This review may contain spoilers
This was one of the best life dramas I've ever watched.
This was one of the best life dramas I've ever watched.It shows even the worst traumas in life in a light-hearted way, and shows recovery and growth.
The need to abandon some dreams we have as children in order to pursue careers and relationships.
It shows that some relationships we have as young students don't work out in adulthood, and some people who seem shallow during our adolescence can become great relationships in adulthood.
It shows that work and college aren't the dreams we imagined as students, but they also have their bright spots and achievements.
The relationship between the protagonists' parents is intense and shows the friendship that was built and passed on to the children, who also grow up together.
**SPOILER ALERT**
Happy Ending: The 2 FL and ML end up together, but the secondary couple doesn't. They show a separation that makes sense between a love that was a teenage illusion. For me, they needed to show more of the relationship between SML and his girlfriend at the end of the Novel. This ending was left open, but in the Novel they close it well.
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This review may contain spoilers
Like a hot cup of chocolate on a rainy day
A close, realistic representation of the realities of growing up, understanding your parents, falling in love, growing apart, finding oneself, and learning what's truly important.The series did not fall short of clichés, love triangle (it's a love square, actually) and the usual misunderstandings among the couples, but the amount added is just quite right that it does not leave a bad taste, at all.
One of the best things about the series is that the characters, and this is not entirely limited to the leads, are written with depth, which did not incarcerate them to a specific character archetype—a good case of deviation from the usual youth drama formulas.
The female lead is one of the best written female leads I've encountered. She may be the usual innocent, shy at first, goody-two-shoes, hardworking female lead type, but what is different about her is her emotional maturity. She is not book smart but is able to navigate life with wisdom.
The male lead is the usual happy-go-lucky, "bad" student, carefree, and sporty heartthrob, but he’s also someone who consistently grows as an individual. Something I appreciate about how the male lead's character is written is how he is not deprived of ignorance, vulnerability, and stumbling blocks in his life that he cannot overcome alone despite his male lead role, underlining that he is actually young, imperfect, and still needs growth and guidance along with other peers his age.
As a couple, they do not shy away from openly expressing affection and discontent, acknowledging defeats and gaps in their personal life and relationship. Their growth as a couple is so beautiful and heartwarming and it is portrayed without much pretense.
The secondary characters did not get left behind in the story department as they were written well, too. The selfishness of second female lead and the grit of the second male lead are actually just the perfect representation of the bubble we built around ourselves when we were young.
The perseverance of both the secondary characters that scrapped their elbows and knees is, in fact, redirection in life that intended to lead them to where they should be—this realistically mirrors a type of love you can only look back fondly on, but something that must be left behind.
There is some heaviness on the themes as the series tackles death, social status, family background, family roles, grief, loss, unrealized dreams, and finding purpose and identity, but they're conveyed gently that it feels like you're sitting down and catching up with an old friend, talking about the beautiful old days, sharing wisdoms in life, laughing about the things you cried about, and sighing, yet bracing yourself, for what's yet to come—all these while cooped up somewhere nice and warm with a cup of hot chocolate, as you wait for the rain outside to pass. This, with a really good music playing in the background (OST is also really, really good!).
We haven’t reached the half of 2025 and yet I found one of the best youth dramas, and not just of this year.
Watching this gave me a pinch in the heart, as it made me recall my youth that I can never take back.
Watching the characters finally learning how to “go home” after soldiering on as adults in the real world gives me a wishful thinking that maybe, I’ll get to go home myself someday. That the right things and people will find me eventually without trying too hard.
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Life is incredible
This was a fun ride to watch.I cannot compare this to any of the drama's I've watched. It's my first time experience a different feeling every time I watch this. You know, like there's so many layers to the story and it's full of lessons in life.
I enjoy every fun scenes, I cried on every sad scenes, I felt the pain of Xichi losing his father, Cong having to understand his mother, and Huaner worries of her mother.
I am not attached on this drama like the other ones I've watched, but it left a big lecture that in life things would change but some things might still be the same.
This might be the best cinematographic drama I've watch. Every scene is beautifully captured, the after effects puts a lot of emotion, the sceneries was beautiful.
I like the pacing of the story on the early episodes, like they didn't skip a lot of time. However, in the end bit. It feels like the story became hard to understand, like time wise. Maybe it's just me not fully investing in filling the timelines between scenes, but I though maybe they could have stretch scenes more to explain how they are there.
The final episode is one of the best ending for youth drama. Them rewatching their old self and reflecting what they are now is so good.
My final thoughts, this drama is I highly recommend for anyone. I feel like when you have watch this, your life may change a bit moving forward.
