OST Singers You Should Know: Taiwanese Edition
You Are My Hero
 | InformationEpisodes: 40 Duration: 45 minutes Airing Schedule: Thursday - Sunday Airing Dates: March 11, 2021 - April 8, 2021 Where to watch: Viki (Eng sub), Youtube (raw) Current Douban Score: 8.0 from 71,000+ users |
Minor spoilers from episodes 1 - 18 may be present in the information, photos, or comments provided below.
Synopsis | |
Adapted from Mu Qing Yu's 2012 novel, You Are My Hero is a story about two hardworking, career-driven individuals whose fate becomes intertwined through a series of emergency operations. Mi Ka, a new resident doctor, attends the SWAT team's emergency rescue training course to receive her emergency rescue certificate. She meets Captain Xing Ke Lei, a special operations officer who is in charge of their training. Mi Ka and Xing Ke Lei go through a series of misunderstandings but learn to see each other in a new light as they work together. | |
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Mi Ka (Sandara Ma) | Xing Ke Lei (Bai Jing Ting) |
Affected by a robbery when Mi Ka was young, she wants to have the skills to save lives in difficult situations. Mi Ka becomes a resident doctor who is calm, collected, and works hard. Outside of work, Mi Ka doesn't stand out with her plain looks and tomboyish personality. However, as a resident doctor, she is acknowledged for her potential, and many peers want her to succeed. | Xing Ke Lei is a special operations officer in the Tiger Assault Team. He is known as Captain Xing, a young and talented officer with exceptional skills. Xing Ke Lei is known to be a strict captain who takes his job seriously. He trains his team rigorously and doesn't give shortcuts to anyone. Xing Ke Lei's life takes a turn when he meets Mi Ka. |
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Shao Yu Han (Wayne Wang) | Xing Ke Yao (Zhang Yao) |
Shao Yu Han, also known as Director Shao, is the director of the neurosurgery department. He is a profound neurosurgeon that is known for his skills. He transfers to Renxin Hospital, and after seeing potential in Mi Ka's abilities, Director Shao becomes her mentor. | Xing Ke Yao is Xing Ke Lei's older sister. She used to study medicine but gave that up to run the family business. Xing Ke Yao has a romantic history with Shao Yu Han. |
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Ruan Qing Xia (Jiang Pei Yao) | Shu Wen Bo (Chen Hao) |
Ruan Qing Xia is a news reporter who is lively, open, and honest. Qing Xia isn't afraid to work hard for her goals as she praises her career, car, and house achievements. She openly pursues Shu Wen Bo and tries to make him fall in love with her. | Shu Wen Bo is a special ops officer that is part of the Tiger Assault Team. He is a blunt man who usually speaks his mind and has a simple way of thinking. Wen Bo doesn't have much experience with women but finds himself entangled with Ruan Qing Xia. |
First Impression
Four Positive Points | |
Bai Jing Ting and Sandra Ma use their actual voices in this drama. That means we get the real and raw emotions in their acting. It makes a huge difference when you hear Bai Jing Ting bark orders as Captain Xing Ke Lei of the Tiger Assault Team vs. when he gets nervous around Mi Ka. The mix of his acting and the raw emotions combined creates an experience lacking in Chinese dramas’ dubbing world. That's why it's always much appreciated when I see actors/actresses use their real voices. |  |
 | The lead actors' acting is wonderful individually and even better when they come together for their scenes, AKA cue the chemistry. When we see Captain Xing Ke Lei and Mi Ka on the job, they are serious and hardworking. However, when they come together, the atmosphere changes as we see two adults who have no experience in courtship life. As viewers, we can see how awkward they are: the little hesitant moves, the nervous giggles, and the expressions on their faces. This creates the onscreen chemistry that viewers have been raving about for this drama. It feels natural, realistic, and sweet at the same time. |
The research that went into certain aspects of the drama makes me feel like the author or scriptwriter cares for the drama. I cannot vouch if the Chinese special ops officers' portrayal, job details, and lifestyle are accurate. Nor can I say the same for a surgeon, resident doctor, nurse, etc. However, there is one hospital scene in the drama that seemed quite dramatic. Upon reading through the comments, I found that it is based on an actual event that has occurred before. |  |
