卧薪尝胆

My family and I have been watching this drama series for the past week. This 41-episode series, released in 2007, tells that tale behind the chinese idiom - "Wo Xin Chang Dan".

Basically, it depicts the perseverence of Gou Jian, through his downfall and revival as King of Yue. Here's a picture of Gou Jian:


What do I like best about this drama series? It's complicated script! Every character is multi-faceted and the storyline is carefully thought out. The protagonist isn't simply an all-righteous hero with no weaknesses, nor is the antogonist a 2-dimensional baddie who wants to destroy the world.

Some characters are truly motivated by their loyalty to work for the good of their countries, while others hanker over petty gains for their self-interests. Some behaviour must be explained through the lens of love, while other actions can be said to have stemmed from jealousy. Here's a picture of the corrupt Wu official, Bo Pi:


Why do I like complicated? I guess its because complicated storylines are better reflections of reality. Human beings are really quite complex.

What's bad about this drama series? The editing was quite badly done. I mistook the abruptly joined cut scenes as glitches on my DVD until I read the drama review online. My father complained that the lines are too long-winded too. Apart from these, thumbs-up for this drama series!