i remember when i finished the drama, I immediately searched for the novel ending and read it up just to be sure, turns out LNS actually passed away in the end due to his lung issues(caused by post traumatic injuries). In the novel ending it seems like he didn't even get to reconcile with ZYZ and died alone in the cold(most likely snow). So before the drama was aired, a lot novel fans were nervous about the ending as it was fated to end as a tragedy according to the original take, so when the drama's ending aired it actually got more positive respond rather than the negative ones because they were pleased/happy to find that LNS at least has a possible good ending after all those sacrifices he been thru.
this and LOST IN 1949 are my favourite chinese dramas..LIN NAN SHENG & CHENG MO CHEN are my favrts in this drama..specially the dedicatioj with which cheng mo qun worked ..but i felt that is character was lacking one thing..and that was fortune, luck ..he always gave his best but was decieved by is own fellas..sad for him..LIN NAN SHENG was perfectly portrayed..showing stiffness in beginning describing the hesitancy of a newbie , and then becoming a complete resonsible man during japanese invasion...in short this drama is a delight to watch
I personally loved an interpretation that some people had about the ending because it's very close to mine: Lin NanSheng was not the "hero" that had to have a definite ending to carry the story of "The Rebel". He's just a young man, represented many others with the same eagerness to serve the people and the country in that turbulent era. At the end, some Lin NanSheng fell into the lake and died there; some Lin NanSheng were saved but lost Zhu YiZhen; some Lin NanSheng died shortly after because of his health condition, joining Zhu YiZhen in the afterlife; and then, some Lin NanSheng were luckily joined by the also survived Zhu YiZhen.
I love this interpretation! Totally agree! I don't have any problems with the ending at all because the main characters have already finished their tasks successfully which already puts a satisfying end to the story. Whether they survived or not does not matter that much compared to the country's fate because we all know in history many Chinese people died of that war. Lin Nansheng could be one of them or could be one of those luckily survived. He represents people of that special historical age. He doesn't have to have one definite fate. I personally love this drama so much that I watched it twice. The second time watching it was surprisingly more enjoyable than the first time because I had the chance to analyze the hidden details in the plots and of the characters. I love all the characters' acting especially Lin Nansheng, Gu Shenyan, Chen Moqun, Wang Shian, and Lan Xinjie. Love them all!!
Sitting at the dinning table in front of the window with the sun beams shining thro, you are like a breathe of fresh air in the morning. Love your videos and appreciate all the explanations on cultural, political, literature of Chinese history. I have not watched The Rebel yet because I know there were a lot of sufferings and hardship during that period of time in China and I am afraid to witness it even through the lens. Keep up the FIRE and PASSION in your production! Stay away from the sun, too hot in BC.
Thanks for the history lesson and an excellent review. Your take on the many subtle aspects of a drama always impresses me. It is like I fly over a country and see the overall landscape, while you see each building, lake, and tree. But you always come back to the overall view.
Glad you gave it two gold mines! im also disappointed in the ending it was rushed and there wasnt a scene about how the biggest baddie met his end. Also as a zhu yilong fan I was a bit disappointed how he was a bit too stiff and unnatural at the beginning but in later episodes when he became confident and natural I realised he was stiff on purpose to show the uncertainty a newbie feels doing his first real mission. Hope to see more works of his in the future!
My mind is racing with possible comments to respond to this review! As an American, the historical info provided by the drama and this review was very enlightening, to say the least. In my limited understanding of all things involved in a drama production, I will say I was very impressed, very moved by the lead character’s adaptation of his role. I’ve watched another of his drama performances, but this role in my opinion, outshines all. In my viewing, I have not reached the end episode. Might be tempted to drop out. But thx much for the opinions given here. Will continue to visit and learn!!
