Ep5 - Plot - Chinese Style Divorce

I found this episode the least satisfying yet. The jacket stuff was a bit too farce-like, and I'm not sure I like the extra given time to Dongbei and Juanzi - they're nowhere near as convincingly drawn as the two main characters, and might as well have 'Playboy' and 'Innocent Young Girl' written above their heads.

Anyone else watched this one yet? Or have you all given up?

Roddy

I'm still watching. I'm up to episode number 7 and I'm really liking it. This is not only the first time I’m watching a Chinese soap opera but the first time I’m watching any kind of soap – period. Weird, huh? But I must admit that I’m really into it. Most of the time I’m just frustrated, though. Why? Not because the actors are bad or anything, just because they keep failing to communicate! Like what you said with that jacket: 建平 must be a glutton for punishment. Why in the world did he not speak up before?

There are a couple of things that bother me about the show. First: the score kind of stinks. It’s always the same two or three melodies, no variations to it. And there is this one theme they keep playing and I keep thinking: My Gosh! Somebody is about to get killed or something because the music conveys such a tense atmosphere. But NOTHING happens. That bugs me. I don’t like to be thrown off that way.

And the other thing is 小枫. Most of the time she is overreacting and too sensitive. Can’t she just relax? For just one episode? Gee, but I still like her. Next time she appears (esp. in episode 7) watch her walk. She’s doing the cowboy walk! Honestly.

OK, there is something in episode number 7 I’d like to talk about once somebody else has watched it. Don’t want to spoil the surprise by posting it just yet …. (don’t expect too much, but I thought it was kind of odd/cool/funny).

I’ll try to read what ya’ll wrote about the previous episodes before I start number 8.

Yeah, Roddy, I totally agree: I don’t like the two of them too much, either. Although 东北 seems to be quite the character. Everybody in this show seems to be so up tight, but he’s cool. Hope this won’t change…

Say, does anybody know where abouts this show was shot? Well, the city is Beijing, I know that, but where in Beijing is this at? There are no people on the streets!

Whoops! Should have checked before I started typing. You HAVE watched number 7! Now here is what I found thought came as a surprise: the western doctors. Wasn’t that weird? I’m lucky enough to be able to say that I haven’t been to a Chinese hospital (except for once when I needed a restroom in Xi’an, but that’s a different story). But in your experience, are there a whole lot of doctors in Chinese hospitals that use Chinese to communicate? I just never thought there would be any at all. I thought all the western doctors would use English to communicate. Mmh. Weird.

I'm pretty sure that this is set in 青岛. The credits mention various locations in 青岛.

I'm not sure it's meant to actually be Qingdao - the car license plates have 平 on, rather than 鲁, which it would be for Qingdao (in Shandong), but I was figuring it was filmed there or somewhere very like it, and I think they've avoided showing any Qingdao landmarks.

I'm not sure I like the extra given time to Dongbei and Juanzi

Ignore me, I just finished episode 16 and Dongbei and Juanzi are more than carrying their own weight. . .

You're right about the license plates. The weird thing is that 平 doesn't correspond to any of the provinces listed on this page. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/License_Plate_(China)

Just meant to be a generic Chinese city, Anywhereville (or Anywhere州), I guess. Anyone from Qingdao want to tell me what Dongbei and Juanzi's apartment would cost? I might move there.

Roddy

I thought the character 平 on the liscense plates signifies Beiping, hence I thought this was Beijing.

If that's Beijing, I want to know where the beach is!

The Wikipedia page linked above should show you, but Beijing uses 京.

I just double checked and both ABC and Wenlin say that 平 is short for Beijing. That's exactly why I asked where in Beijing this was shot. This is just not the Beijing I know (esp. the beach). If anyone finds out where this was shot, please let us know.

According to 青岛新闻网, it was filmed in Qingdao.

(Note, however, that the clever search query that brought me there was something along the lines of "Chinese Style Divorce was shot in Qingdao". I didn't check the results for "Chinese Style Divorce was shot in Lhasa", who knows to what claims Tibetan soap aficionados can be inspired by misguided local patriotism... )

Up to somebody else to find out what the 平 is about (I do not qualify for this as I don't know how to say licence plate in Chinese). I guess it is unlikely that it is used in movies only, like the 555 area code in the US?

Yeah.......I'd love to know where I can live in an apartment like that with ocean views while doing very little work.......

平 was used in this movie only.It represented the city which the story existed in film but in real world we only use characters which represent provinces.

When she calls 老宋 to tell him it's over i was so glad I thought "good for you, man", finally rid of that money minded icebag. Then again, even 东北's girl is all about "this place is too big" blablabla.Is it just that money is such a cool topic on couples' agenda in China, or are these two particularly moneiminded. I rather like 老宋 's take of singing through it..

Edit: Now I'm at the end of Ep.7, and seeing 宋 is actually the kind of sickly deranged guy that actually plays windows solitaire at home in his spare time... I can only support that dreadful nerve sack of a 小枫 to get the hell away. As you announced, this series is indeed full of twists and surprises. Ep.12 Poor guy 老宋 I'm sure you're just prentending/it's all in your head.

Haha, it hasn't even begun to get interesting yet. 小枫 is a total nutcase and I have no sympathy for her.