Against the Current

Absolute Phenomnal and Poignant Drama!

Against the Current is definitely my favorite drama of 2026 thus far! I didn't expect to enjoy so much, it follows the life of Xu Lan Xiang aka Shen Jia Lan, which gives me a bit of nostalgia from the old cdrama days where we follow the main lead from beginning to end. Albeit there is many of them still around, it is just the feeling of this drama differs from it's competitors. There isn't much romance, but the subtle romance was very cute and sweet.

Instead of your typical revenge plot, this drama went a different route. Lan Xiang is quite intelligent and observant, she prefers to stay quiet and conform to society. She is always 10 steps ahead of her enemies, if not, she would outsmart them regardless. She didn't want luxury from the beginning, she just wants to survive and be free from servitude. Alas, that did not last long and what had happened really ticked me off. I like that she sticks to her political views despite her husband works directly under the king. Tan Song Yun did a wonderful job as Lan Xiang/ Jia Lan, her acting was quite natural in my opinion. Her subtle eye movements expressed a thousand words which matched well with Liu Xue Yi who played her male lead, Lin Jin Qi. Both had amazing chemistry honestly despite the miniscules romantic moments.

Speaking of Lin Jin Qi, siigh. I don't know what to say, because he was fine in the beginning as Lan Xiang's master until he started showing signs of romantic interest in Lan Xiang. It was cute when he kept visiting her house nearly every day just to see her and tried to provide for her subtlely, protect her, and what not. Then came the force marriage and all hell went loose for me. LOL I was so distraught with Jin Qi for doing that, the entire Lin family, Lan Xiang and her whole family were upset by this as well. I thought it couldn't get possibly worse from there, but it did! LOL I forgot what episode it was until I forgave him and Lan Xiang finally accepted him. Nonetheless, I do know he absolutely loves Lan Xiang to death, but also respects her intelligence. He's a really good sword fighter, I realy like his final 1v1 fight against one of the villains probably cause all that power came from anger and grief. Lin Jin Qi as a character wasn't too outstanding, but Liu Xue Yi's acting was amazing as aforementioned the subtle facial expressions! There was one scene when his face went from happy, sad, disappointed, anger, and jealous all within a few seconds. It was so good, I had to rewatch that scene a few times. LOL

In every drama these days, the male lead would always have a trustworthy brother or two who fights alongside him and they're usually men working under him. However, Jin Qi also have another brother of similar status, someone he could trust with his life until the end, not his servant. That's one of the many things I like about this drama. ^^

Another thing I like about this drama is the villains arcs were never truly over from their introduction to the initial ending. They tend to come back later in Lan Xiang's life. Every drama will have one arc with one villain and they're dead right then and there. This drama? They really put the word "drama" to work. Lin Family is full of chaos, especially the male lead, Lin Jinqi. Dude is a villainess magnet, the women he had attracted or were/about to be married to him were insane- except for Lan Xiang. Li Meng is the queen of villainess, girl did a wonderful job as Zhao XingTang, her character was so pitiful in the end. I am glad her ending was somewhat bittersweet, because she met Lan Xiang again. In the end, the one person that showed her even an ounce of care was Lan Xiang.

The second lead was surprisingly not annoying to me as oppose to some viewers. I enjoyed his presence with Lan Xiang and how they connected as friends. Lan Xiang didn't like him romantically, and if it weren't for the force marriage, I wouldn't oppose to Han Liang proposing to Lan Xiang. They were cute together!

Other highlists of this drama is that it also puts a spotlight on all the side characters. The're basically fighting against misogyny and the patriarchial system, ancient Chinese women didn't have a say in their marriage, nor did they inherit family properties and whatnot. I'm glad all the women got what they wanted in the end, even if it weren't, at least they were able to choose what they want for their children.

There were a lot of timeskips, honestly this drama could have gone longer like 60 episodes so it didn't have to skip so much. I would watch it all regardless of how many episodes there were.

I would absolutely reocmmend this drama if you enjoy intelligent and strong willed female leads, but don't mind the slow pace and lack of romance.

