Editor’s Note

The "First Episode" series is here to help you watch the latest dramas. Are they worth watching? Let's take a look at the good ones and the weird ones.

Some shows may gradually get better, while others may start strong but end badly, so this article only represents the author's opinion on the first few episodes, for reference only. If there are any subsequent slaps, I will keep you posted.

"Lonely City"

Poster of "Lonely City"

Broadcast platform: Tencent Video

First broadcast time: 2024-6-29

This is a spy drama that is a little different. The beginning is the end of the Anti-Japanese War. The hero is rescued, but he has lost all his memory. In order to facilitate the audience, the creators gave him a God's perspective. He is an underground party member. Due to an accident during the mission, he was forced to enter the Japanese germ warfare base, and he himself is a double agent.

The biggest feature of the series is that it does not use conventional narrative, but interweaves the story of the male protagonist before and after he lost his memory. Through the connection, the audience can find the protagonist and the villain in the play, as well as the experience of the male protagonist over the years. Many netizens on Douban have begun to draw pictures to sort out the timeline to interpret the real main line of the story. In terms of acting, Xin Zhilei and Huang Jingyu both performed normally, and Ma Sichao's villain Li Shaotang was a highlight, insidious and cunning, and sanctimonious.

Stills from "The Lost City"

Generally speaking, the series does not have any mysterious characters, nor does it have grand scenes of life and death. It may not become a classic spy drama that will be passed down forever, but on a hot summer day, it is like an interesting but not overly thick sugar soup, similar to playing a game of "Werewolf" with the protagonist, which is relaxing and exciting.

You Are More Beautiful Than Starlight

"You Are More Beautiful Than Starlight" group portrait poster

Broadcasting platform: Tencent Video/Mango TV

First broadcast time: 2024-7-2

Just like the domestic family dramas about mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, the domestic idol dramas are also boring and uninteresting. This "sweeping" may hurt some dramas by mistake, but it is not wrong to say that the current idol dramas are exhausting.

"You Are More Beautiful Than Starlight" is adapted from Jiu Yuexi's novel. The original novel has quite a few fans, but it is hard to applaud the TV series. The story tells that although Ji Xing, a girl who has just entered the workplace, is smart and capable, she is ostracized because of her resistance to sexual harassment and workplace veterans. She has to resign and start a business. She meets her investor Han Ting, and the two fall in love during the entrepreneurial process.

Just looking at the summary of this story can remind you of eight hundred similar online articles. The reason why Jiu Yuexi's original work has fans may be because of her writing style, the details of the character description, etc., but when it was made into a film and television drama, the story became rather old-fashioned.

The same rented house (the author discovered that the house where the heroine lives is the same one used in a certain idol drama a while ago, and the decoration has not been changed), the same bestie, the same workplace, the same annoying colleagues... and, this is a more Mary Sue male protagonist who appears like a superhero. He is handsome and rich, he is extremely smart, he has a proud personality, and he secretly admires. It's not that this setting is original sin, but since there are so many similar works, we have to find something new, right? Otherwise, why would the audience spend time on this drama?

"You Are More Beautiful Than Starlight" character poster

In fact, in terms of production, this drama is not bad. Tan Songyun's acting is natural and beautiful. Xu Kai's image is in line with the character setting. The rhythm of the series is also slowly advancing. However, if the score is around 60 points, it will constitute a mediocre drama. It is watchable, for example, for fans. In the face of the audience's increasingly high aesthetics and demands, the producers really should not lie down.

The Vanishing Elephant

The Lost Elephant poster

Broadcast platform: iQiyi

First broadcast time: 2024-7-4

This drama has all the trappings of a "bluff": the entire drama is spoken in Sichuan dialect; Li Jiuxiao, Ren Suxi, Wang Zhiwen, Yu Ailei and other powerful actors; jumping editing in multiple timelines; produced by Rao Xiaozhi; black humor theme, an elephant whose voice is only heard but not seen, a marathon full of profit transactions... I was prepared to watch a unique and high-level domestic drama. Unfortunately, I fell asleep several times during the show.

Dialects may be an important barrier. Some of the main actors in this drama cannot speak Sichuan dialect at all and can only lip sync, which must have hurt the viewing experience. However, this part of the loss can still be ignored, because for young people today, dialects themselves are not a problem. After all, watching foreign language dramas requires subtitles. The success of "Flowers" also proves the charm and universality of dialects.

However, the use of dialects in the entire play has its own prerequisites, that is, the creators can ensure that the quality of the work itself is worth watching the subtitles, such as the editing of the shots in "Flower". The dialogue in "The Vanishing Elephant" is extremely dense, and although the editing is commendable, the multi-line narrative of Ning Hao has not yet been completed. If you watch it carefully, you will feel bored and without highlights. At this time, the dialect becomes a viewing obstacle, which is worse than the icing on the cake. When there is no visual impact, the dense and abundant Sichuan dialect makes people drowsy.

Stills from The Vanishing Elephant

Even if we put aside the dialect, the rhythm and editing of the series itself are not good enough, and several plots are very confusing. After watching one episode, people feel that they have not seen anything. In terms of the overall story temperament, it is more suitable to adjust the outline again and make it into a movie.

Mustard Seed Time

Poster of "Mustard Time"

Broadcast platform: Mango TV

First broadcast time: 2024-7-6

After watching several sleepy dramas, I watched "Mustard Time" again. The natural stupidity and cuteness actually made me feel the youthfulness.

As the first campus drama of the summer season, the main plot of the series focuses on two boys and one girl. The heroine is not up to standard in terms of appearance and acting skills. Fortunately, she is just a "tool person" at present. The two male protagonists are played by Bian Cheng and Hao Fushen. The teenagers play teenagers, at least they are not out of character. Bian Cheng is not as good as before in terms of appearance and acting skills, but Hao Fushen is surprising, and he plays the middle school second-year silly plot naturally and funny.

The four episodes aired so far look silly and lighthearted, so youthful!