Qing Qing Zi Jin (2020)

Tellement décevant

Hum...C'est un drama bourré de défauts. D'où ma note d'ailleurs.
Le scénario est bancal et loin d'être exceptionnel. Un bandit au grand coeur qui sauve une jeune femme et qui deviennent part la suite des plus qu'amis, ce n'est ps certes pas original. La vengeance d'une tentative de meurtre commise il y a plusieurs années sera ou plutôt devrait être au centre de l'histoire. Que nenni, cela devient plutôt une histoire qui saute du coq à l'âne entre les mésaventures pas très rocambolesque de Qiu Chi et de Ren Juan. Leur histoire à l'académie, leur affrontement avec des vilains/rivaux amoureux qui frôlent la palme de la stupidité. Et c'est bien là où le bât blesse. On en perd l'intérêt très vite de la trame principal, il n'y a plus de fil conducteur et tout part un peu dans tous les sens. Nous sautons d'une scène à une autre sans vraiment savoir pourquoi ni comment nous en sommes venus là. Les vilains du drama font partis incontestablement des plus mauvais de dramaland : fades, ennuyeux, bêtes et méchants, ils n'ont aucun atout, aucune étincelle d'intelligence. Rien. Juste stupide et méchant. Les personnages secondaires? Sous-exploités selon moi. La relation du général han et de Qin He promettait beaucoup et puis au final, pas grand chose....
Et pourtant malgré tant de défaut flagrant qui devrait faire oublier très vite un tel drama, il y a étrangement une petite lumière qui a su me faire sourire bêtement, me faire regarder tout de même jusqu'au bout : Qiu Chi et Ren Juan (pour être honnête, surtout Qiu Chi, Ah ce sourire! Ah ce regard!!!). C'est un des couples (ou du moins, ils auraient pu l'être...) les plus mignons de dramaland de ces derniers mois. L'alchimie entre nos deux amoureux est pétillante et tellement adorable qu'on attendait avec impatience chacune de leurs interactions. Il n'y a pas d'ambiguïté, nous savons dès le départ que leur sentiment est partagé, eux aussi d'ailleurs. Ils ne s'en cachent nullement. Leurs petites scènes de jalousie et de possessivité sont "kawai". Surtout provenant de la part de Qiu Chi. D'ailleurs, je vais être honnête, il EST le pilier de ce drama. Il est "vaurien" et tellement taquin que mon coeur a dû faire je ne sais combien de bond entre chaque apparition. Il est ironique et tellement séduisant à la fois. Moqueur et protecteur. Et sans détour il sait protéger sa femme, comme il aime le dire. Par contre, dans la dernière partie du drama, le couple perd de son intérêt ( comme beaucoup de drama), où cela fuit et revient pour pas grand chose, pour des obstacles mineurs. Et c'est dommage, car c'était justement ce qui me faisait regarder la suite sans broncher(du moins presque)...

Alors malheureusement le drama souffre d'un scénario faible et d'une réalisation médiocre, avec des vilains horriblement bête et inutilement méchant, de personnages secondaires sous-exploités. Et à cause de cela, nous passons à côté d'un des couples les plus prometteurs ( prometteurs, car je pense qu'ils n'ont pas su nous faire aimer ce couple génial jusqu'au bout) de ces derniers mois.

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Poetry in motion.

This is a really fun and adorable school romance drama that will steal your heart. It carries the underlying message that education should be a universal right but it does not necessarily produce a moral person.

Wen Renjuan is swept off her feet by a seemingly wicked man from a different world in a brief but unforgettable encounter.  They reunite at the prestigious Zhuxiu Academy after Luo Qiuchi wins a place in a national poetry competition. Of course it is impossible back then for even elite young women to be formally educated, in a co-ed academy no less! But since the setting is so much fun and it avoids the muss and fuss of the cross dressing trope, let's let that one slide. This is mostly a coming of age character drama that explores class conflict and how different students of Zhuxiu Academy respond to competition, envy and disappointment in academics and relationships.

The best thing about this drama is  watching the character and relationship development of the two main couples - it is literally poetry in motion. Both couples are lovable and so convincingly "belong together" I have a hard time picking a favorite. Renjuan is the character that grows the most in the drama - she blossoms from a timid girl into a feisty, clever and simply irresistible young beauty who fights fiercely for her beliefs.  Lu Xiaolu is simply a joy to watch in this role; she has the cutest, most natural facial expressions and gestures that convincingly conveys the innate goodness of Renyuan's nature. The way initial attraction turns into love and how Qiuchi and Renjuan grow together as a couple as they get to know and understand each other is just breathtaking.  I particularly enjoyed watching Qiuchi temper his natural possessiveness and protectiveness towards Renjuan to give her room to make her own decisions and judgements even when he knows she is not on the right track. With quiet, gentle but unyielding insistence, Wenjuan bends Qiuchi to her will and helps him accept and let go of the bitterness of  his childhood losses. This is one of the best, most realistic couples I have seen in terms of how their relationship grows from strength to strength.

In sharp contrast to Qiuchi and Renjuan, Hang Ruxue and Qing He are a much more reserved, less demonstrative couple. But it is clear their feelings for each other are conveyed less with words and more with deep soulful glances and actions. It is just as moving to watch the skittish, love struck Qing He's confidence grow as she wins the heart of her strong and silent general. Xie Binbin's Ruxue is so intimidatingly endearing I hope to see him in many more lead roles from now. I also love the camaraderie between both couples and how they support each other. My favorite character however has to be the boy emperor - he cracks me up every time!

Where this drama falls down is in the plot and the pacing. It opens really strongly with a fresh and exciting initial meeting between the leads. We get a lot of great action and thrilling twists in the first 10-15 episodes of the drama and the plot unfolds at an engaging pace. However, the overarching plot peaks too early and then lapses into a series of charmingly heartwarming but bland school related short plots that lack complexity and are easily resolved. It helps that it hones in on the dynamic between the couples and is so well done that I didn't mind that the plot threads water. However, both relationships peak shortly thereafter and while the lovey dovey couples are adorable, the pace is slow from then.

The main problem is that the villains are revealed very early on but they hang around until the bitter end. It does not help that the writing gets sloppy and illogical things happen in the ending arcs. For example, Renjuan's hard won martial arts skills evaporate in thin air so that she can be helpless and easily overcome by the villains as is required by the plot. The villains are also repetitive and unimaginative with shallow and tropey motives. The final (usually best) villain could not get any sympathy from me, I just rolled my eyes at his boring histrionics. It is not a lot to ask that the most complex villain in the story does better than that! At least two of the villains could have been tackled together and this could have been a much better drama with about 10 episodes fewer.

I consider this a heartwarming and good character and relationship drama with some truly entertaining moments. And I am sure you will watch one of my favorite and most hot, squeal-worthy hilarious a moments at end E5/beginning E6 at least two times... I rate this a very enjoyable 7.5 but I had it at 8.0 until about the last 10 episodes.

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