Decline (2023) is a pretty cool little thing
So, I just stumbled upon this short Cdrama today and ended up watching it in one go. It was actually much better than I expected!
Basically, smart and free-spirited Su Cheng Xi (in white) crosses path with no-nonsense Sui Han Bai (in black) while investigating a strange disappearance of a theatrical troupe, and the fun starts from here.
Hidden identities, the mysteries of the past, treasure maps, murders and bromance - literally, what more could you possibly want??
It's a 20 episodes drama, 10 minute each. Viki combined it into 7 longer ones, which is much better to digest, at least for me.
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The first thing that I noticed was - unexpectedly really good cinematography! I am generally quite lenient towards the technical side of shows, but I still have eyes, and those eyes were pleasantly surprised today. The chase scene at the very beginning was beautifully shot. Do you see the colors? Chef's kiss!
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Second great thing is characters.
Su Cheng Xi - a wandering detective, mischievous and seemingly carefree, but also very sharp and with the hidden agenda:
Sui Han Bai - an uptight and serious constable of Dayong City, follow-the-rules kinda guy... Or so it seems. But more on that later. For now - behold the visage:
When those two meet for the first time, they literally have a battle in slow motion, dramatic song and flower petals in the air. Sure, that's totally normal thing for anyone to do, what are you even talking about.
There are also two female characters present, but they don't feel like being there just to appease the censorship overlords. It's hard for me to say anything about them without spoilers, but the dynamic between them and the boys is interesting.
Yue Xiao Qiao, an assassin from Qianji Pavillion:
Zuo Han Qin, Dayong City Lord's daughter:
This is Zhao Yin, a servant of Su Cheng Xi, he's there and he's nice:
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Third thing is the plot and pacing. This is a crime-solving drama, so there is an (unusually high) number of dead bodies to identify and secrets to uncover. The cases are not overly complicated, but at the same time quite interesting. I managed to guess some of the twists, but was also surprised by others.
Because of the shorter run-time there are no unnecessary fillers, something is always happening to someone. Sometimes several events are going right after another or even simultaneously, and you're sitting here like wtf. But in a good way, you know?
(Skulls are awesome, and frankly there should be more of them in every drama).
And at the same time the pace doesn't feel overly rushed. We have time to witness some dramatic flashbacks, tender scenes and some funny moments sprinkled in between.
Also-also, and this is a slight spoiler, but I know that a lot of people are pissed about generally crappy endings in cdramas, so I'm happy to announce that Decline has a good one! Like, wow, what a rare thing this is. Though not every mystery is solved, so there's a potential for season 2, but at least you won't be left feeling like you've been slapped in the face with a rotten fish afterwards.
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Forth thing (and this is my personal opinion), this drama is definitely a love story between Sui Han Bai and Su Cheng Xi. They obviously don't say anything out loud, and regard each other as "best friends" (this "xiong di qing" aka "brotherly love" excuse has been cracking me up since Guardian), but come on. Like, you literally have several tropes that are common in het romance dramas! And the lengths that they go in order to protect each other? Simply insane.
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Speaking of protectiveness, Sui Han Bai. This guy surprised me the most in terms of his disposition. Based on the initial impression, his dynamic with Su Cheng Xi (playful vs strict), and his archetype that we've all seen in previous dramas, you'd think that you know what kind of character this constable is going to be, right? Well... I don't want to spoil anything, but there was a moment in ep.3 where I was like: "Holy shit, he could just do that?" So I'm just going to put this picture here, and leave it up to you to guess the context:
This was a scene where I was like, I love this guy. Devotion, combined with ruthlessness. Delicious.
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Overall, I really liked it! Adding this little gem to my collection of mystery-solving boys. The history books will write that they were really good friends.
This has been your friendly ghost from Abyss, with some recommendations on how to distract yourself from the horrors of existing(*^-^*)
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If anyone wants a good short little drama to watch, may I recommend Jiang Hu Shao Nian Jue? It’s 20 episodes, each episode is like 8-9 minutes, and you can find it on youtube (the episodes are out of order, unfortunately) or dramacool. It’s by MangoTV so the subs are like...kind of wonky BUT!!! It has a happy ending (and trust me, I thought they were gonna pull a Killer and Healer because this is MangoTV but they DIDN’T). But I really enjoyed the drama and I think others will too (and because I like it so much, I might just turn it into a fic when I have time)
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When Zhou Fengsuo was looking for a space in New York to display his art collection, he couldn’t believe his luck when he stumbled across 894 6th Avenue in the heart of midtown Manhattan. The numbers of the address – 8946 – were the same as the date he wanted to commemorate: 4 June 1989. It was “unbelievable”, the former student leader marvelled.
