Name: Some Day or One Day (Taiwan)
Writer/director: Hsin Hui Kin, Chi Feng Chien / Tien Jen Huang
Date: November 2019
Number of episodes: 13
Genre: Supernatural, Romance, work, school
Based on book/manga?: No

Why did I press play? I really enjoy the acting in many Taiwan dramas and wanted to check this one out.

Thoughts and observations:
It takes a couple of episodes to wrap your head around this drama. It’s unique and doesn’t fit into any particular genre. However, there is a cloud of melancholy that appears around episode two and it’s not budging, which makes the drama draining to watch as you can feel the main character’s pain and longing for her lost loved one. If it stays heavy it may get dropped, despite good quality acting and writing, it’s just too much to unwind with. Although in the preview of episode four there is an intriguing twist!

What’s good

• Alice Ke’s acting. She is such a natural and can comfortably act a wide range of emotions and seems so comfortable in front of the camera. The main leads playing high school students is a bit of a stretch (Alice is 34), but they make it work as best they can. Her two characters wear many hats and she effortlessly changes into them and you feel that you are watching different characters. Both of the characters she plays have big life changes that alter their attitude towards life and mannerism and Alice acts out all the nuances with flare. I’m sure for the directors, she’s great to work with.
• Both Li Zi Wei and Wang Quan Sheng are charming and optimistic. Zi Wei is naturally warm and inclusive. We later learn from Quan Sheng’s mother, that he rarely smiled till he met Yu Xuan, and blossomed into a fun-loving person.
• A lot of effort has been put into this plot, as each episode reveals layers of connection between the characters.
• The metaphor introduction and ending videos. Taiwan dramas are awesome at these. It’s not normally till the last third of a drama that the metaphor becomes clear.

Who are the main characters? Which actors play them?
Huang Yu Xuan / Chen Yun Ru played by Alice Ke (female lead)
Li Zi Wei / Wang Quan Sheng played by Greg Hsu (male lead)
Mo Jun Jie played by Patrick Shih (second male lead)

Theme: Love can be both painful and beautiful

What’s it good for:  When you’re in the mood for something melancholy and unique.