I was often confused about this era and try to stay away from watching this period of the Chinese history, because of what my parents had gone through. But after your explanations of the politics and literature, I am now looking forward to watch this drama, especially with 朱一龙. Thank you and as always, appreciation for your input and review
Was really anticipating your review on this drama and glad to still see 2 gold mines for this. However I do have a different opinion on some of the points to you raised. 1st on the ending. I’m actually quite pleased with the opening ending actually. My general feel about this whole drama is that the script has never forced an opinion on the viewer. In fact, they just subtly lead you into the direction but has never forcefully pushed an opinion down the viewers’ throat so I think the open ending is actually coherent to the style of writing and directing. 2nd, about Zhu Yi Zhen being perfect. I think the point you brought up about Zhu Yi Zhen returning is actually the point which shows she isn’t perfect. It may seem illogical that she made such a decision, but actually I think I can see why she did that. I think we can all agree that the decision to leave the safe house and return to the school was a bad move. But ZYZ was a student and young woman who still has her ideals (whether it’s about her 信仰 or her love). Even though she is an official member of the communist party, she was basically doing small things. Basically her first big task was to meet with Gu Shen Yan. Which means everything she feels is still very idealized, so despite knowing she might get caught, she held hopes of being able to get a “happy ending” where Lin Nansheng was not a spy. And it was actually this moment she got caught that her character grew. She had to go through this to see and experience for herself the harshness of the realities of being a member of the underground party. Which then leads to her character falling flat because now that she has experienced first hand, she can only keep it all in to keep the people around her safe. And the fact that she was still not a senior member of the party, destined her character to be kinda in the background. But this is just my opinion and I respect that everyone also has their own so hopefully this comment doesn’t come across as bashing. 😬 Cheers! 🤗
I also enjoyed the opening ending! And perhaps zyz’s such a bold move returning to lns’s dorm led to her later perfectness cuz she paid a huge price… that will pretty much explain her character. (But I do think zyz is a bit too stiff and indifferent lol
ooh i agree with all your points! zhu yilong's acting felt much more comfortable to me in the later character arcs, especially in the last arc in Shanghai. i actually started watching this show because of zhu yilong but ended being mostly engrossed by wang yang's chen moqun LOL (the charisma!!). on that note, it is frustrating how the side characters get kind of rushed conclusions; i know a big point of online contention was chen moqun's motivation for defecting so quickly to the japanese, and how he ends up collaborating with wang shian, And how suddenly he dies (keeping his scene of suicidal ideation would've rounded out his character sm better..) wang shian's off-screen ending really was unsatisfying haha. loved zhu zhu as lan xinjie as a dynamic character, plus her chemistry with zhu yilong was so palpable! unfortunately due to the constraints of the source material it was inevitable that her character get written off. besides the weaker plot points (and editing: so much of the drama could've benefited from a second pass of editing to cut lengthy walking scenes or walking through doors or long pauses. also the abrupt cut of cmq's gunfight with lns behind the theatre did detract from the logical viewing experience), tong yao's acting was rather lacking :') her college-age zhu yizhen was decently bright-eyed and glowing with idealism, but her acting in zhu yizhen's later life stages... left much to be desired (thinking about her waking up from the coma compared to zhu yilong's waking up scene, and the final car chase scene being so wooden. also her dynamic with meng annan was just so strange and unbelievable as one of [pseudo]comrades). her crying scene after lao ji's death was just her covering her face at the dining table and she just couldn't sell it u_u otherwise imo the cast was great! but it defs feel like the show was stronger plot-wise in the first 20 episodes (rip to zyz going back to her dorm to get caught by the nationalists tho; the futher overdubbing of the scene contributed to a further break in logic haha). for me, i'd say the rebel was just ok-ish overall with some shining side characters, but i can see how it's a standout for its genre.
I lovvved Chen Mo Qun character! and the actor did such a great portrayal, I ended staying for him. I shall have to look up Wayne Wang's other films, he was impressive. I went in assuming it was a romance drama but was I wrong and I'm glad it wasn't romance focused. The inter-weaving of the brotherhood was instense, I was holding my breath at times! I actually prefer LNS and the dancer's storyline better than with the main girl.
When Chen Mo Qun died, I wonder that should I keep watching this drama :( after a week, i decided to finish that movie, I do love Chen Mo Qun chẩcter lot
I had finished the drama and had been waiting for your final review! Personally for me, this got to be one of the best c drama I've seen so far in 2021. Really enjoyed my time spent watching this drama. Amazing cast with really well written characters and story! Thank you for the review
Dear AvenueX, have you seen falling into your smile? I've been liking it so far, its really cute and the interaction between the two main characters are so cute. most importantly xu kai is so handsome huhuhuhuhuhu
I really liked this drama. I was so impressed by those supporting actors!!!! Wang Yang is my new obsession!!! I'm maybe 0.1 percent of ppl, who noticed obvious prop mistakes (esp foreign parts...) Still, I was also satisfied with props.
Ah Wang Yang! He played Chen so well! I have a love hate relationship with this character. Domineering, smart & suave, quietly evil, condescending, extremely switched on, I could go on and on about this character. Lol! Wang Yang certainly gave the character justice. He deserves an award!
Hi, Avenue X. I usually don't watch this type of drama but because of your review, I will take a look and see if I can go through it. Thank you for your review.😊😊😊
If I was Lan Xin Jie, I would've fallen for Lin Nan Sheng a long time ago. When I asked why it didn't happen, my mother said, people were just more faithful and loyal back then. Hahaha... Ms Lan was the female lead in my book, regardless of whether she and LNS actually had a love line, I still found their relationship more compelling
Because she was her younger self, and not her mature self, it seemed an imagined ending. I agree the supporting roles were the best. Overall it was a great drama, but I found the female lead at times too bland.
The thing with perfect character is that there is no room to grow. If a character started as flawed in the first place, you can enjoy their growth/development but you would not see that in someone who is always perfect
I didn't care if it was a HE or BE, I just wanted them to commit one way or another! I definitely agree ZYZ's character really fell by the wayside after the first kind of arc. She just wasn't given enough to do.
