cry0nic
This review may contain spoilers
Great storyline letdown by subpar execution
I really wanted to like this drama. Really. The story/premise is fresh, and serves to highlight the issue of sexual assault and its consequences especially in the context of a conservative, patriarchal society. It is one of the rare few Asian dramas that dares to explore the topic of mental health issues without devolving into the commonly used stereotypes of "crazy" people.
BUT.
The cinematography is just SO UNINSPIRING. Maybe I've just been spoilt by the increase in quality of Kdramas because holy shit, there is a really great difference in how this show is shot and how a typical Kdrama is shot. I'm not sure if this is a budget issue, but it's definitely not something common in Taiwan shows because I've watched several Taiwanese movies and they've never given me this impression. The editing/transitions were also choppy and felt so random at times. Not to mention, the music isn't great and didn't fit in tonally with some of the scenes for e.g. one scene where a young Chen Hsi was confiding in her friend about the sexual assault and a fairly upbeat song was playing in the background. Makes no sense AT ALL and almost seemed like the show was trivializing that moment when if anything, it should be highlighted as one of the pivotal moments in Chen Hsi's life as it was the first time she tells anyone outside of her family of the assault. Lastly, the acting of some of the support characters was kinda bad and the wigs/makeup choices didn't help either.
With all my complaints out of the way, I would like to say that I would still recommend this show to others. Such media is really what Asian societies need to highlight and bring awareness on the pain that sexual assault survivors go through. The #metoo movement didn't really gain traction in Asia as much as in the West, and such shows are really needed to show that it is ok to step out and seek justice and do whatever it takes (legally) to seek closure. The spotlight on the importance of mental health treatment was good as well, even though I wished they went about it in a different way. Chen Hsi was literally giving a PSA on her condition and the importance of therapy which broke the immersion and the ending started to come across as a documentary.
To conclude, even with all its flaws, this show does try its best to transmit a positive message on mental health and sexual assault though the execution could have been better.
BUT.
The cinematography is just SO UNINSPIRING. Maybe I've just been spoilt by the increase in quality of Kdramas because holy shit, there is a really great difference in how this show is shot and how a typical Kdrama is shot. I'm not sure if this is a budget issue, but it's definitely not something common in Taiwan shows because I've watched several Taiwanese movies and they've never given me this impression. The editing/transitions were also choppy and felt so random at times. Not to mention, the music isn't great and didn't fit in tonally with some of the scenes for e.g. one scene where a young Chen Hsi was confiding in her friend about the sexual assault and a fairly upbeat song was playing in the background. Makes no sense AT ALL and almost seemed like the show was trivializing that moment when if anything, it should be highlighted as one of the pivotal moments in Chen Hsi's life as it was the first time she tells anyone outside of her family of the assault. Lastly, the acting of some of the support characters was kinda bad and the wigs/makeup choices didn't help either.
With all my complaints out of the way, I would like to say that I would still recommend this show to others. Such media is really what Asian societies need to highlight and bring awareness on the pain that sexual assault survivors go through. The #metoo movement didn't really gain traction in Asia as much as in the West, and such shows are really needed to show that it is ok to step out and seek justice and do whatever it takes (legally) to seek closure. The spotlight on the importance of mental health treatment was good as well, even though I wished they went about it in a different way. Chen Hsi was literally giving a PSA on her condition and the importance of therapy which broke the immersion and the ending started to come across as a documentary.
To conclude, even with all its flaws, this show does try its best to transmit a positive message on mental health and sexual assault though the execution could have been better.
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