June 29, 2023

Twilight | Open Thread

A cohabitation between an awkward scriptwriter and a psychologist.
Notable Actors/Actresses
Ren Jia Lun: Qi Lian Shan
Angelababy: Liu Xia
Director: 
Chinese Title
暮色心約
Twilight Heart Promise 
Year: 2023
Episodes: 40

Recommendations: 
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Cast

Ren Jia Lun: Qi Lian Shan
Angelababy: Liu Xia
Sun Jia Yu: Jin Ran
Jiang Chao: Yang You Li
Li Jun Yi: Bai Mu Chen
Li Yi Ru: Yuan Yuan
Jia Jing Hui: Jia Zhen

Romcom/Romance Checklist


How much of the plot is angst/romance?
0 / 1 / 2 / 2.5 / 3 / 4 / 5
The ML: 
Cold–Lukewarm–Warm / Timid / Falls in Love First / Noble Idiot / CEO / General /
The FL: 
Bold / Cute / Cool & Independent / Falls in Love First / Better Than ML / Noble Idiot / 
Describe the Relationship (the tropes):
Bickering Start / Childhood Connection / Cohabitation / Contract Marriage or Fake Couple / Enemies to Lovers / Hidden Identity / School to Adulthood / Love Triangle / Married Couple (Real) / Secretly in Love (F/ML) / Star-Crossed Lovers / 
Relationship Progress (officially together; first (official) kiss; breakup*):
Ep 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31 / 32 / 33 / 34 / 35 / 36 / 37 / 38 / 39 / 40
(I wasn't paying attention to their first kiss. Don't think they had one)
# of CPs (including main CP):
0 / 1 / 2 / 3
Ending:
Happy / Sad / Open Happy / Open Sad / Bad


Reviews


Five (5/5)


Four (4/5)


Three (3/5)


Two (2/5)


One (1/5)


Reviewer: cynlynn
Date: July 2023
!! Spoilers in review !!
This was supposed to be an optimistic 2. 

I was fascinated that Ren Jia Lun and Angelababy can convey romance. However, the romance never gets too romantic. I'm not just talking about passionate kisses, the entire romance is light. But! It's appropriate for their relationship where she's mature and understanding, and he's shy and socially awkward. It's comfortable watching them talk over food and over work, about stories, and about movies. Even their house looks comfy. It’s an introvert, book-lover paradise. 

Acting is decent across the board. Angelababy is notorious for her awful acting. However, I’ve never experienced it firsthand, and here, she's fine. In fact, I'm impressed that I cannot see her celebrity image at all. Ren Jia Lun, hallelujah! He is finally different and it's refreshing. I was not cool with his unremitting choices of "cool" general characters. The second CP (Ren Bin and Sun Jia Yu) always pull me into their dialogues (even though half the time I don't know why they're arguing. It's a testament to good acting?). 

The character Jia Zhen is so despicable, I will have residual hate for this actor. But what's more frustrating is our ML willingly becoming Jia Zhen's Welcome Matt. Qi Lian Shan let Jia Zhen walk all over him and he'd still call him "ge!" GET A SPINE WILL YOU. His Qi is for 氣死我了. 

At least the ML's story is engaging albeit vexing. Our FL's world is crowded by psychos. Not a cell in me cares for that stalker ex-boss of hers. Unfortunately, he's her main villain. 

The stories within the stories are fine! Because I skipped them all. It's like they weren't there at all and drama felt like 24 episodes. 

–– !! Ending Spoilers ahead !! ––

HOWEVER THE ENDING IS A FREAKING NESTED STORY TOO. You mean I should have just skipped the whole show?! Qi Lian Shan (our pseudo-ML) is just a character in our real ML's script, which we learn in the last minute of the drama. And he's got two endings apparently. Gawddamit. Oh and Drama thinks it's so smart that the opening song already hinted the ending: "Main character is you and is me." ML is all of 'em. Well, that's bullspit. Pei!  

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