This review may contain spoilers
Every step led them to each other and their final destination.
I finally finished The White Olive Tree and I’m still in shambles with red eyes. I knew it was going to be heavy after seeing the behind the scenes and some of Chen Zhe Yuan’s interviews but I never expected this sort of agony. The portrayal of these mental health issues, of the ugliness of war, and how life gives you beauty to give you pain is…all too realistic which makes it that much easier to cry and feel the pain. While I always want a happy ending, we don’t always get one in real life so I get why it all fell to this because sometimes we can’t be saved. Sometimes the only peace we can find is in the next journey, not in this life.Another key theme is extremism. Extreme good is no better than extreme bad, both cause intense pain and unimaginable suffering. Li Zan is the “ultimate” good-gentle and selfless to the point of causing those who love him dearly agony. He says early on in the show “Having the right intention doesn’t always lead to the right outcome.” This sums up Li Zan’s character quite well. It’s also a reminder about extremism and intentions.
Finally, all of the main supporting actors along with Chen Zhe Yuan and Liang Jie were spectacular at portraying their respective points. The suffering from PTSD, anxiety, depression, and the way in which everyone can handle situations differently was so well done. We are all living on borrowed time and some of us are suffering silently even if we outwardly look okay. I recommend watching this only if you’re in a strong/good mental and emotional state as this can be extremely triggering, heavy, and draining. I do plan to rewatch this and would tell everyone to watch it. This drama beautifully highlights the importance of life and how each moment should be cherished and how each decision, no matter how minor, could be a catalyst for something major.
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