In 2023, the national drama seems to have entered a long season of wild speed.
At the beginning of the year, a "Crazy Race" won the annual king fried in one fell swoop.
Before he could take a breath, "Infernal" and "The Road of Life" respectively sent the popularity of spy war dramas and period dramas to the peak.
You thought it was going to take a break, but the director of "Hidden Corner" Xin Shuang brought another "Long Season", and the end of the play is still lingering, and a big discussion about whether to taste daddy really lowered the rating, making the series change from a 9.5 divine drama to a 9.4 divine drama in one fell swoop.
But you found that no, the 90s quietly became the explosive password of national dramas, and it seems that only by adding period drama elements can national dramas reach the peak.
There is no complete reality drama that cures the "90s dependence" of national dramas?
Another new drama appeared - last night, the 40-episode reality drama broadcast by Oriental Satellite TV, "Back Wave".
The theme is a unique formula of Chinese drama, a traditional Chinese medicine theme.
When it comes to this theme, many people will pull their thoughts back to the beginning of the new century.
In recent years, two Chinese medicine-themed dramas "Wang Fried" were born.
One is "The Gate of the Mansion", and the other is "Divine Doctor Joy".
Chen Baoguo, Li Baotian and other old drama bones are like fish in water in the period dramas, which not only heats up the popularity of this theme, but also constitutes the impression of many audiences on Chinese medicine.
To this day, the home-country feelings of the former's finale and the happy smile of the latter's finale are still impressive.
But any theme has ups and downs, and after more than ten years, the only impressive Chinese medicine dramas are probably "Big Country Doctor" and "Old Chinese Medicine", this unique theme type, like Chinese medicine itself, has encountered severe inheritance challenges.
If you can't keep the old, how to innovate?
Last year's "Awakening Promoter", which Wang Zhiwen helped and young actors picked the big beam, packaged Chinese medicine stories in a suspense genre, and the effect was not amazing.
As a category with more serious homogenization, there are very few Chinese medicine themes that can capture personality. It is more difficult to shoot personality, but also to make the audience accept.
Can "Back Waves", written by the famous screenwriter Liuliu and joined by new and old actors such as Wu Gang, Zhao Lusi, Jiang Shan, Xi Meijuan, and Period, will it work?
The first two episodes were broadcast, and the ratings performance was good.
On the first day, it directly rushed to the first place in satellite TV ratings. On the chassis, where the average rating of the previous drama is about 0.2, the rating is raised to a maximum of 0.4 in one go.
But controversy ensued. A topic of "losing takeaway is too outrageous" directly rushed to the hot search.
Old theme, new formula. The ratings are hot and controversial.
"Back Wave", in the end, can it work?
After chasing two episodes, you can conclude: this is a domestic urban drama, a fierce new "wave".
At first glance, you will recognize her because of outrageous, even slightly "bloody" conflicts.
At a second glance, those sneaky and loose comedy skills will make you remember her.
To the end.
Behind the blood and comedy, the play breaks the traditional urban drama creation mode, "blends movement and static", and integrates the calmness of old Chinese medicine with the vitality of the younger generation, which may make you think about another layer of taste.
Two words: inheritance.
The national drama is rushing and drifting.
No matter how much controversy "Back Wave" causes, at least it is certain that this new wave of Chinese dramas has inspired waves one by one.
1. Enter the play: a unique opening, a fateful encounter between the front wave and the back wave, and the Chinese medicine theme drama has a new trick
How to shoot a Chinese medicine drama? 将“前浪”和“后浪”做一个对比，差别出来了。
Most classic Chinese medicine dramas begin with a sense of age, just like "The Gate of the Mansion", which first uses a full of dramatic conflicts to grab the audience's attention.
Or like "Divine Doctor Joy", with a miraculous diagnosis, leading to a story.
But this is not the case with "Back Waves".
Its opening, without a bizarre pulse and a strong sense of age, is a piece of contemporary life.
At the beginning, explain the "front wave" and "back wave" first.
Look first and then wave: Sun Tou Tou (played by Zhao Lusi)
Features: running red lights, fighting, volleying to buy and sell
Yes, you read that right, the heroine of this drama is called Sun Toutou.
