Dark Night and Dawn (2024)

Thrill ride

Truth be told, I don’t have extensive experience with this type of republican drama, which makes it difficult for me to draw comparisons with others in a similar genre. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to share more of my thoughts about this one.

From start to finish, the story was solid. There weren’t any unnecessary scenes or dialogue, and the pacing was just right—not too slow and not too fast. I initially watched this because of Zheyuan, and I was a bit worried about the potential political elements since they usually bore me to tears. Thankfully, this one steered clear of that.

The development of the characters was meticulously crafted, a step-by-step progression that led them to their current states, rather than experiencing sudden, overnight changes of heart. It was genuinely heartwarming to see Lin Shaobai evolve from a passionate (albeit a bit arrogant) young police officer into the reliable and thoughtful man he becomes in the second half of the story. At first, his bond with Lu Zhengyang was a bit frustrating since Lu Zhengyang was too stubborn to see things from Shaobai's perspective, but thankfully they manage to work through their issues. Given their age and generational gap, it made their differences a bit easier to handle.

Now, diving into the other characters, Shrike definitely deserved a more painful ending. He spent years torturing and ruining the lives of others, and it seemed far too easy for him to meet such a quick death; it felt almost merciful. As for his wife, she also deserved a more excruciating fate. While for Xu Wei, it seems they aimed to portray his death as heroic, but that approach didn’t resonate with me. While it’s true that Shaobai and Jin Yan wouldn’t have made it out alive without his assistance, he had several opportunities to redeem himself but chose not to. From the very beginning, he knew that his wife and child would remain in danger, regardless of how hard he worked for Shrike. Yet he was blinded by his pursuit of power and wealth. So, any so-called redemption arc or whatever they tried to push was total bullcrap. Xu Wei got no less than what he deserved, much like Jin Maochang. I could say I feel a bit sorry for him because the despicable deeds he committed weren’t for fun or simply for money and power, but rather out of love for his daughter. I dare say he’s better than Xu Wei, as he repeatedly tried to eliminate Shrike, even if it was also motivated by a desire to save himself. So, yeah, he better be dead.

As for the acting, bold italic and underline: top notch. And I can’t help but indulge myself by praising Zheyuan this time. Most of the cast consists of veteran actors and actresses, yet Zheyuan managed to hold his ground; there wasn’t a single moment in the entire 38 episodes where he seemed out of place. The scene where Shaobai and Jin Yan were crying in the car was absolutely off the charts; they needed no lines to convey their emotions. Jin Yan's crying scene after her father's death was also nothing short of terrific. Speaking of Shaobai and Jin Yan, I really don’t mind how their story unfolded. They might not be together (yet) by the end of the story, but it feels very fitting. If they had tossed in any hints of romance at the end, it would have felt way too sudden.

But, I have to say, I have a little complaint: the ending would’ve felt more realistic if Jin Yan wasn’t lying in the hospital bed. She only got stabbed once in the back, while Shaobai was shot multiple times, so how did she end up in worse condition than him? He even managed to go out and get a haircut. I really hope the reasoning behind this isn’t just because Shaobai is a man and Jin Yan is a woman.

Well overall, this drama was terrific. Amid all the seriousness and importance of their job, the comedic relief felt perfectly timed. Some scenes had me cracking up, and I loved every second of it. This whole viewing experience could very well be the catalyst that encourages me to explore more dramas in a similar genre in the future.

(Ps. Sending love and hugs to Huzi. In every drama, it feels like there’s always a need for a close friend or family member to be sacrificed toward the end. This time, it was Huzi who had the unfortunate honor of fulfilling that sentimental role.)

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Team Cop vs. Team Darth Vader

Chose this for CZY as a completely different genre from anything he'd previously done. Though not a fan of propaganda of any country, I liked the case solving/cop aspect of this. I knew various other actors from other series. We really got to witness team cop vs. team Darth Vader duke it out.

Pros: As I've mentioned in the comments, I'm very proud of CZY for taking this really complicated character on that's completely out of his usual comfort zone and to be able to hold his own with such veteran actors was quite impressive. LSB was the naughty one that was incredibly intelligent and whose ability to adapt to all situations no matter what, was remarkable. As the city and country around him was essentially going through a civil war after the Second World War, his sole determination was to be the best cop he could be and protect who he loved and the city he loved so dearly. While his best friend and brother in arms (XW) turned to the dark side and essentially became a serial killer and an assassin for Team Darth Vader, his newfound police family from the new government consisted of a very rigid cop/military director LZY who he butted heads with but ultimately they developed a tacit understanding and strong bond that went just as far as the one he had with XW. Not to mention the FL JY played by Xing Fei, impressed me a lot. Another young actress that did very well in her very serious role; she always played by the rules but never let LSB down even when he stumbled and made mistakes as he grew and changed.

