City Of Streamer Review

City Of Streamer (流光之城) is my second Republican era Chinese drama in 2 months. I was not a big fan of Republican dramas previously but Fall In Love 2021 was a nice surprise and this made me rethink my aversion towards this time setting. Thus, I decided to give this current one a go. There are certain things that I expected like tycoons and concubines to muddy the family relationships as well as revenge. These themes are common for stories set in this period. But what matters is how these are utilized to drive the plot and chemistry between the leads. Will the story make you hooked? My City Of Streamer review is laid out below.

My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 40
Type: Republican, Romance
Aired: January 2022
Images Credit: WeTV Twitter

The Cast Of City Of Streamer

• Jing Tian as Feng Shi Zhen
• Timmy Xu Wei Zhou as Rong Jia Shang
• Xing Jia Dong as Rong Ding Kun
• Jing Chao as Meng Xu An / Qi Ye
• Hai Ling as Du Lan Xin
• Chi Jia as Yang Xiu Cheng
• Cao Yan Yan as Mrs. Rong
• Wang Zi Zi as Concubine Wang
• Zhang Tang as Concubine Sun
• Yu Lang as Sun Shao Qing
• Qin Bo Kun as Zhao Hua An
• Mi Mi as Miss Hashimoto / Shi Zhi
• Candice Zhao Qian as Yu Zhi Hui
• Yang Zhen as Feng Shi Xun / Dr. Feng
• Asher Ma Wen Yuan as Wu Yun Chi
• Wang Yi Fei as Xiao Bao Li

Main Characters

Feng Shi Zhen

Shi Zhen is a 23-year-old educated woman with loving parents and an elder brother. She is a woman of principles with a need to uphold justice for her family. Shi Zhen can be stubborn and determined. She is also an intelligent and calm woman who knows how to think on her feet under pressure. Shi Zhen works in the Rong household as a governess.

Rong Jia Shang

Jia Shang is a 20-year-old young man who has just returned to Shanghai from the military academy in Chongqing. He appears as an idler and underachiever but is actually a smart and capable person. He is the eldest son of a tycoon while his mother died when he was very young. Jia Shang has a sense of righteousness and his dream is to be an army pilot. He often doesn’t see eye to eye with his father due to their different life principles.

Supporting Characters

Rong Ding Kun

Rong Ding Kun is a powerful and influential tycoon in Shanghai. He appears as a decent man in public but operates illegal businesses in the background. He is also a ruthless man who would sacrifice others to benefit himself. Thus, he is a man with a lot of skeletons in his closet. Rong Ding Kun is also a man with many women in his life including a wife and 2 concubines. He has a son, Jia Shang, and 2 daughters, Fang Lin and Fang Hua.

Meng Xu An / Qi Ye

Meng Xu An is an influential man and Chairman of Yongli Bank. He operates in the background and sees Rong Ding Kun as an enemy that must be brought down. He is a very calm and focused man who plans ahead. One of his loyal assistants is Ah Wen.

Du Lan Xin

Du Lan Xin is Jia Shang’s fiancee. Her father is the owner of a bank and her marriage to Jia Shang has been pre-determined by their parents due to business considerations. She is a very liberal and practical woman who likes to fool around with men. Du Lan Xin has no real feelings for Jia Shang and vice-versa.

Yang Xiu Cheng

Xiu Cheng is one of Rong Ding Kun’s righthand men and in charged of administrative matters. He is also Mrs. Rong’s cousin sister’s son. Xiu Cheng’s job is to run errands for Rong Ding Kun including criminal dealings. He does his job as instructed as he knows which side his bread is buttered.

Mrs. Rong

Mrs. Rong is Rong Ding Kun’s official wife. She is a scheming woman who wants to maintain her power in the Rong household. Jia Shang is her stepson but they are not fond of each other. Mrs. Rong also had a son, Jia Xin, who died during a kidnapping attempt years earlier. She is left with a daughter, Fang Lin, who has feelings for Xiu Cheng.

Concubine Wang

Concubine Wang is another one of Rong Ding Kun’s women. She has a good relationship with Mrs. Rong and knows her place. She has a daughter, Fang Hua, with Rong Ding Kun.

Concubine Sun

Concubine Sun used to be a governess in the Rong household before ending up as his woman. She is his favorite among the 3 women in his home which enables her to be arrogant at times. Hence, she doesn’t get along with Mrs. Rong. Concubine Sun is also pregnant with Rong Ding Kun’s child.

