La chica de los cigarrillos

Allow me to start by saying I wish they cast a taller actor for the role of elderly Soeraja as the difference in height is rather striking, but this is a trivial continuity issue that in no way diminish what Kamila Andini and Ifa Isfansyah had successfully accomplished in this series.

I haven't read the book by Ratih Kumala, so I went into it with zero expectation, except maybe an assumption of many goofs as with other Indonesian series. I'm glad they proved me wrong.

After years of repeat force to watch the "so-called communist film", this feels like a refreshing portrayal, albeit from the other side of things. I'm surprised they didn't take out every single one of Idroes' family, though, despite them not being on the list. But I suppose then there wouldn't be a story to tell for the year of 2001.

Aside from the development of Arum and Lebas' friendship, which is rather hasty in my opinion, Putri Marino and Arya Saloka left people rooting for their characters. And of course, Dian Sastro did a marvelous job portraying the struggle of a smart, intuitive, and opinionated woman in a man's world, even years after Kartini paved the road. Ario Bayu also successfully represented a male feminist in that era. It's real, it's gripping, it's certainly not what you expect from an Indonesian series.

I will be checking out more work from Andini & Isfansyah for sure.