Stand or Fall (2023)

Slow Start, Good Finish

I always loved QL's shows and she doesn't disappoint yet again! (Her little reactions/expressions are so on point)

Not gon deny this show started off really slow, and a little boring but it eventually gets to you. Three good friends with totally different lifestyles but yet being tight as a group absolutely resonates. ML and FL (Wang Yang + Qinlan)'s arc started off primarily in office (although they did have a history as teens) but once they realised their affection for each other was always there, they got so direct with their love, it became really comfortable to watch. They supported each other in their own ways and bantered as adults (unlike other shows with push-and-pull between leads lol). Super clear and clean.

SML and SFL (Liu Yun's arc) was the most difficult to watch until she saw through her cheating husband's disgusting behaviour and never looked back. The story showed how she could be submissive for her husband because of how much she loved him, only for him to treat her reliance as weakness. She could be a total hopeless romantic but once she saw his true colours, she cut all ties almost immediately and that was really strong.

The other SML and SFL (Alina Zhang's arc) was really, really healthy. Both husband and wife loves each other deeply and never got affected by their surrounding and environment, regardless of who tried to step in. They did have a small conflict in between but it was quickly resolved.

Overall all three arcs showed the different kinds of romance there are - hopeless, healthy, growing, while not neglecting the office politics side of things. I'd say it balanced out really well, and it really gets you following as the story progresses. Now all you'd need is just to sit through the first two eps, and... you may eventually like it as well.

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Stand or Fall

True to its title, you’ll either take a stand or a tumbling fall, you choose. I’ll just try to give my impressions and hopefully
it’ll give you some perspective if you’re on the fence.

Cons: subtitles where I watched was so bad that to really follow the gist of the business side of it, tends to keep you engaged. I mean you can definitely infer a lot (if you’ve seen one business drama you quickly pick up that two sides are working to advance, except there’s the other doing everything to sabotage that effort, right}. It was hard to follow along the business aspect of it, and it wasn’t anything so mind blowing to keep you teetering. In fact, it was a bit frustrating.

Pros: the cast! I always give grace to the hard working cast, no matter how the final product turns out. These are veteran casts and I automatically warm up to this type of series. They did a good job with what given. Whether by choice of what they agreed in contract, I always feel that there’s a hold back in level of chemistry. I’m so glad that one marriage portrayed did not add a cheat tag, but that the workaholic husband became mindful of his wife and supported her. I’m tired of cheating theme dramas so one married couple who worked through theirs was refreshing. The other married couple thought, at least, justice was served. As for main couple, they could have had more ‘them’ screen time but they were cute.

Overall, it’s not a bad production. I mean there’s lots they probably could have done better but still, it was fine. I liked it and if you have time, it’s worth seeing.

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