Sun Shao Qing

Shao Qing is Concubine’s Sun younger sister. She is a graduate but tends to be submissive and timid. She is sacrificed by the Sun family to serve Rong Ding Kun when Concubine Sun fell pregnant in order to maintain their influence in the Rong family.

Zhao Hua An

Zhao Hua An is Rong Ding Kun’s most trusted assistant. He has been working for him for a long time and they built the business together. Hence, Zhao Hua An knows all about Rong Ding Kun’s past and his secrets.

Miss Hashimoto / Shi Zhi

Shi Zhi is Jia Shang’s crush while he was studying in Chongqing. She also has feelings for him. She appears as a demure and sincere young lady. Her father is a wealthy Japanese businessman. Shi Zhi has a younger twin brother and an elder stepbrother who is sickly.

Yu Zhi Hui

Zhi Hui is a distant relative of Mrs. Rong and Xiu Cheng’s girlfriend. She is under the control of her brother and sister-in-law who want her to marry a richer man. She herself is also holding out for a better man to come along.

Feng Shi Xun / Dr. Feng

Dr. Feng is Shi Zhen’s elder brother. He has just returned from abroad and works as a medical doctor. Dr. Feng is a principled man with strong values. He shares a close bond with Shi Zhen.

Wu Yun Chi

Yun Chi is Jia Shang’s best friend from the military academy. His family runs a newspaper business and hence, he has the network to help Jia Shang on investigative matters. Yun Chi is a playboy but a good person nonetheless. Fang Hua has always been interested in him.

Xiao Bao Li

Bao Li is a dance girl at a club run by Meng Xu An. She is also Shi Zhen’s best friend.

Synopsis

Shi Zhen’s family got into hard times when her father’s pharmacy was burnt down together with all other shops in the area. Her father was injured and became addicted to opium during treatment. She wanted justice and ended up working for Meng Xu An who is an influential figure behind the scenes. They have a common enemy in Rong Ding Kun who is a very wealthy businessman in Shanghai and was responsible for the arson.

Behind the facade, Rong Ding Kun runs a series of illegal businesses. In order to bring him down, Shi Zhen got a job in the Rong residence as a governess to teach his 3 children. This would allow her to spy on him and find out about his business operations. However, Rong Ding Kun’s eldest son, Jia Shang, is instantly attracted to Shi Zhen and falls for her.

Initially, Shi Zhen sees Jia Shang as a tool for her to fulfill her mission. But she gradually develops feelings for him as well and feels conflicted over her role. Jia Shang also tries his best to make up to Shi Zhen but neither can he escape from his responsibility as the eldest son of the Rong family. With Meng Xu An stirring up trouble for the Rongs, Shi Zhen couldn’t bear to see Jia Shang being harmed as she gives in to her feelings. But an explosive well-kept secret threatens to split them apart.

City Of Streamer Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

City Of Streamer has a happy ending. 3 years earlier, Jia Shang’s father died after he took Shi Zhen’s hostage and wanted to kill her on the day of Fang Hua and Yun Chi’s wedding. Meng Xu An’s gunshot caused him to fall out the window and his scarf broke his neck when it got entangled during the fall. Jia Shang exposed his father’s crimes to atone for the family’s sins after his death as he had planned to do all along.

Fang Hua and Yun Chi moved abroad right after their wedding. Jia Shang sent Fang Lin to go with them to continue her studies. Mrs. Rong and Concubine Wang moved back to their hometown in Nanjing from Shanghai. Jia Shang sold the family home and moved to Guangzhou to enroll in an aviation school while Shi Zhen moved to Beijing with her family. They gazed at each other across the different platforms at the train station as each boarded separate trains to head in opposite directions. Jia Shang knew they needed time to calm down after all that had happened between them.

3 Years Later

3 years later, Shi Zhen receives a letter from Meng Xu An which indicates that his business is doing well in Shanghai. Bao Li is also getting married to a scholar. Jia Shang has been writing to Shi Zhen for the past 3 years although she has never replied. He has got Du Lan Xin to manage his family business on his behalf as he pursued his aviation studies.

Now, Jia Shang is graduating and the last scene shows the fraternity ball. Shi Zhen suddenly appears in a dreamy sort of way and they dance just like how it all began when they first met followed by a kiss before it ends.

