Very niche, but my favourite show EVER!

"Two men talking in a room" is what you'll get in 60% of this show. 25% of the show has more than two but no more than ten men, or a man and a woman, talking in a room. And another 10% is two or more men talking outdoors... yup, you get the idea. Superficially, that's most of what you'll see in The Wind Blows From Longxi. And it’s also part of the show's very niche appeal.

Longxi checks all my personal boxes for a favourite drama— great acting, real historical events, tight plot, treacherous politics, and zero distracting romance. It’s one of my favourite shows of all time, if not my favourite show ever. In a nutshell, Longxi is about spies during the Three Kingdoms period. Chen Gong is a veteran Shu field agent embedded in Wei. A critical military campaign against Wei goes horribly awry due to wrong intel provided by Chen Gong. How did that happen? Where do Chen Gong's loyalties truly lie? These are the questions that Chen Gong’s sworn brother and in-law, Xun Xu (also an intel veteran), is brought in to investigate. If you’ve read The Tao of Spycraft or any of Ralph Sawyer’s other books on ancient Chinese warfare, many of the spy methods and tactics in this show will be familiar. Since defection and double agents are normal in spycraft, one question is whether the defection is genuine or just a ruse to gain the enemy’s trust. That’s the central issue in this show, which the poster caption 谋中谋 计中计 (“the scheme within the scheme; the plan within the plan”) encapsulates.

Plot: A very twisty plot that doesn’t strain credibility. The least headache-inducing way to follow the plot of this show is to ask whose interests are currently aligned with whose. Without saying too much about what happens (because that would really ruin everything), the whole plot turns on the constantly shifting allegiances of various players, at the highest and lowest levels of society, in the conflict between Shu and Wei. The plot is complicated but doesn’t tie your brain in a knot until the episodes hit the late teens. Thankfully, ep. 21 onwards provide the clarification you need. If you get lost, there is a 5 minute “Cliff’s Notes” recap at the end of every episode that summarises the key developments. However, you’re very much on your own when it comes to the finer plot points, which the recap doesn’t cover. The final resolution is elegant and gut-wrenching, and I am glad the team did not go for a happier ending. That would have been far less satisfying.

Script: The script doesn't waste any time getting the show off the ground, even if it seems that little goes on in the first episode (it's important background context and sets the scene for everything else). Overall, it's just the right length at 24 episodes. Since this is a hardcore spy-plus-politics drama, most of the real action takes place behind closed doors, with bearded, middle-aged men plotting and scheming over cups of tea. The dialogue is exquisitely political and worth following closely. We are treated to scene after scene of various players abandoning old allegiances and cementing new ones, and having those allegiances tested by their new masters. One such scene is the one where Feng Ying (Shu spymaster) seeks out Li Yan (Shu general), formerly from an internal “enemy” faction, to declare his allegiance to Li Yan. Feng Ying tries to get on Li Yan’s good side to protect himself from Li Miao (Shu interim mid-level "civil servant"), who also works for Li Yan, but wants to turn Feng Ying into a scapegoat for his own political purposes. Li Yan appears to believe this is a ruse by Feng Ying and tests him, but goes along with it as it benefits him in the short term. I also liked how there were relatively few flashbacks. The ones in Longxi are short and moving without being too sentimental; I especially loved the one where a ball lying by the door causes a very miserable Guo Gang to reminisce about playing cuju (蹴鞠?) with Chen Gong in the rain. Another striking thing is the judicious use of action scenes. Since Longxi is about politics and intel, there are only a handful of brief action scenes (mostly military skirmishes). Then in ep 23, the viewer is treated to the show's only extended sword-fighting sequence with Chen Gong. The burst of pure violence and pent-up rage in this sequence arguably makes this scene the emotional climax of Longxi. Chen Gong, like any good field agent, has iron self-control. At worst, he has quiet breakdowns in private, then quickly gets his act together again. But in the swordfight scene, he lets it all out. It's moment of pure catharsis for the character that sets the stage for the final episode. Definitely one of the finest moments in an already amazing show.

Themes: The 2 main themes of Longxi are (1) the moral neutrality of politics, and (2) that human relationships are a double-edged sword. The life-and-death political struggle between Zhuge Liang and Li Yan is not a matter of good versus evil (even if Li Yan does some truly terrible things), but down to a difference in opinion as to how Shu should ensure its medium-term survival. And at the end, it’s Chen Gong’s feelings for Di Yue (his wife) and Xun Xu that threaten his allies’ best-laid plans, even as his allies exhort him to continue making enormous personal sacrifices for Shu. For both Xun Xu and Chen Gong, what ultimately gives them moral closure and defines their biggest decisions is not self-interest or patriotism, but staying true to their loved ones. Powerful stuff.

