Last month was Xing Fei’s month, two of her dramas premiered one after another. I decided to watch them simultaneously just to see Xing Fei’s acting skills because I’m not familiar with her. I saw one person in two dramas but it seemed like I was watching two different people in two dramas. This is a review for Lost track of time starring Xing Fei, Zhai Zi Lu and Jing Chao.
First impressions
There was nothing to look forward to after watching the first episode. The drama started as if it was reaching the end, no proper introduction, just characters interacting with each other. On the other side, Mango TV has the worst subtitles ever! So I forced myself to continue with the drama since I already downloaded ten episodes in advance. I told myself that I will drop the drama if I don’t see any improvement. The first five episodes were a waste of time, for me. First and second episodes didn’t make sense, the pacing was off and everything happened in a flash of light. The third episode did show some improvement especially with the storyline. I began to understand why they rushed things in the first and second episodes. I wanted something explosive, they did have a good story. Anran dreaming about the future, which felt real so she had to make sure she doesn’t witness the same thing again. It’s catchy and signals potential but the problem is how they executed it at the beginning. And then I realized I didn’t read the synopsis, silly me.
Storyline.
Like I said before, I did have a problem with this drama and I admit I was wrong. Episode 6 was an eye opener, I connected the synopsis with what I’ve already witnessed and became one with the drama. Here’s the best part about the story, it is UNPREDICTABLE. You can say you already seen the future through the vision Anran had but you’ll only be fooling yourself. Lost track of time is different from Reset, don’t confuse these two storylines. The vision might be some sort of a storyline opener but it was also used as a trick.
The writers just wanted to trick us all into believing that whatever Anran witnessed in the vision will become true, exactly the same way it happened. I mean, the vision took about four episodes and it was soo fast which obviously means that they left out some pieces of information. Automatically, we begin to think that they will remake the vision into a longer story. But then, you have Anran who remembers everything about the vision, the pain she suffered and even her child. She even has nightmares from the vision. Anran wanted to change the fate of her family, which clearly indicates that the story will change here and there but the question is ‘what’s next?’ In short, the story is just like one of those days the weather constantly changes. You start to celebrate Anran’s victory, the next thing she’s buried alive. This is not a spoiler, take it as me encouraging you to watch the drama.
Characters.
Mu Ze played by Jing Chao, wants what he can’t and shouldn’t have. He clearly loves Anran and I noticed that but the problem is his definition of love. You really can’t say you love me while you’re destroying everything I love. Mu Ze just loves Anran, her friends and family members are nothing to him. On the other side, he’s a cunning person with an evil mind.
He’s hungry and way too greedy for power and success which blinded him. He treats everyone like chess pieces which he can get rid of when they become useless. I always say this, an actor who is good at playing a villain character must toy with your emotions. You must hate his every move even when he talks, that’s what I call a good villain. Mu Ze fits the description perfectly. I forgot the number of times I nearly smashed my phone because of my anger towards him.
Emotions did get the better of me. Hey, I’m just talking about the character here. Don’t go around saying I hate Jing Chao. Personally, I don’t see any development in Jing Chao’s acting skills. He was the same in Princess Silver. The way he folds his arms, the way he presents himself is no different from the man I saw in Princess Silver. Maybe it’s because my judgement is based on him portraying evil characters, does he even have roles where he’s a good guy? I’m just asking for a friend.
Lu Anran. I’m no stranger to drama with smart female leads who are experiencing heartbreaking situations, remember Li Weiyoung? Anran took me back to 2018 when I watched Weiyoung going through all the hardships fate has to offer. Princess Weiyoung is actually the second drama I’ve ever watched, after Ten miles to peach blossoms.
I know you don’t care about this and it’s irrelevant to the topic but it’s worth mentioning. Anran played by Xing Fei, is a very strong character willing to do everything to keep her friends and family safe. If there was an award for selfish people, I would have won one and Anran wouldn’t even get nominated. Originally, she was just a normal smart girl from one of the rich families, she was playful and having a stress-free life.
Things changed when she had the vision and she became mature overnight, should I even call it a ‘vision’? I mean, everything she witnessed was real as if her soul was in another dimension. Anran was the story itself, if you wanted to get to understand the story you had to understand Anran’s sufferings first. One thing I didn’t like about her is the way she tries to protect the people around her. She keeps everyone in the dark and face the threat alone even when she’s overpowered. She doesn’t explain her actions to anyone.
Mu Chuan played by Zhai Zi Lu. Should I be happy with this innocent Prince? Ladies, if you kissed a frog and it appears to be Prince Qi, just be grateful. It’s not like it’s going to happen so don’t even try chasing after the poor frogs. Mu Chuan is one of those ‘good guys’ who would do anything to help you out but you think he’s fragile. Since the first episode, he was the protected one.
Everything on his side was smooth because people around him either protected him or never considered him as a threat. Although he’s a prince, he feels like the title is caging him and he wishes to live a normal life. He spends most of his time with ‘ commoners ‘ and hardly gets involved in politics. Isn’t he better than those Princes who live in seclusion meditating all the time?
Mu Chuan is an active Prince, experiencing the hardships with the people. He wins his battle because of the support he gets from the people, they really love him. His character might look like it needed a little push but I don’t see the need to change him. The story needed a loving and caring Prince like him to make you forget about the cruelty in the drama for a while.
Dongqing and Lingxi
Surprise surprise, I put Dongqing on the list! Dongqing might have been Lu Anran’s maid but she was incredible. Lingxi was far from bad, but she was held back by Anran’s secrecy unlike Dongqing. Lingxi was too impulsive but smart while Dongqing was calm and patient. Dongqing was quick to adapt to Anran’s habits and mindset. Anran didn’t need to explain herself to Dongqing because she understood her. It’s not like Lingxi didn’t understand Anran, she was just loud. Both of them would go an extra mile to protect Anran even if it costs them their lives. They’re more like sisters to Anran rather than maidservants.
Narrator.
The mysterious narrator is also the reason why I wanted to finish this drama. I don’t know why people don’t mention him. He’s always writing and they only show his hands. From the beginning, I was curious about him. I wanted to know his identity. You know, movies and dramas often use this tactic only to find out that the mysterious narrator was one of the characters in the story.
Conclusion.
Anran’s experience was tragic I nearly dropped the drama because of it. Episode after episode she would drown in tears. I saw people saying you need to prepare a box of tissues before watching this drama because it is heartbreaking. I have seen the worst, Princess Silver, Princess Weiyoung and even Bloody Romance to name a few. Lost track of time is indeed a tragic drama with a happy ending but it’s still a tragic drama. I didn’t like the way they avoided explaining the reason behind Anran’s vision.
It’s not like it is the first drama to leave us with questions but I’d like to know. She might have done everything to save her family but that’s not the main reason. I believe her mission was to intervene in the royal saga. There’s a special episode for this drama but I didn’t watch it because I have read the spoilers and didn’t find it worthy to watch. I’m recommending this drama to you if you can handle the cruelty in it. Please make sure you have a box of tissues whenever you watch it. I’m giving it a rating of 8/10, I loved how they avoided those cliche scenes and plots in historical dramas.