If you're looking for a romance-focused drama, Against the Current is not your drama to watch.

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A Gentle Reminder of Impermanence

What a remarkable drama. Its beauty lies not only in the story it tells, but in the way it quietly reminds us what it means to be alive, and how fleeting this life truly is. The production is so delicate and immersive that, while watching, one cannot help but feel the weight, fragility, and preciousness of each passing moment.
Something deeply spiritual weaves through its essence, especially when viewed from the right perspective. Beneath the story, there seems to be a gentle meditation on life, impermanence, human connections, and the little moments that we so often overlook while rushing through our limited time.
After such a long time, I have finally found a story that feels worth surrendering my time to not merely something to watch, but something to feel, contemplate, and carry quietly within me after the screen goes dark.

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The river runs on, even after the storm

To begin with, a huge round of applause for the team behind this masterpiece. I owe a sincere thank-you to everyone across social media who recommended Against the Current and persuaded me to give it a chance. This woman-centric drama follows Shen Jialan, whose noble life is shattered overnight when her family is massacred under accusations of treason. The sole survivor, she becomes Xu Lanxiang, a maid in the very household she was once meant to enter as its young madam. The irony is almost cruel: a life once filled with privilege is reduced to a struggle for survival, and the woman who should have stood beside Lin Jinqi must instead serve his household. Yet this is not a conventional tale of vengeance. Lanxiang does not devote her life to hunting down those who destroyed her family; she chooses to live, perhaps because she understands that this is what her parents would have wished for her. As long as the green mountains remain, there will be firewood. Sometimes, survival itself is an act of defiance, and living well is a quieter way of honouring those we have lost.

Lanxiang is the heart and soul of this story. Beneath a maid’s uniform, she retains the poise of a noblewoman, distinguished by her intelligence, composure, and quiet courage. She is no damsel waiting to be rescued; more often than not, she is the one who saves herself and the women around her. Yet, for all my admiration, I sometimes wish the drama had allowed her to be a little less perfect and a little more human. She can move mountains for other women, but when it comes to Jinqi, she remains behind an almost impenetrable wall. I understand her resentment: the Lin family is inseparable from the tragedy she endured, and even their marriage forces her to relive wounds that have never truly healed. Her wedding, followed by her return to the old Shen residence, is particularly heartbreaking. Still, after so many years together, I wanted to see how resentment softened into affection and how affection might have grown into love. Their first intimate moment feels less like the culmination of an emotional journey than the fulfilment of an expected duty. And why, after more than sixteen years of marriage, does she never tell Jinqi that she is Shen Jialan? Perhaps she wishes to spare him the guilt, perhaps she cannot bring herself to surrender the last piece of her former life. I can understand her silence, but I cannot help wishing she had let him see more of her heart. The series shows us so beautifully how she changes the lives of others, yet it is far less certain in showing how she changes within herself.

As for Lin Jinqi, I would not call him an unblemished green flag, but neither can I dismiss him as a man undeserving of sympathy. He is the eldest son, raised to place his family’s interests above his own, and he carries the guilt of the Shen family’s downfall despite having tried to warn them of the danger. His grandfather, whom I initially regarded as a cold and calculating man, gradually becomes more understandable, too. Faced with an impossible choice, he prioritises the survival of his own family over power and position. His decision does not absolve him of responsibility, but it reveals the ordinary human fear beneath it. The drama repeatedly reminds us that a person can do wrong without being wholly evil. Jinqi, however, has his own failings: when he finally chooses himself, he does so by forcing Lanxiang into a marriage she never wanted. He reaches for happiness before considering the cost, then spends years asking for affection from a wife who cannot easily give it. His devotion is touching, but it does not erase the harm caused by his choice. I also found myself wondering why he eventually retired rather than remaining in the capital as commander of the Left Army. By the final episodes, Han Liang’s fate offers a possible answer: the pursuit of power and rank can place everything one loves in jeopardy. Perhaps Lanxiang’s wish for Jinqi to retire is not a surrender of ambition, but an invitation to choose a quieter life before it is too late. Sometimes, it is in an ordinary and peaceful life that the truest happiness lies.

