The Evil Face (2022)

Short & Sweet

A FAMILIAR STRANGER (2022) is a well-made yet very short Chinese mini-drama (only 8 episodes short). I was very glad to have stumbled upon this little gem of a series. While it is very short (especially compared to the usual 50+ episodes that Cdrama's usually consist off) thie series was very engaging and watchable. The plot was very focused and fast-paced, rather than following the usual meandering pace.

This drama was surprisingly engaging. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It was really well-made and well acted. The visuals, sets and costumes were all very stunning.

Overall, this Chinese mini drama was a great find! Short, thrilling and very intriguing but underneath it all, a sweet romance. I hope there will be more short series like this, if only to give more variety to the genre. Definitely worth the watch!

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good short cdrama

I thought this was well done. It was a bit dark to start and I tend to stay away from dark stuff. But I am glad I gave it a try.

Likes:
1. The story-line was good and kept you interested to know how things were going to turn out.
2. The writers and director did a good job and I hope they get more jobs. It was nice that it wasn’t a fluff piece like most of the shorter c-dramas.
3. The chemistry between the actors were good. The romance scenes were good and better then some that I have seen lately.
4. The ending was a definite surprise. There was a surprising twist.
5. I liked the contrast between the two couples in the love. It showed the difference between genuine love and obsessive love.
6. I liked the little daughter. her character was a nice addition to the story. I thought the little actress did a good job.
7. Solid acting- nothing outstanding but it was well done.

Dislikes:
1. Incomplete English subtitles but it was a good series so I just overlooked it and replayed some parts again to figure out what was going on.
2. Length of each episode-I would have liked the episodes to have been longer. Some of the story felt rushed because of the allotted time. The first episode was 11 minutes.
3. A little inconsistency in the story, In the description it says King Ning but in the story he is referred to as the prince. So that was a little confusing. I think he was the prince not the king. Other than that the story was good. This may be translation problem. But with the way this character was freely running around it was more believable he was the prince.
4. The ending was good but I felt like it could have been better.

I definitely recommend it. I will re watch it again. In fact I have re watched certain parts of it already.

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Suprisingly good for a short Drama

Typically these short dramas are low budget with no name actors. Acting could be cheesy or over the top but occasionally it's easy to watch on the side. So going into this drama I had zero expectations but did NOT see this coming.

Great Story filled with mystery and twists definitely good enough to be a longer series.
Great acting by the cast especially the 4 main leads. Chemistry was on fire between the ML and FL. In addition there were some interesting supporting actors, notability Yuanbao the little girl and ML's military advisor. Both offered periodic humorous lines.

The cinematography feel reminded me a bit like Love like Galaxy, beautiful and magical.
Music was also really good.

Only flaws:
1. They left some lose ends w/ the ending
2. Interesting stories like this should continue.........................................

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Only 18 eps, at 16 minutes per episode! Very fast-paced and good romance!

As an 18-episode drama, this has incredibly fast pacing, and this is not meant in a bad way. The writer does not waste time at all, moving from one main plot point to another. The scenes move very smoothly with good transitions between scenes. The soundtrack is really nice and the editing team did a great job adding them to certain scenes.

The storyline is more so focused on Shi Qi hiding her true identity rather than the political plotting to get the Crown Prince title. Romance-wise, there are plenty of cute/heart fluttering moments between Shi Qi and Xiao Han Sheng. I highly recommend trying if you're into the forced marriage and secret identity trope. Plus the I-met-you-before-but-you-don't-recognize-me trope? (if that is even one, lol). The mystery element of this drama would be finding out why Shi Qi got her face swapped. When the reason is revealed, I was a bit surprised, which is good cause plot twist! I do have to say I lowered my rating a bit because of the finale. I'm not sure how rational it was for such an ending.

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Plot was muah!

I'm on fire babyyyy! Found wholesome cdrama in a row!

It has a subtle, calm atmosphere that's why I hesitate to watch it at first because I'm for the mood of brute and funny MC and plot but glad I continue watching it! Don't get me wrong, this is not boring. I just misjudged it, thinking I'm not in a mood for some serious tone. But this was quite fine! Not so tragic, not so twisted, and not too comical too. So frickin' right.

I like FL here even though she's one of the kind that hard to play with (in writer's perspective) and could lead to boringness. But I guess, the director and the writer for this one knows how to extract the best in her personality so 10000/10000! ML is such a cute! And when I'm saying cute, it means, he's so fudging genius and tactical! He's a General indeed! Because of his way of thinking, this show didn't give you some misunderstanding shits at all even though they were trying to initiate. Oh boy. Love the casting and how they blend the characters so well!

The second characters did a lot of development that I anticipated. Some also shows changes but guess it's too late but hey, the thought is still counts. This is also the first time (if I remember it correctly) that the side characters have way more tragedy than the main characters. Which is RARE for any drama, isn't? GIVE ME MORE LIKE THIS PLS! Also, thumbs up for the director for removing the worry to FL and still give the Scharacter a good closure. Clap! Clap!

