"half-ripe men and women": there is still some sincerity in our love
2024-09-26
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"half-raw men and women" is adapted from liu cuihu's work "there are no good men and women here" serialized on douban reading. the author's introduction to the novel can also be used to summarize the drama, "an anti-utopia love story, no one is lucky enough to have true love easily."
poster of "half-ripe"
although urban romance is one of the most mainstream genres in the drama market, most ancient and modern idol dramas on the market can be described as "utopian love stories." the love between the male and female protagonists can always transcend the constraints of reality, whether it is identity differences, personality conflicts or external pressures, and finally get a perfect solution in a fairy-tale way.
stills from "half-ripe"
of course, the audience knows that there is not much utopian love in real life. in this era of pursuing personal freedom, independence and equality, love is no longer the only focus of life, but is intertwined with multiple factors such as career development and personal interests, which makes love in real life more diverse and full of variables. moreover, modern people are also facing multiple challenges such as career pressure and cost of living. these factors inevitably penetrate into love, forcing people to weigh the pros and cons and make compromises in the process of pursuing love.
therefore, although there are many utopian love stories in the play, they have little to do with reality.
"half-raw" also stands out in this context. it is not a sweet romance or idol drama. its hero and heroine are not pure love, but rather a bit "trashy" in the eyes of the three-view party. the "pure love warriors, watch carefully" on the poster is also a reasonable reminder.
the exaggerated reminder from the official weibo
the four protagonists in the play - he zhinan (played by tian xiwei), qu yipeng (played by xin yunlai), han su (played by zhou yutong) and sun hanhan (played by zeng mengxue) are not "good men and women" in the traditional sense who put pure love above all else. they have all kinds of hesitations and calculations in love.
he zhinan is an ordinary girl who needs "special attention and special love". she longs for true love to get rid of her ordinary life, but her long-distance relationship of seven years gradually becomes indifferent as her boyfriend gao peng (zhang zhehua)'s family situation improves and their communication decreases. the appearance of qu yipeng illuminates her life like a beam of light, but also puts her into deep contradictions. she is attracted by qu yipeng's gentleness and thoughtfulness, but she cannot completely give up her feelings for gao peng, and she once became a person who plays both sides.
he zhinan (played by tian xiwei)
qu yipeng is a character with mixed feelings and low self-esteem. on the surface, he is gentle and considerate, but in order to survive and succeed, he is willing to sacrifice his emotions and moral bottom line. he is han su's boyfriend, but he pursues he zhinan. this is not out of sincere feelings, but because he mistakenly thinks she is a rich second-generation and hopes to achieve class transition through this relationship. when he finds out that he zhinan is not a rich second-generation, he immediately and coldly abandons her.
qu yipeng (played by xin yunlai)
han su, as a typical career-oriented woman, represents some of the contemporary urban women who pursue independence and autonomy. she hopes that qu yipeng will be ambitious and responsible, but qu yipeng's lack of ambition leads to a rift in their relationship. when han su gets the opportunity to work in hong kong, it is not only a major breakthrough in her career, but it may also bring her four-year relationship with qu yipeng to an end. between career and love, she finally chooses the former without hesitation.
han su (played by zhou yutong)
sun hanhan is a beautiful girl who wants to change her fate through marriage. she has the utilitarianism and ambition of qu yipeng, but she also sticks to a certain moral bottom line. she works hard and tries to achieve class leap through her own efforts; but she cannot ignore the temptation of material conditions and uses her appearance as a tool to "make a living and seek love". she becomes entangled with the married man zhou bin and eventually falls into the "sweet trap" he sets...
sun hanhan (played by zeng mengxue)
the choices made by the protagonists in love confirm the author liu cuihu's judgment: "in the adult world, there is only a little bit of sincerity under temptation, selfishness, and balance."
there are temptations in love. it may be material temptations from the outside world - wealth, status, fame, or emotional temptations - freshness, passion, or the feeling of being understood and accepted. when these temptations meet the unmet needs deep in one's heart, they may inspire strong emotional fluctuations and even behavioral changes.
in the play, he zhinan is tempted by qu yipeng's gentleness and thoughtfulness, qu yipeng carefully calculates the balance between interests and emotions, han su faces the choice between career and love, and sun hanhan is tempted by sugar-coated bullets... various temptations, whether obvious or covert, strong or weak, inadvertently touch people's hearts, forcing the protagonist to face the desires and struggles deep in his heart while pursuing true love.
how much temptation can sun hanhan's moral bottom line withstand?