What makes this drama especially compelling is its refusal to flatten its characters into simple judgments. Lin Xiuwan and Lin Xiuru undergo meaningful development, while Zhao Xingtang deserves particular mention. She is capable of cruelty and betrayal, and understanding her circumstances does not excuse her actions. Yet she, too, is a woman shaped by an era in which marriage could be little more than a transaction and a woman’s future was often decided by others. Her desperate attempts to secure enough silver to escape and claim a life of her own reveal the tragedy beneath her selfishness. I do not excuse what she does, but I understand why she is so desperate to survive on her own terms. This is what I love about the drama: no one is perfect. Every character carries both virtue and flaw, and the series allows us to understand the person beneath the choices they make. Through these women, Against the Current offers a thoughtful portrait of the lives women were forced to endure and the small spaces in which they struggled to reclaim their agency.

And finally, I really have to appreciate the three elements that gave their all to this work: the actors, the director, and the writer. Liu Xueyi and Tan Songyun breathe life into Lanxiang and Jinqi through the smallest details—subtle glances, restrained expressions, micro-expressions, and all the emotions that remain unspoken. The supporting cast deserves equal praise. Their characters are given enough depth and their own stories are compelling enough that I never found myself complaining about screen time being taken away from the leads; I genuinely wanted to know more about them too. Behind them, the director and writer deserve enormous credit for trusting subtlety rather than constantly explaining what the audience should feel. The cinematography is picturesque, the costumes and accessories are exquisite, and the OST blends beautifully into each moment. My only real frustration is the timeline: after major revelations, the story sometimes jumps six months ahead without allowing us to see the emotional aftermath, which is especially noticeable when Lanxiang’s own inner transformation is already left so understated. Still, Against the Current is a drama I deeply appreciate. It understands that people are rarely entirely good or entirely bad, that survival sometimes matters more than revenge, and that choosing an ordinary life can be its own kind of courage. Lanxiang carries her lost family forward simply by continuing to live. I only wish the drama had allowed us to see, with the same tenderness it gives to everyone around her, what that survival had made of her heart.

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Brilliant Execution, Questionable Balance: A Nuanced Take on Against The Current

I consider myself lucky to have watched this drama. The conflicts were well-constructed, the resolution was solid, and the cinematography was incredible. Technicians and creators did an amazing job here. I was practically ready to give it a near-perfect score, but once it hit episodes 42 or 43, I had to lower my rating.

This is arguably the best drama of the year for me, but it is not the best I’ve ever seen within this specific theme. I understand that it is female-centric—a trope I am familiar with and have watched many times. However, the delivery felt too heavy-handed; it was way too straightforward in spelling out the exact lessons and morals the audience is supposed to take away in the final episodes.

I also felt like we never truly got to know the male characters. They often felt like mere accessories or narrative supports to keep the plot moving. We were never allowed to genuinely feel the emotional weight and burdens carried by Lin Jin Qi, who served as a family shield and pawn, as if everything he endured was just ordinary and not heavy at all.

Unlike when I watched The Glory, where we could deeply grasp how crushing Fu Yunxi's burdens were, here I started to feel that the drama went a bit too far with its framing. As a woman, I always appreciate stories where my frustrations find a voice. But as a human being, I feel that even with all the systemic disadvantages women face, we don't need to completely invalidate the pain of men, who might hold certain societal privileges.

Watching this drama somehow made me feel unlucky to have been born a woman. Contrast that with the Canadian series Anne with an E, which actually made me feel fortunate to be born a woman.

Take the mother’s final words before she passed away—telling Jinqi she wasn't as worried about him because he was cunning and capable, while entrusting his younger sibling to Lanxiang because she was more worried (even though the sibling was pregnant at the time). If said between siblings of the same gender, that is undeniably blatant favoritism.

We saw a similar dynamic in When Life Gives You Tangerine, where Aesun paid more attention to Geumyeong because they shared the same trauma and understood how much harder it is for women to survive. But that ultimately burdened Geumyeong and made Eunmyeong feel neglected. In that show, Aesun and Gwansik eventually realized their mistake and apologized for unknowingly playing favorites.