I agree with you about the ending. I didn't even understand what they were trying to say😂 I was confused for the longest time after finishing the drama.
I don't know what is the ending. I lost interest after Gu & Chen died. These 2 Wangs are the best parts. Even that Station Chief Wang, that slimy, corrupt, double-headed snake was done well. These veterans really show what is good acting. That scene where Gu sat alone on the park bench after he thought the Fisherman is dead - that feeling of loneliness & suppressed grief was just heartbreaking. Contrast that with LNS sitting alone on the waterfront bench when his friend died. Lin Nan Sheng & Tong Yao's character (I forget the name) are just so bland and uninteresting. Seriously, they could take Tong Yao's character out of the drama and it wouldn't affect the appeal of the drama one bit. She has very little airtime anyway and only serves as a love interest point for LNS. Even that was bland. The "guest relation" Lan was much more interesting and arresting in her performance. I was quite fed up by LNS by the middle of the drama. After so many years of serving in his organisation which practised indiscriminate killings and torture on a regular basis, how could anyone still be so not in control of his emotions & still be so rash when death is at every corner. Almost every episode, he flutters his eyelashes! And he is supposed to have the best analytical head in his class. He was still the same even when he inherited the Mailman mantle. He could have shown a real character growth from naive student to a cool professional double agent, couldn't he? In a real world setting, he would have been dead quite early on & would never have made it to being a double agent. As an aside, I really don't know what is the main point of his story. Sorry for the rant, but this would be my least favorite ZYL's character. Maybe I was expecting too much. On the bright side, I like that this drama really let the veteran actors shine through. Like they say - old is gold.
I liked the supporting characters a lot. Wang Shi'an was a baddie you could understand since he was supressed at first and all he did was for the sake of keeping himself afloat. Chen Moqun was vicious towards the communists, but he started off as loyal to his party, only to have his hand forced later on (I never thought of him as a full on traitor).
I loved this drama! It's flaws didn't spoil my enjoyment, though I do agree that the female lead was much less developed and interesting. She seems more representative of young comunists' idealism and this helps me make sense of the ending, where her appearance with Lin Sheng and the schoolchildren is a visual validation of those ideals.
I love this drama so much I’ve been waiting for your final review!!😆 If you’re wondering if it’s worth watching, WATCH IT. Edit: Totally agree with you, Lan Xinjie totally shined brighter than Zhu Yizhen. Nevertheless, it is still a superb drama. Edit2: You basically took the words out of my mouth regarding Lin Nansheng’s character arc. I find him extremely attractive after his newbie phase oh gosh. And also, the characters r so well written that I somehow sympathize with Chen Moqun as well HAHAHA. Also, I love the scene when Chen Moqun told Lin Nansheng that he isn’t disappointed at him, I got goosebumps watching that🥲
I agree with your critique. I enjoyed it very much in general, and was also confused by the ending. One small thing that distracted me was the Japanese dub, i think it mostly done by Chinese VAs? And the mouth shape didn't match. But there's prob barely any fluent Japanese speakers watching it so I guess no big deal.....
I'm interested more for the side characters played by those old veteran actors (Lao Gu, Lao Ji,Wang Shi, Chen Mo, Miss Lan), the ending was vague, giving interpretation for the viewers.. the main lead never dies even shots many times, but others died immediately, just a bit funny for me..I like the ML characterization with his flaws, it's more relatable. You mentioned "The age of awakening" that's a great Drama with strong storyline, great casting, brilliant Directing..I'm still waiting for fully English subtitles, I really recommend this Drama 👍👍
Oof, I felt the part about side characters often being more interesting. I can't remember the last time I actually liked the main characters best in anything I watched or read. Word of Honor probably came closest, but even there, Wenzhou were eventually overtaken by Xie Wang and Ye Baiyi. Which kinda sucks, because then you're often left scrambling for crumbs of screen time.
The Rebel is one of the only 2 dramas that i actually finished in the first half of 2021. The other is the imperial coroner. Sadly, i started almost everything i could find but...you know...
Glad I picked up on this drama. It took me by surprise on how engaging this series was! I couldn't stop watching. It also made me look up on some historical background of China just so I could follow the story better. I've gained some hard historical facts along the way about China! A nice little bonus. Totally agree with you re the supporting actress. She has left me a much deeper impression compared to the FL. I almost felt like she was the lead at times considering how impactful her character and story was! What is it with c-dramas and its ambiguous endings though? Lol..
Agree with your rating and your review which is so spot on and so well articulated. The ending left me so dissatisfied! The visuals on Zhu Yi Long and Tong Yao is so good ..... many times in the drama I felt like I have travel back in time and am watching Tony Leung and Zhang Zi Yi.