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One of the dumbest dramas I've ever watched, for a C-drama (but not the worst)
I'm starting to think that C-dramas will only allow natural acting unless there's a big budget or one or some of their high-profile actors are involved. I had recently seen Unforgettable Love before this, and I wish I hadn't. How in the world does a child actor dwarf the entire cast of this one?I think it's a cultural thing. Directors just can't match the natural dramas of South Korea. But if you watch some of the latest and popular C-dramas, they are getting better. I thought that since this was new, 2025, this would continue the trend. But nope, every actor in this drama is reading their lines like it's the first time they've read them. There's no synergy, no chemistry, and no natural writing/progression to really embold the talent that some of the cast have. It's not just the stoic presentation that every actor displays when they deliver their lines, it's also the writing. The storylines and the writing itself are just incredibly bad.
Case in point, the FL moves in with her family to a new apartment complex that is filled with a sense of a close neighborhood feel. Everyone there is a doctor or nurse, or at least a teacher. But halfway through the story, they retcon it and reveal that the parents have actually been friends since college? WTF? Later on, the second couple also break up because of cultural and class differences, which makes no sense. The second male lead's parents aren't literally a doctor and a nurse?! It's implied that the second female second lead's mother is insanely rich, so I can understand that to some extent. But to make it so strangely odd, feels like a cop out just to move the plot. Let me remind readers that after high school, all the younger characters go to their own universities and still somehow have enough money to fly across the country and visit each other, let alone stay at a mountain resort. Like I said, it makes no fucking sense. Then, there's the huge problem with the male lead. Throughout high school, he was an idiot. That's literally how they wrote him. He had no talent in academics, but he wanted to be a professional soccer player because of his dad. Let's ignore the fact that he looks nothing like an athlete and just move along. Later, he gets injured and finally takes his studies seriously. I think this happens when he's a sophomore. Out of nowhere, they again retcon his story, and he's now a computer science prodigy. This means he's good at math, a subject he literally failed at in the earlier episodes. For those who don't know, computer science is one of the hardest degrees out there. Right alongside math, engineering, and physics. In one episode, they show him writing code out of nowhere lmao. I'm sorry, it's just hilariously bad. They just gloss over these things like it's nothing.
I'm sorry, I must apologize for sounding so negative. It's not uncommon for dramas, especially C-dramas, to just forgo realism in a certain way to tell a story. Nothing has to be perfect. It's just that the performances really are that stoic. It feels like everyone is enunciating their lines and speaking in a tonal form. And this is expected in Mandarin. But when you watch recent hits like "Lighter and Princess" or the "Unforgettable Love" I mentioned earlier, you get the idea that this is changing. So when a new drama reverts back to this cultural tone and doesn't allow informal banter, it's hard not to get frustrated. Chinda doesn't allow provocative content, but this shouldn't hinder tension and synergy as much as it does. Waiting over 22 episodes for a kiss doesn't help matters, too, btw. So I do feel bad for comparing, but those retcons to the story and loopholes that feel made up really frustrated the viewer. Or at least they frustrated me.
For what it's worth, though, I think the FL has a very bright future. You can tell she tries her hardest with the script she got. Her smile feels genuine. Her effort feels genuine. I really enjoyed watching her. And also, I will admit that when topics got a little serious, the acting partially felt natural and raw. It happened so sparingly, but not enough to make me think this drama was worth watching. So I did watch the whole thing, but I skimmed pretty much every episode after 20. I'm sorry to say, but you're better off watching something else.
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SOMETHING THAT CAN BE CALLED PERFECT
I have watched many youth dramas but this will be closest to my heart. the story is about a girl(fl), a boy(ml), another boy(sml) and many more characters, each character has their own journey, their are no clieche love triangle and any villain.The story is about their journey from teenage to adulthood, how they grow up, matures, find their life goals and careers, fall in love, breakup, learns about society , form and break friendship, family, drifting apart and everything . This has everything I can ask for.
AND THE ENDING ITS BEAUTIFUL " it showed how some things will change and some things will never change".
THROUGHT OUR LIFE WE LIVE IN DIFFERNT PHASES
and each phase has their own meaning
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More Than a Story: A Journey Through Growing Up, Letting Go, and Holding On
Let me start by saying I don’t usually watch C-Dramas, but this one hit different and it hit hard. While not without its flaws, it stands out as one of the most authentic and emotionally grounded dramas I’ve seen. What truly sets it apart is its masterful character development. You follow the lives of multiple characters across different time periods, from high school to college and into adulthood, and the growth feels natural, layered, and deeply human.The story focuses mainly on the journey of a few core characters, but the supporting cast still gets meaningful attention. Even when some of them fade from the spotlight, you never forget them. As the drama itself says, “Those who have been in our lives will be part of our souls forever”, and you truly feel that. These characters don’t just pass through the screen, they stay with you. You care about who they are, what they’ve been through, and who they’re becoming. Their identities, struggles, and the quiet moments of their lives all feel incredibly real.
