Meet Yourself

Slice of Life drama with beloved characters

Admittedly I didn't initially like the premise of this story so I came in watching with low expectations. But it was HIGHLY recommended by a friend who shares similar drama preferences so I kept an open mind.

Honestly, speaking, I LOVED it. It's everything I want in a comfort-friendship drama. In fact the romance aspect isn't put at the forefront of the story in half of the episodes.

The story had such a slow start for me because I was mainly hoping to see cute romantic scenes. But these don't pick up until around the 16th episode. And quite honestly, the first 8 episodes were basically getting to know all the other characters in the story, so just brace yourself for a slow slow start.

Although I found it slow (and dragging) I found myself starting to care more about the stories of the other characters. And I love when they flesh out the backgrounds of all the "side characters". There's enough background stories to go around. And the friendship they develop working through each of their problems made me want to have my own similar group of friends. I do love all the girls though from Damai, Nana, Xiaochun and Xinxin.

The setting is also amazing and the shots take them beautifully. If there was one takeaway from this drama, it is that their town would be such a nice place to visit on a holiday.

The OST was also quite fitting, including more slow, calm, nostalgic songs.

The romance was actually quite mature. Slow to develop but between two emotionally mature adults who knows how to work through their conflicts together. It's somehow healing to watch versus most other romcoms that show intense arguments and conflicts before the happy ending.


Overall, very nice comforting watch. I like the idea of it, but I don't think I'll find myself rewatching it anytime soon.

Read More

Healing indeed

Very insightful take on the lives of people taken over by their work.

I didnt have any expectation at first. I just thought at first oh! The male lead is very cute.

But i like the pacing of the drama. I like the sub stories. The location where they shot this drama is very beautiful. I put Dali or Hunan (im not sure) on my travel list.

My only complaints is.. Its filled with chinese government propaganda. Which i somehow undertand since its a chinese series.

If you can overlook this then its a great show.
I just skipped over it.

Very nice

Read More

Um drama que traz conforto.

Eu sabia que quando assistisse a esse drama ia se tornar marcante para mim.
Particularmente a vila me lembra o lugar que a minha irmã mais velha vive, uma cidadezinha do interior Paulista(na Serra da Mantiqueira, no Brasil) em que a principal renda é o turismo e por isso o drama é muito próximo da realidade em que já vivi passando as férias por lá hahah por mais que sejam países diferentes e que estejam a milhas de distância, a vida mais leve no interior, o compartilhamento de alimentos entre amigos e vizinhos, a fofoca entre moradores, ir acampar e observar as estrelas, são coisas que em qualquer lugar do mundo são comuns.
A história do drama é um primor, tão bonito, aconchegante e bem escrito. A naturalidade que as relações dos personagens foram construídas foi o ponto alto do drama. ♡
Queria destacar que a trilha sonora, a fotografia e os cenários são perfeitos.

Read More

Must watch drama

Meet yourself is one my favourite dramas.The story and pacing is good.All characters are very lovable.There are no misunderstandings and confusion.It really is realistic and heart warming drama.

At first I thought how I gonna finish 40 episodes (Max no episodes i usually watch is 24) but when I completed each episode I wanted more and more.I felt sad that episodes are running over and wished there should be another 40 episodes.

It is a must watch drama.for every episode I felt like Iam living in the drama.The chemistry between leads is realistic and lovable.Each character has its uniqueness.Its a wonderful and must watch drama.I hope you will feel the drama as I felt.

Read More

Good general drama

The overall high level story from start to finish is very engaging. Just about anyone from any country can relate to the day in and day out highs and lows that is portrayed in this drama. But as with anything now in 2023 you can see many subtle undercurrents about things in general. Some of the other reviews made comments about this being a China promotional drama to draw tourists back to China. Not sure how accurate that really is but from a drama story stand point it truly stands out because it actually feels like a story about every day people meeting, becoming friends and helping each other while also trying to find their way without the current stress that society has pressured people into believing they have to do certain things in order to consider yourself successful.

There are truly many very heart felt natural moments through out the episodes and all of the actors and characters have meaningful parts thru out. While you can say there's a FL and ML to the drama this has to be one of the few dramas where many characters had pretty good supporting side stories to the main story. The main story and side stories were all very well entwined with each other kudos for pulling that off since that's usually very rare to have happen in most dramas.

The OST was very nice and mellow but towards the end it got repetitive but still nice.

Totally amazing that I actually watched a cdrama that didn't have someone either stealing, killing, getting revenge. While they did manage to have someone die of cancer which seems almost mandatory these days. At least this time it was more to set the whole rest of the story instead of drawing out a bad ending. Lots of Chinese idioms and culture with very positive outlooks in general.

Will probably rewatch again a year or so from now to compare 2022/2023 to how the future is for China. Don't see how it's getting straight 10's except for trying to push towards a high rating to get more people to watch. Sort of feels more contrived to push certain themes and views to foreign viewers.

Read More

A Peaceful Getaway When Life Has You Stressed ?

Okay, so if you’ve been feeling a little burnt out or just want something that’s calming but still meaningful, you have to watch Meet Yourself. Trust me, it’s not one of those flashy dramas, it’s the kind that gently pulls you in and makes you feel like you're taking a deep breath for the first time in weeks.

The story follows Xu Hongdou, this successful woman, who takes a break from city life, after her best friend passes away. She ends up in this small, quiet village and what was supposed to be just an escape turns into this whole journey of healing, friendship, and self-discovery.