Jinqi’s mother never really saw him as a full human being to begin with. That’s why, when Jinqi asked for the imperial decree, I felt the only person who had the right to be angry was Lanxiang. That moment was the very first time Jinqi lived for himself, whereas his whole life he was viewed as an asset rather than a person.

Even though it’s frustrating that Lanxiang fought so hard to escape that world only to be brought back in, Jinqi at least brought her back in the best way he knew how: by securing an imperial decree. Lanxiang wouldn’t be looked down upon, nor would she be reduced to a mere concubine like Deok Im in The Red Sleeve.

And while Lanxiang did lose her absolute freedom—just as she feared—Jinqi essentially helped unleash potential that had long been buried by her past and social status. Ultimately, Lanxiang lived a better life and even empowered the women around her to live better lives too.

I’ve watched many empowerment dramas before. Because this series is genuinely exceptional, I found myself holding it to a higher standard and comparing it to other masterpieces.

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This drama left me with something much more profound than any other dramas I’ve watched this year

I have very mixed feelings about this drama. I genuinely can’t describe how much I love it while also wishing they had done certain parts differently.

For one, I understand that this is Lan Xiang’s story, but did we really need all those little events right up until her death? I feel like they tried to squeeze in so many side incidents that were interesting but not entirely necessary, and it ended up cramping the story. So many things happened, and everything was introduced and resolved so quickly.

Then we have the time skips. After watching this, I realise I can accept at most 2 time skips - at the start (from childhood to adulthood) and then maybe one at the end. This drama had too MANY time skips, the pacing felt very off.

But my biggest regret is that, because the story was so cramped with all these other events and time skips, they completely overlooked the development of the main couple’s relationship. They showed us how much ML loves FL and how initially he was wrong and she hated his way of getting her to marry him. Then stayed very cold towards him right until she found out ML was the one who set up her family grave. To appreciate that but still not tell him her true identity was so wrong. But she still insisted that their paths are different then suddenly he quits his job and they sleep together?? Like what??

You spend so much time building up this emotional distance between them, only to completely gloss over the little moments where she gradually starts falling for him before they eventually consummate their marriage five years later. That was such a terrible storytelling decision. The producer/writer could have given us so much more of their emotional development, but instead, one of the most important parts of their relationship happens almost entirely off-screen.

And then there’s the ML discovering her identity on his own. The way he eventually reaches that conclusion felt a bit too stretched to me. Honestly, the drama had already shown us that he is definitely not THAT clever, so it was difficult for me to buy into how he suddenly pieced everything together.

That said, I absolutely loved LX and her relationships with her parents and her group of maids. Those relationships were beautifully done. You could really feel the love, warmth, and familiarity between them.

Which is why it was so sad to see that, even towards the end, her relationship with the ML felt simply respectful but still emotionally distant. It almost felt like this was a deliberate choice by the production team. As if they were telling us that Lan Xiang accepted him and accepted the life they had together, but she was never truly head over heels in love with him and that honestly broke my heart a little. The ML loved her so deeply right until the very end. He wanted her in every lifetime, while Lan Xiang never seemed to reach that same level of overwhelming love for him. It reminded me a little of Ming Lan and Gu Ting Ye (in The Story of Minglan), especially the way GTY was frustrated by how Ming Lan was always so respectful and accepting of everything he said and did. He didn’t just want her obedience or acceptance, he wanted her to genuinely love him, to be irrational and jealous over him, to care enough to lose her composure. We never really got that growth in Lan Xiang’s love for the ML.

And as someone who has always wanted that kind of overflowing, all-consuming love in life/relationship, that made me sad. Because, unfortunately, it also felt realistic. The ML chose her forcefully in the beginning, and even after everything they went through, he never quite received the kind of love from her that he had given her.

So why is this still a 9/10 for me?