What impressed me about this show was the ever flowing storyline; there were never any filler episodes, it never dragged or got boring. You were always wondering how Team Cop would finally get ahead of Team Darth Vader who were a step ahead until almost the very end; finding and breaking the mole was incredibly important. Even though the story was serious, the comedic placement was very well inserted and really toned down things in just the right way. Other great characters were Huzi, the rest of Team Cop especially the new addition Yaohang who was just as smart as LSB and LZY and the three of them got a lot done. Loved how it was a brotherhood with Xiaoman as the only female but how they took care of each other. The child actress who played Feihang did a fantastic job.

Darth Vader himself or ZLT was a great main antagonist; incredibly cunning and always had a plan B in foiling Team Cop's plans until nearly the end. Most of the antagonists though shown as being able to eat their own young to climb to power played their parts for as long as needed. XW was the one who was given the redemption arc death but that really was the only way for him to go out. He had to return to LSB and save him finally after everything that LSB had done for him. At first I wasn't sure I wanted that for him because he became essentially a demon, but the way it was done, I was satisfied with.

The Gang boss lady did a superb job as prior I had only seen her in antagonist or morally gray roles in costume dramas, so this was a such a refreshing take and role for her. The 3rd faction consisting of Mr. Jin, his assistant and the two assassins with two little boys that ended up without their father or uncle. I think Mr. Jin made a lot of mistakes; had he given himself up to Team cop and he had several opportunities to do so, maybe Darth Vader wouldn't have gotten as far as he did as he relied on Mr. Jin's funding. And JY as well as those two boys would have still had their dads.

OSTs, costumes, fight scenes (my favorite always), and sets were as usual Republican era beautiful.

Cons: Huzi's death was so unnecessary. We were coming down to the wire so they figured they had to kill someone from team cop and the reasoning was nonexistent. XW was going to return to the good side by dying; why kill Huzi? Makes zero sense. How is it that a hospital is virtually deserted in a gun fight but even so afterwards? Doctors usually hide but when the bullets stop flying they immediately rush to help or sometimes even during; in this series, people got shot, the threat is gone but people die because um where are the doctors?

The editing throughout the series had some issues, they randomly inserted real footage from that time period but got other facts completely wrong in basic conversations. What was the point? This is a drama not a documentary. Plus the translation of the anthrax pathogen to "anthrax germs" made me laugh. Another thing that just got me was yet another series fell symptom to the "Superman trope"; in the end LSB got shot in the gut but ran to stop ZLT from escaping. Also JY got ambushed and stabbed with a scalpel by that weird anthrax doctor dude (he died soon after because well never bring a scalpel to a gun fight; our girl immediately afterwards put 3 slugs into him and that was that), but with that severe injury plus exposure to the anthrax she somehow managed to locate the anthrax canisters and switch the lethal stuff with some harmless powder. Lastly, the actual ending could have been done better; instead of those words on a black screen, we could have ended both JY and LSB way better and we don't even know how much time passed because while confronting ZLT on the rooftop, LSB gets shot again and then repeatedly kicked by ZLT, LZY is then seen racing him to the hospital. Next scene is LSB obviously getting a haircut and joining the new government after which he visits a still unconscious JY in the hospital. He's sound as a pound but she's still unconscious and even Feihang had heart surgery and recovered. So how much time has passed? Literally last scene is LSB leaving the hospital and that's it before the black screen with propaganda information rolls out. But what about our characters? It felt very unfinished in that sense and totally different from the rest of the series. We've invested so much into these people that they deserve better endings than just being dropped by the wayside. That is where the series lost some of its score from me.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Despite the wonky editing, ending, and the propaganda undertones that could be ignored; this was a very strong series with a great storyline and characters that you were invested in. Where you laughed with them and cried with them too. Definitely give it a go.

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Watch for a stellar performance by the whole cast

I have never watched a Republican drama and got into this with no clue about what to expect. From Episode 1, the writer has done a brilliant job etching out the characters of the drama. We meet the nonchalant, working-to-live and get by Lin Shaobai and his best friend Xu Wei.. We get a glimpse of a changing Shanghai, with stark differences in its working.. We then see the good guys led by Lu Zhengyang, and the bad guys led by Zheng Lanting. The plot and sub plots are so well laid down, and sprinkled with the right amount of humour, that the viewer does not have the time to get bored.

The actors have done justice to their characters, and you find yourself rooting for the good ones. I found myself laughing and crying alongside them, they were that convincing. Chen Zheyuan in particular was brilliant as Lin Shaobai. He isn't the hero's hero, he is not macho and he isn't an idealist from the start. He is cunning, mischievous and so endearing that at some point when he slightly diverted from the path of pure goodness, I still found myself rooting for him.

The highlight of the drama according to me was the confrontation scene between Lin Shaobai and Xu Wei which summed up the essence of the drama, and was so well done by the actors. Also, the scene where Lin Shaobai goes crazy with anger and looks possessed while interrogating the Falcon.

