temper is not an asset in the interrogation room (I wonder if he’ll be dinged for that in future episodes). However, his out-of-the-box detective work, instincts and deft ability to handle young juvenile kids is definitely an asset to his more by-the-book teammates.
• Narcissists are often paired with Enablers and the father’s mother is an Enabler with a capital E. Lin and Bai got extremely frustrated by her not doing anything to prevent her grandkids from being abused. I got wanted to throw something at her when she said her son was a “good man, it’s just that he loses his temper”. Eurgh (screams into pillow). I think Lin is especially upset about this because, and I’m guessing, it reminds her too much of her mother who begged the police to release her husband.

Who is the mysterious kid in the hoodie?

By the way, there is this mysterious kid who spoke to the bullied kid’s mum, and I wondered if she somehow goaded her to jump off the building?

Even Lin remarked that the woman was probably being manipulated into doing so.

Are we dealing with a genius kid psychopath or something?

Episodes 10-14: The past

The crimes:

A teenager is about to be prosecuted … for running a porn distribution ring.

Teen biker gangs are causing havoc and Bai Enyu wants to solve this problem without the law stepping in.

Don’t do porn, ‘mkay?

These episodes are relatively placid and less intense than the earlie episodes. (You know what this means—intense, heart-wrenching cases are coming soon!)

I have to say, my main reaction to the porn ring story was, wait, omg you can go to jail for this in China? Half the world would be in prison if this was a law in their countries!

But the distinction to be made here is that prosecution only happens if you profit from it, and this teenager has been earning money from his chat porn distribution ring.

Meanwhile, we’re introduced to his rather unstable tiger mum who screams at him the moment he shows interest in a friend who happens to be a girl? Geez, no wonder he’s turning to porn, mum.

Anyway, our prosecutors are pleading for leniency from the government as he seems to be a good and smart kid. Prosecution could mean that his life is ruined forever, after all.

Our second case is a little more serious but not intense either. Instead the case offers an insight on Bai. Well, our cheerful detective/prosecutor was a delinquent himself!

However, he turned into a new leaf when, during one of his fights, a friend was killed and another was maimed. And it was kinda sweet that his wife was a part of the gang, which meant that she was his childhood sweetheart.

On the whole, I found the biker arc predictable, but it’s nice to see Bai talking to a modern, younger version of his teen self, and being able to stop him from ending up hurting someone (and possibly derail his life).

Bai tries to play therapist to Lin (spoiler alert: not working well)

Lin meets her enstranged brother. Not a happy moment for all.

We also find out that Prosecutor Lin has a problem with her brain. Like, a physical one, in case you’re wondering.

Bai also finds out that the shop he’s been patronising and where Lu Sheng, his reformed delinquent progete works – the owner is Prosecutor Lin’s brother.

This becomes a rather awkward moment for Prosecutor Lin when she comes face to face with a brother she’s been estranged from for 16 years. Little brother has a big heap of resentment against his sister for leaving the family.

Bai, Lin and her brother need therapy. You are not a therapist.

These episodes were slow, and it took me a while to get through them. But I did like the character moments in episode 14, especially with Lin and her brother. Bai in his bull-headed way tries to force a reconciliation which goes as well as you can imagine.

I suspect that Lin feels immensely guilty for what happened after reporting her father and putting him in jail. It didn’t help, from what I can see, that the family didn’t support her decision but turned against her instead. It was the right thing, but it resulted in ostracisation from the community and the very people she tried to protect. After a betrayal like that, can you blame her for staying away?

Oh gawd, someone please hand me a shovel so I can do some violence

My thoughts so far
This arc was rather boring, to be honest, but maybe it’s due to my short-attention span brain being distracted by prettier fare like Feud and The Princess’ Gambit.

Still, it’s again, delightful to watch Vengo Gao in such a good role. I’ve only seen him as an aloof heavily emperor, an aloof kinda-vampire and aloof swordsman – you get the idea. So, to see him just let loose as the brash, hot-tempered but good-hearted corrections officer is such a delight.

I’m also liking how each case isn’t predictable. I always think that I have pinned down the culprit, only to be surprised each time.

And after watching the chaos that is The Princess’ Gambit and other idol dramas, I really appreciate the plain ol, logical and good scriptwriting. You do wonder why idol dramas just can’t do this while dramas like these can?

