Our romcom is unlike others. It’s morbid but not miserable. It’s positive but not preachy. They make dying funny. Sorry if that sounds rude, but that’s the drama. On the topic of death, drama will be comedic, and witty. At the right moment, it will also be thoughtful. I like the drama's message: the psychological effects of death don't discriminate against age. Young or old, at the end of life, many simply want company and a meaning to their existence. Drama also advocates for organ donation. Not overselling. Not underselling. Just trying to be informative and optimistic. And be funny. And still mostly still be a romcom.
Our romcom aces the comedy. I highly enjoyed the speedy spit and spat between everyone (not just the couple) – the highlight of the drama.
However, our romcom isn’t that great with romance. If they put half or even a third of the effort from making snappy dialogues into delivering emotional lines, the romance could be so much better. Not everything needs to be a punchline.
Don’t get me wrong. Drama is still enjoyable but more as com than a rom. I just thought this was meant to be more romantic (I mean, it’s a love of a century and a love from a centurinian with a girl who’s dying – what a premise!). The plot also dampened the story/romance. Instead of a fantasy romance, it turned into sci-fi and we suddenly gotta deal with radiation, such a weak plot device.
Saving the plot though, is the wonderful secondary cast. Highly entertaining in unconventional ways. They’re a quintet of princes and princesses. My favourite is Princess Willliam. Drama will also keep you guessing if there’s a secondary couple. Let’s just say drama avoids romcom tropes by blatantly laughing at it, and then doing it, and then laughing at it again.
Overall, there’s heart in this silly production. It made a good effort; an avant-garde in fusing romance, comedy and death.
May I say there are a lot of good-looking guys in this series?! It was so distracting. lol Liu Hai Kuan has pretty hands – he must play the piano? (I confirmed, he does! And I love his song for the opening, Confession. I had listened to the OST well before I was able to watch the series so the songs were already in my list of favorites.)
Plot: It’s there…but it’s not-that-important to enjoy this series. An immortal man with endless time meets a girl with very limited time. Is there a cure? Let the in-fighting begin…
The Boys >>>>> romance for me in this one. My favorite boy? Qian Tu edges out William just a tiny bit for me, because of the way he deadpans. I seriously wanted to push Qian Cheng off a cliff in the beginning for being so…extra.
Qian Cheng: The ultimate princess. So jealous, petty and infuriating. But his spats with Jian Xiao Yu were so entertaining. (Just watch his face!)
William: The opportunistic princess. If it benefitted him, he’d say/do it. He cracked me up with his histrionics. I think he writes trashy romance novels as his other job. (I can also see this actor play the mad scientist in a series. lol)
Qian Tu: The serious one with the zingers. While the other two pander to Jiang Bai Ju, I love how he doesn’t and just treats him like a normal human, ergo his own pincushion. See case-in-point below.
Ep21. After the car accident.
QT: Are your girlfriend…and her boyfriend okay? JBJ: According to typical storylines, shouldn't the supporting role who has unrequited love for the heroine sacrifice himself? Rolling his eyes. The writer for our show is not professional enough. QTwith a thumb up: You're really something else. He saved your girlfriend, and this is how you see him? JBJ: It's good that he isn't dead. Otherwise, there would be another innocent victim. QT: But still, I need to thank you for making me travel all the way here to watch a good show.
JBJ: I didn't ask you to come here to watch a show.
While Jiang Bai Ju and Jian Xiao Yu are such an oddly-cute-sniping couple in this, I actually truly enjoyed the friendships more.
The boys are everything in this series - from the way they handle Jiang Bai Ju, the way William takes care of Qian Cheng, and the way Qian Tu is obsessed with his little brother and ends up coerced into taking care of Jiang Bai Ju. I also love the girls’ friendship - Jian Xiao Yu and Cheng Wei Lan discuss almost everything, and I loved how Jian Xiao Yu ran to her (instead of Jiang Bai Ju) after the car accident. BFFs → BF. Xue Wan Wan and Cheng Wei Lan’s friendship was a lovely surprise, as the most child-like girl (who wants William) becomes bosom buddies with the most adult-like girl (wanted by William but is not romantically interested in him). And don’t think this series is sweet (even though the visuals would indicate it) – there are a lot of snappy comebacks, which I thought were hilarious.
I also appreciated how self-deprecating the show was. All of this comedy is juxtaposed with illness and death. It’s not to trivialize death but to point out what truly living is: “The value of life is never measured by length, wealth, or appearance.“ - Jiang Bai Ju.
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