Tender Light is another one of those underrated gems that come out once in a while and feel refreshingly different.

This review is mostly for people that are hesitant to watch it, because of the rating, the length or any other reason.

I will briefly mention some of the things I didn't like and then I will refer to the things that made me really enjoy this series.

Things that I disliked or could have been better:
- Some of the actors' performances. I specifically think that both Tong Yao starring as Nan Ya and Wang Zi Xuan as Qing Li were not as great as they should be in their roles.
- Last half an hour - no spoilers-, but it could have definitely been better execution-wise, but unfortunately it ended up being another example that proves that censorship ruins creative freedom.
- Some plot points, character choices in the last few eps were very sudden and out of place.


Now to the things I loved and why I think you should give this a watch:

Length
Despite its 28 episodes the drama manages to keep your attention. Even though it could be shortened, since there were quite a lot of scenes that felt like fillers, I think they added to the atmosphere. It was ideal to watch, while it was airing, since it is definitely not a binge-worthy show.

Zhang Xin Cheng
I haven't watched many Cdramas and even though many actors and actresses were good, I can't help but mention specifically Zhang Xing Cheng. He did an incredible job portraying a very complex character and honestly I can't believe he is the same person that starred in Justice in the Dark and The Day of Becoming You. It's like he completely transforms, when he acts (and no not all actors manage that, despite being their job).

Characters
Tender Light has some of the most complex, realistic, flawed and raw characters I have seen in a very long time. Some are a joy to watch, others can get frustrating, but all of them manage -for the most part- to feel very very real.

Directing/Cinematography
I must mention that the series is visually stunning. It's nothing like the typical Cdrama, it is obvious that the director has paid attention to every single shot and most importantly he managed to make every frame filled with emotions.

Atmosphere
The series is talking place -mostly- in 1999 and 2000 and the atmosphere captures greatly that time. The subtle transitions because of technological advancements is evident and even though it may feel sometimes that the series is talking place years earlier, I think it was a great choice taking into consideration that the drama is taking place in a very small town/village, where things obviously can't be as advanced as in the capital.

Mystery/Plot
No spoilers allowed, so I will just say that generally speaking the plot is pretty well written. Even though the series is slow paced and character driven, the mystery and the revelations will keep you glued to the screen.

Village/Small town setting
Well, apparently this is one of my favorite things. I love this setting, mostly because as viewers we know all the characters. As a result, it is much more entertaining when guessing who could have done what, cause no new characters are going to pop out of nowhere.
Plus, it is a great ''excuse'' to deal with themes like marginalization, stigma and of course the whole ''everyone knows everyone, everyone judges everyone'' and my most favorite ''no matter what happens, it's none of our business'' one of the biggest problems in any society.

Sensitive subjects
One of the strongest, if not the strongest, part of this series is the subjects it is dealing with. Tender Light deals with many -non-sensitive- themes like unconditional love and friendships, but also with many sensitive subjects like abuse, mental health, obsession, greed, jealousy (and many others I will not mention cause of spoilers, but if you have any triggers, please check the tags.)

Eroticism/Love
Many people argued about the existence or romance in this series, but I disagree. It is there, but it is a dark kind of love and it can be difficult to watch at times, especially since it starts quite differently. Regardless, the eroticism radiates from many of the scenes and even though romance is not the main theme it is equally -and I would dare say more- impactful than most love stories.

Music
Oh, dear. Amazing. Mostly instrumental music is used, but all I can say is that it is a pleasure for the ears. I would even say that the music in combination with some of the scenes, gave off -strong- Wong Kar-wai vibes.

Daring
Even though I mentioned about censorship and artistic freedom above, I must also mention that the series plot-wise and character-wise was very bold. Some of the scenes felt very real and were hard to watch and at the same time the characters' actions or even their whole personalities were so flawed to a point I was actually wondering how this managed to pass censorship.

Director's skill
What do I mean by that? Well, besides the gorgeous shots and generally the stunning cinematography, the director upgraded the skills of his actors -something that I rarely see, even though it is part of their jobs-. Like mentioned, some actors were good, others not so much. The thing is that he managed to make the good ones look even better and he also managed to make the bad/less good ones seem pretty good -at times-, cause of the shots, the angles he chose. That deserves some applause honestly, because we would be talking about something completely different if he wasn't the one in charge of the directing.


Now, as mentioned, this series has many positive points, but is it for everyone? No. Why?

Here are a few notes for those wondering if it is for them:
- It is quite slow paced
- It is mostly character driven
- It deals with themes that may trigger people or just make them uncomfortable
- A lot of attention is focused on the visual storytelling that many people don't enjoy
- Characters are quite flawed, something that may cause annoyance
- The ''romance'' tag is there for a reason, but the series also doesn't have the usual, healthy or at least lighthearted love story you may be used to watching and can easily make someone uncomfortable, since it starts quite intensely.


All in all, Tender Light is unique. That is the only word that describes it perfectly. It is different and that makes it shine, despite its flaws especially during the last few episodes.