Drama Digest
Yu Yin is writing her novel and doesn’t like how she’s written the villain. In an instant, something happens, and she wakes up inside the book. Soon she is surrounded by the villain Liang Jingnian’s bodyguards. In a desperate attempt to survive, she proposes to marry him, although she has no feelings. She has to start living with him in his house. The sexual tension between them is oozing already, but there are many ordeals Yu Yin must go through first. These ordeals come in the form of the other characters she has written, one of whom is the gentle and caring Xia Qingyang. With who will she end up?
The Feel-Good Part
The lead couple is alluring. Yu Yin possesses a captivating, bubbly charm. On the other hand, Liang Jingnian is commanding and firm. Despite him being the villain, the girl is into him more. As for the plot, it often comes across as a young girl indulging her fantasy through the contents of her novel. Therefore, many things happen on a whim, the characters are archetypal, and she is inexplicably drawn to the villain. The sexual imagery is quite heavy, often bordering on the sadistic. The idea of an author drawn into her computer keeps events interesting, and makes the title ‘Bid Farewell in the Backlight’ potent. She finds many characters behaving in ways she can’t predict. Some gags are rib-tickling, such as when she sprays onion juice in her eyes to bring fake tears.
The Disappointing Factor
The plot is thin, and the tone is not uniform. While the two leads are charming, and the chemistry is alright, there isn’t much to say about the depth of acting. The supporting characters aren’t intriguing at all, as we hardly get to know anything about them as people. As character development is insufficient and writing is superficial, there is never enough tension. Thereby, our concern for and investment in the characters is limited. The story runs out of steam too early. The repercussion being, the sadomasochistic imagery is dangerously half-baked. It instead gives the impression of the protagonist falling for an irredeemably abusive man. There isn’t anything impressive in the way of cinematography or music either.
In-Depth Analysis
Little misunderstandings blow up into huge issues, which feels insincere and betrays the lack of a central conflict in the story. Ultimately, the plot keeps staggering ahead, repetitive things happen, and unnecessary standoffs pile up. The dialogue is often cringe-worthy and lacks passion. Before Yu Yin gets pulled into her computer, there is zero establishing anything about her. Had there been extensive introduction and suspenseful build-up, the audience would feel instantly hooked and concerned. Instead, we never get to know what kind of a person she is, before or after. The other characters, supposed to be a forceful obstruction to Yu Yin and Liang Jingnian’s love story instead come across as stereotypes with cringy antics. If this story is what she was writing on her computer, one will not have any belief in her as a writer.
Star Power
Pu Pu as Liang Jingnian is the only one that registers his acting ability.
Overall Opinion
This Chinese drama is half-baked, and there is much better writing to be found elsewhere. Recommended only for those looking to strike another title off their Chinese drama list this year.