What’s beautiful about this drama is that it’s not really about big plot twists or intense romance (though there is a lovely slow-burn relationship with the male lead, Xie Zhiyao, who is thoughtful and lowkey dreamy). It’s more about people, and life. Every character feels real, from the quirky villagers to the new friends Hongdou meets and each of them has their own little story that adds so much heart to the show.

The pacing is slower, but in a good way. It gives you time to breathe. You actually get to see the characters grow, reflect, and connect. It’s like one of those dramas that makes you want to journal, drink tea, and maybe rethink your entire life in the best possible way.

And oh my god... the village scenery? Absolutely stunning. It’s all lush mountains, quiet fields, cozy homestays, and warm meals.

If you want something soul-soothing, hopeful, and quietly beautiful, Meet Yourself is honestly the perfect pick. It’ll make you want to slow down, appreciate the little things, and maybe even take a solo trip to find your own peace. 😍

Read More

When Love Feels Like a Gentle Breeze ?

Watching this show was like taking a stroll by the beach after a long, stressful day. What a beautiful story. It was so nice to see a mature love story void of any of the usual silly tropes. The acting in this was superb, every character felt believable.

The ML was incredible. I love how he constantly smiled ☺️when he was with the FL, seeing him, there was no doubt in my mind that this was a man who was desperately in love. I admire the fact that he always gave Dou space to make her own decisions. He was really emotionally intelligent, not expecting things from her that he himself couldn’t give. And look things worked out for him ultimately. Let this be a lesson to you men out there👀

The FL was also amazing in showing a range of emotions. I have never cried as much as I did in the first episode. I cried too when she visited her friend’s parents and at other points in the show. The show was so rich with emotions and I can only commend the writing, acting and direction in this.

I too lost a friend this year, she was the kindest person I have ever met. She was so beautiful and a delight to be around. She was a light in my life. Living abroad, I felt like I never got to mourn her but watching this story helped me release some of those pent up emotions. It felt so healing. This is the power of good writing.

The supporting characters were great to watch too. The 4 little kids were too adorable 🥰Such great kid actors with hopefully a bright future ahead. The grandma was everything 😍 I love her. She reminds me of my own grandma. It looked like she was more excited about the 2 leads getting together than the leads themselves 😂 I loved it.

Overall, an incredible story that will take you on a healing journey. I would recommend watching this especially after watching something intense and anxiety inducing as it provides a nice relief. However, if you are easily triggered by themes of grief, the first episode might be a struggle to watch so make sure you are in the right state of mind.

Read More

SLOW BURN, FRIENDS TO LOVERS, MOVING

Soul moving, Life changing, & Self healing kind of drama. Calm and peaceful environment. I admire the ML for his love to his town and to make it better for the people's livelihood in the town. The FML is really good at acting. Her role put me into a place to reflect my own life.— actually both the leads made me think and reflective of my life as a whole person. And for that, I can say that it is a great watch and worth watching.

Soul moving, Life changing, & Self healing kind of drama. Calm and peaceful environment. I admire the ML for his love to his town and to make it better for the people's livelihood in the town. The FML is really good at acting. Her role put me into a place to reflect my own life.— actually both the leads made me think and reflective of my life as a whole person. And for that, I can say that it is a great watch and worth watching

Read More

Beautiful and warm

LIKE

It's the first episode and I already cry till death heart-breaking scene

When the cat has a name - lol

When a phrase was quoted from Go Ahead.. even sing the theme song..

The real culprit who spread Ah Yuan's diarrhea - hilarious

Slow and calm with natural positive vibes

Omg the whole village how these people spread rumours like nobody’s business lol

When Ah Yao confessed to Hong Dou as a farewell sigh..

Nan Nan’s parents aged overnight cries

Zhi Yuan’s lame jokes

If you want to leave, leave happily. Do not leave when hungry, unhappy

If you have thousands you want ten thousands. If you become Emperor you want to be Immortal

First generations are hardworking farmers but poor. Second generations continue to work hard but have to leave families behind. Third generations trying to change the world so everyone could be together and prosper.

One generation unable to control two generations problems let things be and flow naturally

DISLIKE

All good

MUSIC - personal fav

去有风的地方 Qu You Feng De Di Fang - 郁可唯 Yu Ke Wei
摇篮谣 Yao Lan Yao - 斯斯与帆 Si Si Yu Fan
A Beautiful Smile - 金玟岐 Jin Wen Qi

REWATCH VALUE

Five for now

Read More

Even my favorite dramas normally only get up to 9.0 or 9.5 so that's considered really high, just an FYI.
It's beautiful, healing, and delightful. The characters are complex but even ones you may not initially like (such as initially-stern Aunty Feng who later smiles to light up a room, surly old Grandpa Yang who eventually comes around even if still surly), you'll grow to love. My favorites are the children and Granny Xie ("A'Nai" as A'Yao and Hongdou call her). I won't go on and on about everything I liked since many other reviews already covered it.

I also have a special place in my heart for this because the grannies and aunties remind me of my family and family's friends (as you know, in Chinese and other cultures, you address your elders as grandpa/grandma/uncle/auntie even if they're not blood-related). They touched me in ways that other cdramas modern and costume have not; though it's a slow drama, it's because all characters are fleshed out to feel real.

Minus half a point mainly because:
1. A bit draggy, but mainly on storylines about supporting characters I wasn't as invested in like Mr. Ma (the guy who is always meditating in the beginning) and the musician's romance.
2. The English songs used are annoying. Why do modern C-dramas always use English songs?? The non-English songs are good, though I wish they used some of them more (like "Hao Hao De" by Sa Ji was only used like twice despite how good it is, while they used other songs a bit too much).

These are just nitpicks though, which is why I only took off half a point.

Read More