“A Little Mood for Love” is a forty-episode Chinese drama directed by Wang Jun and acted by Zhou Xun, Huang lei, Tang Yixin, Tu Songyan, Liu Lili, Qin Hailu, Xiang Hanzhi and others. It is the fourth installment of the “Little” franchise and like it’s comrades focuses on the everyday life of people, love, marriage and the various aspects of human interpersonal relationships.
Considering the people who produced, directed and acted in this drama, the possibility of it’s success is just as high as it’s counterparts. This also raises the expectation of the viewers as it features some of the best actors and actresses of the Chinese entertainment industry. And it does deliver.
In terms of the plot, there is not much to talk about. It is a drama that focuses on people, thus it is expected that there won’t be any thrill or mystery. It is an ensemble dram featuring multiple families and multiple generations. This is why it is a family drama that is perfect for this season. It just connects all generations by showcasing human relations in 21st century city life.
To talk about the bad of this drama, there isn’t much to say. All that could be said is that there can’t be much to be surprised about. The actors and actresses are already well established that it would not be much of of a surprise to see their performance. Their performance won’t be breaking some sort of glass ceiling with this type of drama or plot. As such there isn’t some expectation of any groundbreaking performance.
The director is known for this type of drama, this is his strong suit. The crew also knows what to do and how to do it. There is an ease among them that this will be well done. The actors and actresses are meticulously picked as well. The sisters have similar features that convinces the viewers subconsciously that they are family. Same can be said for mother-daughter and father-daughter relationships as well. Their facial features, characteristic expressions and other things resemble each other and creates an environment that says that they may be related.
Zhou Xun and Huang Lei play a middle aged couple who are both divorced from their previous marriage and decide to remarry. Their relationship on screen is very close to the life of everyday people and their acting was realistic and accurate. They both have honed their skills and it shows in their words, body language, expressions. It is so staged that it not believable that it was actually staged.
Qin Hailu, Tang Yixin, Xiang Hanzhi and other’s performance is also very realistic. Each generation is portrayed so realistically that the story feels real rather than being a drama that was shot in a stage and was well-planned. Just this naturalism is hard to fin in most dramas. The messed up lines, the ease of the characters and the informal atmosphere in general is brings it to another level.
In terms of the plot, there is no promise and thus no expectation of thills. It is a drama that is based on reality and human emotions and actions. The script is very well-written and well-executed. It feels like that the actors make the script and the story their own.
All in all, this drama is one of the best of this year, considering the cast and crew. It is definitely a must watch, specially in this season. This time of this season make it feel like a cup of hot chocolate for the entire family enjoy together.