Sun Tou Tou is a girl in her twenties, who grew up alone and believes in living in the present.
This domestic urban drama heroine - delicate makeup and hair, decent smile. Step on high heels and walk with the wind.
None of it has anything to do with her.
As soon as the story begins, I see her busy in the kitchen, stir-fried shredded fish and meat by herself, and the takeaway process is shoulder-to-shoulder.
Riding a small motorcycle, he dared to run a red light, was stopped by the traffic police, hurriedly stepped forward, and was criticized and educated to continue on the road.
When I met Ren Tianzhen who wanted to eat a full meal before the master's defense, he said that five hundred meters would arrive for Ren Tianzhen to come down and take it, and the result made the other party wait for sixteen minutes.
The other party was so angry that he returned the order and was directly drizzled by takeaway.
The audience shouted dangerously: fortunately, Ren Tianzhen ordered white porridge side dishes instead of spicy hot and sauce bones.
Appearances like this?
And even more powerful.
After dumping the takeaway and then delivering, she actually met a domestic violence man who was beating his wife for help, Sun Tou Tou really dared to come out, and went up to catch the disgusting man and beat him violently.
The other party wanted to beat her together, but she directly knocked down, a broken bone, and hit a fracture.
When the atmosphere of this big drama is pushed to a climax... The screen turns.
As soon as the police arrived, the hostess who had just been rescued by her immediately changed her words: do not give her good reviews, she will be like this.
Zhao Lusi's performance here is poking me: leaning against the wall, glancing at each other, fluttering lightly: Is this the matter?
In a word: it is not strange to see human nature.
This time not only lost the takeaway job, but also was locked up in the police station, and it was about to be investigated for criminal responsibility by the other party, and it was useless to coquette with the sister of the female policeman.
To solve it, you have to pay for reconciliation.
This opening scene piqued my curiosity.
In the past, many of the opening scenes of urban dramas were the heroine of the overlord, but this time the heroine has entered the police station, and the overlord has not yet disappeared, what is the plot direction?
Who ransomed her?
Front waves.
Look at the front wave again: Ren Xinzheng (played by Wu Gang)
Features: Chinese medicine takes the pulse, teaches the son, warns the father and master not to eat ice cream
The style of painting in this front wave is completely different.
The family sat around before breakfast to take each other's pulses, from sleeping without socks to stealing ice cream were all discovered, this is not to mention, Ren Xinzheng also put out the father's pulse like hot and cold, not an ordinary taste of ice cream, is durian flavor.
This Chinese medicine practitioner has one mind to carry forward Chinese medicine, but who passes it on?
An old friend helped him find people: his uncle, Sun Toutou.
Where are the people? It's easy to find, it's locked up in the police station.
To reconcile, the domestic violence man offered to give 100,000.
As soon as the family meeting came out, the master who ate durian ice cream hammered the final word: 100,000 I come out, people must be saved.
So the next is the passage where a teacher redeems Sun Tou and waits for her to recognize her ancestors and return to her sect as a master and uncle at the police station.
The barrage burst into laughter, one did not want to learn, the other did not dare to recognize, and said in Wu Gang's lines: It's not that I want people to learn, it's God.
Good guy, the setting of this drama is so novel, basically every step is unpredictable, but the front wave and the back wave meet so fatefully.
Sun Tou Tou represents a new generation, willful, self-conscious, unrestrained.
Professor Ren represents the traditional generation, persistent, persistent, and widely spread Chinese medicine.
But when traditions are challenged, when the new generation ignores Chinese medicine. Can this legacy continue? Can Sun Toutou, a violent girl who always does bad things with good intentions, be subdued? How does the front wave make the back wave?
I can't wait to keep chasing after me.
2. Top: Chinese medicine dramas face reality, and the inheritance of traditional Chinese medicine has gone through three difficulties, and there is a drama
In the past, the theme of Chinese medicine often followed the path of period dramas, and the stories naturally brought the legendary flavor of period dramas.