Why Meng Xu An Hates Rong Ding Kun

Meng Xu An’s elder sister, Qing Zhi, used to be Rong Ding Kun’s lover. She truly loved him but was disappointed when Concubine Wang fell pregnant. Qing Zhi got angry and left him. Meng Xu An believed Rong Ding Kun swindled Qing Zhi out of the Meng family’s heirloom, a Gold Kylin, during the course of their relationship. This is because Rong Ding Kun was having business trouble at that time and sold the Gold Kylin for cash. Qing Zhi subsequently died of illness after they broke up. This is revealed in Episode 15 during a conversation between Meng Xu An and Rong Ding Kun.

A more complete background to their relationship is told in Episode 27 as Meng Xu An narrated his side of the story to Shi Zhen. Rong Ding Kun fed Qing Zhi opium when they were together and her addiction made her steal the family heirloom for him. She found out she was already pregnant with Rong Ding Kun’s child after leaving him. Their father thought it was a shame. She became psychotic and was sent to a mental asylum as their father couldn’t care less about her.

Her mental instability caused her son to suffer under her care. As a result of that as well as effects of her opium addiction during pregnancy, her son became lunatic as well. Qing Zhi committed suicide in front of her son when he was a kid while he tried to kill himself by jumping down from a building when he was a teen which caused him to become unable to walk. Meng Xu An’s mother also died of depression because of what happened to his sister.

Qing Zhi and Rong Ding Kun’s son is Meng Jiu whom Meng Xu An passes off as his younger brother.

Who Killed Shi Zhen’s Mother?

Shi Zhen’s biological mother was killed by Rong Ding Kun with Zhao Hua An’s help It is revealed in Episode 24 that Shi Zhen is the Feng family’s adopted daughter. Her biological mother was Madam Bai and she also had a baby brother. They were hunted down while on the way to meet her father. Shi Zhen was slashed and fell into the lake but survived. She was saved by the Feng couple who took her in as their own. However, her brother’s fate was unknown although she presumed he had died.

There is also a confusion about Shi Zhen’s parentage in Episode 30 when Jia Shang found out that Madam Bai was married to a man surnamed Rong who looked like his father. Meng Xu An also told Shi Zhen that Jia Shang could be her half-sibling in Episode 32. But through further investigations and recollections from Shi Zhen’s maternal aunt, they could piece together the whole story in Episode 33.

Shi Zhen’s Background

Shi Zhen’s father was the real Rong Ding Kun who went to Shanghai to trade. His nickname is Ah He. He was a kind and generous man who loved his wife. While in the city, he befriended Qin Shui Gen who bears some resemblance to him and they became sworn brothers. They also shared a house in Wenchunli. When Qin Shui Gen desperately needed money to pay off a debt, he turned to Ah He for help. But Ah He rejected his request. Qin Shui Gen knew Ah He had won the lottery and tried to steal the ticket. When Ah He caught him in the act, he wanted to report the matter to the police. As a result, Qin Shui Gen killed him in his room.

The murder was witnessed by Zhao Hua An. Together, they interred Ah He’s body in his room wall and Qin Shui Gen assumed Ah He’s identity to get the lottery winnings which he shared with Zhao Hua An. As Ah He would have told his wife and parents about his lottery luck and they would have been able to tell the 2 men apart, Qin Shui Gen and Zhao Hua An killed her while she and the kids were on the way to meet Ah He. They also spread a plague in Rong’s hometown to kill the rest of the relatives.

That was why the fake Rong Ding Kun wanted the Wenchunli land badly. He was afraid if another company got the land for redevelopment, Ah He’s body would be discovered once the old house is torn down. Shi Zhen’s suspicion is confirmed when her father’s body was found in the house in Episode 34. Jia Shang made his father confirmed the story in Episode 35 with the body’s discovery.

When Did The Couple Get Together?

Jia Shang confessed to Shi Zhen in Episode 16 right after his father announced his engagement to Du Lan Xin. But Shi Zhen told him that they are not right for each other. He confessed his love for her again in Episode 21 and tried to assure her that he will break off his engagement to Du Lan Xin and marry her instead. But Shi Zhen rejected him again and told him that they have no future together given her feud with his father.

Shi Zhen betrayed Meng Xu An to save Jia Shang in Episode 26. Hence, Jia Shang got to know that Shi Zhen was working for Meng Xu An and her real intention in Episode 27. Following her disagreement with Meng Xu An and her complicated relationship with Jia Shang, Shi Zhen left for Beijing to escape the feud between the 2 camps. But Jia Shang found out that Shi Zhen had actually saved him once and hence, she must have cared about him since the early days despite all the lies she has told as a mole in the Rong household.

Thus, Jia Shang pursued Shi Zhen and followed her to Beijing. They started dating and consummated their relationship in Episode 29.

