The Longest Day In Chang An (Chinese Drama, New)
A death row prisoner, our hero is given a chance to live IF he can help the government figure out and stop a conspiracy to bring about mass destruction on the night of the lantern festival in Chang An– a festival that will happen in just 24 hours.
This one kinda reminds me of 24 (American TV show) in that our heroes are racing against time to stop a terrorist conspiracy. First episode was a bit confusing since the show had a lot to set up BUT there is no doubt the show is awesome. From the great movie like cinematography to impressive acting to leave you at the edge of your seat intense pacing, The Longest Day In Chang An is obviously going to be a great watch.
Viki.com has this one.
The Untamed (Chinese Drama, New)
After being dead for sixteen years, our hero is none too please to find himself waking up in the body of someone who has voluntarily offered up his own life to our hero’s spirit. Knowing full well the man had summoned his spirit because he believed the famous “evil king” must be able to help him seek revenge on his enemies, our hero sighs “Dude, you really got the wrong guy.” As one who would’ve preferred to stay dead, our hero had hoped that he could keep a low profile but of course things are never that easy especially when he keeps running into his past friends and foes.
This one is based on a BL novel (as in Boy Love, a genre in manga and novels where the romantic pairing is two guys). To air in China, the show obviously had to make some big changes to the plot line so while you will find plenty of bromance, there is no BL in the story.
I watched the first 6 episodes and the show is both funny and entertaining. I loved the hero’s trouble making personality and the mystery of what exactly happened to our hero before he died is also very intriguing.
Cry Me A Sad River (Chinese Drama, New)
Based on a novel, this one follows our leads’ romance from growing up as neighbors to being in the same college and finally out in the real world. Through the various challenges life throws at them (such as a misdiagnosed medical issue and having to be apart due to their careers) our two leads try to hold onto their love. Whether our two leads are successful in holding onto each other…well, that depends on how closely the show is going to stick to the book.
IF the show sticks to the novel as it is then this is going to be one depressing show. Judging by the novel’s synopsis, this is one of those stories that will suck all living will out of its readers…which means I am not going anywhere near it. I did check out the show’s first episode and while the vibe was fairly upbeat (for now) I wasn’t too impressed with the acting and the lack of character development. (I am specifically talking about the female second lead who disliked the heroine within the first two seconds of meeting her THEN fell in love with the hero the moment she sets her eyes on him. I guess such people probably exist in real life but for drama purposes, it seems to be very poor storytelling.)
60 Days, Designated Survivor (Korean Drama, New)
A K-remake of the American TV show Designated Survivor with Kiefer Sutherland. I was pretty excited to see Ji Jin Hee is starring as our hero, he just seems like the perfect man for the role. As you could guess, due to the difference in the political landscape of the two countries, the K-remake had to make some necessary changes to the story’s set up. It was actually quite intriguing to compare the two shows in terms of the changes that had to be made due to the different political histories. For example, in the American version, Iran and ISIS were the obvious enemies but in the Korea version, North Korea is the natural nemesis. The Korean also has a long and bloody history with Japan so that came into play as well in the show.
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A little correction. In “the longest day in chang’an”, it refers to the 24 hours instead of 12 (as often written) because in Chinese calculations, 12 “shi-chen” is 24 hours. One shi-chen is 2 hours. As such, Chinese people often say there are 12 shi-chen in a day.
Ahh, you are totally right! I will go back and change that. Thanks!
I was looking at The Untamed to watch next, your recommendation came at the right time!
I’ve seen a few BL Chinese shows, so why is that this show needed to change its course?
I don’t have a firm answer for your question but my personal guess is that it depends on a couple of things: 1. How strict is the Chinese gov’t at the time the show aired. (It looks like they are currently in the more strict part of the time.) 2. What platform the show is on. I think in the past, the web dramas are less regulated than they are now. 3. What area is the Chinese show produced. T-drama and…maybe Hong Kong (a few years back) should be able to operate under more lax rules.
I am watching The Longest Day in Chang’an and love it! The sets and costuming are out of this world. The miniature of Chang’an in the “anti-terror agency” is a fantastic device, the marking of time creates tension. The re-creation of a Tang era city with the festival and singers is amazing. The characters are well drawn and acted. The story is intense. It is being carried on Amazon Prime which is 4 episodes ahead of Viki for those who have access. Thanks for your review – I might not have watched it otherwise.