I decided to watch Never Say Goodbye (不说再见) as I wanted to try something different. I have been binging on rom-coms lately and it has gotten to a point that everything seems a little repetitive. So, I thought this should be a good one to move away from cold, emotionless male lead tropes. The only hesitance that I have is the amount of episodes. I was afraid that it would descend into another draggy drama which is common for Chinese productions. So, is my worry justified? Find out in my Never Say Goodbye review below.
My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 47
Type: Crime, Action Romance
Aired: June 2021
Images Credit: iQIYI
The Cast Of Never Say Goodbye
- Allen Ren Jia Lun as Liu Yuan Wen / Mu Qing
- Janine Chang Chun Ning as Ou Ke Xin
- Yann Xuan as Li Ruo Sheng
- Johnny Kou Shi Xun as Mr. Ou Zhen Hai
- Zhang Xi Lin as Director Liu Han Shan
- Liu En You as Rong Yao
- Xiong Nai Jin as Li Yi Meng
- Ma Xiao Feng as Da Kun
- Wang Hai Di as Yan Jing / Mr. Glasses
- Bai Qing Lin as Tie Guan Yin
- Wang Da Qi as Cong Tou
- Li Yi Ru as Linda / Liu Qing Qing
- Song Yun Hao as Huang Bo Yuan
Main Characters
Liu Yuan Wen / Mu Qing
Mu Qing is an undercover cop who is sent to infiltrate a drug syndicate called Group K. He is a smart man and a strategist. Mu Qing is also calm and confident with an easy-going attitude. His fiancee, Rong Yu, died 3 years before during an operation to arrest some drug dealers.
Ou Ke Xin
Ke Xin is the daughter of a drug lord who heads Group K. She has just returned from France after a decade abroad. Ke Xin is a temperamental and spoiled woman who wants things her way. She has had little contact with her father and they have a strained relationship.
Supporting Characters
Li Ruo Sheng
Ruo Sheng is a small drug dealer in Group K and Mu Qing’s partner. He is also the group leader’s so-called godson. Ruo Sheng is an impulsive man and a typical gangster. He relies on Mu Qing for business deals and strategies to grow his stature.
Mr. Ou Zhen Hai
Mr. Ou is a drug lord and leader of Group K. He is a shrewd and cautious man. He is also feared by his subordinates. Mr. Ou is rarely seen and others could only meet him when summoned. His assistant is Mr. Glasses while Ke Xin is his daughter.
Director Liu Han Shan
Director Liu is Mu Qing’s superior and handler. He is in charge of eradicating the drug syndicates in the city. He has a good relationship with Mu Qing.
Rong Yao
Rong Yao is the captain of the city’s drug task force. His mission is to capture an international supplier, Mr. Spectre, who is discussing with Mr. Ou to bring in a new higher purity drug. Rong Yao is a workaholic. His younger sister, Rong Yu, died at the hands of a drug syndicate for which he blames Mu Qing. Rong Yao reports to Director Liu. His subordinates are Yi Meng, Bao Yun Hai, Zhao Ran, and Zheng Ke.
Li Yi Meng
Yi Meng is part of the drug task force under Rong Yao. She can be impulsive and argumentative with Rong Yao but secretly likes him.
Da Kun
Da Kun is one of the big 4 drug lords in the Group K hierarchy. He is in charge of the sales and distribution network. Da Kun is the most influential of the big 4 and an ambitious man. He has a godson named Xiao Wei.
Yan Jing / Mr. Glasses
Mr. Glasses is one of the big 4 of Group K. He is Mr. Ou’s assistant and seen as the closest person to him. Mr. Glasses is a calm and courteous man. He doesn’t express his opinion much but hides a working mind.
Tie Guan Yin
Guan Yin is another big 4 member of Group K. She is in charge of the drugs production and factories. Guan Yin seems disinterested in the leadership position of the syndicate as she claims to be only after money. She is a smart woman who could look beyond the surface.
Cong Tou
Cong Tou is the last member of the big 4 of Group K. He runs the transportation and warehousing of the drugs. Cong Tou is hot-headed and not as rational as the rest of his peers. He has a pregnant wife who is giving him pressure to quit the drug business.
Linda / Liu Qing Qing
Linda is an agent for a modeling agency. But she is also working for Guan Yin to sell drugs. Linda was once saved by Mu Qing and she has some feelings for him.
Huang Bo Yuan
Bo Yuan is a MIT graduate. He is intelligent and good at deductions based on probabilities. His parents have drug factories in Thailand and they are Guan Yin’s business partner. Guan Yin introduces Bo Yuan to Ke Xin as a potential boyfriend.
Synopsis
Group K is a drug syndicate headed by an elusive Mr. Ou. Mu Qing is sent as an undercover agent to infiltrate the group and bring it down. He saves Ruo Sheng who is a small-time drug dealer under Group K and partners with him to build their base. As their profile increases, they begin to attract the attention of the bigger drug lords in the group. This results in a turf war and Mu Qing has to strategize to bring them down. He also has to earn Mr. Ou’s trust.