Is There A Breakup And Love Triangle?

Shi Zhen asked for a breakup in Episode 35 after they had learned what Jia Shang’s father had done to her family. She didn’t blame Jia Shang but it was also impossible for them to be together given their blood feud. He understood her feelings and they parted ways. They only reunited in Episode 40 3 years after after Jia Shang’s father’s death.

Meng Xu An also has feelings for Shi Zhen but he never expressed them. It was implied but Shi Zhen never saw him as a romantic partner. Meng Xu An knew she only has feelings for Jia Shang. He didn’t ask her to stay when she decided to move to Beijing although he was reluctant to let her go.

Shi Zhi was also interested in Jia Shang but he kept rejecting her advances which made her jealous of Shi Zhen. She then made a deal with Rong Ding Kun to kill Shi Zhen in exchange for a marriage to Jia Shang. Shi Zhi then kidnapped Shi Zhen in Episode 38. But her plan failed when Ah Wen turned up to save Shi Zhen. Meng Xu An and Jia Shang also arrived soon after. As a result, Shi Zhi was shot in the leg and became lame.

Shi Zhi’s evilness prompted Jia Shang to let her stepmother know that Shi Zhi had poisoned her elder stepbrother and caused his death in Episode 26. Her stepmother got her to be married off to a much older and ruthless colonel in revenge.

Other Key Events

• Shao Qing escaped from Rong Ding Kun with Shi Zhen’s help in Episode 7. The women met again in Beijing in Episode 31 and she is married by then.
• Concubine Sun gave birth to a baby boy in Episode 11. But the baby died of illness in Episode 35. Concubine Sun herself was shot by Meng Xu An and died in Episode 39. She was scaring Shi Zhen with a gun in the hope of getting her to beg Rong Ding Kun to save Dr. Feng whom she had feelings for.
• Zhi Hui was caught together with Rong Ding Kun in Episode 17. She was paid off and left Shanghai in Episode 18. Xiu Cheng felt humiliated as a result.
• Xiu Cheng and Du Lan Xin started a relationship in Episode 18. She told him she was pregnant in Episode 25. He asked her to abort the baby in Episode 27 as he was too timid and selfish to elope with her. She was then punished by her father and miscarried and sent away in Episode 28.
• Rong Ding Kun was accidentally shot in Episode 26 while escaping during a commotion and became paralyzed in Episode 31.
• Fang Hua was captured and raped by Meng Xu An’s men in Episode 27. Yun Chi felt responsible for failing to protect her and expressed his desire to marry her in Episode 28.
• Xiu Cheng started working for Meng Xu An in Episode 31 after the exposure of his illicit affair with Du Lan Xin.
• Zhao Hua An was cornered by Shi Zhen and Meng Xu An and handed to the police in Episode 37. He also told them that Shi Zhen’s brother is alive.
• Shi Zhen finds out that Ah Wen is her brother in Episode 38 through his locket.

City Of Streamer Review – A Good Start

City of Streamer could really have been a great drama from start to finish but somehow, the wheels fell off as it crosses past the 30th episode. The story starts off well as it is engages you with the relationship complexities of the Rong family and the excitement of Shi Zhen’s spying activities. We are also not told what exactly happened in the past. Hence, there is the intrigue and curiosity there as to why certain characters are against the villain.

Moreover, the female lead is an educated, courageous, and independent woman despite it being a Republican era drama. So, there is a certain satisfaction in watching her story develop and how she is able to think for herself. However, there is a shock to the story in the last quarter of the drama and this is where it gets overly dramatic to me. It doesn’t render it unwatchable but I strongly believe it could have been better written. This is because once the shock is revealed in Episode 30, the plot basically becomes predictable.

A Revenge Plot (Spoilers Alert!)

If you expect City Of Streamer to be a fluffy romance drama, you will be disappointed. The main focus is actually revenge with love thrown in to up the ante and dramatic aspects of the story. Where it starts to falter is the reveal that the couple could be half-siblings. By then, they have already consummated their relationship. Now, this is where it gets predictable to me because you know they can’t be related since they have already slept together. From there, it doesn’t take much for you to guess who killed the female lead’s parents. What is left is only the details and the fate of the couple and villain which will then keep you hooked to the end.

The other thing that doesn’t feel good to me is the whitewashing of the second male lead’s crimes. In the last quarter of the drama, he is suddenly depicted as a good man when he had tried to kill Jia Shang earlier for the sins of the latter’s father. The collateral damage he caused in his quest for revenge didn’t seem to bother Shi Zhen as she worked closely with him to bring down the villain towards the end.

