Series Review: Cigarette Girl (2023)

I decided to write this review in English so that it can be understood by everyone around the world. Hoping this boosts the series' popularity since you guys are reading my review. Hehehe. Please don't judge it if you're not a fan of the series. But seriously, it's a good one! 😁

Cigarette Girl

Cigarette Girl - Gadis Kretek

Director	:	Kamila Andini, Ifa Isfansyah
Writer	:	Ratih Kumala (novel's writer), Tanya Yuson, Kanya Priyanti, Ambaridzki Ramadhantyo (script writer)
TV	:	Netflix
Genre	:	Drama, history, romance
Total Episode	:	5 episodes
Release Date	:	2 November 2023

Cast Cigarette Girl

Synopsis Cigarette Girl

Darsiyah (Dian Sastrowardoyo), also known as Jeng Yah, is the eldest daughter of Idroes Moeria (Rukman Rosadi), a businessman who owns a popular kretek (cigarette) factory in City M. She has only one younger sister, Rukayah (Tissa Biani Azzahra/Nungki Kusumastuti). Jeng Yah is obsessed with kretek, and her dream is to create the best sauce for it, even though it's forbidden for women to enter the sauce room at that time. People believe that if women enter the sauce room, the kretek will taste sour.

One day, she went to the market with Idroes to complain to the vendor about the quality of the tobacco. There, she met Soeraja, a man who was nearly dead because people had attacked him. Thanks to Idroes, Soeraja can now work in the factory, and he becomes interested in Darsiyah.

Fast forward, Soeraja is dying, and he requests one of his sons, Lebas, to search for Jeng Yah. Taking on the responsibility, Lebas starts finding clues step by step to locate Jeng Yah. He meets Arum along the way, and it turns out that Arum has a relationship with Jeng Yah. Together, they unravel the mystery between Soeraja and Jeng Yah.

Review Cigarette Girl

Gadis Kretek (Source: Netflix)

I really like how Dian Sastro (Jeng Yah) portrays the character with the slow-paced Javanese talk. I absolutely love her performance! However, Raja's way of speaking seems more contemporary to me, not like people in 1965... p.s. it's not that I lived in that year, though. In my mind, people from 1965 wouldn't use slang like "ngga" but rather "ndak," especially for Javanese. It's weird to me that he used "ngga" to say "not." But Idroes, Darsiyah's father, also used "ngga" in the conversation. Hmm, maybe in that year, people already use that word. 🤔

If this series airs on national TV, there might be a lot of censorship because people are constantly smoking. Well, the title is 'Cigarette Girl,' so of course, there are plenty of smoking scenes, right? Oh, I didn't expect any sex scenes here, but there are!! Oh my God!!! I'm so nervous (badumm badumm) about watching this part because, you know, Indonesia is an East country, and premarital sex is a taboo. 😶 Especially in 1965, I don't think people were as open-minded as they are now. I'm worried they'll get caught and face social punishment (diarak keliling kampung semi telanjang). 😣 So, I think this series is not suitable for children to watch. 17++ 😊

The color of the scene seems dark. I think this makes the scene look more 'jadoel' (old), and it's appealing to me. The soundtrack they use for this series is also good. Please listen to this song...

Sounds good, right? The melody matches with the theme of the series. 🎶

Oh, by the way, this series is based on the popular novel with the same name, Gadis Kretek (Cigarette Girl). Before the series airs, I want to read the novel. However, since there's the series, I would rather watch the series than read the novel. Haha. I'm a visual person, you know. But many friends who have already read the novel gave positive reviews. Maybe if you want a detailed point of view, you should read the novel first and then watch the series to experience a nostalgic feeling. Hehe. 😉

Episodes 4 and 5 really provide a gripping climax! My tears fall like a waterfall. I try to hold them back, but I can't! 😭 Although some parts are confusing, overall, the story is good. Spoiler alert The part that confuses me is when Raja comes home while Idroes and Darsiyah are dealing with the soldiers. Darsiyah shouts to Raja, 'Run! Mas, Run!' But Raja just stands there like a stone and gets shot in the leg. However, he manages to escape and avoids getting caught, which is strange for me to watch that scene. Raja can be arrested with his leg's condition, but he can still escape the soldiers. Raja doesn't realize it, but after several years, he finally learns the reason why he wasn't arrested with Idroes and Jeng Yah. I also wonder why only Jeng Yah and Idroes were arrested. What about Rukayah and her mother? Perhaps the novel will provide a detailed story about this.

Another thing that I find strange is that the depiction of the tense arrest incident cannot be shown enough. Apart from that, the effect on the families whose names are on the list is also less clear. For Indonesian viewers, this part will be understandable because they have learned the history of the PKI arrest. But what about global audiences? It's certainly not a good description about that event (for me).

Besides the story of Darsiyah and Soeraja, I also enjoy the story of Lebas and Arum. I find their interactions amusing, and I often chuckle at their scenes. The funniest part for me occurs when Lebas sleeps over at Arum's house and ends up in Jeng Yah's bedroom. Suddenly, a gecko makes a noise, startling Lebas, who calls for help from Arum. Arum then rushes back to catch the gecko. Hihihi. I mentioned to Mr. Q that Lebas's reaction is similar to his because I know he is also afraid of geckos. Hehehe. I enjoy teasing him in the midst of watching the series together. 😜

Arum and Lebas (Source: Netflix)

I like the quote from old Purwanti "Kita semua menanggung akibat dari apa yang kita lakukan." - We all suffer the consequences of what we do. It is like the Bible said about the sower went forth to sow. If the seed is placed in good ground, it will bear fruit. However, if the seed is placed in stony places or among thorns, it will not grow and bear fruit.

Fun fact: Dian mentioned that her role as Darsiyah is the most challenging because Darsiyah's character is the opposite of the real Dian. She had to give up her hobbies (cycling, tennis, and running) and even refrained from using a mobile phone at home to immerse herself in the role of Darsiyah. During her free time, she simply read books and listened to keroncong (Javanese music). What a great sacrifice for her role, right??! 👏🏻

The IMDb rating is 8.3/10, and I agree with this assessment; it's a good series. 👍 Personally, I would give it an 8.5/10 instead. I recommend it for those who enjoy a blend of history, romance, and a touch of mystery in their shows.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐✨(8.5/10)