Because this is the first drama in a long time that actually made me sit down and think about my own life after finishing it. The last third of the drama moved so quickly, with one thing happening after another, and strangely, that made me think about how life itself works. Things happen. Some complications get resolved, others don’t and time keeps moving regardless. And then suddenly, you’re old and dying, looking back at your life and hoping you can honestly say that you've lived as well as you could, spent your time wisely, and don’t have too many regrets or “what ifs.” It made me ask myself if I'm I actually living that kind of life? Because if I’m being honest, I don’t think I am. I’m in my late 20s now, and when I look back at my 20s, what I remember most is feeling depressed for large parts of it. Every year seems to have been a cycle of fluctuating emotions and periods of feeling low. I binge one drama after another, go to work mainly for the money even though I don’t enjoy it, and somehow the years just keep passing. Watching this drama made me realise how frighteningly easy it is to let life simply happen to you.

So despite all my complaints about the pacing, the time skips, and the lack of development in the main couple’s relationship, this drama left me with something much more profound than most of the dramas I’ve watched this year, even the ones with far better-written love stories. It made me rethink the way I’m living my own life. So despite everything, it’s still a 9 for me.


Special mention: Limeng's Zhao Xing Tang was absolutely AMAZING. I hate her but also pity her. How she made me understand the why behind her actions. Amazing acting. I'm so proud of Limeng lolol for making a side character so powerful. I'd been rooting for her without realising right until the end! I honestly hope she gets a main role soon, she deserves it.

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Experiencing a lifetime

If you are a sucker for a great OST, story line, and love reading between lines this series is for you. I really didnt expect much when I started this series, but every episode had me hooked and looked forward for more.
As a fan of 1.25x speed and fast forward buttons, I haven't had a chance to use them for this series. The only moments that I might have missed were the ones where I was wiping my tears. This series actually gave us viewers a roller coaster of emotions and they can do it on a single episode. I seriously cant put it in a lot of words but this series gave us the POV of Lanxiang as she navigates through life while just wanting to live and survive, and in turn giving everyone around her a chance to life a peaceful life as well.

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Made a good choice to watch this…. 10 stars are too few considering messaging

The first few episodes are like a normal drama where fl struggles because of being female…. Reminded me of Moon lovers(bad example) but didn’t dwell on the sufferings but the overcoming of obstacles.There probably were nuances of the maturity that I didn’t catch because I was not expecting it.

By ep 10 I was hooked to the story. I started watching because of a reel that explained the lack of tropes both macro or micro. The originality was mind boggling in that one could make such a complex storyline so simple to understand. The villains and jealous characters get way less screen time than women helping each other through hardships. This is how real women behave. I always wondered why women are portrayed otherwise and realised today that those were mostly show by and to men. This one has a female director and that shows in every sequence of events. Okay, I agree that the fl has way too many skills and smarts than a normal person, but let’s roll with the feminist thought behind that. Apart from that, I can’t fault any other logical loophole.

I want to go on a rant about how the ml gets himself a royal decree to marry fl without her or her parents’ consent. At first I feel sorry for the ml. That stems from the conditioning we’ve got as a drama watcher community and not any real feelings toward this issue. Imagine someone you and your parents were a slave to and struggled to finally become free of. You then start a modest life within your means and are about to wed someone who likes you just enough and your parents are ecstatic. You are guaranteed a certain amount of freedom to do as you please career wise. This master guy then swoops in on your wedding day with a royal decree to marry him…. Of course your plans have been ruined and you hate him. Who wouldn’t? No one was surprised when ml divorced his first wife for controlling his family through her family’s power. But why the double standard when the same happens with fl? They mention this in many episodes and drive the message home quite efficiently, I must say.

There is constant reference throughout the series about how there will be a time when girls and boys are given equal preference in birth, schooling, career etc. it was as if they were speaking to the audience, not just as a dialogue. Very inspiring.

I was disappointed in myself when I wanted ml to live longer. This was fl’s story. I could very well compare her to my own grandmother who’s been a widow for over 25 years now. But she didn’t have the courage or example or support. Y other grandmother was a widow for 20 years and was strongly independent and opinionated. They are extreme and the fl was somewhere in the middle but completely good to the core without the human flaws. We forget most often women live way longer than their husbands. These widows are a marginalised community and we dismiss them without much thought. This series was just perfect in depicting how to behave. Thank you all involved.