The plot? Got they got me there! I was suspicious at first but forgot it because I really enjoying the engagement of the MC. Until the plot was revealed that I was shook! That's a lot and satisfying last 3 eps there! Love it!

Overall, this is one of the best short cdrama I've watched. The puzzles fits perfectly that nothing's odd. I just enjoyed it!

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It's Intriguing

I don't think I have ever seen any drama that I want to leave as it is cos it was that perfect,but still wanted more,I knoow,it sounds ridiculous ,if you watch,you will understand .😄😄😄

You get sucked in from the first episode and it makes you yearn for more even after the last episode...

The intrigues,suspence ,the romance between the first lead couple,the sincerity of their feelings and how it's best to follow your heart and look beyond the physical, that was beautiful to watch, their chemistry was good, beautiful acting. Then the second lead couple good acting as well, telling us that if the physical is all we see,we can get blinded and not see what's in front of us and all that passion is all smoke not fire😀😀

I love the comedic relief, military adviser😆😆😆 and funbao , everyone did well,I enjoyed this drama,it's a short drama and I wasn't confused,🤷 there
were opportunities to make it longer,but it's fine as it is,so it's a 9:5 for me. 😊

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Watch this one for date night.

OMG! What did I fall into? This drama is exotic, provocative, and alluring. I really like this short drama. The Chinese put out short vignettes of 6-12 episodes of 12-30 minutes each. This is the testing ground for potential stars to make an acting drama statement. The drama is 8 episodes of about 30 minutes each. Does the premise make sense? Not really, but the plot-line is tied into such a neat knot, you may be willing to forgive certain shortcomings. One star of ‘A Familiar Stranger’ is Ryan Cheng. He got snatched up in a quick Chinese drama minute to more meatier parts after this good showing. Ryan Cheng also went on to star in the Chinese drama hit ’My Journey to You’ (2023). There is a wonderful posse of drama characters, which adds depth to A Familiar Stranger’. Ryan Cheng leaves Super Star dust behind him as he walks past you.

The time commitment is so short, you might enjoy this short drama detour.

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Intrigue, Romance, and a Twist You Didn’t See Coming!

To confirm the theory that this director always gives the main couple a happy ending and a daughter, I decided to watch his hit short drama as well.

Admittedly, the premise doesn't make much sense—face-swapping in what seems to be a Tang Dynasty setting? Really? But if you can overlook that, the story flows beautifully. The buildup of conflict, the plot twists, and the unwavering bond between the main couple are top-notch. They say it's a "green flag" when your partner believes in you (as if that's not the bare minimum in a relationship 🙃), and that's exactly the defining trait of the male lead.

Like many short dramas, this one isn't shy about showing intimacy—perhaps because censorship isn't as strict? And with its high production value, the sets and actors deliver an impressive experience.

I enjoyed watching it, especially since each episode is only 10 minutes long, and there are just 18 episodes available on YouTube.

Oh, and yes—the theory is confirmed!
So, the story flows well with strong characters and high production value, but the slightly unrealistic premise and niche appeal might not work for everyone.

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Surprisingly good!

OVERALL
It's short, to-the-point, and without major flaws. Watch it if you're bored and in need of a quick, small dose of romance. If you're really not a fan of fantasy or like to be super invested in your dramas, then reconsider. I would still give it a try. It's so short!

THE STORY
I like the switched-bodies trope, but I'm always wary because it comes with so many overused cliches I can't stand. Luckily, this drama does without them. Female lead is mature, poised and smart (although sometimes a bit helpless), Male lead isn't the usual cold prick and is also smart enough not to misunderstand things, so they face the situation differently than the protagonists of other dramas. It's just refreshing not to see the same old mambo. The couple is pretty cute too. There just isn't much to dislike about the story (it's a bit weird what happens with the villains but it's not so bad as to ruin the show).

There are definitely disadvantages to a short web-series format, the biggest one being that there isn't enough time to develop characters, relationships and plot very well. This drama does as well as it can with the time constraint, but you still don't feel very attached or invested in the characters. It's like watching the highlights of a drama rather than a complete drama. However, I find that there are also lots of advantages, the main one being no time for useless side stories that C-dramas are OBSESSED with. And THAT, I'm here for it! If you're the same, give this drama a try. I think it's worth it!

THE ACTING
Good stuff. The switching-body trope is pretty demanding, I thought the two actresses did a fantastic job. Main leads had some decent chemistry too. I have no complaints.

THE MUSIC
Can't remember, but it's not a bad thing!

REWATCH VALUE
Not super high, but not quite low. There were some really cute scenes, but I didn't care about this drama enough to rewatch it whole. I might rewatch parts of it!

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