Acting: Everyone put in an A+ performance here, except Angelababy. I have nothing against that lady, but she was pretty wooden in this show and looked so airbrushed. She also didn't quite click with Bai Yu on screen. (I don’t watch enough shows to comment on whether this is better or worse than AB’s usual...) Chen Kun was of course brilliant as Chen Gong, but I was equally (if not more) impressed by Bai Yu’s low-key but completely spot-on performance as the dangerously sentimental Xun Xu. Xun Xu has the smarts and EQ to be a great intel guy, but he's too emotional and high-minded for his line of work. He's terrible at lying and makes a few wrong calls that have serious consequences. One gets the sense that he has only survived this long due his kicked puppy expression that tugs at everyone's heartstrings, a good brain, and sheer luck. Bai Yu perfectly captured this precarious balance of vulnerability, world-weariness and cunning at the core of Xun Xu. His final exchange with Chen Gong, especially the delivery of「我看透了你的心」(“I’ve seen through your heart”) in ep. 24 was also a total tear-jerker. With a lesser script and actor, Xun Xu would have been a character whose naivete makes the viewer question how his head has managed to remain on his shoulders. But through the combination of great script characterisation and Bai Yu's acting, Xun Xu becomes a convincing example of the idealistic survivor who manages to keep going even after all the dust has settled. I also really enjoyed Edward Zhang’s performance as the Wuxian cult leader Huang Yu. He fully conveyed his character’s megalomania and cruelty with what little screen-time he was given. The actors playing Feng Ying, Guo Gang and Mi Chong were also absolutely brilliant. I loved them all!

Music: This was okay. It was composed by Kawai Kenji, but I was hoping for thematic music that was less Western in flavour. It was also disappointingly run-of-the-mill "epic"-sounding stuff. But it's not a deal-breaker for me.

All in all, 10/10, A++++ from this very satisfied viewer! For me, I’m not sure if any other mainstream period drama can compare with this show.

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So bad, yet (sometimes) so good

[Revised review as of ep. 7]
KP is an action-comedy-BL drama. But above all else, it is an unexpectedly compelling train-wreck of a romance, with some grey-area dubcon scenes thrown in to boot. Porsche is a college student who works as a bartender to make ends meet. After rescuing repressed mafia scion Kinn in a chance encounter, extenuating circumstances force Porsche to seek employment as Kinn’s personal bodyguard. What lies ahead for Porsche? (Bodily injury. Severe workplace bullying and harassment that obviously violates multiple labour laws. And a lot of sex.) Much of the praise for this show has focussed on the production values and performances from Mile and Apo in the lead roles, which I think are very good-to-fantastic compared to most TV shows in any genre or language. Bible, Build, and Jeff have also put in excellent supporting role performances as Vegas, Pete and Kim respectively. So I can ignore the fact that virtually every other aspect of the script is terrible, and watch KP religiously every Sunday morning.

I’ll start with the bad stuff.

Plot: An actual plot is almost non-existent, even 7 episodes in. What we know so far is that Kinn’s immediate and extended family, the Theerapayakuls, are involved in “underworld activity”.** We also know Korn’s (Kinn’s dad) motivations for hiring Porsche— who only becomes a competent employee in ep 7— are unclear and are being investigated sub rosa by Kinn’s estranged youngest brother Kim. Lastly, Kinn’s uncle and his sons (the so-called “secondary family” in the English translation) are the “bad guys” trying to weaken Korn’s grip on the family business. All that would be fine if viewers were given some idea of the plot’s trajectory by ep 7. Sadly, there is almost none. As of ep 7, which has the Theerapanyakuls finishing off an old enemy, we still don’t have a clear idea of what the overarching plot is, much less where it is heading. Like okay, Italian dude died... what now? That doesn’t bode well for the remaining 7 episodes— we’re either going to get an anemic main plot where the gangsters are really just there for show, or left with a giant cliffhanger for a S2 which may or may not happen. Also, while it is plausible that there are no women in the show except cafeteria and spa aunties (since hey, mafia organisation) and Yok, nearly everyone plot-relevant is gay or bi. I know that’s in the novel too, but it’s just not realistic.

** Save for what is probably unlicensed moneylending/loansharking, I am still not sure what business Kinn & Co engage in that is illegal. Their revenue streams in the PowerPoint presentation appear to be from legitimate businesses. Though in ep 7, we do see some drugs turning up in a truck and generic "dealings with other gangs"…