I liked that third sister has only daughters and splits her husband’s wealth among them. Also liked the closure to the first wife. I believed they would touch on her lightly but we got a good glimpse of how her life panned out and the misogyny she endured.

Overall my first 10 star series for the year

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Witholding the current, and not fighting it

When i first watch the trailer for the drama, i thought that the drama would be a romance about partnership and facing hardship together. I'm a romance enthusiast, i don't really watch non-romance drama, and i wanted the heart-fluttering, devotion, yearning, intimacy, all sort of that things that comes with a romance. And then i watch the first episode, and realize that perhaps it wasn't going to be what i expected and want it to be. I cry so much watching the first episode, thinking that it's hard to find a show that makes me cries so much, i stick to it. At the end to me this show held my tears switch turning it on every episode, it tugs my heart exactly at the topic that makes me cries even if not necesessary sad.

At the earlier part of the story, i somewhat disdain the ML, so my hopes for the heart-fluttering romance, i have wrapped it up and thrown it away. But i stick because the other things is very interesting. The maid surviving the cruel young madam arc was interesting first and foremost should be credited to the antagonist performance, she carries her character with such unhinged but also somewhat vulnerable weight to her. The story was also have this theme of girlhood among the maid, the friendship they share were very touching, it was worth my tears, the hardship they endure, the punishment disporportionate to their fault, everything was also worth my tears. I even cried for the antagonist. So by this point, i have somewhat an idea of what kind of vibes the show is going, but as the story arc moves, the heartbeat of the story also moves, the themes going from girl friendship, to family, to love, moves one to another, back to another, but at the end it was mostly about being a women.

They have a lot of female antagonist, from a women trapped by the shackles of her powerful family lacking knowledge and wit, to a women who is full of wit but coming from a humble background, to someone both smart and born from powerful family. Unlike a lot of drama where the female antagonist was just shallow, jealous women, these women was everything but that. They were all flawed people but all strong, and have something to say. They were walking the wrong path, but they have their own justified reason.

The show was full of women, from young to old, maid to master, reserve to cheerful, petty to wise, childish to mature. One differs from another. What amazing is despite the abundant character, most of it were a full-layered character. They feel alive, they were interesting enough to wonder what kind of life they have off screen.

As the story progress, the romance developed, as the romance developed, my disdain towards the ML slowly subside. His character growth was great. For me, he went from a bitter jerk, to somewhat a chill guy, to a true gentleman. His love went from selfish to understanding. He genuinely grows, learn to understand what's really matter and comes out the best version of himself. I really loves this character, despite my initial dislikes. For me, he never went downhill, my likability towards him actually grows as the story go, it was truly a satisfied character growth.

The drama gaves a lot of life lesson, one that stick to me and i feels like the overarching part was the idea about helping someone walking their path will leads you to a wider and brighter path yourself, i always love the idea of how being kind lead to good karma, this kind of thing might seem simple, but it was really precious to me. The silent strength of kindness, it was really one of my tears triggers.

Initially the title Against the Current sounds like it was about fighting your way, moving towards the currents hitting on you. Being about going the other way, changing the tides. But watching this show it was not, it was about withstanding it, it was about holding your ground despite it. Initially the FL seems like a character just moving following the motion, wanting to live safely and peacefully, she doesn't have great ambition to rise above other nor vengeance to seek revenge, just moves in motion to where lives leads her, but then as the story goes she was thrown into a path she doesn't want to take, despite letting it takes her where it takes her she still holds to her principle, didn't let the currents washed her ashore or drowned it under. The ML have his on unconventional way, he follows the norm but have his own principle, he doesn't blindly follow the currents lest it leads him astray. To go against the current is not to fight upstream against the current, but to strive to live well of a life that one chosen despite the current.

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Beautiful and bittersweet

One thing you should pay attention to, though this IS a romance genre, romance isn't actually its main theme. It's main theme is Lanxiang's (LX) fall from nobility to rags, her rise back, and how she always truly lived for one thing alone: herself and the Shen family. And really... well, feminism (girl power!). If you go with this mindset, you won't feel a little annoyed from time to time like I did as I expected more romance and angst from the description and the trailers.