There’s a deep sense of nostalgia woven into the storytelling, not just through the characters and their memories, but through the places they inhabit, which start to feel like your own. It’s the kind of drama that makes you feel like you’ve lived alongside its characters.
The OST complements every stage of their journey beautifully. It's subtle and evocative, perfectly tuned to each time period and emotional shift, enhancing the story without ever overwhelming it.
And the ending is rewarding, heartfelt, and fully earned. It ties everything together in a way that leaves you feeling full, a rare and precious thing in long-form storytelling.
This is the kind of drama that stays with you. If you let it in, it gives you something deeply moving in return.
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This is so beautiful and heartwsrming drama
This dramas is really realistic and very relatable to real life. This drama is light but on the other hand also very complex. The cinematography of this drama is also very beautiful. The drama tells the story about friendship, family, first love, dreams, struggles in achieving those dreams, and self discovery to becoming adult. This rollercpaster like drama giving me a lot of laughs in the beginning and tears at the next moment. Like the metaphor of adolescence, full of laughter and dreams, then growing up and facing the bitterness of life.I really hope many people recognize this drama. If you've lost your way or lost yourself while pursuing your dream, maybe this drama can became a glimmer of light that can lead you into your next your steps.
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Growing up is not scary if it feels like this
I thought a river runs through it is my favorite youth cdrama, and no one will be better than when I fly towards you but after watching always home i can't move on. I finally found my home. The slow burn romance feels like WIFTY, while the characters remind me of ARRTI. I love the characters so much... the little moments together, the friendship, the chaotic school life and memorable life of being once a youth. I was with them since they were in highschool until they pursue the life they wanted for themselves after they graduated so I felt emotional after I finished watching the series because it makes me feels like I'm one of them. I also love the story and friendships of their parents, how they always makes each other part of each others lives and the struggle when life gets tough but they always have each other back. ALWAYS HOME YOU WILL ALWAYS BE PART OF ME, THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF MY 2025!! 🤍Was this review helpful to you?
Best drama of the year so far ❤️❤️❤️
This is one of the best chinese dramas I’ve seen in a while, and I watch a lot!!! Everything about it invites you in, it’s a slice of life story about family struggles, kids to adults. The chemistry between the leads is absolutely mesmerising, both of their acting is soooo amazing. I’m usually the type that fast forwards through bla bla moments, but with this drama I just couldn’t do that! Their acting is so compelling that I had no choice but to stay glued to the TV. Zhai Xiaowen’s portrayal of the main lead will probably stay with me for a long long time and I will definitely have to re-watch this drama a million times. Cannot believe the rating, it deserves soooo much more attention. Definitely for me it is the best drama so far this year and Zhai Xiaowen will defo make it big!Was this review helpful to you?
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Not for me
Always Home" was an average drama for me, as I’ve already watched many school and college-based dramas. So, I didn’t find anything new in it — the same struggles with studies, trying hard to prove oneself to parents, fighting for their dreams, and themes of love and jealousy.I would recommend this drama to college-going students, as they might connect with it more.
Other than that, I appreciated the performances of the actors and actresses, including those who played the roles of parents and teachers."
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Nostalgic Memories
Wow! This show is really good. It is a perfect example of childhood and nostalgia. You feel you are living with the characters going through life with them while understanding this is the best times of there lives. The warm lighting gives that nostalgic feel, the characters are relatable, as they are ordinary and all go through different phases of growing all going through there own problems. This shows gives me the feeling of this is a memory, live in the moment and enjoy life. The characters have a great dynamic (QiQi is a little annoying and indecisive lol) .Was this review helpful to you?
A Heartwarming Journey Through Time
Always Home is a beautiful Chinese drama that takes viewers on a touching journey from school days to adulthood. The story feels natural and heartwarming, making it easy to connect with the characters and their experiences.One of the best parts of this drama is the amazing acting. Every cast member delivers a genuine performance, making the story feel real and relatable. Zhai Xiaowen and Yang Xizi stand out the most—they bring their characters to life with such natural and heartfelt emotions that you can truly feel their growth and struggles.
More than just a love story, Always Home is about friendship, family, and the warmth of growing up together. It’s not filled with over-the-top drama, but instead, it touches your heart with its simple yet meaningful moments.
If you’re looking for a comforting and wholesome drama, Always Home is definitely worth watching. It’s a story that stays with you long after you finish it.
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