C-Drama Review: You Are My Hero (2021)

Recently, there are a number of dramas produced in Asia that aim to pay tribute to our brave soldiers, the special police unit, and medical professionals in the time of pandemic, for working tirelessly on the frontline, either saving lives or preventing the deadly spread of COVID-19, but nothing as good, as funny, lighthearted and as cute as "You Are My Hero". 

But this is to remind everyone that You Are My Hero is not a drama about COVID-19 😊 This drama is just to show how a doctor and a police officer juggle time with their respective careers and personal lives and tie up the loose end to be together.

Sandra Ma and Bai Jingting in You Are My Hero

This is a good drama to watch how doctors and special police officers do their daily routines, and the challenges and sacrifices they make to fulfill their respective missions, especially in critical situations.  

Chen Hao and Bai Jingting

You Are My Hero, a C-drama aired in 2021, and one of that year's highly-rated modern series stars Bai Jingting and Sandra Ma. It looks like an adaptation of K-drama's Descendants of the Sun. They followed the same plot: A female doctor meeting a Police Officer working in the SWAT unit, and then falling in love. 

Chen Hao and Jiang Pei Yao portrayed the second lead couples, Shu Wenbo and Qing Xia respectively

Zhang Yao and Bai Jingting portray siblings in You Are My Hero

However, the comparison stops there. You Are My Hero tends to show more actions in the line of duty, and was based on the 2013 novel, "You Are My City and Fortress", written by Mu Qing Yu.

It is also cuter and sweeter than Descendants of the Sun.

Plot Summary:

Mi Ka (Sandra Ma or Ma Sichun in Chinese) is a fresh medical graduate. She goes to a jewelry store to purchase a gift for her parents, but while waiting on the bench, a bunch of thugs robbed the store and held people inside as hostages.

A SWAT team is deployed to control the situation, and while one of the robbers grabbed Mi Ka's shoulders, a sniper (Bai Jingting) pops out of the ceiling, saving Mi Ka. She could only see his eyes because he donned a sniper's gear. 

Two years later, she works as a Surgeon intern at a prestigious metropolitan hospital, and one day the hospital chief announces that new doctors need to undergo an Emergency and Rescue Training to be conducted by the police's SWAT unit.

Captain Xing Kelei (Bai Jingting) is the stiff and cold Tiger Assault Team leader who will handle the training. According to the descriptions of his personality heard by the new doctors - he is very strict, highly disciplined, hard on the trainees, and uhmm, does not smile.

The new doctors naturally cringe at the prospect of having a chief training instructor who is strict with unbending principles. 

Wang Yang as Dr. Shao and Zhang Yao as Xing Keyao

The training is held at the SWAT team's camp base, and during the introduction, Captain Xing is not present due to his other training duty in an airline company, thus, the orientation is handled by his subordinate, Captain Shu Wenbo. 

Ruan Qing Xia and Shu Wenbo

However, before the day ends, Mi Ka sneaks out of the training exercises to attend a highly important neurosurgical procedure to be performed by a Neuro Surgeon specialist, Dr. Shao Yuhan (Wang Yang). 

While waiting for a ride, Captain Xing's car passes on his way to the Emergency Rescue Training. Wondering what Mi Ka does on the road where public vehicles do not usually pass by, Captain Xing asks her if she wants a ride.

Not knowing it was their chief training instructor, Mi Ka began sharing a rumor about Captain Xing's stiff personality and strict demeanor. He almost chuckled. And right there, he is aware she is the girl he had saved in the jewelry store heist two years ago.  

Captain Xing Kelei and Dr. Mi Ka

Our Review:

It is noticeable the strong comparison between You Are My Hero and K-drama's 2016 Descendants of the Sun, however, You Are My Hero is a lot cuter and sweeter. It has depth presentation of the real scenarios faced by the doctors and police forces every day.

What I have appreciated most in this drama is its effort to show a balanced situation of the lives of the police and the doctors, and how they responded to critical situations in the line of duty.

All of its scenes are realistic and not just imaginary, like the rush hour in the emergency unit of hospitals, the complex neurosurgical procedure, the danger that police officers faced when responding to the threat of thugs and law breakers.

 

Bai Jingting and Sandra Ma

It also shows how irregular schedules and complex routines of doctors and police officers interrupt their personal lives. For instance when Dr. Mi Ka and Captain Xing Kelei tried to set a date but suddenly one of them will be called by their superiors for some unforeseen call of duties. 