This time "Back Wave" finally made the Chinese medicine drama "return to reality": it is easy to find the back wave, and it is difficult to inherit.
To achieve the inheritance of new and old, there are three hurdles to come up:
The first level, getting started.
After Ren Xinzheng ransomed Sun Toutou out, he dragged her straight to the Qi Bo Medical Center without saying a word.
But Sun Toutou is a girl from mixed society after all, and on the way, he asked the professor if he was in poor health and did he want to change his kidney?
Professor Ren smiled slightly: Who do you meet every day?
When he arrived at the door of the Chinese Medicine Hall, Sun Tou wanted to run away when he saw the situation, saying that he would not do bad things, nor would he do things that committed adultery.
Even if she doesn't have to do bad things, the young lady adheres to the principle that more is better than less, until Professor Sun throws out a killer app: a hundred yuan a piece.
Hook, that's it.
But Sun Tou, who entered the medical hall with a friendly cameo mentality, was shocked when he entered.
I'm just here to make a cameo, you make me the inheritor of Chinese medicine?
Still call me Uncle? Is there still a school of Chinese medicine? Are you sure this is a Chinese medicine theme and not a martial arts drama?
Whether Sun Tooutou can open his heart and take the initiative to learn Chinese medicine is of course the suspense of the story, but the current problem is how to let Sun Toutou successfully complete the process.
Professor Ren's method is: one gesture to speak, one gesture to close the sound.
After the operation, the ceremony of worshiping Uncle Shi was about to end.
Until Ren Tianzhen appeared, the takeaway customer and the delivery man met, and their eyes were red.
She drenched me in soup and became my grandmaster? Worship her, that's impossible.
The older generation has the persistence of the older generation, and the new generation has the ideas of the new generation, how to teach them according to their aptitude, and eventually lead them to grow into the galloping wave of inheriting Chinese medicine?
Then it has to be --
The second level: running a school.
As a professor at the University of Chinese Medicine, Ren Xinzheng resigned to establish the TCM inheritance class, which is the real starting point of the whole story.
How can you convince your family? Individual breakdowns.
For the two old people, but also the two Chinese medicine people, easy to handle, drink tea in the hospital, reason, and live together.
The most difficult wife to deal with, took her on a date to play with the doll machine, took advantage of the other party's good mood to speak, the other party was angry on the surface, but turned around and obediently helped him go to school to clean up ancient books.
But the bigger question is: where to do the classes?
At the critical moment, the old friend played by Periodi came to the door in the middle of the night to ask for acupuncture, and without waiting for him to speak, the other party patted his chest: Give the place, free, just to give back to Chinese medicine.
There is a place, what should the trainees do?
Step 3: Advice to learn.
Sun Tou Tou this end, a hundred yuan a day cameo does not accept the other party, then a monthly salary of 4800, let the other party go to the medical hall every morning on 8 o'clock to play the big heroine drama.
If his own son does not deal with this, he will join forces with his wife, grandmother and grandfather to engage in routines.
First throw the bait, and then mobilize the whole family, let Ren Tianzhen not go - "Hard work, unstable, you just go to school steadily!" ”
Ay! The more he refuses to go, the more he has to go.
"Since you insist so much, then this matter is so decided."
When the son tastes back and feels the taste of the routine, the overall situation is decided.
The story is told here, without the thickness of a period drama, but with the cheerfulness of an urban light comedy, the narrative is compact, the rhythm is not delayed, the main characters of the two episodes all appear, the main story is dewy, and there is no urban love that relies on big filters and BGM to create an atmosphere.
The hook is set, the clue is buried, and next, let's see how the back wave becomes the back wave.
3, Zhao Lusi is full of joy, Wu Gang and Jiang Shan enter the play, and the old drama bones are amazing
The core of the story of "Back Wave" lies in "passing on the gang", and the choice of two generations of actors is of course an important factor in determining the quality of the series.
The series gathers a large number of acting powerhouses, but there is also a new generation of popular stars, but such a lineup setting is not a traffic need, but a plot need.
The question is, can the old drama bones play the front wave well, and can the new actors play the back wave well?
Say separately.
