My first trip to China revisited
Dan WildThe outbreak of the coronavirus has focused the world’s attention on China. Much of the Western media have been well-behaved and have avoided politicising the situation. Not all. Sinophobia is making a comeback, aided and abetted by the usual suspects on the fringes of the political spectrum. I have fond memories of my trip to China …
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Against the Tide review – Singapore drama
Dan WildHere’s another one that takes a few episodes to find its feet, then you’re sucked in and the next 20 episodes are engaging viewing. I’m not quite sure what the title, Against the Tide, actually means, but then the show is full of enigmas. 逆潮 (nìcháo) could be translated as Counter Current, or as Google …
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Yes we can! review 我们一定行 Singapore drama
Dan WildThe Netflix overview for this show reads, “When a frustrated businessman starts his own firm, it soon morphs into a way to help senior citizens refresh their dying traditional trades.” Who writes these blurbs? This is not what the show is about. Are there any vacancies at Netflix for blurb writers? Indeed, helping senior citizens …
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Mind Game review – Malaysian drama
Dan WildThis 2015 Malaysian production hits all the right buttons. It maintains flow, suspense and plot development over its 30 episode run. I began watching this at the same time as Unriddle, which also features a handsome female cop as the lead. While Unriddle is quite watchable, it does have a few audio problems and isn’t …
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The Oath review 行医 Singaporean medical drama
Dan WildIt would be very hard to make a bad show when the four leads are Christopher Lee, Jesseca Liu, Ix Shen and Ann Kok. I can watch Ann Kok and Christopher Lee all day. Lee has presence, attitude, charisma. Ann Kok is feisty, alluring and vulnerable, capable of playing a conniving witch, as in Bountiful …
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The Legend of the White Snake review (2019 TV series)
Dan WildI recently watched The Legend of the White Snake and it’s one of the best Chinese fantasies I’ve seen so far. At 36 episodes the length is just about right. It’s one fault – and something has to be done about this as it is also a problem in Ice Fantasy and Ashes of Love – is the …
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Breakout review 破天网 – Underworld Singapore drama
Dan WildSingapore’s acting scene is one happy family. I was led to Breakout (破天网, Pò tiān wǎng) (2010) by following the link for Jeanette Aw after watching The Dream Job (2016). As Yáng Niànqīng (杨念青) Aw plays jaded and unstable daughter of ruthless underworld figure Yáng Tiānwēi (杨天威). Yang is played with barely contained menace by Guō Liàng (郭亮) …
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Top 10 Mandarin shows on Netflix
Dan WildFor us Mandarin learners, TV on demand is a bountiful blessing. Now we can binge watch and not feel guilty, because we are learning Chinese! I’ve been learning Mandarin for three years, and the list below reflects my viewing journey. I also prefer crime, fantasy and horror so am more likely to watch these than …
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Living in London
Dan WildI didn’t really know London until I’d been there about 2 years, just when I started getting homesick for sunny Sydney. The excitement of being in the big smoke was starting to wear off, the daily commute was becoming a grind. Despite world-class public transport, getting to work sometimes involves multiple changes. Each interchange means …
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Dublin: A Trip Down Memory Lane
Dan WildI used to have another blog. Technically speaking I still do. It has the rather Byronic name: Wild Dan’s Pilgrimage. For those unacquainted with nineteenth century poetry (and why would you be?), this is a reference to the long poem that had the author “wake up and find myself famous.” I affectionally reblog the post …