I haven't ever liked a single republican era drama (edit: except winter begonia) but based on this review I'd try it. Looks like Zhu Yilong may have the same issue as Hu Ge did back then... a early 30s aged man trying to play someone younger. But we'll see
I agree with your critique! Though I wondered too, if they wrote the female character differently, less "idealised", whether the story could still be marketed by investors as the big patriotic drama it ended up being. I went in expecting patriotic pride at every corner so I guess her idolisation / symbolification (is that a word?) didn't bother me much in the end but I also don't know how to rate it, haha. And for me, Wang Zhiwen absolutely stole the show! Especially in the first half when he had more scenes, I was looking forward to his scenes (and his back and forth with Wang Yang) more than any of the leads' scene. Not to say that Zhu Yilong didn't do a great job - no he carried the show with very detailed and careful character building! - but I don't think I expected that reaction from myself haha.
I couldn’t find English subtitles after episode 4 😭 (not in RUclips or IQlYL app). I was really enjoying The Rebel, but if with English subtitles it’s difficult (my native language is Portuguese) without it it’s totally impossible 😢. I hope they’ll make it available soon.
I really tried to get into it but I got bored. I think I like unrealistic spy dramas, when the main character is all knowing. When the main character is not the best at everything, I get really anxious because I remember Got and how characters could just die. Even if they were set up like a main character.
Please review Cheng Xiao-Xu Kai drama Falling Into Your Smile.. To me it was a good drama but they got bad review at Douban just because e-sport pro players have negative comments for it.. Want to know your opinion about it
@@js_deniz Everyone should watch it. It's a tough look at what the Japanese did to soldiers and more so to civilians of China. The attack on China in 1937-1945 is not taught in western schools.
I'm a little biased even if I don't like the plot whatsoever if Zhu Yi Long is in there I may watch it because of him which I know he usually delivers when he plays his characters lol. Anyways, would I watch this? Probably not because a Republican Era drama isn't my cup of tea. I like to watch him in hanfu costume or modern day dramas lol.
@Avenuex, Thanks for your review. I was looking forward to watching but finding out that the writers took the cowardly way out & gave a vague ending I have no intention of wasting my time. The FL & SL females sounds like our desire in The Long Ballad. Sometimes they make FL too perfect & boring.
I think you should give it a try. The ending is open but I don’t think it’s a big deal for me personally. And besides, the drama is more of a war drama than romance so I feel like Zhu yizhen is simply the main character’s love interest and that’s it. The supporting roles makes it absolutely worth it, like chen mo qun and Lan Xinjie.
I don't dislike it, just lack motivation to keep going after about Ep 12. I find the main characters not too appealing and not interested in catching up with their relationship. The acting of several supporting characters are just superb.
if u r a film maker in China u must make pro communist movie right... and Nationalist must be portrayed as bad guys right. it must be communist propaganda movie right?
@@mykrt8541 Pearl harbour was released in Japan.. It shows the Japanese as the perpetrator.. So no they dont ban movies that dont show japan as the victim
![Very Pretty Period Drama But......Riverside Code at Qingming Festival - 2/3 Review [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HlgAc7sUJYU/mqdefault.jpg)
![Very Pretty Period Drama But......Riverside Code at Qingming Festival - 2/3 Review [CC]](/img/tr.png)
AvenueX we need you to drop a Lookbook style video of all your period clothing! The collection seemed to have grown since your last Hanfu video! 😆
i remember when i finished the drama, I immediately searched for the novel ending and read it up just to be sure, turns out LNS actually passed away in the end due to his lung issues(caused by post traumatic injuries). In the novel ending it seems like he didn't even get to reconcile with ZYZ and died alone in the cold(most likely snow). So before the drama was aired, a lot novel fans were nervous about the ending as it was fated to end as a tragedy according to the original take, so when the drama's ending aired it actually got more positive respond rather than the negative ones because they were pleased/happy to find that LNS at least has a possible good ending after all those sacrifices he been thru.
this and LOST IN 1949 are my favourite chinese dramas..LIN NAN SHENG & CHENG MO CHEN are my favrts in this drama..specially the dedicatioj with which cheng mo qun worked ..but i felt that is character was lacking one thing..and that was fortune, luck ..he always gave his best but was decieved by is own fellas..sad for him..LIN NAN SHENG was perfectly portrayed..showing stiffness in beginning describing the hesitancy of a newbie , and then becoming a complete resonsible man during japanese invasion...in short this drama is a delight to watch
I personally loved an interpretation that some people had about the ending because it's very close to mine: Lin NanSheng was not the "hero" that had to have a definite ending to carry the story of "The Rebel". He's just a young man, represented many others with the same eagerness to serve the people and the country in that turbulent era. At the end, some Lin NanSheng fell into the lake and died there; some Lin NanSheng were saved but lost Zhu YiZhen; some Lin NanSheng died shortly after because of his health condition, joining Zhu YiZhen in the afterlife; and then, some Lin NanSheng were luckily joined by the also survived Zhu YiZhen.
