A Familiar Stranger (2022)

Short series with a perfect tinch of mystery and a beautiful chemistry

This was such an amazing c-drama..totally fell in love with it when i first saw a few clips for it..but couldn't watch due to my exam..now finally they are over n i watched n is a definately worth a watch...
I liked both the leads n their chemistry..the kiss scenes were really good...Shi Qi though weak n a bit helpless in the end but later fights back...Hansheng is one of the best ML's i have ever met...he already had someone in his heart but he respected n was courteous towards the FL even though he didn't love her unlike the other shitty ML's who give a cold shoulder to the FL n later repent on their mistakes...the mystery which Hnasheng unveils was not rushed at all n was showed with the perfect consistency...People say that if someone has crush on you keep some mystery which leads you to become more interesting in the that person's eyes..(saw this in one of the videos hile randomly browsing)...Hansheng also proved that looks don't matter...he believed his heart n knew she was the girl he still loves from 3 years ago...Both leads performed very well...

the villains n the side characters did their portrayal well...Prince Ning was a cunning n an evil character who was ambitious but slowly realised the meaning of losing someone so precious but realising it was too late too grasp them...her sister was totally devoted too the prince but was an obsessed lover...

Military advisor was a funny character:))...he kept saying he is a military advisor until the end he was taking care of Fubao...n i also liked Shen Qin's bro...he kept being serious was always ended up doing stupid things...n our devil cutie Yuanbao played the perfect cupid matchmaking role...

The music...i fell in love with it...the words of the song totally matched up with the drama...

Will definitely watch this again^^

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A Sweet Quick Watch

A poor painter finds herself married to a general after her face is swapped with the Prime minister's daughter. As she learns to accept her new identity she finds her loyalty being split between the general who saved her life years ago and her sister who is imprisoned by the prime minister's daughter.

The show is really easy to watch. I watched it on Viki and it was 8 episodes with each episode being 20 - 30 minutes long. I watched it all in one evening and it was super cute. Shi Qi is intelligent and loyal not only to her sister but also the general. I love how the general realises almost immediately that she is not Shen Qin and chooses to put his trust in her. Since the show is so concentrated the plot escalates pretty quickly, and the plot twist at the end.... this was so good and was honestly better than a lot of the bigger name dramas that have been released this year

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I will call it "Brigadeiro" ~or Candied Hawthorns suits better?!~

I'm Brazilian and my favorite dessert it's brigadeiro, a sweet, soft and addicting candy, just like I think about this mini drama!
I was attracted first because the short length that's so rare to Chinese Dramas, but really didn't took long to me be completely immersed to it.
The story about the two woman who exchange faces is a nice plot and the end has a very good plot twist. The acting was so good, they had so many CHEMISTRY, the main couple was perfect, the secondary and antagonist was intense, event support roles were well done, Yuanbao is SO CUTE! The music is beautiful so as the scenarios, costumes and all the technical part, truthfully gorgeous!
I actually could rewatch it and I want to make everyone to watch, I mean, you surely won't regret.

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Coppia carina e affiatata, trama deludente

Andrò controcorrente, perché tutto questo entusiasmo per questo titolo io non l'ho provato.

È un drama veramente peso piuma e si vede praticamente in ogni suo aspetto. Il fatto che sia condensato in diciotto episodi di soli 10 minuti giustifica solo parzialmente il pasticcio che è la trama: una accozzaglia di buchi, assurdità, comportamenti illogici, cose assolutamente non spiegate e buttate lì in un mucchio per alludere a uno svolgimento che in realtà non ha alcun senso.

Una giovane pittrice viene chiamata a eseguire un ritratto piuttosto osé di due amanti e dopo averlo fatto si risveglia con la faccia della donna protagonista della scena, figlia di un ministro. Viene quindi costretta a sposare al suo posto un generale e a cercare di trovare nella casa di costui una prova riguardo la morte del principe ereditario, col miraggio della ricompensa del ritrovamento della sorella perduta. Ma il generale è più furbo di quanto non sembri e si rende subito conto che la ragazza che ha sposato sembra serbare più di un segreto.

Mentre i costumi e le ambientazioni sono carini ma a malapena passabili e ci informano immediatamente del fatto che si tratti di un lavoro a basso budget, la colonna sonora e gli effetti sonori speciali non aiutano certo a cambiare idea. I due protagonisti però si difendono molto bene sia come avvenenza che come recitazione. Specialmente il protagonista Ryan Cheng sembra il fratellino più giovane di Allen Ren, ma anche gli attori di contorno fanno tutto sommato un lavoro al di sopra del minimo edittale.

