Feels like a soft breeze
Wonderfully written and portrayed characters with believable motivations, complex states of mind and situations, and realistic relationships. This drama worked hard to have you laugh, cry and feel at peace throughout the story.It is simply a wonderful viewing experience.
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Although the first few episodes in the village are a bit slow, as more about each character is revealed I gradually found myself appreciating every single person! The aunties, the grannies, the adorable children, the other short-term residents. Each character has depth, their own struggles and challenges, hopes and fears. The friendships were truly heartwarming. I loved Xiao Chun's straightforward demeanor, Da Mai gradually opening up, and Xia Xia maturing. A romance develops between the leads quite naturally, but if that's what you're primarily watching for then it'll require some patience. Liu Yi Fei and Li Xian had great chemistry and were very cute together.
I really enjoyed watching this almost every night and unwinding, just a perfect way to end the day. I'm such a fan of this director & writers team, as Find Yourself and Go Ahead are both among my favorites. (Noting that they have a different feel to Meet Yourself--Find Yourself is a bit more comedic and Go Ahead is more melodramatic but all three have a lot of heart.)
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A beautiful healing soothing story
I fell in love with the story, the characters and the place. It was a tranquil and healing drama to watch. I am very selective about the dramas that I watch but this drama had me glued till the end. There were no evil charactersor or unbelievable plots to be stressed about. Just a normal slow paced story depicting normal people with their own problems who eventually found their own happiness. This drama sets itself apart from most dramas nowadays that are too overly dramatic. I really loved the gorgeous location which had such breathtaking views . I laughed, cried and smiled along with every single character. This drama was really such a delight to watch and I actually felt sad when it ended.Was this review helpful to you?
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A Story of Friendships & Love Built in a Tiny Courtyard While Overcoming Personal Hardship.
After watching LX in Will Love in Spring and hearing good things about this one as another slice of life story, decided to check it out. Glad I did; he was able to play a more smiling, joking character though with no less responsibility on his shoulders. I've only seen Crystal Liu in A Dream of Splendor where she did very well. This was a story of friendships and love built in a tiny courtyard while overcoming personal hardship.Pros: I really love the friendships that were built in the courtyard and how they went beyond the courtyard but into the rest of the village and were intergenerational. Also though FL or XHD lost her best friend in the first episode, she was never far from her mind especially when she finally told her new friends about her. ML or XZY (lovingly called A'Yao) was my favorite character because of just how much he shouldered and was always still joking and smiling. He was essentially taking every major project from the village on himself. When HD and A'Yao became friends, it was nice to see that it wasn't a rushed romance but a real bond that grew. We saw that he caught feelings first but she wasn't far behind. The other great characters were DM, NN, HY, Mr. Ma (when he wasn't flipping his hair), granny Xie and a few of the other grannies, XC, XX (girl) and XX (guy). The 4 kids were cute too. Joseph Zeng's two episode guest appearance was surprising but good. How all the courtyard folks and others would rally around those going through a hard time was very heartwarming. Brought hope to humanity.
Chemistry between the leads was awesome and comedy within the story was pretty good. I really wish they had more time on screen as a couple as opposed to giving that up to her 3 episode leaving and town revitalization towards the end. Their kisses were very good so that as always was an added bonus. The OSTs and BGM, locations, were all very on point. Though there were times when there was maybe a bit more verbiage than necessary, a lot of it was beneficial. Really loved the growth of the characters into better versions of themselves. Found out afterwards that the person who played XC's ex-husband was actually the show's assistant director. Pretty cool when the directorial staff can play extras or do cameos.
Cons: Too many side characters and plots that I felt took up too much of the story. You already had so many important supporting characters that everyone else should have been left alone. Most of the time that XQ girl that had a yen for A'Yao for a while or the embroidery lady who had a heart attack but for the life of me I couldn't remember who she was, there were others too but I don't remember. The leads could have had more together time since this was billed as a romance and they only technically had 9 episodes but most of that was taken up by things and people not important to the story. It would have been easier to focus on the quality not quantity and have the leads maybe get engaged by the end. Show more couple time in those 9 episodes. Wish NN and male XX's friendship/feelings were better fleshed out too.
