Mr & Mrs Chen 梅花红桃 [2023]

[Chocolate]

Mr & Mrs Chen

梅花红桃

 

 

English Title: Mr. & Mrs. Chen
Chinese Title: 梅花红桃
Other Titles: 梅花四，红桃五
Genre: Suspense, Romance, Crime, Thriller
Episodes: 32
Duration: 45 min.
Director: Jiao Yongliang
Writer: Ni Xueli
Producer: Zhang Meng
Product Company: Youhug Media
Released Date: 2023-10-11
Watch On: YOUHUG MEDIA (Youtube)

 

Synopsis

In 1940 Shanghai, Chen Jiaping, an underground member of the Chinese Communist Party codenamed “Mei Hua Si”, is on a mission when he runs into his former fiancée Zuo Shuangtao at a critical moment when he is almost exposed. At this time, Zuo Shuangtao is already a spy of the Kuomintang military system and is looking for a way out of her predicament after a failed assassination mission. They are both unaware of each other’s identities as spies and rely on the tacit understanding to cope with the Japanese’s close scrutiny, and eventually pass through as a couple in a shocking manner. The Japanese then force they to marry out of suspicion that they are disguised as a couple, and Zuo Shuangtao enters the merchant’s office as a result of the scheme. Afterwards, Chen Jiaping has to complete his mission, deal with the identity crisis that he has not been able to eliminate, and test Zuo Shuangtao’s true identity at the same time! The struggle becomes more and more brutal. Eventually Jiaping discovers that Shuangtao is an spy of the military junta, “Hong Tao Wu”, while Zuo Shuangtao discovers that Jiaping is a Chinese Communist spy, “Mei Hua Si”. After learning more about the attitudes and contributions of the two parties, Zuo Shuangtao, inspired by her communist beliefs, eventually chooses to fight with Chen Jiaping. They go through trials and tribulations to complete their arduous mission under the leadership of the Party organisation and embark on a new journey together.

[source: cpophome]

 

The short version 😆:

Set in the 1940s, former lovers Zuo Shuang Tao and Chen Jia Ping unexpectedly reunite and rekindle their love in a sea of spies as they pursue the same goals.

[source: mydramalist]

 

[Chocolate]

Cast

 

 

Guan Xiaotong as Zuo Shuangtao

Elvis Han Dongjun as Chen Jiaping

 

Li Yi as Teng Tian Xiu Ming

Tian Lei as Zhao An

Lu Zizhen as Han Lu

Jiang Yi as Jiao Yongliang

Wang Xiuzhu as Lu Fangfang

Liu Haikuan as Liu Wuchang

Tan Kai as Lao Lu

Zhang Meng as Cui Min

 

Edited October 15, 2023 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]

Trailer

 

 

 

[Chocolate]

Schedule

 

 

[Chocolate]

How they met again...

 

 

Spoiler

 

[Chocolate]

 Posters

 

 

Spoiler

 

Edited October 15, 2023 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]

Character Posters

 

 

Spoiler

 

The rest here:

https://mydramalist.com/722473-mr-mrs-wu/photos?page=2

 

@abs-oluteM Thread created. I've watched up to ep6. Thought the pacing is a bit slow, but for Elvis Han, I will watch! It's already miles better than Never Gone lol.

 

[40somethingahjumma]

I did hear about this one through the grapevine but am very surprised that it's out already.

 

Whether I can watch this will depend how much of the overt propaganda I can stomach. Many a republican era drama has been ruined for me because of this.

[abs-oluteM]

Thanks @Chocolate! I managed to watch till 5 . I just wanted to keep going . 
@40somethingahjumma so far it’s been ok in terms of all the propaganda stuff. It doesn’t sound too preachy & it just feels a lot more like an action show. The leads are good & I like how intelligent everything is . 

[abs-oluteM]

I managed to watch ep6 at lunch time 😂! I am just glad they have this available on YT . 
 

What’s interesting & and hearttugging is that both leads actually have a past. It’s not just a childhood thing - they were actually about to get married and he left her at the altar. So there is some deep history & emotional baggage that I think complicates matters for them. Like he says he wants to be able to cut ties with her emotionally too but the wedding proposal didn’t feel like a ruse, even if it was. She thinks it’s genuine. He thinks she thinks it’s genuine. 😁😁. But we also know they both still have affections the other. Kind of ironic that country or rather party ultimately took priority over love  for him then , but now this marriage is necessary for the sake of country. 
 