 | The supporting casts are a wholesome group, such as Li Nian, Lu Feng, and Chen Tao. They add a comedic factor to this drama that can come off corny but is much appreciated. We're watching two serious career paths in one drama, a police officer and a doctor, which I think deserves a good chuckle or two along the way. Apart from the comedy aspect, these supporting casts' roles enhance the viewing experience and add to the story so far. |
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I haven't read the novel, nor do I know how closely it follows the novel. However, as a 2012 novel adaption, older novel tropes could have been refreshed for 2019 (as the filming took place in 2019). I have been getting into translated Chinese novels, so I see a lot of recycled tropes. In this case, older tropes don't bother me as much, as the actors and actresses do such a great job at making it believable—the conviction is there! I can see that recycled tropes may throw viewers off with the thought of, "oh, nothing new here" or "feels kind of unrealistic." |  |
 | Editing can feel quite choppy. The end of the episodes feels abrupt when it stops in the middle of a scene. It doesn't add a cliffhanger feeling; instead, it makes me frustrated like I lost wifi connection. Another part that feels choppy is the skipping between Xing Ke Lei's scenes to Mi Ka's to the second leads, etc. Sometimes I feel like I'm watching different dramas because it focuses so much on one couple or between two careers. There could have been better efforts to weave it together to make it feel cohesive. As I continue to watch the drama, I feel like this aspect is starting to come along. |
Career-based drama that is mainly plot-driven. So far, incidents happen to make the characters grow in their jobs (especially for Mi Ka), but many incidents occur to make the two leads come together. So, you're going to have to turn off your rational logic side of the brain and watch this show for entertainment purposes. If you're here for a romance-packed drama, this probably isn't your cup of tea, as the romance for all of the couples is treading quite slowly. However, when we get romantic scenes, I guarantee you’ll maintain that giddy smile on your face. |  |
 | Secondary and third couples. I haven’t counted the unrequited love lines or other supporting/minor cast couples. While I enjoy seeing different couples and different types of complex relationships in one drama, these many couples could overwhelm viewers—especially those that only like to focus on one couple per drama. |
My Favorite SceneThis scene made me realize that this drama was more than just a romance drama and made me appreciate the drama for its provided content. I realized that I enjoyed this drama for more than Bai Jing Ting. Yes, I'm guilty of not being able to resist eye candy. These characters clearly care about helping people through the depiction of how dedicated and hardworking they are. They put their jobs first and sometimes are too busy to do regular common activities. You Are My Hero wasn't written solely as a romance drama, where the moments and feelings came first; instead, these are two individuals who are passionate about their careers. It made me appreciate our first responders even more, so any first responder readers or that have family and friends who are first responders, many thanks to you for your continuous hard work! |  |
Concluding Notes | |
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I have to be honest and say that I came into the drama with no expectations. The first set of episodes was quite hard to get through. It felt too trope-heavy at times. Some parts were unrealistic, other parts were choppy, and it was one major incident after another. As I’m catching up to the most recent episode release, which is almost halfway, I feel like the plot is coming along a whole lot better. We see different aspects of characters, and the incidents are tying into the story to make a point and not add more minutes into an episode. I do hope that the momentum for this drama stays consistent or continues to improve. This drama feels quite refreshing amongst all of the heavier-themed dramas and super-light-hearted ones currently airing.
If those reasons have yet to convince you, let's take a couple of seconds to appreciate Bai Jing Ting's dedication to his job by working out to fulfill his roles for both You Are My Hero and Ping Pong Life. |  |
So, are you up to find out why the Chinese title is called "You Are My City and Fortress"? If you're currently tuning in, what are your thoughts so far? I would love to discuss this with other viewers. Make sure to checkmark that spoiler box in the comments, if needed!
Photo Credits: You Are My Hero Photo Gallery and Douban | Gif: created using Viki trailer
