4
42
3
virgievirgie
Lost in Dramaland
Great women bonding and empowerment; Several anger-inducing characters
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25
Revenge seems to be a popular theme recently. However, in “Alliance”, it’s not a central plot or at least not the main reason for Lin Shuang (FL) when she started out her journey of re-discovering her former self and becoming independent again. We have two strong women who bonded because of an extramarital affair: the wife and the lover. Throughout the drama, we witness how they break free from the chains of men and families, and grow to be self-reliant and be the best person they could be.
What I Like:
1. Lin Shuang/Jiang Xi Unlikely Friendship - Most of us are probably drawn to this because of their friendship. From enemies to scheming partners, and finally becoming each other’s support system, their unlikely bond is front and center in this drama. It’s lovely to see how they support each other without sugar coating anything. They are there to provide encouragement, constructive criticisms and celebration of big and small accomplishments. They would not have become the person they are in the last episode without each other.
2. Jiang Xi - I especially like the story of Jiang Xi. Midway through the drama, I pray that she will have a VERY happy ending. Not only does she not have a happy childhood and loving parents, she also gave her heart for a man who is evil on all levels. If this is not a women-empowerment drama, I would love to see her be spoiled by a rich sugar daddy who loves her to death. But I will settle and wish her a guy who treats her right. Jenny Zhang plays the character so well. She has this beauty that is alluring and sexy, even if she’s not doing anything intentionally sexual. She has an aura that makes her very attractive just by the way she holds herself. Jenny is perfectly casted for her role as Jiang Xi.
3. Strong Women Cast - Although not all the women are lovely in this drama, there isn’t any weak damsel in distress in this drama. Women portrayed in this drama have a very independent and strong light shown on them, and not only for our leads. We have supporting characters who are opinionated with strong and explosive personalities, and even minor roles as computer engineers and programmers. However, most of the CEOs and executives are still men in the drama, except for Sister Wei (Ark CFO),
4. Acting - Strong acting from the four main leads. They are all experienced, so that does not come as a surprise. “Alliance” also has a very strong supporting cast of other veterans (parents and executives) and the younger cast also does not disappoint. I have no complaints with anyone’s acting performance.
What I have Mixed Feelings:
1. Little Apple (daughter) - This little girl is really cute and she speaks her lines very well. I adore most of the scenes she’s in, especially with her mother and Uncle Gu. But gosh, she screams so much that it hurts my ears. Every time she calls out her grandparents, her high-pitched scream would kill me. There’s an episode when she was crying for her mother at the top of her lungs and I had to fast-forward it. It’s a personal pet peeve. She does act really well and major props for her ice skating and ice hockey skills.
2. Lin Shuang - As the main lead of this drama, I empathize and sympathize with what she is going through. Afterall, she IS the drama. But for some reason, I am not connected with her emotionally. Do I feel bad? Yes. Does her experience move me to tears? No, not really. As mentioned above, I feel for Jiang Xi more, even though I can’t relate to her experience. With Lin Shuang, I can relate to her on a more rational level since I am a mother myself. But emotionally, something is missing. Is it Zhang Xiao Fei’s acting? The writing? Most likely, I am the problem.
3. Wei Ming/Li Ze Feng - I have a love-hate relationship with Wei Ming. I HATE everything he does and he makes my blood boil. But you can’t deny the writers did an amazing job in writing out his lines (or shall I say lies). You have to give him props for being cautious, detailed-oriented with a great memory. Li Ze Feng does such a fantastic job in playing this slimeball and he just spits out these ‘beautiful’ lies so convincingly. I love the acting but I hate the character.
4. Plot/Pacing - In theory, there’s a lot going on in these 36 episodes. We started from the happy family to the discovery of cheating. Oh, by the way, did I miss Lin Shuang feeling heartbroken because her husband cheated? Like she loved this man and now she’s sad because he doesn’t love her anymore? All I get is that she felt betrayed and she regrets her decision to give up her career. Then we have women bonding, fighting and growing. Don’t forget the family drama and child custody. We throw in a slow-burn romance and another side romance. Add to the drama is the business side of things, a start up, and corruption. It took Lin Shuang less than a year to discover the cheating to start her business. That seems really fast for anyone, let alone someone who hasn’t worked in years. All of this is covered in 36 episodes. YET, for some reason, it felt repetitive in the last 5-8 episodes for me. The scheming back-and-forth doesn’t end, the same lies are told and it’s no fun when you know who the villain is, and his tricks from the very beginning. The romance isn’t fun or angsty or fluffy. The drama loses my focus in the last few episodes (maybe the tech and coding talk) and I didn’t like the last episode either (especially the proposal). I like where the female leads end as a person, but I don’t like the writing of the last episode.
