My Two Cents: Battle of Changsha
Battle of Changsha
This is one of the best Chinese historical dramas I have watched this year and my favorite drama about the Second Sino-Japanese War. This drama really focuses on the Chinese people and their hardships. Most dramas about this time is centered around spies and working with the Japanese or fighting them. In this drama, you rarely see them and you focus more on the soldiers and the citizens which I really enjoyed. The plot is suspenseful, heartwarming, and heartbreaking. You will cry, trust me. Literally, I cried 11 times within the 24 hours I watched the drama. This drama is packed with realistic characters that are all flawed and all have their weird quirks. Let us explore this beautiful drama together.
Episodes: 32
Year: 2014
Synopsis:
Taking place in the Second Sino-Japanese War around the 1940s, Battle of Changsha centers around the Hu Family. The large family consists of four generations and they all live in the house of Xue Jun Shan, a high ranking police officer and the brother in law of the "main character," Hu Xiang Xiang (Yang Zi). They all live in Changsha and live in constant fear. Their city is constantly attacked by the Japanese. The family strive to survive during hard times and learn to grow during these turbulent times.
Reasons To Love This Drama
Characters:
I will bet that you all will first watch this drama for Wallace Huo and Yang Zi but will end the drama loving Ren Cheng Wei's portrayal of Xue Jung Shan.
Xue Jun Shan (Ren Cheng Wei)
Xue Jun Shan is the soul of this drama. I dare say that without him, this drama couldn't be so special. He is a police officer who accepts money under the table in exchange for helping some people perform illegal tasks. Despite this, he is not evil at all and knows his limits. He is a family man and LOVES his wife and son. His love for his wife branches off to the rest of her large family, especially Xiang Xiang. His goal is to find her a nice husband, in which he chooses Gu Qing Ming (Wallace Huo). Though uneducated, his charisma and wit helps him earn the people of Changsha's fear and respect. He is basically the sole breadwinner of the family. Despite the family having many smart individuals, when things get real, they all panic and make rash decisions based on fear and feelings. Only Jun Shan is quick on his feet and has saved the family's butts more times than I can count. Despite his sacrifices and efforts, the family constantly blame him for one thing or another. He remains optimistic about life and continues to love and care for his family. Also, he is the humor of the drama. Without him, this drama would be bland and dry. He speaks in a humorous way, constantly bickering with others. We need this kind of humor in a war drama. He is also a great friend and leader who truly cares for the people around him.
Bromance
I have two favorite bromances. The first is between Xue Jun Shan and Gu Qing Ming. These two started off kind of rough. Jun Shan kind of forced himself on Qing Ming. They first met when he tried to marry his sister-in-law off to him. He is persistent and he continues to ship the two. Xue Jun Shan and Qing Ming have chemistry between the, which leads them to become best friends. The only person who truly understands Qing Ming is Jun Shan. The entrust each other to take care of each other's loved ones if one were to die. Jun Shan also adds a bit of casualness in his stressful life with his humor and their constant bickering. My second favorite bromance is between Jun Shan and his underling Mo Xiao Di. Jun Shan has two underlings but the other underling is only loyal to Jun Shan for the benefits. Xiao Di on the other hand is here because Xue Shan is like his uncle. He truly cares for Jun Shan and his entire family. Countless times, he risked his life to protect the Hu family. Jun Shan also cares for him like a nephew. Despite only being a supporting character, I love Xiao Di and wish to see more of him in the future.
Historically correct and does not sugar coat China's history
This drama is historically accurate. This drama focuses on the 1938 Changsha Fire, a fire ordered by the government to burn down the city of Changsha to prevent the Japanese from benefiting from its wealth and resources. This drama shows the entire event accurately, which is odd because apparently most Chinese people do not know of this event because the Chinese government does not teach this in the classrooms. Unlike the Chinese government who censors history from its people, this drama is an accurate depiction of the event. Most dramas I watch in this period is either more about the romance or depicts the government and its decision as perfect. The Chinese government made lots of dumb decisions during the war but rarely do I see a drama show viewers this part of history.
Focuses on the Chinese people
The drama is about the war, the soldiers, and the family. Instead of solely fozuing on the war, this drama centers itself around the Hu family and how they are affected by the war. The romance only adds to the family aspect of the drama, but does not replace it as the focus. The drama not only focuses on the soldiers' bravery and sacrifices but also their concerns. They are concerned that they cannot continue to the family name if the last male descendant dies. They are concerned that they might be deemed a traitor. They are concerned about dying and being crippled. The drama makes you really appreciate the countless soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their nation. This is much better than any dramatic war drama out there.
What I do not like about this drama
Hu Xiao Man
(in the brown)
Almost every character had some sort of character development, except him. He is reckless and brainless. He is constanly getting into troubles due to a whim and the entire family has to clean up the mess he made. I kept wishing that he would learn to grow up and take on the responsibility of the family's man but every time he even had the slightest improvement, he would make another stupid decision. He is also a coward, never willing to own up to his mistakes. What also kills me is that the women of the family all protect him. Whenever his father or brother-in-law try to punish him for his foolish actions, the women all group together to protect him, which explains why he can never grow up. His selfishness at times makes me dislike him.