I love this interpretation! Totally agree! I don't have any problems with the ending at all because the main characters have already finished their tasks successfully which already puts a satisfying end to the story. Whether they survived or not does not matter that much compared to the country's fate because we all know in history many Chinese people died of that war. Lin Nansheng could be one of them or could be one of those luckily survived. He represents people of that special historical age. He doesn't have to have one definite fate. I personally love this drama so much that I watched it twice. The second time watching it was surprisingly more enjoyable than the first time because I had the chance to analyze the hidden details in the plots and of the characters. I love all the characters' acting especially Lin Nansheng, Gu Shenyan, Chen Moqun, Wang Shian, and Lan Xinjie. Love them all!!
Sitting at the dinning table in front of the window with the sun beams shining thro, you are like a breathe of fresh air in the morning. Love your videos and appreciate all the explanations on cultural, political, literature of Chinese history. I have not watched The Rebel yet because I know there were a lot of sufferings and hardship during that period of time in China and I am afraid to witness it even through the lens. Keep up the FIRE and PASSION in your production! Stay away from the sun, too hot in BC.
Thanks for the history lesson and an excellent review. Your take on the many subtle aspects of a drama always impresses me. It is like I fly over a country and see the overall landscape, while you see each building, lake, and tree. But you always come back to the overall view.
It was a drama where you actually get scared for the leads in every episode !!!! awesome drama !
Glad you gave it two gold mines! im also disappointed in the ending it was rushed and there wasnt a scene about how the biggest baddie met his end. Also as a zhu yilong fan I was a bit disappointed how he was a bit too stiff and unnatural at the beginning but in later episodes when he became confident and natural I realised he was stiff on purpose to show the uncertainty a newbie feels doing his first real mission. Hope to see more works of his in the future!
yes, Wang Shian dying off camera is such a buzz kill
I have been waiting for this.
Same! Just re-watched the first impression again to get ready for this!
My mind is racing with possible comments to respond to this review! As an American, the historical info provided by the drama and this review was very enlightening, to say the least. In my limited understanding of all things involved in a drama production, I will say I was very impressed, very moved by the lead character’s adaptation of his role. I’ve watched another of his drama performances, but this role in my opinion, outshines all. In my viewing, I have not reached the end episode. Might be tempted to drop out.
But thx much for the opinions given here. Will continue to visit and learn!!
Thank you for your review! After watching The Rebel, I need a drama with Zhu Yilong and Zhu Zhu, they're a beautiful couple and have great chemistry.
I was often confused about this era and try to stay away from watching this period of the Chinese history, because of what my parents had gone through. But after your explanations of the politics and literature, I am now looking forward to watch this drama, especially with 朱一龙. Thank you and as always, appreciation for your input and review
Was really anticipating your review on this drama and glad to still see 2 gold mines for this. However I do have a different opinion on some of the points to you raised.
1st on the ending. I’m actually quite pleased with the opening ending actually. My general feel about this whole drama is that the script has never forced an opinion on the viewer. In fact, they just subtly lead you into the direction but has never forcefully pushed an opinion down the viewers’ throat so I think the open ending is actually coherent to the style of writing and directing.
2nd, about Zhu Yi Zhen being perfect. I think the point you brought up about Zhu Yi Zhen returning is actually the point which shows she isn’t perfect. It may seem illogical that she made such a decision, but actually I think I can see why she did that. I think we can all agree that the decision to leave the safe house and return to the school was a bad move. But ZYZ was a student and young woman who still has her ideals (whether it’s about her 信仰 or her love). Even though she is an official member of the communist party, she was basically doing small things. Basically her first big task was to meet with Gu Shen Yan. Which means everything she feels is still very idealized, so despite knowing she might get caught, she held hopes of being able to get a “happy ending” where Lin Nansheng was not a spy. And it was actually this moment she got caught that her character grew. She had to go through this to see and experience for herself the harshness of the realities of being a member of the underground party. Which then leads to her character falling flat because now that she has experienced first hand, she can only keep it all in to keep the people around her safe. And the fact that she was still not a senior member of the party, destined her character to be kinda in the background.
But this is just my opinion and I respect that everyone also has their own so hopefully this comment doesn’t come across as bashing. 😬 Cheers! 🤗
+1 😄
I also enjoyed the opening ending! And perhaps zyz’s such a bold move returning to lns’s dorm led to her later perfectness cuz she paid a huge price… that will pretty much explain her character. (But I do think zyz is a bit too stiff and indifferent lol
+10 😄
Zhu Yilong never disappoints. I want to see him again in a bromance drama
14:40 OMG I remember how I cried in this scene... the act+ its a real accident my heart just broken
ooh i agree with all your points! zhu yilong's acting felt much more comfortable to me in the later character arcs, especially in the last arc in Shanghai. i actually started watching this show because of zhu yilong but ended being mostly engrossed by wang yang's chen moqun LOL (the charisma!!). on that note, it is frustrating how the side characters get kind of rushed conclusions; i know a big point of online contention was chen moqun's motivation for defecting so quickly to the japanese, and how he ends up collaborating with wang shian, And how suddenly he dies (keeping his scene of suicidal ideation would've rounded out his character sm better..) wang shian's off-screen ending really was unsatisfying haha.