Forced propaganda was so unnecessary here. You can revitalize a village without sticking propaganda into it. Even the poor kids were singing an indoctrination song. It stuck out like a sore thumb especially when the friends in the courtyard would be just shooting the breeze drinking and making toasts to each other and out of nowhere someone pops out with "may our country prosper"; like who says that when they're just hanging out with friends? It's not a political or even business meeting. Made me role my eyes on more than on one occasion because it was not the series for that. If you're going for a country living romance with friends, you just don't need that. Not realistic at all when there's a juxtaposition to everything else.
Would I recommend it? Despite those few baubles, I enjoyed this story and glad I listened to people in the other comment section. Look forward to LX's future dramas. Check this out if you haven't yet.
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Genuine, Warm, Peaceful
This is the drama that you need when you want to seek genuine peace and warmth in your life.TBH, slice-of-life is not my preferred genre. I’d avoid this genre, most of the time. But I decided to watch this because of Li Xian, and I love it SO MUCH I ended up falling in love with other cast members.
As a graduate from Tourism Management course who is also an aspiring writer, I think this drama has succeeded in promoting Yunnan with excellent script-writing.
Even tho it’s slow, there wasn’t a single boring moment. No skipping/fast-forwarding at all. I even found myself feeling hesitant to finish this masterpiece, as if it wasn’t slow enough.
Definitely a 10/10 from me, and if it was possible I would rate it much more higher!
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If you want a life lesson shoved down your throat in every episode..
Lets start with the good.- The scenery is gorgeous. I’m about to book my next trip to Yunnan.
- Liu Yi Fei is stunning. The whole show is basically of her walking around with her beautiful hair and amazing outfits.
- The grandma. Girlfriend stole the scene every single time.
- The food looks delicious. I was constantly craving Chinese food when I watched it.
- Slow burn romance. It was sweet.
Now for the not so good.
- I know this is a slice of life healing drama but the show overdid it. Every time there’s a conversation, someone always have something insightful to say (as emotional music plays in the background). Life lessons were constantly being spoon fed to viewers. It’s like the show doesn’t trust viewers to understand if they do it subtly. Everything was spelled out with endless, boring, educational conversations.
- This could’ve easily been a 30 episode drama. It could’ve been one episode less just by cutting all the scenes of that guy drinking tea and meditating..
- I started fwding parts with minor characters such as the struggle of that auntie who’s son went to prison, her bickering with that other auntie, tea/meditating dude’s business ventures, writer’s block girl (even though she’s such a cute actress), all the singing by the singer.. it was too much.
- Liu Yi Fei’s acting. I don’t know if it’s only me but her expressions and movements are always muted so I don’t always catch what she’s trying to convey. For example, there was one scene where she’s supposed to seem jealous but because of her lack of expressions I thought she was not interested. It was only until the ML pointed it out that she’s jealous that I understood.
This is getting too long. Overall, not bad but feel free with forward.
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Watch it to feel alive
This drama will soothe your mind from the hardships of life. If you want to breathe, take a break and regain some energy to go face the world, this will be your medecine.Just watch it and you will feel happier, wishing there was more than 40 episodes to share the journey with these people.
I read the reviews before watching it and saw only good, positive feedbacks, so I didn't hesitate to watch it. It's rare to find dramas that everyone likes but this one really is a hidden gem. I only wish all dramaland could be aware of this treasure!
Trust us and go!
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Beautiful and touching drama
Slow-paced, but beautifully produced, acted, and packed with lots of invaluable life lessons, this show is a true gem. The writer behind it has an immense wisdom that shines through in every episode. Whenever I think about this show, I find myself tearing up not out of sadness, but because of the beautiful and touching stories each character brings to the screen. The chemistry between the main leads is realistic and beautiful, making it easy to fall in love with them and root for their journey.As a fan of the writer's previous work in Go Ahead, I was excited to see what they would bring to this piece, and I was not disappointed. Their talent for crafting poignant and meaningful stories is unparalleled. I can't wait to see what they create in the future, and I will be a fan for life. This show is truly a masterpiece, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a heartfelt and thought-provoking watch.
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way to freedom
this is not your normal rom-com, normal country side drama, this is a drama which will make you happy, giggle,cry and make you rethink about life.I like how to story tell about each day of the workers and the hard work they do to live.
