Zhan Zhao – Gentlemanly

Dramas nowadays are good, they really are. Sure, tropes, clichés, and bad endings are everywhere; but in general, we have been treated with great productions in the last decade. Stories are becoming more in line with real-life’s psychology, characters more layered, costumes more authentic, so and so.

All being said, it is sometimes refreshing to visit older shows with “simple” characters and indulge in stories where writers don’t try too hard to be complicated but still end up with decent quality. 
My recent encounter with the show Justice Bao (1993) brings to my attention the character Zhan Zhao (展昭): the 20-something-year-old court assistant in a red robe way too conspicuous for someone in the detective field.

And watching this show (or a part of this show – come on, people, it’s a really long show, OK!), even with the standards set by today’s dramas, it is apparent why Zhan Zhao is so beloved among viewers of Justice Bao.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this guy was the idol of a whole generation.

*Disclaimer: this interpretation of Zhan Zhao is based on his character – played by He Jiajing — as seen in the 1993 TV show, not the novel, recent remakes, or any spin-offs there might be.

Now, if you’re like me, you’re probably always too late to visit TV series that were super popular back in the day. So…

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO ZHAN ZHAO AND JUSTICE BAO

Justice Bao was introduced in 1993; it’s a long, formulaic series based on real and fictional events during the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, mostly revolving around Judge Bao’s work as a famously just and competent official.

Zhan Zhao works at the court of Kaifeng as Judge Bao’s assistant. His main job is to appear attractive in red maintain security and search for leads on criminal cases.

Onto the appeal of Zhan Zhao’s character.

Make no mistake, Zhan Zhao is the “perfect hero”, he is the epitome of wish-fulfilment. But despite everything, he manages to be good wish-fulfilment.

And here’s why.

GENTLEMANLY QUALITIES

You name it, Zhan Zhao has it. Loyalty, bravery, intelligence, diligence, righteousness – Zhan Zhao is the very definition of a gentleman. He usually faces his enemies with a (well-earned) smirk but never forgets humility. He follows orders but is a leader in his own right.

If humor counts, he has it too (once in a while).

HIS CHARACTER OFFERS A SENSE OF SECURITY

Throughout the course of numerous episodes (at least the ones I managed to get through), Zhan Zhao is consistent, his chivalry remains the highlight of his character and he never fails to be the moral compass of the group.

He’s the kind of guy whose appearance tells the audience “things will be taken care of” and “not in a way that creates more problems”, so “sit back and enjoy justice”.

And can we agree that Zhan Zhao’s speed is the best thing about this drama besides the way Judge Bao hard-stares at a criminal?

Need medicine delivered to your dying mother? Need an executive order to reach a location to save someone’s life? Need some information about a host before you attend a party? Just leave it to Zhan Zhao to somersault over roofs, trees, and slow traffic and you’ll have the job done.

MOST OF HIS ROMANCES FAIL

OK, not necessarily a good thing for Zhan Zhao, but it’s entertaining to watch.

More often than not, the girl Zhan Zhao has his eyes on is some sort of wrong-doer (I guess that’s probably why he has his eyes on her in the first place); and his relationships are a reminder that heroes make personal sacrifices for the collective good and to look great brooding in front of the camera.

His failure to secure one single successful date without having to bring his date to court later (or being dragged to court by the particular girl) is hilarious. These attempts give the audience a certain amount of insight into his life beyond the red robe, but also retain his image as an unreachable figure. If Zhan Zhao got his own 60-episode long drama about how much he could sacrifice for the greater good AND his other half, I’m not so sure it would still be captivating.

THE CHARACTER HAS A PURPOSE, AND IT’S SIMPLE

Zhan Zhao is not an appealing character because the standards were different/lower in the 90s, he is and will probably continue to be so because his part in the story is clear. He exists to uphold the values he’s given.

No, he will not go rogue, he will not suddenly decide to throw principles out the window for a love interest, he will split up affectionate couples if he suspects one of them has just shoplifted, he will probably never evolve from being the uptight stick-in-the-mud that he is.

And that is part of his appeal. Zhan Zhao is a stable force that you can count on to deliver the merit of the story he is in. The show displays just enough of him to get the message across but not hit you in the face with it.

Right, I forgot, he has a blue outfit on once in a while too. And yes, he’s definitely snooping behind that bush.