loved zhu zhu as lan xinjie as a dynamic character, plus her chemistry with zhu yilong was so palpable! unfortunately due to the constraints of the source material it was inevitable that her character get written off. besides the weaker plot points (and editing: so much of the drama could've benefited from a second pass of editing to cut lengthy walking scenes or walking through doors or long pauses. also the abrupt cut of cmq's gunfight with lns behind the theatre did detract from the logical viewing experience), tong yao's acting was rather lacking :') her college-age zhu yizhen was decently bright-eyed and glowing with idealism, but her acting in zhu yizhen's later life stages... left much to be desired (thinking about her waking up from the coma compared to zhu yilong's waking up scene, and the final car chase scene being so wooden. also her dynamic with meng annan was just so strange and unbelievable as one of [pseudo]comrades). her crying scene after lao ji's death was just her covering her face at the dining table and she just couldn't sell it u_u
otherwise imo the cast was great! but it defs feel like the show was stronger plot-wise in the first 20 episodes (rip to zyz going back to her dorm to get caught by the nationalists tho; the futher overdubbing of the scene contributed to a further break in logic haha). for me, i'd say the rebel was just ok-ish overall with some shining side characters, but i can see how it's a standout for its genre.
I lovvved Chen Mo Qun character! and the actor did such a great portrayal, I ended staying for him. I shall have to look up Wayne Wang's other films, he was impressive.
I went in assuming it was a romance drama but was I wrong and I'm glad it wasn't romance focused. The inter-weaving of the brotherhood was instense, I was holding my breath at times! I actually prefer LNS and the dancer's storyline better than with the main girl.
When Chen Mo Qun died, I wonder that should I keep watching this drama :( after a week, i decided to finish that movie, I do love Chen Mo Qun chẩcter lot
I had finished the drama and had been waiting for your final review! Personally for me, this got to be one of the best c drama I've seen so far in 2021. Really enjoyed my time spent watching this drama. Amazing cast with really well written characters and story! Thank you for the review
I suppose the most appropriate quote for them joining hands from 1937-end 1945 would be "The enemy of my enemy is my friend"
Dear AvenueX, have you seen falling into your smile? I've been liking it so far, its really cute and the interaction between the two main characters are so cute. most importantly xu kai is so handsome huhuhuhuhuhu
Oh! I was waiting for AvenueX's 3 gold this year and I assumed this drama. I hope a drama will pop up before end of 2021 to get 3 gold🤞
I really liked this drama. I was so impressed by those supporting actors!!!! Wang Yang is my new obsession!!!
I'm maybe 0.1 percent of ppl, who noticed obvious prop mistakes (esp foreign parts...) Still, I was also satisfied with props.
Ah Wang Yang! He played Chen so well! I have a love hate relationship with this character. Domineering, smart & suave, quietly evil, condescending, extremely switched on, I could go on and on about this character. Lol! Wang Yang certainly gave the character justice. He deserves an award!
Hi, Avenue X. I usually don't watch this type of drama but because of your review, I will take a look and see if I can go through it. Thank you for your review.😊😊😊
Always great quality content.Keep up the good work!
Agree! Hey AvenueX I always look forward to your review :)
Thank you for the detailed reviews! Seeing your ratings help be decide which dramas I should spend my time on 🥰
Yes, I follow AvenueX's reviews so I can know what to Cdrama to watch :)
Thx for the concise history explanation.
Thank you AvenueX for sharing a bit of Chinese history. Such bit is big for someone like me who doesn't know much on this issue:)
Thank you.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
If I was Lan Xin Jie, I would've fallen for Lin Nan Sheng a long time ago. When I asked why it didn't happen, my mother said, people were just more faithful and loyal back then. Hahaha... Ms Lan was the female lead in my book, regardless of whether she and LNS actually had a love line, I still found their relationship more compelling
Because she was her younger self, and not her mature self, it seemed an imagined ending. I agree the supporting roles were the best. Overall it was a great drama, but I found the female lead at times too bland.
The thing with perfect character is that there is no room to grow. If a character started as flawed in the first place, you can enjoy their growth/development but you would not see that in someone who is always perfect
I really want to watch this drama but I didn't started till now because i really love the actors and i'm really interested in the chinese history 🥰🥰
I didn't care if it was a HE or BE, I just wanted them to commit one way or another! I definitely agree ZYZ's character really fell by the wayside after the first kind of arc. She just wasn't given enough to do.
@avenueX Quick Question: The Rebel VS The Disguiser
Discuss:)
I've just finished watching both, would love to know your thoughts
I agree with you about the ending. I didn't even understand what they were trying to say😂 I was confused for the longest time after finishing the drama.
I don't know what is the ending. I lost interest after Gu & Chen died. These 2 Wangs are the best parts. Even that Station Chief Wang, that slimy, corrupt, double-headed snake was done well. These veterans really show what is good acting. That scene where Gu sat alone on the park bench after he thought the Fisherman is dead - that feeling of loneliness & suppressed grief was just heartbreaking. Contrast that with LNS sitting alone on the waterfront bench when his friend died.