In the mean time, Mu Qing meets Ke Xin who is Mr. Ou’s daughter who has just returned from abroad. Ke Xin reminds him of his late fiancee who died 3 years back during a drug raid operation. She was also a police officer and was killed due to an explosion. Ke Xin shows an interest in Mu Qing and insists on his company. At first, Mu Qing simply doesn’t want to offend her as her father is Mr. Ou. But later, he sees her as an opportunity to help him in his mission and indulges her.
Never Say Goodbye Ending (Spoilers Alert!)
Never Say Goodbye has a somewhat happy ending. I say somewhat because it is not your typical happy ending that is common in romance dramas like Falling Into Your Smile and The Day Of Becoming You whereby the main couple is seen being happy together in the last scene. In Never Say Goodbye, Ke Xin and Mu Qing are implied to be still together. Ke Xin is shown as receiving a text presumably from Mu Qing to say that he is in position. The final scene shows Mu Qing being an undercover agent again in another case.
Ke Xin’s Story
Ke Xin is actually Mu Qing’s fiancee, Rong Yu. The real Ke Xin was killed in France through an explosion arranged by Mr. Ou’s business rival, Mr. Matsumoto. Glasses colluded with Mr. Matsumoto to kill her off. The plan was to get Mr. Ou to go to France so that they have a chance to kill him there as doing so in the country carries enormous risk. Glasses wanted Mr. Ou dead to inherit his position.
At the same time, Rong Yu was injured in an explosion during a drug raid and her face was disfigured. She decided to go for plastic surgery to make herself to resemble the real Ke Xin and became an undercover agent codenamed Skylark. The authorities suppressed the news of Ke Xin’s death to allow Rong Yu to take her place. Hence, everyone thought Rong Yu has died while Ke Xin survived with some modifications to her face due to the explosion. As Ke Xin was thought to be still alive, Mr. Ou didn’t go to France as planned and the assassination attempt failed.
Rong Yao found out that Ke Xin is his sister in Episode 17 after being told by his superior. As for Mu Qing, Ke Xin only told him that she is both an agent and Mr. Ou’s daughter in Episode 16 so as not to jeopardize their mission. He learned that Ke Xin is Rong Yu in Episode 43 after she was shot and at the risk of death. They got back together thereafter.
What Happened To Group K’s Drug Lords?
Basically, Mu Qing strategized to create division among them and take them down one by one. Da Kun was made to be seen as the mole. When he was arrested by the police, Mr. Ou ordered for him to be killed. Da Kun died during a police transit after being hit by a truck in Episode 14.
Guan Yin was captured in Episode 26 after being double-crossed by Mu Qing. Glasses kidnapped the daughter of Rong Yao’s subordinate to force the police to release Guan Yin. During the hostage exchange, Guan Yin failed to escape. She ended up killing herself in Episode 30.
Cong Tou was arrested in Episode 33. Glasses abducted his pregnant wife to force him to cooperate in the drug production after Guan Yin’s death. Cong Tou then seeked Mu Qing and Ruo Sheng’s help. Mu Qing managed to save Cong Tou’s wife but set him up to be arrested when he eagerly wanted to see his wife.
Glasses found more evidence that Ke Xin and Mu Qing are moles in Episode 41. He tried to tell Mr. Ou about it but the plan backfired when Ke Xin accused him of colluding with Mr. Matsumoto to kill her 3 years earlier. Mr. Ou shot Glasses in the legs for the betrayal before Ke Xin arrived to usher her father away. The police arrived following Ke Xin’s tip off to save Glasses from dying in Episode 44.
Was Mr. Ou Arrested?
Yes, both were arrested in the end. Mr. Ou found out that Ke Xin is not his daughter but a mole through a secret DNA test in Episode 44 after feeling suspicious following Glasses’ revelations. But he couldn’t bring himself to shoot her dead due to their close relationship. Instead he set a trap by tempting her and Mu Qing with the prospect of meeting Mr. Spectre whom they want to arrest. Mr. Ou led her to the dock and forced her to choose to leave with him or to watch Mu Qing die. But the police arrived in time to get him arrested.
When Did Ruo Sheng Find Out That Mu Qing Is A Mole?
As Mr. Ou knew he may be captured, he already left instructions to Ruo Sheng to complete the deal with Mr. Spectre who actually turns out to be a woman. Ruo Sheng was also left notes that Mu Qing and Ke Xin are moles in Episode 46 which made him feel devastated. He realized that he will be targeted by the police with no way of escaping. Ruo Sheng then invited Mu Qing for a last meal at a location rigged with explosives. He also led the police to the location by using Mr. Spectre as a bait. Thus, Mr Spectre was arrested.
In the commotion when the police arrived, Mu Qing and Ruo Sheng fought for control of the remote detonator. Ruo Sheng got it but Mu Qing was pointing a gun at him. He detonated the building they were in just the same. Before he did so, he told Mu Qing that he owed his life to him and would give it back to him. An explosion followed and the building started collapsing. No mention of Ruo Sheng is seen thereafter in the last episode. Presumably, Ruo Sheng is dead while Mu Qing survived to go on to his next mission.
