bingsoda

After the drama finished airing, word of mouth continues to build and there are so many viewers in their 30s who posted videos on Douyin/Rednote about how much they love the story, because it resonates a lot with them. About life choices, workplace situations and also overcoming personal trauma.

Surprisingly, there are quite many videos of men crying while watching STR 😁 There was a report that shows the statistics of STR viewers and the gender demographics is quite balanced (iirc 55:45), so the stats are in line with the public reaction. The drama really appeals to a broad demographics.

The drama cast, director, screenwriter and Linmon bosses gathered in Xiao Zhan's Shanghai concert 😊

https://weibo.com/1808910334/5362457529025395

https://weibo.com/1642591402/RpYjMcVv9 Long and insightful interview with the director. Good read.

Eps 4, 5, 6 are really funny and we get to see more genius Doctor Liu in Xiaoximen hospital. You'll warm up to the FL eventually, her back story is really sad and her past shaped her into the current strong character.

That said, the drama isn't focused on romance, but more about the growth arc of Liu Zhengliang and how he overcomes his past trauma.

The plot of Legend of Zanghai will keep you on your toes until the end it's so good! Maybe once you're done with it, you can pick up Ace Troops again 😁

Most cdramas have quite a bit of episodes, but each ep length is shorter so we get used to it later 😄

Xiao Zhan was nominated as Best Actor in last year's Magnolia Awards for Legend of Zanghai. The cast of Small Town Remedy is full of talented actors.

I also love how in this drama, Gong Xue, a character with disability is portrayed and written well. The drama didn't make her disability a point of conflict or victimized her. Jia Xin and Gong Xue are just like any other couple, they go on dates and overcome relationship obstacles. It's cute how they are both fans of martial arts novels and bond over the same hobby.

Douyin's rating for STR is 9.3, the score this excellent drama deserves.

There were voices of people who found him and the kid in the ruins, that means they were rescued, bro. You should rewatch the scene.

He didn't die, the last scene was him being rescued from the collapsed ruins.

As much as I adore Ai Chen, I think the ending will be less impactful if she's there. She definitely played a big part in his recovery, but ultimately the story is about self-redemption, him saving himself. I understand where you're coming from, it would be great to have a more clear closure, but I also understand the director's philosophical approach.

I think it's partly an artistic decision from the director, bc not everything has to be laid down explicitly. His phobia started after seeing his father died during heavy snow, so after this rescue the memory of snow will not be about death but about him surviving a near death experience while saving a child. Snow now represents his "rebirth".

The first episode opens with Liu Zhengliang trapped in ruins, a countdown symbolizing his being trapped by childhood trauma. In the finale, the countdown resets to zero and then starts moving forward, completing the metaphorical transition from "life's countdown" to "a new beginning." Without a single line of dialogue, the character's growth is perfectly conveyed.

Douban score is 8.00! It should be 9.00 but knowing how Douban treats Xiao Zhan's dramas this is good!

After a few hours of finishing the drama, withdrawals came in like a wrecking ball ;_;

I cried and laughed countless times watching STR. It's not condescending or detached from reality; everyone is making choices on their own life path. It perfectly portrays family, friendship and love. At the end everyone has a moment of redemption.

Ahaha, I can understand the reservations but you won't feel the length when you're watching. The writing is super strong and there's no filler scenes at all :) Ace Troops is also a good choice! You can also give The Youth Memories a try.

You should watch Legend of Zanghai, another great drama from Xiao Zhan (historical political suspense genre). Also the critically-acclaimed movie Gezhi Town.

It has something to do with adrenaline, it will temporarily mask pain perception during fight or flight situations. The girl probably didn't even realize that part was punctured and CJN was partly at fault for not doing a full examination 😟

I was bawling when Ai San showed up at the hospital morgue with Mi Si's red coat bc he was worried she would feel cold 😭😭

It's really a full circle moment, how it's not snow that trapped Liu Zhengliang but himself, and how it's not Fucheng that saved him but he saved himself. In the end snow gave him a new lease on life.

Fantastic drama and excellent performance from Xiao Zhan and the whole cast.