My only gripe was *that* unnecessary death of **** in the penultimate episode and the questionable recovery/non-recovery of some characters.

All in all, this drama has all the ingredients you need for a gripping watch. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it. Of course if you are looking for romance, you won't find it here... apart from a brief romance between Shaobai and Bai (if you know you know) and angsty moments between Shaobai and Xuwei (with their own ost and flashbacks and everything). ☺️

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Rollercoaster Ride

The rhythm and narrative are very clear, you can get into it in the first episode, the second episode is liberating, and the third episode starts the detective line. And with this kind of historical background, there are too many preconceived factors and you may be afraid that the filming will be too stiff, but they blended it so well... then then the subsequent episodes are a breathtaking journey

I initially started DNAD as a fan of Chen Zheyuan's acting and didn't think it would turn out so well (I'm not used to writing reviews so I'll write with some special characters, mistakes will be seen with a forgiving eye)

Shirke: This character's ending was less brutal than I wanted it to be, by the time this character ended I wanted him to regret his actions, in his regret I wanted him to live his life in hell because death is kind of liberation.
What he did as an agent of NBIS I think is a bit out of his profession. His aim was to end his enmity with the people of Shanghai as a whole the hatred he had for them. Was he somehow hating all of Shanghai for his wife's death here?
this character was so obsessed with ending Shanghai that he would not leave any despicable act behind. To achieve the goal, even the closest people have been thrown into the pit and the easy death of this despicable man disappointed me, along with his partner, Tails Xiao Yun. Wasn't the death of them supposed to be brutal?

Xu Wei: XW's character was fragile from the start he had never been so determined as a brotherhood, as a husband. In the first episode, when Lin Shaobai went to talk to Maosen to stop them from killing the communists that night, XW could not trust Shaobai's ability and instead shot communist then this moment his character was cleared.
He had the chance to turn back from the start but he didn't, he was influenced by the power.
Considering all of his bad deeds I thought his death was harsh but his death was heroic in that he finally realized his beliefs, at that moment "if it wasn't for him" it might not have been possible for Shaobai or Jin Yan. And this character is the one I pitied the most at the last moment.

Jin Maocheng: The weight of the word "FATHER" can be understood by looking at this character. All the bad deeds he did were to protect his daughter he did everything.
as Jin Yan said "he can't sleep peacefully everytime worried and scared" Although his character is not good but he is undoubtedly a good father. And maybe his death was necessary for his bad deeds, but I kept a faint hope that their family could be reunited(!)

Jin Yan: Jin Yan's appearance was elegant from the beginning but when she came back and saw that her father was no longer, her pressing pain was a absolutely challenge to hold back tears and then the pain in her and Shaobai's eyes in the car afterwards I believe this moment has a separate fanbase it would have been nicer if she hadn't ended up lying in a hospital bed And when Shaobai was coming back after seeing her Shaobai was crying, it could be? (sad!)

Lin Shaobai: the more we say the less it will be for our young master Lin Shaobai. this Lin Shaobai character was very difficult to portray, it was cunning, funny, playful at the same time which 2x spices of DNAD. Lin Shaobai's arrival on screen seemed to steal the show with his acting charm and I'm so proud that Chen Zheyuan played this role which is at the top of his acting range at this point in time.
his eye contact with XW when he is trapped by the Hook Sword Gang, his portrayal of emotions when he secretly go to sees XW, "Shanghai is my home, I'm a loser" or in countless scenes you can see the weight of this character. And in the last scene when he says
"Although I was a policeman in the past, I am now a public security officer. I have belief in my heart. "belief" is the truth that you are willing to give up everything for it is because you will feel that anything you do for it is worth it. Even if a gun is pointed at your head and a knife is placed on your neck, you will persist without hesitation.This is belief even if I die my heart is always bright"
At this moment, his pride and respect, love for people, and patriotism were all balanced by "Lin Shaobai". If I exaggerate, "Everything was a blur for me at that moment because he was the main character"
Heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Chen Zheyuan for introducing me to one such Lin Shaobai character. I'll miss LSB sm.

Lu Zhengyang: Sometimes I was very angry at him, because took a lot of time for him to grasp Lin Shaobai's many perspectives, apart from being a public policeman, he won things like "Father's Merit" "Superior" or "Disciple" "brotherhood".

also some other characters amazed me in it
Xiaoman, Huzi, Yaohong. what happened to huzi haunted me all night, his smiling face, giving out candy just a TRAUMA in drama like that always has to sacrifice the dearest, "HuZi" was in it. a tones of love for this boy.

And lastly it was a great rollercoaster ride.

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Mid-way Review = Excellent.

I have watched till episode 15 so far.
And I am thoroughly convinced that the remaining half will surely not disappoint me.

