Meet Yourself

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

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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.

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An Incomplete Drama

Question: Are there plans to finish this drama?

While I agree wholeheartedly with the praise heaped on this drama (I have watched it 3 times and am now in my 4th),
I am painfully aware of some very serious omissions:

I was truly shocked when episode 40 turned out to be the final episode. The drama was nowhere
near finished at the end of ep40.

1. A'Yao never asked Dou to marry him.
2. Dou never stated she wants to marry A'Yao.
2. In fact, they never got married.
3. In fact, No fewer than 3 times did Dou expressly threaten to divorce A'Yao if he displeased her.

Q: Would they have had children?
Q: If so, what would happen to their relationship under the pressure of raising children?

I do indeed love this show, but it is only a down-payment on a drama, it is not a complete drama.

Question: Are there plans to finish the drama?

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Cozy Slice of Life

I’m not usually a big fan of slice of life dramas, but I love this one. It could be because I’m in my 40s and the themes resonate, but I’m enjoying it.

Story: It begins with a sad episode and slowly eases into a cozy story. It isn’t fast paced at all but I find that if I skip anything I miss great moments.

Acting: I love Li Xian and Liu Yifei. It’s easy to believe that they’re just playing themselves sometimes. Li Xian is a bit goofy which is kind of cute. The grannies are often scene stealers.

Obviously we aren’t far in but I think if you’re looking for a good cozy watch with a feel good story this is it. If you want fast paced, this is not it. I will probably rewatch this one if it ends well.

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Meandering show that goes nowhere

I started off really like this show, the first 2 eps hit hard and made me cry alot, when something happens to a specific character.
The FL then takes a long trip to Yunnan and stays thre for awhile, the entire drama is just basically about her life in yunnan and the various characters' lives in Yunnan.

Yup. That's about it.

I went into this knowing this was a slice of life drama, but even in typical SOL dramas, something happens. Something usuallyhappens to th emain character to make them rethink life. Here? When that character passes on, I expect the FL to actually grief properly and that changes the whole outlook of her life etc. However, whatever happened in those first 2 chapters were never quite addressed again, and the rest of the drama goes on a completely different tangent. There was no huge conflict arcs - nada. Just nothing to look forward to. Ended up dropping this after taking 6 months to finish 13 episodes. I ff-ed to some of the later episodes - and it was the same-ish kinda tone - with small things happening to different characters, but I come off feeling like I didn't miss anything.

Some pros:
- Nice-ish scenery
- Good acting from most of the cast. I really like Damai's character and her story arc
- Every character has a "problem" in their life they needa solve
- Nice food scenes
- Promoted the yunnan food/culture sufficiently

Cons:
- This drama was wayyyy too long for something that had almost nothing happening. 25 episodes would have been enough
- Boring sets. Yunnan has amazing scenery but you barely see it here, the characters are just confined to the same old sets
- Boring music/OST - the same song plays over and over again for emotive scenes
- Too many characters. It's like an ensemble cast honestly. There are some characters i wasn't interested in, so the focus on their storylines bored me
- The romance was too slow burn and I felt that they should have stayed friends. Absolutely no chemistry between Li Xian and Liu Yifei that when they did get together, I couldn't buy it and didn't find it romantic
- LYF's acting is just meh. She goes around yunnan in perfectly-coiffed hair and thick makeup and red lipstick - seriously, woman. you are in yunnan on a supposed break, you can chill abit on the dressing up. She looked so out of place alongside other characters who were more naturally made-up. When I see things like that in the drama, where the lead is clearly dressed better than the other characters, it just shows me that the actor/production/both want to make the particular lead stand out. I get it, but do it via the storyline or the acting, and not the aesthetics please, it just looks so out of place. And yes back to her acting - she half-whispers most of her lines I have no idea why when everyone else is speaking at a normal tone, and has no emotions at all. I couldn't get into her character at all and Hongdou came off haughty/dismissive many times to different people. There were several scenes where she was thinking about her friend and it was obviously a sad scene, but there were no emotions on her face, nothing. It just takes me out.
- Li Xian is fine but I felt his acting here was abit forced. I've seen him in many other dramas and really enjoy his versatility

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loksyutnya keren, alurnya keren, castsnya keren

Nonton ini dibikin jatuh cinta sama karakter-karakternya yang sangat-sangat relatable. Setiap episodenya punya ritme yang pas, jadi nggak bosan2 banget atau ngerasa kelamaan.

Yang paling aku suka tuh alurnya yang ringan dan lokasinya yang nyegarin. Bener2 kaya diajak liburan bareng, wisata bareng, kulineran bareng wkwk dan dramanya jg punya keseimbangan yang sempurna antara humor, romansa, konflik.

Ni drama ga ada antagonisnya, jadi ga yang dramatis gitu. Terus akting castsnya ok, chemistry mereka jg ok, aku kaya ngeliat orang lagi ngobrol biasa, kaya lagi offcam.

Overall, ini drachin yang paling bagusvyang pernah aku tonton. Rekomendasi banget buat siapa aja yang cari tontonan ringan tapi menghibur, sempurna buat ditonton maraton. Dikasi S2 jg masih bagus sih ini.