Things I learned from the characters
ML - always help people and be grateful
FL - even at worst never turn bad, how to pull up your self back up after a tragedy
mr.Ma - there is no age to peruse what you really want to become
mr.Hu - you should always follow your dreams
kids - how to be united and always help the elders
this drama I a gem pure gem.
the best part of this drama is that all the age groups are considered and shown
loved this dramas want part2 so bad.
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Small town and Slice of Life kind of drama
Meet yourself was very refreshing to watch. I like the overall plot of the drama which was about the FL taking a break from the hustle and bustle of big city and enjoying the quiet country life where clocks don’t matter.The best part of the drama is hands down the casting. Love the leads, you know them from Mulan (the American Live action version) and Go Go Squid. Both I haven’t seen in for some time and it was really nice to see them matched together. The chemistry was off the charts and it’s nice to see the ML actually younger (in real life).
The secondary characters were great to watch too and with 40 episodes, everyone got to tell their tale. So, the story building was very good and you got to know the characters very well.
The second best part of the drama was the friendship and kindness everyone had towards each other. It’s a VERY low angst drama and a lot of the issues were simple, but interesting, like small town feuds, or one sided love or parental drama. There’s one or two stories we could all relate to.
I really enjoyed the setting and costumes. The setting was something I’ve never seen before and I LOVED they took a historical town and made it so charming. The stables and barn looked like it was something from an American film. Just really beautiful to watch. I also loved that the FL never dressed frumpy and her hair and makeup was always beautiful.
I really appreciate the tone and theme of the drama. The leads were very mature and was always respectful to each other. It’s one of the more realistic relationships I’ve seen in a C drama, where two people get to know each other and over time, fall in love.
The storylines were very realistic too, you will NOT see any cheesy C drama troupes. I wouldn’t have mind one or two troupes because at times the pacing was a bit slow and there are tons of stories to follow.
Overall, a really simple and easy drama to watch.
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A Perfect Series to Heal Ourselves
This is absolutely a true gem! For everyone who needs consolation, this is the perfect drama to watch. I think everyone of us has had an experience like Hongdou. We got lost, felt confused, and didn't know what to do in life. Each episode truly teaches us what's important in our lives. What we truly need in life and how we need to face every one of our problems. The people in the yard who came to this place to recuperate one by one became allies and healed each other. I also love how they developed Hongdou and Ayao's relationship. Two different people tried their best to understand each other without forcing each other's feelings. Their love is just as beautiful as this whole series. When I need time to heal, I am sure I will come back again to watch this gem!Was this review helpful to you?
My Dose of Tranquility-Final review
As of episode 25:I usually wait until I've watched all episodes to write a review, but I want to encourage anyone who is curious about this series to check it out. It's like....a warm hug. It's like...taking a long bath in a dark room with only your scented candles for light. It's like....medicine for your soul.
You don't want to binge all episodes at once. Two or three at a time is all you need. The first episode is heart wrenching, but afterwards it has a calming, soothing effect. This series will take you away from your own life and let you into theirs for a bit, and leave you contemplative. It's slow and steady while still being interesting. The feeling that I'm left with at the end of each episode is contentedness.
I may add more as I go, or I may wait until I've completed the series before I update this. Just know that if you are considering watching this, and you can watch something that is of a slower nature, it's definitely worth it.
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As of episode 32:
Episode 31 was my favorite! It had me grinning and squealing! I love the feeling I'm left with after watching these episodes. I'm sorry there's only 40 episodes, because I'm going to run out soon. :(
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As of episode 40:
Ahh....I'm so sad that I can't watch this again for the first time.
At the end of each episode, I would sit there in contemplation. Even though I had moments of excitement or sadness while watching, it was the afterwards where I always found myself staring into nothingness, relaxed. I have never had a show, be it a series, movie, or otherwise, be able to make me feel so at peace. I didn't like all the characters all the time. And some things worked out like I wanted, but others didn't. I think that's what makes a good slice-of-life show though. Reality will show you that sometimes things, situations, people are good, and sometimes they're not. But you can't have harmony if you don't work towards it, which is what I found the people within this village setting to be doing with the help of each other.
The music was calming, the setting was beautiful, and the characters were hardworking and supportive. The village was like nothing I'd ever seen, but so was the drama. It was amazing! I'm so happy I watched this, and I can guarantee that I'll be revisiting this when I need a shot of calmness.
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