WindBlows
Europe
Whim turned into first love
Who would have thought that a whim would bring me to my all time favourite drama? Certainly not I...
LLTG part 1 took me completely by surprise. It had aired until episode 12 (still one of the best) when I started watching out of curiosity. The result was me devouring all episodes and meeting my first love in terms of drama. Part 1 focuses on the heroine Cheng Shao Shang, explores her family relationships and lays the foundation for a slow burn romance.
I want to start with the fact that LLTG deals with some serious themes disguised under humour. Cheng Shao Shang is the victim of systematic abuse at the hands of her grandmother and aunt. We're talking control through food deprivation and being left to die of illness. She has grown up without most of her basic survival needs being met.
As a result, Cheng Shao Shang has learnt the hard way that she can only rely on herself since other people, including family members, do not necessarily have her best interests at heart. Her choices and behaviour are not due to immaturity, but rather a consequence of the lack of physical and emotional security she has lived through for 15 years.
Zhao Lu Si's portrayal strikes a perfect balance between a Cheng Shao Shang who is alternatively cunning, stubborn, vengeful, at the same time yearning for affection and approval. Her complex acting has brought a flawed yet very lovable character to life, making me emotionally invested in this coming of age story. The heroine makes mistakes and grows gradually, as she goes through challenging life experiences.
LLTG is very much a character-driven drama. Part 1 highlights family dynamics underpinned by child neglect and discrimination, power struggles and hypocritical values. The beauty of it lies in that all characters have been performed in a strikingly memorable way. At least for one scene, every supporting character shines as if they were the protagonist.
Cheng Shao Shang develops a complicated relationship with her mother and hopes to escape the family environment through marriage. Early on, she meets 3 suitors, who each have advantages and drawbacks as potential husbands. All 3 also have complicated family backgrounds, which have shaped their views on love and marriage.
The suitor that stands out is clearly Ling Bu Yi, a quite dark character whose softer side only comes out in the presence of Cheng Shao Shang. Wu Lei shows a compelling performance which improved with every episode and also looked very competent in action scenes. His eyes are so expressive and they seem to effortlessly convey a myriad of emotions.
What I love about LLTG is that all characters are layered and their dialogues contain many nuances. One can watch episodes again and again and still find new details or an interpretation which was missed before. Cinematography is impressive as well and rendered key scenes even more impactful.
LLTG part 1 is a perfect 10 in my book, the first one I have ever granted to a drama.
LLTG part 1 took me completely by surprise. It had aired until episode 12 (still one of the best) when I started watching out of curiosity. The result was me devouring all episodes and meeting my first love in terms of drama. Part 1 focuses on the heroine Cheng Shao Shang, explores her family relationships and lays the foundation for a slow burn romance.
I want to start with the fact that LLTG deals with some serious themes disguised under humour. Cheng Shao Shang is the victim of systematic abuse at the hands of her grandmother and aunt. We're talking control through food deprivation and being left to die of illness. She has grown up without most of her basic survival needs being met.
As a result, Cheng Shao Shang has learnt the hard way that she can only rely on herself since other people, including family members, do not necessarily have her best interests at heart. Her choices and behaviour are not due to immaturity, but rather a consequence of the lack of physical and emotional security she has lived through for 15 years.
Zhao Lu Si's portrayal strikes a perfect balance between a Cheng Shao Shang who is alternatively cunning, stubborn, vengeful, at the same time yearning for affection and approval. Her complex acting has brought a flawed yet very lovable character to life, making me emotionally invested in this coming of age story. The heroine makes mistakes and grows gradually, as she goes through challenging life experiences.
LLTG is very much a character-driven drama. Part 1 highlights family dynamics underpinned by child neglect and discrimination, power struggles and hypocritical values. The beauty of it lies in that all characters have been performed in a strikingly memorable way. At least for one scene, every supporting character shines as if they were the protagonist.
Cheng Shao Shang develops a complicated relationship with her mother and hopes to escape the family environment through marriage. Early on, she meets 3 suitors, who each have advantages and drawbacks as potential husbands. All 3 also have complicated family backgrounds, which have shaped their views on love and marriage.
The suitor that stands out is clearly Ling Bu Yi, a quite dark character whose softer side only comes out in the presence of Cheng Shao Shang. Wu Lei shows a compelling performance which improved with every episode and also looked very competent in action scenes. His eyes are so expressive and they seem to effortlessly convey a myriad of emotions.
What I love about LLTG is that all characters are layered and their dialogues contain many nuances. One can watch episodes again and again and still find new details or an interpretation which was missed before. Cinematography is impressive as well and rendered key scenes even more impactful.
LLTG part 1 is a perfect 10 in my book, the first one I have ever granted to a drama.
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