Master Lin is swoon worthy and he has his real flaws which actually added to his charm. But as we saw, LX didn't really care all that much. Fengtai (FT) was definitely the one who was more in love in their relationship, and LX, to me, felt more like "Oh, well, okay, i guess he's my hubby and the father of my children lol. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do", kind of the same way she was about to marry Han, no real feelings, just going with the motions sort of thing. She never really put a sweat in for their "love", like how both sides MUST do in a good love story. And though I don't hate it (I quite like that the man loves the woman more), its one of the little nitpicks I had with this otherwise great drama. I only wished for LX to have loved FT a bit more. Especially in the ending before her death, she still only held and remembered her Shen family with basically zero connection to FT. Which I understand. The tragedy of her family was truly not something one can overcome easily, if at all. But if alongside the Shen family sachet she also would have held the red string or anything connected to FT, it would have felt more satisfying for this drama as a ROMANCE genre. The current ending is perfect for a historical life drama, but slightly lacking for a romance.

My other nitpick: time skips.... Good God! I lost count just how many time skips we had. and some of them happened in such quick successions, e.g. something happened, and then 6 MONTHS LATER, then we get a scene that lasts maybe 5 or 10 mins and then suddenly we get hit with a 2 YEARS LATER! Like I'm not even grounded in the current timeline and we're already skipping. I know the story is a lifetime story and they don't have enough time, but not every scene needed to be directly added to add context for what happened in the past 2 years.

Other than that:
Acting? Amazing.
Story? Bittersweet and heartbreaking yet beautiful.
Characters? I actually LOVED that both FT and LX had goals of their own, especially FT. We already established LX is the nonchalant queen, but FT, even though he really loved LX he didn't just throw everything away just to follow her around like a sick puppy and forget everything else. He kept his goals, his ambitions, his very personality. He had red flags that remained, he had goals that he strived for even if it meant he kinda had to force LX to follow him, and then as he grew as a character and as a husband, his goals naturally changed. The more unbending person here was actually LX, and honestly good for her. It is refreshing for a woman to not give up on her dreams because of a man (We just needed a wee bit more feelings for your poor hubby LX!).

One thing I ABSOLUTELY LOVED and it had me kicking my feet like a schoolgirl and giggling is the slow burn of FT noticing then falling for LX, from the glances, to the subtle touches, to the lowered flirtatious voice, to standing closer to her than needed ..... AHHHHHHHHHHHHH, genuinely had me smiling ear to ear.

One final warning and SPOILERS... we barely get any kisses. And the only one we get that actually counts is way over the halfway point xD Gotta love me my slow burn ಥ‿ಥ

Final verdict: 8.5/10 . Very good!
Emz Recommends

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All they wanted was their freedom

It's been a while since i've been so invested in a drama. Everything, from the storyline to the set design, was incredible.

What stood out most to me was how each and every single character was so well developed. They all had a story, they all had their own unique personalities, and they all made us feel so many emotions. The women in this show were so strong in their own way, all of them doing what they could to survive. This show portrayed the hardships and difficulties women had to go through so perfectly.

I also loved how the time skips were shown. Watching how the family progressed was beautiful, and the last scene really brought all the emotion!!

I think this might be one of the best dramas to have come out this year, and Lanxiang has got to go down as one of the smartest characters to be written.

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I have only 1 thing to add...

Tan Song Yun is finally showcasing her amazing acting talent. If you are her fan, watch this drama. It's been a long while since she chose a meaty role that can flex her acting muscles.

Everything else about this drama, my fellow reviewers above and below (who rated it at least an 8) have already said. Three cheers for Seven!

And kudos to the casting director who chose the right actors to play each character so well.

Heads up: The story takes a nose dive from Ep 37 due to poor scripting...sudden change in the main themes, pace and tone. Poor transition from part 1 of the series. A very anticlimactic ending. Still the first three quarters of this drama deserves an 8/10.

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