Episodes 15-16: Hoodie girl

The crime
Prosecutor Lin is lured to the KTV lounge where she had caught the business hired under-aged girls. There, she ends up being trapped in a burning building.

No guesses who the culprit is: Hoodie girl, Ning Kaitong (Li Xi Yuan).

She’s young, not even of legal age, but frighteningly smart.

So smart, in fact, that her psychopathic, serial-killer-like behaviour is deeply concerning.

We’ve seen her from the very beginning of the series, appearing near people connected to Prosecutor Lin’s cases. She goads the victims into doing terrible things, even attempting to convince a woman to commit suicide. These actions are undeniably scary.

Yet, what I love about this show is that they could still make me care for a character like Kaitong.

She’s not acting this way purely because she’s psychotic, but because she’s extremely bitter.

Prosecutor Lin sent her mother to prison, and she blames Lin for destroying her family.

This resentment comes to a head in these episodes when she lures Prosecutor Lin to a KTV building and sets it on fire.

Lin nearly dies but is saved by his brother. The only silver lining is that this incident finally forces Lin and her brother to reconcile. (I found it hilarious that Bai’s earnest efforts through food and meet-ups failed but a burning building succeeded.)

Meanwhile, Kaitong’s malicious ability to frame others for murder and manipulate people into deadly situations is something our prosecutors cannot ignore.

I’ll admit it now, I’ve never hated a minor character so much. Kaitong shows no remorse, fully believing that Prosecutor Lin deserved it and smugly smiling when the rest interrogate her, revelling in the fact that her youth protects her from tougher actions.

She smirked when they were forced to let her go. And, honestly, I thought this was the route the drama would take – we would see her going through counselling and “education”, and by the end of her arc she’ll be remorseful and sorry. Urgh.

(Fortunately, the prosecutors were as hard-assed as I was and tried to find a way to rein her in. I mean, seriously, having a kid who nearly killed someone grow up to adulthood and become god knows what is a scary thought.)

At that moment, I thought, “This girl belongs behind bars. She’s a danger to society. And this whole arc is about tossing her in jail. Bring it on!”

But Show surprised me again by giving me a twist that made me feel sad for psycho hoodie girl.

Throughout the series, we get hints that Prosecutor Lin is keeping a secret for the girl’s mother—one that the girl probably should know.

However, the prosecutors eventually find a way to hold her accountable. They discover she’s not the biological child of her parents—she was adopted and is actually older than she appears. This means she can be prosecuted.

When she’s brought in, she’s still smug, believing that she’s already accomplished her primary goal of hurting Prosecutor Lin.

But then, the secret comes out: her mother had assisted her father in committing suicide to secure insurance money for her education. Her mother went to jail for this, and before dying, she urged her daughter to live a good life and asked Lin to keep her true intentions a secret.

The tragedy hits hard when the girl realizes she has wasted her parents’ sacrifice.

As she stood in the dock, hearing her sentence, she broke down, understanding that everything she did was for the wrong reasons.

Not so smug now, huh?

Worse, her mother’s sacrifices and suffering were in vain. All her mother and father wanted was for her to have a good university education so that her smart brain could be used to build a better life. Instead, Kaitong used her intelligence to destroy the lives of others, and ultimately, her own. She wasted not just her life but her parents’ lives.

For Kaitong, there’s no worse punishment than realising that her actions rendered her mother’s suffering useless.

Will she get to be a productive member of society once she’s released? The stain of “attempted murder” isn’t something you can rub off easily, especially in a strict society like China’s. I doubt she can be a leader in the government, or even in corporations … what a waste of talent.

This storytelling is what I love about Endless Protection – it’s never straightforward. There are red herrings, surprises, and layers to every mystery.

This arc wasn’t violent, fortunately, nor was it action-packed, but the final scene at the courtroom delivered such a punch: Don’t waste your life. Don’t waste your intelligence on revenge and evil.

And can I say that I’m amazed by the young actress’ performance? In fact, all the young actors in this show were absolutely brilliant. If there’s one reason to watch Endless Protection (among many) it’ll be this.

