Good Timers (2023)

Fluffy fairy tale to dream away time when the world is chaotic

Don't hesitate to dive in: the actors are quite seasoned and the pair of dolls' live action makes the drama fluffy and wholesome.

This small unpretentious and sweet drama has gone through a variety of names and translations of name that it is fun in itself : 最美时光遇见你 Zui Mei Shi Guang Yu Jian Ni (Meet You at the Most Beautiful Time) 你是我戒不掉的甜 Ni Shi Wo Jie Bu Diao De Tian (You are the Sweetness I Can't Give Up), finally 香蕉先生不睡觉 Xiang Jiao Xian Sheng Bu Shui Jiao (Mr. Banana doesn't sleep) ; Good Timers, and definitive English titled Mr. Insomnia Waiting For Love. Although this is not so unusual with C-dramas. It was directed by Yang Shitao 杨世韬 and first slated to be released in December 2022, but finally aired on Youku on May 30,2023 under the title Mr Insomnia Waiting For Love /香蕉先生不睡觉 . It was filmed in Ningbo, Zhejiang.

The characters are so young, 20 year old or so, that the story can't be anything else than a fairy tale. But don't we love those doll-like adorable types : diffident but sharp bespectacled young CEO who looks like he was still in high school but presides calmly board meetings, cute girl with "obedient child" big bow in her hair who is fated to be back together with her long forgotten childhood playmate? The story is also a sweet mutual healing one.

It is a relatively short but an authentic idol drama too : both leads are established idols as singers and entertainers, besides acting in dramas. They also contribute two sweet OST songs Kong Xue (Snow Kong) sings :《爱的冒险》 (Adventure of Love/Love's Risk); her co-star Wu Yu Heng sings : 表带 (Watchband/Strap). Both songs can be found with pinyin and subtitles on YouTube. Wu Yu Heng sings another song 《停不下》too. The episode end theme 《触不到的爱》(Untouchable Love) is sung by young singer and network anchor Yang Yige 杨一歌 but it is a reprise from 2021 iQiyi costume drama Honey "Don't Run Away 2" OST. (pinyin and English translated MV can also be found on YouTube).

27 year old Kong XueEr : 孔雪儿 (Stage Name: Snow Kong) is a well known singer beauty who started in the competitive stage trainee circuit more than ten years ago. This drama is her 5th since debuting as Du XinYue FL in The Wood in 2020.
She plays Lu Entong, better known as Tongtong whose dream is to become a cello player in a symphonic band, but whose bouts of insomnia thwarts her taking part in competitions. She therefore looks for a cure and turns to a company that offers a trial of meds in a resort...

Almost her age (on September 11) Wu YuHeng 吴宇恒 is a also a Chinese actor and singer, who took part in music survival shows. This is his 8th drama since 2020, and he has several movies and drama upcoming too.
He plays young CEO Song Yanxu who needs to hide his own insomnia in a company that researches meds and cures for that condition. But there is a mystery that is of course accidentally discovered : he can fall asleep and rest soundly if FL touches him! Nevertheless, tying her to him through a contract, does not in itself constitute a cure. The insomnia is one of the consequences of a past trauma.

Literally rocking the boat despite helping Yanxu steer his company is "uncle-brother" Song Chen.
He is played by 31 year old actor and model Du YaFei 杜亚飞 ; this drama is his 8th since debuting as support in 2018 Sweet Dreams. He recently played the briefly appearing idol actor Duan Chao in eps 14-15, 17 of 2022 Flight To You (which starred Seven Tan and Wang Kai) ; and was Lu Yun Qi ML of 2021 Jun Jiu Ling (alongside Peng Xiaoran, Jin Han and Zhou Ran).

Completing the main cast are a few other secondary characters, Song Yanxu's aide (Li Che), his dad, Tongtong's parents, Tongtong's female friend Rao, a carrot haired café owner and company shareholder friend of hers who hesitates between wooing the doll or Yanxu's self proclaimed fiancée Mansu.
Pan LuYu 潘麓宇 (SML friend Chi Zuo) has played in 9 dramas since 2019 ; two more are upcoming.
Yu Cong 郁葱 (SFL Xu Mansu, annoyingly hung-up on ML, until she, of course ends up, very late with SML) has played in 12 dramas since 2018.

The story is formulaic with a selection of usual C-drama tropes (accidental kiss, rain and umbrella, jealous third wheeler, over eager second suitor, false accusation, meddling parents, etc) but it is well acted and the pictures are pretty, and there's actually not much hate at work. Most secondary characters are reasonable and even supportive once they admit the true love they can see, despite some past jealousy and some fear of exposing a past wrong, that could have triggered a catastrophe. There is not too much heavy drinking (CEO usually is a teetotaller, although Mansu and Chi Zuo are not), no drug use, no foul language or violence. There are some misunderstandings, but the parents, despite opposition based on a past event, end up happily meeting (after several false starts) and blessing the happy end. The possibly jinxed romance caused by the "Go slumbering touch" is of course "scientifically" resolved by a sympathetic doctor who uses an advanced tool to uncover the triggers to the dolls' disorder, and get them the "appropriate" cure protocol. There is little CGI in this drama, except for underlining cutely and funnily but not too often, some situations.

Values that are shown are love and forgiving, future oriented pragmatist mind that will cure all past wrongs, the serious ones and the peccadilloes: to reform and to be faithful after having been exposed is what matters. How pleasant, not to insist on public apologies and losing-face humiliations for the money grubbers, liars and power seekers. And yes, reminding that trials and challenges are also opportunities, so a game that seems lost is not always a defeat, and No is not always a final answer.

Other takeout : the threat of Go feed mosquitoes in Africa, how dire a curse! (Oh, I do hate tiger mosquitoes that are now everywhere, not only in China, causing very painful allergy reactions to some. But on the other hand, mosquitoes are really the worst creatures on this planet, with all the diseases they can bring; not only causing insomnia with their bzz around ears while out camping).

This drama with relatively medium length 20 minutes x 24 episodes is a nice vacation from the turbulent world. It could even be rewatched for part or whole, if visual fluff is still needed, either on Youku original platform, or on YouTube, or elsewhere. Subtitling is quite adequate so this one does not bring headaches trying to figure out dialogues for the non original language proficient.

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