That Zhou’s collection, which opened to the public on Friday as part of the June 4th Memorial Museum, ended up in such an uncanny location is the result of a concerted, decades-long campaign by the Chinese Communist party (CCP) to eradicate any remembrance of the 1989 massacre around Tiananmen Square anywhere in the world.
Having virtually eliminated 4 June gatherings in mainland China and Hong Kong, the CCP’s efforts to suppress the memories of that event have increasingly been felt overseas.
In the early hours of 4 June 1989, troops from the People’s Liberation Army rolled into Tiananmen Square, in the heart of Beijing, to disperse thousands of peaceful protesters who had gathered for weeks to demand political reforms. Hundreds of civilians were killed. The Chinese government has never fully acknowledged the massacre.
The opening of the June 4th Memorial Museum in New York was prompted by the closure of one in Hong Kong in 2021 after the imposition of the national security law effectively criminalised 4 June commemorations. But now people who try to light a candle much further from Beijing also encounter difficulties. When plans for the New York museum were announced last year, local Chinese community groups objected to them, accusing the organisers of being divisive.
The first venue the museum’s organisers approached turned them down without giving a specific reason. “We have to be very careful at negotiating [with venues] and be very explicit about our purpose,” Zhou said. That means “making sure that the other party is fully aware of the commitment needed”.
The museum plans to operate a visitor booking system. “We cannot open the door for anyone who wants to come in because we’re really worried they [the Chinese embassy] will send somebody,” said Wang Dan, another former student leader.
Shao Jiang, an exiled 1989 protester, has been helping to organise 4 June vigils in London since 2007. When the Observer tried to reach him by telephone in the days before this month’s event – a protest outside the Chinese embassy – the call was blocked.
Shao said this often happened in the run-up to 4 June. “If I order deliveries, they can’t contact me,” he said. “It’s quite normal, living in exile. Every year I face different difficulties.”
Activists have had to balance the desire to raise awareness of a fading memory with keeping out spies. In the past two years, Hongkongers have swelled the numbers at the London vigil. But attendees are often cautious, reluctant to remove their face masks or trust other people there.
“There are people who take photos at events that are critical of the CCP, including 4 June vigils,” said Yaqiu Wang, a senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch. “It’s never clear who those people are, but likely they are associated with the CCP, and taking photos is a way of intimidating participants. That is also a big reason why overseas students refrain from going to those events.”
In many places, vigils are shrinking. Peng Xiaoming, a Berlin organiser, said: “The number of attendees is reducing because of the Chinese government’s powerful propaganda.”
This includes threats to students that they or their families will face repercussions in China. “Most of the people who attend are old friends and classmates from the past,” Peng said.
Taiwan is alone in the Sinosphere in still holding a significant 4 June event. Hundreds gather to light candles at the Chiang Kai-shek memorial.
In recent years, new Hongkongers arriving in Taiwan have boosted the size of the vigil, and drawn attention to the links between the CCP’s behaviour in 1989 and in Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020.
Beijing sees Taiwan as being part of its territory – and any mention of 4 June is therefore highly undesirable to the CCP. “Every year, there is something to limit our activities,” said Wonka, one of the vigil’s organisers, who uses a pseudonym to protect her identity.
The challenges include vandalism of the event’s signage and, increasingly, fear from potential collaborators. This year, Wonka invited a troupe of 20 musicians to perform at the vigil but several refused because of fear of retaliation from the CCP. In the end, only four or five of the musicians agreed to perform.
“It’s very normal,” said Wonka. “They are afraid of the China issue.”
The Chinese embassies in the UK and Germany did not respond to a request for comment.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said: “The Chinese government has already drawn a clear conclusion on the political disturbance in the late 1980s. The great achievements we made in the past 70 years since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China speak volumes about the right development path we have chosen with the endorsement by our people.
“The Chinese people will continue to advance along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.”
Additional reporting by Emma Graham-Harrison
The Observer, via The Guardian, June 3, 2023
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