Below are some brief thoughts on a few dramas that I’m watching, watched, or only took a gander at. Each of these are worth taking a peek at.

Rattan
This drama immediately has you at the edge of your seat, it is a fantastical and a little bit of a thriller. Vin Zhang’s acting gets better and better and his performance is stellar in this drama. Unfortunately that same can’t be said for Sally Jing – she doesn’t do the character any favors and has the same deadpan expression the entire time. Yes, her character is arrogant, but this can be acted out in a more subtle and effortless manner. The voice dubbing doesn’t help her case. This is one of the reasons I dropped this drama. I wish a different more experienced actress was casted for this role. The plot, although interesting and is a good one, isn’t my cup of tea. One notable part of the drama is what happens to Qin Fang when he goes too far from Si Teng – it’s both fascinatingly original and creepy.

Women in Beijing
This drama was released in 2018. It’s a contemporary drama that follows the life of Che Ki, particularly that of her romantic relationships: there are several and they are all different. She doesn’t intend to hop around, but it just turns out that way. Her relationships are intertwined and changes with her growing career. She does desire a strong and loving relationship, but what she desires more is a unique and unpredictable life: this is a perpetual tension within her.

But what this drama does well is take what would be a shallow concept, and transformers it into a mature and engaging drama. I did drop this (and did take a peek at the final few episode) because I mainly enjoy plots where there are maximum two major relationships.

One of the most interesting scenes (and there are many in this drama) is toward the end when she meets with her ex-boyfriend (Yang Da Ge). The whole situation is unexpected, as he has totally moved on and adores his wife, and treasures his life with her. Whereas in typical plots there would be lingering feelings, but not here. It was lovely to see that their marriage is strong and that he is fully capable of letting go of his first love. After this dinner, Che Ke is distressed – but even if they stayed together, she would have been somewhat miserable at the predictable life she has been avoiding all these years. She feels as if she has lost something and grieves, but she would have been resentful otherwise. This drama is everything “My Best Friend’s Story” was not. If the later drama left you disappointed, this one may do the trick. Wei Qi is perfectly casted and rises to the occasion as the leading lady in a high production drama.

You Are My Hero
Light, fluffy, and perfect! Well, almost perfect – the plot does get a little boring, but that doesn’t stop me from forwarding to Mi Ka and Xing Ke Lei warm and fuzzy romantic moments. I read that this is Bai Jing Ting’s first role where he kisses. This shows because when they kiss in the car, you can see he is trying his best, but a little awkward. This is totally endearing and exactly how Ke Lei would kiss!