Drama Digest
This drama portrays Japan’s invasion of China during the Second World War. During this time, the protagonist was sent as a spy to gather important information from the arch-enemies. The whole drama revolves around the quest of surviving a World War.
The Feel-Good Part
The period in which the drama has been set up is aesthetically impressive. The tone, the vintage vibe, the colors, the music, the worldly elements, etc. Everything constitutes a perfect period drama. The male characters of the story stood out the most due to their dressing styles and attractive personalities. The main thing about the drama is that the antagonists are as appealing as the protagonists.
The Disappointing Factor
The portrayal of the female protagonist in the drama was weak. Though she supported the main lead, she was portrayed as a troublesome character with no strong motive. The story becomes slow in the middle course of the drama, which is tedious. A lot of viewers were disappointed by how the story unrolled despite having talented actors in its prominant roles. Though it is a serious-toned drama, the ending is really predictable.
In-Depth Analysis
Set in the times of the Second World War, the drama took place in Hong Kong in 1941. During this time, East Asia was in the crutches of destruction. All resources of food, shelter, economy, etc, were being destroyed. During the same time, China’s Hong Kong was being invaded by Japan. The imperial Japanese soldiers have taken over the entire Hong Kong region and are adamant about imposing Japanese martial law on the area. In such times, to the people’s rescue comes a young communist man named Yu Chong. Yu Chong, portrayed by Allen Ren, is someone who believes in an indiscriminative society. He is a communist and wants to help everyone around him achieve freedom. One day he is recruited by the Chinese Communist forces as an undercover double agent. His role is to find out the moles helping out the Japanese government from within the Chinese Army. He has to report to the Chinese military as soon as he finds any information regarding these moles. For this job, he is given the title ‘Autumn Cicada.’ Yu does all his work with passion and as a real patriot. But it is not long after that the Japanese soldiers start suspecting him. After being evident in the eyes of the Japanese soldiers, Yu Chong’s life becomes a race for life and death. The main threat to Yu’s life is Miyamoto, the most intelligent and dangerous of the Japanese soldiers. But this does not cause Yu to budge from his aim. And fortunately, on the way, he contacts some sympathetic Chinese soldiers who are ready to help him. One of them is He Ying, the story’s female protagonist.
Star Power
After the portrayal of Yu Chong, Allen Ren gained much more recognition than he already had. He was praised by numerous viewers for his incredible acting skills and dashing looks. Due to this, he was definitely the show’s focal point. Apart from Allen, Li Ting Zhe, who plays Miyamoto, was also applauded for his role as the main antagonist.
Overall Opinion
Despite being a high-quality period drama, it disappointed in many ways. Many viewers were of the opinion that they continued through the show just because of Allen Ren. The fans of period dramas can still give this one a try.