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achievment unlocked - congrats you created group therapy clinic!!!

its slowpace drama in which every character got some personal problem.
But miraculously if you gather alot people with such problems at one place ...
congrats you created group therapy clinic!!!

Its alot alike to Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, BUT I would say its not comedy... it specialises on vibe and healing and human relations including romance.

plot - FL is city woman, workaholic working in hotel. Cause of tragic situation she got emotionally drained.
She leaves resign work and leaves city for small village in search for peace and quiet life to regenerate her injuries.

genre - healing vibe, countryside, human relationships, romance

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Exquisite

Despite its flaws, this is one of my top five C-dramas. A story of finding yourself in the midst of heartbreak. It centers on a young woman who experienced deep heartbreak and went on a long term vacation at a sleepy town in rural China.

Plot: Slow paced in every sense of the word. This drama is character-driven and the romance is one of the most slow-burn you'll ever see. So this drama might not be everyone's cup of tea. But joining the FL in her path to healing and bonding with her newfound friends makes it all worth it.

Cast: Known in the West as the actress who played Mulan, Crystal showcases her superb acting skills in this drama. Her soft-voice and gentle demeanor matches this drama's atmosphere to a T. She's so talented. Fans will also recognize the ML as the protagonist in Go Go Squid. Xian is also a perfect fit since he doesn't have top model looks, making him a good fit as a likeable everyman who is devoted to his small town and fights for his ideals while trying to woo the FL in relatable ways.

The support cast have backstories that are for the most part endearing and engaging, but I could have done without the guitarist You Yu Hu and the ML's colleague, Xiao. A divorced single mom, Xiao is short fused and no-nonsense, so it was hard to understand why this professional woman was once married to a guy who is so mellow, introverted and simple-minded. I know opposite attracts but without any backstory the contrast between the two is jarring. She also shuns another potential suitor but there's little explanation behind her choices, making her character too one-dimensional.

However, my biggest peeve goes to the lazy and aimless guitarist Hu, a kind of a starving-artist stereotype who was the butt of all jokes. A character for comedic relief is understandable, but the guy was the target of so many put-downs that, as a male viewer, it got very annoying after a while. As icing on the cake, he had to be "rescued" in a scene by an older woman. In short, saying he was a wimp is a big understatement. They laid it down too thick with this character, so I skipped most of his story arc.

Final Thoughts: There is another concern about the script that few people talk about, but it needs to be said. The leads were both in their 30s. I believe the FL was already 30 when she met the ML and the drama makes it very clear that she is focused on building her career in the upcoming years. Similar to You Are My Glory, you get the sense that if the couple starts a family, it will be well into their mid-30s, at the onset of a geriatric pregnancy, and the challenges that it entails. No drama I've seen, whether in the East or the West, shows couples even remotely talking about this matter. It would serve the impressionable young adults who watch these dramas to see this important topic at least mentioned when couples plan for the future and decide whether to bear children or not.

All that aside, Meet Yourself is so highly rewatchable since it deftly weaves together wise teachings with inspirational stories about the power of friendship and community as we find our meaning, healing and thirsting for life. You'll fall in love with the sweet grandma, the chatty townswomen, and the charming backdrop and slow pace of life in rural China. I hope to see more dramas that explore more regions outside the big cities and shows more of the vibrant and diverse landscape of East Asian culture.

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Healing

The last 15 minutes made me so inexplicably sad and made me cry, I don’t know why🥹. This show was really comforting and served as a means to let go of some of my feelings, which makes me appreciate this gem a lot. Liu Yi Fei is incredibly natural in her acting in this show, she easily conveyed any emotions and really touched me with her performance. Li Xian: I only know him from some clips of “Go Go Squid”, and in those he looked rather stiff, so I didn’t know what to expect. He quickly proved to be very charming, fun and expressive (key word: eye acting😏) on screen, and I enjoyed all the interactions his character had.

I think the show had too many sub-plots though. Too many stories to be told, and at one point I started losing interest and only cared about Hong Dou, granny, A’Yao, and the girl trio (girl friendships 🥰🐥🍓🌸🌷🌞🌈💜💕❣️), basically anything that involved our main leads.


The OST and cinematography were also simply sublime and so pretty!

Overall, a beautiful healing series that goes right into your heart with a dash of romance!

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A light hearted drama

Firstly the story starts off with Xu Hong dou,the female protagonist,being depressed with the demise of her best friend and then decides to go on a trip to Yunnan, where she makes new friends and her life changes forever.
What attracted me the most in this drama is it's cinematography.The locales were scenic,very relaxing and pleasing to the eyes!!
Liu Yifei as Xu Hong Dou is apt for the role.
Li Xian as the male lead was good in his acting.All their friends were good.
The friendship development between all of them was nice .
This drama also teaches us to never lose hope in life,also find your place of peace and happiness and always follow your heart.
Particularly I liked the character of Granny Xie and her bonding with her grandson Xie Zhi Yao.
The music and background also are nice.
Overall a worth watching drama.Watch it for a relaxing change in your busy life.

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