So, there are weaknesses to the plot which are concentrated mainly in the last 10 episodes. The focus on the revenge to wrap up the story may be apt as it started out that way. But I think some parts are shortchanged in the process and it shows in how the story flowed towards the conclusion.

Not A Really Romantic Story

City Of Streamer is not a typical breezy romance drama with a lot of lovey-dovey moments like Love At Night or Why Women Love. It has a more matured and serious feel to it. The guy is hopelessly in love with the girl while the latter wants revenge against his father. So, you can already expect theirs to be a complicated relationship. There is no simple getting together because they fell in love. In fact, their actual dating life only lasts about 4 episodes out of 40 in total. Thus, this couple’s sweet moments and skinship are definitely in short supply in this drama.

What replaces a full-fledged relationship though is the yearning and suppressed feelings especially on the girl’s part due to her need for revenge. The love undertones are obvious to the viewers but it is just that you don’t get that satisfaction of seeing them throwing caution to the wind and embarking on a romance until pretty late in the drama and that also for a rather brief period.

Therefore, City Of Streamer may not fit the bill of a truly romantic tale unless love vibes and chemistry alone are enough for you to get your fill of the romance. Furthermore, some viewers might have issue with the female lead who appears rather cold at times because of what happened to her family.

A Revengeful Female Character

If you like watching a smart and independent-minded female character, you would probably be able to relate to Shi Zhen. But her past caused her to become revengeful towards the villain. Hence, she can’t let go of that need to see justice done despite how much the male lead loves her. In City Of Streamer, Jia Shang’s love for Shi Zhen is pure and sincere. He tries his best to accommodate and make it up to her.

But Shi Zhen’s love for Jia Shang is more restrained. At certain times, her hatred towards his father seems greater than the love she has for him. So, if you are looking for a sweet romance, then Shi Zhen might appear as too cold and cruel towards the male lead. But if you are watching this for the revenge plot, then Shi Zhen’s actions will become understandable.

Personally, I find her coldness went up a notch in the last quarter of the drama which is a little inconsistent with her overall character and the depth of her feelings for Jia Shang. But it is still acceptable to me though because I don’t think it will be realistic either for the character to easily forgive and forget.

Chemistry Drives The Romance

The leads’ acting is commendable in City Of Streamer. The casting and styling were done right with the female lead appearing more matured than the male which is consistent with the characters in the story. Jing Tian gives Shi Zhen an aura of confidence and modernity. She is neither too cold nor too ardent and appears to be able to strike a balance between a revengeful and caring woman at heart with her depiction of the character.

Timmy Xu plays Jia Shang well and portrays him as a wuss when it comes to love but stubborn and determined against his father. The hardened expressions and anger when interacting with his father gives viewers the impression that he is a man with a spine. But when it comes to Shi Zhen, the softened expressions and yearning in his face reveal the depth of his love for her.

Put Jiang Tian and Timmy Xu together and the chemistry is obvious on screen. The longings are expressed through their eyes and gazes. They may not have a lot of sweet moments to show off their love in the drama but their interactions are ladened with unspoken feelings and desire similar to Because of Love. In short, their sizzling chemistry drives the romance in the drama to make viewers crave for more.

My Verdict – Go Ahead And Watch!

City Of Streamer is definitely a Republican drama that is worth a watch. No doubt, there will be the usual concubines and the inferior status of women as part of the story. But it is not the focus of the drama if you are worried about watching a group of women fighting for a rich man’s attention. Instead, you will be getting revenge as the main plot with greed, murder, illicit love, and other heavy topics being present along the way. Hence, I’m not too sure if younger viewers will enjoy this as City Of Streamer is far off from the usual school romance dramas like Shining For One Thing and Our Secret.

The overall story is captivating to me and chances are you will get hooked in the beginning. The pace slows down a little around the middle but it doesn’t really feel dragged out unnecessarily. It is easy to fall in love with the male lead and there is developing maturity in his character as the drama progresses. The female lead may be colder but she is a strong character that viewers can root for. They are not many kisses to look out for but they did include a passionate one that would make you press for replay.

For this City Of Streamer review, I would give it a score of 7.5/10. There are weaknesses to the plot and screenwriting but they are not a serious hindrance to the overall enjoyability. Watch it for the plot and the leads’ chemistry but don’t expect a fluffy romance drama to avoid disappointment.