Ciò che veramente è sconfortante è, come già detto, lo svolgimento della storia, che non spiega quasi nulla di come l'elemento soprannaturale possa essere venuto ad essere, nonostante ci sia un colpo di scena non completamente previsto che però tutto sommato, aggiunto al grosso pasticcio che è la storia, più che sorprendere fa cadere le braccia. Probabilmente la vicenda avrebbe avuto bisogno di qualche episodio di più per essere sviluppata in maniera decente, pur senza andare a cadere nei vari riempitivi di contorno che spesso ammorbano il genere. Sembra che purtroppo si vada da un opposto all'altro: titoli lunghissimi, infiniti, pieni di storie secondarie inutili, o serie condensatissime piene di azione e di accadimenti che si affastellano senza dare tempo allo spettatore di tirare il fiato.

Peccato. Si salva l'interpretazione degli attori principali e della bambina, veramente dolce e simpatica.
Soprattutto, la coppia principale ha una chimica da paura e lui bacia da dio... questo da solo risolleva le sorti di almeno un punto.

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ENGRAVED IN MY BRAIN THE REST OF MY LIFE

HANDS DOWN.
im givin in my heart to the whole crew. that screen writer, that director, whole! the moment "the sister" shout, "IM SHEN QIN!" well ... felt like a highest roller coaster shaking because the screw looses. I DIDNT SEE IT COMING! the entire show, even i read those comments said "what if its not your sister its just the back" and logic. we all scolded her for being so careless like that. BUT NO. the problem is not even that case.

the brilliant cinematography ... the panning camera that i never saw somewhere else. the perfect timing. the coreo. i cant accept the reality this series isnt spread out or viral yet

(-) in general, the acting skill of both fls is acceptable they could switch roles that easy. but for micro-expressions like hidden sadness or anxiety, they arent that convincing

no plothole but seems like incomplete storyline. that one-eyed guy came mysteriously but ended up just like that. OHH the only plothole is when she said she forgot removing the mole. my question ... arent you swapping face by taking the skin? i dont get it. this part is incomplete. how. how she swapped

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Best short cdrama ever

This cdrama is great. The actor/actress is great. The story is amazing, th plot is unpredicted. The best thing is the relationship goal in this story. Will rewatch it again In the future. This short movie really worth of my time. Very sweet and no angst at all. You can see the maturity of the characters in this movie. The ML is very smart and have a full trust in the FL . The story is really compact, the flow is really natural so eventhough this is the short drama there is nothing awkward. The ending is great. The writer is awesome, i feel pity for the villains for the ending I just think that they're been give a second chance.

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Good story and cast

This is a period piece that took me by surprise. It could have been a little longer to deal with some aspects of the story but overall, this is very enjoyable to watch.

The story and pacing is good and the cast is great. The question of how the FL is going to resolve the problems tease and lead the viewer forward to the next episode. Her courage, intellect and talent leads her forward despite the obstacles she faces. The ML is solid, intelligent and takes his time to judge and assess the situation and people. He's calm, collected and always ready to support the FL even as he harbours uncertainties about her. The quick injection of humour here and there scales up the entertainment.

This is a drama I can watch many times as it has excellent rewatch value.

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START WATCHING IF YOU HAVEN'T......

a true HIDDEN GEM i think it is .
i first watched a video of this drama and it made me start watching the show in instant . it will engaged you from the first episode with it's story and it's suspense. it is fast pashed ( IT'S A SHORT DRAMA ) and will be not bored you for a minute.
the story of the drama was good and the cast did a great job in that too.
the cast have done a very good job in their acting. the ML and FL was on fire.... i say.
i like the cuteness between them. as over ML was cold and ruthless in the first episodes but as the story between this two progress we get the cute, caring and a very healthy ML. the chemistry was on fire between the leads. it was not forceful at all.
the FL have done her job very good .
the story, acting, direction, cinematography, music, production was very good and i like the past scene of the leads because i made sense as why they fall for each other.
i have not watch any short cdrama before it but after i saw it i became a fan too. the director of this drama have made many short dramas and they all are very good .

