General and I – Some Honest Thoughts

*WARNING: This post is humor-free.

This post is a follow-up to the General and I’s Basically Video.

Honestly speaking? The first few episodes of General and I are highly interesting. Yes, the plot holes are there, the green screens are obvious, and all the popular die-hard tropes are also present, but the writing and editing particularly make this story very watchable.

What is most impressive about this drama so far is how they manage to let the female lead, Bai Pingting, be ACTIVELY INVOLVED in the plot.

Her intelligence, which is always highlighted, is not so well delivered — her achievements seem mostly due to her given abilities: her excellent talent with music, random knowledge with poisons, messenger pigeons, etc.

Yes, she’s more capable than a lot of female leads, but is she really INTELLIGENT just because the story insists that she is?

Her INVOLVEMENT in pretty much everything that happens, however, is what makes Bai Pingting a captivating character. Her relationship with Chu Beijie is more or less a battle in which both players exercise their own unique methods of advancing themselves.

ALL BEING SAID, as usual, the video above and this post are not meant to be a recommendation. This drama is 62-episode long, and it seems that most critics who have seen it agree on a few things — draggy plot, plenty of confusing acting, poor sets. And unfortunately, the last two things are not inaccurate.

So, as always, if you have not seen this drama yet: only your preferences can decide whether the positive things can outweigh the shortcomings.

On another note, watching Chu Beijie trying to figure out Bai Pingting’s scheme every time is a pleasure:

Yes, the man is confused. Bravo, Bai Pingting, you’re in the rare top 5% of female leads who can make other characters think, not just want to protect or pursue you. At least for now.