Uncommon family
I feel like the family and its unique circumstances definitely has its pros, like we get to see corruption on a whole new level; however, at times I wished that the family was just an ordinary family without all the benefits the have due to the Jun Shan and Qing Ming. Most reviews I read claim that they love this drama because they are such a normal family but they are not. They know powerful people and often have food and supplies no one else has access to and are saved due to their connections. Though I love this family to death, I wish to see an even more ordinary story. This way you can truly see the hardships of the people during that time.
Xue Jun Shan (Ren Cheng Wei)
Xue Jun Shan is the soul of this drama. I dare say that without him, this drama couldn't be so special. He is a police officer who accepts money under the table in exchange for helping some people perform illegal tasks. Despite this, he is not evil at all and knows his limits. He is a family man and LOVES his wife and son. His love for his wife branches off to the rest of her large family, especially Xiang Xiang. His goal is to find her a nice husband, in which he chooses Gu Qing Ming (Wallace Huo). Though uneducated, his charisma and wit helps him earn the people of Changsha's fear and respect. He is basically the sole breadwinner of the family. Despite the family having many smart individuals, when things get real, they all panic and make rash decisions based on fear and feelings. Only Jun Shan is quick on his feet and has saved the family's butts more times than I can count. Despite his sacrifices and efforts, the family constantly blame him for one thing or another. He remains optimistic about life and continues to love and care for his family. Also, he is the humor of the drama. Without him, this drama would be bland and dry. He speaks in a humorous way, constantly bickering with others. We need this kind of humor in a war drama. He is also a great friend and leader who truly cares for the people around him.
Bromance
I have two favorite bromances. The first is between Xue Jun Shan and Gu Qing Ming. These two started off kind of rough. Jun Shan kind of forced himself on Qing Ming. They first met when he tried to marry his sister-in-law off to him. He is persistent and he continues to ship the two. Xue Jun Shan and Qing Ming have chemistry between the, which leads them to become best friends. The only person who truly understands Qing Ming is Jun Shan. The entrust each other to take care of each other's loved ones if one were to die. Jun Shan also adds a bit of casualness in his stressful life with his humor and their constant bickering. My second favorite bromance is between Jun Shan and his underling Mo Xiao Di. Jun Shan has two underlings but the other underling is only loyal to Jun Shan for the benefits. Xiao Di on the other hand is here because Xue Shan is like his uncle. He truly cares for Jun Shan and his entire family. Countless times, he risked his life to protect the Hu family. Jun Shan also cares for him like a nephew. Despite only being a supporting character, I love Xiao Di and wish to see more of him in the future.
Historically correct and does not sugar coat China's history
This drama is historically accurate. This drama focuses on the 1938 Changsha Fire, a fire ordered by the government to burn down the city of Changsha to prevent the Japanese from benefiting from its wealth and resources. This drama shows the entire event accurately, which is odd because apparently most Chinese people do not know of this event because the Chinese government does not teach this in the classrooms. Unlike the Chinese government who censors history from its people, this drama is an accurate depiction of the event. Most dramas I watch in this period is either more about the romance or depicts the government and its decision as perfect. The Chinese government made lots of dumb decisions during the war but rarely do I see a drama show viewers this part of history.
Focuses on the Chinese people
The drama is about the war, the soldiers, and the family. Instead of solely fozuing on the war, this drama centers itself around the Hu family and how they are affected by the war. The romance only adds to the family aspect of the drama, but does not replace it as the focus. The drama not only focuses on the soldiers' bravery and sacrifices but also their concerns. They are concerned that they cannot continue to the family name if the last male descendant dies. They are concerned that they might be deemed a traitor. They are concerned about dying and being crippled. The drama makes you really appreciate the countless soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their nation. This is much better than any dramatic war drama out there.
What I do not like about this drama
Hu Xiao Man
(in the brown)
Almost every character had some sort of character development, except him. He is reckless and brainless. He is constanly getting into troubles due to a whim and the entire family has to clean up the mess he made. I kept wishing that he would learn to grow up and take on the responsibility of the family's man but every time he even had the slightest improvement, he would make another stupid decision. He is also a coward, never willing to own up to his mistakes. What also kills me is that the women of the family all protect him. Whenever his father or brother-in-law try to punish him for his foolish actions, the women all group together to protect him, which explains why he can never grow up. His selfishness at times makes me dislike him.
Uncommon family
I feel like the family and its unique circumstances definitely has its pros, like we get to see corruption on a whole new level; however, at times I wished that the family was just an ordinary family without all the benefits the have due to the Jun Shan and Qing Ming. Most reviews I read claim that they love this drama because they are such a normal family but they are not. They know powerful people and often have food and supplies no one else has access to and are saved due to their connections. Though I love this family to death, I wish to see an even more ordinary story. This way you can truly see the hardships of the people during that time.
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