The production quality, the superb acting of every lead, support and guest actor is just surprisingly in sync and amazing.

The detailing of the direction is praiseworthy. The storyline is very well charted, with logical progression and reactions to each event that happens and its domino effects!

The veteran actors are obviously amazing, however what is even more impressive is the range of Chen Zhe Yuan as an actor…! Fantastic portrayal of Lin Shao Bai!
Kudos to the scriptwriters and directors for such a beautiful depiction of each character’s growth as they experience different circumstances.

The antagonists are equally praiseworthy in their acting! ?

The “Underscore” of the drama compliments the tension and emotions of the moment on screen so so very well! Many viewers overlook the overall importance of the sound effects and the background score / underscore of a movie or a drama…. In this drama, the dubbing and sound is surely of great quality.
As I said, superior production…

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A Gripping Journey Through Loyalty, Betrayal, and Redemption

This was my first experience watching a republican drama, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The cat-and-mouse chase, the anticipation of revelations, the intricate backstory, and the well-developed characters all culminated in a compelling viewing experience.

Lin Shobai stood out with remarkable character growth. He transformed from an immature, impulsive police officer into a mature, responsible member of the Social Affairs Department. Throughout the story, he treated Xu Wei like a brother, always hoping and pushing him to return to the right side—and he did. The bond he shared with Director Lu was especially endearing, as they evolved from having trust issues to forming a strong brotherhood. I love how Lin Shobai is written as both witty and street-smart. He often throws in clever jokes while consistently getting the job done, adding a refreshing layer to his character. Major kudos to Chen Zheyuan for bringing that charm and sharpness to life on screen—his portrayal truly elevates the role. I honestly watched the show primarily for him, and he did not disappoint.

Director Lu a simple guy standing firm for what’s right, burdened by the guilt of an accident he believes happened because of him. As the most experienced member of the department, his approach to situations reflects this wisdom. He serves as a father figure to Feihang and supports his colleagues—his brothers, Huzi and Lin Shobai. The character truly shines.

Zheng Lantiang starts as a timid and mysterious antagonist, but he quickly reveals himself to be a ruthless manipulator and inhumane person. This character elevates the show significantly, and the actor’s portrayal is nothing short of brilliant.

Xu Wei, despite his dark past, retains a sliver of humanity when it comes to Lin Shobai. His heroic death, choosing the right side in the end, was fitting. He loved his family but consistently made poor choices along the way.

Jin Yan, Lin Shobai's childhood friend and the only daughter in the story, brought a refreshing perspective as a female forensic doctor. She contributed to the narrative in meaningful ways, and her breakdown scene over her father’s death was particularly impactful. Her father loved her and did everything to protect her, even if he sometimes went too far—after all, that's a father's heart. I really don’t see any romantic connection between her and Shobai—they grew up together and care for each other deeply, but it feels completely platonic.

Huzi, affectionately called "doggy" by Lin Shobai, is Lu’s adopted brother. He is a good character, impulsive yet warm, though I wish he had more depth. His death was tragic and left a mark on the story.

Several standout scenes linger in my mind, including the intense confrontation between Lin Shobai and Xu Wei at the breakfast table when Shobai is held hostage, Lu and Feihang on the terrace when she declares, "You're my father," and Zheng Lantiang’s calm demeanor as he manipulates Jin and his men into turning against one another.


Overall, the rest of the cast also made significant contributions, and I must say the actors in this drama are exceptional. Their performances really brought the story to life, making this a memorable watch!

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It is not a typical Republican-Era drama. Lot of actions and good acting from two ML

Dark Night and Dawn is a Republican-era drama that starts with Chen Zhe Yuan and Nie Yuan. I liked the drama; Chen Zhe Yuan played a different character from his usual rom-com. He is mischievous, talkative, street-smart, and kind-hearted in this drama.

Xing Fei plays a minor role in this drama, and there is no romance between her and Zhe Yuan's characters. The drama focused more on the work of the two ML characters (Lin Shao Bai and Lu Zheng Yang.) The acting is good, and the plot is okay. It is a bit long, and the bad guy, Zheng Lan Ting, took too long to capture because they dragged the drama longer than it should have been. It would be a better drama if it completes in 30-32 episodes.

Synopsis: It tells the story of the first generation of public security soldiers in Shanghai around 1950, who struggle against Chiang Kai-shek's secret agents' attempt to overthrow the New China. It revolves around two men teaming up: an intelligent young cop who is unsuccessful in the old society but is reborn and matures in New China and an old and experienced Chinese Communist Party agent.

My Reviews:
1. Good acting and a decent script.
2. The story focuses on the two ML characters and their working relationship as they investigate and capture Zheng Lan Ting.
3. No romance at all between Lin Shao Bai and Jin Yan.
4. Overall, it is watchable. I give it a 7.5 rating.

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