IF YOU WANT TO WATCH A DRAMA IN ONE GO WITH GOOD ACTING, GREAT CINEMATOGRAPHY, STRONGE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN LEADS , ALL IN ONE THEN GO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW.

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Agradavel

Um drama curto mais bem desenvoldido, enredo bom e um elenco decente. Geralmente não me identifico muito com C Dramas pois acho que os episódios são muito longos e isso geralmente me cansa , também confesso que os drmas curtos demais não enchem os meus olhos, porém tive uma doce surpesa ao assistir esse drama, a história é envolvente e te mantem interesado do incio ao fim.

Os personagens tem quimica, e desempenharam seus papéis agradavelmente. O amor do general e sua esposa era muito lindo, gostei muito pois aqui não temos tempo para aqueles maus entedidos e picoinhas desnecessárias. Os protagonistas são inteligentes e sabem o que querem e como se proteger.

Em fim recomendo esse drama para você.
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A well developed short drama, good plot and a decent cast. I usually don't identify much with C Dramas because I think the episodes are too long and that usually tires me, I also confess that the drmas too short don't fill my eyes, but I had a sweet surprise when watching this drama, the story is engaging and keeps you interested from start to finish.

The characters have chemistry, and they played their roles nicely. The general and his wife's love was very beautiful, I liked it a lot because here we don't have time for those bad guys and unnecessary nitpicking. The protagonists are smart and know what they want and how to protect themselves.

Finally, I recommend this drama to you.

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mini drama com produção de gigante

Sabe um drama bom? É esse! Conta história de duas mulheres que trocam de rosto.

Shi Qi uma pintora humilde que procura sua irmã se vê envolvida em uma trama elaborada por Shen Qin a filha do primeiro que deve se casar com um general Xiao Han Sheng mesmo amando o príncipe Ning. Com um o roteiro bem elaborado e vários plot twists te mantém curiosa durante os 18 episódios. Por ter 10 min cada episódio a trama se desenvolve rápido e sem rodeios. Os protagonistas são inteligentes e com química. Ponto para o General que o tipico pronta perfeito e parceiro dos sonhos. Tudo é excelente a atuação do elenco, a OST poderosa e a produção de drama grande! Vejam!

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Face/Off ancient Chinese style

I shall start with a mea culpa. I know it is unfair to compare two shows directly but because of its subject matter and lineage, I can’t help it. In fact, it is because of this lineage that I was excited to have found this drama.

The other show in question is The Killer is Also Romantic. It has the same director, period setting and short episodic structure. I have to say that I was quite impressed by TKiAR so I have high hopes for A Familiar Stranger.

To be honest, this Show is good, but it is not great. The issues are manageable but when taken as a whole, it is problematic.
Let’s look at the positives first. I do like the short format as it distilled a lot of the typical wuxia themes down to the fundamentals without all the draggy side plots or distractions. I really appreciate the Viki presentation because it thoughtfully combined the short 16x10mins episodes into 8 longer episodes ranging from 20mins to over 30 mins. It is still bingeable but more practical.

The central pillar of the show is the love line between the leads. That is very well done. The progress is logical and angst lite. It helps that the Show has a laser focus on the leads, and you can sense their longings and feel their love. The “daughter” is cute and wise beyond her age.

Now the issues. The plot is functional rather than well crafted. The theme is tropey and the writer didn’t push any boundaries. While the initial face change device looks promising and fantastical, it was an one trick pony. It came down to soulmates will always recognise each other no matter what. Other wuxia/xianxia dramas have taken this trope further.

The romance of the 2OTP starts out fine. Toxic and manipulative which is de rigueur of the palace intrigue genre. However, the show’s progression feels self-serving. It went the way it did because the plot mandates it rather than being sensical. It felt old school and contrived. Speaking of palace intrigue, once the Show gets going, there is very little actual intrigue. Just some snippets of dialogs and a bit of simple scheming.

This brings us to a key issue. The antagonist is meant to be an evil mastermind but while he is a bit of a homicidal manic, he is no mastermind. If anything, he turned into a weak and pitiful character. This took the wind out of its sail from that quarter.

I binge watch the whole drama in one sitting and I enjoyed it even with the caveats. The swoon worthy romance saved the show. A lot of its problems comes down to not looking after the secondary plots and characters. Almost as soon as the leads are off camera, you start to see plot holes and inconsistencies. A show of such short duration should be tighter and more impactful. It is still a worthwhile binge but not high on my rewatch list.

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