Let's start with "then the wave".
First, Zhao Lusi.
Looking for the young and playful Zhao Lusi to play the head of Sun Tou is indeed a reasonable choice.
Because of her funny and funny performance style, it naturally fits Sun Toutou's character.
Chinese drama actresses, especially the new generation of Chinese drama actresses, there is no shortage of big beauties, lack of funny sweet girls, Zhao Lusi is the one standing in the limelight.
Sun Tousou is a character who hangs a child, but she grew up in a welfare dean, her education level is average, she entered society too early to work hard, her personality is casual, and she is calculating about money, isn't this kind of personality supposed to be?
Zhao Lusi began by performing the casual walking posture of Sun Toutou, inserting his pocket at any time, always crooked, anxious to deliver takeaway speeding, saying that it will not be next time, but it will definitely be next time, and the customer habitually lied when calling to urge the order that it was almost time, and she was still angry when she returned the order.
But she has her own bottom line - seeing women being subjected to domestic violence, she directly rushes forward to beat domestic violence men, regardless of the consequences.
This character has both bandit and chivalry, and the "imperfections" that look on her body are both shortcomings and advantages, representing the tenacious vitality of Hou Lang.
Zhao Lusi's performance is still full of various eccentric expressions, those who don't like it will feel that their facial features are flying, and those who like it will be infected with true feelings.
I don't think it's badly acted.
Second, Luo Yizhou.
Chinese drama actors, North Film stars.
Luo Yizhou, who graduated from Chinese opera, is not a very mature actor, but his immaturity corresponds to the immaturity of the role, so his role as Ren is not ugly, and he also has a naïve sense of youth.
One of my favorite scenes is the time when Ren Tianzhen quarreled with his father, in the face of the repressive education of Chinese-style parents, he tried his best to fight to no avail, and finally threw out cruel words: You let me give up now, why didn't you say that 20 years ago?
Luo Yizhou in this scene was not suppressed by the old drama bone Wu Gang at all, and the change of mood of the characters was also layered by him.
Although such a performance is not up to the standard of a powerful person, it is still remarkable among the same period of students.
Next is the "front wave".
I think the most exciting thing in the whole drama is the big family of Chinese medicine performed by Wu Gang, Jiang Shan, Li Guangfu and Xi Meijuan, each character has its own story, there are conflicts, laughter, and warmth.
It's all good performances, and there are different levels.
Those who reached the passing line were Wu Gang and Jiang Shan.
Wu Gang's Ren Xin is the core driving force of the story. This role, of course, is key.
And Wu Gang also found his acting level.
Professor Ren, played by him in the play, is quiet on the surface, but his heart is full of ideas.
After receiving the scene of his uncle Sun Tou returning to the medical hall, he had a hundred helplessness + mixed feelings in his heart, but he still had to bite the bullet and persuade this new generation to obediently follow the process with him, and in the face of the scene of recognizing his ancestors and returning to the sect in a full situation, Wu Gang performed the character's strong pretense and calmness just by relying on his eyes and movements.
In several scenes that tell the ideal of traditional Chinese medicine, Wu Gang's expression has not changed much, but there are feelings in his eyes, which can accurately convey the inner emotions of the characters, which is good.
Look at Song Linglan played by Jiang Shan.
When she was young, Jiang Shan from "Addiction" to "Conquest", the characters are sharp enough, her performance also hides thorns, and the whole performance style also carries a sharp atmosphere.
When she reaches middle age, her figure is blessed, and her performance slows down, with a blunt sense of life, even a kind of cuteness, this style is vividly displayed in a scene where she faces her husband's departure, without losing the demeanor of the old drama bones.
But the most exciting thing is definitely the national first-class actor old drama bone group of this play, Li Guangfu and Xi Meijuan.
Song Yiren, played by Li Guangfu, is a master of traditional Chinese medicine and an old urchin.
In front of the family, his every word was reasonable, and he completely performed everyone's elegance and atmosphere, which was convincing.
Especially the lines, Li Guangfu has entered Beijing Renyi since he was 13 years old, and has been on the drama stage for nearly half a century, and has been guided by director Jiao Juyin and teacher Jiao Zhi.