Lin Nan Sheng & Tong Yao's character (I forget the name) are just so bland and uninteresting. Seriously, they could take Tong Yao's character out of the drama and it wouldn't affect the appeal of the drama one bit. She has very little airtime anyway and only serves as a love interest point for LNS. Even that was bland. The "guest relation" Lan was much more interesting and arresting in her performance.
I was quite fed up by LNS by the middle of the drama. After so many years of serving in his organisation which practised indiscriminate killings and torture on a regular basis, how could anyone still be so not in control of his emotions & still be so rash when death is at every corner. Almost every episode, he flutters his eyelashes! And he is supposed to have the best analytical head in his class. He was still the same even when he inherited the Mailman mantle. He could have shown a real character growth from naive student to a cool professional double agent, couldn't he? In a real world setting, he would have been dead quite early on & would never have made it to being a double agent. As an aside, I really don't know what is the main point of his story.
Sorry for the rant, but this would be my least favorite ZYL's character. Maybe I was expecting too much. On the bright side, I like that this drama really let the veteran actors shine through. Like they say - old is gold.
When you said that most of the time the 2nd lead is more interesting than the first lead, Will & Grace came to my mind. LOLS..
Who is will and grace?
I liked the supporting characters a lot. Wang Shi'an was a baddie you could understand since he was supressed at first and all he did was for the sake of keeping himself afloat. Chen Moqun was vicious towards the communists, but he started off as loyal to his party, only to have his hand forced later on (I never thought of him as a full on traitor).
Please do a final review on becoming you , 变成你的那一天。 I love the drama but not fan of the ending . Wanna know your thoughts. thanks
Love your review
I loved this drama! It's flaws didn't spoil my enjoyment, though I do agree that the female lead was much less developed and interesting. She seems more representative of young comunists' idealism and this helps me make sense of the ending, where her appearance with Lin Sheng and the schoolchildren is a visual validation of those ideals.
I love this drama so much I’ve been waiting for your final review!!😆 If you’re wondering if it’s worth watching, WATCH IT.
Edit: Totally agree with you, Lan Xinjie totally shined brighter than Zhu Yizhen. Nevertheless, it is still a superb drama.
Edit2: You basically took the words out of my mouth regarding Lin Nansheng’s character arc. I find him extremely attractive after his newbie phase oh gosh. And also, the characters r so well written that I somehow sympathize with Chen Moqun as well HAHAHA. Also, I love the scene when Chen Moqun told Lin Nansheng that he isn’t disappointed at him, I got goosebumps watching that🥲
Thank you so much for your detailed explanation on chinease history. I learnt a lot today. Please where can I watch this drama.
I agree with your critique. I enjoyed it very much in general, and was also confused by the ending. One small thing that distracted me was the Japanese dub, i think it mostly done by Chinese VAs? And the mouth shape didn't match. But there's prob barely any fluent Japanese speakers watching it so I guess no big deal.....
Can you do a video of this hairstyle , bc is very beautiful ❤️
Yes AvenueX you're beautiful :)
Best cdrama of 2021 so far!!! 😊
Hahahah! Agree but I must admit of a bias because I'm a fan of Zhu Yi Long :)
@@elen1112ep my mom is pretty objective and she was impressed by his acting from beginning to end 😆
Mothers know best :)
Agreed
Can’t agree more 👍
The episodes on iqiyi aren’t free anymore 😭 where else can I watch this??
I'm interested more for the side characters played by those old veteran actors (Lao Gu, Lao Ji,Wang Shi, Chen Mo, Miss Lan), the ending was vague, giving interpretation for the viewers.. the main lead never dies even shots many times, but others died immediately, just a bit funny for me..I like the ML characterization with his flaws, it's more relatable.
You mentioned "The age of awakening" that's a great Drama with strong storyline, great casting, brilliant Directing..I'm still waiting for fully English subtitles, I really recommend this Drama 👍👍
Came for ZYL and ended up liking Wang Yang haha he is so cool
Oof, I felt the part about side characters often being more interesting. I can't remember the last time I actually liked the main characters best in anything I watched or read. Word of Honor probably came closest, but even there, Wenzhou were eventually overtaken by Xie Wang and Ye Baiyi.
Which kinda sucks, because then you're often left scrambling for crumbs of screen time.
The Rebel is one of the only 2 dramas that i actually finished in the first half of 2021. The other is the imperial coroner. Sadly, i started almost everything i could find but...you know...
Me too
but i did finish a 3rd drama, the lie detective. Its just ok but very short, so i manage to watch until the end
Which drama u rate as 3 gold please recommend
Glad I picked up on this drama. It took me by surprise on how engaging this series was! I couldn't stop watching. It also made me look up on some historical background of China just so I could follow the story better. I've gained some hard historical facts along the way about China! A nice little bonus.