You Are My Hero shows several scenarios where law enforcers and doctors respond to emergency situations like earthquakes, rescue mission during calamities, kidnapping incidents, and critical surgical operations.

It also shows the high morals and ethics of two frontliners, and how the Hippocratic Oath of doctors often contradict the philosophy followed by the military. 

For instance in one scenario where the best sniper in Captain Xing's team, and one robber, were brought to the hospital. And the police officers insisted to doctors to save their comrade first than the robber, and Doctor Chao responded he will do his job as a doctor that saves life and not a judge that determines who is the sinner and the saint.

The second leads also have equal sharing of the spotlight and were not left behind by the first leads. They were given equal exposures and have their own well-crafted back stories. 

I love the cute scenes between Captain Xing and Dr. Mi, it does not sound like a forced sweetness, everything is just natural and the sense of humor injected in every scene is just right and not annoying. 

Bai Jingting as Captain Xing is really cool and sweet. He perfectly essayed the role of an Assault team captain who is dedicated to his work at the same time warm and caring to his subordinates. 

He also showed the sweet side of a cold and strict police officer with a heart. I mean Bai Jingting is really cute and handsome, and he always shows the bright side of his sense of humor in all his dramas, which makes him very effective as Captain Xing Kelei.

Sandra Ma as Dr. Mi Ka might not be one of C-drama fans' dream girls, but she is a wonderful actress and her sweet demeanor and cute eyes are enough to make Dr. Mi Ka a perfect lady love for a cold but loving Captain Xing.

However, there are some episodes that are dragging and slow. Perhaps because some of it did not focus on our sweet couple, like the emergency rescue missions of doctors and Special Police Unit in the mountainous villages in the aftermath of earthquakes. 

The scenes dragged to more than three episodes which appeared to be kinda boring because we just saw scenes of the rescue operations and the dangers of the aftershock. I tended to escape some of those scenes lol!

However, one of the developments of those four dragging episodes was the confession of Captain Xing's feelings for Mi Ka and asking her if she could be his, well, girlfriend haha! I find it a bit cringy because of the way the scene was executed.

You Are My Hero is a feel-good light drama that allows us to relax while watching. The storyline gives us a well-deserved respite from the stressful drama we often watched on television. 

YAMH has no major antagonists, just challenges how doctors and police officers do their daily jobs and how the irregular schedules often get on the way of their personal lives. 

The scenes presented allow us to see what's inside the medical profession's routine, how they struggle to respond to the call of their profession just to save people's lives. It also shows the positive notes of the police enforcement's duty and their heroism during threats of heist and robbery. 

This drama shows us many positive points, real life scenes, and how one's dedication to career tend to sacrifice personal happiness. 

It also proves that despite erratic schedules and sudden calls of duty, two busy persons can find time to fall in love and foster a romantic relationship. All they need is an honest, loyal, and faithful commitment to make it work and last.

You Are My Hero is one of the great modern dramas I have ever watched in recent years. I enjoyed it a lot, especially the cute scenes of Mi Ka and Xing Kelei. I have a great time laughing while watching. Although it can be a bit dragging, it is still a good drama to watch than those stressful heavy dramas.

Asking if I would re-watch it? Yes, but only on those episodes where Bai Jingting and Sandra Ma have cute scenes lol!

Sandra Ma and Bai Jingting

Watch complete episodes with English subtitles, HERE

Cast members and their characters:

• Bai Jingting (Captain Xing Kelei) - leader of the Tiger Assault team
• Sandra Ma (Dr. Mi Ka) - Neurosurgeon intern
• Chen Hao (Captain Shu Wenbo) - subordinate of Captain Xing 
• Jiang Pei Yao (Ruan Qing Xia) - a news reporter
• Wang Yang (Dr. Chao Yuhan) - head of the Neurosurgeon unit
• Zhang Yao (Xing Keyao) - sister of Captain Xing Kelei

Rating: Overall: 9.10

1. Screenplay: 9.5/10
2. Acting/Characters: 10/10
3. High-quality storyline: 10/10
4. Cinematography: 9/10
5. Production design: 8.5/10
6. OST: 9.6/10
7. Re-watched: 7/10

Read Profile of Bai Jingting HERE