For the past couple of weeks, I have been glued to the laptop watching “The Disguiser” on Viki. Just completed all 41 episodes a few days ago and it’s such a relief. Not because it isn’t a good drama. In fact, it’s the most excellent Chinese drama I have watched so far. Okay, I know I haven’t watched “Langya Bang” or “Nirvana In Fire” yet but I need a break in between dramas otherwise I won’t have time to blog. The reason why I say i8t’s a relief to have finished “The Disguiser” is because the background in most scenes is rather grey and bleak but then it’s understandable as this is a spy drama, it’s about espionage and counter-espionage and lots and lots of sabotage.
The main actors, the trio of Hu Ge, Wang Kai and Jin Dong were incredible. Hu Ge portrays Ming Tai, the youngest brother of the Ming family who gets kidnapped by Kuomintang spy chief, Wang Tian Feng otherwise known by codename “Wasp”. Wasp sees potential in Ming Tai as a spy and spirits him away to Spy Academy in some remote Quantico-like area near Chongqing. The story is set during the Sino-Japanese War when the Japanese set up the New Government and appointed Chinese people to be officials therein. Ming Tai is given the codename Scorpion and gets a life-and-death partner at the academy who is seriously in love with him but sadly, her feelings aren’t reciprocated as Ming Tai falls in love with a Communist spy. I’d have preferred him with life-and-death partner because the Communist woman is so insipid and mousey compared to the colourful life-and-death partner.
The drama in some of the episodes is enough to give me a minor heart attack as it has me on the edge of my seat like will the spies be discovered by the Japanese? Are they walking straight into a trap? The storyline is nothing short of amazing and I have to say Ming Big Brother, Ming Lou deserves an award for staying calm and collected even when pressed into a corner on many occasions. I didn’t really like Ming Tai’s character as I think he is far too impetuous and thoughtless to be a successful spy. Someone always has to save his skin.
Other than Big Brother who is the ultimate Spy Master (codename Viper), the best actor in this series has to be Wang Kai who plays adopted brother, Ming Cheng or Ah Cheng as he is fondly called by the Ming family. Now this guy is much more sensible than Ming Tai and a capable and trusted assistant to Big Brother.
Overall, fantastic performances from the entire cast and the script writers are geniuses. I loved this drama and it really kept me in suspense. There’s a lot of good humour and touching scenes in between the seriousness of the plot. Having watched the ending, I have a feeling they’ve left room for a sequel. The war isn’t over yet and Ming Tai’s character still has potential for development.