Totally agree with you re the supporting actress. She has left me a much deeper impression compared to the FL. I almost felt like she was the lead at times considering how impactful her character and story was!
What is it with c-dramas and its ambiguous endings though? Lol..
Lovely, fresh-looking outfit you got there😍
Agree with your rating and your review which is so spot on and so well articulated. The ending left me so dissatisfied! The visuals on Zhu Yi Long and Tong Yao is so good ..... many times in the drama I felt like I have travel back in time and am watching Tony Leung and Zhang Zi Yi.
I haven't ever liked a single republican era drama (edit: except winter begonia) but based on this review I'd try it. Looks like Zhu Yilong may have the same issue as Hu Ge did back then... a early 30s aged man trying to play someone younger. But we'll see
Madam,please give review about healer of children drama by Chen xiao.
I agree with your critique! Though I wondered too, if they wrote the female character differently, less "idealised", whether the story could still be marketed by investors as the big patriotic drama it ended up being. I went in expecting patriotic pride at every corner so I guess her idolisation / symbolification (is that a word?) didn't bother me much in the end but I also don't know how to rate it, haha.
And for me, Wang Zhiwen absolutely stole the show! Especially in the first half when he had more scenes, I was looking forward to his scenes (and his back and forth with Wang Yang) more than any of the leads' scene. Not to say that Zhu Yilong didn't do a great job - no he carried the show with very detailed and careful character building! - but I don't think I expected that reaction from myself haha.
I couldn’t find English subtitles after episode 4 😭 (not in RUclips or IQlYL app).
I was really enjoying The Rebel, but if with English subtitles it’s difficult (my native language is Portuguese) without it it’s totally impossible 😢.
I hope they’ll make it available soon.
uh just go on the iqiyi website. they have multiple subs available.
@@allforce0ne269 I thought they had on the app, that’s why I downloaded it, but I’ll look for the website then. Thank you.
@@allforce0ne269 I got it! And already watched episode 5. Thank you so much.
@@MicaMartins yay i’m left with the last episode!! TT
I really tried to get into it but I got bored. I think I like unrealistic spy dramas, when the main character is all knowing. When the main character is not the best at everything, I get really anxious because I remember Got and how characters could just die. Even if they were set up like a main character.
Please review Cheng Xiao-Xu Kai drama Falling Into Your Smile.. To me it was a good drama but they got bad review at Douban just because e-sport pro players have negative comments for it.. Want to know your opinion about it
love zhu yi long
Are there any movies about the war with Japan from China's point of view?
Isn't IP man also done with that perspective?
@@js_deniz Thank You
@@js_deniz the first one you mentioned is on YT sadly without subs. Will try the other one.
@@js_deniz got it :)
@@js_deniz Everyone should watch it. It's a tough look at what the Japanese did to soldiers and more so to civilians of China. The attack on China in 1937-1945 is not taught in western schools.
Oh yay you liked it guess I can watch it lol
give a try to the trick of love and life
I'm a little biased even if I don't like the plot whatsoever if Zhu Yi Long is in there I may watch it because of him which I know he usually delivers when he plays his characters lol. Anyways, would I watch this? Probably not because a Republican Era drama isn't my cup of tea. I like to watch him in hanfu costume or modern day dramas lol.
ZYL 😍😍😍👍👍
@Avenuex, Thanks for your review. I was looking forward to watching but finding out that the writers took the cowardly way out & gave a vague ending I have no intention of wasting my time. The FL & SL females sounds like our desire in The Long Ballad. Sometimes they make FL too perfect & boring.
I think you should give it a try. The ending is open but I don’t think it’s a big deal for me personally. And besides, the drama is more of a war drama than romance so I feel like Zhu yizhen is simply the main character’s love interest and that’s it. The supporting roles makes it absolutely worth it, like chen mo qun and Lan Xinjie.
Can u make a video on the general history of china it's so confusing and I'm soo interested ❤️❤️❤️❤️
have u seen tgcf? or read the books? i recommend it tbh it’s also getting a live adaptation soon
please review more republican era dramas, its my favorite
I don't dislike it, just lack motivation to keep going after about Ep 12. I find the main characters not too appealing and not interested in catching up with their relationship. The acting of several supporting characters are just superb.
Maybe check out episode 36? it has major plot change.
FL character was very boring. She had a better storyline in her youth, but was not convincingly played by the actress.
but the bad kids also has a vague ending, hahhahaha
he´s hot, dont forget that looooooool
Dropped it ,i just hated he work with bad guys , and hated the female lead and hated the story writhing
if u r a film maker in China u must make pro communist movie right... and Nationalist must be portrayed as bad guys right. it must be communist propaganda movie right?
Obviously 😂
In Japan, a movie that doesn't depict Japan as the victim will be banned. Right?
@@mykrt8541 Pearl harbour was released in Japan.. It shows the Japanese as the perpetrator.. So no they dont ban movies that dont show japan as the victim
Communist drama right?