Someday or One Day Review: Mindful Writing & Sincere Acting Make This Time-Travel Drama Different From Any Other Show

If you ever feel that the dramas you watch are getting monotonous or predictable, then try watching this Taiwanese show, ‘Someday or One day’ (SDOD). Nothing about this show is plain or regular. Its suspenseful story and the complex plot will leave you scratching your head because you do not know what hit you or rather who hit you.

‘Someday or One Day’ is the story of a girl named Huang Yu Xuan who lives her life in the hope of seeing her supposedly deceased boyfriend again someday. Her wish is granted as she travels through time to meet him again. But when she meets him she is not herself and he is not her boyfriend. She starts living the life of a completely different person and realizes how their lives are intertwined.

 

Someday or One Day (2019) (21 Episodes)

Huang Yu Xuan (Alice Ke) is unable to forget her boyfriend, Wang Quan Sheng (Greg Hsu), who has been reported missing for the last two years following a plane accident. One day, Huang Yu Xuan falls asleep while listening to an old walkman. When she wakes up, she finds Wang Quan Sheng sitting by her bedside. She hugs him tightly telling him how much she missed him. But he seems shocked as he is unable to understand why she would miss him.

Huang Yu Xuan slowly realizes that she has traveled back in time to the year 1998 not as herself but as a 17-year-old girl named Chen Yu Ru. The boy who she thought was Wang Quan Sheng is actually her school friend named Li Zei Wei. She also learns that she has woken up in a hospital after suffering a head injury.

Then onwards, Huang Yu Xuan travels to and fro in time trying to put back missing pieces of Chen Yu Ru’s life while hoping to get to her boyfriend, Wang Quan Sheng.

I enjoyed watching ‘Someday or One Day’ because…

…of its suspenseful plot and intriguing characters. The show starts with Huang Yu Xuan longing for her boyfriend who she dreamt of marrying someday. The fact that his body was not discovered after the plane accident leaves a ray of hope in her mind that he may be alive and come back to her. There are instances where she spots him walking in the city but each time she approaches him, the person turns out to be someone else. What she doesn’t see is the actual Wang Quan Sheng present right behind her.

When Huang Yu Xuan travels back in time and wakes up as Chen Yu Ru at first, she is happy that she has finally reunited with Wang Quan Sheng. But she is left disappointed when she realizes that not only is Li Zie Wei not her boyfriend but he considers Chen Yu Ru as only a friend and nothing more.

Also, Chen Yu Ru’s life is extremely lonely and depressing. She belongs to a poor family and lives with her mother and brother who hardly care about her. She has no friends in school and lives an inconsequential life. After school, she works at her uncle’s music store where she first meets Li Zei Wei and his friend Mo Jun Jie. Even though Chen Yu Ru has eyes only for Li Zei Wei, it is Mo Jun Jie who likes her. The three of them become friends and often travel to school together.

But before Huang Yu Xuan can make sense of everything that is happening, she has to solve the big mystery of Chen Yu Ru’s life that is, what exactly happened to her and who attacked her because of which she was in a coma for several days.

Huang Yu Xuan, who is now Chen Yu Ru, obviously has no recollection of the attack and pretends to suffer from a memory loss so that people stop bothering her with questions pertaining to Chen Yu Ru’s life.

If ‘True Beauty’ made me feel ugly because of its exceptionally gorgeous cast, SDOD made me feel dumb because of its unusually complex plot. I dropped this show multiple times because I was unable to keep up with its intermingling timelines and sub-plots. It has overlapping storylines that are entangled tightly to maintain the suspense of the main plot.

The only reason I kept coming back to the show was that I liked the characters and despite the exasperating plot, I wanted to know what exactly happens to them. After finally completing the show, all I can say is that you need some patience to first understand and then enjoy and appreciate the story. Also, you need to watch it closely to notice the symbolism that hints at the connection between the characters.

No doubt the frequent switching between timelines causes a lot of confusion, but the story has a very deep meaning so all the confusion eventually pays off. It has a beautiful love story at its core that is like no other love story you have ever seen.  

Also, the show has several light and romantic moments that keep you engaged with our characters. We see the first half of the story through the female lead, Huang Yu Xuan’sPOV, and the second half through the male lead, Wang Quan Sheng POV. So, you get both their perspectives to better understand their converging storylines.

…the best part about the show is the lead actors Alice Ke and Greg Hsu. Not only does their chemistry work, but their individual acting is what keeps you invested in the drama.

I have seen Alice Ke’s dramas before and I know she acts well. But for me, this was her best role. I’m amazed at how she plays the contrasting characters of the reserved Chen Yu Ru and the effervescent Huang Yu Xuan with equal ease. She even manages to look like the teen Chen Yu Ru and also the much older Wang Quan Sheng.

 

Initially, she is the one jumping through different timelines and the only reason I could differentiate between her two characters was Alice’s acting. Of course, her hair and makeup also made a big difference but Alice’s body language and expressions differed for both the characters she played.     

Similarly, actor Greg Hsu also performed well in both his characters. Li Zei Wei and Wang Quan Sheng are not different in nature as they are both friendly and extroverted. The only difference is the change in Wang Quan Sheng’s personality after the plane accident. The character undergoes a major transformation and Greg Hsu’s restrained acting effectively conveys this point. (Not really a spoiler: There is a cameo by my favorite Simon Lian from ‘Lost Romance‘ in an episode that marks the shift in narration. Watch out for it as it is a really interesting cameo. The episode shows the back story of Wang Quan Sheng and how his personality takes a 360-degree turn.)

I did NOT LIKE ‘Someday or One Day’ because…

…I found it very confusing. The reason I dropped this show multiple times was because I felt the suspense dragging too much with no concrete answer in sight. A few times, we are even deliberately led in the wrong direction, which further adds to the confusion. The story offers depth but what’s the use if you often feel lost throughout the journey. However, in the second half of the drama series, we see Huang Yu Xuan and Wang Quan Sheng’s love story which is your typical drama love where you get fluffy romance. So, don’t mind the time-traveling chaos and concentrate on the love story it makes the show easier to watch.       

 

 

‘Someday or One Day’ is a story of love that transcends time but is shackled by circumstances. It is about friendships that try to overcome any kind of challenge. It is about insecurities in life that dominate the decisions and choices people make for themselves. The highlight of the show is the unique love story of Huang Yu Xuan and Wang Quan Sheng that will move your heart. 

I give ‘Someday or One Day’ 3.5 out of 5 ratings. This show is an experience you can enjoy only if you hold on to it until the end. It has its light moments that will keep you involved with the characters and make you fall in love with them.    

 

Image Courtesy: Viki

 

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