She was genuinely moved with the proposal though this makes it harder for her as she’s doing this to steal that important document. So she’s going to be feeling bad that she’s deceiving him . But then when she finds out who he really is , will she be relieved that she wasn’t the only one “lying “ or will she be angry that there’s a layer of deception about why he wanted to marry her ? 😅

[abs-oluteM]

Am done till eps 10 … the leads are now married but with so many things going on this marriage is starting on rocky grounds. CJP has been rather suspicious of who she is since the wedding , and it looks like he knows she’s part of some anti-Japanese organisation. His superior was able to dig into some info and confirms that she’s no ordinary girl. But CJP knows she’s not out to harm him but his superior has given him orders to be extra vigilant. Which of course means that I don’t think the marriage is even consummated 🤣🤣. He was shot at the wedding so that needed time to heal . Then he later tried to create all sorts of situations to make her angry / jealous so no sweet newlywed type interaction or action 😉. She of course somehow played along. On her end , she’s been quite at loggerheads with her immediate superior who wasn’t keen on her staying on in Shanghai. Plus it feels like she’s quietly defying his orders. Superior wanted CJP killed, and she managed to fool that though it caused her compatriot Kun to die. Then now her superior wants to kill off that admirer of hers , but she’s trying to save the latter 

[abs-oluteM]

Am up to eps 13...so much has happened...he found out quite quickly who she really is and he even saved her from being exposed and graciously let her go. So they made spectacle of things so she could easily leave but then of course her mission takes a different course , and she's got to come back to be his wife. He told her straight up he knows she's an agent of sorts. She didn't deny but didn't tell him who she was really working for. Anyway he agreed to have her back but I don't know why she has not even the slightest clue that he's no ordinary office worker. LOL I mean she could see he was such a good actor and quick witted , by now she should be doing a background check on him. I have to say she's not a very good spy is she. You can see that she was not very careful while going about her things .

 

Okay so I do think that after the initial set up, there's really not much progress in the romance department. There were small hints of their real feelings for each other but perhaps they are both too caught up with their respective missions. Also , I do agree that this actress lacks a little charisma...and if I were TBH, her chemie with Elvis Han is not as good as the lead actress in Fake It Till You Make It. She's kind of icy cold ..maybe it's intentional so that she'd keep him at arm's length. Fortunately, Elvis Han's is still smoldering and charming with every scene he is in. 

[Chocolate]

Wow @abs-oluteM you must have been really craving an Elvis Han drama after Fake It, and this came along lol. I stopped at 7 and haven't felt the urge to go on yet. Elvis Han, still good, though his expressions feel very similar to Fake it, except missing the exceptional dialogue.

 

3 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

Also , I do agree that this actress lacks a little charisma...and if I were TBH, her chemie with Elvis Han is not as good as the lead actress in Fake It Till You Make It.

 

Totally agree. Think this is the reason I don't feel the urgency to chase this drama. The spy story is quite average and draggy, so without a good romance, there is only Elvis Han to look at! 🤣

 

[40somethingahjumma]

I watched the first couple of episodes while trying to make dinner. Probably not a great idea. It's fun... a lot lighter than expected. The interrogation was probably the highlight. But it leaves me wondering if Shanghai was really a den of spies to this extent. 

 

What's really comical are the shoot outs in this show... What's the deal with gun fire in the middle of a public place crawling with civilians? Why the lack of discretion?

 

It's definitely worth watching for Elvis Han though. FL's not bad.

 

[abs-oluteM]

On 10/19/2023 at 10:49 PM, Chocolate said:

Wow @abs-oluteM you must have been really craving an Elvis Han drama after Fake It, and this came along lol. I stopped at 7 and haven't felt the urge to go on yet. Elvis Han, still good, though his expressions feel very similar to Fake it, except missing the exceptional dialogue.

It must be love ...since I am persevering through this rather tedious spy plot. Like @40somethingahjumma said it is light for this sort of propaganda type dramas. But they are going into great length and detail to give context and background which means there are sub plots & scenes that I really don't care for. I watch them at 1.5 speed. :D  I really can't wait for them to work together or at least for her to realise he's a spy. To keep up the charade both of them keep creating conflicts typical of married couples so that they can have reasons not to be intimate. That is quite funny but a little sad at the same time. Especially because Elvis is so handsome , I keep thinking  how can she have so much self control and  keep him at arm's length 

[Chocolate]

I think I am up to ep12 or around there. She just threatened to jump because she wants to get back with him.

 

God, this has 32 episodes! How to get there? 😂

 

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by Chocolate

[abs-oluteM]

12 hours ago, Chocolate said:

I think I am up to ep12 or around there. She just threatened to jump because she wants to get back with him.

 

God, this has 32 episodes! How to get there? 😂

 

 

I am up to eps 21...I didn't have time to watch so many shows this week. But yes , it is getting too detailed with all the spy stuff.  Just use the 1.5 button ...Elvis Han, please power me through! 

[abs-oluteM]

Elvis Han's power is not so strong ....ahahaha... I am stuck at episode 24