This and that

[maggie33]

So, apparently three episodes a day was the norm for me when it came to The Rebel. And today morning I watched episode 34. But I have to say that after watching this episode I lost most of my initial enthusiasm for this drama.

Complaining with spoilers below.

In episode 34 Lin Nansheng finally decided to join the communists and unfortunately propaganda aspect started to get unbearable for me. I was still amused when in the beginning of episode 31 they had that very long scene (seriously it was almost 8 minutes long) when Lin Nansheng and Zhu Quiming talk in reverent voices about what a great guy Mao Zedong is. I had a good laugh then. But now it’s just irritating and depressing. I’m Polish, you know. It’s really hard for me to watch the drama banging on about how honest and virtuous and pure and wonderful the communists are.

I have 9 episodes left, but I kinda lost motivation to watch them. I mean, I will watch them eventually, I miss Chen Moqun and want to see more of him again, but I doubt I will watch more than one episode a day from now on.

Although, yes, that last scene between Wang Shian and Chen Moqun redeemed this episode a little for me. They are both great actors and it was a joy to watch. Of course I love Chen Moqun, but I also find Wang Shian to be such a fascinating, if easily loathsome, character. He’s just a petty and greedy bureaucrat, always looking out only for his own interest, no higher purpose or patriotic motivation for him. It’s so depressingly realistic.

In other drama watching news I tried to watch Save Me, but I managed only an episode and a half. It’s good, Woo Do Hwan is excellent and Taecyeon is not bad either, but it’s too dark and bleak.

Then I started Chicago Typewriter and I enjoyed the 1st episode a lot. I hope I’ll enjoy the rest.

And in other fannish news I’m thinking about signing up for RelationShipping Exchange. Thanks to Vincenzo I have enough incest ships to offer and request. :) But I’m afraid I will have no one to write for. And I’ve partially written a letter already, but it’s on my PC at home. And I’m in Warsaw for work this week. I was supposed to go back on Monday, but I have to stay here till next Saturday to take care of some personal stuff. And the signing up deadline is on Wednesday. Well, I still have three more days to decide, so we’ll see.

Comments

[sakana17]

Yeah, totally understandable reasons to lose your enthusiasm for it. :( Ep. 31 and ep. 34 are the worst of the propaganda scenes and there's some at the very end. But the "communists are pure and virtuous" theme is inescapable even when they don't put it at the forefront.

I hate Wang Shi An even more rewatching the show, precisely because he is so realistic as motivated for purely selfish reasons. Fantastic acting, making him believable and oily but interesting to watch. And Chen Moqun... well, you know how I feel about Chen Moqun...

[maggie33]

I watched episodes 35 and 36 since I posted this and you're right. Episode 34 for now was the worst about propaganda. It cheered me up a bit. And of course Chen Moqun having more scenes cheered me up even more. :) I will never regret watching The Rebel mainly because of him. Well, and Zhu Yilong being great as always and suffering so beautifully. :)

[china_shop]

I hope you enjoy Chicago Typewriter! IMO, lots of it is great, but I found it a bit uneven, though enough people love it that I keep meaning to rewatch and see if it works better for me the second time through. (I probably would have enjoyed it more if I'd realised that the writer guy is played by Moon Jae-Shin from SKK Scandal, but I totally didn't recognise him. *facepalm*)

[maggie33]

I watched the 2nd episode yesterday and I enjoyed it, too. And heh, if I hadn't know it was Moon Jae-Shin from SKK Scandal I wouldn't recognize him, either. He looks so different with such short hair and with glasses. :)

[nnozomi]

I’m Polish, you know. It’s really hard for me to watch the drama banging on about how honest and virtuous and pure and wonderful the communists are.
I'm still watching (up to episode 16) and still enjoying it but it's just...so frustrating (less based on personal experience for me than for you, so I have less right to complain, but still). They had all this budget and a cast full of phenomenal actors, and they had to waste it on propaganda, not just the blatant moments but the whole setup. I mean, I imagine that the people working on the show range personally from "all hail the glorious CCP" to "fuck this regime but I need this job," but what are they going to do. (Sorry, didn't mean to ramble at you.)

I also find Wang Shian to be such a fascinating, if easily loathsome, character. He’s just a petty and greedy bureaucrat, always looking out only for his own interest, no higher purpose or patriotic motivation for him. It’s so depressingly realistic.
I find him totally refreshing for just that reason, yeah. (I haven't gotten to his worst moments yet, I think...). The actor is terrific and makes him believably annoying, not grand-scale attractive evil like Chen Moqun, just the kind of person who would do that. I'm in two minds about fic in general for this drama, but I kind of want Wang Shian redemption fic (or "Wang Shian was right all along" fic).

oof that got long, I'm sorry! Please ignore as needed.

[maggie33]

Ramble at me all you want - it's always a joy to see your comment on my post. :) And yes, the propaganda aspect is frustrating. I mean, I knew about that going in, but this is the first cdrama I watched when they laying it on so thick. There were moments sometimes in other drama, but that what it was - moments. Here the propaganda is the point. But good things make it worth it. Especially Chen Moqun for me. :)

And right now I'm kinda conflicted about fanfic, too. I would gladly read a few Chen Moqun/Lin Nansheng PWPs, but I don't know if I would be able to read more serious or realistic fics taking place in canonical time period.

[nnozomi]

it's always a joy to see your comment on my post.
♡♡♡

but I don't know if I would be able to read more serious or realistic fics taking place in canonical time period.
yeah, I think it would be possible to write good gen fic for this canon, but it would require a lack of bias (ie non-canon-compliant...), a really steady hand and a lot of research. and one way or another it would be sad...

[laireshi]

I’m Polish, you know. It’s really hard for me to watch the drama banging on about how honest and virtuous and pure and wonderful the communists are.
Yeah, that'd be why I won't even try watching it. *hugs*

[maggie33]

Thanks for the hugs. *hugs back* And I understand your decision perfectly. At first I didn't plan to watch it, either, because of all the propaganda. But the temptation of watching Zhu Yilong being beautiful and intense was too big. :)