any good TV series recently?

[sekkar]

On 3/26/2024 at 10:17 PM, StChris said:

The Netflix version of The Three Body Problem has been released. What does everyone think? There is a Chinese dub which isn't too bad, but I prefer the original English.

 

I've also just watched the first episode so far and my opinion seems to be the same as yours, not terrible but not especially engaging either. Will probably finish it at some point, but feels like im doing it more out of curiosity to see what they changed etc rather than any actual urge to watch it for my own enjoyment.

 

 

[StChris]

On 3/28/2024 at 6:04 AM, sekkar said:

I've also just watched the first episode so far and my opinion seems to be the same as yours, not terrible but not especially engaging either. Will probably finish it at some point, but feels like im doing it more out of curiosity to see what they changed etc rather than any actual urge to watch it for my own enjoyment.

 

Apparently, episode 5 is a real banger (it's where the big action set piece takes place), so I think I'll make my way through to there at least. 

 

I watched episode 2 yesterday. While I appreciate the faster pace of this version over the super-slow Chinese one, I think they were a little too rushed to the point that

 

Spoiler

Ye WenJie's hatred for humanity wasn't quite well developed enough by the end of episode 2 for her to take the decision she did

 

I find the whole Oxford friends group they created in this one a little cringey. The friendships/romances just seem so forced and artificial. I don't think you need that kind of stuff in a sci-fi show anyway and prefer the Chinese version's nano-tech guy. It's also a shame that they didn't use the show as an opportunity to show modern China to a world audience instead of going for England as a setting.

[lordsuso]

I recommend 过把瘾, an old-school romance with solid acting and a captivating feel. Only 8 episodes and available in youtube.

[StChris]

On 3/29/2024 at 2:10 PM, lordsuso said:

Only 8 episodes and available in youtube.

 

Music to my ears, I'll give it a try for sure, thanks for the recommendation! I must be getting old, but I find these kind of 90s films/tv shows really nostalgic

[lordsuso]

I just finished 岁月. As someone who has never lived in China, this was an eye-opening show. It shows all the exchanges of gifts, favors, lies and praise that surround 面子 and 关系, in order to rise to the top. There is also romance and family life. I recommend it if you want to learn more about Chinese values, and how the Chinese navigate and think about the practices that come with. The show is not cynical and doesn't condemn nor commend these practices, it is pretty subtle and clearly wants the audience to come to their own conclusions. It has 23 episodes and is pretty easy to follow, available in youtube.

[sekkar]

Currently watching (and almost finished) 繁城之下, a murder mystery set in Ming (?) China. Well plotted and well acted, nothing bad to say about it really. Both me and my wife is looking forward to seeing the conclusion to the story tonight.

 

And the biggest draw: only 12 episodes! As @StChris recently mentioned, nobody wants these bloated 40 episode seasons... Give us something with a tight and focused script, no by-the-rails forced love stories or useless side-stories that take up 5 hours. 

 

I do have hope that Chinese productions are learning though, it feels like we've gotten much more of these high-quality shorter stories these last few years.