Script: If you have 14 episodes, you have no time to waste. In The Long Night (C-drama), the scriptwriter managed to cram in a slow build-up, fairly complex plot, and multiple narrative perspectives into a measly 12 episodes. You won’t find anything like that in KP, which is paced as if it’s 40 episodes long. What is clear is that the script is structured around the romance (more on that later), even though it also tries (unsuccessfully) to focus on other things, like having a credible storyline and being funny. Problem is, it’s not funny. At all. Other MDL reviewers have griped about the show’s miserable attempts at humour; I’ll just say that I completely agree with those comments. Because the romance is the focal point of the first half of the show, everything else is done in a half-baked way. The stuff about the family conflict and Porsche’s mysterious childhood lingers in the background like dull scenery. The humour, which mostly involves Tankhun (Kinn’s oddball and fabulous older brother) has no punchline and goes on for way too long. You could probably cut out 75% of the scenes with Tankhun and the show would not be missing anything. The role of Tankhun doesn’t do justice to Tong, who is a good actor doing his level best with a silly script. Also, I thought ep 6 was too long. There were important emotional high points in that episode, but there was no need to devote a large block of time to showing our bros in love stumbling about, playing rock-paper-scissors, and spear-fishing in the woods.

Key relationship: There’s actually a lot to be said about the main relationship, but I’ll try to keep this short. The Kinn/Porsche relationship is interesting for BL, which seldom depicts romantic relationships between guys who also have a conventional and overtly masculine friendship. It reminds me a bit of Brokeback Mountain. Here, we have a romance between needy bros who love and hurt each other in equal measure. They get along swimmingly, yet don’t get along, when all they both need is a heart-to-heart talk with a hug and fist-bump to end it off. I love it. Kinn and Porsche need each other because they are many different things to each other - bros, employer/employee, and lovers - but this is a problem when they’re completely different people. Kinn is shackled by his “professional” responsibilities and the trauma from an old relationship. However, his stiff upper lip prevents him from talking things over with Porsche until shit hits the fan. On the other hand, Porsche is uninhibited, effusive and more than happy to give and receive the affection he craves to just about anyone. He loves Kinn, but also chafes against his authoritarian streak. Worse still, Kinn’s reticence hurts Porsche and makes him susceptible to creepy stalker Vegas (Kinn’s cousin), who promises to fulfill Porsche's unmet need for attention and freedom. After making it out of the forest alive in ep 6, Kinn and Porsche (re)start their relationship in the “real world” in ep 7 being very apart even when they are together. The closing scene is very explicit, but also a total gut-wrencher in the context of the episode— there’s an understandable breakdown of trust (both ways), another heartfelt apology, followed by the need to make up for things with… more sex. Sweet? Yes. Tragic? Definitely. While I don’t have much faith that the main plot will go anywhere, I'm quite sure there’s plenty of realistic and nuanced relationship development lying ahead, because that seems to be the one thing this show is good at. As a final note, it’s also impressive how the scriptwriters “reformed” Kinn from the novel (where I understand he is unapologetically rapey) in a way that feels natural. In a rare moment of emotional candour in ep 6, Kinn acknowledges and apologises for having sex with Porsche when his consent was impaired. It was in-character and authentic, as opposed to a token politically-correct whitewashing that was thrown in so that the viewership wouldn’t brick the scriptwriters.

Acting: I can’t say enough good things about Apo’s incredible performance in KP. Because of him and Mile, the show's most emotionally tortured scenes are also the show's best. However, there's no doubt in my mind that Apo is the linchpin of this show. Apo said in an interview that he had shed blood and tears doing the show, and that shows in the seeming effortlessness with which he captures the nuances of Porsche’s character through sidelong glances, head tilts and other small gestures. He has an uncanny sense of how to present himself before the camera, and it’s almost as if he rehearsed in front of a mirror to make sure he got the gestures and angles just right. In one scene in ep 3, Porsche says he’s started taking his job seriously because he wanted to make Kinn regret sending him to work for Tankhun. At that point, there is no sign that Porsche has any romantic feelings for Kinn. But Apo does the scene with a coy head tilt and almost-but-not-quite batting of eyelashes that adds a whole layer of suggestiveness to that exchange. The episode 4 bathroom scene was even more impressive. Porsche is drugged and nearly raped by Vegas; Kinn rescues in him the nick of time while he’s high as a kite. After Porsche teases Kinn about his sexuality and throws himself at Kinn while in a questionable mental state, they have sex. This is one of the most intense, ambiguous and emotionally challenging moments in any show I’ve watched. It’s also my favourite sequence by far. How aware was Porsche? Did he make a pass at Kinn to get the attempted assault out of his mind? How does he really feel about Kinn? It’s obviously meant to be problematic, and the actors did a fantastic job of fleshing out the grey areas of this scene without giving the audience an easy answer in both eps 4 and 5. Serious props to Mile for his pitch-perfect depiction of Kinn’s inner turmoil as the pendulum swings between being a good bro to his drugged-out friend and making Something happen (never a good idea, and which it turns out, he regretted! And apologised for!).

Not being a watcher of BL shows in general, I came for what seemed like decent gunfights and action. That part didn’t work out, but the bro-romance makes it worthwhile.

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