there is selfishness in love. when the worlds of two people are intertwined, how to balance the relationship between "i" and "we" becomes an art. moderate "selfishness" can maintain self-independence and maintain healthy boundaries between individuals; when selfishness exceeds the limit and ignores the feelings and needs of the other party, it will become a sharp blade that hurts feelings and erodes trust. this kind of selfishness that crosses the line may manifest as excessive possessiveness of the partner, longing for the other party to belong to oneself wholeheartedly; or putting personal interests above the relationship, and being ready to abandon the other party at any time.
for example, while pursuing true love, he zhinan also finds it difficult to get rid of her deep attachment to the stable life provided by her boyfriend. this selfishness makes her hesitate between the two relationships. qu yipeng interprets selfishness to the fullest. in order to pursue personal success and status, he sacrificed his years of relationship with han su and turned to pursue he zhinan, who he mistakenly thought could bring him more benefits. but when he learned that he zhinan was a second-generation rich man, he immediately ignored her...
qu yipeng ignores he zhinan
there are trade-offs in love. love is not a castle in the air, but is built on the basis of real life. in the process of pursuing love, we often consider various realistic factors such as economic status, family background, and living habits. in the general cognition of ordinary people, good economic conditions can reduce conflicts caused by money problems, similar family values can help both parties better integrate into each other's life circle, and consistent living habits can make daily life more harmonious and beautiful... inevitably, when realistic considerations prevail, some love gradually loses its original purity and passion in the trade-offs, making people feel that love is bound by material and conditions, and even doubt whether they have really found the right person.
in the play, he zhinan hesitates between gao peng and qu yipeng. this is a trade-off between years of love, stable material life, and romantic passion. qu yipeng takes the trade-off to the extreme, and everything serves the maximization of self-interest. when facing the conflict between love and career, han su also has to make a difficult trade-off...
han su has ambition and true love
in short, the love in idol dramas is utopian, while the love in half ripe is dystopian and full of skinny feelings. the portrayal of this "skinny feeling" is the biggest advantage of this drama.
shortcomings still exist. the "skinny" feeling in the play is somewhat driven by the theme, and the characters sometimes seem to serve the pre-planned personalities, which makes some of their behaviors in love appear "abnormal."
for example, qu yipeng's behavior of abandoning he zhi, a second-generation south african rich man, was jaw-dropping, making his four years with han su seem incredible - why did he choose han su, who also came from an ordinary background? if he was a julien-like character, then his abandonment of personal efforts and his blind attempt to take shortcuts through marriage could only be due to his personal efforts being completely defeated by the solidified class, so that the audience would have sympathy for his fall. however, the screenwriter's treatment of qu yipeng was both thin and harsh. he just didn't want to work hard and just wanted to take shortcuts, which further deepened the audience's prejudice against the so-called "phoenix man".
the screenwriter used a relatively harsh perspective to portray qu yipeng as a rather thin character.
in addition, are the small dramas in each episode really necessary? although introducing some important gender issues for debate in each episode can expand the topic of the series, if the topics are not permeated into the texture of the story, they are just foam on the hot search, which to a certain extent destroys the coherence and immersion of the story.
the small drama in each episode has different reviews
of course, just because "half-ripe men and women" depicts the bleak side of love, it doesn't have to be labeled as "rationalizing cheating" or "opposing love." rather than saying that true love is weakened or denied under temptation, selfishness, and trade-offs, it is better to say that true love is the sincerity and commitment that can still be upheld in these complex factors. he zhinan's two-timing is not necessarily because she is a "scumbag." she did have true love for gao peng, which is why she is entangled; no matter how ambitious, independent, and sober han su is, she still has expectations for qu yipeng, which is why she is so heartbroken when they break up, and even longs for him to keep her; sun hanhan longs to achieve class leap through love/marriage, but she also longs to meet a true lover and does not want to be a "mistress"...
sun hanhan also has some remaining clarity
although the protagonists of "half-raw men and women" are not "good men and women" in the traditional sense, their choices and struggles are closer to reality and human nature, and also provide the audience with a mirror to reflect on themselves and examine their emotions - seeing through and tolerating the human weaknesses of you and me in love, and still having the sincerity and courage to pursue and embrace love.
just like there is a half-full glass of water on the table, an optimist would say "there is still half a glass of water". we don't have to regard "there is still some sincerity in our love" as a pessimistic argument. we might as well regard it as an exploration and reflection on the depth of feelings - after experiencing the hardships of life, we can still maintain trust and support for each other, and still keep sincerity. such love is still precious. it proves that even in the face of various tests, two hearts can still be closely connected.
zeng yuli
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