What I Don’t Like:
1. Frustrating Characters - One of the main reasons I did not watch this drama initially is because I heard of the frustrating characters. Gosh, there are so many and they make my blood boil. If I am only watching Wei Ming’s lies, I can deal with that. But his parents, Jiang Xi’s mother and the spoiled brat Joyce? They never go away and stay for the whole drama. I want to jump into the TV screen and beat them up so badly. If you do not like these frustrating and anger-inducing characters, don’t watch this drama.
2. Make-up - Who approves the make-up for these male characters? Huang Xiao Ming looks absolutely horrible with the white, cakey thick foundation on his handsome face. Has he aged that much that he needs such makeup to make him presentable? The other one with bad makeup is Zhao Shun Ran (Martin). He’s so handsome but he has uneven makeup on. At times, you see makeup on the face but not the neck. Huang Xiao Ming’s makeup distracts me whenever he comes on screen.
3. Lin Shuang/Gu Xu Romance - I hate to say this, but this slow burn romance is not working for me. I am not moved by Gu Xu’s dedication and I can see why he’s the perfect guy for Lin Shuang in my head. But the writing of the romance plot does not convince me that Lin Shuang feels the same way as Gu Xu. Did she like him when they were in high school? Or did she only see him as a rival this whole time? When did Lin Shuang fall in love with Gu Xu? Was it love or gratitude? Unfortunately, I am not feeling the chemistry between them.
Despite my rants, I do feel that “Alliance” has a lot to offer. I’ll recommend this for those who are looking for a women-centric, empowerment drama. As a working mother, I reflected on my personal experience while watching this. It’s hard to balance career and family, and you do need to give up some. If you are a working mother, you might be interested in this as well. However, if you can’t stand frustrating characters (those you want to punch their faces), it’s best to skip “Alliance”. You might get angry and it wouldn’t be fun, except, of course you are looking to be angry. LOL
Completed: 7/7/2024 - Review #457
Revenge seems to be a popular theme recently. However, in “Alliance”, it’s not a central plot or at least not the main reason for Lin Shuang (FL) when she started out her journey of re-discovering her former self and becoming independent again. We have two strong women who bonded because of an extramarital affair: the wife and the lover. Throughout the drama, we witness how they break free from the chains of men and families, and grow to be self-reliant and be the best person they could be.
What I Like:
1. Lin Shuang/Jiang Xi Unlikely Friendship - Most of us are probably drawn to this because of their friendship. From enemies to scheming partners, and finally becoming each other’s support system, their unlikely bond is front and center in this drama. It’s lovely to see how they support each other without sugar coating anything. They are there to provide encouragement, constructive criticisms and celebration of big and small accomplishments. They would not have become the person they are in the last episode without each other.
2. Jiang Xi - I especially like the story of Jiang Xi. Midway through the drama, I pray that she will have a VERY happy ending. Not only does she not have a happy childhood and loving parents, she also gave her heart for a man who is evil on all levels. If this is not a women-empowerment drama, I would love to see her be spoiled by a rich sugar daddy who loves her to death. But I will settle and wish her a guy who treats her right. Jenny Zhang plays the character so well. She has this beauty that is alluring and sexy, even if she’s not doing anything intentionally sexual. She has an aura that makes her very attractive just by the way she holds herself. Jenny is perfectly casted for her role as Jiang Xi.
3. Strong Women Cast - Although not all the women are lovely in this drama, there isn’t any weak damsel in distress in this drama. Women portrayed in this drama have a very independent and strong light shown on them, and not only for our leads. We have supporting characters who are opinionated with strong and explosive personalities, and even minor roles as computer engineers and programmers. However, most of the CEOs and executives are still men in the drama, except for Sister Wei (Ark CFO),
4. Acting - Strong acting from the four main leads. They are all experienced, so that does not come as a surprise. “Alliance” also has a very strong supporting cast of other veterans (parents and executives) and the younger cast also does not disappoint. I have no complaints with anyone’s acting performance.
