Slow like Tai Chi, but hits its mark.
As an older adult, I’m not much on rom-coms without a unique and interesting story. I came across this particular drama quite by accident, but as someone who studies Tai Chi, thought it might be interesting. The opening episode sets this story up well and captures your interest. Whether the following episodes hold your attention, depends on your own expectations. This is not an action drama. The key Tai Chi scenes while central to the drama, are far apart. this is very much a modern twist on Romeo and Juliet and the conflict between families and their members. The plot is well played, with a number of subplots that move the story along to the final conflict. The storyline, too, is well constructed. The themes are broad and many. Unfortunately, the scenes between the main leads tend to drag on far too long, and it’s easy to lose interest during them. The intention is to show the growing romance between Wei Chu and PiaoPiao, but Wei Chu’s character is a bit wooden and PiaoPiao a bit too cute. Not that the actors are at fault. The dialogue is just too thin to support long scenes. The backgrounds are gorgeous, the places for each scene perfectly chosen. Their environment makes clear that these are college students struggling to understand both themselves and adults. The group scenes often suffer in blocking though, with actors simply standing in place delivering lines like a rehearsal. It’s the strength of the acting that carries those scenes. As for the Tai Chi itself, the performances are uneven. It’s sometimes treated off-handedly and at other times is marvelous in its detail and precision. The final conflict does not disappoint. Overall, this drama holds together nicely and is a great watch for older teens and their families. There’s a “Harry Potter” fantasy vibe to it. It’s also a great light introduction to the essentials of Tai Chi. This drama is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but it's on its mark as far as a target audience.
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