One and Only – First Impression

*This post is a follow-up to One and Only – Basically video.

A simple romance period drama with simply one goal: not letting its lead couple be happy. And it does fairly well.

Let’s briefly go through the good and bad of One and Only based on the first few episodes of the drama (well, more like one-third of the drama, in this case, because it’s SHORT).

GOOD

There are 24 episodes. Twenty-four. Need I say more?

The female lead Shiyi is a sweetheart. Let’s see: she’s quiet (even when she gains her voice back), considerate, well-read, and most of all: she doesn’t get herself into unnecessary trouble (at least so far she hasn’t). For the most part, Shiyi is pretty inactive and still a victim of some over-used tropes. But look, at least there are very few moments in which viewers have to question her common sense.

To add to Shiyi’s likability, Bai Lu is surprisingly impressive in her role, especially during Shiyi’s younger years (when she has bangs).

Watchable supporting characters – from Shiyi’s stern uncle to Zhousheng Chen’s advisor to his other students to the Crown Prince,  they all have something interesting to add to the show. They have a moderate amount of screen time, don’t ramble, and don’t overdo their parts.

Good-pacing. You likely will not feel bored with any episode.

COULD BE BETTER

The background music could be toned down a little. Don’t get me wrong, the instrumentals of One and Only are absolutely lovely. And it seems the drama wanted to make maximum use of this advantage. However, the music becomes more of a distraction as it is used in every other scene, to the point that everything feels like a flashback.

Your lead actors and actresses are capable, drama. Trust them to convey the emotions.

The plot isn’t all that serious. With 24 episodes, this drama focuses mainly on the relationship between the lead couple; but it also tries to get across a “grander” plot that takes itself way too seriously yet doesn’t have enough substance to convince viewers of its importance.

What is with the fighting sequences? The drama insists that its characters – especially the male lead – are realistic, but the combat scenes say otherwise.

Yes, I’m used to seeing martial artists fly and do many things that defy regular physical laws in fiction, but every drama needs to stick to the genre it is and design its fighting sequences accordingly. For example: characters in war dramas fight differently from those in Louis Cha’s universe, who fight differently from those in a fantasy setting.

With decent choreography, you can just tell which genre a production is with no more than one sequence.

This issue seems minor at first glance since, well, why would a romance drama invest too much in action scenes? But it actually does some harm to the male lead’s character, in the sense that it makes him less believable.

Zhousheng Chen is said to be a highly-skilled fighter. But whenever he fights someone, it looks like he’s only winning because whatever equipment the film crew used to haul him across the air and help him flip and somersault are just stronger and faster, not because he actually practices.

And speaking of the male lead, he could use a bit more substance. Compared to Shiyi, Zhousheng Chen’s character is harder to relate to. Not because he’s complicated, but because the drama tries to make him so with very little to back him up besides Ren Jialun’s acting.

Zhousheng Chen is first introduced as a fierce warrior who has never lost a battle. But the few scenes of him on the battlefield do not reflect this “warrior” side.

Coming home, he is immediately arm-twisted into accepting Shiyi as his student; and as their interactions begin, his personality is revolved mostly around his dealings with Shiyi and how gracefully he can suffer.

Now, with Shiyi, Zhousheng Chen takes on the role of a mentor.

Fine, the guy says himself that he’s never been anyone’s teacher before and has no experience whatsoever. But what makes the character less believable is that he also doesn’t have the bearing of a man with (a lot) more life experience than Shiyi or any of his subordinates. The wise and mature things his character is allowed to say are very general and don’t reflect his background in any way unique. The only thing we know about Zhousheng Chen for sure is that he is virtuous, and kind of a push-over.

Is he likeable? Very much so. But as nice as he is, I kind of root for tragic things to happen to him because only then are his qualities definable.

Also, my utterly and completely personal opinion on Zhousheng Chen is: for some reason, Ren Jialun is almost always half a step behind Bai Lu in terms of acting. While she becomes the character naturally, he tries too hard to present the “layers” of a personality that is already unclear to begin with. So, even though their characters are equally likeable, Shiyi appears better-rounded.

Is it the writing that hinders his acting or the other way around? Maybe the later episodes will make it clear.

In the end, however, these problems probably won’t prevent you from enjoying the drama and are easy to overlook if you are on board with the relationship of the main characters.