Never Say Goodbye Review – Not A Romance Drama
Never Say Goodbye may sound like a romantic title but it is definitely not a romance drama. So, if you want to watch a lot of kissing and loving scenes, this is not the right choice for you. There are no kisses in this drama except for one peck on the cheek. That is about it. Instead, the focus is on the undercover work and the journey to dismantle a drug syndicate from the inside.
Personally, I find it to be a decent drama that should get more attention. At least, the plot is easily understandable and doesn’t go all over the place. I don’t find it to be boring although it is pretty lengthy at 47 episodes. The events will keep things moving as Mu Qing targets one drug lord after another within the syndicate. There are tense and exciting moments at times as his identity is at risk of being exposed. There is also the anticipation of what will happen to the brotherhood that he has established with Ruo Sheng.
However, I can also understand why some people might find little interest in this drama. One of the main problems lies in the female character, Ke Xin.
An Annoying Female Lead
The story starts off with a spoilt female lead who wants things her way. You will find her highly annoying and I think this is one of the reasons why viewers might drop this drama after a few episodes. I was also tempted to drop it but soldiered on out of curiosity about the plot. Basically, you have to be patient as Ke Xin has layers to her character. By Episode 14, you will get a better idea about her. That is when you will understand where she comes from and why she has that kind of personality.
So, yes, it takes time to peel off Ke Xin’s facade. You will have to be patient to sit through all her annoying antics. Unfortunately, I think many may not have that patience and just assume that is how she is throughout the drama. It is really a pity because her antics are necessary for the plot. You just have to continue watching before you get the answers and the story starts to fall into place.
Good Plot With A Few Drawbacks (Spoilers Alert!)
Generally, the plot is watchable and makes sense but it does come with a few unrealistic snippets. For instance, Rong Yu survived an explosion and ended up looking pretty like Ke Xin after surgery. It is a bit farfetched that Rong Yu came out of it alive, let alone looking pretty thereafter. But that is how the story goes. Similarly, it is a wonder how Mu Qing survived the explosion at the end of the drama. It is depicted as a major explosion with fires everywhere and the building collapsing. Therefore, you will get over the top moments like these which I think could have been avoided with better scene execution.
The ending also could have been better. It has a rushed feeling in the last 2 to 3 episodes. After the constant buildup of the mission to arrest an international drug supplier called Mr. Spectre, it turns out to be an anti-climax. Neither are we being given a proper explanation of what happened to Ruo Sheng. I guess it would be too harsh to let viewers see him die as his character is not exactly evil. But the screenwriters can’t let him escape either as he is a criminal. So, all we get is an implied understanding that he died in the explosion.
Notwithstanding the above drawbacks, the story generally progresses at a good pace. The main part of it is about taking down the drug lords and this is where the strength of the plot lies. It is like a chess game as you watch Mu Qing maneuvers to have these criminals arrested.
Chemistry Between The Leads
Allen Ren and Janine Chang are both seasoned actor and actress respectively. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t picture them as lovers. Just like Allen Ren’s partnership with Fair Xing in Miss Crow With Mr. Lizard, his cooperation with Janine Chang also gives off more of a friendship than lovers feel. It is not that they fail to play their roles well. It is just that the story doesn’t allow them to develop any sort of romantic relationship for the most part.
So, do they have the right chemistry in the drama? Yes, but in a very platonic way. Therefore, if you are looking for a heavy dose of lovers vibes, this couple will fail miserably compared to Janine Chang’s partnership with Zhang Han in Here To Heart. Basically, Never Say Goodbye is not made to be a drama that focuses on heavy emotions or romantic notions. You won’t get the gazes, touches, hugs and kisses that are typically highlighted in romance dramas to magnify the chemistry between the leads.
My Verdict – Watch For The Plot
Never Say Goodbye is a plot-driven drama. Drop it if you are looking for a rom-com or a romance-focused storyline. You will be sorely disappointed if you are expecting love and kisses like in Mysterious Love. But watch it if you are into crime dramas and undercover agents. It is interesting to see that there is no honor among thieves and the drama simply made use of this theme to give us a story of an undercover agent exploiting the members’ greed and distrust of each other to dismantle their syndicate. So, you watch it for the process of how this happened with all the strategies and counter-strategies laid out.
The drama is certainly not perfect. The ending could have been better scripted. Some parts of the story seem improbable. Ruo Sheng finding out of Mu Qing’s identity and the subsequent confrontation are less dramatic than they should have been. There is also room to heighten the viewers’ emotions for Mu Qing and Ke Xin’s relationship which I think the screenwriters fail to capitalize on. So, at 47 episodes, some may indeed find Never Say Goodbye to be boring. This is especially so if you deem Mu Qing’s actions to take down one drug lord after another and the corresponding suspicion against him to be repetitive.
However, I still think it is one of the better dramas out there simply because there is an engaging plot to keep things going. For this Never Say Goodbye review, I would give it a score of 7.5/10. It is not for everyone because the way the story unfolds could be slow-moving for some and there is a lack of romance for those into more skinship. But if you want something different and kind of miss TVB’s police and thief dramas, this would be a good substitute.
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