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A Familiar Stranger (Mini Drama): Spoiler-Free Mini Review

Aug 7
3 min read

Updated: Sep 22

Five young people in traditional Chinese dress pose in a warm-lit hallway; woman holds a floral fan. Text: A Familiar Stranger.

Title:

A Familiar Stranger (2022)

Platform:

Youtube (free), Viki, MGTV (Mango), iQIYI

MDL & Douban Rating:

8.3 & 7.4

Genre:

Period Idol Romance/ Rebirth (Kinda)

Episode Count:

18 (12 mns per episode)

Parental Guidance Rating:

PG-13: More edgy vibes. Intimacy alluded to, fade to black scene, some violence and blood. The FL is a "boudoir" artist at the beginning.

Starring:

Ke Ying (Perfect Match)

Kay Song (Hard to Find)

Ryan Cheng (My Journey to You)

Wang Ze Xuan (Fate Chooses You)

RBTS Rating:

6.7/10 Stars: Helmed by the Pursuit of Jade hitmaker, A Familiar Stranger is a gothic, face swapping romance that earns its title as the highest rated mini drama on MDL.


Cast From Left to Right: #KeYing, #KaySong, #RyanCheng, #WangZeXuan


Synopsis:

Shen Qin, the Prime Minister's daughter, is due to be married to a powerful general, Xiao Han Sheng, but she is already in love with another man, Prince Ning. In a nefarious bid to disentangle herself from this marriage, Shen Qin traps a female artist, Shi Qi, and uses a magician to perform a type of sorcery that enables the two ladies to swap faces. Shi Qi wakes up with her face now belonging to the Prime Minister's daughter and is blackmailed by Shen Qin into marrying Xiao Han Sheng. To her surprise, she recognises Xiao Han Sheng from an old encounter in the past. Conflicted, she has to carry out a charade as his wife, Shen Qin, and matters get complicated when Prince Ning also starts getting interested in her. @MDL



Spoiler-Free Mini Review:

A Familiar Stranger boasts the highest MDL score of any mini drama, which is well earned. Helmed by the masterful director of Blossom, Pursuit of Jade, and Butterflied Lover, A Familiar Stranger is a body swap tale that sees our FL, Shi Qi, forcibly given the face of a spoiled noble daughter, Shen Qin, who is engaged to the ruthless Xiao Han Sheng (ML), but bounces, leaving Shi Qi to deal with the marriage and the rubble of ShenQin's failed relationship with the lustful Prince Ning.


The plastic surgery-esque premise is a little silly, but the drama is exceptionally well made with plenty of twists and turns. Xiao Han Sheng made a great Male Lead who could recognize Shi Qi despite her changed appearance, in stark contrast to the villainous and shallow Prince Ning. The chemistry between leads was believable, and their relationship develops gradually, which felt refreshing.


Kay Song and Ke Ying in A Familiar Stranger

The drama had a gothic feel and takes place in the same universe as Butterflied Lover, so you can expect some top notch cinematography for a mini. In terms of content, it has some edgier moments like the FL's profession as a Boudoir painter and Shen Qin doing the most. The usual hiccops of the mini drama format were resent, though less noticable but the story would have benifited from more room to breathe. Still, it is a worthwhile and fun time!


Two robed figures stand under a paper umbrella in a rainy lantern-lit street; Chinese drama poster with gold and white text.

Story=3 (Passable but slightly weird), Acting=2.75 (Passable), Production Quality=3.5, Rewatch Value=3, Ending=4, Enjoyability= 3.5 (didn't drag)


I will never not think of Mission Impossible
I will never not think of Mission Impossible

A Note On Mini Dramas:

  • Mini dramas are usually between 24-30 episodes long, averaging around 10-20 minutes in length. In recent years the distinction has lessoned with the introduction of "Vertical dramas" (100 eps, 1 mn each) and "Short Dramas" (3-24 eps, 30 mns each).

  • They generally take between 25-40 days to film.

  • They have smaller casts with "lower tier" actors, less costume changes, and fewer set locations due to considerably smaller budgets (usually between 500,000-1 million USD).

  • They generally release 3 months after completion of filming.

  • The lead actors are often individuals who take guest/support roles in full length dramas

  • Mini dramas are often "edgier" due to more lax censorship, as they almost never air on television, but are strictly released on the web. Because of the shorter timeframe, the material is made to garner shock views so the stories heighten the emotional stakes, with fast paced romances that can lean darker. But they are still censored.

  • Choppy transitions and plot-holes are expected (lol).

  • Mini Dramas are rated quite low on MDL. Anything above a 8 is excpetional, and I usually go for mini dramas that are above a 7.4 rating, which is the average. Anything below a 7 is probably the stuff of nightmares.


Trailer:


Screenwriter: #ZhaoLin (Hard to Find, Butterflied Lover, Seeds of Scarlet Longing)


*Disclaimer: I do not own any of the images used on this blog. All images belong to their respective copyright holders and are used for commentary and review purposes. All reviews, opinions, and statements expressed on this blog are my own and are intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. They reflect my personal thoughts and interpretations and should not be considered as factual.



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