#bookReview #CDrama #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #ChineseDramas #Crime #entertainment #ModernCdrama #novel #Recaps #review #romance #VengoGao

Bank on Me review

After the fabulous Are You the One, I was struggling to find a drama just as good to fill in the gap. Never thought that a drama about shenanigans at a bank would win me over The Double, but it is what it is!

But there’s a good reason why: The drama is helmed by big weights in the Chinese drama industry, and the quality shines.

It’s directed by Shen Yan, Magnolia Award best director winner at the 23rd Shanghai TV Festival, and written by veteran playwright Zhang Ting, an award-winning scriptwriter who has written award winners Wild Bloom and The Long River.

In the article, A TV series viewers can bank on Zhang Ting shared that he became fascinated by the online novel Qian Tu (meaning “a career in money”), which the drama is loosely based on. He found the novel’s insider perspective fascinating, as it offers a fresh look at the banking world, far beyond typical interactions like withdrawing cash.

To prepare, Zhang and his team visited multiple banks, interviewing presidents and staff while learning about industry regulations and terms, especially in light of China’s recent financial reforms. This research has paid off because having worked in a bank in my past, I can nod and think to myself, yup, been there done that!

I shared my first impressions of Bank On Me a few weeks ago. Do read it, if you haven’t.

The story

Lin Qiang was the deputy director at United Bank, but after refusing to sign off on a shady loan, he’s demoted to a struggling branch called Longyuan. His buddy Zheng Shuai also gets demoted and follows him to the branch.

Lin Qiang has to figure out how to turn the place around while clashing with the branch president, Hao Wei. As the story unfolds, Lin Qiang not only helps the branch recover but also uncovers a bigger conspiracy behind the loan mess.

Lin Qiang, is too upright to be a “team player”. So, HQ tries to make him quit by demoting him. Didn’t work. So, they promoted him. Lin is worried about the sudden good favour from the bosses. And he was right…it was the start of an even bigger plot against him.

I don’t think I would have survived office politics at a bank ☠️

Characters

• Lin Qiang (Bai Yu) – the principled banker
• Zheng Shuai (Wang You Jun) – his loyal friend
• Hao Wei (Li Hong Tao) – the Longyuan branch president
• Cheng Xing Yuan (Wang Zhi Fei) – a power banker and mysterious moover and shaker in the boardrooms
• Luo Sha (Esther Wang) – A key female character, known for her sharp personality.
• Xing Li (Dong Yong) – One of Lin Qiang’s superiors.

What I liked

You will be kept guessing about Cheng Xi Yuan’s true motives … till the very end.

The plot and characters kept me guessing
Throughout the series, you are kept guessing about the real masterminds. The people whom you think are the masterminds turn out not to be, and then you question the “noble intentions” of the supposed heroes.

Surprising character moments
You think you understand how this world and the characters operate. Then, there are moments where everything is upended. The most moving moment for me was when a brown noser confides in our hero, saying: “You are a talented man who can get a job anywhere. People like you can afford to be idealistic, for the rest of us, we have to be dogs.”

Oof, that hits hard if you’ve spent any time at all in corporate environments.

An equally devious protagonist
What’s amazing about Lin Qiang is that he uses the people who use him just as deftly. He may hate the game that he’s in, but he knows how the game is played.

A fascinating look into the Chinese finance industry
Banking is an industry where, if you f*** up, there will be dire consequences. This is true around the world, but God help you if you are a lawbreaking banker in China. Let’s just say that they don’t play around when it comes to consequences over there.

Realistic depiction of vicious corporate politics
The moves are made in boardrooms and meeting rooms. I’ve worked in corporate, and let me tell you, it gets scary up there! I’m actually appreciative that it did not resort to the murder/violence plot to heighten the suspense or tension.

Amazing actors
The actors are absolutely masterful. I am actually in awe of how they even make me care about villains.

What I didn’t like

To be honest, there’s very little I disliked! The pace could’ve improved, but it’s a very minor niggle.

Conclusion

This drama is more complex than it looks. It’s not just the story of an underdog corporate idealist fighting against his sycophantic and psychopathic corporate colleagues.

It’s the complicated dance of Machiavellian men, and in this world, our hero understands that he has to be as manipulative and cunning as they are to beat them.

Additional reading:

Final rating 4 out of 5 stars

#4Stars #CDrama #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #ModernCdrama #reviews #TV