His solid line skills are among the top in China. As soon as Li Guangfu spoke, the play began.
But the best place is the relaxation of his performance, especially in a few scenes with his grandson, Li Guangfu lifts a heavy weight, completely performing the face of a generation of grandmasters, the inside of an old urchin.
Stealing alcohol, stealing ice cream, being caught and not admitting it, being able to perform both respectable and amiable and cute at the same time, this is the real old drama bone.
Zhang Jiru played by Xi Meijuan does not have as many scenes as Li Guangfu.
But last year's Golden Rooster Award was just credited with the movie "Mom! Xi Meijuan, who won the best actress for the second time, performed as steady and comfortable as ever.
Xi Meijuan, who looks gentle, can actually perform strong tension in literary opera, and last year she played Cixi in "The World Under Long River", and she can also perform a fierce and domineering without making a sound.
But the old drama bone acting is to be able to put and receive, and no one can beat her if you need to drag the scene, and you should not grab the scene or steal the scene, but every scene is just right.
Too stable.
Finally, a full stop.
His role as Liu Changqing is only a small supporting role in this play.
But the end performance of the high-level sense of humor that has long been performed is still very eye-catching, and the scenes he appeared in were not deliberately funny, but with a sense of joy of life, and the characters were played by him funny and realistic, not bad.
This character should not be so simple, providing the school building to the inheritance class for free is likely to be foreshadowing, and there should be a good show to play in the later period.
In addition to these, there are Cao Kefan, Guo Hong, Zhao Ziqi, Qi Huan, Tian Lei, Huang Junpeng and other acting schools, the lineup is not gorgeous, but solid, the audience believes their roles and believes the story.
4. Jumping out of the traditional framework, "Houlang" filmed the "Houlang" of a TCM-themed drama
"Back Wave" is certainly not perfect. Especially the plot of ordering takeaway, a little far from life, screenwriter Liuliu is said to have studied Chinese medicine specifically for the series, but ordering takeaway seems to be unskilled.
But I don't think the flaws are hidden.
A thinking question: How to pass on the drama of traditional Chinese medicine? Or, how to perform the national drama that transmits traditional culture?
The answer is not simple.
In an era when everyone pursues a fast pace, the traditional genre that focuses on strong acting skills and a sense of age may not be able to impress the new generation of audiences.
And "Back Wave" has made completely different innovations in the creation of domestic film and television dramas -
Inherit and change.
First of all, the series boldly tries to be iconoclastic in the setting.
The focus of the plot is no longer on family inheritance, but two characters, one old and one new, are created.
Sun Tou Tou and Professor Ren see the big with the small.
Secondly, traditional TCM-themed dramas often carry legendary stories and heavy atmosphere, but "Back Wave" is completely different.
The director created a life drama with a brighter style and a more humorous plot.
In the warm and humorous tone, the deep meaning of the inheritance of Chinese medicine is laid out.
A lot of TCM-related knowledge is buried in the plot.
The charm of this type of theme lies in the "heritage".
If you want to tell a story about TCM, then you can't just talk about TCM, but about traditional culture, but to tell traditional culture into the hearts of young people, you have to use their way.
It is these humorous and funny details that make the plot more everyday. It is also easier to convey the attitude of life behind TCM to a new generation of audiences.
An attitude to life that slows down and follows the seasons.
In the final analysis, TCM is not only about healing diseases, but also about healing the heart.
Can this iconoclastic approach impress all audiences?
There is no definitive answer. But just like the inheritance of Chinese medicine, the answer has to be found in life.
That's why I think "Back Waves" is worth watching.
It may not be the most stable, mature and classic in Chinese dramas.
But at the very least, it dares to broaden the contours of "tradition".
Director Han Xiaojun said, "I hope that "Back Wave" can become a key and open a door to the treasure house of excellent traditional Chinese culture for everyone." ”
Then I hope that the audience can open the door and see a different scenery.
The iteration and inheritance of Chinese dramas is not the back wave shooting the death before the wave, but the wave after wave, gushing the river, endlessly.