What I have Mixed Feelings:
1. Little Apple (daughter) - This little girl is really cute and she speaks her lines very well. I adore most of the scenes she’s in, especially with her mother and Uncle Gu. But gosh, she screams so much that it hurts my ears. Every time she calls out her grandparents, her high-pitched scream would kill me. There’s an episode when she was crying for her mother at the top of her lungs and I had to fast-forward it. It’s a personal pet peeve. She does act really well and major props for her ice skating and ice hockey skills.
2. Lin Shuang - As the main lead of this drama, I empathize and sympathize with what she is going through. Afterall, she IS the drama. But for some reason, I am not connected with her emotionally. Do I feel bad? Yes. Does her experience move me to tears? No, not really. As mentioned above, I feel for Jiang Xi more, even though I can’t relate to her experience. With Lin Shuang, I can relate to her on a more rational level since I am a mother myself. But emotionally, something is missing. Is it Zhang Xiao Fei’s acting? The writing? Most likely, I am the problem.
3. Wei Ming/Li Ze Feng - I have a love-hate relationship with Wei Ming. I HATE everything he does and he makes my blood boil. But you can’t deny the writers did an amazing job in writing out his lines (or shall I say lies). You have to give him props for being cautious, detailed-oriented with a great memory. Li Ze Feng does such a fantastic job in playing this slimeball and he just spits out these ‘beautiful’ lies so convincingly. I love the acting but I hate the character.
4. Plot/Pacing - In theory, there’s a lot going on in these 36 episodes. We started from the happy family to the discovery of cheating. Oh, by the way, did I miss Lin Shuang feeling heartbroken because her husband cheated? Like she loved this man and now she’s sad because he doesn’t love her anymore? All I get is that she felt betrayed and she regrets her decision to give up her career. Then we have women bonding, fighting and growing. Don’t forget the family drama and child custody. We throw in a slow-burn romance and another side romance. Add to the drama is the business side of things, a start up, and corruption. It took Lin Shuang less than a year to discover the cheating to start her business. That seems really fast for anyone, let alone someone who hasn’t worked in years. All of this is covered in 36 episodes. YET, for some reason, it felt repetitive in the last 5-8 episodes for me. The scheming back-and-forth doesn’t end, the same lies are told and it’s no fun when you know who the villain is, and his tricks from the very beginning. The romance isn’t fun or angsty or fluffy. The drama loses my focus in the last few episodes (maybe the tech and coding talk) and I didn’t like the last episode either (especially the proposal). I like where the female leads end as a person, but I don’t like the writing of the last episode.
What I Don’t Like:
1. Frustrating Characters - One of the main reasons I did not watch this drama initially is because I heard of the frustrating characters. Gosh, there are so many and they make my blood boil. If I am only watching Wei Ming’s lies, I can deal with that. But his parents, Jiang Xi’s mother and the spoiled brat Joyce? They never go away and stay for the whole drama. I want to jump into the TV screen and beat them up so badly. If you do not like these frustrating and anger-inducing characters, don’t watch this drama.
2. Make-up - Who approves the make-up for these male characters? Huang Xiao Ming looks absolutely horrible with the white, cakey thick foundation on his handsome face. Has he aged that much that he needs such makeup to make him presentable? The other one with bad makeup is Zhao Shun Ran (Martin). He’s so handsome but he has uneven makeup on. At times, you see makeup on the face but not the neck. Huang Xiao Ming’s makeup distracts me whenever he comes on screen.
3. Lin Shuang/Gu Xu Romance - I hate to say this, but this slow burn romance is not working for me. I am not moved by Gu Xu’s dedication and I can see why he’s the perfect guy for Lin Shuang in my head. But the writing of the romance plot does not convince me that Lin Shuang feels the same way as Gu Xu. Did she like him when they were in high school? Or did she only see him as a rival this whole time? When did Lin Shuang fall in love with Gu Xu? Was it love or gratitude? Unfortunately, I am not feeling the chemistry between them.
Despite my rants, I do feel that “Alliance” has a lot to offer. I’ll recommend this for those who are looking for a women-centric, empowerment drama. As a working mother, I reflected on my personal experience while watching this. It’s hard to balance career and family, and you do need to give up some. If you are a working mother, you might be interested in this as well. However, if you can’t stand frustrating characters (those you want to punch their faces), it’s best to skip “Alliance”. You might get angry and it wouldn’t be fun, except, of course you are looking to be angry. LOL
Completed: 7/7/2024 - Review #457
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